How is it that Jesus is mightier than John the Baptist?

The people in the Gospel today think that John the Baptist is the Christ because he was convincing even tax collectors and soldiers to act justly and not to collect more than prescribed or extort anyone. However, John the Baptist tells us that someone even greater is coming - Jesus. It will be Jesus who is the Christ. How is it that Jesus is mightier than John the Baptist?
              John the Baptist tells us that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. What does that mean? What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire?
John the Baptist is helping sinners to repent and do the right thing. However, Jesus is actually going to remove the sin all together with the Holy Spirit. Instead of an evil spirit that rules us that make us want to do what we know is wrong, Jesus will remove that evil spirit and put the Holy Spirit within us so that we want to do what is right. He will soften our hearts that have been hardened by sin. Jesus will change us from the inside out. We will not merely follow the commandments of God out of fear of judgment. We will follow them out of love.
This complete transformation, this complete purification, is like comparing water to fire when cleaning a metal object. Water can wash away the surface dirt, but to remove the impurities within the metal, fire is needed. This is what filled the people with expectation. That the messiah, the Christ, would not merely wash the surface of the world as in the days of Noah, but that Jesus would purify the world from within the hearts of men and women through the Holy Spirit.

God bless,
Fr. Scott