John 2:12-22
Before we continue, there is a second aspect concerning the temple that is important for us to understand. In Genesis 2:1-4a, after creation is completed, the Hebrew text states that “God rested on the seventh day.” For a moment, let’s forget science and enter into the world of Ancient Near Eastern culture. Within this culture, there is a belief that the gods enter their temple to rest. Creation in six parts is like God created a temple in the form of a garden for himself to dwell among humanity, the prize of His creation. Humanity was created in the image of God, like an angled mirror to reflect God’s image to the world. Humanity would also be an angled mirror reflection back to God, the world’s praises and worship of God.
Thus, for the creator of the world, in human form, who had tabernacled with humanity in the garden and Israel in the tabernacle of the wilderness, Solomon’s temple, Zerubbabel’s temple, to see what was happening is what was now being called Herod’s temple was revolting and disgusting. Verse 14 says, “And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers doing business. Certainly, the temple, at this busy Passover time, was not a place for the people to tabernacle with their God and find rest. Instead, the angry arguing of worshippers with money changers filled the air as they changed Roman coins into temple money to pay their temple tax. Now compound this mess with the lowing of sheep and the bleating of oxen as they are bartered for so the people can offer their sacrifices.
What a scene of absolute chaos. For money changers and cattle brokers, there was no rest. For the worshippers coming to exchange their money and purchase their sacrifice, there was no atmosphere of rest, no time to reflect God’s image to the world or reflect the world’s praises back to God. For God in heaven to look down upon this brought sadness to his heart, for he could see that the heart of the people believed that what they were doing brought salvation.
“When he had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out from the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables” (John 2:15). The reality is the condition of the temple was a reflection of their spiritual condition. While the creation story brings order out of chaos or unorder, what was happening in the temple was disorder. Humanity had taken it upon itself to work out its own work of salvation; thus, within the temple, there was no rest found for the people, and they certainly were not reflecting God to the world.
“And he said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandize!’” (John 2:16). Here, within this passage is another interesting insight into ancient near eastern understanding. Temples to the gods were often referred to houses, the houses where the gods came to rest. Thus, Jesus is saying, Look, the people cannot receive rest for they have assumed salvation unto themselves, thus taking the order God has designed for humanity and created of themselves disorder.
What do I mean by assuming salvation unto themselves? Repeatedly the Old Testament prophets had warned the people, that God was displeased with their offerings and sacrifices. Why? Because they had lost their meaning. The system was designed to illustrate to the people what all of heaven was doing on their behalf. But Israel, and now Judah, had twisted it into believing that by performing or giving of their offerings and sacrifices, they were earning their salvation. That God would reward them for their doing. Yet the entire system of offerings and sacrifices was an object lesson on not what we are doing to assure our own salvation, but what God and all heaven is doing on our behalf to assure of salvation. Not because of what we or I am doing but because of what Jesus was doing for all of humanity.
Within the Gospel of John, the author, on more than one occasion, references Psalm 69. Verse 17 is one of those references to this Psalm. It is a temple Psalm, meaning that it speaks about the temple, and is also a Messianic Psalm, for it speaks of the messiah. Although John 2:17 only quotes verse 9 of the 69th Psalm, verses 5-12 are what the author of John wants us to see.
I invite you to read this passage, and if you have any questions on how this applies, please ask them in the comments. Verse 9 says, “Because Zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You had fallen on me.” The word “zeal” can mean jealousy and means the desire of our heart is to understand the significance of what the temple and its system of offerings and worship illustrate. It illustrates that through Christ, we once again can receive rest, and God and creation received rest in the garden when God entered into rest in his house or temple of the garden on the seventh day.
The temple in Jerusalem was to be a symbol of this rest, as worshipers came to reflect the world’s worship and praise back to God for the rest He gives to all who accept him and his sacrifice that the temple served to illustrate. Then, we can, in turn, reflect the image of God to the world.
Naturally, the people, especially the religious leaders, “Want a sign, do you show to us, since You do these things” (John 2:18)?
“Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’” (John 2:18). For forty-six years, the temple had been under a reconstruction project. A project that had begun with Herod the Great. “Jesus has just told them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” You can imagine the disbelief on the part of the religious leaders and the people realizing all that had gone into the rebuilding of the temple. So it is no wonder they responded with, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” Verse 21, But He (Jesus) was speaking of the temple of His body.”
A shift in thinking was beginning to take place. We will see this come out further within John’s gospel and the writing of Paul. Jesus is assuming unto himself the role of the temple. The temple was designed to give rest and illustrate what heaven was doing on our behalf and was the dwelling place of God on earth. Jesus is now assuming that rest unto himself in that through Him, people would receive rest, and through Him, the system of sacrifices and offerings would be fulfilled, freeing people from their bondage and slavery to sin. Through Him God would dwell with us as Jesus, became the image of the living God reflecting to the world the true character of God and reflecting to God the praise of worship of the world.
Yes, indeed, this temple that Jesus assumed unto Himself would be destroyed upon the cross and laid in a tomb, where His body rested on the seventh day and was then resurrected on the third. This the disciples finally remembered and began to understand upon the first day of the week. But on the seventh day, as it was in the beginning when God finished his work by resting, Jesus finished his work of assuming unto himself the role of the temple and rested on the seventh day.
I apologize for the length of this post. There is just so much meaning within the text of John’s gospel it is sometimes hard to get the meaning across in 400 words. In our next post, we will begin to explore the impact these two stories in John chapter two had upon the disciples and the religious leaders.
Till then, blessings, and may you find rest in Christ.
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