PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

TEXT: LUKE 3:1-18

Jesus our Lord was called out of Egypt, back to Israel after Herod had died-(Hosea 11:1), who wanted to kill the young child. Every great person with great potential attracts the enemy. Satan our enemy wants to destroy every person with great potential to change the world.

Our Lord began his earthly ministry when He was 30 years old. He performed the ministry for only 3 years and accomplished everything God had purposed to be achieved.

He stayed for 30 years, three decades, doing no ministry as the time appointed by the Father had not come. Our God is a great planner. He plans things meticulously. Some of us have gone through a wilderness in life when not much seems to be happening in life. You could be in the period of preparation; as our Lord was prepared for 3 decades. When the period is over the Lord turns around things and within a short time you achieve destiny; your purpose in life, the reason for which you were brought to the earth. Moses, the servant of God was prepared for 80 years before he began his purpose, destiny in life. More about God’s preparation for the ministry of Jesus Christ.

THE INTERTESTAMENTAL PERIOD OF 400 YEARS.

Between the last great prophet of the Old Testament Malachi and the beginning of the New Testament, the birth of the Lord, there is a silent period of 400 years when there was hardly any communication from God to the nations.
For the 400 years God was preparing the world for the greatest turnaround in the destiny of man; a new dispensation was approaching the whole earth; not only Israel as in the Old Testament.
God prepared the world philosophically. The Greek education and philosophy spread globally to prepare men to think radically and accept a new gospel of grace.
God prepared the world linguistically. If the new gospel of grace were to be spread to the uttermost parts of the world, from Jerusalem, then all the world had to know the language through which the gospel would be propagated. God brought in Greek language everywhere and people became learned in Greek.
God prepared infrastructure. God brought in the Romans who took over the world and they built high-class road network everywhere so that missionaries could travel to any part of the world. Sailing in the sea was also streamlined.
God prepared the Jews to receive the gospel. The 400 years of spiritual famine prepared them to hunger for God. That’s why multitudes left towns to the Jordan to look for John to baptize them. They were hungry for God.

GOD SENDS JOHN FOR FINAL PREPARATION-Isaiah 40:3-8.

Malachi 4:5-John the Baptist came in the power of Elijah. All Jerusalem and Judea left for River Jordan-Mark 1:5.
John the Baptist was a radical preacher putting on clothing made of camel’s hair and leather belt around his waist and eating locusts, honey and he dwelt in the wilderness of Judea. Great destinies can only be approached in radical ways.
John the Baptist was fearless. He confronted the hard nuts of religion and described them, fearlessly calling them “a brood of vipers.” Speaking for God requires boldness. The believer is moving against the current in the world, you must be ready to stand alone-with God.
John preached repentance. Turning away from the old way to a new way, he provided exit for the sinner trapped in sin. The new dispensation of grace had started!!
When God’s mandate for the ministry of John was ended, he had to die to give way to the new ministry of Jesus Christ, not to overshadow the ministry of the Lord-Mark 6:14-29.
When John’s disciples Andrew and Simon Peter left for Jesus Christ, he did not complain.
John pointed people to Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION