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1. Christ Leaves the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2)
MATTHEW 24:1-2
1 Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. 22 But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1-2, Luke 19:44, 21:5-6)
Christ departed from the temple, which was rebuilt by Herod the Great, and did not return to it again. By leaving the temple, He fulfilled the prophecy of Ezekiel of the departing glory of the Lord from the temple to the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 10:18-22, 11:23).
Until the time of Jesus, God's glory dwelt in this temple, hidden in the Most Holy Place. Then the disobedience of the Jewish people brought judgment upon them. The Holy One went away from them, leaving them vulnerable to the attack of their enemies. The great temple with its golden domes remained shining on the outside but empty on the inside; devoid of God's spirit, as a lamp without light, and a mirage without truth.
The disciples did not realize that the temple had been emptied of God's glory. They were impressed by the gold that covered the ornaments and led Jesus to see them. The Lord assured them that the Holy One had departed from His house, taking His protection with Him. Christ foretold the destruction of the temple and that no stone would be left upon another to warn his disciples. All the promises of the Old Testament that the glory of the Lord would dwell in the manmade temple had ended because of the hard-heartedness of the people of that covenant. Yet, God dwells in Christ completely. Jesus, now, is the temple of God who gave us the promise that our bodies together will become the temple of the Holy One. This would be after He poured out His comforting Spirit as the blessing of His atonement upon His followers. The departure of Jesus from the temple signifies the great movement from the Old Testament into the New Testament, as Stephen, the first martyr in Christianity, had plainly confessed (Acts 7:47-53).
What about you? Is your body a temple of God? Does His Spirit dwell in you? Does the power of the Holy Spirit emanate from you, or are you empty and dead, living without protection, and exposed to the destruction to come? Is His power apparent in your holiness and peaceful behavior? Or do you behave like the dead, with selfishness and harshness to others? And what about your church? Does it give thanks for redemption with great praise, or is it void of love, joy and repentance? Do the elders meet and decide what is to be done and not to be done in the guidance of the Spirit of God?
PRAYER: Holy Father, how great is Your love and patience. We glorify You because You granted Your church to meet in the name of Christ and to praise You in the power of Your Spirit. Forgive us if we did not walk in love and hope. If we are weak and mistaken, do not take Your Spirit away from us because of our little faith. Cleanse us from the spirit of laziness and disobedience, and never leave us because we do not want to become an empty temple void of the Lord's power and protection.
QUESTION:
- What does Christ’s final departure from the temple in Jerusalem signify?