Repent...

Do you know what Jesus’ message was?

He was baptized by John. He went out to the desert. He was tempted. Then he went public.

On day one of his public ministry, his voice rang out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17, NIV) Those are the first words of instruction to come from Jesus’ lips in Matthew’s account of his Master’s life.

Same with Mark’s account. “The time has come. The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, NIV)

Repent!

Can I kind of fill that word out for you a bit?

The word translated repent first means “after understanding.” The sinner is led to understand that the way he has walked in is the way of misery, death, and hell. (Adam Clarke, adapted) He is convinced that the reasonable thing to do, now that he understands his sinful condition, is to turn around.

The word can also mean “after madness.” This intimates that the whole life of a sinner is madness and folly. That he lives in constant opposition to all the dictates of true wisdom. That he wages war with his own best interests in time and eternity. That he provokes and insults the living God and, by habitual sin, prepares himself only for a state of misery. (Adam Clarke, adapted)

“Repentance,” Adam Clarke says,” implies that a measure of Divine wisdom is communicated to the sinner, and that he thereby becomes wise to salvation. That his mind, purposes, opinions, and inclinations, are changed. And that, in consequence, there is a total change in his conduct.”

To put it bluntly – these are my words - repentance is the stupid man refusing ignorance, the foolish woman rejecting folly. Or to put it more positively, repentance is understanding the truth and changing life to match it. Make sense?

So Jesus says, “Repent!” Why? Because “the time has come. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God is near.”

Do you know what that means? It means God’s in charge. He always has been. Jesus isn’t announcing anything new. He’s just stating the truth so the people of his day – and ours – get it. God, the eternal King of kings, the everlasting Lord of lords, is now and forever in charge. His way is the ONE WAY, so change your understanding. Find out what God wants. Learn God’s good ways. Obey His commands. Turn away from your sin. Quit going the wrong way. Choose the right way, the King’s way. He’s in charge.

Here’s the problem: you and I want to be in charge. We rebel against Jesus, argue with his message. “The time has come.” It has? Are you sure? “The kingdom of God is near.” Really? Who says? “Repent and believe the good news!” I don’t want to repent. You can’t make me.

Those are crash and burn words. That attitude, pride, is what leads to so much heartache and pain and sadness and ruin.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18, NIV)

I think in our hearts we all know that. We know it, but we choose our own way anyway. We just can’t give up control of our lives. It’s my life! Can’t nobody tell me how to live it!

And so, we fall and are destroyed. Our only hope is in repentance, in changing our way of thinking and acting. Changing from worldly thinking to godly thinking, from sinful action to righteous action.

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