1“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
Matthew 11:10
10This is the one about whom it is written:“ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way before you.’11:10 Mal. 3:1
Mark 1:2-8
2as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“I will send my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way”1:2 Mal. 3:1—3“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord,make straight paths for him.’ ”1:3 Isaiah 40:34And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with1:8 Or in water, but he will baptize you with1:8 Or in the Holy Spirit.”
Focus on God's Presence
Jesus, help me to be as bold as John the Baptist, proclaiming—with my words and actions—your message of love and grace to everyone you put in my path. Amen.