Reading the Word of God, we find an interesting character in John the Baptist.  This man who would preach about one that comes after him.  Luke 3:16 tells of his response of those asking who he is. 

• Luke 3:16 ¹⁶ John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

What we really see here when we look a bit further is the people that were interested in the Christ.  The Bible says they came with expectation.  Expectation of the Messiah.  It was and has been 400 years since there were anything received from God.  400 years that encompassed The Persian Era, the Greek Era, the Egyptian Era, the Syrian Era, the Maccabean Era and the Roman Era.  400 years since Malachi closed its chapter. 

Malachi gave the world something to look forward to. 

• Malachi 3:1-3 3 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
• ² But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:  ³ And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

John the Baptist fulfilled the prophesy outlined in Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2 and Luke 2:27.  We can also see this in Malachi 4:5-6.  When we read through the scripture in Malachi 3:2-3 we can see how John the Baptist is associated with fire as he preached of unfruitful trees being cast into the fire.  He also made further reference to being baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire – Matthew 3:10 and Luke 3:16.

It is 400 years where there was silence from the heavens.  400 years of waiting on God to speak to His people.  No message or messenger.  No supernatural acts.  No crumbling walls.  No manna from heaven. 

There were no divine displays of power – There were no miraculous manifestations – there were no supernatural interventions - So, when John comes and preaches about the one that is mightier than him that is coming, it sparks a higher level of expectation of the people.  John says He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.

Those people in history were ill-informed.  They knew not what Jesus could do for them, not like we know what He can do for us today.  We have marriages that looked shattered but have been pieced back together.  We have illness that has been healed.  We have peace, we have comfort, we have mercy, we have grace, we have forgiveness and we have salvation.

We ought to stand to our feet and praise Him and worship Him and have great anticipation and have great expectation of what He is going to do for us.

Perhaps Today, Lord.  Perhaps today.  I’m gonna be on the edge of my seat. 

• A Naismith tells of one Dr. Horatious Bonar.  As he drew the curtains at night and retired to rest, he used to repeat to himself the words, as in prayer and with certain expectancy, “Perhaps tonight, LORD!”  In the morning, as he awoke and looked out on the dawn of a new day he would say, looking up to the sky, “Perhaps today, LORD!”  He expected the LORD to return at any moment.  He lived a life of expectancy.