January 10
Bible Reading: John 2:13-17
John 2:13-17, “The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’”
Temples are for worship, but the temple in Jesus’ day had devolved into a money-making enterprise. Animals for sacrifice needed to be sold because some pilgrims came from long distances, not having them. Inspectors sometimes disqualified animals that were brought by others for supposed defects, forcing folks to buy another at an exorbitant price. Money from various regions needed to be exchanged, for a fee, for coins acceptable to the Jews.
Jesus entered the temple, drove out the buyers and sellers, overturned the tables and chairs, and put an end to all of commerce. In righteous indignation, He zealously intervened to cleanse the temple from all such activities. What are we to make of this account? Jesus Himself explained His actions: “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” The temple was for worship, they were using it for their own evil ends. He cleansed the temple at the start of His ministry, He cleansed it again in the end.
Temples are for worship. The priests were to lead the people in worship. The sacrifices were to be offered in worship. Humble prayer was to characterize such activities. Worship of God was to happen there (Psalm 84:1-4). Simeon and Anna knew that (Luke 2:25-37). Others too, no doubt, but the religious leaders had no heart for worship (Matthew 15:8-9), and they wielded much influence (Matthew 27:20; 23:13). In its commerce and corruption, the temple had become as worthless to its purpose as a fig tree without figs (Mark 11:12-14).
Jesus’ activity in the temple is not at all inconsistent with the purpose for which He came. Jesus is in the temple-cleansing business. We’ve been created for worship, but sin gets in the way. Jesus came to cleanse us from sin so that we might fulfill our God-given purpose. He has the power to cleanse our temples, freeing us to do to do what we were created to do!
“Why did Christ come? Why was He conceived? Why was He born? Why was He crucified? Why did He rise again? Why is He now at the right hand of the Father? The answer to the question is, “In order that He might make worshipers out of rebels; in order that He might restore us again to the place of worship we knew when we were first created.”
A. W. Tozer
Jesus is zealous to cleanse from sin. That’s the purpose for which He came.
OH, FOR A HEART TO PRAISE MY GOD
Oh, for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free,
With conscience sprinkled by the blood
So freely shed for me.
A heart in every thought renewed,
And filled with love divine;
Perfect and right, and pure and good,
A copy, Lord, of Thine.
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart,
Come quickly from above;
Write Thy new name upon my heart,
Thy new, best name of Love.
LookingtoJesus 