Main Text: Isaiah 40:1–5

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” — Isaiah 40:3

Introduction

Isaiah 40 breaks into a weary world with words of hope:

“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.

After chapters filled with warning and judgment, the prophet turns the corner—announcing that God has not forgotten His people. Something new is on the horizon. Someone is coming.

And in verse 3, we hear a voice—calling from the wilderness—a message not only to Israel in exile, but to every heart longing for deliverance:
Prepare the way of the Lord.

This prophetic cry would ultimately find its fulfillment in John the Baptist, but it also continues to echo in the mission and hearts of every believer today.