The gospels tell us that Jesus was often at the temple during his earthly life. He was presented in the temple, taught there as a boy and a man (Luke 2, John 8, etc.), and cleansed the temple of money changers and venders (John 2, etc.). This seemed normal to me until this week when a footnote in Numbers caught my attention.
I’ve recently been reading through Leviticus and Numbers for my personal scripture reading. Honestly, it hasn’t felt very encouraging or even “applicable.” Yet it has reminded me of God’s authority and the limitations and frailty of humans. The chapters I read this week made clear that only male Levites without deformity or uncleanness could serve God within the sanctuary of the tabernacle (and later the temple). There was even condemnation of death to the unqualified person who entered (Numbers 3:38).
A footnote pointed out that since Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi, he would never have been inside the temple. Though there are multiple passages of Scripture that talk about Jesus being at the temple, he never would have entered the temple proper, the Holy Place. Woah! Even Jesus, God Himself, abides by the regulations God the Father had set for His people two thousand years before. Jesus’ humility causes Him to submit to this regulation though He of all people should have had access to the Holy Place.
Until I considered this, it had always seemed fitting that the Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe. But what about the Holy Place and the need for a priest? Hebrews tells us that, though He is not of the tribe of Levi, Jesus is a priest. He is the better priest, in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:10). When Jesus tells the questioning, critical Pharisees, “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.” (Matthew 12:6), He didn’t mean the temple or its regulations were unimportant. Instead, God had arrived to dwell with man in a new way, the perfect man had arrived who could have undefiled relationship with God, the mediator that the priests represented had arrived, the sacrifice that was needed had arrived.
Professional development talks, as well as some personal reading in C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers, has had me thinking about story, myth, and truth. C.S. Lewis says that Christianity is myth become truth. All our desires and longings (which draw us into myths and good story telling) are from God to make us long for the good He has in store for those who love Him. For this reason, story (though it is not measurable) is important for understanding truth, in a different way than scientific, measurable evidence is important. This is the story I began to visualize, helping me see the truth more clearly.
I pictured Jesus during His ministry on earth. He had emptied Himself willing and yet knew the Father was with Him, so He had no necessity of going into the Holy Place or making sacrifice. Then I imagined Jesus’ death on the cross and His final words, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34)” as He experienced for the first time the separation from God that all other humans have experienced because of their sin. This was anguish for Him. But as He dies, all righteousness is fulfilled, the debt is paid, and with justice restored, the brief separation of God the Son from God the Father is no longer necessary. As His physical body dies, Jesus’ spirit rushes back into the presence of the Father in the most Holy Place of heaven. And as He goes, He grabs hold of the veil of separation and rips it in two, so that He, the firstborn from the dead, can get back into the presence of the Father. The curtain wasn’t only parted for Him though, but for all who will come after Him. “We have this a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:19-20).”
As this happens in the throne room of God, back in the earthly temple, which is but a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things (Hebrews 8:5)”, the physical curtain is also torn. The earthly story reflects the heavenly one.
And so, it seems not to matter so much after all if Jesus was never physically inside the temple in Jerusalem. He had the right to enter the heavenly temple and He left the curtain on earth open for us.
Photo by Pontus Wellgraf on Unsplash
Welcome To The Carriage House 
So good, Sister!
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Good thinking/research. Keep in mind that the temple (temple complex) of Jesus’ day was HUGE. Many courtyards & areas. For example, a court of the Gentiles (outermost), Court of the women (2nd class), etc. Apparently the old lady Anna was LIVING in some kind of room in one of the Temple courts! So yes Jesus could have been IN the temple without having access to the Holy Place or Holy of Holies. But I think He would have had access to the outer court where the animals were sacrificed, since I think everyone had to come in & put their hand on the animal when it was being slaughtered by the priests. Since Jesus came to fulfill the Law, He could not violate a single jot or tittle of it!
I guess you know that the veil of the temple (separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies) was huge and thick (like, maybe a foot thick) so that even a team of oxen (or two teams, actually) could not have pulled & torn it. Scripture specifically says it was torn top to bottom, as if God Himself took it & ripped it down the middle, to create that new & living way that Hebrews talks about. Sounds to me like you’re getting your mojo back! Praying for you!Linda
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Yes, it is good to keep in mind how big the temple complex is. I didn’t mean to over simplify it, just pointing out that it’s a little different from “going to church” for example, which assumes you are inside the building.
And yes, the veil was thick! Thanks for sharing what you’ve studied and how it relates. =)
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