If you have your Bible with you, please open it up to the Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John, we're in chapter 2 this morning.
We're continuing on through the story of Jesus as told by John the Apostle.
Last Sunday, we saw how Jesus did an amazing miracle behind the scenes at the wedding in Cana.
Turning water, and a lot of it, into not just wine, but better wine than the good stuff that they had already been drinking.
And it was a gracious miracle and a wonderful display of power that he did there.
Well, this morning we continue the story, and we're picking it up in verse 12 of chapter 2.
After this, after the wedding, he went down, Jesus did, to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples.
There they stayed for a few days.
Verse 13.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
So not too long, they stayed in Capernaum, another town.
And then the sense of the text here is that very soon after this, the Passover was near.
And so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now, Passover was a really big deal.
And so it's a little bit tricky for us to maybe get our heads into that mindset.
I'm not going to go into explaining the whole significance of the Passover.
But basically, it was the time of the year where they commemorated how the Lord had delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
And led them out.
And the Lord actually commanded that they remember this every year on a specific day.
And so they did this.
They celebrated the Passover.
And not only that, but there was a whole week of festival that followed the Passover called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
And it was very common for many of the people to go up to Jerusalem and to celebrate and commemorate both of these things there in Jerusalem.
So imagine Jerusalem, this city.
They estimate about 2 million people at the time.
Good-sized city.
Imagine the roads coming into Jerusalem jammed with people from all over Israel.
They've packed their bags up.
They've got their animals saddled, whatever they had, carts.
And they're all making the trek up to Jerusalem to celebrate and to commemorate the Passover and the festival which followed.
Well, Jesus was among those who went up.
And to put this a little bit into perspective, too, this was not just the local people in Israel that were coming to this.
It was common that Jews would travel from all over the Mediterranean world to be there for Passover.
This was like one of the big holy days, holy festivals of the year.
And so just picture those entrances, those streets, those main roads coming into Jerusalem full of people.
And the city of about 2 million just swelling with the influx of visitors, people from all over who had come to take part in the festival and to celebrate the Passover.
Well, Jesus was one of those people who went up to Jerusalem and his disciples went with him.
And we'll get to that in a moment.
At some point in his time there, Jesus goes to the temple.
And I want us to try to imagine a little bit of what this looked like.
It's hard for us because it's hard to envision what does the temple even look like.
I mean, it's not even there today.
It's been destroyed and the temple mount has got other things on it right now.
But to give us a little bit of a visual and just help us, we're going to watch just a short video clip here.
Some guys have put together a bit of a 3D rendering just to kind of give you a sense of what it looked like or may have looked like on the temple mount.
And in this clip, you'll see that the courts, the temple courts are empty.
There's almost nobody in them.
I want you to imagine them just jammed full of people.
This is the Passover.
People were there.
So let's watch that.
Verse 14.
In the temple courts, Jesus found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
So these people were there.
And of course, they were offering a service to those who came, especially at this time for the Passover.
Those people who were selling cattle, sheep and doves, they were offering these for sale for sacrifices to the Lord.
That was kind of the main purpose of those specific animals.
And those exchanging money, sitting at tables.
At the temple, there was a very specific currency that they accepted there.
And of course, the Roman Empire was made up of all kinds of different nations that had been conquered,
each with their different kinds of currencies and stuff.
And they only accepted one at the temple.
And so that's what the exchangers were there to do,
was to change their money into the kind accepted at the temple for offerings,
as well as for purchasing these animals.
So this is what Jesus, it says Jesus saw and found as he entered into the temple.
People selling and people exchanging money.
Verse 15.
So Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle.
He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
To those who sold doves, he said,
Get these out of here.
Stop turning my father's house into a market.
His disciples remembered that it is written,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
So Jesus comes into the temple courts,
and it's full of people,
and his attention rests, comes to rest,
on those who are selling animals and those who are exchanging currencies.
And then he does what probably nobody was expecting.
He makes a whip,
and he begins to untie the animals,
set them loose,
and drive them right out the temple gates.
