Matthew and John in particular develop a picture of Jesus as the fulfillment of everything that the temple stood for and the focus of worship under the new covenant. The temple, like its predecessor the tabernacle, was regarded as a meeting-point between heaven and earth, the place where the transcendent Lord of all was pleased to manifest his glory in the midst of his people Israel. As a representation of God’s presence with them and a sign of his rule over them, the temple was to be a reference point for the life of the nation. The ritual conducted in connection with this holy place was the God-ordained way of maintaining the covenant relationship that he had established with them. It was supposed to enable Israel to live out its destiny before the nations as ‘a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’. Consequently, it is not surprising to find various expressions of the hope for a new temple at the centre of Jewish thinking about the future. With the promise that God would dwell forever in the midst of his people, in a new and unparalleled way, went the belief that the nations would somehow be united in the worship of the one true God…
David peterson
Jesus is to become the centre of salvation and blessing for the nations (e.g. Mt. 28:18-20; Lk. 24:46-49; Jn. 12:20-33). The tearing of the curtain of the temple from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death (Mt. 27:51; Mk. 15:38; Lk. 23:45) could be taken as an expression of the judgment of God, anticipating the more drastic events to come in AD 70, but also as a symbol of the opening of a new way to God through the death of Jesus.
Reflection:
We need something to center our lives to keep us from living aimlessly with no purpose. In the Old Testament, God gave Israel a temple for this. The central place of their lives was a place God had chosen to represent His presence with them.
Today, we might feel second class since we have no physical place like the temple. But over and over, the Bible encourages us to see the temple (and the tabernacle which preceded it) as shadows of something greater. Each of the gospel writers, in their own way, points us to see that Jesus is the fulfillment of the temple. At first, this may seem odd to consider how Jesus fulfills a place. But then, when we realize what it all means, the power of the image sinks in. Jesus is the center, Jesus is the destination, and Jesus is the way. All the things that the temple was for the Israelites, Jesus is for the entire world.
So if we desire blessing, it is found in Jesus. If we desire salvation, it is found in Jesus. If we desire God Himself, He is found in Jesus. Jesus is the one person who is also a destination. Thus, Jesus is our reference point for life with God in this world.
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