[Sunday, October 19, 2025] Destroy This Temple | John 2:13–22
Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn (Hope of Heaven Baptist Chuch)
2025. 10. 19. 주일예배 설교- 요한복음 강해 7
본문: 요한복음 2:13–22
제목: 이 성전을 헐라
설교자: 손진국 목사 (하늘소망교회)
Today’s passage is about the event where Jesus entered the temple in Jerusalem and cleansed it. This story appears in all four Gospels. It feels like watching a scene from a drama or a movie. In fact, in the audio version of the Bible called The Audio Drama Bible, this part includes tense background music with sounds of whips and metal, and even the narrator’s tone becomes faster and more intense.
The image of Jesus here is very different from the gentle, merciful, and compassionate image we usually have of Him. Instead, He appears stern, rebuking people harshly, driving them out with force, and expressing His anger.
Through today’s message, I hope we can understand why Jesus acted this way and take time to reflect on our own faith.
1. The Defiled Temple
[Verse 13] When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Passover was one of Israel’s three major festivals. It was celebrated to remember how God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses. During that time, the Jews would go up to the temple in Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. Jesus also went up to the temple.
However, in verses 14–15, we see that Jesus found people in the temple courts selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. Suddenly, He made a whip out of cords, drove all the animals out of the temple, scattered the coins of the money changers, and overturned their tables.
The biggest question here is: Why did Jesus do this? Was it because He was surprised by what He saw? No. The Gospel of Luke shows that Jesus had gone to the temple with His parents since He was a child. Every Jew would visit the temple during the festivals to offer sacrifices. So Jesus must have seen this scene many times before.
Cattle, sheep, and doves were sacrificial animals used for offerings. Originally, people were supposed to bring an unblemished animal from their own flocks or herds. But not only local Jews came to Jerusalem—Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire, called the Diaspora Jews, also came to worship. It was impossible for them to bring animals from faraway lands. Even nearby residents might not have had unblemished animals suitable for offerings. Therefore, the temple allowed animals to be bought there for sacrifice.
As for the coins, each person was required to pay a half-shekel temple tax. The Roman currency commonly used in daily life was the denarius, which bore the image of Emperor Augustus Caesar, who was worshiped as a god. Because this was considered idolatry and a violation of the Ten Commandments, the temple required the tax to be paid with Tyrian shekels, coins minted in Tyre. However, those Tyrian coins also bore pagan images—of Melqart, a Phoenician god considered the son of Baal, and an eagle on the reverse side. Despite this, the Tyrian coin was used because of its high silver purity.
This leads to another question: Did Jesus oppose selling animals or collecting the temple tax?
The temple tax was paid once a year—half a shekel per person. In Matthew 17, when tax collectors asked Peter whether Jesus paid the temple tax, Peter told Jesus about it. Jesus said that, as the Son, He was not obligated to pay the tax, but to avoid offending others, He told Peter to catch a fish that would have a coin in its mouth sufficient to pay the tax for both of them.
[Matthew 17:27] “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
What does this reveal about Jesus’ heart? It shows that He cared more about people not stumbling in their faith than about whether He paid the temple tax or not. For Jesus, people were more important than money.
Then what about selling sacrificial animals? Did Jesus oppose that too? No, for people traveling from far away, it was a necessity. Otherwise, they would have to bring their animals—cows, sheep, or doves—from hundreds of kilometers away. In those times, they didn’t have airplanes, trucks, or cages to transport animals safely, so the animals could easily get hurt, blemished, or even die along the way.
So if Jesus understood these practical needs, why did He become angry and overturn the tables? The same event in Mark’s Gospel gives us the answer.
[Mark 11:17] “And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Jesus said the temple had become a den of robbers. Why did He call them robbers? Not everyone who sells goods is a robber.
Originally, animals for sacrifices were sold outside the temple, on the Mount of Olives. Because so many people came for the Passover, even with small profits, merchants made great earnings. The Jewish historian Josephus recorded that during one Passover, 256,500 lambs were sacrificed in Jerusalem. Since one lamb was usually shared among ten people, scholars estimate that around two million people came to Jerusalem at that time.
That means huge profits were possible even with small margins. Seeing this, the religious leaders became greedy. They allowed merchants to sell inside the temple and took commissions from them. People preferred to buy animals inside the temple because it was more convenient. But because of the priests’ greed, sellers had to raise their prices to cover the commissions. When people brought their own animals from home, the temple inspectors would reject them as “blemished” unless they bought one from inside the temple—forcing everyone to buy at inflated prices. Money changers also charged fees—starting at 4%, but later rising as high as 25%. That is robbery!
So what was Jesus seeing? He saw their hearts. Though they claimed to serve God through sacrifices, their hearts were filled with greed for money, not love for God.
[Application] Have you ever started something with a good purpose, but along the way, your motivation changed?
2. The Cleansing of the Temple
Jesus looked beyond the actions happening in the temple and saw the hearts and motives of the people doing them. He made a whip out of cords, drove out the animals, scattered the coins, and overturned the tables. Jesus’ actions were not simply about driving out the animals or overturning tables — they were directed toward the hearts of those people, especially the religious leaders who managed the temple. He was warning them to drive out the greed within their hearts and reminding them of what the temple truly was and what it was meant for.
