Jesus Is the Sanctuary of God – Psalm 150:1
Jul 14, 2026 8
What if the sanctuary of God isn’t a building at all, but a person?
Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! — Psalm 150:1 (ESV)
This week, we are in Psalm 150 – and asking four questions about praising the LORD. Where? Why? How? By whom?
Where do we praise God?
Psalm 150:1 gives us two places. And they tell us something really important about who God is and where we meet him. But here’s the thing, they’re not really two separate places. They’re one chorus. Earth and heaven. All creation united in the praise of the One who made it all.
What This Meant for Israel
For ancient Israel, the sanctuary of God was the place. It was set apart. Holy. Sacred.
First, there was the tabernacle, this moveable tent where God dwelt with his people during their early days as a nation. Can you imagine? God among them. Physically present. In a tent.
Then came the temple. Solomon built it. Stone. Permanent. This was the beating heart of Israel’s worship. This is where they went to meet with God. They brought their sacrifices. They offered their prayers. They worshipped.
The instruments we read about in Psalm 150, the trumpets, the harps, the cymbals, the dancing, all of this happened there. In the temple. That was the sanctuary of God. That’s where praise happened.
For Israel, geography mattered. Location mattered. If you wanted to meet with God, you went to the sanctuary of God.
But notice something else in verse 1. It doesn’t just say “Praise him in his sanctuary.” It says “Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens!”
The mighty heavens weren’t some distant, irrelevant place. It was part of the same call. All of creation, from the temple on earth to heaven itself, was meant to praise God. The entire cosmos. That’s how big this is.
What This Means for Us This Side of the Cross
What does it mean for those of us living this side of the New Testament? We don’t need a building anymore. We don’t need to travel to a special place to find God.
Jesus is the sanctuary of God.
Listen to 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (ESV)
Jesus is our refuge. He’s our security. He’s our hope. He’s the safe place we come to. He’s the one through whom we meet with God the Father.
This side of the coming of Jesus, we praise the LORD in his Son. We meet with God through Jesus.
You don’t need a sanctuary of God that’s a building. You don’t need to be in church on the weekend. Your workplace is sacred. Your car is sacred. Your kitchen is sacred. Anywhere you are, you can turn to Jesus and meet with God. You can praise him. You can pray. You can encounter the holy God through the person of Jesus.
And incredibly, when you praise God right now, you’re not doing it alone. You’re joining something cosmic. Something that echoes through all creation.
When you praise God here and now, you’re joining a chorus that’s far bigger than you ever imagined. It’s every person who’s ever worshipped him, every angel in heaven, every creature that draws breath. The sanctuary of God isn’t confined to one building or one place. It’s everywhere his people gather to meet him. It’s the whole cosmos, united in worship.
The Good News Is…
Jesus tore down the barrier between us and God. The old system needed a sanctuary of God made of stone and sacrifice and priests. Jesus made himself the sanctuary of God. He made it possible for unholy people to be restored in relationship with a holy God!
Jesus lived the life we failed to live, and he died the death that we deserve, and he rose again offering resurrection life to all who trust in him.
And so, through Jesus, you’re invited into something cosmic. You’re not just meeting with God as an individual. You’re joining all of creation in the eternal praise of your Maker.
You can meet with God right now. Wherever you are. Through Jesus.
Reflection
When you praise God today, who else do you think is praising him at the same time? What changes in your worship when you remember you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself?
Rev. Dave Miers
President, Good News Unlimited