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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - John 2:18 - 2:22
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The challenge of the Jews:
v. 18. Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things
v. 19. Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple; and in three days I will raise it up.
v. 20. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this Temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days?
v. 21. But He spake of the temple of His body.
v. 22. When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
The Jews resented the implication of authority; it meant that He claimed for Himself a supernatural origin or mission, either as a prophet or as still more. So they demanded some sign, some special manifestation, some extraordinary revelation, which would give evidence of His authority. "The blindness of the Jews is enough to put external evidence forever out of repute. They never will see the sign in the thing itself. The fact that Jesus by one blow accomplished a much-needed reform of an abuse over which devout men must often have sighed, and which perhaps ingenuous Levites had striven to keep within limits, fact that this unknown youth had done what none of the constituted authorities had been able to do, was surely itself the greatest sign. " Jesus therefore gave them an answer which fitted their foolish demand. His saying was meant to be puzzling. Jesus always spoke in parables when He wished to be understood by the spiritual and to baffle the hostile. "Those who cross-question Him and treat Him as a subject to be investigated find no satisfaction. " The sign which Jesus proposed to them was that they should destroy this temple, and in three days He would raise it up. See Joh_10:18. It was the Lord's first reference to His death and resurrection. The Jews in their blindness did not understand the statement in its true sense, but supposed that He was referring to their sanctuary, to the wonderful Heroin Temple. They point to the fact that this great structure, with all its buildings, approaches, porticoes, and chambers, had been in course of construction for a matter of forty-six years at that time. Herod began work on the Temple in the year 20-19 B. C. "The old Temple was taken down and the new one erected in the course of eighteen months. But much remained to be done, and the work dragged along until after Herod's death. It was finished only in 64 A. D. , six years before it was finally destroyed. " To tear down this building and erect it anew in the short space of three days was obviously beyond human conception. But Jesus had stated correctly the great sign of His authority, His death and resurrection for the atonement of the world's sin. Although Jesus, therefore, spoke of the temple of His body, which was in truth the temple of the living God for all times, though He Himself is the great sanctuary of mankind for all times and. His body comprises the mercy-seat and all the other sacrificial appointments of the true temple for the believers of all times, the Jews did not understand Him. They attempted to use this prophecy against Him two years later, upon the occasion of His trial before the high priests. Even the disciples did not understand the saying at that time; in a way they were just as ignorant as the Jews. But they remembered it after the Lord's resurrection, and lot that time drew their conclusions correctly. Then they understood and believed also the corresponding Scripture-passages of the Old Testament. Mark: A Christian must never grow weary in comparing type and antitype, prophecy and fulfillment; for only in that way will he gain the full and firm conviction that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah of promise, the Savior of the world.