This world is broken. It is full of darkness. However, when Jesus came into the world, he defeated the darkness. The problem is that it doesn't appear that the darkness is defeated. That's where His followers come in. He uses His people to push back the darkness in this world.

John the Baptist came to bear witness to the Light that came into the world (Jesus). His witness teaches us how to be effective witnesses for him in our lives today.

Jesus didn't give the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church to make believers feel good or to make much of ourselves. The power of the Holy Spirit is a gift that has been given to empower followers of Jesus to make a difference in the world around us.

In a somewhat surprising change of subject, the Apostle John suddenly introduces John the Baptist. In so doing, he gives us a glimpse into Jesus' plan for His followers: He's going to push back the darkness to reveal His grace.