In Matthew 3, we learn all about John the Baptist. He was well known for preaching a consistent message. He said the same thing over and over. His sermon, like any good sermon, contained three significant points. First, he warned his listeners that the Kingdom of Heaven was near. It was an exhortation to take his message seriously. The second part of his message was a promise. He said, “After me will come one who is more powerful than me.” He was, of course, referring to Christ. Thirdly, he gives us the correct response when we take the message seriously and recognize Christ as the coming messiah. It’s more potent than a request; I’d call it a demand. It’s one word: “Repent.” Repent is actually the first word out of John’s mouth. Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 3 say, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
During the days of Jesus’ ministry, a tower fell in Siloam and killed 18 innocent people. Jesus’ disciples wanted to know why. But Jesus didn’t tell them why. Instead, he told them what their response should be. Surprisingly, He said, “I tell you…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” We see many tragedies in our lives also. Some years ago, a shooter ran through Westroad’s Mall, and 8 people died. “Why?” we ask. A hurricane kills thousands in Indonesia. “Why? ” we ask. A suicide bomber kills 10 in Iraq. “Why?” we ask. An endless number of these pointless events in our experience evoke the “why” question from us. God wants us to realize that the answer to the “why” of pain and suffering in the world is the exclusive domain of God. This is the explanation he gave Job amidst his innocent suffering. God doesn’t answer our “why” questions. We hope that in the next life, He will make all that clear to us, and this should move us to trust Him accordingly. But in this life, Jesus would much rather have us deal with the “what.” What is God saying to us through these things?
John the Baptist’s message was to repent. Jesus’ message in the light of unexplained suffering was the same. I believe He is telling us precisely what he told his disciples when they asked why. He’s telling us exactly what John the Baptist told his listeners. Both Jesus and John called for repentance. John made it clear that repentance should be immediate because of the imminence of the Kingdom of God. In other words, we should repent now because, as someone said, “You can’t repent too soon, for you know not how soon it may be too late.” One might ask what does it mean to repent. Merriam-Webster says it means “To turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.” The Greek word, however, includes the idea of a change of mind. One major part of John the Baptist’s message was there was one coming after him who was more powerful than him. He was pointing his finger at Jesus and saying, “Behold, the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” An accurate understanding of John’s message must include the acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah. We can be sorry for our sin and pledge to change our ways all the time, but the sin is not atoned for until we bring them to Jesus. Like Job, all suffering calls for faith. Faith is believing in God. Not just that he exists, but believing he is positively disposed towards us and he has our best interest foremost in mind regardless of the circumstances.