The Significance of the Temple, Sign, and Sacrament - Assignment Example

Summary It is quite obvious that the Gospel of John is largely thought to be one of the deepest texts of the New Testament. Scott W. Hahn in his Temple, Sign, and Sacrament: Towards a New Perspective on the Gospel of John explores some elements of it, arguing that there are numerous references to the idea of the Temple and that the narration is focused on the signs and the sacrament that is made by Jesus. The significance of the Temple The author argues that just like Christ is the central figure in the Gospel, the Temple should be treated as the central figure to the previously made covenants. Indeed, it is not only the dwelling place of God’s name, but an important place of pilgrimage of the ancient Jews that they had to visit three times a year. Furthermore, the figure of the Temple is inseparably connected to eschatology in the Old Testament, making of the most important part of the text. According to the article in question, the connection between Jesus and the Temple is the most understandable in the case of cleansing the Temple. This action shows that Jesus positioned Himself as the new Temple. When being asked to perform a miracle, He noted that He is able to destroy the Temple and restore it in three days. The text shows that this is a direct reference to the future events, namely crucifixion and resurrection. In addition to that, it should be noted that many of the important characters in the Scriptures were connected to the symbolism of the Temple. For example, the Tabernacle of Moses and Jacob’s sanctuary at Bethel. The first Passover The article notes that active ministry of Jesus is closely connected to the Temple. The author notes that there is a big difference in the text of the Holy Scriptures between words signs and mighty deeds and the first is used to describe the actions of Jesus. In addition to that, there are many signs that are associated with Israel’s liturgical feasts, for example the Passover. The use of the word sign is so numerous in the first part of the Gospel of John that some scholars divide it into the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. Baptism constitutes another important concept. It is referred to as action of being born again with the help of water and Spirit. One of the major themes with this regard is the connection between earthy and heavenly nature of a person who is being baptized as the latter is largely regarded as spiritual birth. The second Passover The authors noted that the second Passover that depiction of which involved Jesus is seen in the episode when He fed 5000 people. This is the situation that explains the latter word of Eucharist as it comes from Greek eucharisto – I thank you as people thanked the Lord for the food that was provided. The same theme of sharing food can be seen in the Last Supper which uses bread and wine as two powerful symbols of the new age. This is important since it marks the transition from earthly bread to heavenly salvation that the acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior provides. Furthermore, it is suggested that the act of baptism also contains some connection to Eucharist as people accept their new nature and are surely thankful for it. It must be noted that the Gospel shows a clear similarity between the actions of Jesus on the symbolism that is used by the Jews during their feast. For example, there are traditions of pouring water and lighting the Temple and Jesus uses the same works to describe his deeds. Thus, he could have healed a blind man just by saying a word, but He urged him to go and wash his face with the water of Siloam which is the pool used for religious purposes. As a result, this shows the tremendous gap between spiritual and physical blindness. Disciples as the new Temple The article suggests that the concept of the new Temple should also be expanded on to the Disciples of Christ. Thus, they have all the attributes for it. First of all, just like the Temple, the serve to contain the name of the Lord. Secondly, their primary purpose is to spread the glory of the Lord. Indeed, by sending the Disciples out to the word, Christ made sure that the message that the Jews heard directly will be preaches in other parts of the world. Finally, similarly to the Temple, the Disciples serve as the dwelling of God. After Jesus met them all they were touched by the Holy Spirit and were able to make miracles. The third Passover The day of the crucifixion is connected to the celebration of the third Passover. Thus preparation for both events started at noon. Secondly, Jesus is offered vinegar – a substance that is made of grape, just like vine that is drunk by the people that celebrate the Passoer. Thirdly, no bones of Christ were broken during crucifixion: this is a direct reference to the Passover Lamb. This might be regarded as another reason why Jesus is commonly referred to as the Lamb of God. Finally, just like the lamb’s body, the body of Jesus is pierces and hung. This shows the direct similarity between the animal sacrifice and the sacrifice that was made by God. The aftermath of resurrection The article in question makes an interesting point: in spite of the fact that Jesus came to Earth to forgive the sins of the humanity, He did not explicitly forgive a single sin during His earthly life. This might be used as an explanation why the activity of the Disciples is commonly referred to as greater work for it is them who forgave the sins. Finally, the author asks a peculiar question: since Jesus ascended, does that mean that the newly constructed Temple is gone? The answer is obviously negative: it still lived on in the Christian Church. Works Cited Hahn, Scott W. "Temple, Sign, and Sacrament: Towards a New Perspective on the Gospel of John." Letter & Spirit 4 (2008): 107–143. Print. Read More