“IS IT TIME TO HOUSE CLEAN OR TO CLEAN HOUSE?”
[Sermon # 6 in Series on The Gospel of John 2021]
John 2:12-25
Greenmount and O’Leary Churches of Christ
February 21, 2021
Video Sermon Link: https://youtu.be/jau4yyge16s
INTRODUCTION:
1.) Last week we saw some exciting events as Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.
2.) After tiring trips between Judea and Galilee Jesus and his disciples needed some time to put their feet up and regain their strength.
3.) As we pick up today’s text that was exactly what Jesus, his mother, and the disciples did.
A.) They took a few days to rest up in Capernaum before heading to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover.
aa.) So, as we pick up our text today, Jesus and those with him have gone down to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover.
ab.) Today’s text picks up the narrative at the temple of God.
aba.) As we look at the Scriptures, some might say that Jesus was doing some housekeeping in the temple; others might say that he came to clean house.
abb.) Whatever way you would describe this account of Scripture shows a side of Jesus we do not usually see.
I. THERE WAS WICKEDNESS AT THE TEMPLE.
1.) The temple had become a marketplace instead of the House of God.
A.) We come into the temple courts.(2:14a.)
B.) We usually think of these events in the temple proper, but that likely was not the case.
C.) The temple area had five sections.
ca.) Court of The Gentiles (Although the actual name used by the Jews would have been “The Mountain of The House.”
caa.) This was the courtyard that surrounded the temple itself.
cab.) Anyone was allowed here, Gentiles, foreigners, and those who at the time were ceremonially unclean could come into this section.
cac.) This outer courtyard was being used as a marketplace for the animals, and the changing of money.
cb.) Beyond this the second section was the court of women,
cc.) and then the court of Israel (also called the court of men),
cd.) followed by the court of the priests,
cd.) and finally the inner most chamber which housed the Holy of Holies accessible to only the High Priest, and that only on the Day of Atonement.
D.) When Jesus came, he found men selling cattle and sheep.
da.) These animals were being sold for sacrifices in the worship at the temple.
E.) Doves.
ea.) In the same way doves were also sold for some sacrifices.
eb.) You will recall Joseph and Mary offered doves at the birth of Jesus because of their poverty, and the law’s allowance of this for those who were unable to afford the regular sacrificial animals.
F.) He found others sitting at tables exchanging money.(2:14b.)
fa.) A few days before the Feast of Passover the half shekel temple tax would be due from each family.
fba.) These foreign currencies with the image of an emperor who was often declared to be a god, or the image of other pagan gods and goddesses were not allowed to be used in the temple.
fbb.) The money changers would have been changing the money to that of the Jewish currency.
.01) The problem was that much of this entire system had become very corrupt by Jesus day.
G.) John 2:15-16
ga.) Sometimes I have heard people say that we need to act more like Jesus.
gb.) When people will say something like that I always kind of chuckle to myself because making a whip to drive animals, and venders from the temple area is in line with the way Jesus would act
.
gba.) So also, was upsetting the tables of money.
gbb.) Somehow people forget about this and falsely believe that Jesus was always gentile, meek, and mild.
.01) Yet in this passage we see that when people made a mockery of God, and of the house of God that Jesus also had a side which could be much harsher.
gbc.) Last week we saw how Jesus revealed his glory and deity, and this passage today shows us the zeal for the Lord which came from these two things.
gbd.) Psalm 69:9 (2:17)
H.) The synoptic Gospels speak of a similar cleansing of the temple at the end of Jesus’ ministry.
ha.) At that time Jesus referred to the temple priesthood as a den of robbers.
hb.) Certainly, by Jesus day it had become that.
I.) It had not always been the case.
2.) It had started as a ministry.
A.) Originally, the selling of animals and the changing of money had started as a ministry to the people of God.
B.) Those coming to the feasts had to have animals for the sacrifices.
ba.) It would have been difficult bringing animals from long distances, and likewise to change your money may be hard to find places to do it as well.
baa.) For the priesthood to offer this service it was a ay of ministering to those Jews from afar.
.01) It started with the best of intentions, and a Godly attitude for carrying it out.
.02) In the course of time this ministry to the people of God started making money, just a little at first but in time the profits increased.
3.) It became a money-maker.
A.) As this ministry became a money-maker, the priests started having a change of attitude towards the ministry.
B.) The more money they made, the less they focused on this service as a ministry.
C.) When Jesus cleansed the temple, the primary emphasis was the revenue from it as opposed to being a ministry and service.
D.) With the focus more on the money than the ministry they started becoming corrupt in their practices.
da.) The prices charged for their services became extreme.
db.) You might bring in an animal for sacrifice acceptable to the standards of God, but the priesthood might say it was flawed and therefore not acceptable for sacrifice.
dc.) They might even offer to take the animal off your hands at a substantially reduced price so you would not have to take it back home with you.
dd.) You would then have no choice but to buy one of heir high-priced animals.
de.) It has even been suggested the so-called flawed animals that had been purchased by be resold at a high price as an animal acceptable for sacrifice.
