Grace Baptist Church – Sheboygan

Matthew's great goal is to show us that Jesus is God's anointed king. In this passage, he presents Jesus in three ways to us: as God’s obedient Son, as God’s chosen deliverer, and as God’s faithful, lowly servant.

The story of the wise men, who came to visit and worship Jesus is well known, but the significance of why they came isn't always something we stop to think about. In this sermon we notice three things about these men and the lessons they are meant to teach to us.

The birth of Jesus is miraculous in every way, from the way that Jesus was conceived, to the way God intervened with Joseph, and even to Jesus’ name. And while Matthew isn’t as detailed as Luke in terms of what he records about the events leading up to Jesus’ birth, he records the miracle of Jesus’ birth for us to identify him as God’s anointed King, who is the Savior of the world.

The Gospel of Matthew is special. It forms a bridge between the Old Testament and its promises and the New Testament where we see those promises fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. It announces that God has kept his promises, in the arrival of King Jesus and the establishment of His Kingdom, starting with his lineage.

Solomon has made his case, shared his insight, and given us his instruction. Now it's time for us to choose wisdom.

Wisdom loves God and finds life.

Solomon shares his words with us, to make us wise and to keep us from death. In this passage he tells us the story of the death of a fool, warning us of the emptiness of sin in spite of the way it lures us in with its many promises of satisfaction.

The way for us to avoid calamity and love our neighbor well is to love God and what He loves and to hate what He hates.