Jesus is beginning His public ministry. We are about to witness a very public first act. Read our text for today. It was just before the Passover began and Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate this festival. Why Jerusalem (Deut 16:5-6)? It was predicted, in Malachi 3:1-4, that Jesus would cleanse the Temple, before He was even born.
John tells this story here at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, but the other three Gospels tell a similar story at the final week of Jesus’ life right before He is crucified (Matt 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17, Luke 19:45-46). There is sometimes debate among scholars about when it actually occurred or whether there were, in fact, two cleansings of the Temple. I believe that there were two separate incidents which occurred. Here in John, the first incident is told about which occurs at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry soon after the wedding at Cana, and then another incident occured right before His crucifixion, and is told about in the other three Gospels.
Passover was celebrated each Spring, and since pilgrims coming to Jerusalem would need animals for sacrifice which met the requirements set out in the Old Testament, a very profitable animal selling business had grown up in Jerusalem turning a Holy festival into a quite commercial enterprise. This enterprise was putting a good bit of money into the pockets of the religious leaders and, by attacking it, Jesus was putting Himself at odds with the Temple leadership.
Why did this business make Jesus angry? First of all, they were taking advantage financially of the people’s religious needs. And second, they were doing it on the Temple property, a Holy Place. The Bible tells us here that Jesus made a whip of cords (made it Himself) and drove the animals out of the Temple. Then He overturned the money tables, scattering the money. He did not want this Holy place to be turned into a market, and He ordered the men to stop doing so.
His disciples then remembered from the Scriptures the words of Psalm 69:9. Take a moment to review Psalm 69 and see how many phrases there are reflective of our Lord Jesus.
God must have surely been in control that day for one man to be able to do such things in a Temple full of people. Jesus definitely was filled with the Holy Spirit and had the power of God. After this happened, the Jews began asking Him for a sign to show that He had the authority to do all this. Jesus answered by saying, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
This seems an odd reply, does it not? The Jews reminded Him that it took 46 years to build the Temple. How could He raise it again in three days? But Jesus was speaking of His own death and resurrection. This was very symbolic. When Jesus rose from the dead, the purpose of the Temple (sacrifice of animals for the remission of sins) was no longer necessary. It was then replaced by the work of the cross and resurrection for the remission of sins. Where once, man had to sacrifice an animal, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, man had to receive grace by faith in Jesus for the remission of sins. The Temple was destroyed and the new path of grace was raised. Jesus’ saying this about the Temple was remembered many times in the future (Matt 26:61, 27:40, Mark 14:58, 15:29).
The city of Jerusalem, and the Holy Temple within it, were the center of religion, politics, and law. These things were all intertwined. Jesus’ actions there would have been considered outrageous. He was expecting profound change. Many people believe that, because we have religious beliefs, we should not interact with politics and law. But God’s Word teaches that His people should stand up for what is right. We should be involved with what is going on in the world around us and fight for what we believe. God’s people should never turn a blind eye to corruption and scandal. We should be angry about the things that anger God and we should try to be agents of change when we need to be. Our Lord Jesus spoke up when He saw a problem.
Finally, the Bible tells us here that while Jesus was there in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw His works and believed in Him. Jesus was a dynamic individual. The Holy Spirit was with Him and working in His ministry. How wonderful it must have been to meet Him in person. But the Bible also tells us here that Jesus knew each man in his heart. God knows each of us in our heart today, too. We cannot hide our thoughts and intentions from Him. Meet with Him, each day, with a true and pure heart for He cannot be deceived. And experience His wonders.
Responding to God: Worship God and thank Him for His grace and your salvation. Praise Him that He is all-knowing. Ask for His help keeping Holy things Holy. Pray that you will not allow your religious celebrations to become too commercialized. Thank Him for His willingness to send His Son to the cross. Pray for wisdom to know when to involve yourself in local issues. Make a commitment to always vote and do so prayerfully. Pray for a true and pure heart before God.
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