Daily Devotion for March 16, 2006

To Jerusalem with the ComPassionate Christ
Day 16

 

We Heard Him Say

 

Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:  "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'"  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.  Mark 14: 57-59

 

The problem with half-truths is that, if you are not careful, you get hold of the wrong half. These witnesses had, perhaps, heard the words of Jesus at third or fourth hand, or they had not been paying close attention. Either way, the testimony they gave was false. The verb in the Greek is imperfect, meaning that they kept on giving testimony. Of course, if you say something often enough, and loudly enough, it just has to be true, doesn’t it!

 

They had heard Him say that He would destroy the temple, made with human hands, and build another within three days built not with human hands. Yes, Jesus did say that he was going to destroy the temple (Mark 13:2-3; Matthew 24:1-2), but he did not say that he would rebuild it.  The temple would be destroyed and a true temple would be built – meaning HIMSELF and HIS resurrection.  The physical temple in Jerusalem had become an idol to the Jewish people.  What was most important to them was not God, but the Temple.  In fact, according to their law, if one talked against the Temple (not God) it was punishable by death.  The building was more important than God!

 

We think, how could they have been so mislead as to replace God with a building?  But think about how easily that can be done today.  One does not have to look long and far to see the same thing in the Christian church.  The upkeep and the expansion of the building (church that is) becomes more important than the Building of God’s Kingdom – His TRUE CHUCH!

 

Yes they did not understand Jesus. They did not understand Jesus and the TRUE nature of HIS KINGDOM.  What they did understand, however, was the need for a conviction.  They didn’t want to be confused by the Truth.

 

Throughout it all, Jesus stood, silently awaiting His fate.

 

Prayer
Dear Lord, it would be easy to blame the Jewish leadership for not understanding the message and meaning of Jesus and God’s Kingdom.  But I have to confess that I also misunderstand at times the nature of God’s Kingdom – an eternal Kingdom, and can be easily deceived to think that Your Kingdom has to do with church buildings (which will all one day come to nothing) and that your Kingdom is all that will last. People are more important than buildings!  Forgive me.  Amen

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
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