1. The Challenge of “Tear Down the Temple” and the Spirit of the Cross
Among the many works Jesus performed during His public ministry, one notable event is the cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple, as recorded in John 2. When Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Passover, He drove out those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves in the Temple courts and overturned their tables. This was a symbolic action, directly criticizing the corrupt practices of the religious authorities at the time. Jewish worshipers needed to prepare an animal—an ox, sheep, or dove—for sacrifice, and moneychangers operated within the Temple courts to facilitate transactions. Exploitative merchants sold sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices even to the poor, and animals obtained from outside were deemed “blemished” and thus disqualified. This system clearly revealed how the religious establishment had polluted God’s Temple with greed for money and power.
Through this incident, the wrongdoing of the high priestly family, particularly that of Annas, was laid bare. The Annas family had turned the high priesthood into a hereditary office, colluded with the Roman Empire to secure their own interests, and used “Temple commerce” to profit from people’s devotion. They fortified their religious and political influence with these profits and powers. But Jesus proclaimed, “Do not make My Father’s house a house of trade!” (John 2:16), and at that moment His disciples recalled Psalm 69:9—“Zeal for Your house has consumed me”—realizing that the Messiah would not tolerate unjust religious structures.
Pastor David Jang highlights two core points in this scene. First, Jesus’s cleansing of the Temple was not merely a condemnation of commercial activity inside it; rather, He exposed the underlying human sinfulness—the greed for power and wealth—that can defile the place meant for worshiping God. The Jerusalem Temple stood at the heart of the Jewish faith system and was considered almost inviolably sacred. Yet the corruption, deception, and exploitative sacrificial system within it had nothing to do with God’s will. Jesus refused to leave His Father’s name dishonored.
Second, by declaring, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), Jesus foretold His crucifixion and resurrection on the third day, through which a “new Temple” would be established. The Jews who heard this did not immediately understand, retorting, “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (John 2:20). But the Temple Jesus meant was His own body. He was revealing that no longer would a physical building be the focus of worship and salvation; rather, Jesus Christ Himself would become the center of both, the foundational “spiritual Temple” made new by His resurrected body.
This revolutionary message—that Jesus Himself was the “true Temple”—posed a grave threat to the religious ruling class of the time. In the Jewish society of that day, the Jerusalem Temple symbolized all religious life and the keeping of the Law. Suggesting that one might tear it down, or that there existed an authority greater than the Temple, could be seen as extreme blasphemy. Thus, Annas, Caiaphas, and the other high priests viewed Jesus’s statement and His ministry as dangerously subversive. Indeed, when Jesus was eventually arrested and led to the cross, one of the major charges was precisely this “declaration to destroy the Temple.”
At this point, Pastor David Jang urges us to recognize that there is a “temple” inside each of us that must be torn down. Every human being is self-centered, clinging to that self-centeredness as though it were a personal “temple,” struggling to keep it from collapse, and preserving one’s own interests, desires, and pride within it. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially the event of the cross, challenges us: “Tear down that false temple within you.” An ego that refuses to be dismantled, the presumptive “absolute space” we claim for ourselves—this is the root of sin and the starting point of all conflict and discord.
In John 18, Jesus is finally arrested and taken to Annas, showing that the confrontation with the religious authorities—begun at the Temple cleansing—has reached its climax. The verse “The high priest then questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching” (John 18:19) reveals their intent to pin some charge on His doctrine and followers. Annas questioned Him first because Jesus was the greatest threat to their status quo, having said the Temple would be torn down, effectively claiming Himself as the true Temple and thus undermining their entire power structure.
So, Jesus was accused in a clandestine nighttime procedure, not in an open trial, and ultimately handed over to be crucified. This demonstrates how false power and a corrupt religious system reject true truth. Beneath it all lies their stubborn refusal to relinquish the worldly gains tied to the “visible Temple” on which their authority was built. Throughout the Gospels, whenever Jesus clashes with the religious establishment, the core of the conflict is the collision between His message and their greed for power.
