Thursday, February 02, 2012
Jesus
Clears the Temple
John 2: 13-21
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 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.
John 2: 13-21
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 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.
There
are several applications we can apply to our lives from this story:
1)
Do I get angry at the same things Jesus gets angry about? Jesus’ anger was
righteous anger. He was angered at the abuse of his Father’s house. It angered
him that people were taking advantage of others in the name of religion. What sets you off? Shouldn’t it be the same
things? Too many times I find myself angry because I didn’t get my way, or
someone doesn’t understand me.
2)
We should know that our bodies are temples. Jesus made it clear that he would
be raised from the dead. The Jews thought he was referring to the Temple that
Solomon built but he actually was referring to his physical body. How are we treating our bodies? What kinds of
things are we allowing to go on in our bodies? “Do you not know that your body
is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”
(1 Corinthians 6:19).
3)
Jesus wants relationship over ritual.
These people were practicing religious business without experiencing the
presence of God. Jesus desires that we
walk with him, talk with him, listen to him and obey him over any ritual.
4)
Am I self - giving or self-seeking? People were making a profit from the
Temple. They were using religion to promote themselves. Sadly, there are still
some who serve God for what they can get out of it.
Prayer:
Lord, may we allow you to clean out our temple today. Point out those areas in
our own personal lives that need adjustments - that need Your touch. Thank you for changing our hearts to be more
like You. Amen.
Post a Comment