Please turn with me to John chapter 2.
John chapter 2.
So last week we looked at the first half of John chapter 2.
And so it ends.
I want to read first the very end of that text.
It's John chapter 2 and I'll read verse 11.
This, turning the water into wine,
the first of his signs, Jesus' signs,
Jesus did at Cana in Galilee
and manifested his glory.
And his disciples believed in him.
So, that's the bridge to our text today.
So, before I read our text together,
I just want us to have a few things in mind.
I think it would be productive for us to,
I'm going to point some things out for you to be aware of,
and then we'll read it and then we'll walk through it together.
But, first, I need to pray.
That is something I forgot.
I want to pray for our time and hearing the word of God.
Father, before we read this text,
we thank you for giving us this text in our own language.
And we can have these words in our own language
that we can pick up and read on our own.
This is such a great gift.
And we can do this publicly.
And we thank you for this.
And let us not take this for granted,
what we're doing during this time.
And I pray that you would help
those who hear my voice
not hear my voice or my words,
but they would see you in your word.
And I pray this in your name.
Amen.
Thank you.
So, there's one text in Paul
I want you to have in mind
as we read through this text.
I think this is the famous
Cleansing of the Temple text in John,
where flipping the tables,
and we have these profound images
of Jesus being angry,
flipping tables,
and yelling at people,
making whips.
But we don't really...
It'd be interesting if you can recall
what he says after his actions.
Most of the time,
we focus on what he physically does.
But what does he say after this?
What was the purpose behind
Jesus' flipping the tables,
making whips?
That's what I want us to
spend most of our time here,
not get distracted by
what he actually did,
but he was doing it for a purpose.
And this came up
over and over in my study.
I was just thinking about this,
these two verses,
and Paul writes to Timothy
these words,
For there is one mediator
between God and men.
We'll see this later throughout.
For there is one mediator
between God and men,
men,
Paul,
knowing that Jesus did this,
was thinking
when he wrote that
to Timothy.
And so,
there's a few things.
I'm going to talk about the structure,
and then we'll actually
start reading it.
So,
it's broken up
into three sections.
There's an introduction
in verse 12,
landing us in the context.
And then,
there is
was at hand,
the Passover was at hand,
or the Passover was near.
So it was just before
the Passover feast.
There was the first,
and it's the flipping tables,
and all that.
And then,
the second is,
and at the end of that first section,
is a very important quote
that we just read in Psalm 69.
And so,
that's like the center
of the section.
And then,
from 19 to 22,
there's the second section,
and it's the Jews' response
to Jesus.
And then,
the third is
23 to 25,
which I think is the interpretive key
to those first two sections.
So,
have that end in mind,
what Jesus says,
throughout our time
walking through the text.
All right.
So,
and there's repeated phrases
through here,
so I encourage you to see
how many things are repeated.
You can write those down
as we read.
So,
I will read our text.
Verse 12.
After this,
he went down to Capernaum
with his mother
and his brothers
and his disciples,
and they stayed there
a few days.
The Passover of the Jews
was at hand,
and Jesus went up
to Jerusalem.
In the temple,
he found those
who were selling
oxen and sheep
and pigeons
and the money changers
sitting there.
And making a whip
of cords,
he drove them
all out of the temple
with the sheep
and oxen.
And he poured out
the coins
of the money changers
and overturned
their tables.
And he told those
who sold the pigeons,
take these things away.
Do not make
my father's house
a house of trade.
His disciples remembered
that it was written,
zeal for your house
will consume me.
So,
the Jews said to him,
what sign do you show us
for doing these things?
Jesus answered them,
destroy this temple,
and in three days
I will raise it up.
The Jews then said,
it has taken 46 years
to build this temple
and will you raise it up
in three days?
But he was speaking
about the temple
of his body.
When therefore
he was raised
from the dead,
his disciples remembered
that he had said this
and they believed
the scripture
and the word
that Jesus had spoken.
Now,
when he was in Jerusalem
at the Passover feast,
many believed
in his name.
When they saw
the signs
that he was doing,
but Jesus,
on his part,
did not entrust
himself to them
because he knew
all people
and needed no one
to bear witness
about man.
