The Day Jesus Got Mad

Sunday Morning April 16, 2000 Bel Aire Baptist Church, Hobbs NM

THE DAY JESUS GOT MAD

MARK 11:15-18

Introduction:

1. I have included in the sermon notes today a chart that lists the events that took

place the last week of Jesus’ life here on earth and His resurrection.

a. The event you see on the chart that took place the Sunday before Jesus’

resurrection is what we call Palm Sunday.

b. Palm Sunday was the day that Jesus made His triumphal entry and all

seemed well.

c. Many of us are familiar with this story, but if you look on the chart you

see what Jesus did on the next day.

d. We are also familiar with our text today, but many times we do not

recognize the timing of this event.

2. Like most Christians, I love the mental picture of Jesus the Good Shepherd

putting the lamb on His shoulders and carrying it to safety.

a. I love the soft image of the Baby in the manger.

b. I love the story about Christ feeding the hungry multitudes with bread and

fish.

c. When I think about Jesus dying on the cross to pay for my sin, I’m deeply

moved.

d. I marvel at the sight of Him bursting out of the tomb, alive on Resurrection

morning.

3. But there is one picture of Jesus that frankly, doesn’t seem to fit.

a. It is so stunning I wonder why God would even put it in the Bible... not

once, but twice.

b. The second account is in Mark 11:15-18 which is our text this morning.

c. Let’s read our text together.

4. The twelve disciples were no doubt just as stunned as the crowd; nothing is said

about their helping their Master clean house.

a. All by Himself Jesus started pitching over the tables, blocking people who

were carrying things, and saying, "Get out of here with that! You can’t bring

that through the courts."

b. He stormed over to the merchants of oxen and sheep and doves, saying,

"Out! Get your business out of here!"

5. What happened to the loving Jesus?

a. Anyone who gets that irate and physical surely must not be walking in the

Spirit, right?

b. But this was Jesus Christ.

c. In fact, the first time He did this a couple of years before, He even made a

whip out of cords.

d. He was physically thrashing people out of the temple!

6. What made God’s Son so angry?

a. His house was being prostituted for purposes other than what was

intended.

7. As the feathers were flying and the coins were clattering to the pavement and the

businessmen were shouting for the police, Jesus said above the roar, "This place

looks and feels more like a mall than a temple. Whatever happened to Isaiah’s

word about the real point of this building- to be a house of prayer for all nationalities and races? Out! Get out, all of you!"

I. Just Doing Their Job

A. The odd thing about this event is that if Eyewitness News had interviewed any

of the merchants that day, each would have defended the right to be there.

1. "We provide an essential service to the worshipers," they would have said.

a. "How else are people going to get the required animal to sacrifice? If

you live any distance away, you can’t be herding your sheep and cows

through the streets of Jerusalem. We’ve got to help the program along..."

b. But, of course, they had added a gouging charge to the price.

2. The money changers would have said the same.

a. "Everybody has to pay the temple tax, and people can’t be walking in

here with Greek or Roman or Macedonian money. They’ve got to use the special coins minted here in Jerusalem. We help people with their currency problems."

b. But once again, they were tacking on big-time profits.

B. For all of us involved in ministry there is a message here: Jesus is not terribly

impressed with religious commercialism.

1. He is not concerned not only whether we’re doing God’s work, but also how

and why we’re doing it.

a. When I stand before Him, His main question for me will have to do

not with the growth or the budget of Bel Aire Baptist Church, but

with why I pastored this church- in what spirit.

b. If you sing in the choir, the question is not if you’re on your note; it’s

why you are singing at all.

c. If you teach a class, are you doing it with a heart that radiates God’s

love for the students, or for some other reason?

2. These money changers were in the temple, but they didn’t have the spirit of

the temple.