John the Baptist was a strange kind of fella. He didn’t really fit-in, but he was helping people get ready for Jesus. It’s kind of amazing that Jesus would be baptized, after all, he was not a sinner, yet John baptized those who were repentant so they could be forgiven. The people who came to John were “confessing their sin,” yet Jesus had nothing to confess. In fact, in stead of Jesus confessing his sin, God the Father confessed that Jesus was his son.
Jesus isn’t exempt from the problems of life, as soon as he had publicly declared who he was, he is tempted. That happens to us too. As soon as you make a decision for Christ, or recommit yourself, or bring something up in an accountability group, our enemy is going to come against you… count on it. As Jesus goes on to preach and heal people, his message is simple “repent and believe the gospel.” That’s what it takes to follow Jesus “repent” (change) “and believe the gospel” (the good news that Jesus is the way). There is no real belief without repentance, and repentance won’t last if you don’t really believe, it takes both, and they work together.
Have you changed the way you’re going? Do you really believe in Jesus alone? Choose him today.
