October 26, 2016
JESUS CALLS HIS SHOT
John 2:13–25
Chris Fulmer
Central Truth
Jesus dramatically predicts His resurrection by telling the temple leaders that the temple will be destroyed and then raised up in three days.
Key Verse |
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19)
John 2:13–25
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
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, 1 2:20 Or This temple was built forty-six years ago 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.
Jesus Knows What Is in Man
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
Dive Deeper | John 2:13–25
As the story goes: It’s the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. A confident Babe Ruth points to the center-field bleachers during his at-bat, then hits a home run to center field. It is said to be one of the greatest home runs in all of baseball.
Now, that story has been highly debated over the years, but what a great story. Imagine the confidence it would take to tell everyone what you were intending to do, and then to follow up by doing it!
Jesus has a similar story, and it goes like this: It’s the time of the Passover in Jerusalem. Jesus walks into the temple and finds that what was intended to be a house of prayer for all people has been turned into a place of profit-taking. In the temple, He finds people selling animals and moneychangers set up to handle the exchanges of money. What had probably started out as a convenience for those traveling to Jerusalem for Passover had turned into a business endeavor. This quiet place of prayer had been turned into a noisy flea market.
Jesus responds to this situation by driving out the animals and the people selling them and overturning the moneychangers' tables.
The religious leaders at the temple question Jesus' authority with a kind of “what gives you the right to do this” attitude. They want Jesus to perform a sign that proves He has the right to act as He has acted. But Jesus does not give them a sign. Instead, He speaks to them of His death and resurrection. He says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
The leaders assume Jesus is talking about the literal temple building, but He is speaking of Himself as the temple of God. He is predicting His upcoming death and His resurrection three days later.
It is after Jesus' death and resurrection that the disciples remember and fully understand His answers in the temple. Jesus had called His shot!
It is good to be on Christ’s team. Let’s play ball!
Discussion Questions
1. What was the Passover, and why was Jesus there?
2. Why do you think Jesus got angry?
3. When you see people exploiting others, does it make you angry? How should we react in those situations?
4. Do you think the leaders at the temple understood what Jesus was saying? When Jesus said “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” what was He really saying?