For he himself
knew
what was
in man.
So,
before we
jump in,
remember,
this comes off
from what we just read
and his disciples
believed him
in verse 11
after the sign
of the water
into wine.
And then,
remember,
what's coming
right after this
is the famous
conversation
between Jesus
and Nicodemus.
And I want you
to have those in mind
because this is a bridge
and these are all
connected and leading
into specific
conversations.
So,
leading into
Jesus saying
to Nicodemus,
truly,
I say to you,
unless one is born again,
he cannot see
the kingdom of God,
that
bomb that he
gives Nicodemus
and others
throughout,
it gets more specific
like you see
chapter 4,
you see Jesus
and the woman
of Samaria,
and then there's
a,
Jesus heals
an official's son
in 5.
It gets,
he has specific
personal conversations
about the things
we have already seen
in Cana
and now
at the temple.
So,
he's leading
into these
applications
of what
we'll be talking
about today.
So,
just have all
that in mind
and I'll read
the first section.
This is the first
major section.
And after this,
he went down
to Capernaum
with his mother
and his brothers
and his disciples
and they stayed
or they remained
there for a few days.
And the Passover
of the Jews
was at hand
or it was near
and Jesus went
up to Jerusalem.
In the temple
he found those
who were selling
oxen,
cattle,
same,
and sheep
and pigeons.
And the money changers
sitting
and making
a whip of cords
he drove them
all out of the temple
with the sheep
and oxen.
And he poured out
or he scattered
the coins
of the money changers
and overturned
their tables.
And he told
those who sold
the pigeons
take these things
away
or get out
of here.
Do not make,
you can say
stop making
my father's house
a house
of trade
or merchandise.
So here
this is probably
the first
of two
temple cleansings.
He probably
most likely
did this
twice.
If you look
at the other
accounts of the Gospels
this is actually
one of the few things
John records
in his Gospel
that is also
in the other
three Gospels.
So this is
very important
and this is probably
the first
of second.
I'm not going
to spend a lot
of time
making that case.
If you think
that's interesting
you can gladly
ask me about it.
But this is
maybe the first
of two.
And notice
the words here.
Look down
with me.
You see
oxen,
you see sheep,
you see pigeons,
you see money
being exchanged.
Think about
what this
and at the temple
this is all part
of the sacrificial
system.
So these
merchants
on the face
of it
if you're
taking them
at good faith
these were
helping those
who were at
the temple
worship the
Lord by being
close to where
the sacrifices
would have been
made.
So it seems
on the face
what's the big
deal?
We are helping
those who
are worshiping
the Lord.
Notice
that's
it's not
about greed
or money
here.
Jesus'
concentration
is not
about them
being greedy.
But the
problem is
that they
should not
have been
inside the
temple complex
at all.
There was a
courtyard
of the temple
and then there
was the
temple
who had
the Holy of
Holies
in an actual
building.
But here
in the
courtyard
they were
selling
oxen,
pigeons,
exchanging money,
so that
people can
make their
sacrifices
to be
faithful.
But the
problem is
it was
distracting.
It was not
their place
to infringe
on the
house of
the Lord.
So here
is not about
being greedy.
It's about
the right
approach to
the Lord.
This reminds
me,
this
Zechariah
1421.
You can
turn there
if you
want.
It's
just a
few
pages
to the
left.
Zechariah
chapter 14
is the
last chapter
and 21
is one
of the
last
verses.
So at
the very
end of
Zechariah,
I'll let you
turn there.
Zechariah,
he writes
this,
this may
Jesus have
had in
mind,
and every
pot in
Jerusalem
and Judah
shall be
holy to
the Lord
of hosts,
so that
all who
sacrifice,
key point,
may come
and take
of them
and boil
the meat
of the
sacrifice
in them.
And there
shall no
longer be
a traitor,
think unclean
person,
a traitor
in the
house of
the Lord
of hosts
on that
day.
So it
seems like
Jesus
absolutely
had this
in mind,
where the
house of
the Lord
is not
for traders,
merchants,
it's for
the Lord
and the
right worship
of him.
So what
does Jesus
do?
