“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mt. 3:2
The passage we study today begins giving us a timing of the events. The Scripture says: “In those days” and of course refers to the days preceding the ministry of Jesus Christ. In the second verse we learn what the core teaching of John the Baptist was. It is a call to repent.
We should note this teaching is no different to that of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 4:17 we read it was the very essence of Lord’s preaching: “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Again, we see that when the Lord sends out His disciples, he tells them: “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Mt. 10:7. Even though He does not specifically mention the word repent in this verse, the meaning is the same. It calls us to take our stance and pick up where we want to be. Make a choice between life and death (Deut. 30:19). Do you stand for kingdom of the world or kingdom of heaven which is at hand.
Therefore we can see that the gospel message is good news that calls us to repentance. Today we will try to understand what exactly it means.
John the Baptist says: Repent ye. He calls people to turn away from their sins and to turn to God. Many modern translations skip the word “ye”, but I think it does have a significant meaning in this verse. It is a call to action. It mobilises us to seek God’s grace. It makes the call to God something actionable, pressing and urging.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness
Now, as we establish the context of John’s ministry, we also have to observe where it takes place. He preaches in the wilderness. The reason for this is twofold. First and most of all, the Word of God which is in the prophecy of Isaiah 40 needs to be fulfilled. It speaks of “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” But the second reason which also cannot be ignored is that the preaching takes place in a spot far from any worldliness. We will explore this subject further in a moment.
Let us consider what it means to be the voice. This is how John the Baptist answers to the priests and Levites when they query whether he would be a prophet or perhaps even the Christ (J. 1:19-24): “I am the voice”. He says he is just a voice, just a messenger, a carrier of something much more precious. He does not even introduce himself as John the Baptist. It is all about Jesus Christ. Our witness to Christ is not about us, not even about the sinful soul. It is all about HIM, the incarnate Word of God.
Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Prophet Isaiah continues: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” It is again a call to us: “Prepare ye”. Get yourself ready. Believe in His name. The way of the Lord is the way of faith in Him. Prepare ye the way of the Lord, knowing that He is coming.
But it also calls us to make his paths straight. That means to turn away from our sins. Turn away from your wickedness. Turn away from any trusts and vain hopes you hold in this world. Give up the lusts and pleasures found in it. Rather, give your heart to the Lord, trusting in Him alone. This is of course only possible by God’s grace!
As a preacher, John the Baptist sets up an example, a standard of what it means to live godly. He has no possessions and all that he has for living comes from God. Notice the simplicity of his life. There is no lust or pride to it.
Love not the world
If we want to be disciples and followers of Jesus Christ, we have to drop the spirit of the world. Cast away all the temptations and do not love the world. You cannot serve two kingdoms. And beside everything: How could I love the world that has done this to my Lord? The world which tortured and crucified the only perfect man who ever lived on this planet?
“Make his paths straight”. Turn away from your sins. Remember we have sinned in the flesh, soul and spirit. In 1 John 2:15-16 we read:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
The lust of flesh is of course the sins done in our body. The lust of the eyes is all the things in this world that our soul craves. The pride of life is the sin of worldliness that we commit with our spirit. Repent from these things.
We can see that the ministry of John the Baptist was very popular (v. 5-6). There are many Pharisees and Sadducees among the people coming to be baptised. He speaks to them: “who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” He calls them “generation of vipers”. But we are no better at all! For we all sinned against God. How many today ignore the warning and mock the gospel message being even worse than the generation of vipers, which came to confess their sins?
“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance”. The renewal needs to be real. Look at the following verses from the epistle to Ephesians:
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:” Eph. 4:17-18
“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;” Eph. 4:23
Christian life has to be distinguished from the ways of the world. Lord Jesus said: “Ye shall know them by the fruits”. Mt. 7:16
Put no confidence in the flesh
“Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father”. In this verse we find a reminder not to put our confidence in the flesh. John the Baptist says to the Jews: put no trust in your Jewish heritage. The same can be said today: put no trust in the fact you grew up in a Christian family. Nobody comes to this world as a Christian. All men are naturally born turned away from God. Everyone is in need to be born again by receiving the word of truth and believing in the name of the Lord.
“God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” It can remind us of the triumphant entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. “And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.” Lk. 19:40
This is exactly what happens when we believe. My heart was cold and ignorant towards God. It was like a dead stone. And now it lives, for Jesus lives in His glory!
Good fruit of repentance
Then we read in verse 10: “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
The good fruit is repentance. It is trusting in the Lord alone and receiving the Word of God with faith. There is a plain warning that if there is no good fruit found, the tree “is hewn down, and cast into the fire”. The fruit may be a simple, but sincere prayer coming from a broken heart: “Lord Jesus, save me”.
The Scripture is clear that repentance is necessary for our salvation. The Lord says: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Lk. 13:3.
To repent means to completely turn from your ways and turn to God. It is to live having that fear of God instilled upon us. We need to be aware of that axe and seek repentance every day. As we read earlier: “walk not as other Gentiles walk” Eph. 4:17. You walk in the presence of God Almighty!
He that cometh
John the Baptist says: “I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance”. In other words, I call you to that renewal of mind. “But he that cometh after me is mightier than I”. He has the power to cleanse you from all your sins. He has the power to set you free from them!
When John says “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear”, we need to remember all that these are the words of one who gave such a wonderful example of life, such an amazing testimony to the Lord through his ministry. This is the man who never turned into worldliness and lusts of this world. He served God in the wilderness with a simplicity of heart. It is him who received the following testimony from Lord Jesus:
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” Mt. 11:11
This humble man says: I am not worthy. It should bring us to our knees! We are not one inch close in the flesh to John the Baptist. There is no greater than John the Baptist among them that are born of women.
From that stance, we should consider the most amazing act of love that is found in the cross of our Lord. How can it be that this mighty Son of God, Jesus Christ, he that cometh surely, wants to forgive me my enormous pile of sins, wants to baptise me with the Holy Ghost that I may live holy for God. Truly, no human mind can comprehend the richness of His mercy that He is offering to a sinner like me.
