What comes to mind when you hear the word repentance? Do you imagine humiliation, shame, and being hard on yourself?

Here are three things about repentance that people often find surprising:

1. Repentance brings joy, not regret
If repentance is being hard on yourself, why would Jesus say that there is joy in heaven whenever a sinner repents (Lk. 15:7)? Repentance is something to celebrate! That’s why Levi’s first act is to hold a feast.

Repentance is not a miserable journey of self-loathing and regret. Repentance brings joy in heaven, and if there is joy over repentance in heaven, there will be joy in repentance for you.

2. Repentance happens, not before, but as you follow Jesus
Some people have the idea that you have to clean up your life, get your act together, and get rid of your baggage before you can follow Jesus. That would be a barrier that none of us could ever get over. Repentance happens in the company of Jesus. The message is not “Repent so that you can follow Jesus.” It is “Follow Jesus and you will be able to repent.”

3. Repentance is not a one-time thing, it actually deepens over time
Here is a helpful definition of repentance from J. I. Packer: “Repentance is turning from as much as you know of your sin, to give as much as you know of yourself, to as much as you know of your God.”

Packer’s definition helps us to see that as you see more of yourself, more of your own sin, and more of God, your repentance will deepen. As your repentance deepens, you will become more like Jesus. And, as you become more like Jesus, your joy will increase.

What would keep you from beginning, or travelling further along the path of repentance today?

This was an irreversible decision. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had a trade to return to, but the Romans would not have welcomed back a man who left his tax booth.

Jesus called Levi to a completely different life—not to add believing in Jesus to his old way of life, but to leave his old life for something new. When you follow Jesus, here’s what you will have:

A new identity
This man was known as a tax collector. Now he would be known as a disciple. People would remember what he had been, but it would no longer define him.

A new community
When Levi held a party in Jesus’ honour, he had a long invitation list. But he became part of a new community. The other disciples would never have had anything to do with Levi before, but they became his brothers.

A new mission
Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. That became Levi’s mission too. Jesus came to do the will of the Father. Levi’s new mission was the same.

A new name
Levi is better known by another name—Matthew—and most likely it was Jesus who gave it to him. Matthew means “Gift of God.”

This brings us to something wonderful: Levi was used by God to compile the Gospel of Matthew. Who better to keep records of all that Jesus did?

Levi could never have known what Jesus would do with his life, and the only way to discover what Jesus can do with your life is to step out in faith and follow Him. Are you ready to become more than you are right now?

Which of these do you most long for: a new identity, a new community, a new mission, or a new name?

Notice that this command of Jesus is completely open-ended. “Follow me.” What will this mean for Levi? Jesus gives no specifics.

When students are looking around universities, the admissions department will say, “Here’s our course. And here are all the marvellous facilities we have on campus. And here’s what we can offer by way of bursary or future career options.”

If you are being recruited for a job, human resources will say, “Here is the mission of our company, and here is where you can contribute. And here are the salary and benefits. There is a great future for you here.”

But there’s nothing like that here. Just two open-ended words: “Follow me.” To follow Jesus is to share His life. It involves going where Jesus goes, doing what Jesus does, believing what Jesus says, suffering what Jesus suffers, and finding joy in who Jesus is.

It’s easy to see what following Jesus meant for the disciples during His ministry on earth. But the gospels make clear that following Jesus is to be the pattern of our lives now that Jesus has ascended into heaven.

The last words of Jesus that John records are His words to Peter, “Follow me!” (Jn. 21:22). The call of Jesus to us is the same as His call to these first disciples: “Follow me.”

How will you respond to Jesus? Are you willing to go where Jesus goes, do what Jesus does, believe what Jesus says, suffer what Jesus suffers, and find joy in who Jesus is?