Destroy this Temple
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we express our deepest gratitude for the divine nourishment of the Bread of Life, Bread from Heaven, Living Bread, Living Word, Living Manna, and Living Water to feed our souls and quench our spiritual thirst and hunger, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
John 2:18-25
John 2 18-19, The Jews therefore answered him, What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?” Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Reflection
Folllowing the cleansing of the temple, the Jewish leaders demanded a sign from Jesus to prove His authority. Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it in three days," referring to His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus' resurrection is the ultimate proof of His divinity. Jesus embodies both the resurrection and the life itself. Those who place their faith in Him are promised eternal life.
John 11:25-26, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 2: 20 -22, The Jews therefore said, It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?” But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
Reflection
This is the second temple, constructed after the first temple of Solomon was devastated by Babylonian invaders in 586 BC. In 515 BC, the Jews who returned from exile initiated the reconstruction. Later, between 19 BC and 63 AD, Herod the Great extensively refurbished the second temple, renaming it Herod's Temple. The mention of rebuilding the temple in three days symbolized Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Following His resurrection, the disciples recalled the words of Jesus and came to believe in Him.
John 2, verses 23 to 25, Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did. But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Reflection
Jesus took part in the Jewish Passover in Jerusalem, celebrated annually on the 15th of Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew calendar in spring. The term "Passover" can also refer to the sacrificial lamb, the Passover meal, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, celebrated from the 16th to the 23rd of Nisan.
The Greek word for "entrust" translates to "believe," revealing a compelling wordplay on belief itself. Although many people saw Jesus' miracles and believed in Him, He did not return that faith. They admired His miraculous works but failed to recognize Him as the true Messiah. As an omniscient being, Jesus understood the thoughts and intentions of every heart, discerning that their belief lacked authenticity.
Hebrews 4:13, Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Application:
Jesus wants a deeper faith rooted in a personal relationship of love and trust. Christianity is fundamentally about the connection between individuals and Christ. The essence of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead to bring us salvation. Those who place their faith in Him will not perish but will receive eternal life. Do you believe this truth?
John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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