Jesus Our Temple

By Jared Green     For centuries, the temple had been the hub of the Jewish religion. The temple served as God's dwelling place, the center for worship, and the place where atoning sacrifices were made. The temple even played a vital role in the life and ministry of Jesus. Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist, the Messiah's forerunner, in the temple (Luke 1:11-20). It was in the temple that Simeon took baby Jesus in his arms and praised God for the coming salvation found in Jesus (Luke 2:29-32). It was in the temple that twelve-year-old Jesus said to his parents, "Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49). It was at the pinnacle of the temple that Satan tempted Jesus (Luke 4:9). As Jesus began what we call Passion Week in Luke 20-21, we find Jesus using the temple as his own pulpit.     As integral as the temple had been, however, Jesus' death and resurrection changed everything. In fact, Jesus prophesied this coming change when he said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). While Jesus' audience could only think of the actual temple, we know that Jesus was speaking about himself. And the rest of Scripture agrees. In Revelation 21 :22, John said, "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb." For Christians, Jesus is our temple!     Jesus is the presence of God. "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1 :3a).     Jesus is our access to the Father. "For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2: 18).     Jesus is our atoning sacrifice. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).     Jesus is our mediator. "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).     Thanks be to God for his plan to send the Son to this earth, and thanks be to God for the salvation that is found in him. God loves you, and so do I.

- Jared Green preaches the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert City, KY.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com