John 2: 13-22 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”
Jesus had performed His first miracle, in turning water into wine, quietly and unobtrusively bringing joy to a small-town wedding. Recall that He did so without fanfare, not promoting Himself as some would like to do, but simply working naturally, in the supernatural. But today was business. Today He would be bold!
Unlike the wedding in Cana, which was only mentioned by John, this incident is mentioned in each of the gospels, but John leaves out the rest of what Jesus had said:
"It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves,'" Luke 19.
Jesus is quoting the following verses:
These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. -- Isaiah 56:7
Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight? You know, I too am watching, says the LORD. -- Jeremiah 7:11
The area in which they were selling was likely the Court of the Gentiles, where those non-Jewish believers would go to worship God. Jesus entered the temple and saw that where the foreign proselytes to the Jewish faith were supposed to be in an attitude of prayer, there were people selling animals in the attitude of greed. They were selling these animals so that it would be both convenient for the people (cheapening worship) and a rip-off for them (cheapening worship.) Could you pray effectively among the sounds of cooing, bleating and mooing? Jesus would bring an end to those sounds that day. Thomas Beswick (1822) writes:
"It was a continual struggle for those who believed they were the chosen people in a special relationship with God to realize that God intended to bless other nations through them, and it was often forgotten. But from time to time the prophets called them back to this purpose of God for them and looked forward to its fulfillment. The people of the time of Jesus might have forgotten but they could be reminded and they were forcibly reminded by the dramatic action that Jesus took."
The time in which we now live is called “The time of the Gentiles” by Bible teachers. Perhaps, too, this cleansing assisted in bringing this “time” in for those of us who are not of Jewish descent, that we might have the chance to take part in His Kingdom.
He made a whip of cords. I can see Him, methodically twining the individual strands of material (possibly rushes, such as used in bedding) together, nodding to Peter and Andrew as they describe what they know about the temple and play “tour guide.”
This is called by theologians “Christ’s first cleansing of the Temple.” Some of them say that it is a symbol of the movement by God from the sacrifices that then were necessary to cleanse man from sin—the blood of bulls and goats—to the one Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, by which we no longer need other sacrifices.
I’ve noticed that there are some people who make the rounds of churches looking for a customer base. They might be selling something, a service, or whatever, and they come every now and again. I remember this one gal that came to church during a women’s event, and she was very nice, complimentary toward us, but then at the end of the event she was going around asking if we wanted to hire her to work. She was asking if she could tell everyone about her business so she could make money off of the women there. It gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. God hates when people try to rip us off in the name of religion.
Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”
One of the characteristics of God is His zeal. He is zealous for us to know Him. The word zeal means ardent, devoted, or diligent. Ardent means passionate, fervent. Jesus feels passionate about you! He is devoted to you, has fervent love for you, for His people.
Notice that the religious people didn’t admonish Him for scourging the merchandisers. No one said a word against this action. Instead, they questioned:
So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do you show us, since You do these things?”
As the temple leaders came to question Him, I noticed the difference between them and the disciples— the one believed, while the other questioned. Jesus would later say
“Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away (Matthew 16:4.)
But Jesus didn’t make any commitments to them, the Bible says. He knew they were blind to the fact that He was the Messiah. Chuck Smith says
“It is great to experience miracles from God and to have great feelings about God. I have seen plenty of those miracles and felt those wonderful feelings. But lasting faith doesn’t come from experiencing the spectacular. That is a shallow faith. Lasting faith comes from trusting Jesus when we don’t see what He is doing. It is the “evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1.)
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
Notice He stated: I will raise it up. Jesus told the people about the sacrifice He was about to make in John 10:18-
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.
Later on when they were trying to find something to accuse Him of, they said He threatened to tear down the temple. Mark’s Gospel records this:
“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’”
Jesus lived His life as a human being, in addition to being God in His human body. He had emotions, which were subject to the fallen nature of man, but He was perfectly in control of His spirit and used His emotions correctly. If we are His, we have His Spirit and can learn to control our emotions correctly.
Jesus shows concern for the poor and for the foreigner here in His treatment of the moneychangers. He loves all people and desires relationships with us. We need to open our hearts and our hands and let people come, even if we don't think they "belong."
Looking back over all of this, I asked myself:
Am I, like Jesus, zealous for the people to know Him, or am I just in it for me? It’s easy to get complacent and refuse to leave my comfort zone, but He wants me to care for His sheep, even if they’re unwashed sheep.
Am I walking in faith, or am I trying to know God merely in experience. I need to have both—seek Him, enjoy the experience of knowing Him, but have faith that He is working even when I don’t see Him at work.
Dear Abba,
I love knowing You through Your word! I love seeing You at work, seeing You fulfill the Word You’d spoken years before. Lord, let me know You more and more!
Would you take my skewed vision of You and make it what You want it to be? Help me to see You as You are, and not color the truth of You with experiences or prejudices.
Lord, help me to join in Your work, and do the things You would do if You were here right now. Let me honor You in serving for Your Kingdom’s sake.
Love,
Donna
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