Zeal for the Cross
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.”
John 2:17-19
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Zeal for the Cross
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple shocks us. His zeal burns against anything that corrupts God’s house. Yet there is more here: Jesus points beyond the temple of stone to the temple of His own body. He alone is the true dwelling place of God with man. When He says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” He speaks of His crucifixion and resurrection. The Jews did not understand, just as we often fail to grasp that God’s greatest glory is revealed not in earthly splendor but in the cross of Christ. Christ’s zeal drove Him all the way to Calvary, where He offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sin. Now, risen from the dead, He makes us living stones built on Him, the cornerstone. Rejoice that in Jesus, the temple stands forever, cleansed, holy, and filled with life for you. Thanks be to God!
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.”
John 2:17-19
+
Zeal for the Cross
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple shocks us. His zeal burns against anything that corrupts God’s house. Yet there is more here: Jesus points beyond the temple of stone to the temple of His own body. He alone is the true dwelling place of God with man. When He says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” He speaks of His crucifixion and resurrection. The Jews did not understand, just as we often fail to grasp that God’s greatest glory is revealed not in earthly splendor but in the cross of Christ. Christ’s zeal drove Him all the way to Calvary, where He offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for our sin. Now, risen from the dead, He makes us living stones built on Him, the cornerstone. Rejoice that in Jesus, the temple stands forever, cleansed, holy, and filled with life for you. Thanks be to God!
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