When Jesus begins his public ministry in Matthew 4, he doesn’t start with encouragement or self-improvement. He begins with a call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
John the Baptist has been arrested. The story shifts. And instead of retreating, Jesus steps forward — returning to Galilee, the very region once described by Isaiah as a land of darkness. Where rebellion began, redemption begins. Where hope seemed lost, light dawns.
But Jesus doesn’t stop at repentance. He calls fishermen to leave their nets. He calls ordinary people to follow him. Not to admire him. Not to agree with him. To follow.
In this episode, we explore what repentance truly means, why the kingdom of heaven demands allegiance, and what it looks like to leave our world for his. We also reflect on the powerful images of light breaking into darkness and yokes being shattered — reminders that Jesus doesn’t just confront sin, he sets people free.
The call that Jesus made in the first century still stands today.
The question is simple, but not easy:
Will we follow?
