Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! [Isaiah 40:3 (NLT)]

Conquered and oppressed for centuries, the 1^st century Jews were despondent. From its beginning in Genesis to its end in Malachi, their Scriptures were filled with prophecies of Israel’s deliverance and some 500 verses pointed to, described, or referenced the coming Messiah. Where was the descendant of David who would reward the righteous and punish the wicked? 1,000 years had passed since God’s covenant with David and 2,000 since His covenant with Abraham but God’s chosen people still weren’t free from their enemies and oppression. The Jews of Palestine easily could have sung the words, “Oh come, oh come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel.”  Where was he?

Where was the Messenger prophesied by both Malachi and Isaiah—the one who would prepare the way of the Lord and tell the towns of Judea. “Here is your God!”? And, where was the Messenger of the covenant?

The first Advent or coming of the Messiah occurred quietly the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem and only a few shepherds and some pagan astrologers took notice. When the first Messenger’s voice was heard, it was that of John the Baptist. Calling the people of Judah to repent, John told them the time of the promised “Messiah” was at hand. The promised Messiah, however, was not what the people expected.

Except for the 79 troubled years under the Hasmoneans, Judah had been governed by foreign Gentiles for over 600 years. It’s understandable that they longed for a king who would redeem them from foreign rule—a king who would sit on an earthly throne. But, with Jesus, the world got a king who redeemed them from sin and sits on a heavenly throne. Judah, however, wanted someone to liberate them from foreign rule, not sin! They were looking for the Lion of the tribe of Judah, not the Lamb of God and, because they expected a conqueror, they didn’t recognize the suffering servant God promised in Isaiah 53.

With that first advent or coming, God made a new covenant with His people—one prophesied in Jeremiah: “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days…. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.…. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” [Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NLT)]

Jesus confirmed this new covenant while eating with His disciples in the upper room at His last Passover when, “He took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’” [Matthew 26:26-28]

In this new covenant, we receive the forgiveness of sins and God’s empowering Spirit to help us live lives full of self-giving (rather than self-serving) love. Jesus paid the ransom only God could pay and, by his death and resurrection, He freed us forever from Satan’s tyranny. Because the shedding of His blood paid our debt and purchased our forgiveness, we are secure as God’s adopted children. As the light of the world, Jesus banished hopelessness, rescued us from hell and unlocked the doors to heaven.

Our redemption only began when Jesus brought His light into the world. Death, disease, decay, and calamity remain and our enemy Satan continues to prowl. Jesus’ work is not finished and there still are Messianic prophecies to fulfill.

My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected—a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. [Isaiah 53:2-3 (NLT)]

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