Destroy This Temple and I Will Raise It Up in Three Days – John 2:19-21

John 2:19-21  Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ Then said the Jews, ‘Forty-six years was this temple in building, and will You rear it up in three days?’

But He spoke of the temple of His body.

The depth of these two simple sentences cannot be exaggerated.

The temple – dwelling place – is the body. Christ, the fullness of God, dwelt in human flesh from conception.[1] His body was not God; God is not flesh, but spirit, yet He took up residence in an human body in order to bring us salvation.

Though men would “destroy” the body of Christ, they could never destroy Him personally. The eternal God can never die, having power over life and death. While men killed the body of the Lord Christ, Christ overthrew that wickedness, bringing that body back to life “on the third day”, as He said.

They had no power to destroy Christ, nor God’s purpose for His coming. Only has the hand of God the power to stop the purpose of God – and He will not stop what He has begun.

When Christ raised His own dead body, showing His power over life and death, He cancelled death for mankind. Every person will be resurrected, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting condemnation.

“He who has the Son, has life. He who has not the Son of God, has not life.” 1 John 5:12

Where do you reside today? In the camp of the resurrection to life, or that of the resurrection to condemnation? If you are not sure, or if you know you are destined to condemnation, now is the time to change: repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting His death is sufficient and the only remedy for your wrongs, that on the basis of that death, which He voluntarily died for the sins of the world, God may justly forgive your sin, and you will be “moved” from death (eternal condemnation) to everlasting life. Christ has the power and the authority; forgiveness and condemnation are His jurisdiction. Come to Him today to receive what He freely offers, because He “has the power to raise up” those who trust in His name.

[1] Matthew 1:18-23   Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: When His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was inclined to put her away quietly.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary to yourself as your wife, for what is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins.’

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name “Emmanuel”, which being translated is, “God with us.”‘

Luke 1: 26-35  And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel came in to her, and said, ‘Hail, [you] highly favoured, the Lord is with you, [you] blessed among women.’

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of greeting this should be.

And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give to Him the throne of His father David,  and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of His kingdom there shall be no end.’

Then said Mary to the angel, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’

And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy [one] which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.'”

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