The Temple Of Jesus' Body
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[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to John 2.
We’ll continuing in our series in John’s gospel.
By God’s providence, the text that we’re focusing on relates to the resurrection of Jesus.
I want to begin by reading from verse 13.
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.” 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.
Illustration
You may have heard the news that occured this past week in Maryland, Baltimore.
On Tuesday morning, a cargo ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Subsequently, the entire bridge immediately collapsed.
Some have lost loved ones.
The devestation of such tragedy would affect the community, not just days, not just weeks, not just months, but for years to come.
When the incident struck, I cannot help but think that the collapse of the bridge is an illustration of many things in life.
For example, it takes years to build up something meaningful, but it takes a split second to tear it down.
During Jesus’ days, the temple in Jerusalem has 46 years to build. Historically, however, it doesn’t mean it’s completed yet. It would be completed in 63 AD.
The temple was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans, and it was not rebuilt ever again.
Jesus, however, will teach us something about Himself.
He is the new kind of temple that will never be destroyed because of His resurrection.
Context
We recall the immediate context that led to the dialogue between Jesus and the Jews.
Jesus came to Jerusalem during the Passover Season.
He went to the temple and discovered that the temple was polluted by the noisy commerce.
Therefore, Jesus was confrontational.
He cleansed the temple by getting rid of the animal merchants and the money-changers.
Jesus spoke these words, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
Afterwards, the disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, a verse written in the Old Testament: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
So, our text tells us the aftermath of Jesus’ confrontation.
What Jesus did in cleansing the temple caused a commotion.
A report went to the authorities to speak to Jesus.
This passage can easily be divided into two sections:
Verses 18-20 are about the dialogue between Jesus and the Jews.
Verses 21-22 is John (the author)’s commentary on what Jesus meant when he said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Our text revolves around the idea called “The Sign.”
[SLIDE 2] Here’s a simple point: The Resurrection Of Christ Is The Sign That Reveals A New Kind Of Temple.
Today, I have 5 signs/headings/truth/points that function as a roadmap (if you will) as we walk through this text.
I encourage you to follow along in your own Bible.
Exposition
[SLIDE 3] 1. The Demand For The Sign
In verse 18, the Jews reacted and spoke to Jesus regarding what He did earlier in the temple.
Who were these Jews?
They’re no ordinary Jewish citizens.
In John’s gospel, they’re often referred to as the Jewish leaders, depending on the context.
Obviously, the Jews were the leaders of the temple in Jerusalem.
They were responsible for what was happening in the temple with the sellers and money-changers.
At the heart of it, they were corrupt and hypocrites.
Instead of reflecting on their own hearts with the religious establishments and whether the action and work of Jesus were just, they demonstrate that they’re less concerned about the purity of worship.
They’re concerned about money.
Jesus said this Matthew 23:25
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
In this gospel, the Jews were giving Jesus a lot of hard time, especially when Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath.
These were the people that Jesus came for.
However, we remember what John said in John 1:11:
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
The Jews did not receive Jesus as their Messiah.
The Jews asked Jesus: “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”
This question given to Jesus is not a genuine inquiry.
Rather, it aims to question the authority of Jesus.
So, it sounds more like this: “Jesus, what gives you the right or authority to cleanse the temple?”
Not only that, this question assumes two things:
First, it assumes that Jesus has no official authority to reform the temple and change the current temple arrangements.
Second, it assumes that the Jews has more superiority than Jesus.
Did Jesus actually have the authority to cleanse the temple?
Yes, He is LORD of the temple.
Not only that, He was given divine authority from the Father.
Jesus cleanses the temple because He was doing whatever God the Father was doing.
19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
Now, this raises some questions: Why did the Jews not apprehend Jesus? Why not arrest Him and throw Him in jail?
Lutheran Scholar by the name of Richard Lenski is helpful in answering those questions.
In summary, the fact that the Jews asked Jesus that question means that they’re careful in taking action against Jesus.
The Jewish people had an expectation of what you would call a “reliable prophet” who would come to either endorse their current religious practices, OR come to make a better one.
This may help explain why the Jews asked the John the Baptist if he were the OT prophet, “Elijah,” back in John 1:21.
