Getting Ready For Jesus Series

Until people SEE Jesus as He really is, their lives don’t change that much.

ILLUS: I mentioned last week about a FB post I’d made, and it seemed that about 40 or 50 pagans came out of the woodwork and began attacking the post. In the process, they said all kinds of vile and evil things about Jesus, the Bible and Christians in general. And many of their comments were just obvious lies… but they didn’t care because THAT was what they were PREPARED to see. They weren’t PREPARED to see Jesus. And the reason they weren’t prepared was because their hearts were blinded by their sin and hatred.

That’s why “John the Baptist (preached) ‘REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” (Matthew 3:1-2) In order for people to be prepared for Jesus their hearts have to change. And so John demanded that people NEEDED to repent. And John was pretty hard on this.

Matthew 3:1-3 & 5-8 tells us “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "REPENT, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’"… Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees 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.”

WHOA! That’s pretty harsh. Brood of VIPERS? John was calling them … snakes! And the people who were being baptized had to confess their sins. That doesn’t sound very nice! And calling out sin? Sounds kind of judgmental.

And yet, THAT’S exactly the Jesus John had come to introduce to the world. Jesus called the Pharisees white-washed tombs (they were all pretty on outside, but had dead bones inside). And Jesus’ message to the crowds who followed Him was this: “UNLESS YOU REPENT, you will all likewise PERISH.” Luke 13:3

REPENT … or you’ll perish? I thought Jesus was all sweetness and love. Well, He is. He cares for you, He loves you and all that… but in order for Him to save you, you’ve gotta change. If a person doesn’t repent of their sins, they will perish. THAT’S THE TRUTH.

When Peter preached the first sermon at Pentecost, that’s what he told those folks there: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom YOU crucified.” Acts 2:36

A few days later Peter is preaching to another crowd and he tells them: “YOU killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead…” Acts 3:15

In fact, it was so much a part of Peter’s preaching that the Sanhedrin complained “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon US.” Acts 5:28

BUT… THEY WERE GUILTY! They’d killed the Son of God. IT WAS THEIR FAULT!!!

But Peter didn’t stop by just telling them it was their fault. He gave them the remedy: “REPENT and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38