The Beautiful Temple

Matthew 24:1-2 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. ² And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

On this day Jesus went out of that temple and would never enter it again. 

His disciples are showing Him the temple and the beauty of it. 

To call to His attention to the beautiful structure of it the engravings and magnificent stones used to build it.

The pure gold that was laid upon the stone.

According to Josephus a historian writer of that time, it appeared at a distance like a mountain of snow, glistening, glowing and was a beautiful site!

In Luke 21:5-6 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donation, 

Donations brought to the temple. These were donations given and dedicated to God. These gifts were to express their gratitude to God. They would bring things of value and hang them or set them up on the pillars and perches of the temple.  Examples were…..gold, silver, war items, jewelry, maybe perfumes or clothing, things of value in that day.

In the prior versus of Luke 21, 1-5, it is telling us about the “Widow’s Two Mites.” 2 mites are copper coins, as in 2 pennies.

Think about this, this is what Jesus saw in that beautiful temple for the last time He would enter there. 

Money and gifts pouring in and of all that gave out of their abundance, this woman gave out of her need. All she had was 2 pennies to her name and she gave it all.

Jesus honors her above all those that gave that day!

It makes us take a look at why we give.

Do we give out of duty?

Do we give to show how wealthy we are?

Do we give in hope of God seeing our need?

Do we give out of obedience?

Are we cheerful givers? The bible tells us God loves a cheerful giver.

Although God has told us to tithe, He also has told us to bring offerings.

Bring tithe and offerings to His house.

Why? Is He greedy? Does He need your money?

Jesus was looking around and seeing His people suffering. 

They were in need and trying to keep up with the demand of the temple rules.

His disciples were in awe looking at the beautiful structure and all the donated gifts of much value hanging and sitting around the temple.

But Jesus saw those that were coming into the temple and selling what the people would need for their sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin and gouging the people instead of trying to help them.

The people new the law and those that were put in authority over the temple were living in luxury.

Eating the best!

Living in the best places.

But always demanding more!

The people were trapped by the system that was supposed to be their help!

Now as they stood outside of that temple, the disciples admiring its beauty, Jesus says,

Matthew 24:2 He said,  “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

These things which you value, these things of beauty to look upon will all come down and be destroyed.

As they walked around in this amazing structure and valuable things hung all around them, people were hurting, dying, starving!

Needing God! 

The people needed their leaders to care about them!

Instead, they came to a place where abundance was in front of them doing nothing, gaining nothing for them or for the Kingdom of God. Just a display of how far they had gotten away from the heart of God!

Today as Christians, we are blessed that Holy Spirit lives in us and we do not have to go to a temple to make sacrifices for our sins. We can pray directly to our heavenly Father because Jesus died for our sins and gave us a gift that no price tag could be placed on it.

Buildings grow old just like we do. Some hold up much better than others. But they are all decaying. Giving way to the aging process.

Now we believe in giving God our best.

But when we concentrate on the building and not the presence of Holy Spirit we have lost our way!

When we put all our tithe and offerings to build bigger and better and forget what THE CHURCH is for, we have lost our way. 

We need to remember, the buildings we call CHURCH, when they are just like that temple Jesus walked out of for the last time, He did not bless it but spoke of its destruction!

I want Jesus to come to our church and go out saying come to this place, THIS IS WHERE I AM!!!!!!!!!!!

Pastor Sherry