Mark 1:1-8 and Isaiah 40:3-5 - Prepare The Way Of The LORD

We have finished the Book of Judges and have now turned our attention to the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 1:2-3 there is a quote that is taken from Isaiah 40:3-5. Because of this, we have been given an opportunity to spend some time considering that passage. We’re doing this because throughout the Book of Judges we saw the importance of true repentance. In Judges 19-21 we saw that ‘sinful people, live in sinful families, and they live among a sinful community’. Because of this, left to ourselves we will deal with sin in ways that are contrary to God’s Word but seem right in our eyes.

In Judges 19 we saw that we may try to deal with sin by escaping and hiding from it. As we do this, we try to deal with sin by using substances, relationships, and countless other things. (19:1-9) At first, this may appear to provide some comfort, but when trials come we discover that the grace and wisdom of God will not present to help in the time of our need. Perhaps this is why so many who fail to truly repent and believe upon Christ live in constant fear that they will always be addicted and can never be totally made new. The comfort of the Gospel frees us from this fear. (1 Corinthians 6:10-11 – And such were some of you. But you were justified in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God.)

In Judges 20-21 we saw that we also try to deal with sin through ‘religion’. Religious people may look like they are turning to the LORD, however, their hearts remain far from Him. (Jer. 12:2) They hate the consequences of sin, but they love their sin. Despite appearances, their hearts remain staunchly inclined towards sin. Isaiah 58 is a good description of what the word ‘religious’ looks like, “They seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God.” And yet, despite these things they are left asking, “Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’”

God’s responds, “Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist.” (James 4:1-4) Therefore the LORD says, “Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord?”

Last week in Isaiah 40:1-2 we saw how God was offering His people unexpected comfort. This comfort was unexpected because in Isaiah 39 God had just said that His people would be taken away into a foreign land in judgment. (Isaiah 39:5-8). When Hezekiah heard this he found comfort in knowing that this judgment would not happen in his day. At other times, when Hezekiah encountered hopeless situations, he would pray but he did not do that here. Instead, he found comfort in a temporal (worldly) way.

To show us the folly of this, although we can understand why Hezekiah does this, there is a word of comfort given by the LORD. This is not a superficial and temporary comfort like we find in this world. The comfort that is given in Isaiah 40 is a believers comfort in both life and death. In Isaiah 40:1-2 we read,“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

If this word is to be believed by us we must be given some supporting facts. Therefore, the LORD gives three facts that are able to anchor our souls in hopeless and desperate times. Isaiah tells God’s people that their warfare had ended, that their iniquity has been pardoned, and that they have received from the LORD’s hand double (exact equivalent) for all her sins. If this is received by faith their hearts will remain steadfast and immovable during days of tribulation. (Hebrews 6:18-20)

After these words of comfort we come to Isaiah 40:3-5 which says, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

In this text we hear the first of three verses that will speak in Isaiah 40:3-11. Just as there were three facts given to supported this word of comfort (v.2), there will now be three voices that will speak to God’s people to exhort and encourage them in this word of comfort.

Observation: In the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel is proclaimed and taught. That is what is happening here. We need both! We need the Good News of Christ proclaimed, the facts given, the teaching regarding these things expounded upon.

• Verse 3: A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

• Verse 6: A voice says, ‘Cry!’ 

• Verse 9: “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength…”.

Think of all the voices that you hear throughout the day. Some of these voices are speaking wisdom; most of them do not. Some of these voices speak comfort; most of them do not. Most of these voices are contradict and confuse the truth, but in this passage we hear three voices that will consistently speak wisdom that will give God’s people grace and comfort even in the face of hopeless situations and wilderness experiences.

As you consider this first voice you discover that it speaks of two important realities.

• First, the comfort spoken of in v.1-2 does not apply to everyone. This comfort is only enjoyed by those who have a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus Christ alone accomplishes this comfort for His people.

• Second, this comfort in v.1-2 only comes to those who repent and turn to the LORD in faith.

First, The Comfort Of Verses 1-2 Comes Through A Relationship With Jesus Christ

Isaiah 40:3-5 is quoted in all four of the gospels. This means that the Holy Spirit does not want there to be any confusion regarding how we should understand this message of Comfort! The Gospel of John makes it clear that John the Baptist was the messenger who was to come and prepare the way of the LORD. For example, in John 1:19-28 John the Baptist was asked, “Who are you? Are you Elijah? Are you Prophet?” John confessed that he was not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet who was to come; instead he quoted from Isaiah 40, saying, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘make straight the way of the Lord…”. He would baptize with water, but He who comes after would baptize with the Spirit!

John the Baptist testified that he was not the Christ, but that Jesus Christ is the one of whom Isaiah 40:3-5 prophesied about. Mark 1:1-3 makes this very clear when Mark says, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”. Next he says, “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger (John the Baptist) before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” The Lord was introduced to us in v.1 as Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:1 gives some amazing facts regarding Jesus. He is the focal point of the Good News- the Gospel. Jesus is the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One). He is the Son of God. (Heb. 1:1-4- “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he created the world.”) He is the God-Man who according to His human nature is from the line of David, but according to His resurrection was proved to be the Son of God.

We can add to Mark’s descriptions all that Isaiah prophesied regarding Jesus.

• In verse 3 Jesus is Jehovah- Yahweh. Jesus is the self-existent and eternal LORD. He is the great ‘I AM’. He is the giver of life. He brings all things to pass according to His will. He will not fail to perform all of the promises that He has made.

• At the end of verse 3 Jesus is called God- Elohim. Jesus is the supreme and exceedingly great God Who is over all created things seen and unseen. He is the One true God.

