Week 35: Think Different

We've been going through this series- this list of Fifty Things in no particular order. We've been jumping around the Gospels looking at the various things on the list. But today - we're gonna look at the very first thing on the list chronologically according to the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. In fact, in your Bibles you might see this particular command under a heading that says something like "Jesus Begins His Ministry" or "The Ministry of Jesus Begins."

Alright. Now, if you were starting a ministry… okay this is your big chance to get an opening message across - You probably want to start with something impactful - something inspiring - maybe a little bit of a slogan that people can latch onto right away. I know I'm putting you on the spot here, you haven't had time to workshop ideas for starting your own ministry or anything - but anybody got something? A phrase? A slogan? A motto? What would you open with?

I think I would probably go with something like - "Dream Big, because God is even bigger!" I mean, we're already using "Love God, Love People" but we ripped that off from somebody who said it like over 2,000 years ago…

Well, that same guy… which 'guy' is not doing Him justice - the Son of God, fully God, fully man - the Savior of mankind - who would indeed later boil all the commands in the law of Moses and the writing of the prophets down to essentially "Love God, Love People," opened the most important, most impactful, most wonderful and transformative ministry ever with this command -

Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.Matthew 4:17

Another way of translating that exact phrase which might resonate more with some of us is

Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven has comeMatthew 4:17

And just a review - I know its something we cover fairly often in here during this series - but the Kingdom was not a 'soon to come Kingdom.' I mean - it will be and will one day find its ultimate fulfillment and fully restored form in the future - but the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, two interchangeable terms, was something that Jesus was building THEN and it's something that He wants His followers to build NOW - here, even on this imperfect earth with imperfect people.

Now the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, is ultimately demonstrated through the life and love of Jesus. It's what we seek to emulate. It's why were looking at these "Fifty Things" in the Gospels. Logically speaking the "Kingdom of Heaven" is an extension of Christ Himself. That's why "The Kingdom of Heaven was near." That's why "The Kingdom of Heaven had come." Because Jesus was there, in person to found it. And if you wanted to be a part of this Kingdom…. The first thing Jesus said to do was

#33 - REPENT

That's the opener. The start of Jesus' ministry. "Repent." And look, far be it from me to criticize Jesus' ministry and His opener - and I'm certainly not - but if you were cynical, and looking at things from maybe a modern or post-modern point of view of the world we live in - a world in which every message is massaged - wordsmith to be instantly memorable and repeatable. To just stick in our head and take up space after only one or two times hearing it. Slogans and opening statements that can be expressed in a few words and put on a billboard and endlessly repeated on commercials and social media - words that evoke emotion, prestige, that tap into strong feelings of desire, rebellion, individuality… does "Repent" fit the bill?

Some of you aren't answering. You're like - "I see what he's getting at, but I ain't answering cause if God strikes the pastor down dead for not being a fan of Jesus' marketing, I'm at least gonna be around for the buffet at the funeral."

It's alright. I get it. This is going somewhere though, I promise. Think about some of the famous slogans and company identifiers that we carry around with us - decades later we still remember them. They still evoke a feeling from us. My favorite growing up was "Image is Everything." Anybody remember who that was for? Canon cameras. "I'm lovin' it" is? McDonald's… but some of you were old enough to remember "You deserve a break today." And you would hear that little jingle and go - "I DO deserve a break today." Here's one - "You're in good hands." That's - AllState. Right. Makes you feel safe, secure, like the company's got you. I've was looking at a list of the most impactful and memorable slogans and campaigns of all time and this was listed as #1 - "Just Do It." Which is of course? Nike. Taps into that spirit of rebellion, grit, determination, no excuses - just go and conquer.

"Just Do It." "I'm Lovin' It." "You're In Good Hands." "Repent."

One of these things, is not like the others… I mean, "Repent." Maybe it sounds like a high end cologne… "Repent"… the new fragrance from Calvin Klein. (Whispered) Repent… but is it inspiring and impactful? Does it engage your imagination? Is it something you can carry with you every day that will make you see the world and your life itself through new eyes?

YES

But the problem and maybe the reason why we don't see "Repent" as the life-changer, the game-changer and yes, the inspiring, impactful, hope-bringing, scales falling from our eyes phrase/motto/mission/slogan to hold onto in 2026… is probably due to semantics.

Semantics is the study of 'meaning' in language. It examines the relationship between words and what they represent - analyzing both literal definitions and their emotional or implied associations. Denotation and connotation. What do we think of when we hear certain words or phrases? It's why certain words and phrases are 'loaded' in our society. It's why two words that literally mean the same thing can feel remarkably different - positive or negative, attractive or distasteful depending on cultural and historical context and how they are framed.

