The Messiah's Secret - The Temple of Jesus' Body

An American was being shown the sights of London by a taxi driver. “What’s that building over there?” asked the American. “That’s the tower of London, sir,” replied the taxi driver.

“Say, we can put up buildings like that in two weeks, “drawled the Texan. 
A little while later he said “And what’s that building we are passing now?” “That’s Buckingham Palace, sir, where the Queen lives.” “Is that so?” said the Texan. “Do you know back in Texas we could put up that place in a week?” 
A few minutes later they were passing Westminster Abbey. The American asked again, “Hey cabbie what’s that building over there?” “I ‘m afraid I don’t know, sir,” replied the taxi driver. “It wasn’t there this morning.” 
J. John & Mark Stibbe ‘A Barrel of Fun.’

Readings: Haggai 1: 13 - 2: 9.   John 2: 13 - 22.

In our Gospel reading the Jews said that it had taken a king Herod 46 years to build his temple.

Josephus the Jewish Historian Antiquities Book 15 Chapter 11 wrote about the life of King Herod. Herod had accumulated much wealth and so he decided to build a Temple as a memorial to himself by replacing Zerubbabel's Temple with a much larger one. He knew that he would have to persuade the people to do this, so he gathered both men and materials before pulling down Zerubbabel's Temple. He started the work in 20 BC and it was finished 46 years later in 26AD.

Conflicting views

However the translator of Josephus’ book in his notes wrote questioning was this third Temple and not as Jews and Christians say it was the second Temple.

Both Jews and Christians look to the prophet Haggai's word in Chapter 2: 9 "The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”

This verse is therefore taken as referring to the second Temple.

Jesus respected Herod's Temple.

Jesus referred to it as his Father's house and in our reading John wrote that he fulfilled the Psalmist's words, "Zeal for thy house will consume me."

Jesus fulfilled the prophesies concerning this Temple.

The Temple was a focus point especially at Passover time. Jewish people came from all over the known world to this feast at Jerusalem, so there would have been thousands of people wanting to change their currency in order to buy sacrificial offerings.

The city must have been in uproar after Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and drove out the sellers of sheep, oxen and birds.  

As a result Jesus caused conflict between himself and the people involved. Some Jews came to him and asked him to give them a sign to account for his actions.                   

Last Tuesday a friend gave me a book to read, Joyce Hugget’s Book 'Conflict' Joyce gives an in depth study on the causes of conflict and ways of dealing with conflict in relationships. I discerned that the Lord wanted me to study this subject for Sunday yesterday’s evening service at St Mary’s.   In the morning service the intercessions (prayers) confirmed the word. Anne's prayers were based on the Hymn "For I'm Building a People of Power" I had chosen the same Hymn for the evening service.

Joyce quotes from Richard Walters' Book 'Anger' "Inner conflicts are often expressed in rage, resentment and indignation: rage seeks to do wrong, resentment seeks to hide wrong and indignation seeks to correct wrong."

In our reading Jesus expressed indignation. Indignation in his fervent love for the integrity of his Father's Temple.  

Joyce Hugget writes; “Conflict is part of our humanity and God allows 'conflict' but it's how we respond to it, we can disarm the conflict from people by discerning the motivation that has caused it and then find ways of processing or channelling our response, so it can be constructive rather than destructive.”

The Jews response was constructive, they had asked for a sign and he gave them the sign of his resurrection, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." 

John witnessed when he wrote that Jesus spoke of the temple of his body. God resurrected Jesus' body from the dead, rebuilding it in three days. His body a temple made without human hands.

In our Old Testament reading Haggai had stirred the people up to continue to build Zerubabbel and Joshua's Temple.  

Jesus continually stirs up his people to build his church in every generation.                                   

In the process of building us up, some structures may need to be pulled down in our lives, especially were we have conflicts going on within us: like a bad habit or a belief structure that we have adopted or have been brought up with, or a past hurt through a broken relationship. 

My mother was brought up in the Unitarian Church. It was when she came to know Jesus in a personal way that convinced her that Jesus was God made visible in the flesh. Words alone could not convince her.

Our amazing God helps us grow out of those conflicts, like a child grows out of its clothes so we will grow out of those things, as we hand them over to Jesus. 
On some occasions a  ministry of healing prayer to a person is required, Jesus will drive out the cause of conflict from within, as every Christian's body is Christ's temple.

So we are built up by the Lord's healing grace and grow as we learn how to stop and think before responding to what would make us angry, and take response- ability so that we will be constructive: if its indignation to speak out or to pursue peace and unity to create harmony rather than contribute to strife, rage or resentment.

I understand better now the prayer of St Francis of Assisi.

“Loving God, make me an instrument of your peace. 
Where there is hatred, let me sow love; 
Where their is injury, pardon; 
Where there’s doubt, faith; 
Where their is despair, hope; 
Where there is darkness, light; 
And where there is sadness, joy. 
O, Divine Teacher, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand; 
To be loved as to love;
 For it is in giving that we receive;
 It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; 
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

 Extract from 'Praying with Francis of Assisi' by Joseph M Stoutzenberger and John  D Bohrer