During the Lenten season, Pastor David Jang preached on John chapters 2 and 18 (especially Jn 18:12-21), extending further to John 8, the Acts of the Apostles, and related passages focusing on the phrase “Destroy this temple.” We will explore the meaning and background of this statement, Jesus Christ’s self-sacrifice and the cleansing of the temple, the conflict with the Jewish religious authorities at the time, the connection between the cross and the resurrection, and the message that emerges for today’s church and for each of us. We will trace this through the perspective or faith-based interpretation of David Jang in a single continuous flow, without subheadings or other divisions.
When Jesus said to the Jerusalem temple, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19), it was an extremely pivotal declaration within the overall context of the Gospels, but to the Jewish leadership of His day it was a fatal and challenging pronouncement. If we examine the underlying background of this event, we find that the commerce taking place inside the Jerusalem temple—buying and selling sacrificial animals, money changing, and so on—was not simply a matter of “commercializing the temple.” It was a form of systemic corruption in which the high priest and his household thoroughly exploited the temple for power and wealth. Annas, Caiaphas, and their family monopolized the temple sacrifices, employing inspectors who found “blemishes” in any sacrificial animal bought outside the temple, forcing everyone to purchase the temple’s overpriced sacrifices. This burdened the poor severely; they had no choice but to weep and pay the inflated cost of animals sold inside the temple in order to receive atonement for sins. Therefore, the Lord’s statement “Destroy this temple” was a prophetic proclamation that struck at the heart of these religious leaders’ corruption and hidden profiteering. To those who regarded the Jerusalem temple as the center of the universe and the unassailable authority of Judaism, this statement must have seemed extremely insolent and dangerous.
Pastor David Jang has often emphasized in his sermons and writings that this message still powerfully challenges us today. He points out that human sinfulness is rooted in “self-centeredness,” the attitude of claiming “I alone am right” and excluding others, or setting oneself up as the “center of the universe” in one’s own heart—essentially building a “temple” that one refuses to let be shattered. Just as the religious authorities in ancient Judaism insisted that “the Jerusalem temple is the center of the universe, and anyone must submit unconditionally to the temple and the priestly system,” so too we can easily absolutize visible structures, institutions, or internal belief systems in the modern day. This leads us to reject reconciliation and fail to recognize others, resulting in a self-contained stance. Jesus’ words “Destroy this temple” mean, “Let go of all that self-centeredness and stubbornness. I will raise a new temple in three days. That temple is the true temple of God, opened through the cross and resurrection, spiritual and universal, where anyone may enter.” Ultimately, in Christ we worship God not in a building, but in the worship of the Spirit and in a life of love.
After the incident in John 2, Jesus indeed incurred fierce hostility from the high priests and their circles, including the household of Annas and Caiaphas. This animosity became a major reason for His arrest, trial, and eventual crucifixion as told from John 18 onward. The fact that they seized Jesus and took Him by night to Annas (Jn 18:12-13) proves they saw Him not merely as a “heretical teacher” but as a serious threat undermining their authority and economic base. They found fault with the statement “Destroy this temple,” even going so far as to bring in false witnesses, and this charge was the same indictment later brought against Stephen at his martyrdom: “He speaks against this holy place (the temple) and the law” (Acts 6:13-14). Both Jesus and Stephen were accused of saying, “This man is speaking against the temple and the law given by Moses” and threatening to “change the customs,” which became the fatal pretext for their trials.
According to Pastor David Jang, the first truth we must grasp in our faith is that by opposing the religious power and corruption of His time, and ultimately being nailed to the cross, Jesus opened the way to the “true temple” and “true worship.” Though the temple symbolizes God’s presence and is a place of worship, once human greed, institutional agendas, and self-righteousness enter in, it can quickly become an empty shell devoid of God. Jesus personally cleansed the Jerusalem temple (Jn 2:13-17), denounced the corruption of the temple authorities, and proclaimed, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” Inevitably, He encountered resistance. Those benefiting from the temple system were never going to leave Him alone, and in the end they handed Him over to be crucified. Yet through this process, Jesus willingly endured the demolition of the “temple of His body,” and by His resurrection demonstrated the reality of the new temple.
