Bible Reading: Matthew 12
Matthew 12:6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
Jesus made this claim of himself. This was quite a statement seeing that the temple was the centerpiece of Israel’s worship of God. Think of all the many pages of Scripture that are dedicated to the instructions for the building of the tabernacle and the ministry of the priests in Israel. For Jesus to say there is one greater than the temple was akin to blasphemy. As a matter of fact, he was accused of being demon-possessed by the religious leaders of the day because of this statement.
Think of what Jesus said for a moment. The temple was the place on earth where God met with his people. They came to the temple to offer sacrifices and the priests offered intercessory prayer for the nation every day in the temple. When he was exiled in Persia, Daniel prayed facing the temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10). When Jesus met the woman at the well, she wanted to discuss which mountain God must be worshipped on because there was a discrepancy between Jews and Samaritans as to where the right place for worship and sacrifice should be. Jesus told her:
John 4:21-24 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Again, Jesus actually referred to his body as the temple.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
The right worship of God was through the temple until Jesus came. From then on, the right worship of God is through the Son of God.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
If does not matter where on earth you are – you can worship the Father through Jesus Christ! You don’t need a Levitical priest because Jesus is our mediator:
1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
We don’t need a temple, we know the One who is greater than the temple! King Jesus!
In Christ,
Rody
