A voice of one calling out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!" The words of the prophet Isaiah ring out again, this time from a different messenger. John the Baptist declares the coming of the Messiah, the one who would deliver God's people once and for all. the message of hope reverberated through the towns and cities as people came to hear this messenger declare the coming of the one who would free them from sin and the predicament they have found themselves in. While John baptized the repentant people with water, he promised the Messiah to come would baptize with the power of the Holy Spirit which would change a person from the inside.
Understanding hope is critical to the life of a believer. Hope is what the life of faith is all about. But, what if the hope that Jesus speaks of is not just a hope for one's own situation or outcome? What if the hope that Jesus brings is something that comes when a believer, changed by the power of the Holy Spirit takes up the announcement of John the Baptist, declaring the goodness of the Messiah. Just as John understood his role of preparing people to hear the message of the need for repentance and turning to Jesus, the hope of the Christian is fulfilled when they realize their role in helping others to hear the message of Jesus Christ. It is when we join God in His kingdom work that we begin to see the fullness of the message and work that Jesus Christ came to bring! This is the difference between experiencing true hope, and almost experiencing hope!