What is crucial here is that Jesus’ “cleansing of the temple” was not merely cleaning a building; it was a prophetic act intimately tied to His own death. When He said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days,” He was referring to His own body (Jn 2:19-21). At the same time, He was also pointing beyond the physical Jerusalem temple system to God’s plan of salvation, which is open to all humanity. Pastor David Jang explains that within Jesus’ words “Destroy it” lies His voice calling, “Lay down your self-centered institutions, your greed and power, your arrogance and injustice. I will open a new way through the cross and resurrection.” This call was not only for the religious elite two thousand years ago. It equally applies to today’s churches and Christians, who can become institutionalized and tainted with nepotism, financial greed, or power-seeking cultures.
Another striking passage from the Gospel of John is chapter 8, the story of the woman caught in adultery. According to the Law, an adulterer must be stoned to death (Lev 20:10; Deut 22:20-24). The scribes and Pharisees tested Jesus by saying, “Moses’ law commands us to stone such women; what do you say?” They were essentially attacking His stance on choosing between law and mercy. Jesus answered, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone,” transcending the rigid framework of “sin and punishment” in the Law, and revealing the essence of the gospel: mercy and forgiveness. Although we do not know exactly what Jesus wrote on the ground, it has traditionally been speculated to be something like “Forgive,” or “Look at your own sins,” or “What part of the Law do you fail to keep?” The important point is that Jesus’ action here did not outright dismiss or abolish the Torah (the Pentateuch), but rather demonstrated the ultimate intention of God’s heart toward which the Torah points: compassion and love. But from the perspective of the religious authorities, this could be interpreted as “seeking to change the Law,” a treasonous act—exactly the kind of charge later used against Stephen.
In the end, because Jesus demonstrated love and mercy beyond the strict confines of the Law, He was thoroughly rejected by corrupt religious leaders and those ensnared in legalistic formalism. Pastor David Jang warns that when we lose sight of this reality, our faith becomes hardened, we absolutize our own “temple,” and the church risks becoming a “house of trade” lacking love, forgiveness, and the freedom of the Spirit. Whenever we begin to exalt some man-made temple as the “center of the universe,” we lose the spirit of the cross and are left only with legalistic standards, judging one another. The church then may repeat the tragic course of the Jerusalem temple system.
Acts 2’s event of the Holy Spirit outpouring marks the beginning of the “new temple” Jesus spoke about. In an era seen as spiritually barren, 120 disciples simultaneously experienced God’s Spirit and began to speak in tongues. In ancient Jewish culture, receiving God’s Spirit was something that seemed limited to a few chosen prophets. But now, through the Lord’s self-sacrifice and resurrection, the prophecy “I will pour out My Spirit on both men and women servants” (Joel 2:28-29) was fulfilled. Even the most marginalized social classes received the Spirit without discrimination. Pastor David Jang calls this the “age of grace and the age of the Holy Spirit,” opened for us because the Lord allowed His own temple to be broken down. No longer confined to a particular place—Jerusalem—or run by the high priestly system, the new horizon that Jesus opened through the cross and resurrection allows every believer to come directly before God. Consequently, the church became not a closed, temple-centered religious structure, but a spiritual community built on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20-22). In Ephesians 2, when Paul says “He Himself is our peace and made the two one,” the “two” specifically refers to Jews and Gentiles. More broadly, though, it signifies the immense gulf between the “institutional walls of the temple” and the “freedom of the Holy Spirit,” or the barriers found in humanity, steeped in self-centeredness. The Lord tore down that wall by the cross, opening a new creation.
