Sep9
Matthew 21:12-13….Working
21:12 Jesus entered the temple area (Outer courtyard of the Gentiles. The largest of four courtyards in the Temple complex. During Passover.-(John 2:13) and drove out (using a whip made of cords-(John 2:15) all who were buying (shopping) and selling there. (venders) He overturned the tables of the money-changers (Those who exchanged Roman currency for the Temple shekel at inflated rates.) and the benches of those selling doves. (Those who sold doves for sacrificial offerings to the poor at excessive prices.) 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house (Temple) will be called a house of prayer,’ (Worship, communing, learning, fellowshipping. (Is. 56:7) but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’. (Jer. 7:11} Expresses a criminal environment, favorable for fraud and racketeering. By cleansing the Temple of commerce Jesus restores God’s house to its proper use of prayer & worship.)
Continued from Book
“Displays the cleansing work of Jesus in turning our lives upside-down, tossing out whatever does not belong.” ⇒ Sometimes Jesus needs to make a mess and over turn things in our lives in order to make a change. Is there any sin, greed, pride, self-centeredness, hardheartedness, worldliness, etc. you need Jesus to over turn and drive out of your heart and lives? That begs the question, How does that occur in our lives? By letting GRACE do its amazing work. We keep our focus on Jesus and in doing that He will reveal the hindrances through Holy Spirit. He will do it in His timing – when we are ready and emotionally able to deal with the issue/ issues hindering us. Jesus already sees us as temples which glorify God; He stands ready to clear out the “den of thieves” in our lives so that we, too, can see what He sees
“Displays the work of Jesus in driving the idols from our hearts, we don’t even know are there.” ⇒ Jesus cleanses areas where a lot of religious people don’t think needs to be cleansed……..(To be Continued)
“Calls for the same zeal and devotion for the things of God. Are you zealous for God’s word, truth and honor.” ⇒ Jesus’ cleansing the Temple was not to cause trouble or start a revolution. He was not seeking popularity or publicity. But only for God’s glory. Do we have the same passion in pursuing God’s honor and glory, and not our own status, achievements, cleverness, or church growth. Do we have the same zeal to speak out when we see corruption and evil in the world? Are we willing to say “This is not of God!” Do we speak up when we see people cursing God’s name. Will you speak up when you see faith healers ripping people off. Will you speak up against discrimination and injustice. Will you call out those who are Gospel heretic’s? Will you stand boldly for God and His word, no matter what culture says or how unpopular it is! Remember “What is popular is not always right, and what is right is not always popular.” We also need to be careful, having zeal for God doesn’t mean we should forcefully deal with corruption wherever and whenever we see it. We must trust God to avenge evil and injustice.-(Rom. 12:19, Heb. 10:30) Also notice because Jesus didn’t use His disciples we must also rely on our Master’s intervention to fix the evils of this world. He will ultimately do that when He returns to zealously establish His Kingdom on this earth “with judgment and justice”-(Is. 9:7) We must be zealous in the area of life that we have control of ourselves. We can follow Jesus’ example by being zealous for God, diligently studying His Word and striving with all our might to live a righteous life unstained from the corruption of the world around us.-(Titus 2:14)
“Calls for spring-cleaning our house in getting rid of anything that doesn’t belong or has crept back in again.” ⇒ What is in your life that needs to be cleared out of the way? Is there pride in your heart that needs to go so that others can feel welcomed. Are you allowing things in your life that you wouldn’t have had when you first believed? Have you fallen back into a your old sin-habits. Are you caught in some kind of addiction you know you need to get out of. Are there sins you once abhorred that your now comfortable with. (1-Corn. 6:19)
“Teaches how the Church is to be a place of worship, and not a place for networking, socializing, or drumming up business.” ⇒The church should be a place for worshiping God and learning from His Word. And not a social club in catching up with friends and sharing the latest gossip. (Socializing should happen in the parking lot before and after church, not during church.) Many come to Church for all the wrong reasons. The merchants and sellers in the Temple were simply there to make money. Maybe your just going through the motions, having never truly repented or trusted in Jesus. Maybe your going to church for the entertainment, the great music, great speakers. Maybe your going to look religious to family and friends. Maybe your going because how popular the Pastor is, or how beautiful the building is. Maybe your going for what the church can do for you. Maybe your going to please the wife or make the parents happy. Maybe your going to Church for the convenience of coffee, donuts, free childcare, singles night, etc. Maybe your going to church because it’s practical, it’s right down the street, or it live streams it’s service, you don’t even have to leave your house. Maybe your going to a church that makes you comfortable in your sins. The church can also be a place that distracts us from worshipping God. The Temple had a Marketplace full of distractions, the bleeping of sheep and the mooing of cows. The modern-day Marketplace distractions we find in the Church today are smartphones, people texting, kids fighting, babies crying, adults fidiging, people arriving late, etc.
