One greater than the Temple

In Mathew 12:6, Jesus  declares,"..In this place is one greater than the temple..".  He and His disciples were walking along the fields one Sabbath day. The disciples were hungry and they plucked some corns and ate.. The Pharisees complained that it was  against the Sabbath law to do so. Jesus sites the example of David and his people when they were hungry eating the bread of the temple which only the priests can eat and  yet found blameless. He also points out that the priests in the temple were found blameless when they in their Sabbath duty went against the Sabbath law. He continues to make the statements, " I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,^' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Jews as a rule did not venerate any man  made object. There were only two exceptions and they were the Temple of God  and the Ark of covenent which was inside the holiest place of the Temple.The Temple was the most revered place for the Jews. It was the santuary of God and the  place where they went  to offer the sacrifices for the atonement of  their sins, their offerings and tithes, to celebrate their festivals and to worship their Most  High God. With songs and hymns and dancing and gladness, the Jews/Israelites used to go to the Temple atleast once in a  year and if possible more times  in a year. Even during their captivity thousands of miles away from their land, all their longing and desire were for the Temple at Jerusalem.

   The temple built by king Solomon was destroyed by the king of Babylon and all its treasure was taken to the land of the Chaldeans and placed in the temples of their gods.After seventy years of captivity in Babylon, God in His mercy raised up Cyrus the king of Persia to subdue the Chaldeans and commanded him to let go His people out of captivity  back to Jerusalem to build  the temple there. Ezra laid the foundation for this new tepmle.

 Ezra 3:10-13. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, ..................all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. 

This passage reveals the love that the people of Israel had for the temple..

For them  only God is greater than the Temple. Here is Jesus  claiming that  He is greater than the Temple.To a Jew it was nothing less than  blasphemy since claiming to be greater than the Temple means claiming to be equal to God or God himself.

The first temple the people of Israel had was the tabernacle. Moses built the Tabernacle according to the command, plan and pattern and measurements given by God. Even minute details regarding the Tabernacle were given by God and Moses did everything as God told him to do. When the people of Israel settled down in the promised land of Canan, the Tabernacle was established as a permanent structure in Shilo.The  prophet  Samuel grew up in this Temple at Shilo where Eli was the High priest. This was the place of worship for Israel for about 400 years till King Salomon built the temple at Jerusalem.

  King Solomon built the temple in the plan and pattern of the Tabernacle. Though every single detail of the Tabernacle/ Temple have spiritual expositions significantly pointing to Jesus and His church, we shall  consider  the over all picture of the temple.

The specific layout of the tabernacle and its courtyard is significant because it illustrates God’s prescribed way for man to approach Him.

There was only one door to enter into the courtyard of the temple. When one entered the court, the first thing he saw was the altar of sacrifice. Behind the altar there was a big brazen basin having plenty of water and then there was an enterance to a tent.This tent was covered in all sides and above. It was divided into two parts by a thick veil,  holy place and Most holy place.  The holy place contained a table on which consecrated loaves of  bread were kept,  a  lampstand in which the light was burning through seven candle sticks, and an altar of incense just in front of the veil in which incense was burning all the time. The most holy place contained the ark of the covenant with its mercy seat and cherubims. Inside the ark,there were  the two stone tablets on which the ten commandments were written by God,  the budded staff  of Aaron and a gold jar containing manna.. 

The one and only gate is a representation of Christ as the only way through which one could fellowship with God and worship Him. Jesus has claimed :

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) and
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” (John 10:9)

 The altar of sacrifice which stood raised on a mound of earth, higher than its surrounding furniture  is a projection of Christ, our sacrifice, lifted up on the cross, on a hill called Golgotha.

The basin of water  was the place where the priests washed their hands and feet  after offering a sacrifice and before enterng the holy place. This points out to the fact that after obtaining the forgiveness of sins believing in the sacrificed Christ we have to be cleansed of our sins through the baptism in water to have fellowship with God. Also daily we must cleanse ourselves through the flowing river of the Holy Spirit and also by the word of God to remain in the fellowship with God.

  Every Israelite can come into the court , to the place of sacrifice. But enterance to the holy place was permissable only to the priests and the high priest and the enterance to the most holy place is allowed only to the high priest that too only once in a year with the blood of atonement in his hand. These rules and regulations of the temple were given by God Himself.   .

The golden altar of incense,  sat in front of the veil  in the holy place. The incense was a symbol of  our prayers and intercession and praises of worship  going up to God as a sweet fragrance.

 The light from the lampstand  was the only source of light in the Holy Place. This light shone upon the table of the showbread and the altar of incense, enabling the priests to fellowship with God and intercede on behalf of God’s people.

Jesus has said,“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) .).

