The Gift of God – For All People

The Gift of God – For All People is the final in our Christmas sermon series.  Normally on the festival of the Epiphany we celebrate the Three Wise Men coming to worship the Christ child in Bethlehem.  They followed the star to the house where the child was.  Today we have to go back in time almost 1000 years to the time of King Solomon.

Christmas in January

This may not seem like a Christmassy text, but the visit of the Queen of Sheba is a perfect example of Epiphany.  If I say I just had an Epiphany, that means I just figured something out.  The original meaning of the word is to reveal.  In Epiphany we celebrate that Jesus is revealed to the world.

9 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness.”

The Queen of Sheba walked in thinking Solomon was a big deal.  She walked out confirmed in her suspicions about Solomon AND the Lord.  Remember that word, Jehovah, was inside baseball for the ancients.  She knew the true God in heaven.  You might say – Pastor Fred, calm down.  Hold your horses.  The Queen of Sheba was just saying that.  Maybe, but listen to these words from Jesus.

The Queen of the South

Matthew 12:42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus was speaking to Pharisees.  God does not care where you come from, who your daddy was, or what you look like.  He doesn’t care how much money you make or what your job is.  All that matters is your relationship to Jesus.  The Queen of the South – the Queen of Sheba walked away from Solomon knowing that a Savior of the world would come from Israel.  Her Savior from sin would come one day.  That’s why she could stand before a holy God.  She believed in a Savior who would come.  You believe in a Savior who did come.

Want to hear more?  Watch this week’s message taken from 1 Kings 10 The Gift of God – For All People.