"Destroy This Temple"

Text: John 2:18–22 (ESV) Time: 7 minutes

📍 Introduction (1 minute)

Good morning, church family, and Happy Resurrection Sunday. Today we remember the most glorious truth in all of human history—Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. And in our passage, John 2:18–22, we find one of the earliest moments in Jesus’ ministry where He points directly to His resurrection.

“So the Jews said to him, ‘What sign do you show us for doing these things?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 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.”

🕊️ 1. The Confrontation (1–2 minutes)

This moment follows Jesus cleansing the temple, driving out the money changers. The Jewish leaders, outraged, demand a sign from Him to prove His authority.

Jesus responds with a prophetic statement:

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

They thought He was referring to the physical temple—the centerpiece of Jewish worship. But Jesus was speaking of something far greater. He was speaking of His own body.

The temple was the dwelling place of God. Jesus is the new temple—God in human flesh. The old temple pointed to Him. He is the ultimate meeting place between God and man.”

✝️ 2. The True Temple (1 minutes)

The temple in Jerusalem was sacred. It was where sacrifices were offered, where the priest mediated between God and man. But that entire system was a shadow of something greater. Jesus is the true and better temple.

In Him, the fullness of God dwells bodily (Col. 2:9).

In Him, the final sacrifice for sin would be made.

Through Him, we have direct access to the Father.

What Jesus is saying is that He Himself is the center of worship, the place of forgiveness, and the only way to God.

🌅 3. The Fulfillment (2 minutes)

Verse 22 tells us, “When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered…”

In that moment—when Jesus rose from the grave—they realized what He meant. It all made sense. The resurrection was not just a miracle. It was a vindication. Everything He said was true. Every claim He made was validated.

As MacArthur puts it:

“The resurrection validates the entire Christian faith. Without it, everything else collapses. With it, everything stands firm.”

This is why the resurrection is central to our hope. Without it, we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). But because Christ is risen, we are justified, redeemed, and made new.

📣 4. The Call to Believe (2 minutes)

Verse 22 ends with this beautiful truth: “…they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

The resurrection led them to believe—not just in the event—but in the Person of Christ and in all of God’s Word. And that is the call to us today.

Will you believe?

Will you trust the risen Savior as your Lord?

Will you place your hope not in buildings, systems, or tradition, but in Christ alone?

🙏 Conclusion & Prayer

Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was crucified. Buried. And on the third day, He rose again. The temple of His body is alive, and He reigns forevermore.

Let us respond with faith, with worship, and with lives surrendered to the Risen King