What do we need to do in response? Pastor David Jang emphasizes that each of us must respond to Jesus’ words “Destroy this temple.” Simply not idolizing a physical building as the ancient Jews did does not solve the problem. We must examine whether a pathological structure like “the house of Annas and Caiaphas” is subtly embedded within our own hearts and congregations. The larger or more deeply rooted a church becomes, or the more tradition it has, the more likely that personal and institutional interests, hereditary succession, financial abuses, or issues of power structure can arise. Faced with such realities, how will we interpret Jesus’ radical gesture of overturning the temple tables, His burning zeal as He said, “Do not make My Father’s house a den of robbers,” and His challenging word, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”?
Pastor David Jang answers these questions by calling for a “cross-centered spirituality.” Jesus opened the way of true life to us by allowing the “temple of His flesh” to be destroyed. This way entails laying down our self-centered sin on the cross, reconciling with neighbors, dedicating ourselves to loving service, and embodying the mercy and freedom of the gospel. The cross was the most degrading and agonizing way for Jesus to die, yet the self-emptying love it revealed led to resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, ushering in a new era. If the church truly meditates on and lives by this reality, it cannot be a place where we build “stone temples” for our own gain. Instead, it must practice Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness in the midst of the world. Faith is more than gathering in a sanctuary for worship; it must follow the Lord’s command to “Destroy this temple” in every aspect of life—namely, self-emptying, humility, and servant-like love.
Moreover, “Destroy this temple” has profound resonance at a personal level. Everyone has an untouchable realm they call “mine,” a realm that becomes their own “temple.” It could be pride, an obsession with possessions, personal ambitions, or even an overinflated sense of identity tied to family, ethnicity, or nationality. Pastor David Jang teaches that if we do not break down that personal “temple” deeply rooted in our hearts, we cannot truly embrace the spirit of the cross exemplified by Jesus. The reason Jesus was dragged to Annas’s house, tried before Caiaphas, scribes, and Pharisees, and ultimately crucified, was not merely because He offended their dignity or violated religious customs, but because He taught, “Surrender that corrupt temple you are holding onto.” Even if we appear to do all the right religious things—worship, serve, call ourselves “believers”—if we have not relinquished our inner “temple,” if we still condemn others and treat our own doctrine as the center of the universe, we are no different from those who crucified Jesus.
The Gospel of John strategically places the temple-cleansing event and Jesus’ statement “Destroy this temple” in chapter 2 and then connects it to His actual arrest and suffering in chapters 18 and 19. This leads readers to ask, “Why was Jesus arrested? What was He confronting? Why was He put to death?” John shows in detail how Jesus was taken to Annas, how the high priest questioned Him and His disciples, how the same charges later used against Stephen were manufactured. This highlights the nature of the religious power structure behind the scenes and emphasizes that the salvation Jesus is bringing is ultimately a “new temple” built by the Spirit. Because Jesus’ body was broken down—He died on the cross—His resurrection opened a new era of the Holy Spirit, and anyone may now come into God’s presence through that Spirit. This is the conclusion of John’s Gospel.
When Pastor David Jang preaches, he insists that this gospel must never be reduced to mere historical facts or “the wonderful deeds Jesus accomplished.” We must seriously ask how it applies to our lives today and to the realities of today’s church. Many churches still strive to construct impressive buildings that appear great in people’s eyes, yet inside, worldly values can run rampant, conflicts over ecclesiastical authority or finances fester, or factions and divisions arise. This is not so different from the Jerusalem temple two thousand years ago. Therefore, Jesus’ words “Destroy this temple” still make us uncomfortable. Yet from within this discomfort can come true repentance, and then the church can be reborn as a genuine “house of prayer,” a place to encounter God. The same is true on a personal level. Even if we have been believers for a long time, if we have never allowed our ego to be torn down, then we have not truly followed the path of Jesus, the One whose “temple-body” was broken and rose again. True gospel does not remain at the level of belief or knowledge; it takes concrete shape when we decide to crucify the “temple” we have built with our pride and greed.