In fact, it says he drove all from the temple courts,
and probably the sense of that,
depending on your translation,
is that he drove the sellers out as well.
I don't think he used the whip on them.
I think that was for the animals.
All out from the temple courts,
including the sheep and the cattle.
He sends the coins of the money changers flying
and flips their tables
and tells them to get out.
Get these animals out of here.
Can you imagine
what this might have looked like in that moment?
I mean, this place is packed full of people.
What are Jesus' disciples thinking
as they watch this?
What are the rest of the people
that are just there,
you know,
for whatever reason,
thinking?
Last Sunday,
we saw Jesus
working a miracle behind the scenes
in a way that didn't draw attention to himself.
Here,
what Jesus is doing
is drawing the attention of everyone.
You can just see the expression on their faces,
wide-eyed.
Look at him.
What is he doing?
Look at him.
This would have been
something to see.
But of course,
the big question is,
why is he doing this?
Why is he doing this?
We get one line
from Jesus' mouth
that really captures the whole thing.
the whole reason.
John tells us that he said this,
get these out of here
with reference to the doves
or the animals.
Stop turning my father's house
into a market.
Now we'll pass over the fact
that Jesus has just referred to
the Lord God
as his father.
It doesn't seem that the people
really reacted to that
in this moment.
They're going to react to it
in a few chapters.
We'll get to that.
We'll talk about it then.
But the main reason that we see
has to do with this place.
This is my father's house.
This place is holy.
And you guys,
in what you've done here,
are profaning it.
What you're doing is dishonoring to him.
This is hard for us
to get our minds around.
We don't have a temple
that we go to.
But think about it.
I was trying to think,
how can I really
capture this,
the significance of the temple
in just a couple minutes.
I mean,
it all started back
in the Old Testament
with the tabernacle.
This was the arrangement
that God had made,
this tabernacle,
so that he could be
among his people.
They traveled around
with this.
They set the tent up.
The presence of the Lord
would come down
upon this tabernacle
in a thick cloud
and glory.
And God lived
among his people
and his people
among him.
This was the place
where they could have
relationship with him,
where they could come near to him.
The place that they
offered sacrifices,
which God said
were required
because of their sin
in order to be close
to him as a people.
This is what is required.
Blood sacrifices.
God gave all kinds of
commands as to
how this was all to work.
There was kind of
different parts
of the tabernacle
that they could go into.
And if you wanted to be
in the most holy place,
you had to be
the high priest.
go through all these
cleansing rituals
that God prescribed
and all of this
to illustrate
his holiness.
I am holy
and you,
my people,
are not.
And so there is,
there are things required
and we can only get
so close.
But the whole purpose
of this tabernacle
is relationship.
For God to be
with and among
his people.
And later on,
the stuff of the tabernacle
got transferred
into the temple.
A more permanent
house.
David was the one
who came up
with the idea
to build
a permanent
dwelling place
for the Lord
among his people.
And the Lord
put his presence
upon the temple
just as he had
with the tabernacle.
And,
and they saw
his glory
descending upon it
saying,
yes,
my name is here.
This is the place
on earth
where I will dwell
among you.
And so
just think of
the significance
of this place.
It's not the same
temple.
There's been a destruction
and a rebuild.
But the significance
is the most
important part.
What is this place
all about?
Jesus says,
this is
my father's
house.
This is the place
where God,
Yahweh,
the Lord
Almighty,
has chosen
to dwell
on earth
where people
may come
close
and approach
and be near.
This is a special
place.
This is a sacred
place.
And how should
we feel
as we walk
up
through the gates
into the temple
courts?
the closest
analogy I could
think of
was Moses
in the burning
bush.
Hopefully you've
heard that story
before.
Moses saw a bush
that was on fire,
but it was not
being burnt up
by the fire.
The fire was
actually the Lord's
presence
being made
manifest
in that
bush.
And the Lord
spoke out
of the bush
to Moses
and said,
don't come
any closer.
Take off
your sandals.
The very
ground
where you're
standing
is holy.