“Warns against using God’s forgiveness as a den for sin, that we can do what we want and God’s grace will protect us and keep us safe.” ⇒ it is entirely possible to live a life of rebellion against God and to still convince yourself that you’re okay with God because of some religious activities in a building once a week. We go six days of the week living however we want, and then Sunday morning we go through the religious rituals of Church worship; singing the hymns, taking communion, giving to the offering, etc. and assume it will excuse our immoral behavior and keep us safe, that everything’s “good” with God? Church is not a magic charm, and God is not a genie in a bottle.
“Even today, we do the same thing, we may not have the Temple to hide in. But we have our own little places where we do things to ease our consciousness and cover up what we know is wrong. Maybe its going to church, maybe it’s giving money to charity, or maybe its comparing yourself with those who are worse. ⇒ Maybe it’s God’s grace. Maybe its religious rituals. Maybe it’s good works. Let us not be tempted to turn such things as a place to seek refuge from the consequences of our sinful behavior without any real intent to reform or change. We must not be deceived, for God sees all. We must not deceive ourselves in thinking that God will be pleased with us while we live in sin and hide under our association with a place of worship. We should not think that we are safe in the church while we continue with our sinful lifestyle. We should not continue in sin and think that we can make the church our hideout.
“Jesus is not forbidding Church fundraising, bingo-nights, swap-meets, or pot-lucks. But rather religion that is commercialized and mechanical, to one that is spirit-filled and flows from the heart.” ⇒ When you worship do you do it with sincerity of heart, or are just going through the motions? Donations and fundraising for churches are important to keep them running and they need to run in order to equip believers to live rightly. However, these efforts shouldn’t be put above helping people.
“Some try using Jesus’ anger as running contrary to His sinless character. Many argue Jesus was only responding from a place of holy and righteous indignation, not of anger or frustration.” ⇒ Scholars point out the fact that since it took time to make a whip, braiding a lot of ropes together (not sure if it was actually strands of ropes or straw grasses that animals lay upon). 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
Many people today will use religion, the church, and the name of Jesus, to make money for themselves. We find the same thing in televangelist who promise financial blessings and healings if you sow money into their ministry . You’ll find Pastors urging their congregation to give sometimes not for the sake of the Gospel, but to give so that they may live in a mansion, have nice cars, jet planes, and a lavish lifestyle.
Calls for getting rid of all the distractions and commotions around us so we can better hear the Lord. If your not finding some alone time with God it can greatly hinder your relationship with Him. Do you allow space in your heart for Jesus or do you allow the things of life to crowd Him out……..(To be Continued)
Teaches how people ought to be able to know God through our worship and how we live or lives. (Is. 56:7) Are you a light in drawing other people to the Lord. Are you an example to the surrounding nations how wonderful God’s laws are and how great God is. As church’s and followers of Christ our lives and activities should be marked by worship and prayer. [Note: Through His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus opened the way of Salvation to all people of every nation. Christ broke down the “wall of separation,” by taking away the sin that separates us from God,-(Isaiah 59:1-2). All who come to Christ are no longer “strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household the Church.”-(Ephesians 2:11-14, 19).]
Calls for staying true to God rather than sell out for what is comfortable, preferable, and convenient.
Warns against the lack of reverence for the holy and sacred. Do you know that a lot of Church’s in the west no longer call their Sanctuaries, sanctuaries to calling them auditoriums. Not only that but they have taken the Cross out of the Sanctuary and replaced it with a world globe. Or they’ve changed the sermons from preaching on sin and holiness to more of a up-lifting, feel-good and self-help sermons.
Teaches how prayer is always to be an intrical part of worship in every church. There are a lot of things we think of when we think about going to church, but often times prayer is not the first thing that pops into our minds. We often think of church as a place for raising funds for church buildings, outreach projects, or poor Saints. Or think of church as a place to volunteer for some charity work or a place to gather for Bible studies. While all of those things are necessary for the church, they were not Christ’s passionate request.
Teaches, Jesus by quoting Isaiah 56:7, and Jeremiah 7:11 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.
Warns of those who will try to exploit and take advantage of our desires for God, that there some things we have to do before we can get to God.
Prepares believers who are following Jesus to expect Him to cause a big scene, even making enemies in the process.
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 over crowded 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. We find the same type of big business today during Christmas Season, where it’s all about sales. As well as in movie theaters, ball games, and concerts. Where the popcorn, candy, and sodas are marked up to ten times as much as you would find in the grocery store! 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.
The reasons Jesus cleansed the Temple may have been due to the corruption and exploitation He found there, where people were being overcharged and taken advantage of. Or maybe Jesus was unhappy about the temple courts being used as place of business and commerce, rather than prayer. These suppositions might be accurate, but by quoting the “den of robbers” line from the prophet Jeremiah. Jesus was confronting something much more significant. If we go back and read the Jeremiah’s verse in context we realize that Jesus was experiencing the same thing 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 prophet. 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)
- Posted by David Costa/
- Notes/
- 0 Comments
Total 0 Comments
Leave a comment