In connection with this, Pastor David Jang often cites the concept of “reconciliation” from Ephesians 2. Paul writes, “He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier… by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity… thus making peace” (Eph 2:14-15). The Lord sacrificed Himself to make us one, bringing down the barriers of religion, race, social status, and more. Therefore, when there is strife and division within the church, or when conflict is unceasing in the world, we disregard the path of reconciliation Jesus opened by tearing His own body. We may ask, “Why must I reconcile with them?” But the message of the cross says, “Because the Lord’s body was broken first,” enabling us to approach God and giving the chance for walls with our enemies to be destroyed. Hence, the command to “Destroy this temple” is effectively, “You too must be torn down. Just as Christ sacrificed Himself for you, lay down your exclusivism, your pride, your unjust structures, and embrace others.”
We must also not forget that we live in the era of the Holy Spirit. Even if we genuinely want to follow Jesus, we cannot do so by our own strength. The early disciples, despite resolving not to abandon the resurrected Lord, ran away when the moment came—fleeing at His arrest, scattering in fear. But when the Holy Spirit came in Acts 2, they boldly proclaimed the gospel, stood firm before the very religious leaders they once feared, and preached Jesus’ cross and resurrection. They even endured death threats, declaring, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Such courage was only possible through the Holy Spirit. Pastor David Jang warns that we must never separate Jesus’ words “Destroy this temple” from “the Holy Spirit’s coming to build a new temple.” The demolition of the Law-based religious system and the opening of the way beyond the physical temple was accomplished because the Lord first allowed the “temple of His flesh” to be broken, rose from the dead, and then poured out the Spirit. Thus we also, when following the Lord, must rely on the Spirit’s power. With human resolve alone, we cannot overcome the corruption of “Annas and Caiaphas” in the world or the greed within our hearts. We need faith that the Holy Spirit helps us tear down our temple (i.e., set aside our self-centeredness) and build the community of love, reconciliation, and service that God desires.
Pastor David Jang asserts that when the church is truly gripped by this cross-centered gospel and moved by the Holy Spirit, it no longer bows to false religion or financial interests, but expands into “God’s temple” that embraces the whole world. This temple is not a physical building but a spiritual reality found within each believer and the community purchased by Jesus’ blood. There, every people and social class—servants and masters, old and young—worship the Lord together in a new kingdom. Indeed, in the early church, it was shocking by first-century standards that Black people, white people, Gentiles, Jews, men, women, slaves, and free persons gathered at one table to break bread as equals. Yet that was precisely the fruit of the walls torn down by the cross and the miracle of the Holy Spirit. Today’s church must walk the same path. We must demolish institutional temples built on human selfishness and pride, or purely religious forms, and grow into a church embodying Christ’s sacrifice and forgiveness in the midst of the world.
Sadly, church history abounds with instances in which people claimed they were “rebuilding the temple” but merely established their own desires—ecclesiastical power struggles, hereditary succession, accumulation of wealth, internal factional disputes, collusion with political regimes, and so on, repeated through the centuries. Such practices deny Jesus’ directive to “Destroy this temple.” Also, some individuals cling to their old ways or to worldly values even while outwardly participating in church life. They may worship and serve, appearing devout, yet they never truly renounce themselves, never replace judgment with love, never break down their personal “temple.” In such a case, the Lord’s statement “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” becomes a rebuke: only by first tearing down can there be a new raising. Without that complete surrender, we cannot experience resurrection power. Pastor David Jang applies this principle equally to both church reform and individual spiritual growth. A church entrenched in sin must thoroughly repent and dismantle its old structures and greed. On an individual level, we must surrender to the Lord whatever sinful nature we keep clutching. Only then can the power of the resurrection rebuild our lives and our churches.