 The table of showbread  held 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. These loaves of bread remained on the table  in the presence of God  for a week. Every Sabbath day the priests would remove it and eat it in the Holy Place, then put fresh bread  made by them on the table. Only priests could eat the bread, and it could only be eaten in the Holy Place. Ihe bread remained in the presence of God  like an invitation to share a meal, an extension of friendship.  God was willing for man to enter into His presence to fellowship with Him, and this invitation was always open.

Jesus exemplified this when He ate with tax collectors, prostitutes and the sinners of Jewish society. But this was more than just a gesture of friendship on earth. Jesus came to call sinners to Him, make them right with God, so that they could enjoy everlasting fellowship with God.

Jesus extends the invitation, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me"( Rev 3:20)

The thick  veil  separating the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place,  was made of fine linen and there were figures of cherubim (angels) embroidered onto it.  This represents the fact that God is surrounded  by His angels. Anyone except the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies would die. Even the high priest, God’s chosen mediator with His people, could only pass through the veil and enter this sacred dwelling  only once a year, on a prescribed day called the Day of Atonement.: He had to wash himself, put on special clothing, bring burning incense to let the smoke cover his eyes from a direct view of God, and bring blood with him to make atonement for his sins as well as for the sins of the whole of Israel.

. When Jesus  died died on the cross as a sacrificial Lamb bearing the sins of mankind, the curtain in the Jerusalem temple was torn into two pieces, from the top to the bottom. Only God could have carried out such an incredible feat because the veil was too high for human hands to have reached it, and too thick to have torn it. (The Jerusalem temple, a replica of the wilderness tabernacle, had a curtain that was about 60 feet in height, 30 feet in width and four inches thick.) Furthermore, it was torn from top down, meaning this act must have come from above.

. God’s presence was now accessible to all. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body …let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” (Hebrews 10:19-22)

 The ark of the Covenant  represents the mighty power of God.The ark led and guided  the Israelites in their  wilderness journey and it found the resting places for them. The waters of the River Jordan divided and the walls of Jericho fell in the presence of the Ark. It was also a symbol of God’s judgment and wrath. People who dared to touch it or look on it were killed.

 Aaron’s budding staff  represents  the  resurrection of Jesus. He has raised up us  from the death of our inequities and sins. He will raise us from our graves when He comes in His glory.

The tablets of  Ten Commandments remained till the sacrifice of Jesus instituted a new covenant that was not based on law but on belief. "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:20- )

The jar of mannna reminded the israelites how God provided for them in the wilderness. Jesus is the bread that has come down from heaven.

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. … Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.” (John 6:35, 49-50):

The above studies show that the Temple was only a shadow for the reality of Christ. He is worthy of His claim  ,"..In this place is one gretaer than the temple..". 

Jesus is greater than all the sacrifices made in the Temple since He is the only one perfect Sacrifice and we need no other sacrifice to offer to God to be acceptable in His presence.

Jesus is greater than all the cleansing waters of the temple since His blood and His Holy Spirit and His teachings are the flowing rivers cleansing us every day.

Jesus is greater than the bread kept on the shewing table since He is the Bread of life which has come down from heaven to give us eternal life.  In  the temple only the priests and the high priest ate the bread kept in the presence of God; but Jesus has made all His belivers kings and priests and this has given us the right to have fellowship with God.

Jesus is greater than the lamp stand and its light  since he is the light of the world and whosoever walks in Him shall receive the light of life. Jesus is the true light that gives light to everyone  coming into the world.

Jesus is greater than the altar of incense since He has offered Himself as a sweet frgrant offering to God and is offering the incense of prayers for all of us in the Right hand of God

Jesus is greater than the High Priest , since by His death He has torn the veil which separated the holy God  from man.

Jesus is greater than the Temple, since Jesus has fulfilled the Law on the Tablets and he has establishesd a new covenent, a new rule and a whole set of new commandments basing on love and belief in His name.

Jesus is greater than the Ark of the covenant  since those who touched /looked at the Ark of covenant were smitten by God if they were unworthy. But here is Jesus whom we can hug and kiss , touch and be healed.

Jesus is greater than the temple since we can go to the mercy seat at any time without fear.

Jesus is greater than the Temple since the Temples built by Moses, Solomon, Ezra, Herod were all destroyed and the glory of God which dwelt in these temples  had gone away. But here is Jesus, who is not man made, not born by the will of a man and who was  glorified by God  and exalted to the high place  of the right hand of God and dwelling in the glory of God eternally.

Jesus is greater than the Temple since He has received the Holy Spirit without measure from the Father and has filled us with Spirit so that we are all temples of God.

My  Jesus! you are worthy of your claim, " in this place  is One greater than the Temple."

 Glory be to your wonderful name.