What Made John the Baptist So Special?

Every so often someone comes along who stands out from the crowd, someone who distinguishes themselves from their peers by their manner, their motivation and their mission.  They don’t seem to fit into any comfortable category, for theirs is a mission that has world-changing implications and such missions are not common and least of all comfortable.  With such a description we would typically and rightfully envision Jesus as its object, but today we will focus on another.  Today we focus on John the Baptist, the man who prepared the people for Jesus, the man who stood alone as a powerful voice that pointed to the Redeemer of all men.  John the Baptist uniquely epitomized greatness – where did he come from, what did he do and how did he do it?