Why was it
holy?
Not because
the ground
was somehow
special,
but because
of its
closeness
to the
Lord's
presence.
That's what
made it
holy.
And Moses
in that
story,
it says,
he was
afraid and
he hid
his face.
There was
a deep
reverence
and awe.
I am
close
to God
himself,
to his
presence
right here
in this
bush.
This is
the kind
of feeling
that we're
meant to
have
as we
come to
the temple
of the
Lord,
the place
where his
presence
is made
manifest.
We're
meant to be
filled with
awe,
not just
at the
size
of the
pillars
and at
the
expensiveness
of the
gold overlay,
at the
glory and
wonder of
this structure.
It was
built like
that to
reflect that
the Lord,
whose temple
it is,
is great
and glorious
and worthy
and beautiful.
this is
the place
where he
has chosen
to put
his presence
on earth.
And so
we ought to
come into
this place
with a
deep
reverence
and respect.
What does
Jesus find
when he
comes into
the courts
of the
temple?
One commentator
said it really
well.
this place
of solemn
dignity,
this place
where the
murmur of
prayers should
be heard,
of holy
adoration,
the place
where people
are pouring
out their
hearts to
the Lord
in brokenness
and out of a
contrite heart
had been
turned into
a marketplace,
a place of
business.
instead of
the sound
of prayers
being heard,
you could
hear the
sound of
people
heckling
over prices
and exchange
rates,
the bellowing
of cattle,
the bleeding
of sheep,
people doing
business.
Jesus
says,
stop
turning
my
father's
house
into a
marketplace.
You've
turned
this
holy
place
into a
common
place.
You've
profaned
it.
Get
out.
Stop
it.
And he
chases
him right
out the
front
gates.
I can
just
imagine
that
righteous
anger
that he
had in
that
moment.
Flipping
tables.
This is
such a
contrast to
the picture
that we
often have
of Jesus
the gentle
man
holding
the sheep
in his
arms.
But it's
beautiful.
It's
glorious.
He has
this love
for God
like no
one else
does.
I mean,
here's
one man
going around
this huge
area
doing all
this.
And he
doesn't
seem to
care about
what anybody
else thinks
there.
Not the
crowds,
not the
people in
line to
purchase
things or
exchange
money,
not the
people doing
the selling.
He doesn't
seem to
care about
the temple
guards or
the religious
leaders or
the Roman
garrison that's
probably overlooking
the temple
courts.
He only cares
about what
one thinks,
God,
his father.
God,
how dare
you do
this in
his sacred
holy place?
It's
beautiful.
one person
remarked that
Jesus was
alone as
he did
this.
It was
just him,
but that
he likely
had an
ally in
the
consciences
of the
people.
That even
as he said
this,
you know,
people are
thinking,
yeah,
you're
right.
this isn't
right,
what we're
doing here,
yet no one
else would
have done
it.
Jesus,
God's son,
he came
and cleaned
house.
His
disciples,
verse 17,
remembered
that it is
written,
zeal for
your house
will consume
me.
Now,
I'm not going
to go into
detail about
that,
but it's
the words
from a
psalm.
David had
said a
similar
thing in
a song.
He was
passionate
for the
Lord's
house.
It hadn't
been built
yet,
but he
wanted it
to be.
And perhaps
he took
criticism
for it.
We don't
know exactly
the situation
in the
psalm in
which he
wrote those
words,
but his
disciples
kind of
drew the
connection,
whether they
remembered it
right there
in that
moment or
sometime
after.
Look at
the passion,
look at
the zeal
that he
has.
For the
house of
the Lord.
Just like
David did.
He is the
son of
David.
He is the
Messiah,
the one who
will take up
the throne
of David.
The Jews
then responded
to him.
Verse 18.
What sign
can you show
us to prove
your authority
to do all
this?
the Jews
are probably
a reference
to the
religious
leaders
rather than
to the
whole lot
of people
there.
But they
challenged
Jesus.
Like, who
gave you the
right to do
this?
Who put you
in charge
here?
