Advent Devo | Week Three

When I was asked to write an Advent devotional based on John the Baptist’s call to repentance, I struggled because it seemed more like a subject for Lent. However, as I reflected, I began to see how repentance is an essential part of preparation—preparing the way for Jesus to enter our lives. That is what Advent is all about.

I thought about my own baptism and what it meant to me in relationship to repentance. My family didn’t attend church, but a neighbor started taking me with her when I was about 9 years old. It was in this small, West Texas church, where I knelt at the altar, surrounded by soaking, life-changing prayers of faith, that I experienced Jesus.

When I asked my parents for permission to be baptized, my request was denied. I still recall the disappointment I felt. At such a tender age, I didn’t understand the full importance of baptism or repentance, but somehow, I knew it mattered.

When we moved away from my church family in my teens, I was like a ship without a sail until I was baptized at the age of 25. I sometimes wonder how different my life might have been had I been allowed to be baptized. However, in my winter years, I have come to believe that during those troublesome years, God was preparing me to receive the true joy that comes when we fully understand our need for sincere repentance and the freedom it brings.

When Jesus was born, the political climate was extremely volatile because the Roman Empire was an occupying force and a cruel oppressor of the Jews. Sin and rebellion against God had reached its pinnacle, and God’s perfect time had arrived for salvation and repentance—for the promised anointed One to come.

John the Baptist’s mission was to prepare the nation of Israel for the Messiah they had long hoped for. He preached the “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” by the One who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.” His call was not just to confess sins but to change hearts and minds, making room for the Savior.

Advent is a time of preparation leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. While the themes of Advent are hope, peace, joy, and love, repentance is a key part of preparation that is often overlooked. It clears the way for us to fully receive the gifts of God.

Repentance is turning away from everything that separates us from God. It is our sins that separate us from hope, peace, joy, and love—everything God wants for us. Repentance—changing heart and mind to bring us closer to Jesus—is the way we overcome that separation.

During this Advent season, allow the immersion of your baptism to wash over you and cleanse you from the distractions that are robbing you of God’s grace by choosing to repent and turn away from your secret sins. I encourage you to do this so that, on Christmas morning, you will have room in your heart to truly celebrate Jesus with unspeakable freedom and joy.

Heavenly Father,
It is with humble hearts that we offer this time of preparation to Your glory. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Nola Katherine Trewin | Prayer Ministry