Repent Ye: For the Kingdom of Heaven Is at Hand (Matthew 3:2)

2022-08-20

The central message of John’s wilderness preaching: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).

To repent is to change your mind. It does not necessarily require that repentance is always from sin, though it can be implied. To the prophet’s audience, it was to change focus from the kingdom of the earth to the kingdom of heaven. The full implication of this kingdom would be the King, for the King makes the kingdom. If you knew Jesus were coming soon, you would change your mind about a lot of things. Their response was confession: They “were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins” (Matthew 3:6).

Can you “repent,” or change your mind, without changing your action? It sounds like you could, otherwise a follow up admonition would not be required: “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8), and “every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

Knowing full well that such a repentance is not completely possible with men, John continues, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).

The Lord is at hand. “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”