As Pastor David Jang emphasizes, the same problem can occur within the church or within an individual believer’s spiritual life. If the church loses its primary spiritual mission and pursues secular desires or power, it becomes no different from the merchants who turned the Jerusalem Temple into a marketplace. Likewise, even believers can resist the gospel in their hearts, trying to protect their own little temples despite attending church. But Jesus’s command, “Tear down the Temple,” ought to resound powerfully in anyone who professes faith, reminding us that only by dismantling our selfish inner shrine can the “resurrection Temple” be raised within us.
This is precisely where the spirit of the cross shines. Jesus declared that He laid down His life in order to take it up again (John 10:17), and that by destroying His own body, He would raise it in three days—an act He fulfilled on the cross and through the resurrection. Far from being a mere statement, He demonstrated it on the actual path of the cross. Christian doctrine centers on Christ’s death and resurrection, a truth deeply tied to Jesus’s “destroy and rebuild the Temple” motif. We must remember that “Tear down the Temple” is not a call for violent destruction or a negative pronouncement, but rather the very essence of the gospel—“the death of the old and the birth of the new.”
In John 8, where the woman caught in adultery appears, we see another clash between Law and gospel, with Jesus again threatened by false religious power. By the Law of Moses, the woman should have been stoned, but Jesus forgave her, declaring, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). He thus proclaimed the higher law of God’s mercy and forgiveness. From the existing religious system’s viewpoint, this was a scandalous “destruction of the Law.” Later, in a similar vein, Stephen was stoned to death for allegedly threatening to tear down the Temple and change the Mosaic Law (Acts 6:13–14).
Ultimately, Jesus’s words—“Tear down the Temple”—are a summons to leave behind a faith bound by outward structures and legalism and to enter direct fellowship with God, centered on self-denial, devotion, and limitless forgiveness for sinners. Pastor David Jang describes this as “breaking down the selfish temple within us and erecting in its place the spirit of the cross, which in turn ushers in the true church and the work of the Holy Spirit.” This, he stresses, is the core ministry of Jesus Christ as described in the Gospels—leading us toward reconciliation and salvation.
Returning to John 2, we see Jesus already anticipating His resurrection when He says He will raise the Temple in three days. Only after the actual resurrection do the disciples finally grasp His meaning (John 2:22). Without the Lord’s death, there could be no resurrection; without completely tearing down the old, the new cannot arise. That gospel truth is compressed in the Temple destruction declaration, which remains relevant today. It calls believers and churches alike to relinquish whatever they consider their “center of the universe.”
Pastor David Jang repeatedly asserts in his pastoral ministry that the Christian faith does not let us stay in a “safe zone” but constantly challenges and shakes us, compelling us to fight against our “false religiosity.” “Tear down the Temple” is not just a doctrinal slogan but an invitation to cast off every stubborn wall we build—whether judgmental views or cravings for personal glory. If we ignore this invitation, we risk imitating the corrupt religious leaders who clung to unholy ways and rejected the true gospel. However, if we submit and humble ourselves by letting go of our pride, then we can truly experience the glory of the cross and the resurrection, as Pastor David Jang reiterates.
Examining in detail the events of the cross, where the clash with religious power reached its peak, we see that Jesus’s coming was indeed revolutionary, shattering old legalistic and corrupt structures. The phrase “Tear down the Temple” stands at the heart of that revolution, illuminating the sacrificial spirit of the cross. Pastor David Jang notes that true spiritual maturity can only develop by going through this “destruction and rebuilding” of the Temple. Merely keeping religious rituals or institutional forms has its limits. Only by completely breaking one’s old self and uniting with Christ can one form the true “spiritual Temple.”