That's what
Jesus has
done.
He's basically
taken charge
here at the
temple of
the Lord.
Lord.
So, if
you're going
to do
this, who
are you?
Are you some
kind of
prophet?
Show us a
sign to
prove that
you have
the authority
to do
this.
This is
what Jesus
answered.
Verse 19.
Destroy this
temple and
I will raise
it again in
three days.
They replied,
it has
taken 46
years to
build this
temple and
you are
going to
raise it
in three
days?
But, John
tells us, the
temple he had
spoken of was
his body.
After he was
raised from
the dead, his
disciples recalled
what he had
said.
Then they
believed the
scripture and
the words that
Jesus had
spoken.
So, the
Jews, the
Jewish leaders,
they challenge
Jesus and
they demand
a sign.
Show us
your authority
to be doing
this stuff
here.
Last we
checked, we
were in
charge here
at the
temple.
And Jesus
gives them a
sign.
But what a
sign to give
them.
I kind of
would have
loved to
just see
Jesus'
expression as
he said it.
Destroy this
temple.
I don't know
whether he
gestured to
his body
or not.
We don't
know.
Destroy this
temple and
I will
raise it
again in
three days.
That's the
sign.
And John
tells us that
all along he
meant his
body when he
said temple.
That's what he
meant.
And so it
seems as though
even as he
said it, he's
intentionally
concealing the
sign with some
kind of cryptic
language.
This temple
which it
referenced to
his body.
You could
think of
it as
almost like
a riddle
or a
micro parable.
They didn't
understand it.
They thought
he was talking
about the
building.
The first
thing their
minds go to
though is not
and this is
interesting.
I mean think
of this.
If he's
promising to
give us a
sign, what
do we have
to do to
see it?
We have to
tear the
temple down.
Destroy it.
And then I'll
show you that
I can rebuild
it in three
days.
That's what
they're thinking.
Like even
that sounds
crazy.
Like who's
going to tear
this down so
that we can
see the
proof?
All along
though he was
referring to
his body.
Their minds
go immediately
to the length
of time.
Not to the
destruction part
but to the
length of time
that he could
raise it back
up.
46 years
it's taken
to build
this temple.
I mean you
saw it in
the video.
Look at
it.
You're
telling me
that you
can raise
that back
up in
three days?
It's not
even really a
question.
It's a
statement.
You're out
of your
mind.
That's
ridiculous.
That's
absurd.
word.
But that's
not what
he meant.
He was
referring to
his body
all along.
It was
intentionally
concealed in
that language
so that when
the sign was
fulfilled and
he was raised
from the dead
three days
after being
destroyed
on that
cross
they would
see.
They would
realize
yes he
does have
the authority
to do what
he did
here at
the temple.
It wasn't
until after
that even
his disciples
realized that
that's what
he meant.
After he
was raised
from the
dead his
disciples
recalled what
he had
said.
then they
believed the
scripture and
the words that
Jesus had
spoken.
And we
might wonder
for a moment
which is
harder to
raise this
whole temple
building back
up again in
three days or
for a body
that's been
absolutely
destroyed and
has died from
suffocation
and loss
of blood
with a
spear piercing
through into
the heart
and then
lying dead in
a tomb for
three days to
be raised back
to life which
is harder.
I think that
kind of gets to
the point of
what Jesus is
saying.
It's
impossible.
Only an
act of God
could do
this.
God
will
be
offering
them the
ultimate
sign.
But will
they
remember it
when he's
raised from
the dead?
John sums
up this
whole section
of Jesus
being there
in verses
23 to
25.
Now while he
was in
Jerusalem at
the Passover
festival,
many people
saw the
signs he
was performing
and believed
in his
name.
But Jesus
would not
entrust himself
to them
for he knew
all people.
He did not
need any
testimony about
mankind for
he knew what
was in each
person.
So the week
continued,
the Passover
festival.
Notice that it
says many
people saw the
signs,
plural.
This wasn't
the only one,
this cleansing
of the
temple.