They might have been expecting the return of Elijah. So, they were careful with Jesus.
If that’s the case, it seems to make sense why they’re asking Jesus for a sign.
Elijah performed miraculous signs too in 1 and 2 Kings.
Sign was meant to demonstrate God’s power and the authority of His servants. For Jesus, it meant to reveal His deity and glory.
Jesus performed His first sign at the wedding of Cana.
But, the fact that they were asking a sign shows their spiritual blindness to the cleansing of the temple.
The cleansing should be sufficient to send a message to them that the LORD has an issue with their religious practice.
The LORD is displeased in the way that they have defiled the temple from its purpose and function.
By asking for a sign, they’re truly dodging the real issue here, which is sin and the corrupt religious establishment.
In the synoptic gospels, the religious leaders would sometimes ask Jesus to show them a sign.
However, Jesus sometimes refused to perform signs for the religious leaders (Matthew 12:38-42, 16:1-4).
For example, listen to this passage in Matthew 12:38-39
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Jesus did perform signs by healing a man with withered hand AND a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute.
Due to their hardness of heart, they never accepted the signs that they were given.
They refused to believe that He’s the Messiah.
The spirit and attitude of these Jews pervades and influences our contemporary attitudes towards Jesus and His word.
We too can challenge and question God’s word when our sins and wrongthinking are confronted.
John Stott said this, “We resent his intrusions into our privacy, his demand for our homage, his expectation of our obedience. Why can’t he mind his own business…and leave us alone?
We are his business and that he will never leave us alone. So we too perceive him as a threatening rival who disturbs our peace, upsets our status quo, undermines our authority and diminishes our self-respect.”
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a Christian for. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are.
If we are not careful in examining ourselves, we too exemplify the same attitude and behaviour as the Jews towards those who lovingly give us the Word of God.
[SLIDE 4] In verse 19, Jesus responds and does show them a sign. We’ll consider the 2nd point: The Giving Of The Sign
Jesus does not directly show them a sign immediately, but He will give it to them.
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
And then in verse 20, the Jews respond, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days.”
But, really, what Jesus meant is by John’s commentary in verse 21, “But he was speaking about the temple of his body.”
The sign that Jesus would give was His own resurrection.
Let me carefully unpack the meaning of these verses.
Jesus is speaking rather enigmatically.
And we know that Jesus meant the temple of His body.
[SLIDE 5] However, in verse 20, we see the 3rd point: The Misunderstanding Of The Sign.
The Jews totally misunderstood what Jesus meant.
Now, I don’t blame them for misunderstanding what Jesus truly meant by His statement.
In the gospels, Jesus often spoke in parables.
Here, Jesus was using figures of speech (John 16:25, 29).
Throughout John’s gospel, Jesus used figures of speech to teach His disciples, His followers, and others about Himself.
However, instead of thinking through what Jesus truly meant, the Jews were again questioning the authority of Jesus.
They did not seek clarity from Him.
Hence, the Jews thought Jesus was talking about the literal temple.
Now, those of you who are familiar with the gospels may remember a situation during Jesus’ trial.
In Matthew 26:59-61, it says,
59 Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’ ”
During Jesus’ trial, the false witnesses were lying about what Jesus supposedly said, but didn’t Jesus actually say it in John 2:19?
If Jesus did say it, then why did Matthew say that they were false witnesses?
It seems like they were speaking the truth.
Well, they were actually not speaking the truth.
They distorted Jesus’ statement.
Jesus did not say, “I am able to destroy the temple of God.”
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple.”
What’s the difference?
This is where you need to know the grammar of the original language.
The verb, “destroy,” is in the 2nd person plural imperative.
In the Greek, John 2:19 can be translated as this: “YOU destroy this temple.”
Jesus never said, “I’ll destroy this temple.”
He’s instructing the Jews to destroy this temple.
The temple that Jesus referred to was Himself, not Herod’s temple. The false witnesses referred to Herod’s temple.
[SLIDE 6] What Jesus meant was the temple of His body according to verse 21.
This the 4th point: The Meaning Of The Sign
The temple of Jesus’ body was destroyed when He was crucified on the cross and died there.
When Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, “Destroy this temple,” they actually did it.