And I submit to you that "Repent" might be one of those words that we connote with negative associations and feelings instead of the positive, life-giving ones that Jesus was actually sharing.

I mean, think about this for a second - yeah, Jesus had his share of detractors - but mostly these were people within the established religious power systems and structures that did not like how Jesus was turning their comfortable little worlds and institutions that benefitted them to the detriment of others on their ears. Jesus attracted large crowds - throngs of people - the popular and the outcasts, the old and little children, Jews and Gentiles…from a pure human perspective - okay, I mean, Jesus - all the power of God, okay, but at the end of the day - He's reaching and teaching to and preaching to human beings - why was this message of "Repent" so attractive? So successful?

Cause I think in our time, the word "Repent" carries some… baggage with it. When you hear it - do you think of the angry street preacher with the megaphone yelling at random people on their way to the sporting event or convention? Do you think of the sweaty preacher in the couple thousand dollar suit, banging on the pulpit and railing against anything slightly modern and scaring and guilting people who just seem to be enjoying their lives? Do you think of the apocalyptic guy with the sandwich board that says "The end is near?" He's a little too eager for the end of the world? You're not so sure but it seems like he may be more interested in being a harbinger of doom instead of a bringer of life? By the way - "The end is near" is not the same as "The Kingdom of God is near." One is negative. The other is positive. Wonderful in fact.

So modern baggage for the word aside - let's talk about the word that Jesus uses that gets translated into "Repent." The Greek word that we see in Matthew 4:17 is

Metanoeite (Μετανοεῖτε)

From the root words

"meta" and "noia"

Meta meaning "change"

Meta - "change"

And Noia meaning "mind"

Noia - "mind"

Repent… as Jesus preached… literally meant "Change your mind." Not "feel terrible about yourself. Not "punish yourself." Not "grovel harder for recognition or forgiveness." Repent means "Change your mind." Or…

"Think Differently." "Think Different."

And maybe a few of you thought - "That sounds kind of familiar…"

Yeah - in 1997, Apple computers began using "Think Different." Today that slogan is often referred to as one of the five most successful and impactful campaigns of all time. Why? Because in 1997 when Apple launched "Think Different" it is reported that they were 90 days away from bankruptcy with declining sales and a fragmented product line." But the "Think Different" slogan and campaign re-branded Apple from a failing computer maker into a brand with a purpose and an identity. Instead of focusing on the very banal nuts and bolts and chips and specs of their systems - the slogan tied Apple to a philosophy and a lifestyle - celebrating "misfits" and "rebels" like Einstein, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. and aligning their mission with creative, visionary thinking. Not only did this pave the way for the success of their new products as part of a 'lifestyle brand, ' returning the company to profitability within a year - it re-established Apple's identity, boosted employee morale and fostered an environment and culture that encouraged and rewarded creativity and boldness.

So I guess in a way you could say "the company that now has more money than God, ripped off the Son of God and the resulting change in philosophy and identity kicked off and established one of the most successful runs that a company has had in the history of ever and it is still going strong today.

So I guess… "Repent," as they say, "has legs." Especially when we understand it to mean "think different."

#33 - REPENT (THINK DIFFERENT)

See, we may have negative connotations based on what the word "Repent" has been connected to or how it has been used in our society, but Matthew didn't see it that way. There's a reason why Matthew makes a point of connecting Jesus' geographical movement and His ministry movement by seeing it as the fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 8-9 -

This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: "In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined." From then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."Matthew 4:14-17

The people have seen a great light! A light has shined! That's not a negative - that's a positive! By the way - a couple of things to note here that I think are really neat - first - Jesus' ministry begins in the region of Galilee…now Galilee - it had a reputation - Galilee was a place that would have been considered… "marginalized." In the Old Testament it was referred to by Jewish people as "Galilee of the Gentiles." A quick reminder, Jews and Gentiles didn't mix together all that well. There was tension and separation driven by wildly different social and religious and purity laws and practices. Now although by the time of Jesus ministry, Galilee would be majority Jewish ethnically, Galilee still had a history of Assyrian, Phoenician and Greco-Roman influence along with their pagan practices and traditions. While the villages throughout the region were mostly comprised of of a primarily Jewish population, Galilee was still in the middle of many trade routes and the towns and commercial centers were home to many Gentiles - Greeks, Syrians, Romans and more. There was what was referred to as "a dividing wall of hostility" between Jews and Gentiles - a "wall of separation" not the least of the fact because the Jewish people had been occupied and ruled by Gentile overlords in the form of the Roman government. But Jews also often avoided social contact with Gentiles as a way of life so as not to become 'ritually impure.' So Galilee had a reputation amongst the Jewish people - there was a little bit of an "ewww" vibe that some Jews had when it came to this melting pot of Judaism and Paganism. Perhaps you remember what the disciple Nathanel/Bartholomew said in John 1:46

Nazareth!" Exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?John 1:46

Nazareth, the boyhood home of Jesus, being located in the Lower Galilee region about 15 miles southwest of the Sea of Galilee.

