The obvious truth about wisdom from Chapter 8 is that she offers prudence and understanding (verse 5), truth and justice (verses 7-8) and something more precious than silver, gold or jewels (verses 10-11). Wisdom affords counsel and sound judgment, understanding and power (verse 14). "I love those who love me", says wisdom (verse 17), "and those who seek me find me." Wisdom offers enduring riches (verse 18) and real fruit. We've talked, so far, about all of this in recent weeks.

In verse 22, something new emerges. Lady wisdom, speaking in the first person, makes some extraordinary claims. "The Lord brought me forth as the first of His works, before His deeds of old", as if to say that the first creative expression of God is wisdom. The first most notable reality to emerge from the person of God is wisdom. God speaks. Truth and order out of chaos. The essence of creation itself - to make something of form and beauty out of the void of chaos.

In 23-30, wisdom is partaker in all creation, appointed from eternity, says that she was present as heaven and earth were put in place and granted their distinctiveness. "I was the craftsman at His side," she says, "filled with delight day after day, rejoicing in His presence, rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind." Lady wisdom was there; involved.

Then wisdom makes some claims that sound familiar to Christian ears and the any New Testament student. "Whoever finds me finds life." (Verse 35) "And whoever fails to find me harms himself." (Verse 36)

Before we go into why all these words sound so familiar to New Testament Christians, let me pause and talk about wisdom as a concept, related to a more western concept called logos (word or reason in the Greek). Greek thinkers revered the notion of a common, divinely inspired sense of order and purpose, reason and logic - an intricate wisdom that hold things together and represents all that's noble. It's a kind of nature law that binds together the science of life with the essence of love and loyalty and all that's good. In the Greek language, she is sometimes called "sophia" (can mean spiritual or earthly wisdom) or "sofia" (often translated as wisdom). In the Hebrew language, she is chokmaw. To the Hebrew chokmaw or wisdom is much the same thing as logos though logos is a more expressive term.

The description of wisdom found in Proverbs 8 is so familiar because it so closely resembles the notions of the images of logos (word or reason), that describe Jesus before taking on human flesh, that are introduced most famously in John, but also in Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, 1John 1 and elsewhere in the New Testament. Much of the pre-existent nature of Christ is mysterious to us. Who was Jesus and how was Jesus in the eons when Father, Son and Spirit, one God in three persons, dwelt together in anticipation of the Son's meteoric and humble entrance into the human history and human flesh?

John 1 says that He was there as logos. In the beginning was the Word (logos or reason) and Word was with God and the Word was God." The resemblance to Proverbs 8 is obvious. At least three themes carry over: truth, light and life, along with the clear statement that this logos was with God from the beginning and participated in creation.

Colossians 1 has similarities that are even more stark. Verse 13 talks about God rescuing us from the dominion of darkness and into the Kingdom of the son He loves. Verse 15 calls Jesus the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (similar to the Proverbs 8:22 statement that wisdom is the first of God's works, appointed from eternity, from the beginning before the world began). 16 says that all things were created by Jesus and for Jesus. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together (again, very similar to the notion of divine wisdom or divine reason, holding things together in symmetry and harmony). And like John 1 implies, verse 19 of Colossians 1 says explicitly - that God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Jesus.

Hebrews 1 says so much of the same thing. His son, through whom He made the universe…the exact radiance of God's glory…the exact representation of His being…sustaining all things by his powerful word.

1 John 1 starts the same way…"This we proclaim concerning the Logos of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us." It goes on the talk about the darkness, and light, salvation and truth, just like Proverbs 8.

Other verses in the New Testament draw similar lines to Christ as the embodiment of wisdom. 1 Cor. 1:24 calls Jesus the power of God and the wisdom of God. Verse 30 of 1Cor. 1 says that Christ has become for us wisdom from God (sophia). 1 Cor. 2 call the gospel a message of wisdom (sophia) unlike the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age. Rather, Paul writes, "we speak of a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began." He then acknowledges that the rules of his age didn't get it, (rather, they didn't get Christ) or else they would never have crucified Him.

Proverbs 8:35 says "Whoever finds me finds life." In John 14:19, Jesus says, "Because I live, you will also live."

Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me." John 14:21 Jesus says, "He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

Proverbs 8:17 also says, "Those who seek me find me." In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says "Seek and you shall find."

All this to say that Jesus is a fulfillment - an embodiment, really - of Proverbs 8. I'm not the first to believe this.

So what do we do with all this?

To novelty seekers, and certain novelists, Proverbs 8 might raise the curious notion that God has a female side. This is not news to responsible Christians. Genesis 1:1 says that man and woman were created in God's own image. Of course the best of male and female traits are born from God's good nature.

To a practical mind, these verses prove that Jesus is borrowing Old Testament images and phrases from Proverbs and elsewhere to build a case for His own authority and deity. To the cynic, the early church fabricated these sayings to build a case for Jesus' authority and deity. To those of us who believe, this is the mystery and the wisdom of the ages. Paul calls it foolishness to the perishing, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (gentiles), but to those whom God has called it is the power of God and the wisdom of God; our righteousness, our holiness, our redemption. To me it is life and light, truth and salvation, and to all who believe that Jesus came to embody the wisdom of God.

Next week, we start the season of Advent, which means coming. Sometimes I hear people say that Christmas is losing its magic with the onset of adulthood. Sometimes people ask me, "How do you come up with something to say Christmas after Christmas?" The truth is this - the magic is only growing for me, and each year it's harder and harder to ram my ever-emerging, ever-expanding appreciation for the miracle of Christmas into four weeks of preaching.

Do we get this? Beyond the charming story of Christ's humble birth in Bethlehem, and even beyond the dramatic story of angels and shepherds and foreign emissaries visiting the baby, this is God offering the ultimate object lesson. Lest the idea of wisdom - God's truth and life and light and salvation - is too abstract for us to accept or embrace, God sends an embodiment of His own good wisdom. That first and best expression of creative good will, spoken aloud for all eternity, was spoken into our reality in the loud and tangible form of human example. Jesus, the living God Man, showed us who God is and who humanity was meant to be - wise, good, loving, noble, true to our covenants, obedient to our authorities, restrained in our impulses, forgiving in our spirits, generous with our wealth, sacrificial as a way of life.

If Jesus is who He says He is, and if Jesus is who the church the ages claims Him to be, there has been no other like Him and there is no one so worthy of honor or imitation. If He isn't who the centuries proclaim Him to be, I'm not the first to note that my life is still better and wiser and happier for having believed in Him. And I do believe in Him.

Jesus said in John 5:24, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." Oh, please, take hold of life. Believe in Christ.

Proverbs 9:5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding."

Jesus took the cup.