John the Baptist gathered crowds and baptized them as a sign of repentance.

For John, the worthy fruits of repentance were the visible way to determine when someone had decided to change course and come to the kingdom of God.

He warned the traditionalists not to rely on their religious heritage as a means of salvation.

To those who had been prosperous, he invited them to share clothing and food with others.

To those in public office, he urged them not to oppress the people to the point of impoverishing them.

To the soldiers, he encouraged them to abandon abuse, slander, extortion, and asked them to be content with their own wages.

Anyone who showed worthy fruits of repentance was baptized without distinction.

No matter our past, we all have the opportunity to change course and come to Jesus. Every morning we can ask ourselves: Do I have fruits worthy of repentance? That determines whether we are saved or not.

Later, the Lord would say, “A good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. So, by their fruits, you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:17,20).