Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. John 2:19 WEB

This passage is from the story of Jesus clearing out the temple courts in Jerusalem. As the time for the Jewish Passover drew near, Christ went to Jerusalem for the celebration. Upon his arrival, Jesus found merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves. Others sat at tables exchanging currencies for commerce. 

The Lord promptly fashioned a whip out of chords and drove the livestock away. In addition, Christ overturned the tables of the money changers and chastised those selling doves saying in John 2:16, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace! WEB” As the Lord taught in Matthew 6:4, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. NIV”

In response to Jesus’ actions, John records that the Jews challenged Jesus to show them a sign, presumably to demonstrate under what authority he cleared out the temple. By Jews, John specifically means the scribes and Pharisees in attendance. Jesus famously answers them saying, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 

Repentance and Resurrection

With the words, “destroy this temple,” Jesus prophetically referred to his death on the cross under charges of blasphemy from Jewish leadership. The three days refer to his subsequent resurrection. Of course, the religious leadership present did not recognize that he referred to his body as a temple. Rather, they assumed he meant that he could reconstruct the temple Solomon built in three days. 

But, the disciples remembered this event and Christ’s words after his resurrection. The Lord’s zeal for his Fathers house, his loving sacrifice for sinners, and the fulfillment of his prophetic words solidified their faith and emboldened them to share the truth of the gospel message. The truth is that repentant sinners who follow Christ will live in eternity with him. 

Signs and wonders prove a prophets divine source. However, hardened skeptics are not swayed even by miracles. As Jesus says in Matthew 12:39, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. WEB” As Jonah was in the belly of a great fish for three days before finally calling the people of Nineveh to repentance, Christ spent three days in his tomb before his resurrection. His death and resurrection fulfilled Jesus’ prophetic words, “destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 

Yesterday’s Devotional: They Will Never Perish