None Greater But One

And Jesus questioned them

What went ye out to see?

A prophet? More than a prophet

More than a prophet he be.

He was a wild man

So the religious clergy thought

And when in his company

They felt distraught.

But he was a great man

The greatest born of a woman,

To this testified Jesus

He was fitted for the Master’s plan.

He was God’s messenger

To announce the Christ,

His identification of the Messiah

Was what then sufficed.

“Behold the Lamb of God

That takes away the sins of the world,”

He was a strict adherent

To the Father’s Word.

He stood for truth

Even at the risk of his head

And Herod did not rest

Until he saw him dead.

Herod was a rogue

No two ways about that,

He took his brother’s wife

And that is a fact.

John pointed him out

For the rogue that he be;

The Baptist’s head on a platter

Was for Herod his fee.

Sometime before that

In prison he was placed

And O how he longed

To see Jesus’ face.

  

Being a little uncomfortable

In his troubled mind

He sent two of his disciples

To see what they could find.

His message to Jesus

Was straightforward and clear,

He wanted the Master

To dispel his fear.

“Are you the one? He asked,

“Or should I look for another?”

From the reply that came back

There was no need to bother.

“Go and tell John

Of the things you see and hear.”

Jesus sent this word back

So John wouldn’t have to fear.

“The blind see, the lame walk

The Gospel is preached to the poor,

The lepers are cleansed, the dead raised,”

And there was even more.

He must increase but I must decrease

John said this would be so

Hence Jesus’ appearing on the scene

Meant John would have to go.

In a moment of doubt

John may have forgotten

And so to him

This message was given.

Yes, John was great

But a greater than John had come,

In the flesh was the King of kings

Who came from the eternal kingdom.

John came neither eating nor drinking

But a devil he was called by some,

Jesus came both eating and drinking

And they called him winebibber and glutton.

There’s none greater than the Son

Who came down from above,

His ultimate sacrifice was the cross

On which he demonstrated his love.

Today we have a privilege

Which John the Baptist never had,

He announced the coming kingdom

But as its citizens we should be glad.

Thanks to a greater than John

And a greater than Solomon,

Jesus our redeeming Saviour

Is that eternal one.

Is he your Saviour and Lord?

Are you a child of his kingdom?

If not he is offering you a place

And says to you to come.

Stewart Russell © February 2018