E.) Alfred Edersheim was a well-respected Jewish historian who wrote in the 1850s.
ea.) Edersheim estimated that in 1856 dollars the income from the sale of animals, and money-changing in the temple would have been around $300,000.00 a year to the Sadducees who pretty much controlled the temple.
eb.) I have no idea what that amount of money would be by today’s standard, but it would certainly be a hefty sum of money.
ec.) When Jesus caused such an upset in the temple of God the priesthood had lost sight of the ministry and came to see only the money.
ed.) The priesthood was not going to be overly happy with Jesus and his actions.
eda.) Jesus is challenged and questioned.
II. WHAT MIRACULOUS SIGN CAN YOU SHOW US? (2:18)
1.) The request for a sign was to prove he had authority in the temple of God.
A.) Prior to this John the Baptist had already identified Jesus as the Messiah.
aa.) You can be sure that the religious leaders had not forgotten that identification.
ab.) But that did not mean they were ready to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.
ac.) These religious leaders asked Jesus for a miracle to prove he had authority to do take such authority in the temple of God.
aca.) They knew Jesus was from the tribe of Judah, rather than the tribe of Levi who had charge over the temple of God and the affairs of it.
acb.) But when Jesus came and cleansed this temple he did not do so based on his tribal ancestry, but rather based on his relationship to God, the Father.
.01) In Matthew 14:33 after walking on the water, Jesus’ disciples said, “You really are the Son of God.”
.02) When Peter gave the Good Confession, he declared that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
.03) When the people cried for the crucifixion of Jesus it was on the basis that He claimed to be the Son of God.
.04) When Jesus cleansed the temple, he did it because he is the Son of God, restoring the house of God, for the glory of God.
acc.) There was likely no miracle he could have done that would have satisfied their requests.
.01) I do not believe the religious leaders were genuinely looking for a miracle to prove the identity and credentials of Jesus.
.011) In fact later in this passage we are told that many put their faith in Jesus because of all the miracles he had performed at the feast.
.012) What that tells me is that Jesus had already performed sufficient miracles to bring them to faith.
.013) The problem was not the need for miracles, but rather hearts that were open to God.
.02) Jesus had just done detrimental damage to their cash cow.
.021) They were not looking for a miracle to prove he had authority to cleanse the temple; they were looking for a reason to throw him out, or to arrest him for interfering with their corrupt source of income.
.022 None the less, Jesus does present them with a miracle though they would not see it for another three to three and a half years.
B.) John 2:19
ba.) They could only think of the physical temple.
baa.) John 2:20
.01) Herod the Great had started the rebuilding of the temple in 19B.C.
.02) The fact that it had taken 46 years tells us that this would have been the year 27A.D.
.03) That temple would not be completed until 64A.D. which meant the Jews would only have the use of the completed temple for six years before the Romans would destroy it in 70 A.D.
bab.) The Jewish leaders were not aware that Jesus was speaking of his own body, and none of this made sense to them.
bb.) John 2:21
bba.) The temple of God was a type of the body of Christ.
.01) Jesus was saying that they had desecrated and destroyed the temple of God by turning it into a market and a den of robbers.
.02) If they wanted a miracle to prove his authority in cleansing the temple the miracle, he would give to them was his own body.
.021) Just as they had desecrated and destroyed the temple of God, they would also destroy the true temple of God, that is the body of Jesus.
.022) Carefully notice the words of Jesus because three and a half years after this they quoted Jesus as saying he would destroy the temple.
.023) In John 2:19 Jesus did not say he would destroy the temple, but that the Jewish leaders destroy the temple of his body, but that it would be Jesus who would rebuild it on the third day.
.024) The resurrection and restoration of the body of Jesus would be the proof that on this day Jesus had the authority to cleanse the physical temple.
ac.) John 2:22
aca.) Even with the disciples of Jesus these words he had just uttered would mean little until after the death, burial, and resurrection over three years in the future.
III. WITNESSING THE WORKS OF GOD.
1.) Many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing.
A.) John 2:23
B.) The word of God does not give us much in the way of details, but it seems this first Passover in Jerusalem that Jesus was doing many miracles.
ba.) He had been reluctant a few days earlier to reveal his deity and the glory of God in himself, now at the largest feast and celebration of the Jews, he continually revealed those things in his miracles.
2.) And they believed in his name. (2:23)
A.) As Jesus performed many miracles at Jerusalem, many people started putting their faith in him.
3.) But Jesus would not entrust himself to them.
A.) John 2:24
B.) For he knew all men.(2:24b.)
ba.) Jesus did not let it go to his head the number who were coming to put their faith in him.
C.) Jesus knew that many were putting faith in him, but people are fickle, and many of those were putting faith in him now, would as quickly lose faith later, which many did.
4.) He did not need man’s testimony about man.
A.) John 2:25
B.) “For he knew what was in a man.”(2:25b.)
ba.) Jesus knew better than to believe in the enduring faith of these individuals who had followed merely because they had seen some miracles.
bb.) While miracles can give occasion for faith, it is that deep faith down in the heart that Jesus was really looking for.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Today We have seen the Son of God bring the glory of God back to the house of God.
2.) Next week we will se that even a Pharisee comes to learn more of the Messiah.
