The Temple in the light of the Resurrection

Heaven and Earth. Your Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven. How close is Heaven? Much closer than we have thought. The focus needs to be on The Temple.

“When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’” Luke 21: 5 -6

This was far more significant. The Temple was the focus of Israel’s life. It was where the people met Yahweh. It was where the Spirit of God chose to dwell with His People. It was the place of sacrifice, to deal with sin, failure. The Place where the Word of the Lord was spoken in its clearest terms.  it was believed to by the unique dwelling place of YHWH on Earth. It was the place where Heaven and Earth met. 

So when Jesus spoke of the destruction of the Temple there in Jerusalem He was proclaiming judgement in its most forceful way.

Jesus went to say that when destroyed it would be rebuilt in three days. His resurrection would see the New Temple Created. With the giving of the Holy Spirit as the clearest affirmation that this was true. Where the Spirit is locates where the Temple is. The Temple is Jesus and whomsoever Jesus joins to Himself. It is the most dispersed expression of Temple. 

Today, Cathedral is often seen as Temple as where the Spirit of God is most clearly expressed but this is not true. However significant people might find cathedrals. My visit to the photo exhibition for Shelter from the Storm was a powerful reminder of what the true Temple is today. Follows Bishop Kenneth Cragg's view that when we meet the other we should remove our shoes as we walk on holy ground. 

Gospel of John - Revelation is Relationship

The Gospel of John commences in a very particular way. In the beginning was the Word.. The WORD – LOGOS was familiar to both Greek and Jew. The former – Logos meant the ultimate impersonal entity which was at the heart of all coherence in the Cosmos. For Jews; Logos referred to the Word of the Living, personal Lord by which He had created the Cosmos and continues to sustain it. Word with God… Word was God…. Word became flesh. This announcement would/could stop conversation .. even before any discussion about Resurrection. The Word is identified with a man – Jesus – whose story John is going to tell us.  Note John did not write “and the Word was written down” Here at the conclusion of the Gospel Thomas acknowledges Word to be God. In other words the Gospel of John is not some disparate collection of sayings about some figure from the past. This is a narrative that commences and is brought to a conclusion. Note also the reference in the first chapter that ‘we beheld his glory … Not what we understand by glory.  Washing peoples’ feet, healing the sick,

*   I want proof … certitude. Fair request … fair demand. Both in the reading from Acts and here in John Witness is fundamental. AND it is beyond witness to a set of propositions it is witness to a Relationship. Which in the end is far more binding as it certain as it encompasses the whole person. Propositions can so often simply be an academic exercise. I noted that John writes “The Word became Flesh” NOT “The Word was written down” In Islam and in Mormonism Word came in one direction – and Muhammed / John Smith wrote it down. No argument, no relationship, no answer back. From the start the Bible is a call to relationship. In Genesis – “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ 
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
   male and female he created them.” 

*  Continuing with demand for proof…. Thomas is invited to put his finger in the nail holes etc.  Jesus was no figment of imagination and despite noise to the contrary the resurrection of Jesus was not what the disciples were expecting and wanted desperately to have Jesus back with them. He was crucified by the Romans – people  who were efficient in executing people. Resurrection was understood by Jews and it meant a return of the body. Not a mirage or ethereal spirit.

*    Resurrection NOT a metaphor for going to heaven. It is as the New Testament teaches the introduction to the New Creation. So that whether we live or die we belong to the NEW. As Christ was raised from the dead … the first fruits of His victory those who belong to Him will also be raised. BUT in the meantime we are to live by the Spirit within and demonstrating what this New Creation is. Hence in a very serious way is the Sermon on the Mount and The Beautitudes. These words are NOT aspirational they are Description of this New Creation.

Death is no longer the last enemy … the final control that a tyrant has. If Jesus is Lord then Caesar is NOT Lord. Nor is Democracy, nor Communism nor any other ism.