Sermon Tone Analysis

Part 6

When Jesus arrives on the scene announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom, he seems to identify and move towards people who were considered ‘unclean’ and unfit to enter God’s presence in the temple.

UNCLEAN

Jesus’ contact with the leper (Matthew 8:1-4), the bleeding woman (Matthew 9:20-23), the dead boy (Luke 7:11-17) should have made him “unclean,” but instead his holiness and purity transfers to them, healing and restoring their bodies.

IMPURE

Jesus claimed that he was the new temple, the place where God’s holiness meets people in their sin and uncleanness: He offered forgiveness of sins apart from the temple and said his death was a sacrifice that covered for the sin of others.

MATTHEW 9:1-8

MATTHEW 26:26-29

PART 7

Jesus established the community of his followers as a new temple, where God’s holiness meets with his people and changes them forever.

After his resurrection, the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 resembles the entrance of God’s holy presence into the temple.

COMPARE THE IMAGES OF CLOUD, FIRE AND GLORY IN EXODUS 40:34, LEVITICUS 9:23-24, AND 2 CHRONICLES 7:1 WITH THE IMAGE OF FIRE IN ACTS 2:1-4

The apostles argued that the community of Jesus’ people are a new temple, and so are called to be holy like priests, set apart from showing the world the grace and mercy of God.

Jesus also used the image of Ezekiel’s temple-river to describe any person who trusts in him: the Spirit will make that person a holy source of God’s own life that spreads to others.

The story of the Bible concludes with John’s vision of the new creation, where Ezekiel’s river is flowing out of God’s presence creating a new garden of Eden-city where his people are with him forever.

REVELATION 21-22