What was the subject matter with which Christ bookended His earthly ministry? This subject was His command of repentance to all His hearers, and more broadly, to the whole world. Spurgeon noted that “nothing could set forth Jesus Christ’s idea of the high value of repentance, more fully and effectually than the fact that he begins with it, and that he concludes with it.” Repentance is the vital renunciation of sin which the Lord commands to all. Without genuine, active denial of sin, true salvation could not be had. God’s regenerating work in one’s life is demonstrated by their sincere repentance and pursuit of righteousness. “True repentance consists of illumination, humiliation, detestation, and transformation.” And it was this command which Christ chose to impart to His listeners as a type of inclusio to His ministry.
Spurgeon here explains repentance by discussing it in four main elements: its origin, essentials, companions, and excellencies. Regarding its origin, he remarked, “Remember, then, at the outset, that true repentance is of gospel origin, and is not the work of the law; and on the other hand, it is of gracious origin, and is not the work of the creature.” True repentance, then, is not independently conjured up by sinful man, but is rather a clear manifestation of the divine work of God within one’s heart. His divine power is its ultimate origin, and through Him sinners are given the ability to renounce sin and walk in obedience to Christ.
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This seems to me to be a very interesting fact, and not simply interesting, but instructive. Jesus Christ opens his commission by preaching repentance. What then? Did he not by this act teach us how important repentance was—so important that the very first time he opens his mouth, he shall begin with, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Did he not feel that repentance was necessary to be preached before he preached faith in himself, because the soul must first repent of sin before it will seek a Saviour, or even care to know whether there is a Saviour at all? And did he not also indicate to us that as repentance was the opening lesson of the divine teaching, so, if we would be his disciples, we must begin by sitting on the stool of repentance, before we can possibly go upward to the higher forms of faith and of full assurance? Jesus at the first begins with repentance,—that repentance may be the Alpha, the first letter of the spiritual alphabet which all believers must learn; and when he concluded his divine commission with repentance, what did he say to us but this—that repentance was still of the very last importance? He preaches it with his first, he will utter it with his last breath; with this he begins, with this he will conclude. He knew that repentance was, to spiritual life, a sort of Alpha and Omega—it was the duty of the beginning, it was the duty of the end.
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