The preaching of John the Baptist and the "remission of sins"

Herman Ridderbos explains what the baptism of John meant for the people of Israel as he prepared the way for the Lord:

The preaching of John the Baptist announcing the kingdom of heaven, is concentrated on the remission of sins. His call of the people unto repentance resulted in the people coming to him "confessing their sins" (Matt. 3:6). His baptism itself is indicated as "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). This "remission of sins" does not mean an assertion by John to those who had themselves been baptized by him that their sins had been forgiven. Nor did it denote some washing away of sins realized by John's baptism, but, as appears from the whole context of John's preaching, their acquittal in the judgment to come: "their escape from the wrath to come" (Matt. 3:7; Luke 3:7). John exhorts them to repent, to turn away from, to do away with sins, so that those who obey may forthwith hear the definitively exonerating sentence of acquittal out of the mouth of the coming One who is mightier than John. The remission of sins, consequently, is here the "salvation of the Lord" that would be seen at the Lord's coming (Luke 3:6).(1)

(1) Ridderbos, The Coming of the Kingdom, pg. 212.