11.09.07
The Possession of the Temple (John 2:13-22)
The Possession of the Temple (John 2:13-22)
Knowing that Christ lived a life of obedience, let’s take a leap of faith and think about the times that Jesus attended the Passover. We last saw Him there as a young lad of 12, becoming of age. Now, I have no problem thinking that He made it to every Passover in between. He was obedient. This would be the first Passover visit during His public ministry. Smith describes what He would have seen…
He took Himself to the Temple, and in the forecourt, the Court of the Gentiles, a strange scene greeted His eyes. In those degenerate days an unseemly practice prevailed in connection with the celebration of the Passover. Victims were required – lambs for the paschal sacrifice as well as the offering of purification, bullocks for the thankoffering, and doves for the poor folks, offering of purification; and the greedy priests had found here an opportunity for swelling their revenues. Ostensibly for the convenience of the worshippers but realy for their own enrichment they had instituted a cattle-market in the sacred court. It was as astute but disgraceful trick, securing them both price and purchase, since the victims which they sold in the court were presently returned to them at the altar. They had instituted also a money-market on a double pretext. Since many of the worshippers, Jews of the Dispersion, came from distant lands and had only heathen money, which was reckoned unclean, they must needs, ere they could purchase their offerings, exchange it into Jewish currency. And so the money-changers with there cash-boxes were there, exacting their agio. (temple revenue tax, see the last part of page 120).
God had instituted the temple of Jerusalem to be a place of meeting between Himself and His people. But this was now a perversion, and Christ made a whip out of cords.
In trying to imagine this scene, think of a righteously angry Christ. Taking what he found of cords on the floor in the area, He chases all from this area. Scatters the livestock out along with making a shambles of where the money changers were. He didn’t let the doves out, instead He instructed their owners to take them out.
It seems there was no opposition to this action. There was no outcry from the folks needing this service, perhaps they too felt this was wrong but conformed because everyone else had conformed. The immorality of these perversions must have felt out of place to the folks traveling a long distance.
Now think with me…you’re the country bumpkin Jew coming to the temple of temples, as you needed to do every year. In fact, you meet up with many others from your local synagogue to worship! Hey…if they are doing this in the temple, perhaps we need to start that ministry in our worship facility…well…I don’t want to go too far with this analogy, for I fear we borrow way too much from where God is working with others instead of trusting God to work in us in a way He sees fit.
Some might argue that this imagery of Christ (God gets angry in His own house!) outside of His character. You see, when the ideal was set up by God, and then mankind perverts it for his own gain, Christ honestly reacted to this perversion of what should have been holy. He was loyal to His Father, and upheld the highest standards.
The disciples and Jews who saw this event interpreted Christ’s actions as a show of messianic authority. Others – perhaps those who were hurt most by this outburst, demand some authority for this action in verse 18. Please notice that no one questioned the need for the purification of the temple. None questioned that the temple had been perverted from its intended use. There were no arguments about are we following traditions, or the law, or are we motivated by greed of money. The question was one of authority – did He have the authority to do what had needed to be done.
The answer was interesting. Jesus said the sign of His resurrection would be the proof of authority. He didn’t say it quite like that, but that is precisely what He meant. As a prelude of many more things that Jesus would say, it is fitting that many did not understand the response. All they could think about was the facility they were in. I don’t think for a moment the new disciples understood this either. The prophecy of Christ’s resurrection seems to have been erased from the collective minds of the Jews until after the Resurrection! And then,
John 14:26 came into play - But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Well, there is some provocative stuff in this lesson! How are we doing? Are we listening to God’s voice, and in obedience to His commands doing what we are told to do? Or are we doing what has been successful elsewhere, in some other temple?
I’m treading on thin ice here. But I need to be sure we’re not just in motion. Being in motion is not the same as moving forward. God – what would You have us do? Is it what we are currently doing? If not, who are you moving to gather the cords? Is it me?
