Luke 3:1-11 “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.

‘Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; And all flesh will see the salvation of God.'”

So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?”

And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

John the Baptist ministry was one of contrasts in every respect; from his isolation in the wilderness life to abrupt public appearance and his dramatic preaching.

His ministry was a radical approach intended to awaken the people from their spiritual death and and call them out of the dead religious system. He challenged the hypocritical self-righteousness leaders of his day.

Convicted by the Truths John was proclaiming, being a true messenger from God, crowds of people were repenting and being baptized.

John called them to live a life of holy faith and obedience. In that they would be prepared for the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom.

The Greek word for repent entails far more than mere regret; it encompasses the concept of turning ones life around and heading in the opposite direction. From living a life of sin to one of righteousness.

Sadly, many today feel repentance is not necessary for them, like the religious leaders of John’s day, possessing a false salvation. In spite of their religion, their hearts are hard and DEAD to the truth.

Jesus Christ’s return is imminent, now is not the time to mince words, it is a time to be prepared for His Arrival! True salvation always includes genuine repentance. Don’t take my word for, read the Holy Scriptures for yourself.

Eternity is a long time to be wrong.

Ready or not, He’s coming!

Brian Monzón grew up attending church with his grandmother. Through her actions, she impressed upon him the power of the prayers of the righteous, as she herself spent many hours kneeling before God, praying for her family and the needs of others. Besides being a pastor, Brian has been studying and teaching the Word of God for many years. He has devoted his life to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, praying with and for others, especially the unsaved. Brian is also a proud father of four children. He challenges them to be their best and has strived to raise his family up in church and on the Word of God. To discover more about Brian and his ministry please visit Brian Monzón Ministries.

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