Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
When Jesus says "this temple," He's not talking about the building the Jews were so proud of. He's speaking prophetically about His own body, which would be destroyed and then resurrected, proving His divine authority in a way the physical temple never could.
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Responding to the Jews' demand for a sign to prove his authority for cleansing the Temple, Jesus issues a riddle about a "temple" that will be destroyed and rebuilt in three days. This enigmatic statement, understood by his disciples only after his resurrection, points not to the physical Temple, but to his own body.
When Jesus was challenged about His authority to cleanse the Temple, His response was a riddle. What did He mean by 'this temple'?
The crowd demanded a sign to prove Jesus' authority for overturning the tables in the Temple. Instead of a dramatic miracle, Jesus offered a cryptic statement: 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' This was not a literal invitation to vandalism, nor was it a promise to rebuild the physical structure. Jesus was speaking on a far deeper, spiritual level. He was pointing to Himself as the true Temple, the ultimate dwelling place of God. His authority to cleanse the physical Temple stemmed from His divine identity, an identity that would be powerfully confirmed by His resurrection.
Why would Jesus speak so mysteriously? And why did the Jews completely miss His point?
Jesus often spoke in ways that required deeper understanding, especially to those who weren't yet ready to fully grasp His message. This statement about the 'temple' was an enigma, designed to be understood later. The Jews heard 'temple' and immediately thought of the magnificent building in Jerusalem, a structure that took decades to build. They couldn't fathom how it could be destroyed and rebuilt in three days. Jesus, however, was using 'temple' metaphorically, referring to the temple of His own body. This was a truth they were not prepared to receive, especially in the context of His immediate, forceful actions. His words were meant to be a sign pointing forward to His ultimate triumph over death, a sign that His disciples would only fully understand after His resurrection.
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Jesus promised a sign, but not one that satisfied the crowd's immediate demand. What made His chosen sign so significant?
The Jews wanted a visible, immediate sign of power to validate Jesus' actions. Jesus, however, pointed to the most profound sign of all: His own resurrection. He declared, 'in three days I will raise it up.' This wasn't about a physical building; it was about the re-creation of His own body, His victory over death. While His disciples wouldn't understand until after the event, this declaration foreshadowed the ultimate proof of His divine identity and mission. The resurrection would serve as the definitive sign, confirming His authority and the truth of His claims, far more powerfully than any other miracle could.
Understand the original words
naos · Greek Noun
The dwelling place of God’s presence on earth, originally the tabernacle and later the temple, which symbolizes God’s communion with His people; in the New Covenant, it refers to Christ’s body and subsequently the Church.
lyo · Greek Verb
The act of physically or metaphorically breaking down, causing to come to an end, or ruining something established.
egeiro · Greek Verb
To bring back to life or to lift up from a prostrate or fallen state, specifically used in the New Testament to describe the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Jesus masterfully uses a double meaning of 'temple' – the physical structure and His own body – to predict His death and resurrection. This prophecy, initially obscure, becomes a cornerstone of faith for His followers after they witness His resurrection, highlighting the profound connection between His body and the divine presence.
c. 20-19 BC
Herod the Great begins Temple renovation
King Herod the Great begins a massive, ambitious renovation and expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, a project that would take decades to complete. This is the 'temple' the Jews are referring to when they question Jesus.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
During His Galilean ministry, Jesus enters the Jerusalem Temple and drives out merchants and money changers, angered by their commercialization of God's house. This act prompts the Jewish authorities to question His authority.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified by Roman authorities at the request of Jewish leaders. His followers are devastated, believing their hope is lost.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Resurrection
On the third day after His crucifixion, Jesus is miraculously raised from the dead, appearing to His disciples and others. This event fulfills His prophecy and confirms His divine authority.
c. AD 30-60
Disciples Recall Jesus' Words
After Jesus' resurrection, His disciples remember His cryptic statement about destroying and rebuilding the temple in three days. They come to understand He was speaking about the temple of His own body.
c. AD 66-73
First Jewish-Roman War
The Roman-Jewish War erupts, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by Roman legions in AD 70. This fulfills Jesus' prophecy about the Temple's demolition.
This passage directly echoes Jesus' words, identifying believers' bodies as the 'temple of God' indwelt by the Holy Spirit, reinforcing the metaphorical use of 'temple' for God's presence, whether in Christ's body or in His people.
Matthew 12:39-40Here, Jesus explicitly calls his resurrection the sign of Jonah, drawing a parallel to His statement in John 2:19 where His 'temple' will be raised up, directly linking His death and resurrection to a prophetic sign.
1 Corinthians 6:19Similar to 1 Corinthians 3:16, this verse expands on the idea of the believer's body as a temple, but specifically states it is a temple of the Holy Spirit, further illuminating how Jesus used 'temple' to refer to His own physical body as the dwelling place of God.
John 10:17-18Jesus declares He has the authority to lay down His life and take it up again, which directly supports His claim in John 2:19 to raise the 'temple' (His body) by His own power.
Matthew 26:61This passage shows how Jesus' words in John 2:19 were later twisted and used as false testimony against Him, highlighting the misinterpretation of His metaphorical language about His body being destroyed and raised.
ellicottJohn 2:19: "Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
(19) Here, as in Matthew 12:38 , a sign is given referring to His resurrection. The sign is in its nature an enigma, meaningless to him who does not seek to understand it, but full of meaning for him who earnestly examines into the thing signified, and in such a form as impresses itself on the memory and educates the moral powers. We have had an example of this enigmatic teaching in John 1…
calvinJohn 2:18-22: "Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?"
- The Jews then answered and said to him, What sign [51] showest thou to us, that thou doest these things? 19. Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days. 20. The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building; and wilt thou raise it up in three days? 21. But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22.…
When Jesus says "this temple," He's not talking about the building the Jews were so proud of. He's speaking prophetically about His own body, which would be destroyed and then resurrected, proving His divine authority in a way the physical temple never could.
Responding to the Jews' demand for a sign to prove his authority for cleansing the Temple, Jesus issues a riddle about a "temple" that will be destroyed and rebuilt in three days. This enigmatic statement, understood by his disciples only after his resurrection, points not to the physical Temple, but to his own body.
Responding to the Jews' demand for a sign to prove his authority for cleansing the Temple, Jesus issues a riddle about a "temple" that will be destroyed and rebuilt in three days. This enigmatic statement, understood by his disciples only after his resurrection, points not to the physical Temple, but to his own body.
"Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”" — When Jesus says "this temple," He's not talking about the building the Jews were so proud of. He's speaking prophetically about His own body, which would be destroyed and then resurrected, proving Hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026