Christian Art | Jesus In The Temple
This audio is chapter 16 of the Gospel of Saint John | King James Audio Bible
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
The Bible verses for the Pentecost Vigil tell of Jesus’ words in the Temple on the last day, the eighth and most solemn, of the feast of Tabernacles. On each day of the feast, the high priest of the Temple would go to the pool of Siloam, bringing water in a golden cup to sprinkle on the altar, and so recalling the water which sprang up in the desert during the Exodus, while reciting Isaiah’s teachings about the coming of the Saviour and the new outpouring of heavenly gifts which would accompany him. ‘Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’ (Isaiah 12: 3)
It is now, at the centre of events, that Jesus stands before the crowds and proclaims: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink…’ Christ, the fount of living water, offers himself to the crowds of people as the one who can fill our hearts, our souls, and bring us life and peace.
We think also of the book of Ezekiel:
25 ¶ Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36: 25-27)
The Holy Spirit has been active during the Old Testament of the Bible: he has spoken through the prophets. We have experienced his presence also in the New Testament, inspiring Mary at the Annunciation, leading Zechariah to prophecy concerning his son and the Lord, and Simeon to see that the Saviour has come. The coming of the Holy Spirit which will follow Christ’s ascension is to be a new revelation, announcing and empowering the birth of the Church and the sacred mission of the Apostles to preach Christ to all. The truth of Christ, God’s plan for our salvation, will then be fully revealed, and embodied in the Church.
In these verses for Pentecost, we learn more of the mystery of the Trinity. All that the Father has belongs to the Son; all that the Son has belongs to the Father. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Son from the Father. He proceeds from the Father, and Father and Son possess everything in common – three persons, one divine essence, the Holy Spirit receiving from, revealing and glorifying Father and Son. It is a great mystery of oneness, relationship and interconnectedness, a model for us all.
In our time, we rejoice as the disciples rejoiced. The Holy Spirit is given to us. We have the truth of our salvation in Jesus Christ. We are moved to pray and to glorify the Lord. Through grace, we are enabled to live lives of faith, hope and charity. We are one with each other in the body of Christ, the Church.
We recognize ourselves in the account of the Acts of the Apostles:
AND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2: 1-4)
‘Therefore the Lord promised to send us the Holy Spirit to make us fit for God’s purposes. Just as dry flour cannot coalesce into a lump of dough, still less a loaf, without moisture, so too we, being many, could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water which comes from heaven. And just as dry soil cannot bear fruit unless it receives moisture, so we, who to begin with are dry wood, can never bear the fruit of life unless the rain from heaven falls upon our wills.
‘For our bodies through the water of baptism have received the unity which leads to freedom from corruption; but our souls have received it through the Spirit.’ St Irenaeus
Saint Cyril of Alexandria interprets the prophecy of Haggai as a vision of the Church’s universal fulfilment in Christ. When he writes that ‘our Saviour came and appeared as a divine temple’, he identifies Jesus Christ himself as the true dwelling-place of God among men — the reality of which the old Jerusalem temple was only a shadow. The worship of the old covenant, confined to one people and one sanctuary, is surpassed by the worship of the new covenant, offered everywhere in spirit and in truth [ … ]
Saint Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ and the spouse of the Virgin Mary, is a model of humility, obedience, and unwavering faith. Born in Bethlehem and a descendant of King David, Joseph was a carpenter by trade, providing for his family through honest labour. His life was marked by silent, steadfast dedication to God’s will [ … ]
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
