God sent someone with the specific job to prepare people’s hearts for Jesus. That sounds pretty important, doesn’t it? God wanted people to be ready for Jesus. How? Here was John the Baptist’s message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2).
How often do you hear that message today? “Repent!” I’m guessing not that often. Instead, we hear, “I’m free to do what I want!” Or, “To each his own!” Or, “If it feels good, do it!” That’s not what God commanded John the Baptist to tell people. If they wanted to be ready for Jesus, they needed to repent. In other words, they needed to confess their sins, turn away from them, and look for forgiveness in God.
That sounds old-fashioned, doesn’t it? Is that still God’s plan for us today? Jesus isn’t about all that repentance stuff, is he? Here’s something surprising: when Jesus began to preach, do you know what he preached? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). Sound familiar? It’s exactly the same message! Jesus was a preacher of repentance, just like John the Baptist was.
Want a relationship with Jesus? Want Jesus’ peace and forgiveness to fill your heart? It starts with this: Repent! Stop making excuses. Confess your sins. Turn away from them. Then look to Jesus and Jesus alone for forgiveness, love, and salvation. Jesus died to take your sins away. So here’s how to prepare your heart for Jesus each day: repent!
