Based on Jonah and the Minors: Chapter 11—Haggai + Zechariah + Malachi
Juliette Alvey
Dear Grown-up,
Let’s begin by setting the stage for Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi… The temple that King Solomon had built was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and the people were taken into exile. When the Israelites finally returned to Jerusalem, these minor prophets sent the message from God, “Hey! Let’s rebuild the temple!” Seventy years after the destruction of the first temple, the second temple was finally complete.
More than 500 years after that, Jesus came onto the scene. The temple had undergone some remodeling and improvements by King Herod, which took about 46 years, and it was still the central place for Jewish worship. This is where God promised to meet them. This is where God gave them precise instructions about construction and the temple laws. This is where the Jewish people found their identity as a people.
So when Jesus waltzed into Jerusalem, overturning tables in the temple courts and saying to those money handlers selling doves, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (Jn 2:16), you can imagine the shock that the Jewish teachers of the law felt. This was beyond bold… and did he say, “my Father’s house?” Who does he think he is? They asked him as much… “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this” (Jn 2:18)? Jesus replied with a statement that was even more shocking, if that was possible…
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn 2:19).
Although this claim was met with both confusion and outrage, the hearers did not realize that this news was both much worse and much better than they could ever imagine.
The worse part: Talking to the Jews about their temple being destroyed was bringing their darkest fear to light (it’s like telling someone they are going to die… we all know it’s true, but we typically don’t appreciate being reminded of it). They had been pushed around by outside nations for so long and were currently being ruled by Rome—they were hanging on to their religion, their customs, and (as mentioned earlier) their identity, for dear life.
The better part: Jesus saying he will raise the destroyed temple again in three days must have sounded completely ridiculous. They thought he was insane. But what if it was possible? Would they say that was a bad thing? It may be that it was just too good and too unbelievable for them to swallow.
What Jesus claimed did come true. I am not referring to the temple being destroyed in 70 AD. I am referring to when Jesus died on the cross and rose three days later. His disciples remembered what he had said and realized that the temple he was talking about was his own body.
This may be a difficult mental leap for many. To say that this building, which held such strong significance to the Jewish people throughout their history, suddenly had no importance would be offensive. But it was important, because it pointed to the coming Messiah. It was the means that God chose to be close to his people at that time. When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn, meaning there was no division between God and people anymore. There was no need for animal sacrifices. There was no need for a priest to enter the Most Holy Place. Not because they didn’t have meaning before but because Jesus fulfilled all of them. The place where God promised to be present with his people was now in a person, and this person defeated death and promised to be with us forever. Unlike a building that can crumble and burn, Jesus is forever.
The Jews said that true worship was only possible at the temple in Jerusalem. The Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus about this, and he replied, “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem… a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth” (Jn 4:21, 23). God’s presence is now available to all believers in all times and places, through his Son, the one who was destroyed and raised in three days, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
