Listen to Devotion

[Jesus said] “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

Jesus and his disciples are walking near the temple complex in Jerusalem. The buildings on the Temple Mount are breathtaking in their beauty. One contemporary account says of the temple that “whatever was not overlaid with gold was purest white.” The disciples are in awe, and understandably so. But as they express their admiration for such gorgeous handiwork, Jesus makes a prophecy. He tells them that all they see on the Temple Mount will one day go over the side. In Jesus’ words, “Not one stone will be left on another.”

Fast forward to 1970. An archaeologist by the name of Benjamin Mazar excavates below the southwestern corner of the Temple Mount and makes a remarkable discovery. About his discovery, he writes the following: “The great pile of stones, lying just as they had fallen from the western enclosure of the Temple Mount, bore unmistakable marks of the Roman destruction. . . They have remained in that position ever since A.D. 70.”

You can stand in front of those very same stones today. In your mind’s eye, take a moment to do just that. Stand in front of those stones. These are the beautifully ornamented stones Jesus’ disciples walked past and admired. These are the stones Jesus said would one day be thrown down. And these are the stones the Roman soldiers destroyed and hurled over the side, a mere four decades after Jesus said they would, all in exact fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy.

The stones are a reminder. They remind us that every word of the Lord is true. Every word. They remind us that he is in control, even when all seems to be chaos and confusion. They remind us that his promise of full forgiveness through faith in him is a promise that never fails. They remind us that, just as he’s foretold, this sinful world will come to an end; that eternal life with him awaits.

Lord Jesus, you are in control. Your every word is true. Move me to trust you always. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.