and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

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

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?

So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”

They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?”

And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.”

And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The Resurrection

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.