John, the cousin of Jesus, baptized Jews in the Jordan River for the forgiveness of sins. He pointed to sin to prepare people for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist might also be called, John the Pointer.

In the gospel of Mark, we read that the ministry of John points to the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. John prepared the way for the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-2) by pointing. John pointed away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not an exaggeration to say that John the Baptist might best be called "John the Pointer." He pointed out the sins of the people and forgiveness of those sins through Jesus Christ. John's preaching included pointing out the specific sins of King Herod.

In Mark 6:14-29 we hear about John the Baptist being sent to prison for hi…