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The Jews had rejected Christ and sought deliverance through the use of force, which brought needless destruction upon them and upon Jerusalem, whereas real victory was given to the Christians through Christ's teachings. For the Christian, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem appeared to be a sign of God's judgement against those who had turned away from the covenant God had established through Christ. It was a sign that Christ clearly foresaw, a sign that history unfolds according to God's plan, and a sign that real deliverance requires moving with that plan. (38:1) Christ was pointing out the inevitable, that which the Jews themselves knew the prophets of former times had warned them about. The Temple served the people only if they remained obedient to God's covenant, otherwise God would cause the destruction of the Temple (Jer. 7:1-15; Ezek. 9; Amos 9:1). When Jesus allowed the Jews to crucify Him, He had, in effect, allowed them to destroy God's Temple, which He then raised up again through the establishment of the Church. The later destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem was an outward shadow in the physical world of what they had brought upon themselves spiritually by rejecting Christ. (38:2) Since Jesus had already inaugurated the Christian era, which superseded the Jewish era, there is good reason to believe that His prophecies are not primarily centred upon the fate and destiny of the Jews. Instead, it is logical to assume that His prophecy concerning the destruction of the Temple is essentially involved with His own destiny and the establishment of the Church. Jesus' prophecy came true with the crucifixion, which was the destruction of the Temple (His body) in Jerusalem. The future destruction in AD 70 of the actual building that the Jews continued to regard as the Temple was not in itself necessary for the fulfilment of Jesus' prophecy. Moreover, while the destruction of the Temple - both the crucifixion and the literal destruction in AD 70 represented a great loss to the Jews, both events were turned into victory for the Christians. As St Paul said, the crucifixion revealed 'the power of God and the wisdom of God' (1 Cor. 1:24). It proved the invincibility of Jesus' truth, which was essential for the establishment of the Church.
(38:3)
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