Then Jesus Came

As a teenager, on several occasions I went to Wembley and heard Billy Graham preach. He was always joined by George Beverley Shea who sung a solo. I was learning to play the piano. I bought the music book ‘George Beverley Shea sings his Favourites’. One song I remember hearing, singing and playing was ‘Then Jesus Came’.

One sat alone beside the highway begging,
  His eyes were blind, the light he could not see;
He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows,
  Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee.

When Jesus comes the tempter’s pow’r is broken;
  When Jesus comes the tears are wiped away.
He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,
    For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

I was attracted to the song because it told a story. I could picture it. The blind man is sitting beside the road, begging, dressed in rags. ‘Then Jesus came.’ Jesus heals him; he’s healed. His life is changed.

There were five verses in the original song; George Beverley Shea didn’t always sing them all…

From home and friends the evil spirits drove him,
  Among the tombs he dwelt in misery;
He cut himself as demon pow’rs possessed him,
  Then Jesus came and set the captive free.

“Unclean! unclean!” the leper cried in torment,
  The deaf, the dumb, in helplessness stood near;
The fever raged, disease had gripped its victim,
  Then Jesus came and cast out every fear.

Their hearts were sad as in the tomb they laid him,
  For death had come and taken him away;
Their night was dark and bitter tears were falling,
  Then Jesus came and night was turned to day.

Each verse painted a picture; each told a story. After blind Bartimaeus there was Legion whole lived in the graveyard, then the nameless ‘unclean’ leper, then Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who had died. Each was excluded from ordinary life; each had a huge problem that they couldn’t solve on their own. Then Jesus came and everything changed. After each narrative verse came the chorus – ‘When Jesus comes… for all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.’ From the particular story for the general principle. Jesus comes to people and changes them.

So men today have found the Saviour able,
  They could not conquer passion, lust and sin;
Their broken hearts had left them sad and lonely,
  Then Jesus came and dwelt, Himself, within.

The final verse applies the Jesus of the Bible to the Jesus of today. Jesus can still change lives. In humanly impossible situations, Jesus can heal illnesses, free captives, take away fear and bring new life.

I heard George Beverley Shea sing this song 60 years ago. He seemed an old man then; it wasn’t the sort of music I usually listened to. However the power of the words resonated then. They still do today. I know people whose story includes the line ‘then Jesus came…’