My Walk Through the Book of Matthew by Annette Godtland

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple (Matthew 24:1-2)

1Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

This almost seems like an interesting twist. Upon entering Jerusalem, they went to the temple and Jesus cleared out the buyers and sellers and money changers. He accused them of making what was intended to be a house of prayer into a den of thieves. It almost seems like He was attempting to restore the temple to its original intent. But now He talks of its destruction?

I can just imagine them leaving the city and the disciples look back from a hillside admiring the view of the grand temple buildings. They point them out to Jesus and Jesus deflates their enthusiasm as He talks of the destruction of the temple.

Actually, I was surprised when I looked back at the previous text and noticed that it said that their house is left to them desolate. Is He referring to the temple? Is it no longer the house of the Lord? If it is left desolate, no longer the house of the Lord, will it too, like the fig tree which would never again bear fruit wither away?

But Jesus doesn’t just talk here of the temple simply withering away, but that the stones shall be thrown down. The temple, left desolate, was not built on Jesus as the chief cornerstone. The same text that claims Jesus as the chief cornerstone, says anything not built on this chief cornerstone will be broken or crushed. This temple, both the man made walls, and the man made religion which the Pharisees are unwilling to relinquish, will be crushed by Jesus. Not a stone will remain standing.

I don’t think Jesus came to restore the temple, but to establish Himself as the chief cornerstone. The temple was just a building. But the house of God will be the church built on Jesus Christ. The temple will be destroyed, but the church of Jesus Christ will withstand all.