John the Baptist came as one to prepare the people’s hearts, not only for the coming of Christ, but as it mentions in the passage, ultimately for the coming of the kingdom of heaven. But we notice that in order to prepare the people, he warns them to repent.
As Christians today looking forward to the second coming of our Christ, we must ask if our hearts are prepared for that day, for the coming of the kingdom of heaven. The first step to prepare for that hopeful day is a humble heart of repentance. However, this step is not just a one time occurrence, but something we must put into practice daily.