Preparing the way for the God of love!

Reflecting on Luke 1:5-25

"He will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17)

Elijah is traditionally considered one of the greatest Old Testament prophets.
He was known for championing monotheism and confronting kings.
He was known for powerful miracles and a dramatic ascent to heaven.
Malachi, later prophet, predicted the return of one like Elijah.

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

This is what the angel refers to in latter part of Luke 1:17.
To “turn the hearts” is another way of saying repentance, to ‘change the mind’.
It refers to people seeing things in a new way, a better way.
It involves turning away from something, and towards something better.
A better way of living, a better way of thinking, a better way of relating.
Gabriel quotes Malachi about reconnecting parents and their children
But he expands it to include turning away from disobedience to righteous wisdom.
Both are ways of saying: to restore people to loving God and loving others.

Gabriel then changes the ending of Malachi’s words.
Compare the closing words of Malachi and Gabriel:

“Or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.” (Malachi 4:6)
“To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17)

These seem opposite, but they essentially say the same thing.
The disobedience that divided families was really bad.
Abuse of all kinds, abandonment, sacrifice to the gods, rebellion.
The people had turned away from love towards cruel, unloving ways.
In that sad, sinful state, they were not prepared to meet the Lord.
The Lord, Whose way is love, has no choice but to stop unloving ways..
The people need to be turned towards love, as we all do!

The main point in all this though is that the Lord is coming.
John, in the spirit of Elijah, will go before the Lord.
He will prepare the people for the Lord.
And then YHWH, the Lord, God Himself will come.
This is not a great and terrible day for those who long for love and goodness.
But it is a great and terrible day for those who resist love and goodness.

Many OT prophets predicted that God Himself would come, in person!
This was because the ones who should have been doing God’s work, weren’t.
It was the failure of the shepherds that led the Great Shepherd to come.

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock… I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:8,15-16)

“A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God… You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God!’ See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:3,9-11)

Zechariah and Elizabeth’s baby will be the voice of one calling.
Their son John will be the one to prepare the way for God to come.
John’s ministry alerts us to the identity of Jesus: God with us!
Jesus is the good shepherd come to rescue and restore God’s sheep.
Jesus is God’s warning and woe to bad shepherds who abuse and neglect the sheep.

John was the last of the pre-Jesus prophets, preparing the way for God in Jesus.
As followers of God in Jesus, we are all prophets declaring the way of God in Jesus.
Our work is the same as John, calling people back to God’s way of love.
Healing and restoring the oppressed, warning and opposing the oppressors.
We represent the love of God, and are sent to continue what Jesus began.
We spread the love of God, are do what we can for the wounded, wandering sheep.

The coming of Jesus is a great day for the abused and neglected sheep.
But it is a dreadful day for the abusive, negligent shepherds.
It was not the sheep that resisted Jesus, it was the shepherds.
We will find the same, it is the leadership that resists sharing God’s love.
As Jesus followers, we seek and serve lost and struggling sheep.
But doing this like Jesus did will irritate the religious leaders.

I want to be a prophet/servant like John, promoting healing and hope.
Though I do not want to stand up to religious leaders, I will if love demands it.
If I am told not to love and serve certain people, I must follow Jesus.
I will go to those the church refuses to go to, to point them to Jesus.
I will demonstrate and declare the goodness of the Shepherd, God in Jesus.
I will prepare them to see what God is really like, as seen in Jesus.
And I will speak out against unloving and cruel doctrines and decrees.
Woe to those who make it hard for the sheep to find Jesus.
Woe to those who prevent sheep from entering the Good Shepherd’s pen.
Woe to those who speak harshly, not tenderly, to the sheep.
Woe to those who use their rod and staff to condemn rather than comfort.

John is not the hero in this story, Jesus is.
John himself recognizes this: “He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30)
May this be my mission too, to get out of the way, to make Jesus greater.
May I go out in spirit and the power of Jesus.
May I be known for championing the love of Jesus, and not those who don’t.
May the way I speak and live prepare people to know and love Jesus!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You are God with us, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. (Exodus 34:6-7) This is what John was calling us back to, preapring us to experience in You. Turn me back to God and to others, prepare me to know AND TO show Your love to all God's sheep!