The ministry of John the Baptist remains very relevant for our day and age. The forerunner had to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. He had much work to do, since the people had wandered far from the ways of the Lord. But this austere prophet with the hairy mantle and his uncompromising message indeed prepared his generation for the coming One whose sandals he was unworthy to loosen.Today the church, with its prophetic voice, must prepare the world for the coming of the great and awesome Day of the Lord. This will indeed be a day when the axe is laid to the roots of the trees. It will be a day of judgment of cosmic proportions. Jesus wants the world prepared. It is the church's task to do so.Thus the study of the ministry of John the Baptist can have many benefits. One is that it prepares ourselves for Christ's Day, and that it helps us prepare others for that final day of reckoning. At the same time this prophetic voice caused the people to return to the teachings of the covenant, to the messages of the law and the prophets. In doing so this ministry reforms the life of the church and brings true reformation in all areas of life. Reverend W Huizinga (b. 25 January 1946) is minister-emeritus of the Free Reformed Church of Armadale, Western Australia. He previously served as minister of the Word in London and Watford Canada (1971-1976), Hamilton, Canada (1976-1986), and Armadale, Western Australia (1986-2011).He is also the author of the pre-profession of faith course The Way.
