John was adamant: belief in Jesus and God the Father were inseparable. To deny the Son was to deny the Father. He was strong in his language - the antichrist consists of those who deny the Son. Leaving his harsh language aside, he does give us some sound advice. He insists that our faith must dwell or abide within us. Christ is someone we experience directly, and one whom we must allow into our innermost heart. If we abide in Christ, he will abide in us, and his promises to us will be fulfilled.

John the Baptist received quite an interrogation. The delegation questioned his identity with a long list of possibilities: Messiah, Elijah, or the one of the prophets. He denied all these titles. His only answer to their insistent and unending questions was that he was the voice crying in the wilderness, the one preparing the way for the greater One to come. They wanted to pin labels on him - that is one way of controlling someone or not taking them seriously. John, and later Jesus, avoided labels and titles, for they often cloud understanding. It would be helpful if we would avoid labelling others or ourselves. In fact, we should be careful with the labels we apply to Jesus and to God the Father. If we think we have them all figured out, we could miss the many ways in which they come to us in disguise or in new ways. We can talk about what he does: he saves, shows mercy, heals, gives hope and courage, and comforts the afflicted and brokenhearted.