Cleansing
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Last week we started in John 2, and read about when Jesus turned water to wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. John recorded that it was the first sign that Jesus performed, and that because of this sign, his disciples believed in Him.
What is the difference between a miracle and a sign? Does anyone remember?
A miracle is a display of power, in which he did something that was supernatural—it was not an ordinary thing.
John didn’t call this a miracle, a work of power. He called it a sign. A sign has a significant meaning behind it.
Last week I attempted to explain the significance of turning the water to wine at the wedding. It was not his wedding. The bridegroom is responsible to provide at his wedding. Jesus was not the bridegroom in this situation. He was not the provider.
However, He has a wedding coming where he will be supplying the wine. The wine is a symbol of joy. He will supply joy beyond anything that this world has to offer! And, he invites us all to come to the table, to come to the wedding supper of the lamb.
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
What a wonderful picture of our loving savior, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The one who invites us, the weak, the sinful, the guilty and shame-ridden. He invites us, cleans us up, clothes us in white, and provides for us.
Do you know what comes after that great time of the wedding supper of the lamb?
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.
His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.
What comes after the wedding is the violent wrath of the conquering King who will punish those who would not receive His salvation. Those who would not receive Him when he came gentle, riding on a donkey will be the objects of his wrath when he comes on the war horse.
Well, what is interesting is that John 2 is just like Revelation 19. It goes from a great wedding supper to an outpouring of wrath.
Let’s read it together.
After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”
But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.
He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
Prayer
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
I want to call attention to something John says here that I think is significant. John says is was almost time for the ‘Jewish Passover’.
Why is that significant?
Well, to see the significance, let’s look back to when this annual festival was started.
This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
“ ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover is to be held.
Observe the month of Aviv and celebrate the Passover of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night.
Centuries later, King Josiah said,
The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”
How is the Passover referred to in these passages? Whose is the Passover? Who is central to the Passover? Who is it about? It is to the Lord. It is about the Lord who is at the center of the Passover. It is a celebration of Him and His mighty deliverance of Israel!
But now, in the days of Jesus, John records it specifically as the Jewish Passover. It could be that he did this because part of his audience were Gentiles. However, in the context, I think he was setting the stage for what is coming next...
In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
We see in the other gospels who record Jesus clearing the temple a second time right before his crucifixion that the money changers were in the court of the Gentiles, the outer court around the temple.
What was happening was this; people came from all over the Roman empire with coins that were minted in different places. So when they went to pay their temple tax of 1/2 shekel.
Well the priests decided to capitalize on this. They sold franchises of money changing and sacrifice sellers.
The money changers charged a fee per 1/2 shekel to change the Roman, Greek, Syrian 1/2 shekels to a temple shekel. And, if you traded say a 2 shekel piece, you paid a fee for the temple 1/2 shekel, and a fee for 3 more 1/2 shekels of whatever denomination you got in change.
Those selling sacrifices were sent for 18 months of training to learn how to tell which animals were clean and unclean, and which animals were likely to become unclean in time. Then, when people brought their own sacrifices, they usually didn’t pass inspection because they were either unclean, or going to become unclean one day. So, they would be forced to buy a sacrifice there at the temple for up to 15 times what the normal street price was.
And yes, this was all done under the authority of the priests. In face, some commentators of the day called the temple the “Bazaars of Annas.”
To give an idea of the amount of money, in 54 BC. Crassus raided the temple treasuries to take what the Jews failed to pay in tribute. He took the equivalent of $20 million.
The temple, and the Passover festival was no longer about the Lord, but about the Jews. It was about the priests making a buck.
What is more, this was all done in the court of the Gentiles, where all the world could see the mockery the Jewish leaders were making of the worship of what they claimed was the one true God.
When Jesus entered, imagine how it must have appeared and sounded. With 2.25 million people in Jerusalem for this. It must have been crowded and loud. And the temple was filled with people, money changers, animals, and sellers. It must have been loud and maddening.
There was no way you would hear Levites leading in worship. There couldn’t have been the crowds worshiping as they had in the days of Solomon, or Josiah, or Ezra. No, it was just a loud bazaar!
So Jesus was filled with peace and gentleness.
No!
So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
It was no longer about God. It was about them! It was no longer a Passover to the Lord. It was now a Jewish Passover.
When Jesus saw this, he couldn’t contain himself!
