|
INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: The Temple of God in Jerusalem was to be the center of worship for the Jewish
people. It stood high on the hill in Jerusalem. A beautiful place for worship and
praise. It was rebuilt Temple under Ezra not as glorious as Solomon’s. But it had The
outside court yard was for all people - the court of the Gentiles, a testimony to the
nations of the greatness of God. There were two inner sanctuaries for animal sacrifices
for sins. Only Jews could go into the main sanctuary, and only the High Priest could go
into the innermost sanctuary once a year.
In the Gospel of John, Apostle John records that Jesus attended 3 Passovers, and the 4
gospels show that at the first and last Passover He dramatically cleansed the Temple.
The first cleansing is our text today only found in the Gospel of John, and last
cleansing occurred during His last week of ministry and recorded in other 3 gospels. In
these two events, we see Jesus' holy reverence for the Temple of God and His passion
for it’s purity. Message theme today: Do you have a holy passion for the purity of the
God’s Temple?
1. Purging of the Temple of God 2:12-16
- We go from a nice story of Jesus compassion in providing wine for a wedding, to
a story of tough love in purging the temple of God. We see two sides of Jesus -
gentle then jealous.
- Often Jesus is seen as a sweet, soft mild mannered man. But Jesus must also be
seen as a fierce man who could express anger, take unbelievable risks,
challenge the establishment, was a radical by His words and here by His deeds.
He was no wimp He was a warrior.
- v. 13 This was Passover time. All male adult Jews are required to
attend this annual event. Jesus and His disciples were naturally there.
- v. 14 But Jesus was appalled by what He saw. The scene is not of
reverent worship and praise, but a chaotic bazaar of corruption.
- Three huge problems. First was the sale of animals. It was
acceptable for Jews traveling from a far to purchase the animals for sacrifice
once they arrived. Easier than traveling with them - didn’t have pickup trucks
and gooseneck trailers. However: Passover became big business for price
gouging - a chance for inflated prices, a chance to sell a cheap animal for an
expensive price. Ripping off fellow Jews. Religious leaders behind it.
- Second problem. In the Court of the Gentles. Its purpose was
for Gentiles to hear about the God of Israel, instead saw Jews cheating Jews
and profaning the name of God. No record at both cleansings that the Romans
soldiers interfered or refereed - to them the whole system was a sham, they
could see through the mockery. To many faith in God had nothing to do with the
Passover, it was a ritual and a racket.
- Third money changers. All male Jews over 20 were required to
pay the temple tax. But the money could only be Jewish coins, so the money
changers would exchange the Roman coins or other coins at unfair exchange
rates. One commentary said as high as 12.5 percent.
- Thus what was to be a service to fellow Jews for the greatest national Holy day
of Passover turned into ritualistic racket for exploiting fellow Jews. The
Chief Priests and religious leaders turned the temple into a “robbers
den” (Matt. 21:13). All in the name of God.
ILLUS: Movie “Luther”, Martin Luther was appalled by his visit to
Rome. He saw the abuse of the church. The Reformation was to reform theology
and the spirituality of the people from religious corruption. Think of the
world religions and the corruption today in the name of God. How do we view
desecrating the name of God?
- Jesus was appalled. Took a whip of cords - probably cords that tied animals up,
and chased out the animals from the courtyard, overturned the money changers
tables and scattered their money, and told the sellers of the doves to get out
of there. What was Jesus' right for purging Temple?
2. Passion for the Temple of God. 2:16-17
- He was the Son of God. Purity of worship was a matter of honor to God
- Eph 4:26. “Be angry and do not sin” - only way you can do
that is to be angry at sin. Jesus was angry at sin, it is blatant in the
Temple.
- Righteous indignation, from an absolute commitment to God’s holiness.
- This is not a soft Jesus, this is a Jesus with righteous anger at the
degeneration of the people to stoop to desecrating the Temple of God.
- The disciples remembered an O.T quote from Psalm 69, David had zeal for the
house of God - tabernacle, the place where the glory of God was on display on
earth for His people to see and worship and testify of Him.
- The condition and respect for the Temple was an indication of the hearts of the
people - defiled temple spoke of defiled people, lost in their sins.
“Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly minded men
whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich.” (Wiersbe, 292)
- In the two cleansings Jesus is declaring war on hypocrisy and religious
corruption. It eventually lead to the charges that called for His death.
- Now let us find some applications for us in the church today. So what?
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
1. The Church Building is not the Temple of God.
- In Jesus day, there was only one Temple, in the holy city, the center of
sacrificial worship. But the Jews also worshipped at synagogues.
- Synagogues probably starting at the Babylonian captivity when Jews would build
local Jewish centers. They were for worship (reading the Torah and prayer), but
also for education, debate, and even business
- Synagogues were in towns that had a community of Jews - 10 men.
- But the one Temple until destroyed in 70 A.D. (ZPE, vol. 5, page 567).
- There is no Jewish Temple today. And churches are not temples.
- Our church buildings today are not the Temple of God. They are more like
synagogues: multipurpose, local gathering places, community centers, worship
centers, education centers.
- Christians don’t have Temple Buildings. Many other religions do: Mormons,
Buddhists, Hindu’s, and Islam has Mecca.
- We don’t need Temples. We don’t need to offer sacrifices, because Jesus was the
final sacrifice.
- We must not worship our church buildings, they are concrete, steal and
sheetrock - not the personal dwelling place of God, just a gathering place.
2. The Christian is the Temple of God.
- The temple today is the body of each believer 1 Cor. 6:18-20.
- God does not dwell in buildings made with hands, He dwells in lives of His
saints, believers. You and I are the dwelling place of God. You and I are the
Temples of Holy Spirit.
- When we gather together, our presence is the temple 1 Cor.
3:16-17, but again the temple is the people not the property, the
bodies not the building
- We do offer sacrifices: our bodies are a living sacrifice
Romans 12:1,2, we are to offer up sacrifices of
praise Hebrews 13:15.
- Jesus has holy reverence for the Temple of God and He is passionate about it’s
purity. He seeks a holy people. Theme: Do you have a holy passion for the
purity of God’s temple? 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
- You are the temple of God, I am a temple of God - where ever we go we are a
temple. The same respect the Jews were to have for the Temple in Jerusalem and
did not have, but the respect the Jesus had, we are to have for our body
because it is the dwelling place of God.
- Do you have a holy passion for the purity of God’s temple?
- This applies to: what we wear, what we eat and drink, where we go, what we
watch, how we care for our health, entertainment, how we rest, how we work, who
we marry, moral purity, what evil to avoid, what good to do. The Bible is
filled with instruction on how to care for the Temple of God - your very life.
Is Scripture guiding you like it guided Jesus?
- Jesus sees into the deep recesses of your life - what does He see? Is He
pleased? Does He need to purge something from your life?
- Sin profanes the temple of God. Any sin in your life? It harms God’s Temple! Do
you have a holy passion for the purity of God’s temple?
- The Bible makes the issue of personal holiness very plain - but too often we
don’t want to be that strict. Jesus is. Only two times in Bible when Jesus
displays anger is when the Temple was defiled by unrighteousness. He takes sin
seriously - that is why He went to the cross to destroy the power and penalty
of sin, His resurrection gives us the power to live holy.
CONCLUSION
Do you have a holy passion for the purity of God’s Temple? If so, anything need to be
purged? Any sin in your life that needs purging?
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
|
