Prepare for the Lord

Musicals are an odd thing; just when the action gets going, the characters break out in song. For some, stopping the action is hard to stomach and makes little sense. But that stoppage is the purpose – to slow things down and help the audience feel what the characters feel. That is Luke’s point as well; the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and later Simeon stop the action, and bring us into their frame of mind. Today, the focus is on the baby John, as he is already preparing people for the work of Jesus. We, too, are to be prepared for Jesus. Let us see three ways in which John’s birth helps us to be prepared this morning: 1. Prepare in fear of Jesus 2. Prepare for freedom through Jesus 3. Prepare for forgiveness in Jesus