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A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”¹ “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.²

These prophecies were fulfilled as John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea. He called for repentance. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”³

What does it mean to repent? Repentance is the sincere act of recognizing, regretting, and turning away from past misdeeds or sins, accompanied by a commitment to change one’s direction and behavior for the better. Repentance makes no excuses; it accepts responsibility for sin. The one who is repentant makes an about-face, changes direction, and takes corrective measures to transform one’s thinking and behavior.

Who must repent? In God’s perspective all are called to repent. The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.⁴ But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus . . . . For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.⁵

Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to [John], and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.⁶ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees (the religious leaders of their time) coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.⁷

How do we bear fruit in keeping with repentance? Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.⁸

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.⁹ And when Jesus was baptized immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”¹⁰