A Turned People
Gabriel told Zechariah that his son John’s ministry would be “to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:17 bibrefluke1 bibrefluke1v17).
It’s not wrong to think that John was preparing people to receive the Lord, running the plow through the field before sowing the seed. But this aim is to prepare people for the Lord to receive. The people are a gift, a prepared package.
This is an eschatological end. It is not yet fulfilled. There is a sense in which John the Baptist’s work is not done.
In Luke 1:17 bibrefluke1 bibrefluke1v17 the work and the produce are related; it’s a verb and an adjective: making ready a ready people, or preparing a prepared people.
And since it is not preparing people to receive the Lord, but preparing a people for the Lord to receive, what makes them prepared? How do we know when the presentation is ready?
The prepared people are a turned people. This is not difficult, but it is deep. In what/whom is the people’s delight? How is this people’s body language, so to speak? Attentive or distracted? Arms open or eyes closed with hands over the ears? Obedient or still walking their own way?
When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth? (Luke 18:8 bibrefluke18 bibrefluke18v8)? Yes! All those who, by God’s grace, have turned to Him.