Matthew 21:12-13….Ready

Matthew 21:12-13….Ready

21:12 Jesus entered the temple area (Court of the Gentiles. The largest of four courtyards within the Temple complex. Others being the court of the priests, women’s court, and court of the Jews.  12:31-33) (Watch Video https://youtu.be/EfjLSaGbrNs?si=cMCotS0xfWIJcsUn and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables (Metph.-idols, sins, corruptions, social norms, worldly distractions,) of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. (What’s going on here is the same thing you experience at the movies where they sale you a soda for $6.00 that would have cost you $1.00 anywhere else.)  13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’  but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’. (Watch video-https://youtu.be/kyvTMggabJc?si=k0s8WVuIDebQ_4w5 (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Calls for self-examination in driving out the sins and idols we’ve grown comfortable with.” ⇒ Each believer is challenged to consider what attitudes, habits, or desires have been allowed to clutter the heart and obstruct true worship of God. Is there something in your life that needs to be overturned that is hindering your relationship and walk with God. Maybe it’s pride, greed, self-centeredness? Maybe it’s an attitude, a thought, a habit, a pattern. Maybe it’s a persistent sin,  or even a legalistic heart. Maybe it’s a philosophy or a view that doesn’t align with scripture that needs to be driven out. Or maybe it’s an ego in thinking too much about yourself that needs to be overturned by Christ. Are there areas where distractions have corrupted your faith. Are there areas where your motives have become self-serving rather than God-honoring. Are you giving out of obligation rather than a love for God and His Kingdom.

“Warns how commercializing religion for financial profit tarnishes the Church,  making it hard for people to worship God.”→ Commercializing religion for the sake of financial gain undermines the true purpose of the Church. When the focus shifts from genuine worship and spiritual connection to profit, it becomes difficult for individuals to experience authentic communion with God. The drive for money and business within the Church tarnishes its role as a house of prayer and turns it into a place where spiritual growth is hindered by commercial interests. Commercialism of religion is not just limited to Matthew 21. What was happening in Jesus’ day, is also happening in our own day. Where big business tries to capitalize on religion and the name of Jesus. No where do we see this more than in the modern-day Prosperity Gospel of Health & Wealth. Where preachers prey on the vulnerability of others by promising divine miracles of health and wealth in exchange for donations. We see it in clever marketing slogans or motivational quotes to appeal to a wider consumer base. We see it in Megachurches with massive buildings and extravagant worship centers that are often built to attract revenue rather that to serve the spiritual needs of the community. We see it in churches, who, in order to maximize appeal will avoid “offending” the market with difficult teachings on sin, repentance, and sacrifice. Pastors are sometimes elevated as celebrities and bestselling authors, where publicist call the shots in order to sell books and build brands. We see it in churches that rebrand the Gospel into skinny jeans and “Hip” worship music to attract more younger people. We see it in the sale of “Spiritual tools” like worship music, Bible translations, and teaching materials are often heavily monetized. Limiting access for those who cannot pay.

“Warns against going through the religious activities, attend church, give the offerings and everything is good with God” → Notice how Jesus didn’t just drive out those who were selling, but the buyers as well. That religious busyness is just as bad as religious commercialism. For some it’s easy to live Monday through Saturday living the way they want with little to no regard for God or their own call to holiness. Then come to church on Sunday sing the songs, give the offerings, and then go home and start another week, and think God’s fine with that. It’s kind of a religious bribery that lives life doing whatever it wants and thinks I can just kind of pay off God if I do the right thing at the right time. That as long as I do some of the religious stuff , then I can do whatever I want after that. I can go to church, I can give, and God’s going to be in debt in overlooking everything else in my life.

“Even today, do you go to church to connect with God and experience His presence? Or do you go to church for networking, drumming up new business, socializing, catching up on the latest gossip, finding a potential spouse, etc.” ⇒ Do you use your faith or the name of Jesus for anything other than what it’s intended. Do you use religion, the church, the name of Jesus, for political votes,……..

“Some try using Jesus’ anger here as running contrary to His sinless character. Many  counter how Jesus was only responding from a place of holy and righteous indignation, not of anger or frustration.” ⇒ Scholars point to the fact that since it took time to make a whip, braiding a lot of ropes together Jesus didn’t just lose His cool and fly-off the handle, grabbing the first thing He saw and started driving the people out. But by making a whip of cords Jesus had time to contemplate and think about what He was about to do. Not only that, but this wasn’t Jesus’ first rodeo, He’s been to the Temple on Passover many times before throughout His life. Therefore Jesus was not taken by surprise or caught off guard, but was already familiar with what was going on there. According to Marks account there was a day’s break between the two events where Jesus entered the Temple, looked around and returned the following day. Which suggests there was enough of a pause so that Jesus wasn’t rushing into the place in a mad rage.  Also notice the account says nothing about Jesus hitting people with the whip. Instead He only used the whip to drive the out the animals. Jesus “drove them all out”—but did no physical harm to anybody. Jesus was not physically violent and taught His disciples to reject violence. (Matt. 26:51-52; Luke 9:55-56)

Additional Notes & Applications

Displays the work of Jesus in driving out the religious busyness that we’ve relied on as our self-righteousness.

