John 2:20 Meaning and Explanation
“Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Taking him literally, they scoff: forty-six years the temple has been in building — will he raise it in three days?
What Does John 2:20 Mean?
Herod's grand rebuilding of the temple had been under way for forty-six years and was still unfinished. Measured in masonry, the claim of Jesus is absurd, and the authorities answer it with arithmetic — decades of stone and gold set against three days.
Their mistake is the perennial one: hearing heaven's words at street level. Nicodemus will do the same with new birth (John 3:4), and the woman at the well with living water (John 4:11). When Christ speaks, the scoffing hear only impossibility, while the seeking learn to ask what he means. The real question is not how long the building took, but who is standing in front of it.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 2:20
What does John 2:20 mean?
Taking him literally, they scoff: forty-six years the temple has been in building — will he raise it in three days?