Luke 7:28 says, in part,

I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John…

Pretty impressive words from the Word Himself. Among those born of women

• meaning among men, or among humans - John is the best example. But what was it that made John such a great man? What was it about him that Jesus held up so highly? I can tell you what it wasn’t - a man clothed in finery and living in luxury (Luke 7:24) or a “reed shaken by the wind” (Luke 7:25). No, John was the fulfillment of the role of the prophet. His message was simple: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). Guess what Jesus’ message was? “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17).

So, if I really want to be a man, what’s the takeaway? Should I don a camel hair cloak and eat wild honey? (Well, I do enjoy wild honey, but that’s not the point.) I should preach the Gospel, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” It doesn’t matter how many pull-ups I can do, how well you’ve trained for defensive situations, or how good your hair looks on the soccer pitch (can you tell I’ve been stuck in Europe during the European Championships?). Let the rest of my life worry about itself (Matthew 6:25), and tell all those around me that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. One last thing John said that I should try to emulate (John 3:30)….

He must increase, but I must decrease.