John is introduced to us as the forerunner of Christ. His name means, “the grace of the Lord”, or “the Lord has given grace.”
He declared that the kingdom of the Messiah was at hand, that Messiah would quickly be revealed. And John exhorted the people to believe on Him.
The doctrine of repentance may be understood in one of two ways:
• An amendment of life and manners. The state of the Jews at that time was very corrupt. Though there was a generation among them who were righteous in their own eyes and felt they needed no repentance, John calls upon them all, without any distinction, to repent. This strikes directly at the doctrine of justification by works, which these Jews had embraced.
• A change of mind and principles. The Pharisees held the traditions of the elders, and the doctrine of justification by the works of the law. The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead. Moreover, it was a prevailing opinion among the Jews that the Messiah would be a temporal king, setting up an earthly kingdom in this world. All these mindsets needed to be changed. Thus, John exhorts them to change their minds, to relinquish their false notions and to embrace the reality of the Messiah’s Kingdom, for it is at hand.
The kingdom here is not merely a future hope—to be expected in another world—but is a present reality. The kingdom of Messiah is when we are confronted by Messiah’s person and work.
Messiah’s person is the Son of God—the personification of God’s holiness and love. Messiah’s work is what facilitates our salvation—the sole means by which we are freed from our sin and may enjoy eternal life.
This is the promise of Advent.
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