Was John the Baptist trying to inspire political revolt?

Father Maletta Responds: I see no political movement, I see John as a man in the Judaic Prophetic tradition. No evidence that he condemns Rome or their occupation - rather he condemns immoral behavior. His whole point is inner conversion not political revolt. We tend to limit our appreciation by imposing contemporary concepts and associations on a historical person who would not even begin to comprehend the analysis we would place on him in today's terms. John had a role in God’s plan, John the Evangelist makes that role clear. John the Baptist not only understands this but his world view is formed by it.

Likewise, Jesus wasn’t playing some political game. He was fulfilling the will of the Father. John the Baptist baptizes Jesus – only because Jesus insists that they follow the will of the Father. Then John directs his own apostles to follow Jesus. Other than that there is no organized communication between them, no conspiracy against the Roman or Jewish governments. Jesus mourns John’s death, but if he will not stop his own execution - why would he stop John’s? Explicit throughout the Christian Scriptures is the proclamation that this life is transitory that eternity is our true home. One cannot read the scriptures as a Christian without that reality as the foundational perspective.