The warm sun beamed down
on Jerusalem that day.
Every road was clogged and packed
with travelers on their way.
A tangible holiday feeling
was alive in the air.
The excitement was contagious
as people bustled here and there.
This strong surge of visitors –
fellow Jews from far away –
was in celebration of Passover,
the high Holy day.
Many came from Galilee,
from tiny rural towns.
Simple country folk,
where farming and fishing did abound.
They left their barley crops.
They left their wheat in the field.
They left their fishing boats and nets –
the fishermen so skilled.
They travelled towards Jerusalem –
a city large and grand!
And also, the base from which
a Roman legion took its stand.
The almond trees in blossom
were pink on every side,
as the highway to Jerusalem
swept along with humanity’s tide.
Dust, thick and heavy,
swirled up from the busy roads.
Merchant caravans passed,
with rare and precious loads.
Military personnel
marched with their heavy gear …
an indication that the Roman-held
city must be near.
Then there! Across the Kidron Valley –
Jerusalem at last!
What a splendid city –
so magnificent and vast!
Mingled with the excitement
of Passover at hand,
was a brooding, seething hatred
towards the Romans in the land.
There was danger of revolt,
with the city bursting at the seams.
And what about the rumors
of a new Jewish “king.”
He had ridden into the city
with a procession rather grand,
amidst crowds of cheering people
waving palm leaves in their hand.
Many seemed to know him
from his traveling-teaching tour.
But was he a threat?
No one was quite sure.
There were stories from the travelers
who had arrived from Galilee,
of amazing signs and wonders
that he did for them to see.
If he was a threat
it didn’t seem to be towards Rome,
but rather towards the religious leaders
who called the Temple home.
He had caused a mild disturbance
in the Temple his first day,
overthrowing the moneychangers
and driving them away.
But otherwise, this Jewish rabbi
simply sat and taught,
astonishing the crowds
by what he said and thought.
One thing he said
was particularly profound –
that the magnificent Jewish Temple
very soon would be torn down.
How radical to think
that the Jewish Temple grand –
the very center of society –
would one day no longer stand!?
Engineered by Herod,
with massive stones that weighed a ton.
Adorned with brilliant jewels,
that glittered brightly in the sun.
Perched high upon a hill,
with steep ravines on every side.
In the shadow of the Antonia.
The Temple! … Israel’s pride!
“Do you see these great buildings?”
Jesus said to those around,
“Not one stone will be left.
Every one will be thrown down.” (Mark 13:12)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Now … 2,000 years removed,
travelers still come from afar;
arriving in touring busses
and air-conditioned cars.
The brilliant sun still beams down
from a sky that’s clear and blue.
Tensions still remain high
between opposing political views.
Across the Kidron Valley –
Jerusalem! What a sight!
A vast and sprawling city,
blinding white in the sun’s light.
Jews and pilgrims travel
to weep here and to pray,
asking God that they might re-build
their Temple here someday.
The magnificent Jewish Temple
no longer exists today.
But we don’t need a Temple
to connect with God and pray.
We are God’s Holy Temple –
with the Apostles and Prophets as the base;
and Jesus Christ Himself
is the Chief Cornerstone in its place!
This Temple isn’t finished.
It is rising every day,
as God chooses us to be His stones
and places us His way.
Each stone He cuts and quarries
for a specific special place.
He chisels the rough edges
and polishes each face.
In Christ we’re joined together,
as God builds His Temple strong.
There’s no need for another
Jewish Temple to come along.
We are God’s Holy Temple,
where God Himself now lives
through the presence of His Holy Spirit
which to us He freely gives.
By: Amy Hayes
2015
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 – “You are … built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.”
1 Peter 2:5 – “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
