Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.63LIKELY
Disgust
0.12UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.61LIKELY
Sadness
0.52LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.48UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.47UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.88LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.7LIKELY
Extraversion
0.18UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.61LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.76LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
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.
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?
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.
Prayer
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.
Centuries later, King Josiah said,
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...
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!
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,
Zeal… what is Zeal?
This word is also translated into English as envy, jealousy, and...
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.
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.
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.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9