He is Greater Than......

This summer I am spending my study times in the gospels. I have it mapped out for the whole summer and I am way behind already. John Piper really encouraged me in one of his sermons that if I legitimately desired to know my Savior better, I should be pouring my life into the 4 gospels. How incredible is it that we have FOUR accounts of our Savior's life, teachings, and his response to mankind?

I was studying in Matthew 12 and the phrase, "Something greater than....." is repeated 3 times. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees after they ask if it is lawful for Jesus to pick grain on the Sabbath and also to heal a man on the Sabbath. HANG WITH ME!!!!

The Pharisees were acting as if THEY were the authority and the way to God and Jesus is letting them know that they aren't. This is where those 3 phrases of "something greater than..." come into play.

1. I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
2. And behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
3. And behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Greater than:

The Temple

The temple allowed access to God in a very specific place and time.
Jesus is allows believers access to God through the Holy Spirit in our BODILY temples. Worship unto God is not limited to time and place anymore!

Jonah

Jonah suffered punishment due to his disobedience towards God 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a whale.
Jesus suffered on the cross 3 days and 3 nights for the sins of the world but He was perfect, spotless, HOLY!

Solomon
Solomon was prized for having great wealth and wisdom. Solomon disobeyed and ran after foreign wives and God sent Solomon's enemies after him.
Jesus holds an eternal inheritance for his believers. It is perfect, uninterrupted worship of God in His presence. As part of the Trinity, Jesus had a role in creating this entire earth and unto which He deserves all praise and honor for a restored relationship back to our Father.

Jesus is greater than our boundaries that we seem to place on worshiping Him.
Jesus is greater than our sin and defeated all of death.
Jesus is greater than the earth's possessions and all that it has to offer.

Is Jesus greater than you?