Prepare the Way with True Repentance

Prepare the Way with True Repentance

Matthew 3:1-12 T Advent 2

INI

Prepare the way of the Lord. Get ready. He’s coming. In fact, He’s here. And He commands your real confession and true repentance. Last week dealt with preparing for the end times. This week we focus on preparing to receive Christ now.

         The Gospel presents a comparison of true repentance and false repentance. The folks who heard John’s message about the coming kingdom of God got their hearts ready. They repented. They confessed their sins. They came to John’s baptism of repentance – a one-time washing for forgiveness.

         But then there were the Pharisees and Sadducees who came out to be baptized for forgiveness too – because who doesn’t want forgiveness? But John saw right through them. He called them a brood of vipers. They appeared holy. However, they didn’t want to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. That is, they didn’t want a change of life – they wanted God’s gifts of forgiveness while still clinging to their sins. They’re the kind of people that seek out the bare minimum. And John calls them out on it. He even says that since their repentance is approached with such insincerity, Christ will lay the axe to the root of their tree. Because they don’t bear good fruit, they will be cut down, and cast into the fire to be burned.

         Why this urgency in the Gospel lesson? Because the kingdom of God is in their midst. Jesus brings it. And it really matters! God’s kingdom is coming with grace and judgment. For those who look to Christ to be saved FROM their sins, there’s grace. For those who look like a tree, but bear no fruit, Jesus will lay His axe to the root.

         John got Israel ready to meet their coming King. And He gets us ready too. Are you ready? That is, are you ready this time of year for what really matters? No, I’m not talking Christmas shopping, decorations, or festivities. I’m not talking about deadlines that need to be met by the end of the year. I’m talking about the kingdom of God.

         It’s here. Jesus brings it. Are you ready?

         John is the one crying out in the wilderness. He says, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight.’ John’s not preaching in the city, with its distractions and comforts, but in the wilderness, where there’s pain, discomfort, and room for growth. The first time Israel was in the wilderness, they repeatedly showed disobedience and distrust. They longed to return to Egypt, grew tired of manna and quail, and feared the people of Canaan more than God. Now, John calls Israel—and us—back into the wilderness. Why? Because we’re not ready for the promised land as we are. We must change. We must repent rightly.

         To receive the kingdom of God, we must examine our hearts rightly – not just judging the things we do. It’s easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we’re better than we are because of the good things we do. That’s what the Pharisees and Sadducees did. If we think we’re GOOD, BECAUSE we go to church, or feed the hungry, or show mercy to others, or have the right worldview and convictions – then we aren’t ready. And the coming kingdom will hit us like a ton of bricks.

         So, John’s message forces us to ask: what keeps our hearts crooked? What in us needs straightening before we meet Christ? The Gospel lesson shows us those who are truly repentant, and those who aren’t. Which one are you?

         False repentance takes several forms: trusting your lineage, trusting your works, or making peace with sins. John exposes all three of those, and we fall into the same trap today.

Let’s start by examining the Pharisees and Sadducees. They came to John for baptism. They heard John preaching about the coming of the Messiah. And they wanted to be on the right side of history. They wanted to embrace the kingdom of God, not reject it. But what would it cost them? Apparently too much.

         For John saw them come up and said, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” John rightly pointed out that they weren’t ready for the kingdom of God. Their lives didn’t bear repentant fruit. The Pharisees and Sadducees knew God’s Law well. But it didn’t give them wisdom. They thought it was something they could accomplish. So, when John preached about repentance, and making straight the way of the Lord, they thought they were prime candidates! They do good works. They help the poor. They pray to God. The path to their heart appeared to be as straight as anyone else’s!

         They thought they were a part of God’s chosen. Because they were a part of Abraham’s genealogical line. They trusted in who their however many great grandparents were, over and above a true confession of their sins. This is false repentance. Because it trusts a false hope.

