John 2:19

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Jesus {G2424} answered {G611} and {G2532} said {G2036} unto them {G846}, Destroy {G3089} this {G5126} temple {G3485}, and {G2532} in {G1722} three {G5140} days {G2250} I will raise {G1453} it {G846} up {G1453}.

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

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

Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Commentary

In John 2:19, Jesus makes a profound and enigmatic statement to the Jewish leaders who demanded a sign from Him after He cleansed the Temple. His words, initially misunderstood, serve as a powerful prophecy about His own death and resurrection, and a pivotal declaration of His divine identity and the coming new covenant.

Context

This verse immediately follows Jesus' dramatic cleansing of the Temple courts, where He drove out merchants and money-changers. The Jewish authorities, indignant at His actions and challenging His authority, demanded a sign to justify His behavior. Jesus' response, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," was His prophetic answer. The temple in Jerusalem was a monumental structure, continually under expansion and renovation since Herod the Great's time, making the idea of it being destroyed and rebuilt in three days seem utterly preposterous to the literal-minded Jews.

Key Themes

  • Jesus' Authority: Jesus' actions in the temple and His subsequent statement demonstrate His supreme authority, even over the religious establishment and the most sacred institutions of Judaism.
  • Misunderstanding and Spiritual Blindness: The Jewish leaders, and even His disciples initially, interpreted Jesus' words literally, thinking He referred to the physical temple. This highlights the spiritual blindness of those who could not grasp the deeper, spiritual truths Jesus was conveying.
  • Jesus as the New Temple: This verse is a foundational declaration that Jesus Himself is the ultimate dwelling place of God. He is the new center of worship, replacing the physical temple and its sacrificial system. This foreshadows the shift from temple-based worship to worship in spirit and truth.
  • Prophecy of His Resurrection: The phrase "in three days I will raise it up" is a direct and unmistakable prophecy of Jesus' death and glorious resurrection from the dead. This is the ultimate "sign" He offers.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "temple" used here is naos (ναός), which specifically refers to the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, the sacred dwelling place of God. This is distinct from hieron (ἱερόν), which refers to the entire temple complex, including the outer courts. By using naos, Jesus emphasizes that He is the very core and presence of God. The phrase "I will raise it up" uses the active voice, egeiro (ἐγείρω), indicating that Jesus Himself, by His divine power, would accomplish His own resurrection, not merely that He would be raised by another.

Prophetic Significance

This prophecy was not fully understood until after Jesus' resurrection, as clarified in John 2:21: "But he spake of the temple of his body." This statement also became a point of false accusation against Him during His trial before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:61, Mark 14:58), demonstrating how His enemies twisted His words to condemn Him. Ultimately, its fulfillment validated Jesus' claims to divinity and messiahship, marking the transition from the old covenant's physical temple to the new covenant's spiritual reality centered in Christ.

Practical Application

  • Seek Spiritual Understanding: We are encouraged to look beyond the literal and superficial, seeking deeper spiritual meaning in God's Word and in His actions.
  • Christ is Central: This verse underscores that salvation, worship, and access to God are found exclusively through Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate mediator and the dwelling place of God.
  • Our Bodies as Temples: As believers, our bodies are now considered temples of the Holy Spirit, calling us to live holy lives that honor God.
  • The Power of Resurrection: The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian faith, proving His victory over sin and death and offering hope for our own future resurrection.
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Cross-References

  • Mark 14:58 (19 votes)

    We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.

  • Mark 15:29 (17 votes)

    And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days,

  • Matthew 27:40 (13 votes)

    And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest [it] in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

  • Matthew 26:60 (12 votes)

    But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, [yet] found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

  • Matthew 26:61 (12 votes)

    And said, This [fellow] said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

  • Matthew 12:40 (9 votes)

    For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

  • Romans 8:11 (8 votes)

    But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.