The TEMPLE was always the centrality of the Jewish faith system. We know the history of it. Every diaspora Jews were required to visit the temple at least for the 3 main Jewish festivals as instructed in Torah. The three major festivals in Judaism (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost),Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents or Booths)—when the ancient Israelites living in the Kingdom of Judah would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded by the Torah (Exodus 23: 14-17)
So, for the Jews the Temple is the God ordained place for them to seek and to serve God. A Jew can’t live without a temple. No temple simply means no presence of God. That is why they falsely accused Jesus saying Mark 14:58 to be saying HE will destroy the Temple and build it again in 3 days so that they may cause greater hatred and trigger the anger of the Jewish people so that Jesus can be killed. Jesus never said that…..because Jesus Himself had a very high regards of the Temple. All that Jesus said was as in John 2:19
Whenever Jesus visited Jerusalem, during the day time HE was in the Temple teaching (Luke 21:37). So the Temple was an avenue where Jesus used mostly to teach the people about the Kingdom of God.
One fine day when Jesus walked into the Temple, he was disturbed and deeply angered by the Jewish leaders who have literally turned the Temple Courts into a market place.
Why was Jesus very angry? The market atmosphere existed in the temple courts for the Women and Gentiles (the place was also called Womens Court/Gentiles court), the outermost courtyard within the temple enclosure which was a court where the Gentiles worship YHWH. In vs. 17, Jesus quoted the prophesy of Isaiah 56:7-8 which clearly spells out that God’s temple is a “house of prayer for all nation” – vs. 8 is an inclusion of the Gentiles.
The phrase has special significance for Gentile readers. God permitted Gentiles to come and worship Him in the temple court of the Gentiles indicating His desire to bring them into relationship with Himself.
The Jewish leaders, however, had made this practically impossible by converting the only place Gentiles could pray in the temple complex into a market where fraud abounded. They had expelled the Gentile worshippers to make room for Jewish robbers.
1. Jesus was claiming that the temple belonged to Him rather than to the Jewish leaders by cleaning it up.
The quotation He cited from Isaiah presented the temple as God's house. Thus Jesus was claiming to be God.
Today, there is no more Temple an avenue for God’s people to gather to worship HIM. Today the Church (Ekklesia – Fellowship of believers) in many ways has substituted the temple of the OT.
The Church belongs exclusively to the Lord and no man can claim ownership over it. Sometimes people say, we are here too long and this is our Church. It’s always good to have a sense of belonging BUT NOT dominance and prominence! “Because it is our Church than we will fulfil our desires and plans for the Church.” – Take your hands of God’s Church. The Church is HIS bride and HE shed HIS blood for HER. Each Church is established for God’s Glory hence only agenda need take prominence in HIS Church.
You can be new here or you can be old here – the Church does not belong to anyone of us but it’s exclusively God’s. We must consider it a honour that we are attached to this family of believers where we make it our home. God is the proprietor.
2. No one should be deprived from worshipping God in HIS Church.
That was the problem that incurred in the Temple that actually annoyed Jesus. The outer courtyard was the place of the Gentiles to worship YHWH. Hence when the Jews turned in into market, they deprived the worshippers from worshiping God. That turned Christ furious. John records it well in John 2:16 – The place of Worship turned to a market because it deprived people from worship and people made earning out of the worship place. That annoyed Christ.
The Church should always be conducive for God’s people to worship HIM. Worship ultimately belongs to God. No man should stand as a hindrance for others to worship God.
The primary purpose of the Church is prayer. Where people of God get together to pray and be prayed and ministered to. Any other activity other than that would annoy God. God is warning us. This is not the place to fall in love. Do not turn the house of God anything else other than house of prayer – that annoys God.
The New Testament Church has always held a high view of the Church. The apostle Paul, clearly writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, that we are the Temple of God. The ‘You’ that Paul uses here in vs. 16 is in the plural form which is best translated as ‘you all’ are the Temple of God. That mean here Paul is referring to the Church, which is the fellowship of believers and says that when we as believers gathers in one place that becomes the Temple where God dwells.
Vs. 17 shows the consequences of one destroying (‘phtheiro’Gk – to corrupt, to damage any belongings, to lead away from the truth of the doctrine & holiness in which it ought to abide – false teaching) God’s Church (dwelling place/Church/Temple). Paul says God will destroy those who destroy HIS Temple. The word destroy here in Greek has another meaning which is best translated in the Tamil translation. God will either destroy (judgment/wrath) or bring disgrace/embarrassment to those who mess around with God’s temple / Church in our context.
If Jesus was annoyed the other with the Jews for messing around with HIS temple, HE will also be annoyed if we mess around with HIS church.
Conclusion
So, today as God’s children we need to understand the Temple of God is now replaced with the Church. Next week I will deal with the other aspect or representation of the Temple of God – so don’t miss the service!
Since the Church = Temple of God
1. The Church belongs exclusively to God
2. The Church exist exclusive for HIS glory – place of worship (prayer etc)
3. Hence NO ONE should be hindered or deprived from worshipping God – we should NOT stand as a stumbling block for others to seek & Worship God.
