It was one of the most spectacular feats of human engineering. It had taken so long to build and was an amazing sight to behold. All in Israel who visited it marvelled at it.
Made from more than 500,000 bricks, it was the 118 foot tall Lego tower in Tel Aviv, Israel, which in 2017 set a Guinness world record for the tallest Lego structure ever made. It took more than a year to design and build, as school children assembled sections which were then put together using a crane. You can picture how delicate an operation this was, and how easy it would be to just come crashing down, showering the people below with little plastic bricks! How easy it would be for that to happen—but fortunately it didn’t happen. Once the record had been established, the tower was dismantled before any further risk of collapse, with the individual sections returned to the school children who had assembled them.[1]
In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of another astonishing structure in Israel—the Temple at Jerusalem. Taking 46 years to build, it too was one of the biggest constructions of all time. The Jewish historian Josephus notes that some of the beautiful marble columns were over 12 metres high. The towering buildings were equally impressive, built with white marble; other stones covered with gold, reflecting the dazzling sunlight. He records the exceedingly costly offerings donated by rich individuals, such as tapestries, golden and bronze doors and a golden vine at the entrance which had branches as tall as a man.[2]
These were among the adornments and gifts to God that the disciples were commenting on as they walked with Jesus. But Jesus said: “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
Now—how could this be?!?!
This was a huge structure! The courtyard was something of the size of Adelaide Oval.
The stones were massive—some measuring 11 x 5½ x 3½ metres. God had promised his people that he would be personally present there, to do what he wouldn’t do anywhere else—minister his grace to bless them. It was the place God had set aside for the people to meet with him and receive his favour. The Temple became a powerful symbol of national pride and strength, and the lasting presence of God among them. This was no Lego tower. There would be no risk of this toppling over!
But Jesus had told his disciples that is exactly what will happen. You can almost hear the shock in their voices: “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
Did you notice that Jesus doesn’t actually answer their question, but shifts the focus. He says: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,’ and, `The time is near.’ Now—haven’t we heard of that over and again throughout history, people claiming to be the Messiah purporting to know the date of the end of the world, who then tragically lead others to follow their cult.
This is what Jesus warns of. False Christs will point to the destruction of the Temple as the end: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am he,’ and, `The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
If these things were signs of the end of the world, the end of the world would have come 2,000 years ago. Jesus wants his disciples to understand these things aren’t the signs of the end—they are signs of the present—and therefore, their present need for him—before the end comes. They are signs that they need to keep walking by faith and not by sight—to not marvel at the Temple for the impressiveness of what they see, but to fix their eyes on Jesus.
Because he is the new Temple before them. Paul would put it this way in Colossians: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the Cross” (Colossians 1:15, 19-20). Since Jesus’ birth in a stable, there is a shift in the location of God’s merciful presence. God is now no longer housed in a stone construction. He is found in the human flesh and bone of the Person of Christ.
Jesus will not seem magnificent and impressive like the huge stone structure at Jerusalem, with its elaborate and expensive ornaments. Rather than being regarded with awe this new Temple will be despised and rejected, just as Isaiah prophesied:
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by people,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (53:2b-3).
Like the old Temple, Jesus was also brought low. Whipped and scarred, mocked, and beaten, rejected, crucified and left to die on the Cross in the most cruel, brutal and undignified way imaginable—how could this really be the Son of God? But it had to be this way. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
While this new Temple was brought low, it was ultimately not destroyed. Not even death itself could overcome the Son of God, who rose again and ascended to be everywhere present—even here, with us today: our risen, living, saving King.
This is good news for us today! For the like the disciples of old, we too hear of wars and disasters and fearful events and great signs from heaven, even this year. We have all heard of the brutality of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We have heard of disasters like a bridge collapse in India and a Halloween crowd crush in Seoul. Closer to home floods have devastated communities along the eastern states and now threaten the Riverland. The threat of nuclear launches, cyber-hacking Optus and Medibank, and children going on crime sprees through the suburbs are disturbing. We have seen great signs from heaven with powerful electrical storms. And while we do not experience the level of attack our brothers and sisters overseas do, that same rejection of Christ and his people is evident with the proposal to ban the Lord’s Prayer from State Parliament.
That is why the things Jesus speaks of are not signs of the end, they are just things that happen in the present, in a broken, sinful, self-destructing world, that in its natural state refuses to turn to the salvation God offers in Jesus. Yet in the midst of all of this the new Temple still stands. This temple is permanent unlike the massive stones and precious ornaments Jesus’ disciples marvelled at. In the Person of Christ, the fullness of God still dwells—right here, for you today, with all of God’s divine favour.
Now—what wonderful news for us this morning. You have come to the new Temple. Jesus is present again today, to bring you grace, blessing, saving help and peace. He does this through proclaiming the Gospel for you. He does this through pronouncing forgiveness to you, which he will in a few moments. Later Jesus will make bread and wine his body and blood. All who eat and drink trusting in what Jesus says he does and gives shall receive his own life, and all the benefits of his saving death on the Cross.
And it is especially good news for Clara. For the new Temple will be at the font, and rule with grace again. It will seem nothing out of the ordinary; nothing stunning or remarkable or spectacular—just some simple splashes of water and a few words. But through this Jesus promises to make Clara a precious and holy child of God, wash away all her sin and grant her his own righteousness. Clara will not even be aware of what is happening, but that is the beauty of grace. He who has numbered all the hairs on her head has also redeemed every single one of them. And in this it is a reminder of the grace of God in our own baptism, by which he has given us new hearts to believe.
Parents and sponsors of Clara, and members of the congregation, Clara will need all our support and encouragement to keep coming to the new Temple, Jesus, and receive from him all his favour, mercy, grace and blessing, his strength and life, so that her faith can be nurtured and strengthened to stand firm, despite everything that rages in the world around us.
Just as we all need the encouragement of each other to keep coming here to meet with Jesus too, that our own faith can be strengthened—so that even if the earth itself should crash down around us like a Lego tower, and the end come in our own lifetime, we are found to be still standing, clinging to Christ, and gaining eternal life. May we join with Isaiah (12:2) in the words of today’s Psalm:
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my defence;
he has become my salvation.” Amen.
Pastor Tim Ebbs
St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Glenelg
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, 2022
[1] May, Ashley ‘118-foot tall Lego tower could be tallest ever built, beating current Guinness record holder’ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/12/28/118-foot-tall-lego-tower-could-tallest-ever-built-beating-current-guinness-record-holder/987192001/ (last accessed 13 Nov 2022)
[2]Josephus comments on the size, beauty and whiteness of the stones in War 5.223-25 (5.5.6); Antiquities 15.392 (5.11.3) cited by Arthur Just in his commentary on Luke (Concordia Publishing House: page 783).
