基督的权柄
约翰福音二章17至25节
17他的门徒就想起经上记着说：“我为你的殿，心里焦急，如同火烧。”
18因此犹太人问他说：“你既做这些事，还显甚么神迹给我们看呢？”
19耶稣回答说：“你们拆毁这殿，我三日内要再建立起来。”
20犹太人便说：“这殿是四十六年才造成的，你三日内就再建立起来吗？”
21但耶稣这话，是以他的身体为殿。
22所以到他从死里复活以后，门徒就想起他说过这话，便信了圣经和耶稣所说的。
23当耶稣在耶路撒冷过逾越节的时候，有许多人看见他所行的神迹，就信了他的名。
24耶稣却不将自己交托他们，因为他知道万人；
25也用不着谁见证人怎样，因他知道人心里所存的。
信息分享
然而，祂独自站在圣殿不久，犹太人的领袖便立即质问祂，祂有何权柄作出这样激烈的行动。从来没有人敢作这事。祂刚才宣称这是祂父的殿，犹太人便挑战祂说：「倘若神是你的父，那么现在就行个神迹证明给我们看吧！」
我们的主回答说：「你们拆毁这殿，我三日内要再建立起来。」他们听见这话，一定是大笑起来。这圣殿用了许多年才建成的！然而，耶稣和他们其实讲的不是同一个地方，他们是指用石木建成的圣殿；耶稣是讲祂的身体就是圣殿，且预言祂的死与复活。
基督没有解释祂说的话，因为解释也没有多大作用。这些犹太人不会听祂或尝试明白祂，他们最终只想钉祂十字架──那正是耶稣刚刚讲到的。基督其实要说：「透过我的受死和复活，你们就得到最终的证据，来证明这是我父的殿，和我是父所差来的。」同样地，今天祂能够洁净我们的罪，并使我们重生的权柄，乃在于祂的受死和胜过死亡而复活。
令人伤痛的是，当基督离开后，该处又再回复原状，成为牲畜市场和兑换银钱的地方。因此，在祂死前一周，祂曾再次将他们赶出，随后就只能由他们任意而为了。但愿我们每天都祷告主说：「主啊，求你进入我的心中，洁净保守它。它是属于你的，按你的心意来做，使用它荣耀你的名。阿们。」
THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST
John 2:17-25
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.
24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,
25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
Message
But He wasn’t alone too long. Immediately the Jewish leaders demanded to know His authority for His drastic actions. No one had ever done this before. He had just claimed this was His Father’s house and the Jews were disputing His claim. “If your Father is God then show us a miracle to prove it right here and now.”
Our Lord gave them this answer, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” How they must have laughed at His answer. That Temple had taken many many years to build. But they were not speaking about the same place. The Jews were referring to the building of stone and wood. Christ was speaking of His death and resurrection and meant the temple of His body.
Christ didn’t explain what He meant. It would not have been much use. Those Jews would not listen to Him or try to understand Him; their final answer was to crucify Him - the very event He was talking about. Christ said, “The final proof that this is my Father’s house and that the Father has sent me will be seen in my death and resurrection.” It is the same today. His right to cleanse and remake a life lies in His death and triumphant resurrection.
Sad to say it would seem that as soon as Christ’s back was turned the cattle market and the money changers moved back in again. Christ drove them out once more in the final week of His earthly life but then had to leave them to their own devices. We might pray today, “Lord take my life, cleanse it, sanctify it, keep it clean. It is yours. Do what you will with it, only use it for your glory. Amen!”