John prepared the way for YHWH

[civic]

Isaiah 40:3
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

John prepared the way for Jesus who is YHWH

Matthew 3:3
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Mark 1:2-3
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.” / “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

hope this helps !!!

 

[TibiasDad]

Isaiah 40:3
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

John prepared the way for Jesus who is YHWH

Matthew 3:3
This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Mark 1:2-3
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.” / “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

hope this helps !!!

I’m not sure that it would be a good use of time to argue with anyone that would disagree with your OP.


Doug

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

John prepared the way for Jesus who is the Anointed of YHWH. It is in that sense that He was preparing the way of YHWH

Let’s remember what was being expected: YHWH would establish a kingdom through a descendant of the lineage of David, the Anointed, the Messiah, the Christ.
No Jew expected that the Invisible AlMighty God would personally appear as a man, eating and sweating, but that God would act through a man, just as He had acted through King David (or King Cyrus) in the past.

So, it is not correct to twist the essence of Judaism and Messianic Judaism in a way that accommodates subsequent theological agendas.

 

[Doug Brents]

John prepared the way for Jesus who is the Anointed of YHWH. It is in that sense that He was preparing the way of YHWH

Let’s remember what was being expected: YHWH would establish a kingdom through a descendant of the lineage of David, the Anointed, the Messiah, the Christ.
No Jew expected that the Invisible AlMighty God would personally appear as a man, eating and sweating, but that God would act through a man, just as He had acted through King David (or King Cyrus) in the past.

So, it is not correct to twist the essence of Judaism and Messianic Judaism in a way that accommodates subsequent theological agendas.

What was expected is not always (not even usually) what God planed or intended. You are correct that God did act THROUGH a man who was a descendant of David, but He did so by becoming that descendant.

But the fact that God did become a man is indisputable.

 

[Verily]

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6. And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7. And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8. I indeed have baptized you with water; but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Mark 1:1-8

John the Baptist is here introduced to us as one of God’s own messengers. His words were strong and clear and simple; sin and pardon were the burden of his sermons.

God’s messages to man have been the same ever since the Fall,—“Prepare ye,” has been His command to all who work in His Vineyard; “Repent and believe” is the keynote of that preparation. The results lie in God’s hands, but if we wish to be His messengers we must learn a lesson from John the Baptist, we must be content to be but a “Voice,” and seek only to repeat the gospel call in simple Bible words.

Many opportunities are given to each of us of passing on God’s messages: in the quiet walk with some companion; in the Bible reading with a beginner in the Christian race, or in any of the numerous ways which open themselves to us if we watch for them, we can prepare the way of the Lord.

Are we doing this? Do we try to make straight His paths? And above all, do we, in our own spiritual life, remove the hindrances to His grace? The evil tempers, the worldly thoughts, the bad habits—do we try to clear them away, not in our own strength but in our Master’s?

There was no extravagance or even publicity in John’s beginning. He began his service in the wilderness, but his earnestness and reality soon attracted many listeners; and these he baptized, as the seal of their adoption into that great army, whose ranks we too have joined and whose vows are upon us.

 

[Pancho Frijoles]

What was expected is not always (not even usually) what God planed or intended.

In that case, God did a very poor job in explaining Israel prophets what to expect… and Peter, after Pentecost, did nothing to change that expectation. On the contrary, kept telling Israelites that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a Person different from Jesus. It seems that the Holy Spirit did a very poor job at Pentecost, keeping the apostles in darkness!

You are correct that God did act THROUGH a man who was a descendant of David, but He did so by becoming that descendant.

But the fact that God did become a man is indisputable.

That’s Greek thinking… or ancient Pagan thinking in general.
Jewish thinking is that God cannot BECOME flesh, fire, wood, stone, etc. If A and B are different in essence, A cannot become B.

 

[Doug Brents]

In that case, God did a very poor job in explaining Israel prophets what to expect… and Peter, after Pentecost, did nothing to change that expectation. On the contrary, kept telling Israelites that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was a Person different from Jesus. It seems that the Holy Spirit did a very poor job at Pentecost, keeping the apostles in darkness!

God did not do a "poor job". He did a perfect job at accomplishing His purpose. Do you claim to know all of His purposes? Do you claim to know His full power and His complete perfection?

That’s Greek thinking… or ancient Pagan thinking in general.
Jewish thinking is that God cannot BECOME flesh, fire, wood, stone, etc. If A and B are different in essence, A cannot become B.

With man it is impossible. But with God, anything is possible.
But aside from that, we know that man is both physical and spiritual. So for God to put His Spirit within a man's body is not only possible, but reasonable. Just because the Jews didn't think it was possible doesn't make it false.

 

[atpollard]

Does the death of the Baptizer mark a shift in the ministry of Jesus?
Was John allowed to die because the task was finished ... the path had been prepared and it was time for what came next?

 

[atpollard]

Did the death of John (who prepared the way) foreshadow the path that he had prepared?
[service to God unto death.]