Jesus - Greater Than All!

Matthew 12:42: "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

Look at what Jesus had to say about Himself:

• Thinking of the world’s darkness, He said, "I am the Light of the world!"
• Thinking of humanity’s homeless:"I am the Door!"
• Thinking of our waywardness: "I am the Way!"
• Thinking of our need for protection: "I am the Good Shepherd!"
• Thinking of our fruitlessness that dishonors God: "I am the Vine!"
• Thinking of the world’s deadness in sin: "I am the resurrection and the life."
• Thinking of the greatness of Jonah preaching to Nineveh and seeing a whole nation come to repentance:
  "A greater than Jonah is here."
• Thinking of Solomon’s wisdom, glory, greatness: "A greater than Solomon is here."

Then, following many words of warning with the statement that focalized a life-time,
He said: "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it:
for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
And, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matthew 12:42)

The Bible is silent as to what they answered or did not answer Him.

• But I’m sure their lips answered Him with sneers; their noses with sniffs of scorn.
• I think their eyes answered Him with malicious leering; their fingers would clench into fists
  as though they would strike Him.
• I think their tongues answered Him by breeding venomous comment; their ears by purposeful deafness.
• I think their faces answered Him with scowls of resentment;
  their shoulders with shrugs of contempt, their hearts with cold iciness.
• I think their evil souls answered Him with hate; their feet by moving as though they would trample Him.

• Solomon is a king’s son and was born in a palace; you are a carpenter’s son, and you were born in a barn.
• Solomon came from great Jerusalem; you came from an obscure little village.
• Solomon had many servants; you had none.
• Solomon was on a throne for forty years; you were never once on a throne.
• Solomon wore kingly robes; you wear a peasant’s garb.
• Solomon drank from vessels of gold; you ask water of a Samaritan harlot.
• Solomon had much wealth; you have not a cent.
• Solomon had mighty armies; you rake the gutters for followers.
• Solomon built great cities; you make chairs and plowshares.
• Solomon hired many; you hire none.
• Solomon lived in a palace; you wander homeless.
• Solomon was thirteen years building his own house; you build nothing and own no home.
• Solomon had navies that sailed the seas; you do not even own a fishing boat.
• Solomon had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen and 40,000 stalls of horses,
  and rode in comfort and splendor; you walk.
• Solomon dined with kings and queens; you eat with publicans and sinners.

Human language can never describe the glory and the greatness of Jesus.
"Behold, a greater than Solomon is here."

Jesus Was Greater In His Birth

Solomon was born in a chandelier illuminated palace in Jerusalem.
But Jesus, who had glory with God before the world was (John 17:5), was born among cattle
in a lantern lit stable in Bethlehem.

But this Jesus made little Bethlehem greater than Athens, civilization’s queen;
greater than Rome, the world’s capital;
greater then Jerusalem, the city of national memories and glorious with a thousand years of history.

For this Jesus, whom neither calendars nor clocks nor contemporary historians took note of,
has bent the date lines of all nations around His lowly cradle.
Today, as through all the days of all the years, the world over; the dates printed on newspapers;
the dates on checks written; the dates on coins; the dates on cornerstones;
on monuments - all testify to His birth.

• The Greeks tried to date time from their Olympiads.
• The Romans tried to date time for the founding of their imperial city.
• Justinian tried to date time from his tax levies.
• La Place tried to date time from the conjunction of certain planets.
• The French Revolutionists tried to date time from the year one of their revolution.

Jesus Was Greater In Wisdom

• Jesus knew the character of Nathaniel before He saw him.
• He penetrated the secret longings of Nicodemus.
• He knew the impure life of the Samaritan woman.
• He knew the hidden thoughts of His disciples.
• He knew the unspoken questions and the secret plottings of His enemies.
• He knew the perplexities of the rich Publican.
• He knew the troubles of widows.
• He knew the sorrows of children.
• He knew that Peter would become a coward; that Thomas would become a quicksand of skepticism;
  that the heart of Judas was a smoldering flame of treason.
• Born in a village; He knew the men of the cities.
• A man of peace; He knew the mindset of the soldiers.
• Though He was poor; He knew the problems of the rich.
• He knew, even as He knows now, our thoughts afar off.

Solomon was truly the wisest of men.

