John 1:19-28

John 1:19-28
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What would it take for you to believe that Jesus had come back to earth?  Plenty of people have claimed to be Jesus in the past two thousand years.  Wikipedia breaks it out by century.  The New Zealand Herald also has a helpful list if you're curious. 
  John didn't claim to be Jesus.  But he did claim that Jesus was coming soon.  His job, in summary, was to point to Jesus, to prepare the people for the coming of Jesus. 
  His job isn't so different than yours. 
  We don't know exactly when Jesus is returning, but we know that He will return.  We don't know how others will react, but that's not our responsibility -- we are called to preach what we know to be true, to live with faithfulness according to the calling, to have integrity between what we believe and how we live. 
  There are plenty of false signals, of people claiming to be who they are not.  We know that Jesus came with signs and wonders -- he performed miracles, and ultimately, he not only predicted his death but also his resurrection.  When someone else does that, I'll take their claims seriously.  Until then, I'll try and imitate John, focusing on what I can say or do that points to Jesus Christ, Lord of all.