The Write Place

Scripture is inexhaustible in the depths of it’s riches. Let us examine today the simple, profound truth of the effect the Gospel has on worship. And how God takes even the worst of the darkness and turns it into glorious light. He does so in history itself.

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’^[b]”

Matthew 2:1-6

Even as a child, it struck me as odd that not merely Herod was disturbed at the news. That is foolish enough, as Herod’s need for a savior demands he accept one. But no, he is concerned for his throne. Strangely enough, so are the Jerusalemites. The city of Jerusalem was the center of trade and religion in the region. Their fear was that this new king would overthrow Rome, the temple system, or both. Corruption is good money, it is all the more so in the Lord’s temple when people have to go there to worship or offer sacrifices. The gravy train was coming to an end, if they couldn’t kill the coming king.

They’re only sorta right. They’re not entirely wrong…

Look at what Jesus tells the Samaritan woman in John 4.

¹⁹ “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 4:19-24

The Key work of God in the Gospel is the reconciliation of a people to himself. That reconciliation opens the way to fellowship. If Jesus reconciles us to himself with an offering once for all, then the temple system is irrelevant. Worse, it is just a snare and a vestige. Jesus came to herald the end of the sacrificial system. The temple would have to follow. With Christ’s completed work we can now come into God’s presence, from anywhere, from anyplace, and with any past history. That is true of the Samaritan woman, and indicates the coming freedom from the temple location. True worship, indeed, the presence of God himself, will now fill the whole earth.

¹² The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Mark 11:12-14

The example of the fig tree also seems odd at first. Perhaps Jesus is more into dates or grapes (he does talk a lot about vineyards). Perhaps he is just hangry. It stops being weird when you see what he tells the disciples in the Gospel about the temple as Mark continues.

¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[c]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[d]”

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[e] went out of the city.

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” ^[26] [g]

Mark 11:15-22

Mark (who is hearing this from Peter himself) includes the fig tree with the cleansing of the temple. Jesus is illustrating for us the fruitlessness of the corrupt temple system, by showing not telling. The market was more than an opportunity to make money. It was an opportunity to require the use of only the animals sold there, and to exchange coins at charge (not a kosher practice). It was a great grift. Jesus declares it’s end.

 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” ² And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
Mark 13:1-2

John picks this up in what seems a subtle way to us. However, it is couched in language of judgment pertinent to that age. In fact the whole of Revelation is about Jesus keeping his word to destroy the Old, corrupt temple system.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ⁶ and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. ⁷ Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail^[b] on account of him. Even so. Amen.

Revelation 1:5b-7

John tells us about the immanence of coming judgment. The best translaters render verse 7 as “tribes of the land.” The dispensational and poor translations make this the whole earth but this is not supported by the Greek or social convention. The expression indicates the land of Israel. The reference is also something both old and New Testament as an indication of the visitation of divine judgment. The corrupt temple system down to the national system (not race) in Judea centered on Jerusalem is coming to an end. Jesus tells the High Priest this to his face.

 ⁶² And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 14:52

The right hand of power so to speak, shows up at the stoning of Stephen.

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ⁵³ you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 

Acts 20:51-55

Christ, according to Stephen in his inspiration, stands (in judgment) at the right hand of God while Stephen is facing death. Sure enough in 70AD, Jerusalem and the temple with it, were destroyed. The Christians (Jew and Gentile) fled, and they were spared while the unbelieving Jewish population ran to the city for safety, sealing their doom. We have never seen another temple in Jerusalem, neither will we. Christians know why.

²¹ The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 3:21

From that throne he directs the kingdoms of the world. As the High Priest in that holy place, he directs all of our worship. Nothing is outside of the hands of the risen Christ. What happened in 70AD vindicates his claim to be that man. Whenever you see anything in the news today know that it is part of his work. When there is calamity, war, famine as well as peace, it is a sign that the risen Christ is reigning now.