Saturday, March 24, 2007
Living Temples
Peter wrote his epistles before the destruction of the Temple. But he must have remembered Jesus' words as he wrote about people becoming the house of God. Jesus had predicted that the Temple would be completely destroyed. Peter recognized that God was about to do something new. The Temple had lots its mission to be a light to the world and a house of prayer to the nations.
Greed and corruption had led to idolatry. But the religious leaders were blind to this reality. The Talmud records the following about the Temple destruction, “The Second Temple period, whence Torah was studied, its commandments observed, and acts of loving kindness were performed – why was it destroyed? Because of unwarranted hatred which is as bad as idol worship, incest and murder.”
While religious hatred was certainly a significant factor in the Temple destruction, that explanation does not begin to tell the whole story. The Romans were angry at the Jews and irrational hatred caused them to take extreme measures. But God had to allow this destruction to take place. Why would He have done that if everyone was fulfilling His plan?
Peter wrote about this reality in his letter. He wrote, "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).
Quoting Scripture, Peter identified Jesus as a cornerstone for a new Temple. You don't lay a cornerstone unless you are building something new. It is the key stone that everything else is based on. Those who accept Jesus as a precious cornerstone take part in God's new work. Others stumble over Jesus and reject God wanted to do.
Peter saw his identity and called others to do the same. He wrote, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter2:9-10).
God brought a new light to the word in the person of Jesus. The new Temple would no longer be a physical building. Today, it is the human heart filled with God's Spirit. If the Second Temple still stood, God's people would be tempted to worship it instead of God.
The Temple was destroyed so that people could experience the fullness of God's glory on the earth. There is no longer just one place where people experience mercy and forgiveness. Every space is sacred ground when you are the Temple. This reality changes everything. It causes every new day, every conversation, and every challenge to have a sense of spiritual significance. There is no such thing as sacred vs. secular. Everything becomes spiritual for those who walk in the Spirit. This does not cheapen what it means for something to be of the spirit. No, it elevates every moment to be a time when you experience oneness with God.
Peter wrote, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 15&16).
This was not a call to legalism or self effort. This was a call to grace... to embrace the cross. As a good disciple, Peter embraced the cross to find life. He died to his own ideas of good and evil and walked according to what God commanded.
What about you? Have you embraced the joy of the cross?
Greed and corruption had led to idolatry. But the religious leaders were blind to this reality. The Talmud records the following about the Temple destruction, “The Second Temple period, whence Torah was studied, its commandments observed, and acts of loving kindness were performed – why was it destroyed? Because of unwarranted hatred which is as bad as idol worship, incest and murder.”
While religious hatred was certainly a significant factor in the Temple destruction, that explanation does not begin to tell the whole story. The Romans were angry at the Jews and irrational hatred caused them to take extreme measures. But God had to allow this destruction to take place. Why would He have done that if everyone was fulfilling His plan?
Peter wrote about this reality in his letter. He wrote, "You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5).
Quoting Scripture, Peter identified Jesus as a cornerstone for a new Temple. You don't lay a cornerstone unless you are building something new. It is the key stone that everything else is based on. Those who accept Jesus as a precious cornerstone take part in God's new work. Others stumble over Jesus and reject God wanted to do.
Peter saw his identity and called others to do the same. He wrote, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" (1 Peter2:9-10).
God brought a new light to the word in the person of Jesus. The new Temple would no longer be a physical building. Today, it is the human heart filled with God's Spirit. If the Second Temple still stood, God's people would be tempted to worship it instead of God.
The Temple was destroyed so that people could experience the fullness of God's glory on the earth. There is no longer just one place where people experience mercy and forgiveness. Every space is sacred ground when you are the Temple. This reality changes everything. It causes every new day, every conversation, and every challenge to have a sense of spiritual significance. There is no such thing as sacred vs. secular. Everything becomes spiritual for those who walk in the Spirit. This does not cheapen what it means for something to be of the spirit. No, it elevates every moment to be a time when you experience oneness with God.
Peter wrote, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy'" (1 Peter 15&16).
This was not a call to legalism or self effort. This was a call to grace... to embrace the cross. As a good disciple, Peter embraced the cross to find life. He died to his own ideas of good and evil and walked according to what God commanded.
What about you? Have you embraced the joy of the cross?