He famously
makes a
whip for,
I'm going
to say,
not for
people,
from reading
at face
value,
it sounds
like he
whipped
people,
I'm going
to say
that's
not the
case.
He made
a whip
for the
oxen
and the
sheep,
so he
drove the
animals out,
so therefore
the owners
are just
not going
to sit
there.
They're no
longer
sitting there
as the
text says,
I'm sure.
But he
drove out
with the
whip,
of course,
the oxen
and the
sheep.
And notice
the verbs
here,
and he
overturned
tables,
which was
for the
money changers,
and he
spoke to
the ones
who were
selling
pigeons.
So how
he approached
it was
equivalent to
what they
were bringing
into,
wrongly,
the temple
court.
So don't
think he
whipped
everybody and
was in a
huge rage
or anything.
But he
was concerned
about the
right worship
of the
Lord.
And the
whip was
for the
big animals,
and overturning
the tables
made sense
for the
money changers.
And then he
spoke to
the pigeon
sellers,
because probably
they were in
cages, and
I guess you
just can't
flip over a
cage.
So he
had to
speak to
those who
were selling
pigeons.
But this
is what
he said.
He said
to those
who sold
pigeons,
take these
things away.
Do not
make my
father's
house a
house of
trade.
And we
saw
Zachariah
fulfilling
that.
And then
you get to
the most
important point
right here
in this
section,
is his
disciples
remembered
that it
was written,
here it is,
zeal for
your house
will consume
me.
His
disciples,
specifically,
remembered.
Not the
Jews, but
the disciples,
remembered.
And this
is the
first of
two
rememberings
of the
disciples in
this text.
We'll come
to another
one later.
His
disciples
remembered
that it
was written
in Psalm
69,
9,
zeal for
your house
will consume
me.
There's two
words I
want to
dial in
here.
It's the
word zeal
and the
word consume.
Very
important words
to this
for understanding
what Jesus
is saying
here.
Zeal,
probably
very
John here.
He loves
highlighting
misunderstandings
and double
entendres.
He's very
interesting in
this way.
I think
there's a
double
entendre
here.
Because
here,
it's
zeal.
Jesus
has zeal,
but also
the Jews
had zeal.
They're
zealous
or jealous
from the
Lord,
of the
Lord here.
But zeal
for your
house.
Both
Jesus and
the Jews
had zeal
for the
Lord,
but it
was godly
zeal
versus
earthly
zeal.
So you
can have
zeal,
but
misplaced
zeal
for the
Lord.
And here,
the zeal
is important.
And look at
the word
consume me.
Will
consume
me.
Now,
I love
that we
read
69
together,
or most
of it,
but if you
could flip
back,
put your
hand here
in John,
and flip
back to
Psalm 69.
69.
And I
wonder if
you caught
this when
you read
the text
together.
So 69
verse 9,
I'll read
for context
6.
I'll start
there,
as you turn
there.
Let not
those who
hope in
you be
put to
shame
through me.
Remember,
this is
David writing,
the Lord
God of
hosts,
let not
those who
seek you
be brought
to dishonor
through me,
O God
of Israel,
for it
is for
your sake
that I
have borne
reproach,
that dishonor
has covered
my face.
I have
become a
stranger to
my brothers,
an alien
to my
mother's
sons.
For
zeal for
your house
has
consumed
me.
And the
reproaches of
those who
reproach you
have fallen
on me.
Here it
says,
for zeal
for your
house has
consumed
me.
But,
if you
turn back,
John
records this
as,
zeal for
your house
will
consume
me.
So,
in the
whole timeline,
you would
think the
future tense
will
consume
me,
would be
in
Psalm,
David
writing.
In the
past tense,
you would
expect it
to say,
his disciples
remembered that
it was written,
zeal for your
house has
consumed me.
So,
why did he
change
from past
tense
to future
tense?
I think
this
highlights
pointing to
Jesus'
death.
Because
consume,
I always
thought that
this text
really was
more about
mind at
all times.
He was
consumed
with it.
But here,
because of the
future tense
here,
and consume,
it's more of,
consume means
more of
devouring,
or eating
up.
It's a lot
different
here.
And so,
with that in
mind,
he says,
zeal for
your house
will
devour
me.
