John 2:18-25

This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.

In the previous post, we covered John 2:13-17. Here was the conclusion:

Jesus began His Public Ministry in Jerusalem during passover when He cleared the temple of those who were making money at the expense of others.


John 2
"18 The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?"

(The religious leaders asked for a sign from Jesus since He had declared authority over the temple to purify it. They specifically asked for a sign...which implied that if Jesus was the Christ or Elijah or a prophet, he would do a sign to justify His authority.)

"19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

(Jesus stated that they ought to destroy this temple and He would raise it up in three days. Notice, Jesus DID offer to do a sign, however, the first step in the getting of this sign would have required faith on behalf of the religious leaders. On one level, Jesus was telling the religious leaders to destroy their mix of God's Law and man-made tradition so that He could establish PURELY God's Law. Did the religious leaders do it?)

"20 The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?"

(The religious leaders didn't destroy the temple. They stated this temple took forty-six years to build. The rebuilding of that temple was begun in 20 BC by Herod the Great. This meant it was completed in 26 AD...and this story took place sometime after that date.)

"21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said."

(Here the meaning of Jesus' words were explained. Jesus was referring to His body...specifically His resurrection. John jumped ahead in the chronology to state that when Jesus had been resurrected, the disciples remembered this conflict...and then they believed it.)

"23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did.
24 But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men,
25 and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man."

(Jesus did do signs during the passover and many believed Him. However, Jesus did not trust Himself to any of them...Jesus didn't look to these people to proclaim Him as the Christ. Jesus realized how fickle these people were...which was proof Jesus had discernment.)


CONCLUSION
Jesus did signs in Jerusalem during the first passover of His Public Ministry and many believed on His name.

We will complete this month's topic before looking at the specific events that occurred during Jesus' first passover of His Public Ministry.

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