Moreover, without the spirit of the cross, the church easily devolves into a center of power and money, just like the priests of the Old Testament. Just as the Jerusalem Temple required cleansing, the modern church continually needs purification. That is why Jesus’s words, “Tear down the Temple,” must still ring in our ears. Ignoring the need to remove what must be torn down is never the posture the gospel demands. Instead, the church and believers must regularly engage in self-examination, fearlessly discarding whatever is corrupt or compromised. Only then will the church begin to reveal outwardly that it is indeed “the Lord’s body,” where the Holy Spirit dwells.
In conclusion, Pastor David Jang teaches that the statement, “Tear down the Temple,” is essentially the path of “dying so that the Lord may live,” and it marks the first step toward “gospel freedom beyond the old legal frameworks.” Anyone who fully accepts this message will naturally empty themselves and serve both their neighbor and the church. Wherever the spirit of the cross is practiced tangibly, there is no room for walls, conflicts, or discrimination. That blessed way is the “destruction and rebuilding” of the Temple Jesus ushered in, and it is the way of the cross we all must walk.
Sub-Topic 2: The Way of Peace, the Era of the Holy Spirit, and the True Essence of the Church
It is crucial to understand that “Tear down the Temple” was not merely an instruction to physically demolish the old Jewish system but rather a spiritual proclamation of the advent of a “new era.” This becomes clear when we connect it to the events in the Book of Acts. After Jesus’s death and resurrection, the disciples experienced the universal and expansive power of the gospel through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 gathered disciples, they began to praise God and speak in various tongues. This gracious event showed that God’s presence was no longer the exclusive privilege of certain classes or religious elites; a time had come when anyone could receive the Holy Spirit.
Pastor David Jang sees in this work of the Holy Spirit a more concrete revelation of Jesus’s intent in “tearing down the Temple.” In the past, the Jerusalem Temple was the absolute center of Jewish religious life. But now, the risen Jesus Christ Himself is our “holy object of worship,” and through Him the Spirit becomes our true dwelling place of worship. Beyond that, the Apostles taught, “You yourselves are that temple” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19), instructing the church that the Spirit of God abides within its members, who themselves become “living temples” united in one Body.
However, for this “new Temple” to rise, the “old Temple” had to fall. Symbolically, when Jesus was crucified, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), signifying that the Old Testament’s institutional Temple was no longer the only bridge between God and humanity. Now, anyone could boldly approach God through Christ, free from subjugation to any high priest or specific rites. This marked a tremendous shift in redemptive history and a direct blow to the established religious power. Thus, “Tear down the Temple” was not merely a call to eradicate a building or spark some violent anti-establishment campaign, but rather to announce the dawn of the “era of the Holy Spirit.”
In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul summarizes Jesus’s work by saying, “He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). In Christ, distinctions between Jew and Gentile vanish, and both are made one new humanity (Ephesians 2:15). At the physical Temple in Jerusalem, even the courtyard access for Gentiles was strictly limited, with the threat of death for trespassers. But now, Christ obliterated that wall of separation, forming one family of God (Ephesians 2:19).
Pastor David Jang applies the teachings of Ephesians to the local church, maintaining that “a true church cannot tolerate discrimination.” This is not just about organizational equality; it is about proving through our actual lives that “we died to our old selves and arose newly in Jesus” because of His cross and resurrection. If discrimination or separation still persists in the church, it reveals the remnants of an “old Temple” that remains un-dismantled. The command “Tear down the Temple” invites both individuals and communities to open their eyes to any barriers, hatred, or unjust privileges and to repent thoroughly at the foot of the cross, bringing down those walls.
Indeed, Jesus’s ministry often demonstrated open arms to tax collectors, prostitutes, Gentiles, women, and the marginalized—lifting them up in the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Mark 2:15–17). This was revolutionary to those steeped in Old Testament legalism. While merchants at the Jerusalem Temple exploited even the poor under the guise of providing Passover sacrifices, Jesus dined with tax collectors and “sinners.” The early church inherited His missionary model and spirit, becoming an “open Temple” that welcomed all into the worshiping community.
