Second Sunday in Advent – December 10, 2017
Why Is Repentance So Important In The Life Of A Christian?
Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2This is how it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare the way for you. 3A voice of one calling out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.” 4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins. 6John was clothed in camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, “One more powerful than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals! 8I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Sometimes, when you hear the same thing over and over again, it starts to become less and less meaningful. For example, at this time of year the newspaper, TV, and radio are all saying the same thing: “A special one-day sale is going on; don’t miss out on this three hour sale; everything is marked down 50 to 75 percent!” At first, such advertising might grab your attention. You might think you need to be there. But after a while it all just becomes a bunch of noise in the background.
I wonder if that’s the way Christians begin to think when pastors point again and again to the spiritual aspect of Christmas – warning us to not get too caught up in the glitz and the glamor of this world’s Christmas and remember that it’s all about Christ. I wonder if that’s what Christians think when they are repeatedly reminded that they need to be ready for Jesus’ return.
You see, it’s so easy to tune it all out. It’s so easy for it to just become some noise in the background. So, what is the answer? How do we prevent it from becoming just “some noise”? Should we talk about it less? That’s not the answer. What then? Well, what did God do? He sent a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching a message of repentance. We do that still today – because it’s important in the life of a Christian.
Have you ever played the game of darts? You know, the game where you take one of these little darts and then stand back some distance and throw them at a board trying to hit your mark. If you have, does your dart always go where you want it to? Do you always hit the bullseye; or the number you were aiming at?
If you’ve ever played before, you know that the answer is no. And we can use this little illustration to talk about and understand sin. Imagine the bullseye of a dartboard is the perfection that God demands from us. In order to be perfect, you have to hit the bullseye every…single…time. That is, after all, what he demands: “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy”” (1 Peter 1:15–16).
What does that mean? Well, it means exactly what you think it means. It means that when your child or spouse doesn’t live up to your expectations, you are still to be patient and loving with them every…single…time. It means that when you have a weekend get-a-way with the boys or the ladies, you are still to have a pure heart and mind every…single…moment. It means that when you are going through some trial, some illness, some tragedy, some difficult moment in life you are still to trust the Lord with all your heart every…single…time. It means you are to hit the bullseye of perfection – and never miss.
But is that what we see? Hardly! Instead, the darts of our lives fly here and there – anywhere but at the bullseye. The dart of contentment is lying on the floor. The dart of speaking well of others can barely be seen. The dart of obedience to those in authority is dangling from the edge. And the dart of gladly hearing and learning the Word of God is behind the board. We’ve missed the mark. We’re guilty of sin. We’re worthy of punishment. We desperately need help.
That’s part of the message John the Baptist proclaimed as he prepared people for the coming of Jesus. As he spoke in the wilderness about crooked paths, he was picturing their human hearts. Sin makes the heart a barren wasteland. It places obstacles in the way of the message of Christ. So John called them to repentance. He called them to admit they had missed God’s mark of perfection. He called them to acknowledge they deserved eternal punishment. He called them to confess there was nothing they could do to clean up the mess of their sins. And then he called them to turn their attention to the one who was coming after him.
God still calls us to repentance today. He does it with his Word and often times using his pastors. But has that call become just “some noise” in the background. Do you think to yourself – “What does this guy know? I’m fine the way I am. I work hard. I take care of my personal responsibilities. I’m not perfect, but I do my best.” But that’s the problem – we’re not perfect. That’s why repentance is so important.
In repentance we admit that we have missed God’s mark of perfection. We acknowledge we deserve eternal punishment. We confess there is nothing we can do to clean up the mess of our sins. And then we turn our attention to the one John the Baptist pointed to. That’s why repentance is so important in the life of a Christian. It helps us to prepare for Christ’s coming by leading us to see our sin and need for a Savior.
Now, before moving on, let’s make sure we understand something. Repentance is not our work – it is not the work of man. It’s not something you do that then God rewards. No. True repentance is worked in our hearts only after the Holy Spirit crushes our pride and self-righteousness through the law and makes us alive through the good news of Jesus.
