Jesus, House Of God

Jesus, House of God

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”

Psalm 122:1

IN WORD Pilgrims to Jerusalem, at whatever point in Israel’s history, looked forward to the trip. Regardless of the particular feast involved, it was always a reminder of national identity—of the God who had brought them out of Egypt, of the cost of their collective redemption, or of the coming fulfillment of the prophecies. It was a time for God’s people to be God’s people together—to celebrate together, to repent and be forgiven together, to worship together. Most of all, it was a visitation to the Temple of the One who held the entire past, present, and future in His hand. It was where God lived.

We don’t have anything like that in our collective identity. Our churches aren’t where God dwells, at least not the buildings themselves. Our country isn’t where God dwells, certainly not beyond the extent that He dwells in many other countries. Christianity has no holy city on which we focus our devotion as an integral, necessary part of our faith. We can worship regardless of where we are, at any time.

So what central location of Christianity is our focus? It’s not a place, it’s a Person. We don’t build our devotion around Jerusalem and its Temple, but around Jesus and the Temple of His being (John 2:19-21). All of the feasts of Israel are summed up in Him. All the promises of God are fulfilled in Him. All of Israel’s history points toward Him. When the Word urges us to go up to the house of the Lord, Jesus is the house. In Him we are redeemed, we are fulfilled, and we are together. He is our identity as a people.

IN DEED What does your identity revolve around? When someone says to you, “Let us go to the house of the Lord,” does it thrill you? Do you relish the opportunity to get closer to Jesus, where all God’s people dwell, where all His redemptive work is celebrated, and where all His promises are fulfilled? If somehow your faith has been distracted or diluted from purity of devotion to Jesus Himself, take time today to refocus. He’s the center of your faith, and even the center of your life. Rejoice to draw closer to Him.

All God’s love and the fruits of it come to us as we are in Christ, and are one with Him.

—RICHARD SIBBES