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In his conversation with Nathanael, Jesus alluded to the Old Testament phenomenon we call Jacobs ladder (John 1:51; Gen 28:12). Jacob had a dream in which angels passed to and from heaven, where God stood and repeated promises he had made to Jacobs father and grandfather. Waking up, Jacob acknowledged the presence of the Lord.
By reminding Nathanael of that story, Jesus tapped into one of the most powerful concepts of Old Testament theologythe idea that a specific place on earth is made special because of Gods manifestation there. To the Hebrews, wherever God or his representatives touched the ground, that spot became Bethel, or sacred space (literally, House of God; see Gen 28:22). They built altars in those places to commemorate Gods visit.
Jesus told Nathanael that someday he would see Gods angels going up and coming down on the Son of man (John 1:51). That put a radically new twist on things: Now there was not only sacred space, but a sacred person. Eventually, the enormous implications of that truth would appear?
- Those who belong to Christ become temples of God. We as believers become sacred space, or better yet, sacred people, because of Gods presence within us. Paul describes us as temples where the Holy Spirit lives (I Cor. 6:19).
- Every place that we take Jesus becomes a special place. God is in Christ and Christ is in us, so wherever we arein the city, in the marketplace, at homethat place becomes sacred space because Christ is there, in us. As a result&
- We can view our workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities from a new perspective. We dont have to write them off as secular territory. And no longer are cathedrals and churches the only hallowed buildings in town. An office with Christians in it who expect God to work there becomes as special a place as any religious sanctuary. Even a fig tree can become the place where God carries out his purposes, as Nathanael discovered (John 1:510). Furthermore&
- We need no longer view the inner city as throwaway real estate or a God-forsaken ghetto. Any neighborhood, no matter how scarred and broken, can become a Bethel. If Christs people are there, Christ is there. That sort of vision can transform a community and give its people significance and hope.
Jesus demonstrated the power of that new vision by going to the most sacred spot in Israel, the temple, and restoring it to its purpose of worship (John 2:13-22). Later he went to the foot of Mount Gerizim, the sacred place of the Samaritans (John 4:19-24), where he defined true worship. Then he went to a sacred pool in Jerusalem, Bethzatha, where he healed a lame man (John 5:1-4). And so it goes throughout Johns Gospel.
Sacred space is a vital concept for us who need a God as big as the city and as powerful as todays workplace. We carry with us the true Lord of the universe. He can make every place that we enter a place of grace and truth for us and for others.
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:: The Value of Fasting
:: Give God Your Best
:: Let's Celebrate
:: Sacred Space
:: Why You Should Attend Church
:: Regular Worship
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