Nevertheless, across history, the church has sometimes veered from this New Testament vision by allying with secular power, just as the clergy did before the Reformation. Figures like Martin Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin cried out, in essence, “Tear down the corrupt Temple and restore the pure gospel,” which can be seen as a historical reapplication of Jesus’s words. Pastor David Jang likewise teaches that when today’s church is in crisis, we must re-engage with this command, allowing ourselves to be reformed by the leading of the Holy Spirit and not fearing to topple old structures.
To fulfill its calling as a place of “peace” and “reconciliation,” the church must be united within itself, ever mindful that it is a community purchased by Christ’s blood. Jesus referred to His own body as the “Temple,” saying it would be torn down and raised in three days—pointing directly to the atoning work of His crucifixion and resurrection. One outstanding result of this saving act was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, by which everyone stood equally before God. Male servants and female servants, old and young, Jews and Gentiles (Acts 2:17–18)—the Spirit’s coming inaugurated an era that dismantled discrimination.
Unless the church continues in the spirit of this new era, applying the message of “Temple destruction and rebuilding” to itself, it risks following the path of Annas and Caiaphas. Pastor David Jang warns, “If the church does not place the gospel of the cross at its forefront—if it fights over clerical authority or finances and slanders each other—it is already ensnared by a false temple.” In such a scenario, the Holy Spirit cannot manifest His power; instead, the church becomes a target of the world’s scorn. Hence, “Tear down the Temple” does not only speak to the ancient Jewish system but remains a pressing command for us today, exposing and discarding every impurity, pride, and division in our midst. Only when the church repents and purifies itself can society regain its trust in us, revealing the genuine light of the gospel.
On an individual level, Pastor David Jang applies the same principle. “Tear down the Temple” involves personal introspection as much as ecclesial reformation. In the Book of Job, after encountering God, Job declares he repents “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). A person must fully acknowledge their sinfulness and limitations before the Lord to receive His grace. Yet humans naturally strive to maintain a “personal temple,” seeking security within it. Pastor David Jang asserts that tearing down such a structure within is the necessary step toward “true repentance and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,” connecting this to the life of the cross characterized by “self-denial and voluntary sacrifice.”
Paul’s confession—“I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20)—is an extreme expression of tearing down one’s temple. As a Pharisee, Paul had once prided himself on his impeccable adherence to the Law (Philippians 3:4–6). Yet after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, he counted all of that as rubbish, choosing instead to die with Christ and live as a new creation (Philippians 3:7–8). This act exemplifies the practical application of the gospel of Jesus, who said, “Tear down the Temple,” and of resurrection faith. A true church, following Paul’s example, abandons whatever it once gloried in or relied on, living solely by Christ’s life.
Today’s world is filled with division, conflict, and exclusion, yet many strive for a better shared future. The Christian answer, as modeled by Jesus, is “Love even your enemies, wash each other’s feet, and give up whatever is needed so that your neighbor may live.” The foundation is the spirit of the cross, which can only be embraced by first “tearing down the temple”—by emptying oneself and giving up self. Pastor David Jang underscores the uniqueness of Christianity: although ideologies and philosophies of the world may advocate lofty ideals, there is nothing as radical as the gospel’s central message of “God who willingly becomes man, dies, and thereby opens new life.” Believing this scandalously bold event transforms our entire way of living.
Worship in church likewise remains hollow and merely formal if divorced from the spirit of “tearing down the temple.” True worship means laying yourself down before the Lord, serving one another, and welcoming even sinners. Only in that environment does the Holy Spirit work among us, fulfilling the promise, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Pastor David Jang calls churches around the world, including the Korean church, to rediscover this spiritual principle. Though our era changes rapidly, the power of “lowering ourselves and tearing down what must fall” in the gospel does not change—indeed, it is only becoming more necessary.
