Greater
"One greater than the temple is here" Matt. 12:6.

My five-year-old grandson sings,
"Our God is so great,
so strong and so mighty,
there's nothing our God cannot do--
For you."

When it comes to personal witnessing, what difference does it make to have a God like this? Many Christians fail to witness due to a sense of low self-esteem. Jesus, whom we desire to proclaim, did not suffer from low self-esteem. In fact, in Matthew 12, Jesus makes three fantastic claims about Himself.

Claim #1. "Now one greater than Solomon is here" (Matt. 12:42).
King Solomon drew nations and rulers of his day to the true God. Even the Queen of Sheba "came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom" (Matt. 12:42). But later, Solomon's mission impact was dulled when he began to follow the false gods of his foreign wives.

Jesus was faithful and obedient to God--even unto death on a cross. Due to His servant attitude and humble nature, people around the globe willingly follow Jesus as their sovereign ruler.

So, how has Jesus fared as a king? Greater. Therefore, as His ambassadors we rejoice to introduce estranged citizens to their Servant-King.

Claim #2. "One greater than the temple is here" (Matt. 12:6).
The temple was to serve as a beacon to draw the Gentiles to the light of God's truth (1 Kings 8:41-43). Even after Solomon's original temple was destroyed, God promised that a future temple would attract the nations (Is. 56:6-8; Hag. 2:1-9; Zech. 6:9-15).

Jesus is that future temple. The Second Person of the Trinity became flesh and "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14). Though the temple of His body was destroyed, in three days God raised it up again (John 2:19-22).

Many religions center around temples. In order to worship and receive blessings from a temple's god-in-residence, devotees must travel to the temple. Due to the built-in geographic limitations, such a religion has little chance of attaining worldwide influence.

Not so with Jesus Christ. He replaces and outperforms the temples of every religion and cult. He establishes a new religious center--Himself--around which true worshipers from every corner of the earth can gather, "for in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form" (Col. 2:9; John 4:23).

So, how has Jesus fared as a temple? Greater. Therefore, we can witness to anyone anywhere, confident that Christ surely fulfills that person's religious longings and needs.

Claim #3. "Now one greater than Jonah is here" (Matt. 12:41).
God used Jonah to lead the city of Nineveh to repentance, making Jonah the most successful missionary of Old Testament times. But over the centuries, Christ's Good News has impacted heart after heart and city after city.

So, how has Jesus fared as a missionary? Greater. And it is He who promises to make us fishers of men.

Greater than Solomon. Greater than the temple. Greater than Jonah.

Not just greater. Greatest!

1. When has low self-esteem silenced you in witnessing situations? How can Christ's high self-esteem rub off on you?
2. Read Matt. 12:15-21 for evidence of how Christ is greater than any king.
3. List the advantages that Christ the Temple has over all earthly temples.