Ezra and Nehemiah: Matthew 28:20b; I Corinthians 6:19

The captivity of God’s people in Babylon and their deliverance from it can seem like ancient events that have little relevance for us today. Yet Ezra and Nehemiah show us that God is faithful to his promise to deliver his people. During their captivity, God’s people longed for the surety of his presence among them, the surety they enjoyed while the temple of God was in their midst. Just as the temple pointed to God’s faithfulness dwelling in the body of Jesus, Ezra and Nehemiah prepare us to see that, in him, we are God’s temple.

————————–

Matthew 20:20b And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

I Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

————————-

There is much comfort in knowing that we are God’s temple. Jesus never fails; he is always faithful to his promises. He promises, “I am with you always.” Jesus is with us always because he has put his name on us in Holy Baptism. Jesus will not forsake us. Our bodies are the temple of his Spirit, who dwells in us, who we received from God.