John 2: 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
LINDEN, NEW JERSEY — I am sitting with a lot of feelings around this year’s Holy Week observance. It’s a strange mix of hopefulness, sadness, grief, disappointment, feelings of deep gratitude, and so much more.
It is not just about the pandemic anymore. It is the growing shakiness of structures and systems in society; the increasing hatred in the hearts of people; all the senselessness killings; all the unprovoked acts of violence, and our sheer helplessness to stop it all.
Amid all that is disorienting and overwhelming around us, here we are proclaiming a message that we all have heard so many times; a message that hopefully we will never get tired of hearing – – that Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed!
We remember that Jesus’ own life and ministry also unfolded during extremely tumultuous times. As his popularity emerged during all the political and economic chaos, people wondered who he really was.
When he entered Jerusalem to celebrate Passover days before his death, people asked, “Who is this?” What was this teacher and miracle worker up to? What was his true agenda? Whose interest was he protecting? Where was he getting all his power and teachings? What was his real end game?
On one occasion, he was openly confronted by his critics, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus gave a strange reply, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
Those who heard Jesus could only laugh and mock him even more. There was just no way Jesus could raise back a temple in three days that took 46 years to build.
But we all know now that he was not talking about the destruction and raising up of the physical temple. He was talking about his own life. He was speaking of his own death, and the glorious resurrection that would follow — the same resurrection that will ultimately prove that all that he ever said, all that he ever taught, and all he ever claimed about himself was true.
This is the sign. This is the proof. This is where his ultimate credibility will rest in the thousands of generations to come. Jesus rose from the dead just as he said he would.
We are living in a world that is desperate for credibility. We long for credible people whose words we can believe and depend on. We desire for credible systems and structures that can keep us truly safe and secure. It is exhausting to always have to wonder if what you hear is really true. It is frustrating not to be able to fully trust, or to live in constant fear of being betrayed or being let down.
Just like the critics of Jesus, we, too, struggle with our own versions of suspiciousness towards the Lord. We are constantly asking for signs of his faithfulness. We are frequently testing whether Jesus will fulfill his promises.
Sadly in the end, we find ourselves trapped in our inability to trust the Lord fully, deeply, and wholeheartedly.
The truth is that we want to trust. We want to believe that God can raise up something truly beautiful from the ruins of our lives. We want to believe that with God, three days can be enough for things to turn around. We want to believe that God’s words are spirit and life. We want to believe that although God’s numbers and computations do not make sense at first, it will eventually all add up in the end.
Such is the continuing challenge of Jesus’ resurrection account for us today, especially as we realize our desperate need for find our strength and stability in these very volatile times.
When Jesus walked out of his burial tomb that early morning three days after a painful, bloody, violent and cruel death, every doubting voice was silenced, and every argument questioning his true identity was finally put to rest.
There is nothing more to prove. There is nothing left to say. The sign is out, may we see it clearly. May we read it correctly. And may we eventually truly believe: Jesus died for our sins, and rose again to life. It is finished. Death is swallowed up. Darkness is overcome. Life reigns. Hope prevails.
