Episode 23 - Destroy this temple

John 2:12   After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

John 2:13   The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

John 2:18   So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Let’s take a big picture look at what is going on here. First, the occasion is the Passover feast in Jerusalem; one of the major Holy days for the Jews remembering God’s tenth and final plague upon Egypt in which He struck down the firstborn from every family. God gave Moses instructions about how the Jews would be protected from this plague. God instructed them to keep this tradition in remembrance of His provision for them. 

The second thing to notice is what is happening at the temple which was the center of their corporate worship. They would bring their sacrifices to the temple. But, what is the scene? People were capitalizing on the situation by selling sacrificial animals.  Without commenting much upon the motivations of what has brought this about, notice that Jesus’ own indictment is that they turned his “Father’s house into a house of trade.” They’ve brought their secular life into the place designated for worship. I can’t help but ask myself, “How often do I/we bring our daily routine and secular ways with us in our worship of God?  Are my priorities and motivations altered by my own selfish desires?” That seems to be the indictment Jesus gives against the people operating this commercial arrangement. 

Notice how John tells his audience that when Jesus said this, they “remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’” That Scripture is from Psalm 69:9. Jesus’ words invoked that memory in their mind. 

So, obviously, Jesus’ actions of driving out the animals and turning over the tables drew the attention of the leaders. They ask him “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” At this point, John has only recorded Jesus as having performed one sign. It makes you wonder if the news of Jesus turning the water to wine had been spread from Cana down to Jerusalem. Others from the area would have also traveled there for Passover. So, it seems possible if not likely. 

Jesus’ response to this question is another example in John’s gospel where Jesus’ words can be understood and often are understood in one way, but the intention is for a secondary interpretation. John, in this case, explains what it is.  Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” What an incredible claim. I would dare say that our response would likely be similar to theirs. “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and in three days you will raise it up?” We would think he was crazy. 

John explains that he was speaking about his own body. He is predicting his death and resurrection. As crazy as it sounds for one to claim to build a temple on the scale of that size, single-handedly in three days, how much more crazy is it to claim the ability to bring yourself back to life?

But, that isn’t crazy if the one saying it is the Word of God who created all things and in whom is life and is the incarnate tabernacle or temple of God. But, that moment in time has not yet come. It would happen a few years later.

Then, John tells us that when Jesus had been raised from the dead, they not only remembered the Scripture that had come to their mind, but also Jesus’ words. 

I believe what is most impressed upon me is how this is an example of the power of God’s word being brought to the minds of people at a time when they least expect it. It’s not their own actions that make them think about it. The thought is evoked when God is doing something. Sometimes, its relevance in our lives becomes evident years later. As I think about it, it challenges me to consider dedicating more time to reading and memorizing Scripture. Then, when it comes to mind and I remember it, I can anticipate that God will use it for something good in His time.