The First Word of the Gospel

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1-2)

Matthew introduced one of the most fascinating characters of the New Testament: John the Baptist. Luke 1 tells how John was born by a miracle to Zacharias and Elisabeth, a couple beyond the normal age of having children. Before he was born, John was called to be the forerunner of the Messiah, in Luke 1.

This John was preaching and saying, “Repent.” John’s message included a call to repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is good to feel sorry about sin, but repent isn’t a word focused on feelings. It is focused on action. John everyone to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance means changing direction, not sorrow in the heart.

Is repentance something we must do before we can come to God? Yes and no. Repentance does not describe something we must do before we come to God; it describes what coming to God is like. If you are in New York, and I tell you to come to Los Angeles, I don’t really need to say, “Leave New York and come to Los Angeles.” To come to Los Angeles is to leave New York, and if I haven’t left New York, I certainly haven’t come to Los Angeles. We can’t come to the kingdom of heaven unless we leave our sin and the self-life.

The call to repentance is important and must not be neglected. It is entirely accurate to say that it is the first word of the gospel.

– Repent was the first word of John the Baptist’s gospel (Matthew 3:1-2).
– Repent was the first word of the gospel Jesus preached (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15).
– Repent was the first word in the preaching ministry of the twelve disciples (Mark 6:12).
– Repent was the first word in the preaching instructions Jesus gave to His disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:46-47).
– Repent was the first word of exhortation in the first Christian sermon (Acts 2:38).
– Repent was the first word in the mouth of the apostle Paul through his ministry (Acts 26:19-20).

John wanted people to know that the kingdom of heaven was near – it was as close as your hand. It wasn’t as distant or as dreamy as they had imagined. This was why John was so urgent in his call to repentance. If the kingdom of heaven is at hand, then we must get ready now.

John’s main message wasn’t “You’re a sinner, you need to repent.” John’s main message was “Messiah the King is coming.” The call to repentance was the response to the news that the King and His kingdom were at hand.

There’s no better way to be ready for Jesus than to live in constant repentance.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 3