Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word wisdom.
Reading
1 Corinthians 1:18-31—Christ is God’s Wisdom
Optional Reading
Proverbs 1:20-33
Keys for kids
- Jesus Christ is God’s wisdom.
- People reject Jesus in their foolishness.
- We are not wise in ourselves.
Questions
- What does God say about worldly wisdom?
- What does God say about Jesus and wisdom?
- Were we saved because of our wisdom? Explain.
Notes
In Proverbs, Wisdom calls out as a person. As we come to the New Testament, we find out that the Person who is Wisdom is Jesus himself.
In our text, Paul is continuing to emphasize Christ’s supremacy. This supremacy is rejected by the world. The world seeks wisdom but rejects Christ. They declare themselves to be wise, but show themselves to be fools as they treat the message of the cross as foolishness. Calvin asks, who would choose to despise the gospel at the expense of perishing? … However the preaching of the cross, as having nothing of human wisdom to recommend it to esteem, is reckoned foolishness by them that perish; in our view, notwithstanding, the wisdom of God clearly shines forth in it.
This one who is wisdom is all we have to preach—Christ, crucified for sinners. If we ever think we need to have a more clever message, or think we have to work up a message to appease the world, we are missing what is most important.
At the same time, we don’t want foolishness to come from us. As Utley notes, it is not the presentation, but the content of the gospel that is foolishness to the fallen mind (cf. 2:14). We seek to be wise in our presentation of the gospel. We seek to have God’s wisdom in our interaction with non-Christians. But the message we have is “Jesus, the crucified One.” Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God (v. 24) and wisdom itself (v. 30). Him we proclaim.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 119e, 119s
Prayer
- Ask God to make you wise in Jesus, who is wisdom.
- Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.