“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.”

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;

Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.

Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

“Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.

And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.

The Narrow Way

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.

So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them.

Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:

So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them.