Sunday, March 25, 2012

Tree of Life Day 48: Luke 1, Matthew 3

I wish I could imagine a modern day John the Baptist.  I know plenty of people have assumed they were like John, justifying their strange behavior and harsh words.  But no one could ever say of them that they were (or are) the greatest human being (cf. Matthew 11).

And their messages have not endured.  But John's has.  And it's still a powerful message for us today:  repent for the Kingdom of the Heavens is at hand.  The Kingdom is not some far-away event or entity.  It is a present reality.

And the call hasn't changed either:  repent.  It's a powerful word that we must hear and heed.  We must rethink our thinking and, resultantly, change our lives.  Sound like a plan?  But we can't do it ourselves, which is why we need Jesus not only to forgive us but give us new life by His Spirit, a resurrection kind of life.

And that's good news.  Because Jesus is willing.

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