Thus, Jesus reveals that the temple—so attractive, so impressive, so solid—is temporary and quite unnecessary for Christian worship. Why? Because, as Hebrews explains, the old temple has served its purpose, being merely a copy for modeling heavenly truths (Hebrews 8:5; 9:24). As great as the temple is, it still relates to a covenant that “is becoming obsolete and growing old [and] is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13).
Another reason is that the birth of Jesus gives God a far better temple on earth. “For in Him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Jesus confirms that His physical body is God’s temple (John 2:19 21). That sets the stage for God’s temple of the New Covenant: the human body of each true believer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). All such believers together form the larger body of Christ called the church. The fact that Deity now dwells within us is part of the unfolding “mystery.”
[God has made known] the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
[In Christ] the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21-22)
Do you see the change? Before, in the days of Solomon, humans assembled lifeless stones into the earthly temple. Now, the Lord Himself saves us and assembles us into His true temple that literally lives and breathes praises to God. The Old Covenant made one physical structure the center of worship. New Covenant worship takes place wherever disciples go—across the entire world!