THE COURAGE OF JESUS CHRIST AND HIS RESURRECTION POWER.

 

The courage of Jesus Christ and His resurrection power

 

 

 

 

 

Let me just quote the passage then I will give you an analysis on the text.

 

(18) "Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest theses things? (19) Je'sus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (20) Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days? (21) But He spoke of the temple of His body. (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 Je'sus had said. (23) Now when He was in Je - ru' sa - lem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. (24) But Je'sus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, (25) And needed not that any should testify of man: for He knew what was in man." John 2: 18 - 25.

 

In verse eighteen the Jewish people selling in the temple for filthy lucre asked Jesus in essence what authority do you have to do what you just did to us. They did not object to their offense because they collectively understood they were guilty. Remember in context Jesus held no official earthy office.

 

Jesus immediately talks about His death and resurrection. He had no interest in an elected position in this world. He explained this to them in figurative terms so of course they did not understand because their logic was worldly. Jesus tended to speak in parables to those He knew were willingly ignorant. I know people like this and from my experience they tend to reject what I am saying very fast.

 

Specifically Jesus said, " Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." This type of figurative speech was used against Jesus at His trial before His crucifixion. He had to know this would be a legal thing in the future but Jesus still chose to express Himself in this way during His conversation with the Jewish people in the temple. This is quite similar to Jesus knowing His beard was going to be torn off before His death but He refused to shave it off His face. This brings brand new meaning to courage.

 

Our Lord knew from the very beginning that He was going to suffer beyond imagination yet Jesus seemed to not only embrace this future reality but cheerfully went into His ministry knowing the paradigm of His personal call for God the Father. I really need to learn from Jesus Christ.

 

When Jesus said," In three days I will raise it up" He was explaining His resurrection by His own power. I remember a Christian was trying to reach a very famous Jewish person and this particular man responded, "What is so big about the resurrection? Other people in the Bible were raised from the dead." Well he was correct in that other people were raised from the dead in the Bible, then they died but Jesus Christ raised Himself from the dead and never again died.

 

Jesus had a way of explaining spiritual truths in context based on the situation that everyone was in at the present moment. In the most general terms Jesus explained what He just did ( the purging in the temple; the people that were making profit for the love of money) to explain His future death and resurrection.

 

When the Jewish people responded to Jesus they said, "Forty and six years was this temple in building" so they knew that it took a very long time to construct a temple.

 

They had no clue what Jesus was saying but I can't blame them. I wouldn't comprehend what Jesus was saying either if I were in their shoes at that point in history. I do not even believe His disciples understood but I'm sure after Jesus's resurrection they remembered His words. This just goes to show that even if we do not understand a theological truth that is presented to us we should store this in our minds and hearts.

 

They certainly did not understand the Power of Jesus Christ but hopefully they got a really good lesson when the Son of Man taught and did miracles in Jerusalem for a very short time.

 

When Jesus said destroy this temple He was either referring To His body or the temple of His body. I do not know the answer to this question. The temple is the habitation of the glory of God so this is just one reason the only way to get to God The Father is through Jesus Christ.

 

The particular Bible passage says Jesus did preach and work miracles for a short time and many came forward to believe but the Son of God did not commit Himself unto them. What we need to understand about God is He knows everything about us. If Jesus did indeed see a lack of commitment in the middle of their conversation He obviously trusted His disciples in a very deep way.

 

People would do best to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord with a decision to walk with Him very closely on a daily basis. You see Jesus knew their hearts and something was holding Him back from deeper fellowship with them. What better time to abide in Jesus Christ moment by moment?

 

Love in Christ,

Bob D.