Interesting.
So,
it's less
of fully
given over
to the
work of
the Lord,
but it's
more,
as Jesus
is using
it,
more pointing
to the
fulfillment
of Jesus'
own death
here.
That's what
I think
John is
doing in
this text,
by changing
from the
past to
the future
here.
So,
let's go
on to
the second
major section.
And this
is the
Jews'
response.
We have
yet to
hear from
them.
So,
when he
was making
whips,
and sheep
and oxen
were going
everywhere,
and birds
were flying,
I'm sure
the Jews
probably
felt like
they had
to say
something.
So,
this is
what they
said.
ESV has
it as,
so the
Jews said
to him,
what sign
do you
show us
for doing
these things?
But I
think this
is actually
kind of
soft.
In the
original,
it could
also be,
and if
you go
through
different
translations,
it's going
to be a
little different,
so you
can look
at that
if you
want.
But it's
a little
more harsh,
the Jews'
response to
Jesus.
It's
more like,
what sign
do you
show us
that you
have the
right to
do these
things?
What
right do
you have?
I think
that makes
more sense
in the
context.
think about
the Jews.
The Jews
are more
than just
Israelites
at this
point.
It's,
John uses
this category
as those
who,
more generally,
those who
reject Jesus'
teaching.
So have
that in
mind as
we go
through
John,
and
specifically
here.
And they
were not
concerned
about the
right approach
toward
God
here,
but they
were more
concerned with
their own
authority.
You see
here in
our 1st
Timothy text,
wait,
I read,
it's God
and man.
God is God
and man is
man.
And you
see this
throughout
this text
here.
And so,
Jesus
answered,
and he
said to
them,
destroy
this
temple,
and in
three days
I will
raise it
up.
And the
Jews then
said,
it has
taken 46
years to
build this
temple,
and will
you raise
it up
in three
days?
But he
was speaking
about the
temple of
his body.
And here,
it's
another
surprising
thing
here,
because you
would expect
it not to
be a
command.
Destroy
this
temple.
It's like,
it's an
imperative
here.
It's a
command.
You all
destroy this
temple.
It was a
command.
You always
think,
well,
I've always
thought about
this as
looking towards
the destruction
of
that temple
in 70
AD later.
But,
it's present
here,
and it's a
command to
the Jews,
to those
who reject
him.
Jesus
answered
them,
destroy
this
temple.
And in
three days,
I will
raise it
up.
So,
if we
say,
you all
destroy
this
temple,
notice,
you all
destroy
this
temple,
but then
notice,
and I
will
raise it
up in
three days.
You see
man,
you see
God.
Another thing
to point out
here,
as you dig
through this,
he says,
this temple,
destroy this
temple,
and destroy
this
temple,
Jesus is
using a
pronoun
here,
this,
that in
the original
is ambiguous.
It's more
general.
I only say
this,
I only point
this out,
because the
Jews,
in their
response,
when they
use this
temple,
it has
taken 46
years to
build this
temple,
and they're
using an
unambiguous
or a
specific
pronoun.
So,
they're
as if
pointing,
because they're
in the
temple
courtyard,
they're
standing
in front
of this
huge
temple,
very
important,
central
to the
Jewish
worship,
that they're
saying,
this temple,
but notice
if we
take this
as a
more general
pronoun
here,
he's being
way more
general,
not specific,
because that
leads him to
say,
that he
was speaking
about the
temple of
his body.
So,
this is
where
typology
comes in.
I think
Jesus
interpreted
generally
the Old
Testament
in a
typological
way.
What I
mean by
that is
typology,
think
type,
and it's
a Bible
word,
it's used
throughout
types or
forms or
patterns,
things.
And you
see this
throughout
scripture,
and it's
a key to
understanding
how Jesus
saw himself
fulfilling all
the things
before.
So,
when we
think about
prophecy,
it's not
merely verbal
predictions.
That's probably
the number
one thing we
think about,
is this
will happen.
That's a
small part.
But when
it comes to
biblical
prophecy,
like all
throughout
here,
it's more
about painting
pictures,
events,
people,
and institutions,
so think
here,
like the
temple,
that they
are pointing
to something
greater.