• Solomon knew the fowl of the air; but he could not, as Jesus, mark the sparrows fall.
• Solomon knew much about fishing; but he could not, as Jesus, put enough fish
  in an all night empty net to sink two boats. (Luke 5:7)
• Solomon spoke of fishes (1 Kings 4:33; but he could not, as Jesus,
  cause a fish to carry tax money in its mouth and swallow the hook of a penniless apostle. (Matthew 17:17)
• Solomon knew much about trees; but he could not, as Jesus could and did, blight a barren fig tree
  with a few quiet words.
• Solomon spoke of stars; but he could not, as Jesus, number the stars and mete out the heavens with a span.
• Solomon knew about the winds (Ecc. 1:6); but he could not, as Jesus,
  rebuke the stormy winds and the raging seas into peace. (Matt.8:23-27)
• Solomon could enter the palace through great doors;
  but he could not; as Jesus, enter into an upper room with the doors shut.
• Solomon knew about navigation; but he could not; as Jesus, walk on the sea.

Jesus Is Greater In His Provisions

The greatness and abundance of Solomon’s provisions is made known to us in the Scriptures, when we read:

• "And Solomon’s provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour; threescore measures of meal;
  10 fat oxen; 20 oxen out of the pastures; 100 sheep, beside harts, roebucks, fallowdeer, and fatted fowl.
  For He had dominion over all the region..."
• But with all the abundance Solomon had; he could not, as Jesus take 5 loaves and 2 small fish
  and feed 5,000 hungry men besides women and children.
• Solomon could not, as Jesus, change water into wine.
• Solomon could not touch his fingers to the eyes of a blind man and say, "Receive your sight!" But Jesus did!
• Solomon could not touch dead eardrums and make them hear again, but Jesus did.
• Solomon could not make the speechless speak again, but Jesus did.
• Solomon could not with all his power bring health to the sick, but Jesus did.
• Solomon with all his wisdom could not restore an insane man to sanity, but Jesus did.
• Solomon with all his power could not cast out devils, but Jesus did.
• Solomon with all his knowledge of men could not provide forgiveness for sin, but Jesus does.
  "The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins."

Some years ago near Camden, South Carolina there was a fire that burned joy out of homes and sorrow into hearts.

It was a tragic fire!
It was a fire that scorched and seared human hearts with sorrow.
It was fire that blasted parental hopes.
It was a fire that left a community and a multitude of lives with broken dreams and desolating death.

This terrible fire burned a school house in which many children were having classes.
Over 70 of these children were burned to death in an inferno of fire.
They died in those flames while their horror-stricken parents watched, but were helpless to save them.

While the flames were burning, one little boy in that burning furnace
could see his father standing on the outside and screamed, "Daddy, save me!"

Above the roar of the flames and from the death trap of that fiery furnace,
and above all of the other screams of torment, this father stood in tortuous agony
while his little boy cried. "Daddy, save me!"

The father, suffering an eternity of torture in that horrible moment, knew that no one could save his boy.
He could do nothing but stand by dazed and in shock while his child burned to death in those flames.

In the days that followed that father could hear that voice all through the day and all through his sleepless nights:
"Daddy, save me!"
His son’s face was ever before him.
His son’s voice was always in his ears.
This father only lived for two years after that horrible tragedy.

Today, this lust-burning, war-scarred, soul-sick world cries out to science;
"Save me!"
Science which can tell us how far the earth is from the sun is unable to tell us how to remove their sins from them.
Science has to say, "I’m sorry, but I cannot save you."

This violent sin-sick society cries out to education: "Save me!"
But education has to shake its truthful head and say, "I’m sorry, I cannot save you."

Philosophy tossing its theories all around the world hears a broken world cry, "Save me."
But philosophy has to say, "There is nothing in me in which to save you."

A sick and diseased world turns to medicine and cries, "Save me."
But medicine has to say, "I have no medicine for the diseases of the soul."

This speed-crazy,demon-driven world; with its collapse in the home and corruption in our nation
cries out to government: "Save us."
And government with all it empty political promises has to answer: "We cannot save you."

But there is One who can save! His Name Is Jesus!

Jesus is able to save all who will call upon Him. He is mighty to save.
He is the "Christ who “receiveth sinful men."
He is the Christ who turns none away who will turn to Him.

He is the Christ who died for our sins that He might bring us to God.

• He is our living Lord!
• He is greater than Solomon!
• He is greater than all!
• He is the God of Glory!
• He is the creator of all things!
• He is the Saviour of mankind.
• He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus does save.
He will save you.

Trust Him now! Invite Him into your heart and into your life.

This message adapted by Dr. Harold L. White was inspired by a message by Dr. R.G. Lee.
Thank God for his great ministry and great influence.
Pastors, use this message as God leads you.