Isaiah 40:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here, the audacity of the preacher is evident: he who boldly rebuked the Jews, starting with those in positions of power, for their culpability in the murder of the prophets, did not shy away from his denunciations, but openly proclaimed, ‘O brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the impending wrath? (Matthew 3:7). Thus, the voice is identified as one who was not merely a sound but also a man and a prophet, much like the Word of God, which is not just a lifeless utterance but embodies the living Word and a perfect man. It is aptly stated, “in the wilderness,” for the cities were filled with wickedness, and he sought a refuge from evil, a place untainted by sin. Consider the fruits of human endeavor; the world might appear a wilderness when examined through the lens of wisdom and humility. There existed neither strife nor violence there, no theft or greed, nor any other wrongdoing. Hence, the prophet declares, I observed injustice and strife in the city, and iniquity and evil within it (Psalms 54:10-11), and elsewhere, How many and intense are the troubles You have brought upon me (Psalms 70:20). The prophet gives evidence of his disdain for earthly matters by choosing the wilderness for his home; he then contrasts this with the cities and their multitude of sins. Adam exemplified this at the beginning, lacking any need for a house or the garments we regard as symbols of future honor. A city is often less advantageous for residing than a wholly deserted wilderness. Let us consider the prophet's admonition, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God." The paths were untraveled and uneven. Just as a route is prepared, leveled, and made navigable for a king’s entry into a city, even if the path is overgrown with briars and almost forgotten, similarly, this preparation was necessary. The voice came first to make way for Christ. To make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God means to prepare His way in a place unvisited and treacherous. The astonishing fact is that He ventured into the wilderness, where virtue and wisdom seemed absent. Sorcerers, immoral individuals, tax collectors, and thieves had proclaimed here before; their souls lacked virtue, unsteady and disinterested in moral reform, persistently driven by malice. Such is the might of the King, who transformed this impassable and wild wilderness, creating a royal path.

Christ, the Sun of righteousness and true light, was likened to a lamp by Scripture; for even if the human intellect is filled with light and wisdom, it remains, in comparison to the divine and incomprehensible light, merely a small lamp.

What, then, is meant by "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight"? This is illuminated by adding that every valley shall be lifted, every mountain and hill brought low, and all that is rugged shall be made smooth. The paths were indeed challenging and difficult to traverse, filled with stones and steep climbs, necessitating both ascents and descents. Picture this: if all heights and mountains were leveled, and all pits and hollows were filled, then the crooked places would be transformed into straight and smooth roads. When did this occur? It came to fruition through the spiritual authority of our Savior. In ancient times, the path to a virtuous life seemed inaccessible, and the way of life aligned with the Gospel was obstructed, as humanity was consumed by worldly desires and led astray by sinful passions. Yet when He became incarnate, according to Scriptures, overcoming sin in the flesh and dismantling the powers and dominions of this world, He rendered the path to holiness accessible to us, devoid of obstacles. He smoothed the way, straightening all that was twisted.

Moreover, "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord," declares the Lord. In what way shall this glory manifest? He is the eternally begotten Word of God, incomprehensibly born in the splendor of the Godhead, exalted above all rule, authority, thrones, dominions, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. He is the Lord of glory, and we now recognize His glory, a recognition lost in former times. By taking on human form at God's command, He revealed Himself with power, strength, and divine glory, exhibiting His authority over creation, raising the dead, and performing miracles effortlessly. Thus, the glory of the Lord was made visible, and all humanity witnessed the salvation of God, which is from the Father, who sent the Son from heaven as our Savior and Redeemer.

When the law was completely impotent and the sacrificial system could not eradicate sin, we were perfected in Christ, cleansed from all impurities, and bestowed with the privilege of adoption in the Spirit. Through Him, grace, essential for salvation, has been bestowed upon all humanity. When referring to "all flesh," the prophet signifies humankind. Even if some do not embrace salvation, the prophecy remains true; it reflects the intent of Him who honored us and desired our redemption, not the indifference of the called. He underscores the certainty of this message as the Lord has spoken, ensuring no one perceives it as falsehood or mere personal opinion; rather, it embodies God's intention and foretells what will undoubtedly and entirely materialize.

After he clarified that he was none of them, they pressed him again, "Who are you?" John responded to those who sent them, "What do you say about yourself?" He replied, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet declared."

It is important to note that the straight paths of the Lord—filling valleys, lowering mountains and hills, making the crooked paths straight, and leveling rough terrain—along with the glory of the Lord and the salvation of our God, are not proclaimed in Jerusalem but in the wilderness of the Church and the desolate lands of the Gentiles. This is echoed in the words, "Rejoice, O thirsty wilderness; let the wilderness be glad and blossom like a lily." For this land was devoid of the knowledge of God, held captive by idols—humble in worship yet prideful in spirit—wild and unapproachable.

However, after the appearance of the glory of the Lord and the revelation of God's salvation to all flesh, everything transformed. The way of the Lord was truly prepared when He was baptized in the Jordan, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended like a dove, resting upon Him. The voice of the Father was heard from heaven proclaiming, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." "Listen to Him." All flesh indeed witnessed the salvation of God, for this flesh had not previously received the Holy Spirit. As the Lord stated, "My Spirit shall not strive with man, for he is flesh."

Nevertheless, this flesh, of which He spoke through the prophet Joel, would receive the outpouring of His Spirit: "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and they shall see the salvation of God." This message was not only proclaimed by John, who is rightly called the voice as the forerunner of the Word, but even today, in the wilderness of the Gentiles, the teachers of the churches cry out so that we may prepare the paths in our hearts for God. We are called to cultivate virtues, embrace humility, transform the crooked into the straight, the harsh into the gentle, and thus be deemed worthy to behold the glory of the Lord and the salvation of our God.

They proclaim: "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain." Similarly, the prophet illustrates the return of the Jewish people from Babylon, emphasizing that the Lord Himself will guide them across the arid stretches leading to Palestine, ensuring that no hindrances will obstruct their passage. A herald will be sent forth, calling the people to prepare the way of the Lord, to "make straight in the desert a highway for our God." In this context, the Persian king Cyrus, who conquered Babylon and liberated the Jews, serves as a temporal messenger of the divine will. However, the prophet's vision extends beyond this historical moment, addressing not only deliverance from physical captivity but primarily the spiritual salvation of humanity through Christ, which has been ordained by God. This anticipation aligns with the declaration: "the voice of one crying in the wilderness." John the Baptist fulfills this role as the forerunner of Christ, identifying himself in response to the Sanhedrin's inquiry: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness; make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said." The Evangelists likewise connect this prophecy with John the Baptist. Through his ministry, he prepared the Israelites to embrace the Messiah, who came to liberate them from the bondage of sin and the devil. To welcome this salvation from the Messiah, it was essential for the people to clear His path in their hearts, removing all obstacles preventing Him from entering into true communion with them. Such hindrances include a heart ensnared by the thorns of worldly distractions, drowning in sensual pleasures that quench the capacity for spiritual joy, torn by sinful tendencies that resemble the depths of a desert, and burdened by mountains of pride and self-importance. John urged the people towards this act of heart purification to receive the Messiah by proclaiming: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."