They're always
pointing to
something greater.
So,
for example,
there's always
something that's
off,
or sometimes
we could
maybe even
say missing
in.
These things.
So,
think about
animal sacrifices,
always built
in,
expecting a
better sacrifice.
Think about
the law.
The law
in the Old
Testament
anticipated
holiness
of the heart.
You see that
heart language.
And think
about the
priests.
The priests
looked forward
to a
perfect
priest.
This is
all what
the book
of Hebrews
is about
here.
Think about
David.
We just
got done
with a
series on
David.
David,
it wasn't
really about
David.
David wasn't
about David.
David,
in the
Bible,
he's mentioned
so many
times after
his physical
life because
it wasn't
about him
specifically.
It was about
pointing to
a perfect
and better
David.
God
met men.
And think
about in
our text,
the temple.
The temple
pointed forward
to a better
and final
meeting point
between God
and man.
So if we
think about
our first
Timothy text,
there's one
mediator between
God and
men.
It was the
temple.
It was the
temple.
That was where
God met
men.
That was
the mediator.
God provided
that.
But think
about how
this lands
when Jesus
says,
destroy this
temple.
And in
three days,
I will
raise it
up.
And he
says,
explains,
this was
his body.
This lands
to where
it's
Jesus'
body
fulfills
that temple.
So,
let's
continue.
Verse 22.
This might
be a little
confusing,
but if we
take all
the things
we have
said just
now into
here,
this is
really the
point he's
making.
And this
is the
bridge from
our text,
from the
cleansing of
the temple,
to you
must be
born again
section.
Here,
chapter 3,
the great
chapter 3
that everybody
knows.
This is
the
interpretive
key.
When,
therefore,
he was
raised from
the dead,
I'm sorry,
I totally
forgot about
this.
This is the
second
remembering.
When,
therefore,
he was
raised from
the dead,
this is
verse 22,
his disciples
remembered
that he
said this,
and they
believed
the scripture,
and the
word,
could be
plural here
also,
in the
words that
Jesus had
spoken.
This is the
second of two
rememberings,
remember,
I pointed
out.
And,
one thing
is scripture
could be
Psalm 69,
but I would
like to say
it's a little
more general
here.
I think he's
making a point
where all of
scripture is
fulfilled in
Christ.
All the Old
Testament is
being fulfilled
here.
In light of
Christ,
the whole
Psalms,
the whole
Torah,
the whole
prophets
come together
in Christ.
Verse 23,
now when
he was in
Jerusalem at
the Passover,
this is during
the Passover
feast now,
many believed
and trusted
in his name
when they
saw the
signs that
he was
doing.
Now,
I'm going
to pause
and just
say many
believed.
I'm going
to say
trusted
here.
This is
when you
see belief,
trust,
language,
faith,
all those
tend to be
one point
that out.
And so
this is,
they don't
have faith
here,
but they
believed only
because they
saw it.
And John
loves this.
Throughout
our study
of John,
try to see
how many
misunderstandings
he points
out.
He loves
to point
out
misunderstandings.
Think about
the wedding
in Cana,
the misunderstanding
here.
Both the
Jews and
the disciples,
his disciples,
both missed
it.
Remember
that the
word
remembered
is in
the past
tense.
Only
after Christ's
death did
they really
understand.
So,
just be
pointed out
even in
a conversation
with Nicodemus.
he's
pointing out
misunderstandings
so that
we can
understand
but only
through the
light of
Christ.
Alright,
verse 24
and 25,
I'm going
to read
these together
here.
But Jesus,
on his
part,
did not
entrust,
remember the
trust,
entrust,
now,
he did not
entrust
himself to
them
because he
knew all
people
and needed
no one
to bear
witness
about
man.
For he
himself
knew
what was
in man.
Notice
the God
men
language
here.
So,
this is the
second of
two
belief
trusting
words here.
He did
not entrust.
They
trusted.
He did
not entrust
himself to
them.
Now,
this may
because it
was before
his final,
ultimate
sacrifice on
the cross.
But,
many believed
here Jesus
did not
entrust
himself to
them.
Now,
this points
out a
very important
thing where
only God
knows man.
Think of
Job.
