John the Baptist preached a message of "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." John's words are harsh, and they're in line with the words of the Old Testament prophets, who also preached words of God's judgment. But the prophetic proclamation of judgment goes hand in hand with the offer of grace, and that's true for John the Baptist's preaching. It's important for us today also to be reminded of God's judgment and God's grace.
