¹The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

 ²It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
   "I will send my messenger ahead of you,
      who will prepare your way"—
 ³"a voice of one calling in the desert,
   'Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.' " ⁴And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

…  ¹⁴After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"  (NIV)

Verse 2 is from Malachi 3:1, and Malachi continues: “Who can stand when he comes?” And that’s certainly John’s expectation – someone coming in power. But then Jesus is here, and he can say “Repent”, which is remarkable, because if he had come just in power then no one would have had opportunity to repent, it would be judgement time. But he comes in such a way that we’re given opportunity after opportunity to repent, to change our thinking and our direction.

God is for us: he doesn’t want us to be destroyed, he wants to give us chance after chance, and win us over.

Lord, thank you for being for me; that when I realise my failings, you don’t come to judge, but to forgive and give another chance; and that by doing so, you re-awaken in me that love for you that wants to follow you.