Matthew 12:42……..Ready

Matthew 12:42……..Ready

12:42  The Queen of the South (Name unknown) will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; (not because she was perfect, but because her hunger for truth puts their excuses to shame).for she came from the ends of the earth (The Queen of Sheba literally travel 1,500 miles from her home in southern Arabia to Jerusalem, likely taking up to month by camel. Was a expensive and arduous journey through hot and baren deserts) to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Teaches those who take their faith seriously will look to Jesus for wisdom, guidance, and direction.” → Genuine faith in Jesus will lean in, ask questions, and let His words correct them. They don’t come to Scripture to prove themselves right; they come to be made right. They don’t approach church, preaching, or discipleship as entertainment, but as training for the soul. A serious disciple wants more than inspiration—he wants instruction. He wants to know what Jesus says, what Jesus means, and how Jesus expects them to live. And because Jesus is not only a teacher but Lord, His wisdom doesn’t merely inform our minds—it reforms our lives. The more we sit under His Word, the more He shapes our thinking, heals our motives, and aligns our desires with God’s will.

“Calls for laying down our excuses and rationalizations to stepping forward in greater faith and obedience.” ⇒ Will you step forward in choosing obedience over hesitation, faith over fear, and action over avoidance. Will you step forward in “courage” even when you don’t feel ready? Will you step forward in “trust” even when even when you don’t see the whole path. Will you step forward in “repentance” instead of “waiting for a better time”? Every believer needs to reach a point where we stop defending our comfort and start embracing our calling. Where we stop explaining why we “can’t” and start walking in what God says we can. Where we stop hiding behind reasons and start stepping into responsibility. Oftentimes excuses sound reasonable, but they often mask fear, pride, or a desire to stay in control. We say, “I’ll serve when I have more time… when I feel more confident… when I have more money… when I know more Bible… when my life is “less messy.” But if we wait for the perfect moment, we will never move. Jesus calls us to obey with what we have, where we are, and to trust Him to supply what we lack as we go. Obedience is the doorway to provision. Faith is often spelled R-I-S-K, and God frequently meets us after we step out, not before. Application: What excuse have you been using to delay obedience, and what is one small step of faith Jesus is calling you to take this week?

“Even today, people will come up with all sorts of excuses as to why they don’t open their bible or go to church. “I’m too busy, I’m too tired, I don’t understand it. It’s too far to drive. There’s too much traffic. I don’t like the crowds, I’ll start tomorrow.” → Or they’ll use the excuse “I don’t like organized religion… I don’t need church to believe in God… I’m spiritual, not religious… I don’t want to feel judged… I don’t like the music. I don’t like the preaching style, the parking, the seating, the personality of those leading. Or I don’t have anything to wear, there’s too many hypocrites in the church (if you don’t go that’s one less) I don’t want people judging me. I don’t want to feel guilty. I can’t… I can’t… I can’t.” Most of these excuses aren’t about distance, schedules, or preferences. They’re about a heart that’s already decided it doesn’t want to be confronted, challenged, or called higher. When someone has closed their heart to God, any excuse will do. The issue isn’t the drive, the traffic, or the music — it’s the discomfort of being in a place where God might speak, convict, or transform. These excuses may sound reasonable on the surface, but they often mask a deeper reluctance to engage with God or the faith community.

COMPARED WITH THE QUEEN OF SHEBA, OUR EXCUSES SIMPLY DON’T STAND UP

• Saying “I’m too busy to seek God’, the Queen of Sheba traveled hundreds of miles across dangerous terrain. (She made the time — you just don’t want to.)

• Saying “I’ll get serious about God later”, the Queen of Sheba acted immediately when she heard Solomon’s wisdom. (People think they got all the time in the world to get right with God).

• Saying “I need more proof before I believe”, The Queen of Sheba responded to rumors of Solomon’s wisdom. (People now have Scripture, the Spirit, the gospel, changed lives — and still say, “I’m not convinced.”)

• Saying “It’s too hard to follow God”, the Queen of Sheba’s journey was long, costly, and dangerous. (For many the issue isn’t difficulty — it’s desire.)

• Saying “I already know enough”, the Queen of Sheba was wealthy, powerful, educated — yet humble enough to seek wisdom. (It’s pride that keeps people from going to God)

• Saying “I don’t need to go out of my way for spiritual things”, the Queen of Sheba crossed a continent (People won’t cross a schedule, a comfort zone, or a preference)

• Saying “My situation is different”, the Queen of Sheba had every reason not to go — political duties, national responsibilities, safety concerns — but she still pursued truth. (People today use far smaller obstacles as justification.)

