This sermon explores honoring God's dwelling place, embracing Christ's presence, and preparing for God, as illustrated in Jesus' cleansing of the temple.
Welcome to our time of worship and the study of God's Word. Isn't it a blessing to gather together in His name, to seek wisdom and understanding from the Scriptures? Isn't it a joy to know that we are not alone in this quest, but are joined by countless others, past and present, who have sought and found the same truth?
As we open our hearts and minds to the Word today, let us remember the words of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon, who once said, "A Bible that's falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't." May we be those people whose Bibles are well-worn from use, whose pages are filled with notes and underlines, whose hearts are filled with the Word of God.
In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus in the temple courts, a place of worship, a place regarded as the dwelling place of God. It's a place of reverence, a place of prayer. But what Jesus finds there is far from what it should be. He finds people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others exchanging money. This sight stirs something deep within Him. It's not just a simple irritation or annoyance. It's a righteous anger, a holy indignation. This is not what the temple is meant for. It's not a marketplace, it's not a place for profit. It's a place for God.
The first thing that we see here is the importance of the temple as a sacred space. It's not just any building. It's not just any place. It's a place set apart for God, a place where His presence dwells. In the Old Testament, we see the Israelites constructing the tabernacle, a portable temple, with precise instructions from God. Every detail mattered because it was a place for God. Later, Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, a magnificent structure dedicated to the worship of God. Again, it was not just any building. It was a place for God, a place where His presence dwelt.
But it's really about what it represents. It's about the presence of God. It's about a place where people can come and connect with God, a place where they can worship, pray, and offer sacrifices. It's a place of communion with God. When Jesus saw the temple being used for purposes other than these, He was moved to action. He drove out the animals, scattered the coins, and overturned the tables. He was reclaiming the temple for its intended purpose, as a place for God.
Next, it’s not just about the physical space, it's also about our hearts. In the New Testament, Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Just like the physical temple, our bodies, our hearts, are meant to be places where God's presence dwells. They are meant to be places of worship, of reverence, of prayer. They are not meant to be places of sin, of selfishness, of greed. Just like Jesus cleansed the physical temple, He wants to cleanse our hearts as well.
Furthermore, it’s also about what we fill our hearts with. Jesus didn't just drive out the animals and the money changers. He also taught in the temple. He filled it with His words, His teachings, His truth. In the same way, He wants to fill our hearts with His Word. He wants us to meditate on it, to live by it, to let it guide our thoughts, our words, our actions. Our hearts, like the temple, are meant to be filled with the presence of God.
Finally, it's about our actions. He demonstrated what it means to honor the temple as God's dwelling place. He showed us what it means to live a life of reverence, of worship, of obedience to God. He showed us what it means to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. And He calls us to do the same. To honor our bodies, our hearts, as God's dwelling place. To live lives that are pleasing to Him. To be a living temple for the living God.
As we continue our reflection on the passage from John 2, we find ourselves drawn to the power of Christ's presence ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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