John MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary: John’s message of preparation for the coming of the King was repentance, conversion, the demand for a completely different life. That must have been startling news for Jews who thought that, as God’s chosen people--the children of Abraham, the people of the covenant--they deserved and were unconditionally assured of the promised King. Knowing what they must have been thinking, John later told his listeners, "Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham" (3:9).

II. The correction--vv5-6; 10-12; Rom 4:1-3, 9:6-9, 11:13-17; Gal 4:22-31

The message John proclaimed was simple, so simple it could easily be summarized in one word: repent (3:2a; cf Acts 13:24; 19:4). The Greek word (metanoeoô) behind repent means more than regret or sorrow (cf Heb. 12:17); it means to turn around, to change direction, to change the mind and will. It does not denote just any change, but always a change from the wrong to the right, away from sin and to righteousness. In his outstanding commentary on Matthew; John A. Broadus observes that "wherever this Greek word is used in the New Testament the reference is to changing the mind and the purpose from sin to holiness." Repentance involves sorrow for sin, but sorrow that leads to a change of thinking, desire, and conduct of life. "The sorrow that is according to the will of God," Paul says, "produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation" (2 Cor 7:10; cf. v9). John’s command to repent could therefore be rendered "be converted."

God was not interested in His people’s human heritage but in their spiritual life. God calls for radical change and transformation that affects the mind, the will, and the emotions--the whole person. John’s point was simple: "You are in the same condition as the Gentiles. You have no right to the kingdom unless you repent and are converted from sin to righteousness."

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