Not Hello, But Repent

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'"
Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

What is the first word you would expect to hear from history’s greatest teacher?

I remember watching Tiger Woods step to the microphone in 1996 for his first professional press conference. The golf world was holding its breath. Then he spoke two words that launched an entire marketing empire: "Hello World!" Nike spent millions of dollars capturing that moment and built a massive campaign around those two words. 

Now, imagine Jesus preaching on a hillside in his first public address. The crowds gather. They are looking for wisdom, comfort, and miracles from Jesus. Instead, He delivers a single, surprising command: "Repent."

Not "Hello World" but "Repent, World."

This isn't a suggestion or friendly advice, it's a divine command. Jesus repeats this message throughout His ministry, warning that "unless you repent, you too will all perish." Even Jesus’ final words in Revelation echo this important command, “Repent and turn to me again.” (Revelation 3:3a, NLT)

You might wonder why repentance feels so confronting compared with Jesus’ messages of love and acceptance. But Jesus understands something we often miss: without repentance, there can be no real relationship with God. It's not that He wants to make it difficult for you. It’s that He knows repentance is the only path to life at all. 

I'll be honest with you. I've done more repenting since I got saved than when I got saved. The closer I get to Jesus, the more I realize how much I need Him. There's rarely a day I don't need to repent of something.

Where can you come before the Lord in repentance today? Bring all of your heart, everything on your mind, and pray the words of the psalmist, 

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” 
(Psalm 139:23-24, NIV)

(Prayer for this week is above.)