There was
more things
that he
did and
many people
saw them
and believed
in his
name.
And there's
all kinds
of questions
here.
Did they
believe genuinely
or just
superficially?
How come
he didn't
entrust
himself to
them?
What does
that even
mean?
In what
sense does
Jesus know
all men
and know
what is
in man?
I don't
have the
answer to
all those
questions.
But I
think one
thing is
clear.
We do
see that
somehow
Jesus knows
things that
only God
can know.
I mean,
he's just
predicted his
own death
and three
days later
resurrection
from the
dead.
He knows
things about
people that
nobody except
God could
know.
he saw
and knew
that about
Nathaniel
sitting under
the fig tree
and we're
going to see
more of this
kind of thing
throughout the
gospel of
John.
What's the
significance of
all this?
John is
giving us
signs.
He's showing
us the things
that confirm
that Jesus
is who
they're all
discovering him
to be
through this
story.
He knows
these things
because he
is the
Christ.
He is the
Messiah.
He is the
Son of
God.
He is
God.
And the
cleansing of
the temple
is another
sign.
It's another
pointer
that he is
as well.
Back in the
Old Testament
times, the
glory of the
Lord came
down upon
the temple.
In a very
real sense,
that day as
Jesus walked
into the
temple, the
glory of
the Lord
could be
seen shining
out.
Do you see
it?
As he flips
the tables
and cleans
house and
gets this
stuff out
of there.
Do you see
that love,
that passion
for God
burning brightly
in that
moment and
for God's
glory?
I think if
John the
apostle who
wrote this
was here
today, his
main question
to us would
be, do you
see the
signs?
Do you see
what he did
that day at
the temple?
Do you hear
what he said
about his
death and
resurrection?
Do you see
these things
about how he
knew things
that no
one, no
ordinary human
being could
know?
Do you see
the signs?
Do you
believe?
Do you
believe that
he is the
one?
That's what
this is all
coming back
to.
His
disciples saw
it.
They saw
it when he
was raised
from the
dead,
ultimately
confirmed.
It says,
then they
believed the
scripture and
the words that
Jesus had
spoken.
Do you
see it?
Do you
believe?
the last
thing I
want to
touch on
here,
something that
just really
struck me
yesterday as
I was thinking
about this,
is just
this whole
idea of
reverence.
Jesus comes
into there
and he
cleans house
and what
were the
people guilty
of?
they were
guilty of
turning the
holy into
a common
place, a
marketplace.
They were
guilty of
irreverence
at the
place where
God's
presence
dwells.
Irreverence.
It got me
thinking,
how often
do I come
to the
Lord and
approach him,
even in
prayer,
with a
lack of
that deep
reverence,
that he
is the
holy one.
I'm coming
into his
presence to
speak with
him.
I started
to feel
convicted.
That's probably
just the tip
of the
iceberg.
There's
probably all
kinds of
habits and
things that I
do in my
life in
which I
don't show
a deep
reverence for
God.
Jesus shows
it beautifully
how we
should think
what our
attitude should
be towards
the Lord.
And praise
the Lord that
Jesus is the
lamb who
takes away our
sins, who
cleanses us,
who forgives us
of those things,
those ways in
which we have
been irreverent.
But may the
Lord show us
as his
people more
and more how
we ought to
respect him
and revere
him and
treat him as
holy in our
everyday lives.
Let's pray.
Lord God, we
thank you for
this little
glimpse into
what happened
that day that
you've given
us in your
word.
And we
pray and ask
that you
would come
and search
our hearts
and know
us.
Know our
anxious thoughts,
know our
irreverent
habits.
We ask that
you would
forgive us
for the ways
in which we
have not
revered you,
not feared
you as you
deserve.
Teach us
to live
the way
that we
ought to.
Help us
to see
your glory
so that
we might
be gripped
with a
sense of
awe
for who
you are.
A sense
that really
does lead
us to
live
different,
Lord.
Do this
work in
our hearts,
we pray,
and we
ask this
for the
glory of
your name.
Amen.