The Temple Destroyed: Jesus Becomes the Meeting Place Between God and Sinners

The Temple Destroyed: Jesus Becomes the Meeting Place Between God and Sinners | Crossway.blog

Excerpt modified from Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus by D.A. Carson pp 20-23

The man who is utterly powerless is powerful (Matt 27:32-40). Matthew provides ample evidence to demonstrate just how weak and powerless Jesus is. Victims were crucified completely naked: the cross was meant to be an instrument of shame as well as of pain. So the soldiers gamble to determine who will gain possession of Jesus’ clothing. As the soldiers keep watch, Jesus has no hope, none whatsoever, of rescue. Then comes the mockery that shows the significance of these evidences of Jesus’ weakness and powerlessness. If we are going to understand why Matthew reports these words, we must remember that the theme of Jesus’ destruction of the temple has already been introduced—he had said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.