Disciples Digital Library

A line is crossed when the activities of God’s Spirit in the words and deeds of Jesus are attributed to Satan  –  Mark 3:22-35 .  Christ’s statement about the “ unpardonable sin ” was in response to the scribes from Jerusalem who came to examine his conduct and teachings. In the preceding paragraph, his “ friends ” had concluded that he was “ beside himself .” In the present story, the representatives from the Temple accused him of being in league with “ Beelzebul ,” the Devil.

Jesus chose his Twelve Apostles from among a larger group of followers, including two surprising candidates  -  Mark 3:13-21 .  After preaching to the crowds near Capernaum, Jesus departed to a “ mountain ” and summoned his disciples, where he chose twelve men from among a larger group. The resultant company corresponded to the twelve tribes of Israel; effectively, he was reconstituting the covenant people of Yahweh, only now, around himself and not the  Torah  or Temple.

The crowds welcomed Jesus because of his miracles, only demons recognized him as the Son of God  -  Mark 3:7-12 .  Mark  describes several incidents that occurred while Jesus was teaching in Capernaum. Eager to see his healing powers, the crowd thronged him to the point it became necessary for him to speak from a boat just off the shoreline. But in the middle of his preaching, demons began to declare that he was the “ Son of God .”

The  Letter to the Hebrews  next demonstrates the superiority of the  sonly word  by comparing it to Moses, Israel’s Great Lawgiver. Implicit in its argument is the priority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over even the Mosaic legislation, and at this point in the Letter, the comparison is most appropriate. Moses certainly did mediate God’s law to Israel and was the greatest of the prophets. Nevertheless, the “ Son ” surpasses even him in status and glory.

The Son achieved the “ Purification of Sins ,” thereby qualifying to “ sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on High .” As the appointed High Priest “ after the order of Melchizedek ,” he now intercedes for his people in the very presence of God. Moreover, he inherited a “ more distinguished name ” than even the angels, namely, “ Son .” In its first chapter, the Letter to the Hebrews demonstrates that this “ Son ” and High Priest is superior to even creatures as glorious as the angels of God.

In  Mark , the city of Jerusalem is the headquarters of the opposition to Jesus, especially the priestly authorities of the Temple. As his popularity grows, he experiences growing conflict with the religious authorities, the Pharisees, the scribes, and the representatives of the high priest. And his enemies began to plot his destruction.

Having established his priestly qualifications,  Hebrews  presents Jesus as the High Priest who intercedes faithfully and sympathetically for his people. He participated fully in the nature and sufferings common to all men, therefore, his priestly intercession for his “ brethren ” is characterized by compassion for them. The “ Son ” experienced the same death that is common to all men, and in doing so, he qualified for the priesthood “ after the order of Melchizedek ” even though he was not a member of the Tribe of Levi. What set him apart from other men was his sinlessness.

The  Gospel of John  presents Jesus as the True House of God and the open way of access to the presence of God. He is the Greater and True  Bethel , the “ House of God .” From now on, Heaven is open to all men, and angels are seen “ ascending and descending ” on the “ Son of Man .” What Jacob saw in a vision long ago has become a concrete reality in Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus revealed the proper form and location for worshipping the Father to a woman in Samaria. With the advent of the Messiah, concepts and traditions about holy space and holy time have become irrelevant. The presence of the Messiah rendered the historical debate over the location of the Temple moot. From now on, the worship of God must be performed  in truth and spirit .

Jesus is the True and Final Sanctuary where the glory of Yahweh dwells, the substance foreshadowed by the old Temple . In the second chapter of  John , the disciples discover that Jesus is the True and Final Temple of God. The era in which God “ dwelt ” in portable tents and stone buildings in Jerusalem came to an end with the arrival of the Messiah. God does not dwell in structures “ made-by-hand ,” nor can His presence be contained within physical walls or geographical boundaries.