Hence, “Destroy this temple” may appear a stark command in John’s Gospel, yet it stands as a key verse that integrates ecclesiology, soteriology, and pneumatology. Even as Jesus was questioned and bound by Annas and Caiaphas, He could declare, “I spoke openly to the world. I said nothing in secret” (Jn 18:20), because not once had He concealed the truth for His own gain or ambition. He remained resolutely on His path to the cross, thereby establishing the true temple for us. This temple is echoed in Paul’s confession that “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 6:19) and in Jesus’ command, “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (Jn 13:35). It is not about buildings or institutions; it is about a community manifesting self-sacrifice and love, which is the sign of God’s kingdom.
Pastor David Jang urges the Korean church, as well as the global church, to rediscover this teaching. He points out that problems of church succession, finances, excessive emphasis on growth, and power struggles mirror the spirit of Annas and Caiaphas, who exploited the temple to elevate themselves. On a personal level, we must examine whether our aim is truly to become like Christ, to spread the gospel, and to practice love—or if we merely seek emotional comfort from religion or use religious structures for personal satisfaction and honor. Without such self-examination, we can, under the banner of religion, mercilessly condemn others, exploit the vulnerable, or compromise with worldly power. True gospel, on the other hand, always leads to “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live” (Gal 2:20), and yields the Spirit’s abundant fruit (Gal 5:22-23). Hence, “Destroy this temple” essentially means, “Join in Christ’s crucifixion and hold fast to His resurrection hope.” Anyone who walks this path will not please worldly authorities or corrupt systems, for light exposes darkness, and genuine truth unmasks fake religion. This path can bring suffering, even martyrdom, but right there is where God’s true life arises. As church history testifies, Stephen’s martyrdom ignited persecution but also became the catalyst for believers scattered far and wide to spread the gospel (Acts 8:1-4). Thus, though the church repeatedly faces the world’s resistance to the command “Destroy this temple,” it has clung to the cross and relied on the Spirit’s power to press on to revival and new creation.
We must not avert our eyes from the question: “Why did Jesus clash with the religious powers of His time, and why was He put to death?” The answer is bound up with the shocking message “Destroy this temple,” the misinterpretation of “changing the Law,” and the gospel of “love and mercy” that triggered fierce opposition. Love surpasses the Law, and mercy triumphs over judgment (Jas 2:13)—these truths form the foundation of Jesus’ teachings. He commands us, “Now you understand—put it into practice.” If we truly accept this message, the many barriers in church life, the discrimination and hatred in society, and the pride and desires within ourselves will crumble. Then, in keeping with His promise, a “new temple” will rise in three days—the community of the cross and resurrection—tangibly revealed among us.
Pastor David Jang interprets this as both the future of the church and its unchanging calling from the past. The church is neither a building nor a particular denomination, nor a form of human power, but a gathering of people who live out Jesus’ self-sacrificial ministry through the cross. These people do not exclude the socially marginalized; they embrace and serve them. They show unity in love that transcends differences. Even if the modern church sometimes forgets this calling, the work of the Holy Spirit continues to reshape it with an irresistible force. The mission of the church is not to import worldly notions of success and prosperity into the sanctuary but, as Jesus declared, to tear down all forms of injustice and barriers in the world and open the way of new creation. This requires prayer that is not a tool for “using” God in heaven for our purposes but rather a posture of submitting ourselves completely to God’s will and dismantling our own temples. The temple Jesus cleansed is meant to be “a house of prayer for all nations” (Mt 21:13; Isa 56:7). There, not privileged elites or authoritarian structures hold sway, but the justice and compassion of God—who lifts up the marginalized—flows abundantly.
