Sermon Audio

The ancient Hebrew scholar and historian Joseph ben Matityahu, better known as Titus Flavius Josephus, recorded the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in AD70:

Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other work to be done), Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as they were of the greatest eminence...and...the wall [that] enclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valor had subdued; but for all the rest...it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind.
And truly, the very view itself was a melancholy thing; for those places which were adorned with trees and pleasant gardens, were now become desolate country every way, and its trees were all cut down. Nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judaea and the most beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament and mourn sadly at so great a change. For the war had laid all signs of beauty quite waste. Nor had anyone who had known the place before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again.

He claims, even, that 1.1 million people were killed during the siege, and another 97,000 were captured and enslaved. When describing the massacre, he wrote,

The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on the work of extermination.

And so, Jerusalem and all of her inhabitants were leveled, just as Jesus had predicted.

If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.

As Jesus said, this happened because they did not know the time of their visitation. They had the Scriptures, the very revealed Word of and from God, yet they ignored it. They knew what to look for; God had told them, but they didn’t want it. God was dwelling among them with His grace and mercy—Jesus walked among them, as John wrote, “[T]he Word became flesh and dwelt among us...full of grace and truth.” (cf. John 1:14) That word John used you have often heard me translate as “pitched His tent” or “tabernacled.” The Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us. The poignancy is astounding, and points back to the tent of meeting in the exodus and to the very temple that was destroyed, the second time in AD70.

But the Jews didn’t want that. God was walking among them, tabernacling among them, in their very midst—they could have touched Jesus and they would have touched God in the flesh. His presence was a gracious and merciful presence: healing the sick, sighting the blind, hearing the deaf, walking the lame, exorcising the possessed, forgiving the sinful. Whoa, stop right there; such blasphemy!

No, they would rather set up tables in the temple courtyards. They preferred to sell sacrificial animals at exorbitant and extortive prices. They thought it best to exchange money at outrageous rates for those needing the proper coin for the temple offering. Their programs worked best for them, and the people were too ignorant to know any better. Better that they do the work of God for a profit than for free, as that Jesus guy did.

Now, we hear in today’s text about Jesus cleansing the temple. “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, ‘It is written, “My house is a house of prayer,” but you have made it a “den of thieves.”’” Luke doesn’t give us all of the sordid details; he’s left that to Matthew and Mark. Jesus drove them out, and a foretaste was given of the destruction to come, because they did not know the time of their visitation.

Jesus teaches in the temple, and the crowd gathers around Him. Oh, to be sure, there are some who receive their visitation with joy and faith. After all, Jesus did heal the sick, sight the blind, hear the deaf, walk the lame, exorcise the possessed, and forgave the sinful. He asked nothing in return, but gave freely as His Father had sent Him to do. And we must admit that there were likely many in the crowds around Him who were there for nothing more than the spectacle; I mean, in addition to all of the things Jesus did where ever He went, He had also just driven out those who bought and sold in the temple with a righteous anger that many of them would be drawn to like a train wreck—you just can’t avert your eyes from such a sight. However, right there in the midst of His enemies, despite their plotting and scheming and wretched desires, Jesus boldly and fearlessly teaches the people, and many do receive their visitation with joy and faith.

Because of the crowds around Jesus, the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were unable to destroy Him, as they wanted. They were afraid to do anything because of the crowds, or, to put it better, because of the reaction they would receive from the crowds. They had to wait for a more opportune time, which they would get before long—our text is part of Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem, part of His Holy Week preparation to die for the sins of the world as the spotless Lamb of God.

Is this not unlike the church today?

A church that is faithful receives Her Lord, Jesus Christ without fear. The blessings come and remarkable things happen in that place. Perhaps the congregation grows, perhaps not, but the people there receive the gifts of God in Christ Jesus, grow in the knowledge of His grace and truth, and are prepared by Him to be received to Him when He comes again in glory to judge the quick and the dead. The Word of God has it’s way with them and accomplishes what He desires.

