The Life of a Lonely Prophet

John the Baptist was a lonely prophet crying out in the wilderness. Literally, he was in the wilderness, unmarried, sleeping on rocks, eating locusts and honey. Figuratively, he was surrounded by a wilderness of dead religous Pharisees. He came preaching repentance. To preach repentance means to preach about sin. To preach about sin requires the preaching of the Law, for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin. John didn't preach in vague generalities. He got specific in his preaching against sin and talked about the specific sins people in front of him were committing. Eventually, it landed him in jail. Apart from repentance there is no forgiveness of sins. We cannot think we are saved unless we have repented from sin and are still repenting from sin.