As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.”
Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”
Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?”
Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.
When th
e beautiful has to goThe Temple was magnificent! King Herod the Great determined to make this Temple one of his legacies that would stand forever.
About 15 years before Jesus’ birth, he demolished the small Temple built by Zerubbabel some 400 years earlier. The design was so grand, by the time the disciples and Jesus had this conversation, craftsmen were still chiseling the finishing touches.
Jesus’ prediction for this virtually new wonder came true less than 40 years later in 70 AD. In fact, between the time of Jesus’ death and this massive destruction, everything in the first eight verses of this prophecy came true.
Truth is, God is not all that impressed with our glorious building projects. Yes, our drive to build beautiful edifices reflects the presence of God’s creative image in us. And beautiful buildings can honor God. But on the scale of importance, beautiful building comes in far below beautiful lives.
If a beautiful building isn’t contributing to beautiful lives, then God has no use for it.
The Jerusalem Temple had ceased to contribute to the building of beautiful lives in two ways. First, those who ruled the Temple, for all their fastidious religious regulations, desecrated this sacred ground with hearts that were far away from God. More important, the entire sacrificial system that the Temple represented came to an end in Jesus’ death as the final sacrificial Lamb. Herod never bothered consulting God before he conceived his ego driven, rather than God directed, building project. So a brand new magnificent building had to go.
Sovereign God, may every building that I either help create or help manage for spiritual purposes, be in line with your work in the world. Forbid that ego and self interest would ever determine my relationship with these spaces. - Mike Leamon
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of Nicholas Cage or not, you have to admire Steve Buscemi in the film Con Air. Buscemi plays the part of a serial killer who ends up on the high-jacked flight of prisoners. When the plane lands at an obscure airfield where the prisoners have arranged to switch planes Buscemi wanders off and finds a young child playing with dolls. The girl, dirty and oblivious to the danger she is in, welcomes Garland “The Marietta Mangler” Greene to sit down at the table with her for a “tea party.” The little girl starts singing the song, “He’s got the whole world in his hands” and Greene is transformed.
Later, back on the plane with the other convicts, he begins singing the song himself as federal agents shoot the plane down over the Los Vegas strip. In the midst of chaos, this serial killer has found meaning to hold onto.
It’s not quite apocalyptic, but in Buscemi’s character we find a principle Jesus wants each of his disciples to embrace. In the midst of chaos, we need not panic, for God has the whole world in His hands. The Psalmist put it this way in Psalm 46.
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
I cannot figure out all of the end times stuff, but I do know there is no need to panic, either in the end times, or in the present when life seems out of control because God is in control of both.
Jesus, thank you for being my refuge and strength in every situation. It is so refreshing to know I do not have to know every detail about the future since you are in control. - Dan Jones
No comments:
Post a Comment