The same challenges appear when spreading the gospel cross-culturally. Tearing down our “temple”—renouncing our supreme authority or traditions—is never easy. Yet since Pentecost, the gospel has leaped language, culture, race, and social barriers. Throughout history, individuals who came to faith in Christ experienced the dismantling of their personal temples, becoming part of the Body of Christ. Even now, to be a Christian means no longer asking “Who is Jewish and who is Gentile?” but uniting as one in the Spirit. Hence, the announcement in John’s Gospel—“Tear down the Temple”—lies at the heart of God’s universal salvation for humankind.
In his pastoral and missionary work, Pastor David Jang persistently teaches that “the church is Jesus’s Temple,” warning that if it succumbs to secular power or material temptation, it risks replicating what happened in the Jerusalem Temple of old. Just as the first-century Temple financed the high priestly family’s exploitation through offerings and sacrifices, so too can contemporary churches misuse financial resources for private advantage or wield ecclesiastical power to dominate congregants. In such cases, Jesus’s command “Tear down the Temple” must ring out even more clearly. Only by obeying this voice—through repentance and self-correction—can the church regain the world’s trust, revealing the true light of the gospel.
Therefore, we must not dismiss “Tear down the Temple” as a relic of ancient history. Through two millennia of church history, this bold declaration has sparked continuous reform and renewal. On a personal level, the deeper our faith grows, the more thoroughly we must let go of ourselves and surrender our “temple of desires” to the Lord for demolition. It is in that surrender that we at last discover genuine freedom, joy, and unity in our community.
In John 18, once Jesus was arrested and subjected to a religious trial, the question “What crime have You committed?” was repeatedly pressed upon Him—illustrating how threatening His teachings were to the establishment. This was not just a clash of theological doctrines. “Tear down the Temple” directly undermined the base of the high priest’s authority and was, from their standpoint, intolerable. Yet Jesus did not waver and fulfilled His word by actually having His body torn on the cross. Then, three days later, He arose, inaugurating an unimaginable “new Temple era.”
Pastor David Jang interprets the conclusion of the gospel as a powerful invitation: “We, too, must tear down our temple to share in Christ’s resurrection life.” Only by denying ourselves and nailing our old selves to the cross do we partake in the joy of the resurrection. Church disputes and domestic or social strife ultimately arise from our refusal to abandon our “own temple.” Yet Jesus beckons us to the “way of peace” (Ephesians 2:14), having demolished all barriers through His body. Behind the challenge “Tear down the Temple” stands the promise “I will raise it up,” which leads not to destruction but to God’s plan of salvation and abundant life.
Those who tried to stone Jesus, who believed Jerusalem’s Temple to be absolute, completely failed at first to comprehend the splendor of His resurrection. But after the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, the disciples began to preach the good news boldly, and even Stephen—martyred for the same accusation—planted seeds for further gospel expansion through his death. Indeed, the call “Tear down the Temple” may bring opposition or persecution, especially from the world or the religious elite. Yet the victory of the resurrection awaits at the end of that road. If the church keeps this in view, it can preserve the essence of its witness against every challenge and criticism.
In summary, Jesus’s instruction, “Tear down the Temple,” embodies the heart of cross-centered faith, where love, peace, salvation, and sacrifice converge. He taught, “If I lay it down, if it is destroyed, something new will rise,” and He demonstrated this truth Himself. Those who follow Him share the confession, “Zeal for Your house has consumed me” (Psalm 69:9), yet “the Lord’s house” is not just an external structure or institution. It is “you yourselves,” God’s Temple in spirit. This inner Temple is built only by the power of the cross, resurrection, and the indwelling Holy Spirit; in it, all discrimination and barriers are removed as a genuine faith community emerges.
Pastor David Jang calls this the “revolutionary nature of the gospel.” It is impossible to cling to our old sinful nature while simultaneously experiencing the fresh anointing of the gospel. We must tear down and rebuild. This is precisely how Jesus grants forgiveness to sinners, and it is the “way of peace” to which the God who humbled Himself invites us. Ultimately, this way is the sanctifying process by which both individual believers and the church grow into their true identity, the “narrow gate” leading into the Kingdom that the Holy Spirit has opened wide.
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