• Saying “I don’t think it’s worth the effort”, the Queen of Sheba  invested treasure, time, and energy because she valued wisdom. (People today undervalue spiritual truth and overvalue convenience.)

• Saying “I’ll follow God when it’s feels more convenient, the Queen of Sheba’s journey was anything but convenient. (If a pagan queen responded to limited light, how much more should you respond to the full revelation of Christ.)

Additional Notes & Applications 

Calls for such devotion to the Lord that won’t be turned back by distance, difficulties, disappointments, delays, or the demands of life.

Calls for self-reflection on whether we are prioritizing our own agendas or the kingdom of God

Emphasizes a spiritual truth: Greater revelation demands a greater response.

Teaches how God doesn’t require perfection — He honors pursuit. (The Queen didn’t know everything. She just refused to stay where she was.)

Teaches how spiritual insight and moral truth carry more importance than material, wealth, or political power.

Calls for the humility in admitting we need help, that we don’t’ know enough and need be taught.

Note: The Queen of Sheba is an unnamed, wealthy, and intelligent ruler from a distant land (likely modern-day Yemen or Ethiopia.) According to the biblical narrative, she was a woman of great wealth, beauty, and power. Although there is little evidence outside the Bible as to the nature of the monarchy and how it was established, it is clear that the Queen of Sheba ruled alone and was not enamored with the religions in her own land. Some later Ethiopian traditions call her “Makeda” and Muslim traditions call her “Bilqīs”. According to 1 Kings, the Queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, specifically regarding his wisdom and his relationship to the LORD, while in her own country. This fame reached her through reports, likely spread by traveling traders and diplomats. As a wealthy leader from South Arabia, she was part of the trade networks where reports of Solomon’s magnificent palace, vast wealth, and wise administration would have circulated. Upon her arrival, she saw the “full story” she had been told was true, noting that the reports she heard in her own country did not tell her even half of the greatness of his wisdom and wealth.- The Queen also found Solomon to be intellectual. She came with hard questions—riddles, dilemmas, and mysteries ranging from the political to the personal. Scripture says she told him all that was on her mind, and Solomon had an answer for everything. He wasn’t intimidated by her curiosity. He welcomed it. His wisdom created space for honest questions and real conversation..-(1-Kings 10:1-13)

Note: King Solomon was called the wisest man in the ancient world who had ever lived. Wiser than  Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, etc. King Solomon’s wisdom was bestowed by God in a dream. In which God had said “Ask for anything you want”. Instead of asking for great wealth or a long prosperous life. He asked for “wisdom” to govern his people Israel in justice, fairness, and righteousness.-(1 Kings 3:1-15)  God had given Solomon a breath of understanding that was as measureless as the sand on the seashore. That he was wiser than all of the wisemen. His wisdom is manifested in creating 3,000 proverbs, 1,005 songs, and deep knowledge of theology, biology; , plants, animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, attracting international renown from all nations and people who came to listen to his wisdom.-(1-Kings 4:29-34) Solomon’s best wisdom was known in the story in the Judgment decision of the Two Mothers Where Solomon resolved a dispute between two women claiming the same baby by offering to cut the child in half, revealing the true mother through her self-sacrificial love.- (1 Kings 3:16-28)

Note: When comparing the Queen of Sheba and the Pharisees we notice the Queen of Sheba travels hundreds of miles to see King Solomon, while the Pharisees had Christ right in front of them. The Queen of Sheba only had Solomons wisdom, the Pharisees had Christ the divine wisdom of God and  creator of the Universe. The Queen of Sheba gave gifts to King Solomon, the Pharisees wanted Jesus dead. The Queen of Sheba only heard reports, the Pharisees saw Jesus’ miracles. The Queen of Sheba was uneducated in the school of God came to learn from Solomon an earthly King, the Pharisees were pupils of God’s Law who rejected Christ who was the fulfillment of the prophets and word of God.

Note: Jesus is greater than Solomon in every way. As the Messiah who was predicted in the Old Testament (Gen. 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:12–13, 16), Jesus governs a larger, more prosperous kingdom. Solomon’s kingdom was rich in earthly treasures, but Jesus’ kingdom has infinite value. Solomon’s kingdom had physical boundaries, but Jesus’ kingdom will extend over the whole world. Solomon was wise, but Jesus embodies “all the treasures of divine wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Solomon had authority, but Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.-(Rev. 19:16).