3.22.2026 | John’s Ministry Began
Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:2-8; Luke 3:1-18; and John 1:6-8,15,19-28
No pilot would just jump in a plane and take off. Before they fly a plane, pilots have a special checklist—a list of important things to check to make sure the plane is safe and ready for the flight. Pilots check the engines, the fuel, the controls, and more. Every step is necessary to make sure they are prepared to fly.
John the Baptist wore simple clothes and ate simple food, but his message was very powerful. He told people to “repent,” which means to turn away from doing wrong and turn toward God. John’s message was like a checklist for our hearts. He helped people prepare and make sure their hearts were ready for Jesus—checking for anything that might get in the way of recognizing Him as the promised Messiah.
John’s message reminds us to get our hearts ready for Jesus. But no one can prepare perfectly on their own—because we all sin and do things that separate us from God. That’s why Jesus came! He died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins and rose again to give us new life if we repent and believe in Him.
John prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repent of their sins. If we turn away from our sins and trust in Jesus, we will be saved.
