"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

• Home

---

 “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” [Matthew 3:1,2]
Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!””    [Mark 1:14,15]

---

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

John the Baptist was six months older than his cousin Jesus. He stepped onto the stage of history to serve as forerunner for the King of Israel. His unlikely parish was the wilderness of Judea.

John’s message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” The King would soon appear, but He could not and would not reign over people who clung to their sins. They must change directions, must confess and forsake their sins. God was calling them from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of heaven.

John was put in prision by Herod. From then on Jesus took up the message which John had preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” It was a further call for moral renewal in preparation for His kingdom. The kingdom was near in the sense that the King was present.

Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. His specific message was that:
1)The time was fulfilled. According to the prophetic time-table, a date had been fixed for the public appearing of the King. It had now arrived.
2) The kingdom of God was at hand; the King was present and was making a bona fide offer of the kingdom to the nation of Israel. The kingdom was at hand in the sense that the King had appeared on the scene.
3) Men were called on to repent and believe in the gospel. In order to be eligible to enter the kingdom, they had to do an about-face regarding sin, and believe the good news concerning the Lord Jesus.

Dear friend, have you repented of your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?  Are there any unconfessed sins in your life?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”[2 Chronicles 7:14].

“I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.” [2 Corinthians 6:2].  Dear friend, tomorrow is not ours!


 

John the Baptist Beheaded

 “Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.  When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.  The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”  And he promised her with an oath, ...  She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”   “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.   At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.  So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,  and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother." [Mark 6:21-28]