That is why John wrote,
His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
Zeal… what is Zeal? This word is also translated into English as envy, jealousy, and...
but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
Raging fire. In fact, that is also what the word consume brings to mind. A fire. God is called the consuming fire.
Not that He is just a God of wrath. But He is a God who is Holy. He is the only one deserving all praise, honor and glory. He has done great things for which He deserves all praise.
This Passover festival was supposed to be about worshiping Him, the all-powerful God that rescued the slaves of Egypt from the most powerful nation on Earth at the time. And He did it without their help! He did it all, through His power, might and wisdom. He deserved to be honored and worshipped as not other does.
Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
“I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
And here the Jews took His Passover festival, and made it about them.
God is a jealous God. Jealous of receiving what is due to him alone.
He is the consuming fire that will punish those who do not honor Him as He deserves.
The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
What gall for them to ask Him for a sign. They knew what they were doing was not right! In fact, all they were doing was what the prophets decried. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi.
And they ask for a sign for someone who sticks up for God. Well, they would have their sign.
Where the Lord dwelled in the temple before, now the temple was his body.
After they not only robbed God of His honor and glory, they would crucify Him. But He would have the final word. He would rise again in power.
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.
He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
People saw what Jesus was doing, and likely healings he was doing afterward, and they believed. But were they looking to him as God? Were they looking for the Messiah He came to be? Or were they still in it for themselves?
He knew. He knows all hearts and thoughts.
What about me?
What about me?
What is my image of Jesus?
What is my image of Jesus?
Is it about me, or the Lord?
Is it about me, or the Lord?
Do I have zeal for the Lord?
Do I have zeal for the Lord?
Am I living as the temple of the Lord?
Am I living as the temple of the Lord?
Do I believe in Him?
Do I believe in Him?
What would He say about me?
What would He say about me?
Homework
What is my image of Jesus? Lamb? Or, Lion? Read Isaiah 53:7-8; Matthew 11:28-30; 21:5. Often we think of Jesus, we think of the gentle, peaceful lamb that was slain. He was and is absolutely gentle. But that is only part of the picture. He is Colossians 2:9. And the lamb, the Lion of Judah, from Revelation 5-6. Notice what the Lamb that is the Lion of Judah is doing in Revelation 6. He is releasing Judgment on the wicked world. Pay attention to Revelation 6:16-17. This gentle savior is also the righteous judge, who will mete out justice.
Is it about me or the Lord? Read Malachi. The people were going to the temple and doing the sacrifices. The priests were doing their duties. But their hearts were not in it. It was, Malachi 1:13, a burden to them. They were doing their ‘religious duties’, for their sake (if I do this God will bless me); not to honor the Lord. They were living their lives for themselves, not for the Lord. God knows my heart behind my actions. Is what I do for myself (to look good/to gain blessing/to keep other people off my back), or do I really do it for the Lord, and his honor? Isaiah 29:13.
Do I have zeal for the Lord? Read Psalm 69:9. In Psalm 119:139 David said his zeal wore him out. Why? Do I feel indignation over people saying things that dishonor God? Do I get worked up over God’s honor? Am I consumed, fired up, about God’s Word? Would Jesus respond passively when God is dishonored? Should I?
Am I living as the temple of the Lord? Read Colossians 2:10 and 2 Corinthians 6:16. Jesus was the temple of the Lord. The full glory of God was in Him. Now that we are saved, his full glory comes to dwell in us. That glory needs to shine through for others to see. How am I using this body to show His glory? Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-11. The good news is that it is through the cracks in a vase that light shines through. It is often through our flaws, the things of our past that God can show His glory as people see work He is doing in us. Let Him work to change you, and let others see the glory of Him changing you.
Do I believe in Him? True belief is seen in actions. Imagine kids on a playground. I can walk across the top of the monkey bars. Well, if I really don’t believe that boast, when challenged I will not be walking across the top of the monkey bars. What I really believe is seen by what I do. Read James 2:14-26. If you were judged solely on your actions, would people say you believed in Jesus?
What would He say about me? Remember 1 Peter 1:17-2:3? Read it again. We will be judged by an impartial judge, even though He is our Father. We do not want to dissappoint our Father. He knows all about us. Nothing is hidden. Are we loving deeply from the heart? Is there malice? Deceit? Envy? Hypocrisy? Slander? Are we craving pure spiritual milk? Now is the time to confess. Repent (change your thinking about these things). Ask God to renew your mind, and your actions.