What would you say is the greatest message ever preached? One way of answering this question would be to look at the primary message of Jesus. Surely that must at least be a contender, if not the clear favourite. Whatever Jesus main message was, we can be confident that this is probably the message we most need to hear! From the very moment Jesus began His public ministry, His voice rang out with a message both simple and profound: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Interestingly, this was also the message of John the Baptist. But what did Jesus and John mean by this message? For these two remarkable men, this wasn’t just a slogan. It was a divine invitation, and a holy warning. Perhaps the best place to begin in understanding what Jesus meant, is with the word ‘repent’. In the original Greek, the word Jesus used for repent is "μετανοεῖτε" (metanoeite). It means more than just being sorry. It means to change your heart or mind, to turn around, to turn from sin and self, and to turn toward God with your whole heart. It’s a radical reorientation of life. It was as though Jesus was saying, “The time has come. Stop going your own way and come follow Me!” Why? Because “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The Greek here is "ἤγγικεν" (ēngiken). It means the kingdom has drawn near. Not just in the future, not far away, but here, and now. For the doors to the Kingdom were about to be flung wide open through the Cross of Jesus Christ!