John the Baptist obviously raised a lot of questions among those who heard him preaching and saw him baptise people in the River Jordan. The religious authorities in particular wanted to know with what authority he spoke. And there were also questions as to whether he really might be the sign of a coming Messiah. That is why they asked if he was Elijah, whose return was expected to precede the Messiah's appearance. And, in fact, although he was none of the people suggested by his inquirers, he was indeed preparing the way for the coming of Jesus as Messiah. All through he turns attention away from himself to the One who is coming. John only baptises with water but there is one coming the strap of whose sandals John is not worthy to unfasten. The role of John is very much like ours. Our duty as followers of Christ is to help other people to find him, to know him, to love him and serve him. We don't just seek Jesus for ourselves: we have an obligation to make his Message and his Way known to others by the way we speak and act.