Matthew 12:6
Thursday, 24 July 2025
Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. Matthew 12:6
“And I say to you that the temple – greater, it is here” (CG).
In the previous verse, Jesus provided the Pharisees with an example from the law concerning the priests profaning the Sabbath. Despite this, they were considered blameless. Now, based on His two examples of David and the priests, He says, “And I say to you that the temple – greater, it is here.
The adjective is neuter. Because of this, it is debated if Christ is speaking of His body as being greater than the temple in Jerusalem or the labors of His disciples as being more important than the labors of the priests at the temple. He referred to His body as a temple in John 2 –
“So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’
19 Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’
20 Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” John 2:18-22
The same neuter adjective is used in verses 41 & 42 in comparison to Jonah (based on his proclamation) and Solomon (based on his wisdom).
As for the truth Jesus conveys, in His first example to the Pharisees, David’s needs were greater than the rules for the temple. In the second example, the requirement to serve the Lord on the Sabbath was greater than the mandate to observe the Sabbath.
Jesus, claiming that His body is greater than the temple, thus allows the disciples to serve Him on the Sabbath. Further, in serving Him, their needs, like the priests at the temple, also need to be met.
Therefore, if His claim is true, then there has been no infraction. The precedent for the lesser has already been set in Scripture itself. Therefore, the allowance for the greater must be granted.
Life application: In the case of the temple, the superiority of Jesus’ body then determines the superiority of the disciples’ rights. In the case of Jonah, the superiority of who Jesus is determines that His proclamation is greater. In the case of Solomon, the superiority of Jesus’ person determines that His wisdom is greater.
The greatness of Jesus means that what He does and says is greater than each of those things done or said by those He is contrasted with. The temple is the place for serving the Lord. Jonah’s proclamation is a transmission of the word of the Lord. Solomon’s wisdom was bestowed by the Lord (1 Kings 3:12).
Claiming to be greater than these things is thus an implicit claim to being the Lord. This is an undeniable point. There is no intermediate point between the Lord and any of these things. Therefore, it must be that Jesus is proclaiming He is the Lord from whom those things issue.
There are sects and cults that deny that Jesus is God. A proper evaluation of what Jesus claims and what is stated about Him, however, demonstrates that this view is not in accord with Scripture. In fact, Jesus’ words concerning Himself would be the epitome of blasphemy if He were not the Lord.
Even if we don’t fully grasp the deity of Jesus, we should accept that it is what the Bible proclaims. Be on the lookout for those who deny it. Jesus’ dual nature is the key point upon which Scripture rests. God Himself united with human flesh. If this is not the case, there is no hope for humanity. Trust this fundamental point, believing that it is so.
O God, help us in our times of weakness or misunderstanding concerning the doctrines set forth in Scripture. May we be careful to accept them, even if we do not fully understand them. In time and through study, we can solidify our thinking in them. Until that happens, help us to trust, by faith, the things the Bible clearly proclaims. Amen.
