1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 1:6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 1:7 And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 1:8 "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (New King James Version)

Repentance: Center of the Gospel

We started a serise of studies of the Book of Mark last Sunday. Mark titled his book as "The Beginning of the Gospel," and start his story from the activities of John the Baptist. John was the last and greatest prophet who belonged to the Old Testament ear, but at the same time he proclamed the new message as a initiator of the New Testament ear.

All of his message are shown in a phrase, "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" in verse 4. John preached "repentance" and "remission of sins." Jesus also preached "repentance" and "remission of sins." The first voice of Jesus public ministry was "Repent, and believe in the gospel." Jesus healed a paralytic in Mark chapter 2. He did it for showing that He had power on earth to forgive sins." What He has done on the cross was to bring the remission of our sins. This morning we will have the Holy Communion Service. At the first communion service, the Lord mentioned about his work on the cross, saying "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. 26:28)

After the ressurection Jesus committed the gospel to the disciples and went back to heaven. And He said, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things." He said that the center of the gospel was "repentance and remission of sins." he repeated the same massage after the ressurection. The message preached by John was also "repentance" and "remission of sins."

Repentace: Its Neccersity

Everyone desires "remission of sins." Many of us delight it as the grace which was brought through the gospel. And most of us never emphasize "repentance" like they do on remission. However there is no remission without repentance. When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, the apostles begun to proclaim the gospel becoming the witnesses for Jesus. Peter spoke on the cross and the ressurection of Jesus. He said to the Jews, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) Peter emphasize "repentance" and "remission of sins" in his message. His message was exactly same as the messages which was preached by John and Jesus taught. It was nessassary to repent for remission of sins. Therefore, Peter said, "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord," in Acts 3:19, and "Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." in Acts 5:31. Peter preached "repentance" and "remission of sins."

Paul also speak about repentance in his teachings. He said, "testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" in Acts 20:21, "but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" in Acts 26:20. God command us to repent. "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30) Why does God urge us to repent? Because we will be destoryed in our sins if we do not repent. God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." He is waiting for us. He is waiting for our repentance.

Repentance: Its Grace

What is repentance? Repentance is difference from regret. In Second Corinthians 7:9-10 the difference is explained. "Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Do you identify "repentance" same as "playing with sins?" Repentance is not only sentimental matter. It means "to return." You know the story of a profligate son in Luke chapter 15? When he came to himself, arose and came to his father. He acctually stepped out of a swine field, and took a step to his father. Repentance means not only the change of feeling, but of action. The change of mind leads the change of action. And the change of behavior finally comes to the change of life.

We know that we cannot make our life changed. But God's grace can do through our repentance. It's grace that God gives us the chance to repent, and leads us to repentance. Why don't you trust in Jesus with repentance?

The life in Christ is the life which we newly cultivate through repentance. Your past does not have to be your future. No matter how many times you have failed, god graciously offers His forgiveness for the shortsighted choices that reflected selfishness and lack of trust in Him. We may not change the past, but we can block the bad influence from the past. We can change our future by repentance. It is also true that past successes don't guarantee future victories. If we forget repentance, we may drop out from the grace. Let's walk with daily repentance.

Prayer

Our Father who is waiting for our repentance, we thank you for your teaching about repentance. We once knew only to have selfpity regretting the past, but you led us to the life giving repentance. We are going to keep the Lord's supper. Through the Holy Communion Service we want to taste the remission of sins which Jesus brought us through his death on the cross. which leads us to life. Allow us to come close to the grace of remission of sins with true repentance. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

(Preached at SDJCC, January 11, 1998)