John did baptise in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4
If we examine the ministry of John, we will be amazed at the size of the crowds that flocked to hear him preach, and at the response to his invitation to be baptized. John didn’t mince words; he told people how sinful they were in no uncertain terms, and his speech was harsh and commanding. And yet, he drew great audiences, and had excellent results. Even his rough, unconventional clothing and apparently unkempt appearance did not deter people from coming. And as our text indicates, the primary focus of his message was repentance. Repentance is hard, one of the hardest things we can do. And it is one of the hardest messages to preach. And yet, John did well by faithfully delivering a message calling for repentance. Even today, it is the only message that works.
Most modern pulpits feature everything and anything but repentance. The word – and its meaning – are unknown in most seminary instruction, church doctrine, and pulpit presentations. Without repentance, there is no conscience of sin, no awareness of our hopeless condition before a holy God, no grasp of our desperate need for salvation. Without repentance, Jesus Christ is only a teacher, a good example, and a historical figure; His atoning work on the cross is irrelevant to the unrepentant. Is it any wonder that such repentanceless preaching does little more than tickle ears, ease consciences, drive away sincere searchers, and produce wishy-washy congregations?
John’s ministry preceded Jesus’ ministry. He reminds us that no appreciation of Christ is possible without an understanding of repentance. We have all heard great Gospel preachers whose abilities were able to produce an impact on their audiences. And yet, those preachers had no impact in their appeals for sinners to turn to Christ until they had first impressed on hearts the need for repentance. We love to tell sinners of the loving Saviour Who longs to receive them. But we need to understand that such a message is not available to those who don’t understand what sinners they are. Our Gospel meetings will be powerless without the preaching of repentance. We must never soften the message that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
John’s message is just as relevant today. Without it, our Gospel efforts would be meaningless, because nobody would ever be saved. -Jim MacIntosh