Repentance: What Does This Mean?

What does repentance mean? It’s a church word that maybe we don’t use in our everyday life. It’s a word that maybe is misunderstood. But in the Lenten season, you could argue that it’s all about repentance. And so I think it’s good for us to review what repentance means. In the most simple sense, repentance means to be sorry about our sin, to feel regret over sin. If we look at the Greek New Testament in the original language, the word is metanoia, which means to have a change of mind. It’s a change of mind of what? Well, about our sin. It’s a change from thinking that our sin is somehow good, that it’s somehow good for me. It’s a change from thinking that into thinking, no, this is bad for me. This is dangerous for me. It’s going from thinking this is okay to being disgusted by it. Metanoia, a change of mind. But being sorry over sin and having a change of mind about it, that’s only part one of what repentance means. But there are two parts to repentance. There are two parts to repentance. And to help us understand those two parts, we’re considering a section of Acts chapter one. Here in Acts chapter one, after Jesus had ascended into heaven, the remaining disciples gathered together to figure out how they’re going to fill the spot that was left vacant by Judas, the one who had betrayed Jesus. You see, Judas died. Judas took his own life. Judas felt guilty for betraying Jesus. So much so that he thought that the only way out was to take his own life. Judas felt remorse about his sin. But as we read Acts chapter one, who is it that’s speaking? It’s Peter. Oh yeah, it turns out Peter had also betrayed Jesus and felt remorse about it. Remember the night before Jesus’ crucifixion at the Last Supper? Peter was feeling very confident about his faith. What did he say to Jesus? I’m ready to be arrested and I’m ready to be put to death with you. And what does Jesus tell Peter? Very truly, I tell you, you will deny me three times before the rooster crows. And that’s exactly what happened. That very night at his trial, Peter denies Jesus publicly three times, and then the rooster crows. And Jesus looks directly at Peter. And in that moment, Peter realized what he did. He realized that he betrayed Jesus and he felt deep remorse for it. He ran out of that trial and wept bitterly. And so here we have these two men, Judas and Peter. They both betrayed Jesus and they both felt remorse for doing so. So what’s the difference between Peter and Judas? Why was Peter there speaking amongst the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, but not Judas? Well, you see, it’s true that Judas had that first part down. Remember, there’s two parts of repentance. He had that first part down, the part about feeling disgusted about one’s sin, the part about feeling remorse about one’s sin. But he lacked the second part because repentance is feeling sorry over sin and believing in God for forgiveness. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. Unfortunately, Judas did not have that second part. He did not believe that Jesus could forgive him. But this was a lie, brothers and sisters. You see, that very next morning, Jesus was going to the cross to pay for that sin of betrayal. And not just that sin, but every sin, all sin. And so maybe you and I have been like Judas sometimes. Maybe we thought God can’t possibly forgive me for what I’ve done. But that is a lie, brothers and sisters. That is a lie that the devil would want us to believe. The lie that Jesus can’t forgive your sin. Repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness. It’s being disgusted by sin. But then trusting and knowing that we are forgiven in Jesus and that we are God’s children. Two parts. So what are the things in our life that we need to turn away from? And do we turn to God for forgiveness? The things that we need to turn away from might be different for each one of us. They probably are different. But we all only have one person to turn to, one solution. And that’s Jesus and His blood on the cross. His blood is the only thing that can cleanse us from our filth and from our guilt. Remember, God the Father turned away from Jesus in disgust while He was on the cross so that He can turn to us with compassion and open arms and forgiveness and love and mercy. And because of that, you are God’s child and you are forgiven. May God the Holy Spirit keep us connected to His word and His sacraments so that we remember and that we believe that in Jesus we have forgiveness. May God the Holy Spirit keep us connected to Jesus for as long as we live. Amen.