Although the Jewish Leaders did not directly nail Jesus on the cross, they certainly did so indirectly by delivering Him over to Pilate and the Roman Soldiers to do the dirty work.
Turn to Acts 2.
In the book of Acts, the Apostle Peter preached messages to the Jewish people, the Men of Israel.
He preached to the Men of Israel on the Day of Pentecost.
He preached to them in Solomon’s Portico.
He preached to them when being tried.
Over and over again, the Apostle Peter indicted the Jews and held them responsible for the death of Christ.
Listen to Acts 2:22-23
22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
There is also something quite profound by what Jesus said when He referred to Himself as “the temple of His body.”
I want to show you something that you may not be able to see if you read verses 13-22 in the English translation.
[SLIDE 7] There are actually two Greek words that are translated as “temple.”
In verses 14-15, the Greek word, “temple,” is “hiero.” This is often describing the temple courts (outside of the main temple).
So, when Jesus removed the sellers and money-changers, He did so at the Court of the Gentiles.
In verses 19-21, the word, “temple,” is a different Greek word, which is “Naos.”
This is referring inside the temple specifically where God dwells.
Naos is the specific word that Jesus uses.
Some English translations would translate “temple” as “sanctuary” just to make “naon” distinct from “hiero.”
Where specifically did God dwell in the temple?
The holy of holies within the Holy Place.
It’s also called the Most Holy Place.
In the Old Testament - in the tabernacle and temple - the Holy of Holies was where God dwelt behind the curtain where the ark of the covenant resides.
And on top of the ark was a special area called the mercy seat, which is known as the throne of God.
Nobody was allowed to be inside the Most Holy Place besides the High Priest.
Anyone who entered this sacred place when he was not supposed to would be killed.
The High Priest was only allowed to be in the Most Holy Place once a year, which is on the day of Atonement.
And the High Priest was responsible of offering sacrifice, which is the pure and spotless lamb.
He would then sprinkle the blood on the ark of the covenant to atone for the sins of the people in Israel.
And it was not until Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 587 BC when the Babylonians laid a seige on Jerusalem.
Hence, the literal dwelling place of God was gone.
Yet, God promised that He will dwell in the midst of His people again.
You may remember in our study in John’s gospel that I have mentioned that the themes and stories point us back to John’s prologue in John 1:1-18.
And that John’s prologue is an overview of the rest of his gospel.
So, how does the temple of Jesus’ body fit with John’s introduction?
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God came in the Person of Jesus Christ through His incarnation.
God the Son dwelt among us.
After Christ died on the cross, He inaugurated the New Covenant by His blood.
Through Jesus, we have access to God.
Through Jesus, we can enter the holy place by His blood.
The curtain, that was a barrier between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, has been torn from top to bottom.
Through the death and resurrection of Christ, the way to God was opened to all.
The author of Hebrews explains in Hebrews 10:19-22
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Under the New Covenant, His resurrected body is the new kind of temple.
He is the true temple.
He is the true holy of holies.
He is the true santuary.
And the implication or significance of the death and resurrection of Christ is that there is no more need for a physical temple and sacrifice.
The late R.C. Sproul said: “Christ is the temple, and all men are commanded to come to Him in order to worship and serve the one true God.”
One more profound truth that Jesus stated.
“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
This statement raises this question: Who raised Jesus from the dead?
Did you know that the resurrection of Christ is the work of the Triune God?
One God in three distinct Persons.
The Father raised His Son from the dead.
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
The Spirit raised the Son from the dead.
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
The Son raised HIMSELF from the dead.
That’s what He says: “In three days, I will raise it up.
It does not mean that each Person of the Trinity did separate actions individually in raising Jesus from the dead.
Rather, listen carefully: it is a SINGLE action performed by all of them EQUALLY as ONE Being.
If you want to do a deeper study, you can search up this teaching that you may not know it existed:
[SLIDE 8] “The doctrine of inseparable operations.”
This profound truth of the Trinitarian work can simply mean that God was deeply involved in the death and resurrection of Christ so as to redeem His people.
There is not a single Person in the Godhead who is not involved in the salvation of His people.
John and the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant by His statement during that time.
Most of the time, the disciples were clueless about what Jesus taught.
