Introduction

Good morning, dear friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ. Today, we gather together in the glorious presence of our Lord, under the shelter of His love and grace, to seek His wisdom and to understand His Word more deeply. Isn't it a blessing to be here, in the house of God, where we can freely worship, learn, and grow in faith? Isn't it wonderful that we can meet like this, bound together by the love of Christ, and seek the truth that sets us free?

As we turn to the Word of God today, we find ourselves in the presence of a Jesus who is both gentle and fierce, a Savior who is both loving and righteous. We see a Jesus who walks into the temple, the very heart of religious life, and shakes it to its core. We see a Jesus who challenges the status quo, who confronts hypocrisy, and who fearlessly stands for the truth.

We will be reading from John 2:13-22, 1 Cor 1:18-25, Ps 19, and Exod 20:1-17. These passages reveal Jesus in His fullness - as a judge, as a prophet, and as the Son of God.

In John 2:13-22, we see Jesus entering the temple and driving out those who were turning His Father's house into a marketplace. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, we see Paul reflecting on the wisdom of God that is found in the cross of Christ, a wisdom that confounds the wise and empowers the weak. In Psalm 19, we see David praising the beauty of God's creation and the perfection of His law. And in Exodus 20:1-17, we see God giving His commandments to the Israelites, a law that reflects His holiness and righteousness.

As we reflect on these passages today, we will focus on three main points: Jesus' Judgement in the Temple, Jesus' Juxtaposition of Destruction and Resurrection, and Jesus' Justification for His Actions.

In the words of Charles Spurgeon, "The Word of God is like a lion. You don't have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself." Today, let us open our hearts and minds to the Word of God, let the lion loose, and see how it defends itself, how it speaks to us, and how it transforms us.

Let's bow our heads in prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this blessed day, for the opportunity to gather in Your name and to learn from Your Word. We ask for Your Spirit to guide us, to open our hearts and minds to Your truth, and to help us apply it in our lives. We thank You for Jesus, our Savior, who challenges us, who loves us, and who gave His life for us. As we reflect on His actions in the temple, His words about His resurrection, and His justification for His actions, may we be inspired to live lives that honor You, that reflect Your love, and that seek Your kingdom above all else. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.

Jesus' Judgement in the Temple

As we turn our attention to the Gospel of John, we find ourselves in the midst of a bustling scene. The temple in Jerusalem, the epicenter of Jewish religious life, is teeming with people. They have come from near and far for the Passover festival, one of the most important events in the Jewish calendar. But amidst the throng of worshippers, something is amiss. The sacred space of the temple has been turned into a marketplace. Money changers are at their tables, exchanging foreign currency for the local coinage required for the temple tax. Sellers of sacrificial animals are hawking their wares, turning a profit from the religious obligations of the faithful.

Into this scene of commerce and corruption steps Jesus. His response is immediate and decisive. He makes a whip out of cords and drives out the money changers and animal sellers, overturning their tables and scattering their coins. He rebukes them, saying, "Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" This is not the gentle Jesus of popular imagination, but a Jesus of righteous anger and judgement. He is not just a meek and mild savior but a fierce defender of the sanctity of His Father's house.

The first aspect of this incident that we need to consider is the location. The temple was not just any building. It was the place where God's presence dwelt among His people. It was the place where heaven and earth met, where the divine and human intersected. It was the place where the Israelites came to worship God, to offer sacrifices, and to seek forgiveness for their sins. By turning the temple into a marketplace, the money changers and animal sellers were not just disrespecting a building, they were disrespecting God Himself.

Jesus' actions in the temple reveal His deep reverence for His Father. They show us that Jesus saw the temple as a sacred space, a place set apart for the worship of God. He was not willing to stand by and watch as it was desecrated by greed and corruption. His judgement was not just against the individuals involved, but against a system that allowed such practices to take place.

The second aspect we need to consider is the nature of Jesus' judgement. It was not a judgement of words alone, but of action. Jesus did not just speak out against the corruption in the temple, He physically drove it out. He did not just criticize the money changers and animal sellers, He disrupted their business. His judgement was not passive, but active. It was not silent, but loud and public.

This tells us something important about the nature of God's judgement. It is not a distant, abstract concept, but a present, tangible reality. It is not something that we can ignore or avoid, but something that we must face and respond to. It is not something that is reserved for the future, but something that is happening here and now.

The third aspect we need to consider is the reaction of the people. The Gospel of John tells us that the Jews asked Jesus for a sign to prove His authority to do such things. They wanted evidence that He had the right to judge and to act in such a way. But Jesus did not give them the sign they were expecting. Instead, He gave them a prophecy. He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

This statement was not understood by the people at the time. They thought He was talking about the physical temple, which had taken 46 years to build. But Jesus was talking about the temple of His body. He was predicting His death and resurrection. He was saying that His ultimate sign, His ultimate proof of authority, would be His victory over death.

The fourth and final aspect we need to consider is the significance of this incident for us today. The temple in Jerusalem no longer stands, but the issues that Jesus confronted are still with us. The corruption of religious institutions, the commercialization of faith, the exploitation of the faithful - these are not just historical problems, but contemporary ones.

Jesus' judgement in the temple challenges us to examine our own lives and our own faith communities. It calls us to question our practices and priorities. It urges us to uphold the sanctity of worship and to resist the temptations of greed and corruption. It reminds us that God's house is a house of prayer, not a marketplace.

Jesus' Juxtaposition of Destruction and Resurrection

As we continue to ponder the depth of the narrative, we find ourselves drawn to the second significant aspect of our discussion: the striking contrast Jesus presents between destruction and resurrection ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO