John the writer of the Gospel therefore knew first hand how very different Jesus' lifestyle was from the severely ascetic habits of his previous teacher. The first two verses of chapter 4 will be the last look back at John the Baptist, and this Gospel will not even mention John's arrest and beheading as recorded in the other three Gospels. A modern equivalent would be people both attending a local church and going to join in gatherings for worship and teaching in other places. Now their own numbers are decreasing and people are flocking to be baptized and taught by Jesus. In the Old Testament wrath never means eternal damnation.
Wrath is always bad consequences here on earth for the wrong behavior of nations and individuals.
As in the case of loving parents, anger is not directed at the child, but at behavior that damages the child's ultimate freedom and joy. Similarly the Messiah's wrath is designed to help humans into the love of God. And as long as we reject the Messiah's purpose for us, his bad consequences will keep dogging our footsteps. Alcoholics and those ruled by other addictions, the sexually promiscuous, the gamblers and covetous, the unkind and the malicious, those who worry, cannot forgive, and fail to pray, are not not all eternally lost but they certainly suffer terrible wrath consequences. It is not that God's wrath sends us there, but in spite of all the Messiah's loving wrath interventions we choose final death away from the love of God.