"Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter," (John 10:22closeJohn 10:22 I and the Father Are One 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, (ESV) closeJohn 10:22closeJohn 10:22 I and the Father Are One 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, (ESV) I and the Father Are One 22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, (ESV) )
-Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians from Jerusalem in 164 BC; after which the Jewish people rededicated the altar in the temple (this was the second temple built by the Jewish people, Solomon’s temple having been destroyed earlier). The Feast of Dedication occurred in the middle of our month of December; it lasted 8 days; lights and candles were a prominent part of the celebration. It is easy to see worldly prominence as a visible sign of God’s blessing on our efforts; this success in driving out the Syrians was seen by the Jewish people as God’s blessing on them. As Christians today, if we are not careful we will evaluate God’s opinion of us based on our success/lack of success in the areas of politics and legal decisions. Jesus would prophesy regarding this temple that it would all be torn down (and it was). It must have been very hard for the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, to hear that this sacred building that meant so much to them was not going to exist anymore for the worship of God.
What happens to the mission of Christ when it is confused and comingled with national military/political concerns? __________________________________
-Winter is the end of one year, the New Year is about to come. It is a time when life seems to retract. But God orders the seasons and establishes their boundaries. Jesus had come to bring the New Covenant that God had prophesied about through Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31closeJeremiah 31:31 The New Covenant 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (ESV) closeJeremiah 31:31closeJeremiah 31:31 The New Covenant 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (ESV) The New Covenant 31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, (ESV) ); the old was ending, the new was coming.
What new ministry in this next year are you Praying about? _______________________________________
23 and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade.
-Solomon’s Colonnade was left over from the first temple; having been spared by the Chaldeans. This structure was 400 cubits high (a cubit measurement was 20.6 inches when used to measure buildings; a cubit used in commerce was 16-18 inches); so this structure was about 8,240 inches tall (which equals approximately 686 feet tall) There are individual stones in the supporting wall that are 20 cubits long. This building was built to facilitate worship of the one true living God; but this building with all of it’s impressiveness is not what God was interested in- He wants a loving relationship with His children; He wants His Son to have a healthy relationship with His bride- the Church.
What happens when we make a building, more important in our ministry focus than the relationship of people with God? ________________
Jim Buckman
