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Matthew 3:1-4 (NLT)
1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” [1] 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’” [2]
4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

[1]
Or, has come, Or, is coming soon.

[2]
Isaiah 40:3.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Mid day

LIGHTING NOTES:
Sunlight from above.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
John the Baptist is preaching to a crowd.
Two of John’s disciples stand behind him.
There is a Desert Hedgehog in the left foreground.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This is the first scene in the Matthew 03 – Baptism of Jesus series.

The clothing for John the Baptist was first established in Luke 01 – Births foretold – Scene 14 – John in wilderness, drawn in December 2013.

In the left foreground is a Desert Hedgehog (aka Ethiopian hedgehog, Paraechinus aethiopicus pectoralis). I haven’t drawn a hedgehog in Bible Cartoons before, so this is a first!

A note about the word “Repent”.
The Amplified Bible has an interesting set of words that more clearly define what repent/repentance actually is…

Matthew 3:1-17 (AMP)
1 In those days there appeared John the Baptist, preaching in the Wilderness (Desert) of Judea 2 And saying, Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

The elaboration of the definition of the word “repent” in the Amplified Bible is both interesting & important:

think differently;
change your mind,
regretting your sins and
changing your conduct

If you read that list carefully you will understand what God requires of us much more clearly. Repentance starts with thinking differently; deliberately changing our mind’s attitude to the things we have been doing. Let’s face it, if we don’t like what we’ve been doing, then it’s time to change & that begins with our thinking!

Once we clearly see the error of our former thinking (& where it has led us up ‘til now!), then we can regret our previous actions, with the kind of regret that will lead us away from performing the same old things, & towards a better way of behaving. Our conduct (ie behaviour) will change for the better once we have recognised our thinking errors, repented of them & turned our minds around to face the right way… the way in which God intends us to, which will benefit us & those we come into contact with.