What is the meaning and purpose of the temple? Verse 16 explains it: [Verse 16] To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
What kind of place is the temple? Jesus called it “my Father’s house.” In other Gospels, He said “my house,” which means the same thing. Because the temple is the house of God, it is not a place where people satisfy their greed through business.
So what should we do in the house of God? We should worship Him. The temple is the place where God’s presence dwells, and it is there that we worship and meet with Him.
What is the most important act in meeting God? In Mark 11:17, Jesus said,
[Mark 11:17] “And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
God’s house is called “a house of prayer for all nations.” Prayer is communion with God — it is the breath of our spirit, our way of connecting and meeting with Him. That is the true purpose of the temple.
Here, one important word stands out: “for all nations.” The temple in Jerusalem was not built only for the Jews but for all people. That means children, women, and even Gentiles were meant to pray there and meet God.
If we look at the structure of Herod’s Temple in Jesus’ time, the outermost area was the Court of the Gentiles. From there, through the Beautiful Gate, one could enter the Court of Women, and beyond the Nicanor Gate was the Court of Israel. Inside that was the Court of the Priests, and the innermost part — the Most Holy Place — was reserved for the high priest.
But the religious leaders were conducting business and making huge profits in the Court of the Gentiles, where Gentiles were supposed to pray. As a result, Gentiles could no longer pray or meet God there.
God’s heart is to be the God of all nations, but the Jews were trying to make Him their God alone. Jesus knew their wicked hearts and, through His actions, was declaring with His whole being: “God wants to meet all nations, but you are preventing that.”
We also need to reflect on ourselves. Could it be that our words or actions are preventing someone from meeting God? Are we more focused on fulfilling our own desires and ambitions than on seeking God sincerely?
The Lord wants to overturn such hearts in us. He wants to cleanse and renew us so that we can carry His heart again. That is why He drove out greed with a whip and overturned the tables of selfish desire — to purify the defiled temple.
[Application] Have there been times when your religious appearance or actions did not align with God’s will? Is there something in your life right now that needs to be driven out or overturned?
3. The Temple to Be Destroyed and Raised Again
When Jesus drove out the animals and overturned the tables in the temple, the whole place was thrown into turmoil. The Jews then came to Him and asked,
[Verse 18] The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
What does this mean? The word “sign” comes from the Greek word semeion, meaning a miraculous sign or proof. In other words, they were asking, “Who are You to do such a thing? By what authority are You acting like this?” They were demanding a sign that would prove Jesus was the Messiah — the One sent by God.
Jesus answered them, [Verse 19] Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
In this verse, there are two contrasting subjects — “you” and “I.”
In the temple, which they claimed to be God’s house, who was actually acting as the owner? It was “you” — the Jews. They were using God’s temple for their own gain, not according to God’s will. So Jesus said, “You destroy this temple.” Then He declared, “I — not you — will raise it again in three days.”
But the Jews did not understand His words. [Verse 20] They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”
The temple they referred to was Herod’s Temple, construction of which began around 20 B.C. and had been ongoing for 46 years by the time of Jesus. It was still not completely finished until about A.D. 63. So they were astonished that Jesus claimed He could rebuild it in only three days.
However, Jesus was not talking about a physical building made of stone.
[Verse 21] But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
Jesus was referring to His own body as the temple — meaning that He would die on the cross and rise again after three days.
When Jesus said His body was the temple, what did He mean? The body of Christ is the Church.
[Ephesians 1:23] Which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The Church — the body of Christ — is the true temple. Jesus tore down the physical temple the Jews worshiped and established a new and living temple: the Church. In other words, you and I are that Church — the new temple that Jesus Himself has raised.
[1 Corinthians 3:16] Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
Dear brothers and sisters, do you know that we who believe in Jesus are God’s temple where the Holy Spirit dwells? If we do not realize this truth, what will happen?
[1 Corinthians 3:17] If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
If we forget that we are God’s temple, we may defile it — and as a result, face destruction. Just as the Jews were more focused on selling animals and exchanging money to satisfy their greed than on worship and prayer, what happened to their temple? The Herod’s Temple they took pride in was destroyed by the Roman army in A.D. 70 — only seven years after its completion. God Himself brought it to ruin.
We must recognize that there is a temple in us that needs to be torn down, and another that must be raised again.
The temple that must be torn down is our religious zeal for self-satisfaction and our greedy hearts that chase after worldly values.
The temple that must be raised again is our passion for Christ — the true temple — and our holy hearts that turn away from sin and share God’s love.
May our worship today restore holy reverence before God. May hearts arise that refuse to compromise with the world but instead live according to Jesus’ will. And may all of us be beautifully built up as God’s holy temple — His people and His Church on this earth.
[Application] What parts of my heart need to be torn down today, and what parts need to be rebuilt? What decisions and actions must I take today to become God’s holy temple?
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.