In Matthew 3, John the Baptist steps onto the scene with a clear and urgent message: repent, because the King is coming. Preaching in the wilderness, he calls people to change direction—not just with words, but with lives that actually look different. Repentance isn’t about religious box-checking or inherited faith; it’s a personal turning toward God that produces visible fruit in how we treat others. John challenges spiritual complacency, confronts empty religion, and reminds everyone that eternity is at stake. Most of all, he models what it means to point people to Jesus—boldly, uniquely, and passionately—urging us to pray for those far from God, love them well, and invite them to experience the salvation only Christ brings.