Okay - why am I tell you all this - couple reasons - first…

GOD CARES ABOUT THE MARGINALIZED

JESUS LOVES THE MARGINALIZED

So much so that Jesus would continue to be identified with the marginalized for the rest of His human life and beyond simply because of where He lived and grew up and came from and came out of.

Secondly - where does Jesus begin His ministry? In a marginalized area that people mocked and even avoided. A place where the people are divided by belief and way of life. And Matthew says these marginalized people were the first to see a great light. In the land where death casts its shadow - they were the first to see the great light. In a divided land - with divided hearts and divided practices and beliefs, it would be Jesus and His Kingdom that brought them together and it would work! Later in Ephesians chapter 2, the apostle Paul would state

For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups.Ephesians 2:14-15

Theologically speaking, from an atonement point of view, Jesus may have broken down the wall of hostility permanently upon His death on the cross and resurrection. That wall ended with His sacrifice, but it started being broken down brick by brick and continues to be broken down even today intellectually and spiritually until we comprehend it in our own individual lives because of what Jesus started His ministry with. The first of the Fifty Things that He told His followers to do -

"Think Different. Because the Kingdom of Heaven is here."

In other words - in Matthew chapter 4 we are given this image of the start of Jesus' ministry - Jesus walks into a world shaped by broken thinking, ruled by oppressive systems, filled with fear and confusion and Jesus' first move is to say, in essence,

"Let's fix how you think"

Because if you fix how you think… you'll automatically fix how you live.

"Think different."

RECONSIDER EVERYTHING

RE-THINK YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

RE-ALIGN YOUR THINKING WITH JESUS

REPENT (THINK DIFFERENT)

And when you do that - it's like a light bulb goes off over your head… you've had a breakthrough. You understand something you didn't understand before.

"The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light."

"Think different…"

Which, of course begs the question -

"What were they thinking before?"

Jesus didn't say that out of nowhere. He didn't say that in a vacuum. People already had THEIR way of thinking… about things like

"Who God is"

And you can see some of those ideas within the culture at the time. You can see it in some of the writings of the Old Testament that were still heavily influencing the Jewish culture at the time of Jesus' ministry. And isn't it interesting, that an iron age barbaric, ancient, warring, tribal society, writing about bronze age ancestors who reflected those tendencies even more-so would write about and think about God as a punitive, sometimes petty, severe, conquering God who favored one tribe over another? Now that's not to say that every verse of scripture of author of scripture did that - scripture is not univocal, not in the least - but these people's ideas of God, a lot of their ideas didn't line up with what Jesus taught about His Father. Jesus said

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!John 14:9

Jesus life and ministry had a lot of people reconsidering what they knew and thought they understood about God, rethinking their assumptions about God, and ultimately, if they reprinted - if they thought different - realigning their thinking about God with what Jesus taught and demonstrated.

Here's why this is still so important thousands of years later. A lot of us - we're not so different than the captives Jesus came to set free at the start of His ministry. A lot of our ideas about God - how we think about God. Who we imagine He is. Who He likes, who He doesn't - what's allowable behavior and ordained by God versus what is unacceptable behavior and condemned by God - I think we gotta ask ourselves - do these ideas and images of God align with what Jesus taught and lived? Or are our ideas of God being influenced by empire? Are our images of who God is and who He loves and doesn't - do they line up with what Jesus says, or are they a conglomeration, an amalgamation of what religious and political and corporate power have told us God is like? And isn't it funny how "God" so often seems to side with those in power and with those with economic means?

"What were they thinking before?"

"Who they are"

What was their identity? You can see how Jesus reframes and reshapes peoples ideas about their own worth and identity and who they are in relation to God. And some of it you see even in the phrases and descriptors - in the Old Testament - you see a lot more "servants of God." Israel's identity within the Old Covenant was agreed upon servants of God. That was a primary identity. But then you have Jesus coming in and reminding people that they are children of God. Joint heirs with the King. Beloved sons and daughters - even this Jesus telling His closest followers -

I do not call you servants any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you [my] friends, because I have revealed to you everything that I have heard from my Father.John 15:15

We need to hear that today. We need to be reminded of that today. If we think we don't matter to God. If we think we have been forgotten by God. We need to be reminded that we are friends of Jesus and sons and daughters of the King who deeply matter to our Heavenly Father. We are more than servants. We are family.

