In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Matthew 3:1-17 NLT
John the Baptist was quite a character! He was conceived miraculously, the son of a priest, and a relative of Jesus (see Luke 1). When he was born, his parents were quite old; they probably died while he was still young. John the Baptist lived in the desert, wore itchy camel's hair clothing, and ate locusts. John was willing to be extreme for God. He did not live like those around him: fighting with swords like the Zealots, hiding in the hills like the Essenes, playing politics like the Sadducees, shunning people like the Pharisees, or just trying to get by like everyone else. Instead, he told people the truth in a bold and direct way, which gave people hope. John was not afraid of the consequences, and he was not concerned about your background or who your family was; what mattered was YOUR choices with God. John baptized people as a way of preparing people for the Messiah and as a sign of repentance.
It is only in repentance that we discover who we are; it is only in dying to our selfishness that we find our true worth. John the Baptist preached repentance, which means turning from the wrong way and making a decision to come back to the true way of God. Jesus chose to get baptized by John, even though He never sinned and did not need to repent. He set an example for us.
Many want to follow Christ without repentance. It doesn't work. Jesus calls His followers to die to themselves because it is the only way to life (Matt 16:24-25). Repent, and follow the way of Christ, finding your true self and eternal worth in the hands of the Father.
Are you willing to be bold for Jesus? What would that look like in your life? What are some areas of your life that need repentance?