From John 2 to John 18, Jesus’ cleansing of the temple and His instruction “Destroy this temple” form the direct reason for His conflict with the religious powerholders and shed light on why He was arrested, suffered, and crucified. Additionally, John 8 (the woman caught in adultery) and Acts 7 (Stephen being stoned under the accusation that “he wants to destroy the temple”) dramatically show how fiercely the gospel of love, mercy, and spiritual freedom can clash with legalistic and institutional religion. But despite facing fierce opposition and rejection, Jesus carried the cross to the end, ultimately inaugurating the true temple and the new era. The church and believers today must not view this as mere church history. “Destroy this temple” is no dusty remnant of the past; it still confronts us. Only when we tear down the “self-centered temple” within our hearts, just as Jesus allowed His own body to be torn, can the Lord build a new temple in our midst. That temple is the church of Jesus, where we love one another, follow the Spirit, and care for the poor and the afflicted, embodying the power of the gospel that unites us with Christ in both death and resurrection.
Pastor David Jang has repeatedly underscored this in his sermons and writings. No matter how beautiful a church building is or how much it grows, if it lacks the spirit of the cross and the freedom of the Holy Spirit, it is a dead temple. On the other hand, even if we have no grand building and only a small gathering, if the love of the cross is practiced and the fire of the Spirit is alive, that is God’s new temple. Ultimately, the issue is not the building but the people, and whether the way of Jesus is alive within us. We must learn from how the ancient Jews regarded the Jerusalem temple as the center of the universe: if we fill ourselves with self-centeredness, pride, and superficial religiosity, we may reject even the Messiah whom God sends, label “Destroy this temple” as blasphemy, and bring about His death. That was the tragedy of the Jewish leadership back then, and we risk the same trap now. Thus, we must remain vigilant and attentive to Jesus’ instruction, “Destroy this temple.” We must scrutinize whether there is any “false temple” erected within our hearts, our congregations, our denominations, or our Christian culture, and if so, we must obey and break it down. Then, in that place, we await the Lord’s rebuilding in three days—the new temple inaugurated by the resurrection.
The way Jesus showed us is one of self-sacrifice, humility, and universal love found in the Holy Spirit, which all believers are called to emulate, and for which the church exists. If we lose the essence of the gospel and only pursue external splendor, relying on institutional temple systems, we will be no different from the corrupt religious authorities who rejected Jesus two millennia ago. However, if we heed Jesus’ summons to “Destroy this temple,” deny ourselves, take up our cross, and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power for love and service, we will see the marvelous life of God flourish. This flourishing life is the shape of the “new temple.” Pastor David Jang continually stresses this message, calling church leaders and believers to sincerely repent, dedicate themselves, and hunger for the Holy Spirit’s work. He always emphasizes that “God’s grace toward us is exceedingly great, and in that grace, we must deny ourselves.” It is never easy to renounce self-centeredness, but Jesus has already opened that way through the cross, and we have the promise of the Spirit’s presence. Therefore, we can walk the same path.
From the cleansing of the temple and the pronouncement “Destroy this temple” in John 2, to Jesus’ arrest and trial in John 18, we discover why Jesus had to be crucified, what the true temple is, the essence of worship and the Law, and just how extraordinary God’s compassion and love are. By His resurrection, Jesus broke down every barrier, and through the Holy Spirit extended salvation to Jew and Gentile alike, forming a new community. Many theologians and pastors, including David Jang, believe that if the church reclaims this spirit of the gospel in its fullness, we will once again see revival and a mighty work of life. Indeed, whenever believers have held fast to the cross and prayed for the Spirit’s outpouring throughout church history, fresh awakenings and reforms have arisen. Thus, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” is never a merely destructive statement; it is a call to restoration and re-creation. Jesus Himself fulfilled that word by tearing His own flesh on the cross, completing it by His resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and now invites us to follow. This is the essence of the gospel and the church’s ultimate mission. Though, like Jesus, we may face opposition from religious authorities or rejection by the world, in the end we will find eternal life and peace in Him. Today, as we meditate anew on “Destroy this temple,” we should reflect on what sort of temple we have been preserving—both personally and in the church—and consider what we must relinquish to enter the new temple the Lord has prepared. This is the challenge every Christian who follows the way of the cross must face daily, for that way is truly the way of Jesus Christ.
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