Somewhat in contrast to John the Baptist, who preached a stern call to repentance almost as an end in itself, Jesus’ call to repentance and conversion spotlighted a further dimension. One was to turn around in order to face a new, much more hopeful direction. One was to hear the word of judgment on one’s sins, since that was the preliminary to hearing the glad tidings of salvation, of the Kingdom come. The Kingdom, as we have indicated, was Jesus’ central preoccupation, and as the angels are imagined to have sung joyously at Jesus’ birth, so “joy to the world” is a good epitome of Jesus’ message. The world was to hear the surpassingly joyous news that God’s reign was breaking forth, that all humanity’s longings were on the verge of fulfillment. Moreover, those who then suffered from the world’s injustices could count themselves especially blessed: The kingdom of God was theirs in a particular way.

–John Carmody, The Heart of the Christian Matter