Destroy This Temple - Part 8 (8/28)

28 August 2014 – Destroy This Temple – Part 8 – Manna by Dorothy Callies

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

This is the most powerful message that Jesus had spoken about Himself. I had not thought of this until now to bring this to our attention. When Jesus drove them out of the temple, the sheep and the oxen: and overthrew the tables with money changer. This made the Jews angry because they were losing their profits by renting out a space or booth to each person.

This was a Passover time when the business of making profits were huge. Some people made a long trip to Jerusalem for Passover sacrifice. Instead of dragging their own animals with them from the long trip home, it was easier to buy the sacrifice animal.

Reading from John 2:18-23 NCV, “The Jews said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle to prove you have the right to do these things.” 19) Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days.” 20) The Jews answered, “It took forty-six years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it in three days?”

21) (But the temple Jesus meant was His own body. 22) After Jesus was raised from the dead, his followers remembered that Jesus had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus had said.) 23) When Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, many people believed in Him because they saw the miracles He did.”

The Bible dictionary on miracle: “wonderful thing”; a great event which can be done only by God’s help. Miracles are special signs to show God’s power. I noticed there’s more scripture about “destroy the temple.”  When Jesus was captured and being questioned, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days” (Matt. 26:61). Then Jesus was at the cross, the people walked by saying, “You said, you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days” (Matt. 27:40).

Heb. 8:6 KJV, “But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Heb. 12:24 KJV, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

When Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” What did He mean? Jesus was crucified and He indeed arose! Hallelujah! The book of Hebrews explained the whole idea was that Jesus had taken away the old covenant, and He is the new covenant, much better testament and better promises. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). Jesus, Himself was destroyed and He died at the cross since the law demands death, and He fulfilled it. He finished it. That’s why Jesus said, “It is finished.”

Now Jesus said, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1:18). Hallelujah! He is alive!