Evening - Mark 1:4

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4 - NKJV

In the previous verses we find out about the 'one calling in the desert, preparing the way for the Lord.'  That man was John the Baptist (And so John came).  John came to baptize people in the far regions (baptizing in the desert region) where the poor and outcast would live.  This wasn't Levis Commons (of Perrysburg) the desert was the inner city or the east side of Toledo or small dying town with no jobs in country.

The act of baptism means to be emersion in water. At this point in Mark and Peter's narrative baptism significance was meant only as a washing of sins from one's self.  It was a physical and religious act that had to be done over and over again.  With this baptism there was no way to ever be anything but filthy in your own sins.

But John preached the full meaning of Christian baptism.  The baptism wasn't just a physical acts to makes you momentarily feel cleaner.  It is an act of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  Later verses John gets into to what repentance truly is.

The word 'repentance' isn't saying your sorry for what you did.  Thats just just saying words.  Repentance is a permanent change of your actions, mind and heart.  It not a perfect change, not human can do anything perfectly.   Its a conscience choice that you make every morning you get up and every evening when you go to bed.  A new years resolution is not repentance is a single day's choice.  The change from bad habit you stick with as best as you can, and trying to be better every day is the repentance.