Only God
knows man.
At the
very end
of it,
man is
man.
He is
created.
But God
is God.
And God
is the
creator
and
sustainer
of all
creation.
Of man.
And he
does it
through means
of,
he has
given them
the temple
before,
and now
he has
given him
Jesus
in bodily
form.
all of
that
was
bending
towards
and
yearning
for
Jesus'
body
to be
sacrificed
and to
be
raised
on the
third
day.
So,
you have
this
death
resurrection
text.
It's so
central here.
And I think
that's the
key to
these verses.
But Jesus,
on his
part,
himself,
did not
entrust
himself to
them,
but because
he knew
all people
and needed
no one
to bear
witness
about
man.
For he
himself
knew
what was
in
man.
This
seems
judgmental,
but I
think there's
hope here.
Because,
as one
commentator
says,
Jesus
wonderfully
promises
to
entrust
himself
to
those
who
truly
trust
him.
Jesus
fully
promises
to
entrust
himself
to
those
who
truly
trust
him.
And you
see this
in chapter
10.
So,
chapter
10,
I'll
read it
for you.
It's
that I
am the
good
shepherd
text.
In
chapter
10
of
John,
it says,
I am
the
good
shepherd.
I
know
my
own,
and
my
own
know
me.
Just
as
the
father
knows
me,
and
I
know
the
father,
and
I
lay
down
my
life
for
the
sheep.
Notice
how many
of those
words
we saw
in our
text.
I'll
read it
one more
time.
I am
the
good
shepherd.
I
know
my
own,
and
my
own
know
me.
Just
as
the
father
knows
me,
and I
know
the
father,
and I
lay
down
my
life
for
the
sheep.
Now,
before we
conclude,
think about
what's
next.
I
think
you
can't
read
verse
24
and
25
separate
from
the
first
few
verses
of
chapter
3.
So,
not to
steal
whoever
is
preaching
next
week,
but
notice,
it
says,
now,
there
was
a
man.
So,
for
he
himself,
for
Jesus
himself,
knew
what
was
in
man.
Now,
there
was
a
man
of
the
Pharisees
named
Nicodemus,
a ruler
of the
Jews.
This
man
came
to
Jesus
by
night
and
said
to
him,
Rabbi,
we
know
that
you
are
a
teacher
come
from
God,
for
no
one
can
do
these
signs,
see
signs
again,
that
you
do
unless
God
is
with
him.
He's
misunderstanding
already.
Jesus
answered
him,
truly,
I
say
to
you,
unless
one
is
born
again,
he
cannot
see
the
kingdom
of
God.
And
he
goes
on,
and we
know
the rest.
And
we'll
take a
closer look
to that
next
week.
But
that
cannot
see
the
kingdom
of
God.
And
help
us
as
we
read
this
text
throughout
the
week,
I
encourage
you to
pray
for
yourself,
that
you
would
think
about
what
is
the
right
worship
of
God
in my
daily
life.
Am I
more
about
man,
myself,
or
is my
zeal
more
for
God
himself?
Making
God's
name
great
and my
name
small.
Are you
praying for
those things
every day?
I encourage
you to do
that.
And so
as we
conclude,
think about
what I
said in the
beginning
about
Paul.
Paul
writes
to
Timothy,
for
there
is
one
mediator,
no longer
temple,
but now
Jesus.
One
mediator
between
God
and
men.
There's
a great
chasm
between
those two
because of
sin.
But
the man
Christ
Jesus,
who gave
himself
as a
ransom
for all,
which is
the
testimony
given
at the
proper
time.
We all
respond to
God's
word.
And if
you are
in Christ,
I hope
that you
are encouraged
by seeing
what God
has done
and is
doing and
knowing
what he
will do
by him
saying and
doing these
things.
And if
you are
not in
Christ,
if you
do not
trust
him,
he is
the one
mediator
between
your
creator
and you
as the
creation,
you are
created
and because
of sin,
there has
to be a
mediator.
And I
encourage you
to read
this,
ask questions
to people
you know
who are
in Christ
who may
be here
with you
and that
we would
all glorify
him in
our response
to his
word.
So in
conclusion,
pray with
me.