         Sometimes, we see this pattern even among faithful members: going through Confirmation, marriage, and years on the membership roll, yet struggling to bear lasting fruit in their walk with Christ. People may recite the familiar words like, “I a poor miserable sinner, confess to you all my sins and iniquities…,” yet their heart made peace with their sins long ago. Some even place trust in family or tradition rather than in Christ Himself. I remember at my field work church hearing of someone who wanted to be buried in the cemetery of a Lutheran church in Indiana because of their last name—even though they hadn’t attended worship there in years. But they couldn’t be told no, because their relatives were foundational members of the congregation. It’s easy to fall into this pattern, convincing ourselves that certain privileges or heritage make us right with God, when daily repentance and faith in His Word and Sacraments are what truly prepare the heart.

         Or maybe there’s a trust in what one’s last name is, and what status, or privileges, that brings us within the congregation. For example, my dad has been an elder and president of the congregation at my home church ever since I could remember. But can his works ever substitute for my own repentance and faith before God? Does His faithfulness merit anything for me?

         The Pharisees had the attitude “we’re children of Abraham; we don’t really need to repent.” And if we think we have no need for repentance or change because our name means something historically, or is on a membership role, then we’re far from God’s kingdom.

         And that’s really the difference between true and false repentance. False repentance plays a dangerous game and gets dangerous prizes. It makes peace with sin, and receives the reward for that sin.

         But true repentance is how we get ready for God’s reign. In our sin, we don’t think we need to repent. Or that once we reach the bare minimum of worship, prayer, and good works obligations, we can continue on into our own self-interests, and God will just have to accept us for who we are.

         But let’s be honest. Such a person doesn’t want God’s salvation. Not truly. They’re not ready for it. Because they don’t really agree with God’s Word about who they are and what their sins warrant. Preparing for God means to see oneself as God sees him. Luther says it well, “Such preparation is spiritual, it consists in the deep conviction and confession that you are unfit, a sinner, poor, damned, and miserable with all the works you are able to do. Where this conviction is wrought, the heart will be opened for the Lord’s entrance with his forgiveness and gifts.”

         Only when we see in true humility that our lives aren’t as they should be, then God can build us up. Replacing our sin-filled desires of the flesh with godly desires of the Spirit – which bear good fruit. Repentance is more than just saying “I’m sorry”. It’s turning away from sin and turning to God in faith, receiving His forgiveness. And the visible, tangible evidence of this is a life that strives to do what God desires. Such a repentant faith HATES it when it fails to live in accordance to God’s will. It doesn’t secretly enjoy it, it’s saddened. If someone continues in a life that continually defies God’s will – this is a sign that repentance is false, and not genuine.

         So, are you ready? Are you ready for Jesus, who brings the kingdom of God? Is the path straight for Him to come to you?

       Repentance isn’t once in a lifetime, nor just weekly—it’s a DAILY exercise. True confession meets God’s grace every day. The danger comes when we go through the motions, saying the words without resisting sin. When that happens, we no longer fight temptation but make straight the way of evil. We might even justify sin: “I work hard, I try to do right—surely God can allow this one hidden pleasure.” That is not true repentance, and it endangers faith.

         How are we made ready to receive Christ? We must die to our sinful flesh and rise to new life in Him. Quite simply: baptism. John called for repentance and baptism to meet the coming Savior. Here, everything Christ won for our salvation—through His innocent suffering, death, and glorious resurrection—is gifted to us in its promises.

Baptism is not just a symbol or a one-time ritual; it is God’s promise at work in your life every day. When you remember your baptism, you remember that your sins have been drowned, your old self has been buried, and a new life in Christ has begun. Daily repentance flows out of this baptismal reality: you do not stand before God on your own, trying to earn His favor. You stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness, receiving His forgiveness and life. This is how the path is made straight for Him to come into your heart.

         In the midst of this busy season, this is the most important thing to prepare for. Let us set aside all other worldly things to meet this coming kingdom with a readied heart of faith. Let us prepare by organizing our season around the most important things – His grace, His promises, His sacraments. Then, when He comes, He will find us bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, made ready by His own forgiving love.

INI

Pastor Joshua Ralston