Who are you? Where did you come from? Under whose authority are you operating? These are the fundamental questions posed to John the Baptist under interrogation from the pharisaic emissaries sent from Jerusalem to the wilderness of Bethbara beyond the Jordan with orders to determine who this eclectic man is with a growing cult following that refers to him simply as “The Baptist”. Messianic claims by narcissistic, power-hungry maniacs were nothing new in Judea. In fact, these movements were a dime-a-dozen phenomena with one group fizzling out and another emerging to take its place. However, there was something extraordinary about the movement surrounding this wild, wilderness man called John the Baptist that gave the Jerusalem religious leadership cause for concern. John did not fit the mold of the typical self-promoting, self-enriching, pseudo-messianic, larger than life, charismatic leader. He lived in the wilderness; yet people followed him. He sustained himself on wild oats & honey; yet people followed him. He preached holiness & righteousness; yet people followed him. He acknowledged that his baptisms were merely a sign pointing to the more powerful work of another; yet people followed him. He did not promise wealth & riches, only forgiveness; yet people followed him.