The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness - John 1:23

John the apostle wrote how, “this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Are you Elias? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What say you of yourself?”, and in chapter one and verse twenty-three of his book, John shared how John the Baptist said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness” where we read:

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

The verse reads, “He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ...” John began with the words, “He said” or “John the Baptist uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “I am the voice” which means “I, John the Baptist, exist as the speech, tongue and language” “of one crying” or “belonging to a person who is speaking with a high, strong voice and shout” “in the wilderness” which means “within the solitary, lonely, desolate and uninhabited desert place”. John shared how John the Baptist described himself to be “the strong speaking one” located in the “lonely desert place”.

The verse goes on to say, “Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” John added the words, “Make straight” which means “level, plain, direct and steer” “the way of the Lord” or “the course, travel, journeyed road belonging to the one to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”, “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “the prophet Esaias” or “the man whose name was Isaiah which means Jehovah's help and was moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman who solemnly declared to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation”. John shared how John the Baptist was given the commission to “clear the pathway” belonging to the “Lord Jesus” which was foretold by the prophet Isaiah. (See Isaiah 40:3-5)

When we think through John's words in this verse, we see how John the Baptist understood his role was to “clear” the pathway for the “Messiah Jesus”. “Isaiah” prophesied how there would be a “prophet” who would “make straight” the coming of the “Lord”, and John the Baptist fulfilled this “prophesy”. God's desire is to “save” every person from the penalty of death for their sins, and He came to die so every person could live with Him forever. Those who examine each detail concerning the coming of the Lord will discover Jesus came on their behalf, and they may choose to submit their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time John shares, “they which were sent were of the Pharisees”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".