But, John knew that Jesus meant the temple of His body.
But, when? When did John figure it out?
[SLIDE 9] In verse 22, we’ll learn about The Belief In The Sign.
Since Jesus was speaking about the sanctuary of His body, therefore, John explains that his disciples remembered what He said.
The Apostle John is rather brilliant in his literary writing.
Verses 13-17 function as a unit, which ends with the disciples remembering the Scripture in Psalm 69:9.
Similarly, verses 18-22 function as a distinct unit, which ends with the disciples remembering what Jesus said.
So, when did the disciples and John himself remember?
Verse 22 clearly says that they remembered it after the resurrection of Christ.
How did the disciples remember it and how did the disciples figure out what Jesus meant exactly?
Jesus gives us the answer in John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Jesus promised to His apostles that He will send the Holy Spirit to them.
And the Holy Spirit will teach them all that Jesus has taught.
He will clarify and help them understand what Jesus meant.
And He will help them remember all that Jesus has taught.
Hence, the Holy Spirit will guide several of His apostles, such as the Apostle John, in writing the inerrant words of Scripture.
The text did not just indicate that the disciples merely remembered and understand Jesus’ words and thought it was an interesting insight and revelation.
No.
They believed.
As a result of the promise of Jesus, faith is ignited in the disciples.
There’s believe.
There’s faith.
Faith in Jesus.
Trust in Jesus.
They believed in two things:
The Scripture (namely, the Old Testament).
The word which Jesus had spoken.
The disciples did not have a blind faith in Jesus.
They witnessed the resurrected Lord with their very own eyes.
They saw His death and bodily resurrection.
Therefore, they penned the New Testament as credible witnesses to Jesus.
And they went and proclaimed Him crucified and risen even though that message cost them their lives.
Application
As a credible eyewitness, the Apostle John wrote the section on Jesus’ cleansing of the temple for a purpose.
It is so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
On this resurrection Sunday, we remember that the tomb is empty.
Christ has risen from the dead for our justification.
His resurrected body is not like a physical or literal temple like Herod’s.
Jesus did not somehow transform into a structure.
It is a spiritual temple, yet a physical body.
He went and revealed to hundreds of eyewitnesses.
It is because of Christ’s resurrection that Christianity exists and continues to spread throughout the world.
Perhaps, some of you have doubts about Jesus and His resurrection.
You’re not sure how to make sure of Christ’s resurrection.
You’re not alone.
The Apostle Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, doubted.
However, Jesus revealed Himself to Thomas.
And Jesus spoke these words to Thomas John 20:27
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
How did Thomas respond? He said, “My Lord and my God!”
Some of you may want to be like Thomas, having the opportunity to see Jesus.
You want evidence.
You want proof.
However, listen to the words of Jesus John 20:29
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
In other words, place your faith in Him, even though you do not physically see Him. And you’re blessed.
In fact, God has given us sufficient evidence in this world and in His word to demonstrate who He is.
Q: Do you believe in the resurrected Lord?
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
By the grace of God, may He open the eyes of your heart to see Christ by faith.
Conclusion
[SLIDE 10] So, as I slowly conclude this message, let me summarize what we have learned.
Main Point: The Resurrection Of Christ Is The Sign That Reveals A New Kind Of Temple.
In this passage, we saw:
Verse 18 - The Demand For The Sign
Verse 19 - The Giving Of The Sign
Verse 20 - The Misunderstanding Of The Sign
Verse 21 - The Meaning Of The Sign
Verse 22 - The Belief In The Sign
On this Easter Sunday, the Resurrected Christ should encourage us that He will never be destroyed ever again.
No cargo ship can destroy Him.
No politicians and evil leaders of our day can destroy Him.
Not even the evil one can destroy Him.
He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
He is our Rock and our Redeemer.
He is our sovereign Lord who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Father.
And all authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Him.
He calls us to come to Him and give Him all the glory.
[SLIDE 11] And everyone who believes in Christ will not be put to shame.
Even if our faith in Him is weak, we have the sure promise from our resurrected Christ that nothing can snatch us out of our hands.
Even if our church is not perfect, we have the sure promise from our resurrected Lord that He will build His church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail over it.