Wisdom's Corner
Prepare for Jesus, part 1

In ancient times, we read about how servants in a palace were to prepare for the coming of a visiting ruler. They were many times expected to get a guest room ready. They were to prepare it just the way the visiting ruler would like it. Furniture would be arranged in a certain way. The right food would be prepared and ready.

Sometimes even the streets that the visiting ruler would travel would be cleaned and beautified. The city would be made to look nice for the visitor. All things would be prepared so that the visiting ruler would feel at home and would be able to do the business he came to do in comfort.

In Mark 1:2, we read, "As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. The word 'prepare' is the word used in ancient literature for the arrangements made for a visiting ruler. John was the servant who was to get the world ready for Christ's visit. It was John's job to prepare the world so that Christ would be able to accomplish what he came to do.

I am glad that God loved the world enough that he would sent a messenger to prepare the world for Christ. And I am glad that he loved us enough to send Christ to us. I am glad that God loved us enough to give us the Bible so that we could read about the wonders that He has done through time. And we can read what God wants us to do to obey Him.

Keep reading your Bible. Study it and learn what God wants you to do. And if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.

Mark McWhorter

Copyright 2002

Published by The Old Paths Bible School
(http://www.oldpaths.org)