Calls for guarding against religious commercialism that can slowly creep into the church.

 Challenges believers in going beyond religious activities to growing in a close and intimate relationship with God.

Calls for going beyond just making an appearance of faith, to being fully devoted followers.

Warns against neglecting the holy nature and character of God to our own spiritual convenience.

Warns rather than give into what is comfortable and convenient stay true to God and His standards.

Warns how oftentimes good intentions start off well but then get terribly off course.

Warns against using the church as a means for personal gain.

Warns of those who will  exploit and take advantage of our desires for God, that there some things we have to do before we can get to God.

Displays how corruption in worship and false religion needs to be dealt with by way of a complete overhaul.

When we first read this event were confused. It seems a little out of character for Jesus. Isn’t this the same Jesus who said come to me all you who weary and burdened, for I am gentle and lowly  in heart-(Matt. 11:28-30) Isn’t this the same Jesus that said if someone offends you turn the other check.-(Matt. 5:39) Not only that, but we are told elsewhere in Bible; “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lip.-(Col. 3:8) and again; “In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,‘-(Eph. 4:26)  Again; “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. -(James 1:19-12) Again; “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.”-(Prov. 15:1)  So we have all of these warnings in scripture calling us to remove anger from our lives, and there’s far more than just these  And yet here’s Jesus angerly flipping tables and killing trees. And that’s a struggle for us. Because as Christian, we believe that Jesus was actually sinless. That He lived the perfect life that we could not. That He was truly righteous in all that He did, all that He said, all that He thought. So we have to assume that some anger is not always a sin. In fact there’s a place for what we call “Righteous anger”. And that is what Jesus is displaying here. We also see it in Moses, who after seeing the Israelites worshiping an idol, in anger smashed the tablets of the Law-(Ex. 32:19-20) John the Baptist, who in holy indignation called the Pharisees & Sadducees a “Brood of Vipers” for their hypocrisy..-(Matt. 3:7) And Paul angerly confronting Peter for his hypocrisy in distancing himself from Gentiles believers.-(Gal. 2:11-14) Righteous anger is distinct from sinful anger as it’s driven by love for God, focused on justice, who angrily fights corruption, exploitation, prejudice, and aims for restoration, not personal vengeance. 

By quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 Jesus models for us the importance of seeing that whatever actions we take should always be justified by the bible.  Always do what you do based on the written Word of God and not your own authority. Everything we do and everything we say (or refrain to do and say) should come from the bible and not the world’s view.

To understand Jesus’ cleansing the Temple. We need to go back to the Old testament. The Jewish Passover festival commemorates the story of God freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. God instructed Moses and Aaron and the Israelite people in Egypt to mark the door post of their houses with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of Lord would “pass over” their house and spare their firstborn sons. God commanded the Israelites to remember the Passover each year on the 14th day of the Jewish month Abib, which was later called Nisan.-(Ex. 12, 13, Deut. 16) At this time of season Jerusalem became very crowded with both Jews and Gentiles, coming from all over Israel and all over the world to celebrate the Passover. There would be, by some estimates, hundreds of thousands of visitors entering Jerusalem to keep the Passover feast. The Temple mount itself would be overcrowded with people bringing their sacrifices, particularly the court of the Gentiles. According to Jewish Law sacrificial offerings had to be inspected by the Priest first before it could be offered. It had to be perfect without blemish or defects.-(Ex, 12:5, Liv. 22:21-22) If you were going up to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival and you had to travel a long distance over several days it would be hard and expensive to keep a animal healthy and uninjured for the whole journey. Even if you brought your own lamb, there was an inspection fee. And since the Temple Priest were inspecting it, they’d usually find some small blemish, forcing you to buy one any way. Therefore it was convenient to just buy a animal from the priests in the Temple once you arrived. Not only that, but because it was coming from the Temple market it was already blemished-free and pre-approved by the priests as sacrificed ready. Even though the price was highly inflated at ten times the cost. In order to buy sacrificial animals and pay your Temple tax you had to exchange your money for Jewish currency. Because Rome was a occupying force, Roman currency wasn’t valid because the coins had Caesars’ portrait on it which was considered idolatrous and forbidden on temple grounds. Even the coins had a slightly inflated exchange rate in which the priests took a decent cut. If people did not bring their own sheep or the right currency they had no real option but to give into this very corrupt system. Over time the Passover had become very big business in the Temple. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, 256,000 lambs sacrificed in one week during a Passover.  Because the Priests allowed a market inside the Temple grounds. The Gentiles who had come to worship and pray would find themselves in a noisy and filthy place, with a lot of animal dung and animal smells, The mooing of the oxen, the bleeping of sheep, and the chirping of birds. You had merchants shouting to get more customers. And the money changers shouting out different exchange rates. No doubt distracting the people who were trying to worship and pray. It would be like trying to hold Worship in the middle of a Flea-market/Swap-meet.

Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple was not a necessarily a convenience or efficiency issue in making religion too easy and too confrontable. But rather they were replacing worship with commerce. They were profiting off the needs of worshippers. In fact they were profiting off the poorest and the most vulnerable. Matthew by mentioning those who were selling pigeons and doves. Was an Old Testament stipulation made by the Law for those who couldn’t afford the nicer and bigger animals for sacrifices. By quoting the “Den of robbers” line from the prophet Jeremiah. Jesus was confronting the same thing as Jeremiah experienced in his own time. The Jews were sinning grossly in using the Temple of God as a place to exploit others and thinking they were safe. The Temple was a “den of thieves” in that it was being used as a safe place where the people could take refuge from God’s wrath, even if they were dishonoring Him with their actions. We, of course, do not have the Temple as our “den of thieves.” But sometimes we can turn God’s grace and forgiveness into a “den of thieves.” We do this when we receive God’s grace cheaply, using it as an excuse to live a life contrary to God’s will. We think, “Well, this might be wrong, but God will always forgive me.” Thus, we presume upon God’s grace, using it as an excuse to keep on sinning rather than a motivation for holy living.

Jesus is not against commerce or trade. Jesus isn’t against marketing or a good business plan or making a profit. Jesus isn’t addressing the offerings due to the priests. The Bible establishes that the priests deserve to be supported by the Israelites (Deut. 18:1) just like Christian teachers deserve to make a living from their work for the kingdom (1 Corn. 9:8–12). Nor was Jesus against  necessary and important church services. But rather the problem Jesus had was twofold. One was the location. They’re doing all this in the temple! That’s not what the temple is for. And the other problem is they are taking advantage of the people. There is extortion and price gouging going on. This habit unfortunately has never stopped. In the early church age, relic hunters would sell you a fingerbone, supposedly from Saint. The modern era has con-men peddling special anointing oil or prayer cloths. Christ is also addressing God-worshipers who value convenience and appearances over genuine piety or concern toward others.

This story of Jesus cleansing the temple must have been pretty significant for each Gospel writer to include this event in their respective Gospels. Matthew, Mark and Luke have placed this event at the tail end of Jesus’ ministry right before His arrest and crucifixion. Where as John places this story of Jesus cleansing the Temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry after attending the wedding at Cana, where He changed water into wine.-(John 2:1-12) Many struggle with this, not sure whether there was one cleansing of the Temple, just out of chronological order. Or were there actually two cleansings of the Temple? We have to believe that there was Two cleansing due to the fact that John added other details and language not found in the synoptics Gospels. As an example John’s Gospel has Jesus making a whip of cords and driving out the sheep and cattle. Which is absent in the other Gospels. John also records a confrontation between Jesus and temple officials who asked, What sign will you do to show us you have authority to do these things? To which the Lord responded Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up-(John 2:19, 2:22). There is no mention of this confrontation or Christ’s prophecy in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. So that leaves the question, why did Jesus cleanse the Temple twice? Some argue that the Temple market was originally located on the Mount of Olives, but the High Priest in about 28 or 29 A.D. moved it into the Temple court so as to get better control and a slice of the revenue. (There’s no historical data to support this) Others assume Jesus had stopped them the first time, and they returned when He left. Later Jesus returns for a second time to take care of it all over again. The same thing happens in our own lives. What Jesus has cleansed in our life from the beginning can find its way back in and we need another cleansing. (John 13:1-10)

The  quoted passages of Isaiah is in reference to Israel’s call in bringing the Gentiles into the covenant relationship with God, that they might know & worship the One true living God.-(Is. 56:1-8)

The quoted passage of Jeremiah is in reference to an indictment against Israel for thinking that the Temple would protect them from God’ wrath in spite of their sinful behavior & idolatrous practices. In the day of Jeremiah, the Temple had become like a den of robbers in that the people felt they could hide, safely protected from divine judgment, because they had access to the Temple, the place where God himself was said to dwell. They thought they could “steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods” because, after committing all of these gross sins, they could escape to the sanctuary of the Temple.  But, through Jeremiah, God delivered the bad news that the Temple was not just a hideout, a safe haven for the Jewish people. They would soon be judged for their sin and the Temple would be destroyed.(See Jer. 7:1-11)