Jesus Able to Destroy the Temple - Matthew 26:61

Matthew the apostle wrote how “all the disciples forsook” Jesus “and fled.” after He was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane. Matthew continued, “And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death. But found none: yes, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses”, and in chapter twenty-six and verse sixty-one of his book, Matthew writes how the two witnesses said, “this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God” where we read:

And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

The verse reads, “And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, ...” Matthew began words, “And said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “this fellow said” or “this particular man made known and declared”, “I am able” which means “He was capable and had the ability” “to destroy” or “to dissolve, disunite and demolish” “the temple of God” which refers to “God's sacred edifice of worship in Jerusalem”. Matthew shared how the “two witnesses” declared how Jesus said He could “demolish” God's “temple” in Jerusalem.

The verse continues, “... and to build it in three days.” Matthew added the words, “and to build it” or “and to rebuild, reconstruct and re-establish the temple” “in three days” which means “within three intervals between sunrise and sunset”. Matthew shared how the “two witnesses” declared that Jesus said not only that He could “demolish” God's “temple” in Jerusalem, but that He could rebuild it in “three days”.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we see how there appeared “two witnesses” whose only accusation against Jesus was concerning His declaration about “destroying and rebuilding” God's “temple in Jerusalem” in a “three day” period. These witnesses did not understand that Jesus was talking about His own body when He made that declaration, so they accused Him of making a statement that seemed impossible to the “religious leaders”. Jesus was God in the flesh, and He could have easily “torn down” and “rebuilt” the actual temple in Jerusalem, however, these “religious leaders” needed someone to “accuse” Jesus before them. Jesus went through this interrogation so that people could be “forgiven” of their sins and forever live with God. May all who read these words consider the testimony of the One and only One who was able not only to declare that His temple would be destroyed, but also bring it back to life again in “three days”.

Next time Matthew shares how, “the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answer you nothing?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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