"What were they thinking before?"

"Who belongs"

Before Jesus changed their way of thinking, so much of the Jewish religious identity and religious identity is tied to their NATIONAL identity. They matter and they are safe and they have God's favor because they are 'descendants of Abraham.' In other words they just thought they were automatically God's people because of their lineage and their affiliations. But Jesus would challenge that assumption directly - you wanna hear a snap that John the Baptist, who was preparing a way for Jesus - getting the people ready for what Jesus would preach - you wanna hear something he said that just makes you go "wheeeeew." Shots fired, John! Shots fired! - comes from Matthew 3:9

Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.Matthew 3:9

And that's perfectly in line with what Jesus would preach. Jesus shifted belonging from who you ancestors were and what tradition you were raised in to - "How you respond to God and people determines your identity in Christ and in God's Kingdom." Loving God and Loving People are what shows you belong. Not tradition.

You think some of us need to re-think our assumptions when it comes to identity in 2026? Re-align with what Jesus says? Do we think we're okay and that God signs off on everything cause of the old myth that "America is a Christian nation?" If America was truly a Christian nation acting like Christ it would look a lot different. It would act a lot different. Do you think you're good - you belong, you and Jesus are like this because you were raised baptist… catholic… orthodox… you know speaking of national identity - that was something else that Jesus had people re-thinking… Israel was waiting for a Messiah to restore them politically - to restore their nation - that was part of the national identity - that they were a nation that was expecting and waiting to rule…. That was the Kingdom they were looking forward to. An earthly Kingdom. But Jesus told them that His Kingdom was not of this world. That the Kingdom was already there. And that to belong to that Kingdom you had to be a transformed people living differently NOW.

Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven has comeMatthew 4:17

"What were they thinking before?"

"Who's invited?"

In Jesus' day - many people were permanently labeled in Jewish society and especially among the religious elite - the Pharisees, as "sinners." People who were permanent outsiders. People who did not fit in. People who the religious defined by their actions or failures or even diseases and disorders as they were often seen as God's wrath or judgment upon them or their family members. There were the insiders and the outsiders. The saved… and the sinners…

But once again, Jesus would cause a lot of people to re-think their assumptions when it came to who's in and who's in and who's out and it would start with who's invited -

Jesus would interact with and recognize and show love to 'sinners.' Jesus would eat with 'sinners.' Jesus would include 'sinners' in His inner circle. All of which was scandalous to the holier than thou religious people of those days - and Jesus called 'sinners' to Himself.

Which is funny - because while the religious had separated themselves into 'sainthood' away from the 'sinners' - the apostle Paul tells us the truth of the matter when he writes -

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.Romans 3:23

We're all sinners - we're all on the same level playing field. Whether we think we are or not. Whether we think we're better than someone else for whatever reason or not. Whether we think their sins are worse than our sins. Doesn't matter. We're ALL sinners. But here's some great news. The apostle Paul also writes that -

Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins.Romans 3:24

Who's invited? Everyone. But Jesus says something very interesting about this in Luke 5:32 - He says, in response to the Pharisees throwing a fit about who Jesus was hanging out with - 'sinners' - Jesus says

I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.Luke 5:32

Who was called? Those who were willing to re-think everything and re-align their hearts and minds with Christ. If you thought you were righteous - you were good - there was nothing to reconsider, to rethink… if you can't teach an old religious dog new tricks, which you can, but some old dogs decide they don't want to learn anything different from what they're sure they know… if you think you know all there is to know about God and how he thinks and how he sees people and who's in and who's out - well then - there's really no point. You're not gonna follow Jesus because you're not gonna allow yourself to do the first thing He called His followers to do -

REPENT (THINK DIFFERENT)

Thank you for letting me share with you today. With your permission, I'd like to talk a little bit more about repentance next week. This week I wanted to concentrate on this idea of 'thinking differently' - meta noia and the framing of what Jesus was preaching. Next week, I'd like to talk about the practical side of what repentance is and is not and how we can live out that repentance in meaningful ways in our lives. Is that okay? Great. See you then. Looking forward to it. Until next time, to paraphrase Paul with a little bit of a twist - "May we leave this place with our minds renewed, no longer conformed to the patterns around us, but transformed by the way Jesus teaches us to think different." God bless you! Have a great week!