Note: Audio is not available for this sermon.
In the Old Testament era, where was God? Where did He dwell? Where could the people go to meet Him? The answer is … God dwelt among His people in the temple. But the temple itself pointed to something greater. It pointed to Jesus.
In today’s Holy Gospel, Jesus refers to the temple three times. First, He predicted the destruction of the temple. Second, He cleanses the temple by driving out the money changers. Third, St Luke tells us that Jesus was teaching daily in the temple.
I want to speak with you today about the temple. But even more importantly, I want to speak about Jesus, the true Temple.
The first temple was built by King Solomon. It took seven years to build. It was made of the finest cedar. It was overlaid with pure gold and silver. It was built from the highest quality stone. When it was completed, it was dedicated to the Lord in 960 B.C. God placed His name there. His glory dwelt there. You can read about it in I Kings chapters 5-9.
Where was God? He was present in His temple. There He forgave the sins of the people on account of the animal sacrifice. The temple was also the place where God heard the prayers of His people. Yet the temple pointed forward to the promised Messiah.
The coming Savior would be the real temple where God would dwell bodily among His people. He would be the real priest offering Himself up as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He would be pure as silver and gold, without sin. He would be the source of forgiveness and peace with God.
As time went on, God’s people fell deeper and deeper into idolatry. They had forsaken the worship of the one true God, and they worshiped pagan gods instead. Eventually, idols were even placed inside the temple itself.
Our Old Testament reading from Jeremiah describes their condition. The people turned away in perpetual backsliding. They held fast to deceit. They refused to repent. They did not relent from evil. They rejected God’s Word. They were greedy for unjust gain. They said, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. Worst of all, they were no longer ashamed of their sin.
This is a warning for us. Are we sorry for our sin? Do we fear the wrath of God? Do we fear His holy judgment? We live in a world that tells us not to feel guilt about anything. Our culture often says, “Do whatever makes you happy.” But God’s Word says something different.
God is a just. He is holy. He hates sin. And we can’t hide anything from God. He knows the idolatry and adultery of our own heart. We often trust money, success, comfort, reputation, or even ourselves more than we trust God.
Woe to those who are unrepentant, but blessed are you when you have a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. Woe to those who are not sorry for their sin, but blessed are you who sorrow over sin and who yearn for the forgiveness of sins. In Christ, God is gracious and merciful to us. Jesus is the Lamb of God who shed his blood for our sins. Christ atoned for our sin by his righteous death upon the cross.
For 40 years the prophet Jeremiah called the people to repentance, but hardly anyone listened. Jeremiah wept over Jerusalem because of her unbelief, Centuries later, Jesus would do the same thing.
At one time Jeremiah said, “If you do not repent, this city will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it” (Jer 38:3). The people ignored God’s warning. In 587 B.C. God allowed the Babylonians to destroy Solomon’s magnificent temple. The city lay in ruins, exactly as God had foretold. Yet even then God has not abandoned His people. You can read all about it in II Kings chapter 25.
During their captivity in Babylon, God was still with them. The time of captivity was a time of cleansing. God used this time of suffering to show them once again what it meant to live by faith in the one true God rather than in idols. They began to see the foolishness of worshiping idols. They began to see God as a merciful and forgiving God.
Eventually, God led His people out of captivity and brought them back home to Jerusalem. The first thing they did was to rebuild the temple. This is called the second temple. It took a long time to build but it was finally dedicated in 515 B.C. But this second temple never compared to the beauty of Solomon’s temple. You can read about it in the book of Ezra.
Once again, God’s presence filled the temple. Once again, the temple was used to sacrifice animals as a means of forgiveness. The temple was, once again, used as a house of prayer.
Yet this second temple, like the first, was pointing forward to a greater temple. It pointed to coming Savior. Jesus is the third and final temple.
Where is God now located for us? Not in the physical temple, but in Jesus. Jesus is the true temple. He is Immanuel—God with us. In Christ, the fullness of God dwells bodily.
During Jesus’ ministry, He taught and preached the Word of God. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. He fulfilled every prophecy concerning Himself. Yet the Jewish leaders refused to acknowledge that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. They did not believe that God was visiting them in the person of Jesus.
This is why Jesus wept. He did not weep because He knew that the second temple would be destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. He knew that Jerusalem would eventually fall. He wept because His own people rejected Him as the one and only Savior.
Had Jerusalem received Jesus, then she would have had peace with God. Had Jerusalem believed in Jesus as the Prince of Peace, then she could have departed this life in peace, just like Simeon. Had Jerusalem believed in Jesus as her only source of salvation, then she could have received forgiveness of sins. Had Jerusalem known that the time of God’s visitation among them was in Jesus, she would have had a peace which the world can never give.
Instead, they worshiped the stone temple rather than Jesus. They made money their idol god and therefore turned the temple into a den of robbers.
And this is a warning for us. Do not reject God’s Word or resist the Holy Spirit. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. Do not be unrepentant, but repent over all your sin seeking God’s forgiveness in Christ.
Jesus once said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn 2:19). The Jewish leaders thought that Jesus was referring to the second temple. But Jesus was speaking of His own body. The chief priests and scribes “destroyed” Jesus. They arrested Him and handed him over to Pilate. Jesus was the stone which the builders rejected. They didn’t want him.
The people made the temple a den of thieves and yet, Jesus was nailed to the cross between two thieves. Jesus is the spotless lamb, pure like gold and silver. Jesus is the real priest offering Himself as the final sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
Since the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the world’s sin was made on the cross, there is no longer any need for the temple. And so, God had the curtain of the temple torn from top to bottom. God Himself declared that the old sacrificial system had reached its fulfillment in Jesus.
Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone of the New Testament church.
St Paul says in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus has reconciled you to the Father. Jesus bridged the gap between sinful mankind and our heavenly Father. The old way to approach God through an earthly temple is gone. God allowed the Gentile Romans to destroy it in 70 A.D., just as Jesus had foretold in today’s Gospel.
Where is Jesus present today? We do not search for Him in a physical temple. He is present where He has promised to be. He meets us in Holy Baptism, where He washed away our sin and clothed us with His righteousness. Jesus speaks to us today through His Word taught and preached. He is also present in the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of sins.
Today is our day of visitation. Today, Christ visits us here in this place of worship. He serves us with His Word and Sacrament. He hears our prayer. He strengthens our faith. He gives us courage to persevere in the one true faith. And He sends us out as a light in a dark world reflecting Christ as our Savior.
So, cling to Christ and His Word. Remain faithful to His Church. Pray for your family and for those who do not yet know Christ. Invite them to join you here in God’s house. Pass the faith on to your children teaching them God’s Word.
Where do we find true peace? Not in the world and not in our wealth or success. True peace is found only in Jesus, our Prince of Peace. He is our hope and joy. He is our only source of salvation.
And when our last day comes, we are able to depart this life in peace, just like Simeon, knowing that Christ has opened heaven for us and for all who believe. Amen.
