Jesus' Role and Authority as Heir

The temple was at the heart of Israel's identity and life; the place where their God lived among them. Jesus' actions in the temple therefore cause a huge stir and soon the authorities catch up with him. In the conversation that follows, Jesus subtly claims the authority to judge the temple but then uses a powerful story to predict that they will reject and kill him, but that through his death a new temple will be established, opening the way into God's presence to people from all the nations.