The temple of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus was the second Temple. The first temple was constructed by King Solomon and finished about 975 B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The second temple was built in 515 B.C. Up until 20 B.C. it was used now and then by occupying forces for their religious purposes. About twenty years before the birth of Christ, it finally became the place for Jewish worship. Offerings were carried out at the temple in the mornings and afternoons. The Levites recited psalms at appropriate times during the offerings. As part of the offerings, a prayer service was held. The temple for the Jews represented a place for the special presence of God. In the first temple there was the holy of holies, a cubic space where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The Ark was said to contain the tablets of the ten commandments given to Moses — a symbol of God’s Covenant with the people. In the Second Temple, there was a Holy of Holies.

Because of the history of the Jewish people and the special devotion they had to the temple as a special presence of God, Jesus saw the temple as a place of prayer. That is why he was so angered that this sacred place was being used as a market place. But he took the opportunity to give a new teaching: As the physical temple was a special place of God’s presence, his body was now the new temple.

The Cleansing of the Temple,  John 2.13-15

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there.  He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”  His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.    At this the dews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”  Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple an in three days I will raise it up.”  The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty six years and you will raise it up in three days?”  But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 

Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remember that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.

While he as in Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, many began to believe in his name when they saw the signs he was doing.  But Jesus would not trust himself to them because he knew them all, and did not need anyone to testify about human nature.  He himself understood it well.

Questions for reflection:

1. The Jews found the temple as a special place to focus on The presence of God. Where are the places where you Experience the presence of God?
2. Jesus talked about his body as the new temple which would be destroyed and raised up on the third day. By our baptism we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do I appreciate my body as a dwelling place for a special presence of God? How can this change the way I look at others?
3. There were people who believed in Jesus because of the signs he was doing but Jesus did not trust himself to them. Why would this be? Could it be because of what he did and not who he was? Could it be they missed the meaning of the signs? Are we looking for the right signs to grow in a deeper relationship with Jesus?