But there are churches out there that lose and have lost confidence in God. These lose sight of God’s visitation among them and no longer trust in the Word of God to accomplish what He desires. What do these places do? They set up all kinds of programs and techniques in order to grow the congregation and bring them success. And, let’s be honest about that success; while they will claim they measure it by the number of butts in seats week-in-and-week-out, the real measure of success for them is their bank roll. Many of those programs and techniques may be fun and have the appearance of being meet, right, and salutary, but the ignore the very thing needful: Jesus Christ and the forgiveness, life, and salvation that He has won and brings to His people through His means of grace. “Get ‘em in the door with what they like,” they’ll all proclaim, “then we’ll tell ‘em about Jesus.”

Except, with this bait-and-switch method, once you get around to “telling ‘em about Jesus,” you’ve abandoned that thing which they like. And when you do that, you turn your listener off, even making them hostile toward you and to Jesus Christ. Oh, you’ll have some that stick around for the spectacle. I mean, it won’t be long until this place turns to more programs and techniques in order to build up their body of their Christ, so maybe you’ll have a few stragglers hanging on, hoping to see what they like again. But in the end, the result is always the same: declining membership and a shrinking bank roll.

We must also face the fact, dear little flock, that the question has often crossed our minds. “What can we do to bring people in?” “What can we do to create a little more cash flow?” And usually our answer turns away from the Word of God—it ignores Jesus and His visitation. Yes, we’ll look at different trinkets and goodies that we can give out and sell at Elizabash, and by that hoping to say, “We are here.” We invite a special speaker in who presents ideas for how to better grow our money and pay less in taxes. We think about Oktoberfests and concerts and programs and techniques that will, we hope, get a foot of a community member through our doors. Who knows...maybe they’ll stay a while and help our bottom line. But, where is Jesus?

Thankfully, He is among us. Jesus still has His visitation among us, and the time is now. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) “We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” (2 Corinthians 6:1)

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever;” (Hebrews 13:8) once He was in the midst of His people by way of the tabernacle in the wilderness and Shiloh, then by way of the temple in Jerusalem, then by way of flesh and blood and walking among them. God came among men to live among them and die for them.

As I mentioned, the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people found their moment, had Jesus arrested, brought Him before Pontius Pilate and demanded that He be crucified. And it happened. Jesus was led like a lamb to the slaughter to a hill outside of Jerusalem, even where, some 40 years later, the Roman army would encamp, and there He was crucified. There He shed His blood as a propitiation for your sins, and not yours only, but also for the sins of the world, which would include Josephus and the Roman army that besieged and sacked Jerusalem, which would include the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people and Pontius Pilate who had Jesus crucified, which would include the Jews who ignored His gracious and merciful presence as He tabernacled among them in the flesh, and which today includes all those who lose confidence in Him and turn to programs and techniques to bring people into His presence, even those who would otherwise have no desire for Him in the slightest. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! (cf. John 1:29) Jesus Christ is the world’s Redeemer and Savior; He is your Redeemer and Savior.

Today and in the days to come, Jesus is still present among us in His flesh and blood. Though we do not see Him as those first century Jews could, nor touch Him as they could. We still are in His presence, even as He speaks His words of Holy Absolution to us through His called and ordained servants, giving you the benefits of His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, even as He gives of Himself to you, body and blood under the bread and wine, His work for you forgiveness, His life for your life. “Taste and see that the LORD is good;” (Psalm 34:8) He is here for your good; His tabernacling among you makes for your peace.

Have no fear, Jesus is here among you, dear listeners, and He brings you great blessings, and remarkable things happen among you and to you. Perhaps our little congregation will grow, perhaps not, but since He is here, you receive the gifts of God in Christ Jesus, and you grow in the knowledge of His grace and truth. You are prepared by Him to be received to Him when He comes again in glory to judge the quick and the dead. Yes, the Word of God is here, flesh and blood, and has it’s way with you, accomplishing what He desires, and that is the forgiveness of all of your sins.