Not Quite

"The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ." - Luke 3:16

The other night I started watching a show about ghosts (hang on, I'll get to my point here in a minute!). The show explored the ideas of why people think they've encountered them, the psychology behind it (and the supernatural in general), and near the end it made a very interesting point. Many people want to believe, because it helps support the idea that, once you die, there's something else. Somewhere else to go (well, except for those poor souls condemned to roam the earth, spinning chairs and making noises).

While most of it seemed pretty far-fetched to me, I couldn't help thinking about that last point - that we're constantly searching for proof that something's next. Proof that there is a God, there is a Heaven, and there is a reward for us once we've passed on. 

The people of John and Jesus's time were quite similar to us, in the sense that they needed something - some physical proof - that the Messiah has come. They knew deep within that something was about to happen, they just didn't know who or when. So when John comes along, it's only natural that they start focusing in on him as the Messiah. He even starts to gather a following of his own disciples - but he spends time reminding everyone that, despite their longing for a savior, he's just not that guy. 

Thankfully though, John does know who it is. He's known who it is even before his birth.