A Second Chance: Isaiah 40:1-5

As we move forward in our year looking at prophecies that point towards Jesus, we come to a set of prophecies that focus not on Jesus directly, but on Jesus’ forerunner in ministry, who was John the Baptist. The first of these prophecies we will look at in this episode, and the next prophecy, we’ll save for our next episode.

When thinking of prophecies that point towards John the Baptist, the first prophecy that comes to my mind is one found in the writings of Isaiah, and this was a prophecy that John the Baptist attributes to himself and also that Luke’s gospel draws our attention onto John’s ministry fulfilling.

This prophecy is found in the book of Isaiah, chapter 40, and we will read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, Isaiah writes:

¹ “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
² “Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”

³ A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
⁴ “Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;
⁵ Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

On a simple reading of this prophecy, shared with a little bit of context leading up to it, we might be tempted to think this prophecy wasn’t fulfilled within the first century. The reason for this is because the context for this prophecy prompts us to look for a time after Israel has finished with war, which would imply a time of relative peace.

Aside from a few rare occasions throughout history, while Israel has been a country or state, there has been no shortage of wars or political clashes in that area.

However, while reading the gospels and how they focus us on the time period of John the Baptist’s ministry, as well as Jesus’ ministry, we get a picture of a relatively peaceful time that is sandwiched between times of unrest. If there were other messiah’s actively rallying people against Rome while Jesus was alive, the gospels only hint at it rather than draw our attention onto it directly. Barabbas’ introduction and presence during Jesus’ trial is one of the only hints at there being other messiahs present during Jesus’ ministry, and that there may have been minor uprisings against Rome that were not successful.

While knowing Israel’s history of conflict might make us doubt the context of this prophecy, it is very clear when we read the authors of the New Testament that they saw a connection. In the gospel of John, which was written by a different man and not John the Baptist, we get a picture for how John the Baptist wanted his ministry framed. In the gospel of John, chapter 1, starting in verse 19, we read:

¹⁹ This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹ They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

In this passage, we get the clear picture that John framed his ministry as being the one prophesied about in Isaiah’s writings. Luke’s gospel also draws our attention onto this connection, even a little more directly, when we read in Luke, chapter 3, starting in verse 1, that:

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, ² in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
⁵ ‘Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hill will be brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
⁶ And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’”

Within this prophecy, all the focus is pointed towards preparing the road for the arrival of the Messiah. While the prophecy itself seems to focus on preparing the landscape for a physical arrival, it is interesting in my mind that the verses leading up to the prophecy focus on the people of Israel, and specifically the people of Jerusalem.

This context then prompts me to see John the Baptist’s ministry as one that focused on preparing the nation of Israel, and specifically the hearts of those living in the nation of Israel, towards God.

Also, it is fascinating in my mind that the context of this prophecy has the strong theme within it that when the Messiah arrived, the slate of Israel’s past sins is symbolically wiped clean. Leading up to our prophecy in Isaiah, we read in verse 2:

“Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”

This verse points us towards God’s forgiveness of Israel’s past, and that when Jesus ultimately steps onto the scene, those living in the first century would be given a brand new chance to accept the Messiah God had sent.

Seeing this detail draws my attention onto the infinite number of ways Jesus’ ministry could have gone differently. While Jesus’ death had been written into history, the way Jesus got there, the response of the religious leaders, and the rejection Jesus faced, could have all gone differently. While aspects of Jesus’ life likely would remain the same to fulfill specific prophecies, this prophecy in Isaiah points to that generation being given a clean, second chance, and that they had within their power the choice to accept Jesus, or reject Him.

This choice is the same with us today. I suspect that our own lives could be drawn into this prophecy as well. As we move forward towards Jesus’ return, let’s pick up the challenge found in this prophecy and share Jesus with those God brings into our lives. Let’s begin by drawing close to God, and then let His love shine out of our lives and bless those He brings our way.

Through Jesus, we all have been given a second chance. Through Jesus, our slate of past sins has been wiped clean. Because of Jesus’ first coming, we can look forward with joy to Jesus’ second coming, and the ultimate end of pain, disease, sin, and even death. Let’s take the second chance we have been blessed with and use it to bless others while giving God the glory.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to let God lead and guide you moving forward. Thank God for the forgiveness that He gave us through Jesus and use the second chance that He gave you and me to show His love to those He brings into our lives.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself, to grow your personal relationship with God. God wants a personal relationship with you. While pastors, authors, bloggers, and even a podcaster can have ideas worth thinking about, never let anyone get between you and God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!