So, did you notice John’s message? He came“preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” It wasn’t just a call to repentance, but a proclamation that there is forgiveness. Now, forgiveness is the removal or cancellation of a barrier of guilt. It carries with it the idea of something being sent away.
Remember all the darts of your life lying around, having missed the bullseye of God’s perfection? That’s our sin; our barrier of guilt. But that barrier has been sent away. How? Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
That’s the one that John the Baptist was preparing people’s hearts for. The one who was greater than he, whose sandals he was not worthy to stoop down and untie. The one that he would point to on the banks of the Jordan River and say, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). That’s the one that Mark is writing about. He wants us to know and see and believe that Jesus is the very one we sinners need.
There is so much wrapped up in these verses. Mark is presenting the gospel – the very gospel that John was proclaiming. That gospel is the good news of Jesus. But Jesus is only good news to those who believe they are sick with sin. He is only good news to those who feel the wounds of their guilt. He is only good news to those who recognize that their sin puts them in danger of hell.
Through Spirit worked repentance that’s exactly what we see. We see our disgusting sin and guilt and recognize its deadliness; then the Holy Spirit directs our eyes to Jesus, our Savior – the one who sent that sin and guilt away by paying for it on the cross. For Jesus is the one sent from heaven to earth to stand in the place of us sinners and do battle with the forces of hell for us. Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form, came to be our Rescuer, our Redeemer, our Righteousness.
Because he is the Son of God he could keep the law perfectly for us: that is, his darts hit the bullseye of God’s perfection every…single….time. Even though he was rejected, crucified, and killed on a cross – since he is the Son of God that death served as the perfect ransom price to pay for the guilt of our sins. Jesus is the Great Physician who heals our sin-sick souls with his forgiveness. Jesus is the one who binds up our wounds of guilt by paying for it with his wounds on the cross. In Jesus we find safety because his righteousness is ours through faith.
Jesus came in the quietness of Christmas on a deadly mission. From the moment of his first breath, the plan was for him to take his final breath on that cruel instrument of torture – the cross. That’s what he came to do. He came willingly. He came as true God so that his sacrifice would be perfect and holy. As a result, those who trust in him by faith know that their debt of sin has been canceled, our guilt has been paid for, the missed darts of our lives have been sent away. Now, only one dart remains; and it counts as our own - the dart of Christ’s righteousness that has hit dead center in the bullseye of God’s demands.
While on one of his expeditions to the Antarctic, Sir Ernest Shackleton was once compelled to leave some of his men on Elephant Island, with the intention of returning for them and carrying them back to England. But he was delayed, and by the time he could go for them he found that the sea had frozen over and his men were cut off. Three times he tried to reach them, but his efforts ended in failure.
Finally, in his last effort, he found a narrow channel through the ice. Guiding his small ship back to the island, he was delighted to find his men not only alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard. They were soon on their way to safety and home. After the excitement ended, Sir Ernest inquired how it was that they were ready to get aboard so promptly. They told him that every morning their leader rolled up his sleeping bag, saying, “Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.”
The celebration of Christ’s birth is coming – are we ready? We will be when we prepare through repentance. Through Spirit-worked repentance we are led to admit our sin and guilt. We are led to have a change of heart – one that turns away from sin and wishes to be rid of it. We are led to turn our eyes in faith to Jesus our Savior. Then we’ll be ready to celebrate Christmas.
We’ll be ready because then we won’t get caught up in the glitz and glamour of the world’s Christmas. We won’t tune out the call to repentance as just “some noise” in the background. Instead, with hearts of faith we will marvel again at the fact that that child in the manger is true God and true man, come down to earth to save us. With hearts of faith our focus will be on Christ and Christ Alone - for life, for forgiveness, for all. And in doing so, we will also be prepared for his coming again at the end of all time. That’s why repentance is so important in the life of the Christian. Amen.