Psalm 20, 21; 1 Kings 7:51-8:21; Acts 28:17-31; Mark 14:43-52
The temple is completed and now can serve as a home for the Lord. The ark is brought into the temple and we are told that the only thing in the ark now are the tablets on which the law was written. What has happened to the jar of manna and the staff of Aaron? As the ark is set in its place, the glory of the Lord descends on the temple just as it had on the tabernacle in Exodus 40. The shekinah glory is the symbol of God’s presence in the temple, He has accepted the offering of His servants and this is now the city of God as all can see. Solomon’s prayer of dedication recalls the Lord’s promise to his father David and claims the fulfillment of the divine promise. He has been faithful to David, His promises are sure. Who could have guessed this was the high water mark for the nation?
And so it begins. Judas comes out with the chief priests, scribes, elders and their police force. Judas chooses a kiss as the sign, a symbol of his intimate relationship with Jesus becomes the means by which he betrays Him to them. Jesus has said that the one who dips the bread with him, another symbol of intimate relationship will be the sign given to the disciples. The worst betrayals are those who were formerly intimate with us. What is it that Judas expects to happen next? Surely he believes that this will be the beginning of the overthrow of the existing power structures and now Jesus will step into the role of Messianic king but he will be sorely disappointed. The one promised is preparing to ascend to the throne but it will not be the throne of an earthly king. The path to the throne is through Golgotha. It will be far less glorious to earthly eyes than the dedication of the temple.
As always, Paul’s first audience are the Jews. They come at his bidding and request that he tell them of this Jesus and how Paul has come to his views on this sect which is widely spoken against by the Jews. Paul’s evangelistic efforts yield little result with the Jews and finally he gives up with the words the Lord spoke to Isaiah. Paul has, like Isaiah, been faithful and yet they will not hear or see and come to be healed. For the next two years Paul lived in Rome at his own expense as a prisoner although with much freedom to preach and teach and with that, Luke concludes Paul’s story, leaving it unfinished. All we can assume is that Theophilus knew the ending. Paul trusted in the promise of God from Matthew 28, that Jesus would be with us always, even to the end of the age as we went about the work He gave us to do, the work of baptizing and making disciples.
Savior, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy Name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
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