Father's House Series

Theme: Father’s House

Text: John 2: 12-25

Introduction:

1. Conviction on Father’s House (John 2:16)

Temple at Jerusalem: Tent of meeting during the wilderness, house of God during David, Temple concept during monarchs, then in synagogues during exilic periods. Gathering of believers in NT age called the house of God. House worships, and the concept of you are a temple, your body is the dwelling place of God.

The temple at Jerusalem has known as the house of God, the house of Prayer, house of instruction, house of worship, and the house of healing, and the house of praises. Jesus had a conviction in his mind. He was the first person to name the temple as “My Father’s House.” Joseph and Mary regularly visited the Temple at Jerusalem on every Passover feast (Luke 2:41). Earlier, also Jesus had the conviction that this Temple is the House of his Father (Luke 2:49).

God was pictured as terrifying, zealous, and consuming fire. God was known as the creator, protector, shepherd, and by many other roles. But for the first time, he was addressed as Father by a human person. God has introduced himself as the father of Israelite, not as a father of Israel in Exodus 4:22-23. Moses mentioned God as Father metaphorically in Deuteronomy 1:31, 8:5, 14:1, 32:6. “... and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place”(Deuteronomy 1:31).

The Hebrew word yasar used 43 times in the Old Testament and been translated to refer to Father. This Yasar means “discipline”, “chasten”, “chastise”, “instruct”, “punish”, “teach”, “train”, “warn”, and so on. A Croatian translation uses fatherhood – “to bring up”.

The avoidance of this description for God as Father can still be found in the intertestamental literature. There its use is also rare: Apocrypha ( Wisdom 2:16; 14:3; Tobias 13:4; Sirach 23:1, 4; 51:10); Pseudepigrapha ( Jub 1:24, 28; 19:29; 3 Maccabees 5:7; 6:4, 8; T. Levi 18:6; T. Judah 24:2); and Dead Sea Scrolls (1 QH 9:35 f.) The concept of God as Father doesn’t mean that God is a male. But we God is not a "man" ( Numbers 23:19 ). He is a Spirit ( John 4:24 ) without sexual parts.

While the fatherhood of God seems to be a minor doctrine in the Old Testament, it becomes a major one in the New Testament, promoted by the Son of God himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God the Son, revealed the father’s character, power, and plans for humanity (Hebrews 1:1-5). But, Christ taught his disciples the new relationship of God as “Father” in Mathew 5:16. So, it was considered blasphemy by Jewish leaders.

Jesus addressed God as Father 65 times in the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John for 107 times (ref: biblestudytools.com). John 1:12 says that all those who believe in Jesus and accept him had given the authority to become the children of God. What is your relationship with God determines your yardstick for him. God looks for closer proximity with him and lives a glorious life for him.

2. Confusion in the Father’s House(John 2:12-14)

John introduces the chaotic situation of the Temple, and he shows Jesus as a zealous young man moving with courage into the Temple yards with cords of the whip. Jesus had visited the temple with his parents Joseph and Mary, and he had witnessed all these chaotic conditions for many years. But this Passover has brought a new look at the temple. Jesus was so much disturbed seeing the scene in the temple courts. The market has come here, selling of cattle, sheep and doves, and exchange of money. This disrespectful mockery of God's house was unacceptable to Jesus.

Synoptic Gospels put this event at the end of Jesus' Ministry, whereas John records the cleansing at the beginning of the ministry, which, could be correct. The right answer is both incidents have occurred. Jesus could have cleansed at the beginning and the end. It is a human tendency to repeat the mistake. We have seen how people once displaced and cleared by the Government are settling down and re-establish the same.

Festivals have been a source of collection all through the centuries. People everywhere and every time took it as the best time to make money and to increase business and to build their kingdoms. Now he Jesus has come to fulfill Malachi's prophecy about the Messiah, "The Lord whom you see shall suddenly come to his temple," (Malachi 3:1 b RSV), ... "and he will purify the sons of Levi," (Malachi 3:3 b RSV).

It has been always the trend in every religion that the temples and its vicinities have become costlier, and turned into a good and attractive market place. The Realtek, the food industry, the flower industry, the fruit markets, and many other markets quickly flourish in these areas.