Recently in our life group, Martina, good friend and Ashburnham local hub director at WTC has been leading us in a study in John. I have been completely captivated by the imagery conjured up in this gospel which is written quite differently to the other three of the 'synoptic' gospels. Most likely written by John 'the elder', it is not just another account of Jesus's life from another mans perspective. The book takes you on a journey through the temple itself. It draws on the ancient scriptures in a way that would have grabbed the early scholars attention and teaches them and us how, through every act and word Jesus made, he showed us that he IS the temple.
When I was thinking about writing this I had it in mind to somehow take you on a journey with me and walk through the temple, looking at the various elements, visualising them and thinking about how they symbolise Jesus. We jump around the book quite a bit so you might find it helpful to have your Bible to hand if you like. I'm not so concerned here with what the actual building looks like, though I've included a beautiful image of the old testament temple and then the layout below. For our purposes here, we're concerned more with what is there and where it is placed.
So imagine first of all you've just walked through the 'Beautiful Gate', crossed the courtyard and you are now faced with the alter of burnt offerings. It's quite large and impressive and this is the first barrier to entering into the presence of God. As we know, since the time of Cain and Abel, the 'cream of the crop' was to be offered to God, soon followed by Noah who was the first to make a burnt offering of thankfulness, covenant and atonement (Genesis 8:20). The sacrifice was meant to be just that; sacrificial, it needed to be costly to the giver and the aroma of the offering was intended to 'soothe' the wrath of God (Leviticus 1:9). The people would take the best they had to offer and give it to the priest who would offer it to God on their behalf.
In knowing Jesus is God's son, we are taken back to the request God made of Abraham (Genesis 22:2), to offer up his only, long awaited and beloved child to help us understand in human terms what God ultimately did for us. We are shocked by Gods demand to sacrifice the child, and this alter brings us abruptly face to face with what the sacrifice of Jesus meant to God, the Father. In coming first of all to the alter, we see the cost of the ultimate sacrifice. A father offering his only child as a sacrifice once and for all. Jesus IS the alter and ultimate sacrifice.
We walk past the alter to find the 'laver', a bronze bowl of water for ritual cleansing as the priests go about their business in the temple. In Exodus 30:17-21, we see that the early priests, Aaron and his sons were commanded to wash their hands and their feet before even considering entering the tabernacle or making an offering 'lest they die'. Without washing, we are unfit for the presence of God and would, surely die. Water is our next theme and is threaded throughout John. In 2:6, we see Jesus command that the six water vessels, intended for ritual purification, be filled with water which we know then turns to wine and saves the day. It's no coincidence that his first miracle points us to the need for purification. In 3:5 Jesus starts to elaborate and connects water to spirit. Then in 4:14 we get to listen in on Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. When we see a 'well' mentioned in the scriptures, we can perk up our ears because something exciting is about to happen, a wedding perhaps, (Gen 4), or healing (John 5:2-8), and we are not disappointed here because Jesus again connects water to the spirit and now, everlasting life. In chapter 9 there is a further reference to water when the blind man is healed, cleansed and saved when Jesus combines saliva (water/spirit) with clay (representing the joint humanity and Godliness of Jesus) and instructs him to wash in the pool of Siloam. In chapter 7:37-38, on the day of feasting, he calls all those who are thirsty to come to him and drink. Finally, and perhaps the most incredible is in chapter 13 where Jesus washes his disciples feet. The absolute audacity of this is breath-taking! Previously, it is us who have had to wash, but here Jesus is, on his knees, washing their feet. Previously, to connect with God, everything would have to be perfect (through ritual washing and offerings) but here Jesus is demonstrating that all barriers are gone. Jesus IS the water.
Now cleansed and the wrath of God appeased, we can walk into the inner sanctum of the temple. Ahead of us we can see two tables, one with lamps, one with the 'show' bread. Beyond that is a further alter for incense and beyond that, the veil, fabric which stretches from floor to ceiling, shielding us from the holy of holies where the Ark of the Covenant lies.
But first the 'Show' bread which symbolises Gods provision for Israel. Back to John we see a number of references to bread. In chapter 6 there is the feeding of the 5000, where all were fed when Jesus multiplied the five loaves and two small fish. With twelve baskets remaining there was more than enough to go round. In 6:32-35 Jesus makes a direct statement referring to himself as the bread God sent from heaven. In fact Jesus stated he was the bread three times and this is significant in the Bible because when something is said three times, we know it is considered important or absolute. Jesus IS the bread.
Turning around we can now see the lampstand which lights the way of the priests as they move around the temple. When it comes to light and Jesus, there is no ambiguity here. Jesus repeats the phrase that he is the light of the world in 8:2 and then 9:4-5. We can make a further connection to light with the blind man who was healed with the clay and saliva - he was able to see and was no longer in darkness. Jesus heals our spiritual blindness by bringing light. Jesus IS the light.
We next turn our attention to the alter of incense. Dating back to Exodus, the continual burning of incense reminded the people that their prayers were sweet smelling to God. However it also represents a barrier as the high priest would be the only one to burn the incense and make intercession on their behalf. In John 17 we see Jesus interceding on our behalf and it is incredible, an awesome confirmation of everything we have seen Jesus do. We don't need to rely on anyone else, we have direct access to God through Jesus, who IS God through the trinity. Jesus IS the incense.
Having considered all the items in this room, we now see the veil, the final barrier between us and God, represented in the Ark, in the Holy of Holies. In 10:7-9 Jesus says "I am the door of the sheep", we know now that he IS the veil (which was torn at his resurrection), and because of him we can see the Ark, we can see God. Chapter 11:25 tells us that Jesus is the resurrection and we are brought back full circle to John 2:19 where he tells the Jews that although they will destroy this temple (his body), it will be raised three days later. Jesus IS the temple.
To conclude, we see in John 19:34 the visual confirmation that Jesus is the temple, both fully God and fully human. Blood (humanity) and water (spirit) flowed when he was crucified. The symbolic barriers we saw in our walk around the temple have been pulled down and replaced by Jesus the temple, and as we see when he preached in the physical temple on the last day of the feast of the tabernacles, living water will flow from him, the temple, to the nations.
Further reading... Read more about the original temple and the direct instructions from God about how it was to be constructed and treated in Exodus chapters 30-40.
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