“…the word of God came
unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness…Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be brought low;
Luke 3:2b & 5a
As a preparatory voice for the coming of the Messiah, John’s message focused on the Messiah’s work. To put it another way, His message was Christ centered. Again, this is not John’s message but GOD’s. He is His voice crying out to lost humanity preparing them for the only remedy for sin—Jesus Christ. Since he must decrease and Christ must increase—his ministry would always put Jesus first. Having a prophetic ministry as directed by Isaiah 40, we get a glimpse of what Jesus will soon do from this passage as John would share. Jesus Christ will make all men equal at the foot of the cross.
Jesus would lift the lowly, hurting, shunned, and oppressed. It seems that in John’s day many were disenfranchised from the grace of God. Salvation was for the whole and not the sick. As a result, many were overlooked and without hope. Widows, orphans, the poor, the sinful, and many others were consigned to a lower status than those who saw themselves as the cream of the crop. Jesus came to change all of this. He fills every valley. What was it like to be the woman caught in adultery when she looked into the eyes of God our Savior and heard, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? ...Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (see John8:9-11)?” Imagine being the woman who was overlooked by all when she threw her entire living into the offering plate. Her deed did not escape His eye! How would you like to be like Matthew? He was branded as a traitorous tax collector for Rome but he encountered Jesus and heard, “follow me (Mark 2:14).” Yes, Jesus fills every valley!
Luke 3:2b & 5a
As a preparatory voice for the coming of the Messiah, John’s message focused on the Messiah’s work. To put it another way, His message was Christ centered. Again, this is not John’s message but GOD’s. He is His voice crying out to lost humanity preparing them for the only remedy for sin—Jesus Christ. Since he must decrease and Christ must increase—his ministry would always put Jesus first. Having a prophetic ministry as directed by Isaiah 40, we get a glimpse of what Jesus will soon do from this passage as John would share. Jesus Christ will make all men equal at the foot of the cross.
Jesus would lift the lowly, hurting, shunned, and oppressed. It seems that in John’s day many were disenfranchised from the grace of God. Salvation was for the whole and not the sick. As a result, many were overlooked and without hope. Widows, orphans, the poor, the sinful, and many others were consigned to a lower status than those who saw themselves as the cream of the crop. Jesus came to change all of this. He fills every valley. What was it like to be the woman caught in adultery when she looked into the eyes of God our Savior and heard, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? ...Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more (see John8:9-11)?” Imagine being the woman who was overlooked by all when she threw her entire living into the offering plate. Her deed did not escape His eye! How would you like to be like Matthew? He was branded as a traitorous tax collector for Rome but he encountered Jesus and heard, “follow me (Mark 2:14).” Yes, Jesus fills every valley!
Jesus also would be the humbling one because, “every mountain and hill shall be brought low”. A certain Pharisee learned this the hard way. In an effort to be the talk of the town he had invited Jesus to dinner. He failed to offer Jesus even the common courtesies of the day. When a woman of ill repute entered and began to wash Jesus’ feet with her hair, the Pharisee thought, “if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” Imagine how he felt after being upbraided by the Lord for his lack of compassion and respect. It doesn’t matter that your prayer starts out, “…God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess (Luke 18:11-12).” If you don’t humble yourself at the foot of the cross you will not be justified in His presence. Yes, Jesus brings every hill and mountain low.
John’s message is simple, we must all come equal to the foot of the cross. That cross and the Savior who hung on it is God’s great equalizer. Without it no man can be justified in the LORD's presence. Do you feel so low that you think God couldn’t possibly love you? Good news! He does so rise up and take a stand at the feet of Jesus. Are you so high and mighty that you think you don’t need God’s plan of salvation or you are so holy that you need not His assistance? Fall quickly on your face before the King of Kings and seek His mercy. It is better to stand at that even place at the foot of His cross than to stand at the great sea of glass before His throne where there will be no place to hide your sin. Hurry and call on Jesus—He is Soon2Come.
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