• In verse 5 Jesus is the revelation of the glory of the LORD. The apostle John speaks of this when he says in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth.” When Jesus took upon flesh and dwelt among us people could literally see the glory of the LORD. In Mark’s gospel this glory is seen very quickly as Jesus comes teaching with authority, healing the sick, casting out demons, and performing great miracles.

It is utter folly for anyone to claim that they enjoy the gospel comfort of Isaiah 40:1-2 if they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Like those in Judges 19-21, they have found some worldly and temporal comfort, but not one that will last.

Similarly, it is foolish for a believer to boast of his enjoyment of this gospel comfort if they do not continue to walk closely with Jesus Christ as they did in the beginning. He is the vine and we are the branches. (John 15:5) Jesus begins (Aorist- begun in the past and continues) this work of salvation in us and He continue to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6) Those who walk apart from Him and at a distance from Him, cannot enjoy the comfort that is offered to them in Isaiah 40:1-2. (Hebrews 2:1; 1 John 1) In 2 Corinthians 1 Paul tells us that God forced him to learn to be in total reliance upon God and as he did God comforted him in all things and at all times.

We cannot hide from the LORD, avoid Him, turn our face from Him, or keep Christ at a distance and enjoy the comforts that Christ alone can give. In Matthew 11 Jesus says, “Come unto me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” When we turn away from Him we dig wells that do not provide water and refreshment. (Jeremiah 38:6) However, if we believe upon Christ and draw near to Him in Spirit and in truth He will give us living water that refreshes (comforts) us and we will never thirst again.

We ought to be like the psalmist in Psalm 123, “To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.” (1-2) We are all to prone to set our gaze upon worldly comforts and those who we think can give them to us (Masters and Mistresses), but we need to look to Christ and discover all that He can give to us graciously and freely. (John 4:10- If you knew who I am and my gift, you would ask me for living water!)

Second, This Comfort Is Only Enjoyed By Those Who Repent

Many years the president of the United States came to Wausau and so Mindy and I went to hear him speak. At that time Wausau’s roads were pretty old. Apparently, the roads were so bad that one of the first things the president said in his speech was how the city needed to fix the roads. He jokingly complained about how rough, uneven, and bumpy the roads were for his motorcade. Most of the people laughed, but I am sure that those who were responsible for the roads did not find this humorous.

In Isaiah 40 the prophet uses a word picture regarding the site prep for a highway that needs to be done in preparation for the coming of the LORD. Those who obey these words would be comforted, but those who did not obey these words would not be comforted upon His arrival. Isaiah says, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill (shall) be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places (shall become) a plain.”

Isaiah 40:3-5 is referred to in all of the gospels so we know that these words are referring to repentance. For example, After Mark quotes Isaiah 40:2-3 he says, “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (4) In verse 5 we read that all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem came out to be baptized as they confessed their sins.

Isaiah’s words make some assumptions about all people that we should not overlook. Before we repent and believe upon the LORD our lives are barren waste lands. Our life is like a desert place, a wilderness, wasteland, a forsaken place, and a place without provision. As a result, our lives are full of thorns, thistles, tares and briers (sins, transgressions, iniquities). We are not fruitful because we naturally produce the deeds that are associated with the flesh. (Galatians 5:19-21) Therefore, repentance is necessary and it is to continue throughout the believers life.

Isaiah describes the topography of our wilderness lives as containing valleys, mountains and hills, uneven ground, and rough places. What does it mean that the valleys need to be lifted up? Some of us are prone to hang our heads in self-wallowing. We convince ourselves, despite the strongest Gospel Facts (v.2), that we cannot be forgiven. When Paul says that he was the chief of sinners and that Christ forgave him as an example to everyone of God’s patience, they will not receive God’s comfort for themselves. They believe that everyone else deserves it, but not them. They will always find a reason to not grow in assurance of what Christ has done because they are to occupied with looking at themselves. They receive no comfort unless they believe they have obtained it for themselves.

Question: In what areas of your life are you refusing to receive the gospel comfort that is being offered through faith in Christ? Look away from yourself to Christ.

What does it mean that the mountains and hills need to be made low? Oh, how quickly we can become prideful, arrogant, and self-reliant. Even if we have trusted God in the past, we are prone to trust in ourselves in the future. One of my favorite lines in the Baptist Confession (5.5) reminds us that some times God allows us to be overcome by temptations to show us how dependent we are on God and how we should never depend upon ourselves.

Question: In what areas of my life am I being prideful, arrogant, self-trusting, self-righteous? God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble. Submit t yourself to God and receive Gospel comfort.

What does it mean that the uneven ground needs to be made level? This word is translated with the word ‘deceitful’ In Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things…”. There are many sins in our life that trip us up. (Hebrews 12) We need to use the Word of God as a lamp for our feet to guide our way. We need to use the Word of God as a mirror that shows us these sins so that we can deal with them. (James 1)

Question: What deceitful lies am I believing? Am I going to God in His Word and in prayer to discover these hidden sins and to receive the grace needed to address them?

And what does it mean that the rough places need to be made into a plain? This word speaks of a rough area that has become impassable. When you come to a place like this you find the way hard, calamitous, difficult, adverse to travel, and at some point you hit a point where you cannot go any farther (bound up place).

Question: Have the rough places in life slowed your Christian progress and comfort? Have you convinced yourself your stuck and cannot progress? Our text reminds us that these rough places can become a plain.

Every week I drive down Division St. and grumble about the conditions of the roads which I cannot fix. Isaiah 40:3-5 has shown me a road that I do have the responsibility to address. Through repentance and faith in Christ the wilderness of my life can be cleared, made straight, and leveled off. I can behold the glory of Christ and be a witness of His transforming power as a result of it.