My Walk With Him: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. John 2:19-21

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. As such, I continue with one of the recommendations from the post to prepare for Holy Week, which is to read John Piper's 50-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #25: To Become for Us the Place Where We Meet God. Here, John Piper shares with believers what I find to be a deeply profound truth - certainly for myself. What is surprising for me is that up until this morning, I had yet to recognize this truth or that more accurately God had yet to reveal it to me. Using John 2:19-21 as the emphasized text for the devotion today, Piper shares: "[w]hy did Jesus draw the connection between the Jewish temple and his own body? Because he came to take the place of the temple as the meeting place with God. With the coming of the Son of God in human flesh, ritual and worship would undergo profound change. Christ himself would become the final Passover lamb, the final priest, the final temple. They would all pass away, and he would remain." This is both a subtle but very important truth to discern and recognize - believers easily understand how the OT ceremonial law and ritual practices (animal sacrifice, etc.) passed away, and they also understand that we no longer need to go to a specific place to meet with Jesus, but they may not understand how Jesus became the place to meet with God. The text today is echoed of course elsewhere as Piper points to Matthew 12:6, Colossians 2:9, and 1 Timothy 2:5. Piper then describes how, unlike other faiths such as Judaism and Islam, "Christianity has no geographical center." Simply put, it we want to see God we must repent, believe and we will see/experience Christ. Piper concludes the devotion for today but referring us to John 14:9, Matthew 10:40, 1 John 2:23, and John 5:23. Repent, believe in Christ and experience and see God!

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God who sent His Son so that I could see and experience You, not just now but for eternity. Thank You Father God. I am not deserving of how You sent Your One and Only Son to die for me so that I could experience You in this life and for eternity in Heaven. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself energy and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.