15 Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.16 John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. (Luke 3:15–16a) After inquiring how they might prepare themselves for coming judgment, now, they ask whether John is the Messiah. Green [180] notes: “Recognizing in John’s mission the first hints of eschatological consolation (Isaiah 40; cf. Luke 3:4–6), they wonder if he is God’s agent of salvation. For them, the meaning of “Messiah” is manifestly fluid at this point; hope is present but ill defined. They do not know if John and the anticipated messianic figure fit the same profile, and this allows John to begin the process of outlining what to expect of the Messiah. At the same time, he is able to identify his own relationship to the coming one. According to the narrator, John’s answer is to all the people; everyone receives the invitation to accept his baptism and receive the baptism ‘with the Holy Spirit and fire.’” Continue reading →