What does John 2:22 mean?
After Jesus is resurrected (Matthew 28:9–10), His disciples realize His earlier statement (John 2:19) was a prophecy about His own body. This is especially important; there would have been no way for Jesus to simulate such a thing or pretend it to be true. It's also important because His reference to the temple and His own resurrection was used both in His trials (Matthew 26:61) and as an insult while He was dying on the cross (Matthew 27:40). This means Jesus' claim could not have been invented after His death. Later, Jesus will refer to death as the means to "plant a seed" which produces new life (John 12:20–25).In the gospel of John, we often see people respond to miracles based on their preferences. What a person wants to believe often has a more powerful influence on them than what they should believe (John 7:17) or what they have reason to believe (Romans 1:18–20). Some, like the Pharisees (John 5:39–40), refuse to see God's work and instead invent ways to explain away the miracle—or cover it up (Matthew 28:11–15). Others, like the disciples, see them as proof that what they've read in the Scriptures is true.