Preschool
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Repentance: Door to the New Kingdom
Memory Verses
Primary
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Junior
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1
Introduction
We last studied the gospel of Matthew four years ago. In that quarterly, as in this one, the first lesson was about John the Baptist’s appeal to the Jews to repent. We often refer to repentance as a “door of mercy.” Everyone needs mercy, because all have sinned. Let us not neglect to preach and practice true repentance.
Since Jesus is both human and divine, He is able to understand the earthly and the heavenly realms. We will study both His humanity and His divinity, giving us a greater appreciation for His willingness to redeem us and what it cost Him.
The Gospels are the account of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Perhaps we take these truths for granted today, but Jesus’s countrymen, except for a faithful few, were expecting a Messiah who would deliver them from Roman rule and give them a kingdom like that of King David and King Solomon.
However, Jesus had come to establish a spiritual kingdom and a visible church. In order to accomplish this, He needed to destroy the power of Satan in the hearts of men. People were drawn to Him by His love and sincerity, so they listened intently as He taught of His kingdom and how it would be established.
There are several lessons on the fruits and blessings of the new kingdom. Even those who have been long captured by Satan can be delivered and become part of this kingdom.
At first Jesus was immensely popular, but when He began to teach deeper truths of doctrine, many listeners melted away. Jesus assured His disciples that persecution would eventually touch their lives but that victory is certain for the faithful.
Since Jesus fulfilled the Jewish Sabbath, He was concerned that His followers would understand what the Sabbath represented. Today we, following the example of Christians since the resurrection, worship and rest on Sunday, the Lord’s Day.
Because a day of judgment is coming, we must prepare for that great day. We will be ready for judgment if our hearts have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and we are permitting the daily sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
May God bless our Sunday school program, and may we prepare for class by diligently studying our lesson, doing so as under Christ, our Master Teacher.
Repentance: Door to the New Kingdom
Lesson 1
December 2, 2018
Introduction
A door is a place of transition, a point where change is made from one position to another. Without a door, a room would be a prison. If our difficulties had no solution, our situation would be hopeless. A door offers a way to go from one room to another or to get from one condition to a different one. Repentance is the means of leaving the old kingdom and entering the new one.
In a natural sense, no one has a choice in which country he is born. Some people are born in Canada, some in Nigeria, some in China, and so on; no one had a choice about his nationality. Some people seek an opportunity, a door, to leave their native country and move to another.
In a spiritual sense, no one has a choice into which kingdom he is born. We are all born in a fallen condition, estranged from God, inclined toward sin. We are all born into the kingdom of the world.
There is a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of God, “wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:13). It is a kingdom of peace—peace with God and peace with others. Grace and mercy shine a light upon the door of repentance, and God gives us the invitation to enter the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We can only enter this kingdom by choosing to repent.
Key Verse
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).
Lesson Scripture
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Studying the Lesson
John the Baptist was a man especially ordained of God. Isaiah had prophesied that he would come to prepare the way for the promised Messiah. John and Jesus were cousins, and John was approximately six months older than Jesus. Were they acquainted with each other in their youth? The Bible does not tell us, but we know their mothers were acquainted.
John and Jesus would have been about thirty years of age when they began their public ministries. This was the customary age for an Israelite to take the position of a teacher or rabbi.
When Jesus came, He came as the Light into a world that lay in spiritual darkness, the darkness of sin and selfishness, without hope. John was sent to bear witness to the Light, and his message was, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus began His ministry with the same message: “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the apostles began to preach, and they likewise preached the message of repentance (Acts 2:38; 3:19). This was new light for the world; this was the true Light.
Our lesson text says that John came “preaching in the wilderness of Judea.” Likely we take wilderness to mean rugged, sparsely inhabited country. Perhaps there is a spiritual meaning here as well. The condition of God’s chosen people at that time could be likened to a wilderness. Many of them trusted in their outward form as evidence of righteousness. Some trusted that their heritage as members of God’s chosen people would make them acceptable to Him. Both conditions are contrary to truth.
A form of godliness, a goodly heritage, or any self-efforts to do right cannot make us righteous or give us entrance into the new kingdom. Repentance is the only door into the spiritual kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The message to repent may seem a hard message—many turn away. However, repentance is the only way to find favor with God.
Practical Truths for Today
Pride and selfishness rule in the kingdom of darkness. God said of those who inhabit this kingdom that “there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Ps. 14:3). God’s plan for redeeming the fallen human race does not include fixing that old kingdom; rather, He has provided a new kingdom. This kingdom is a spiritual kingdom where love reigns. Peace is found where anger and clamor once resided, and selfishness is replaced with generous giving. The door between the two is repentance.
God’s love for fallen man opened the door of repentance, and His mercy reveals that door to us. True repentance is a prerequisite for salvation and is a work of God that requires our cooperation. It does not save us; only the blood of Jesus can save us from eternal doom. By God’s grace, we are able to do our part to accept the way that God has provided to redeem us. When we meet His conditions, He can apply the saving blood of Christ to our lives. Everyone who is truly born again has experienced repentance.
True repentance will bring forth recognizable fruits. Confession of sins is one of these fruits—confession to God, first of all, and to our fellowmen where necessary. We admit to having a depraved nature and a wicked heart; we confess that we are sinners in need of salvation.
With a repentant heart, we are willing to make restitution and to restore things taken from others. This may be possessions that belong to others, a name smeared by slander, or a reputation damaged by gossip. “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold” (Luke 19:8).
Sin is primarily a heart problem. By default our heart is “deceitful . . . and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). Repentance gets to the root of the matter and deals with our hearts. People may note the actual sins we commit, but the grace of God through repentance reveals why we sin. In repentance we deal with the root of pride, lust, and rebellion that has infected our heart.
The “acknowledging of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25) is a fruit of repentance. We now admit the true reason why we have sinned, which God has always known. There is no more evading the truth, saving face, or making excuses. We no longer make room for offense or blame others for our problems. The repenting prodigal son simply said “Father, I have sinned” (Luke 15:18, 21).
In true repentance, we will be sorry for our sin. This sorrow may include strong emotion, or it may not. Depth of emotion is not the determining factor of genuine sorrow for sin. We regret any pain we have caused others. We are sorry after a godly manner for what we have done and what we are. We desire to be more like Jesus and less like what we have been. God does not want us to sink into a morass of regret and despair; rather He wants us to turn to Him and let His goodness bring us to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
One of the steps of church discipline is when the church asks a member to repent. Some people may look at church repentance as being a punishment for wrongdoing. Rather, the call to repentance is an invitation to restore a right relationship with God. Repentance is the door of mercy, through which we come into the good graces of God.
The call to repentance may come repeatedly through life, and it may come from our brethren. If, when we are asked to repent, we find ourselves in a wilderness, trusting in our good works, our heritage, or way of life, let us humbly turn to God, seeking His direction. Often a mark of a finished repentance is when we appreciate those who have tried to help us.
Questions
- Why does the call to repentance seem hard?
- Is it easier for young people to repent than older people?
- What are the signs of a repentance that is motivated by self?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).