It seems so strange really. Things were getting hot in Judea, and back home in Nazareth they were not receiving him, so Jesus needed to move. And it was good. There is a time to leave when persecution is present. It’s how the LORD leads. And there’s a time to leave our hometowns and familiar people when trying to launch a work for God. Our hometown typically tend not to accept or understand. Even for Jesus.
So then Jesus moved to the beautiful edge of the Sea of Galilee in the town of Capernaum. This was in fulfillment of Scripture.
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
What is interesting is that it says that the people living in great darkness have seen a great light, and a light has dawned. This is hopeful, amazing and wonderful words! But then Jesus began to preach. His message?
“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
When we think repentance, first of all we kick it out of modern day practice. Sleeping with someone? No worries. God loves you. Right? You don’t need to change.
But also repentance seems to have in it judgment. And that is the case. We just heard from John the Baptist who made it clear that the people, especially the religious leaders, that they needed to bear fruit with repentance. Otherwise the ax was already at the root of the tree and the winnowing fork was in the hands of Jesus to send the chaff to fire and the wheat to the barns. So yes. There’s that.
And yet I see in this once again something of hope and goodness in repentance. A light has dawned. The shadow of death has fading. Repent! The kingdom of heaven is near! Like repentance is joyful because it draws us nearer to God and nearer to his kingdom. There is hope! God is near. Repent so we can partake of Him.
Like the Scripture,
“It is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance” (Rom 2:4).
There’s goodness and kindness of God that draws us to repentance. The harsh words of John the Baptist were used for the religious leaders who did not change their ways, citing being a descendant of Abraham as an excuse. But for those who truly desire to repent, there’s a specialness in God to be found.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:9)
If you study revival history, without question it almost always starts with A) People praying, and B) a great move of people genuinely and specifically repenting.
God truly wants to bring light in a land of death. Hope among people where it is fading.
And that’s where he gives us the gift of repentance.
