Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38)
The road was lightly traveled. I was driving slightly in excess of the posted speed limit. An oncoming car flipped on its lights—blue flashing lights. Perhaps he is called to an accident or emergency, I mused. But no. He kept slowing down, so I followed suit. Still, the distance between us closed quickly. It became increasingly clear that I was the reason for the flashing lights. My hands got wet. My mouth was dry. I would have gladly repented, but in those situations repentance rarely helps. It was reckoning time.
When our cars were fully parallel, we could see each other from just a few feet away. We never totally stopped. He gave me “the look,” turned off those blue lights, and drove away. What a relief! My blood pressure dropped and heartrate returned to normal.
The great solution seemed so simple, so straightforward, so easy: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Not complicated. Not complex. Not difficult to understand.
A great solution holds the keys to our eternal future: repent and be forgiven. That’s the heart of the message of the Messiah. That’s what Easter is all about. In our world of uncertainty, unprecedented times, and post-pandemic adjustment, a message of forgiveness shines like a light in an otherwise dark place.
Remember the wonder of being forgiven!
H. C. Wilson is General Superintendent Emeritus of The Wesleyan Church.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
