John the Baptist understood his calling and identity in the kingdom of God better than he understood what the coming Messiah was going to be like. He fulfilled his calling, being a witness to the light of Christ, by pointing others to Jesus. We are also called to be witnesses, and we have one advantage over John the Baptist, and that is we have a better understanding of what the Messiah is like. He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who perfectly reveals the character and light of the Father.