As we make our way through the rest of a larger passage centring on John the Baptist, we encounter Jesus affirming John’s identity, speaking to his ministry and emphasizing the effect of that ministry. As God’s spokesman, John’s ministry focused on a call to repentance and that call divided all who encountered him into those who submitted to his call and those who didn’t. We are left with a clear understanding of the place of repentance in both coming to Jesus and in walking with him thereafter.
