1 Chronicles 17:1-4 – After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”

Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”

That night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in…”

This chapter teaches us important lessons about God’s nature, about our relationship with the Lord, and about how we should pray.

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1 Chronicles 28:3 - “But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’”

This was a prophetic word delivered to David when he wanted to build a temple for the Lord.  At the same time, it was a prophetic illustration of the Lord Jesus and his work of salvation.  Jesus established His Kingdom and provided everything for our salvation through the shedding of his own blood; then the Father sent the Holy Spirit to build the church, the living temple.  

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Luke 2:44-49 – …Supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.  So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.  Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.  And all who heard him were astonished at His understanding and answers.  So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you done this to us?  Look, your father and I have sought you anxiously.”   And He said to them, “Why did you seek me?  Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

This is a familiar story about Jesus going to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old.  His parents took him there every year for the Passover.  They traveled with a large caravan of friends and relatives from Nazareth.  Jesus was left behind.  In the text about their search for him, we see interesting parallels to the ways – and reasons – that many people search for Jesus today.   continue

Matthew 27:45-54 - “From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, darkness came over all the land . . . When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many people…”

As Jesus was dying on the cross, many people stood there mocking him, reviling him for His inability to deliver himself from that situation.  He seemed helpless and alone to them, but there were some remarkable manifestations of God’s power were taking place at that moment.   Let’s consider the significance of these events.

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