I would recommend you either believe God completely, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much. Charles Spurgeon
The Cleansing Of The Temple JN 2:13-25
Do you picture Jesus as a gentle, tender, peace-loving man? In one place we read: MT 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who are tired from carrying heavy loads and I will give you rest. Place my yoke over your shoulders, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble. Then you will find rest for yourselves because my yoke is easy and my burden is light." People felt comfortable in bringing their children to Him. MT 19:13 Some children were brought to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. The disciples told them not to bother him. But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these." We do know that He was God and therefore He did display a powerful righteous anger. We see this when He visited Jerusalem during the Passover at the beginning of His ministry and we see here a side of God that many do not want to see because they only want a God of love. We see He forced the moneychangers and merchandisers out of the temple. So we ask “What determined this outburst of anger?” What gave Jesus the authority to do this? What lessons might we glean from this event? Let us note: His anger was prompted by: THE WARNING OF THE LORD. THE passion OF THE LORD. THE display of the AUTHORITY OF THE LORD. THE power OF THE LORD. His anger was prompted by:
I. We hear THE WARNING OF THE LORD.
A. He takes time to promote HIS FATHER’S HOUSE.
1. We read of the reason for His outburst. JN 2:16 “Don’t turn my Father’s house into a marketplace!"
2. The sellers of oxen and sheep, along with the moneychangers, had turned the temple into a house of selling.
3. Jesus knew that the temple was to be a house of prayer; they had turned it into a den of crooks. MT 21:13 He said, "The Scriptures declare, ’My Temple will be called a place of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" The Lord was made angry by the manner in which some used religion to make money. Did you come to church today to pray and listen to God’s Word?
B. MIGHT WE BE GUILTY OF A SIMILAR OFFENSE?
1. Did you know that there are people who come to church to form an "arrangement", to make business contacts?
2. What if we take advantage of our relationship as brethren to further a multilevel marketing business, a home-based business, or any other financial enterprise?
3. We do not have a temple today but we have the church, we must be careful in case we abuse it as well. We also know that the church is not the temple of God either for we read this in 1 COR 3:16-17 “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will bring ruin upon anyone who ruins this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you Christians are that temple.”
God planned that those who preach the gospel be supported 1 COR 9:14 “In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it.” He is angered by those who try to use the church as a way to get rich.
His anger was prompted by also.
II. We see THE passion OF THE LORD.
A. Jesus shows His passion FOR HIS FATHER’S HOUSE...
1. The disciples were reminded of an Old Testament prophecy John 2:17 “Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God’s house burns within me." Psalm 69:9 “Passion for your house burns within me, so those who insult you are also insulting me.
2. Jesus had passion for God’s house, for its intended purpose (a house of prayer). His great passion for His Father’s house moved Him to action. What moves you to action?
B. Let me ask HOW IS OUR passion FOR THE LORD’S HOUSE? As I have seen in just the past few years we have changed making the house of God holy to a place of entertainment and being happy. If we use buildings that were not built as churches we need to change them. I do not want to get off tract on this but I have heard that there are some who use bars to have church and do not stop the wrong things going on. We have moved into movie houses, malls, public building, and schools to start churches to reach people. This is good but I wonder if the lord is pleased with us using those buildings as holy on Sunday when the rest of the week they are used to promote unholy events.
We read that The Father’s house is the church: 1 Tim. 3:15 “This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth.” Do we have great passion for the church? That it fulfill its intended purpose that is to make known God’s will? Are you troubled when you have seen it turned something else, such as social club, or a source of entertainment? If we have passion for the Lord’s house, we can not be still when others change its purpose. The action we take may not be the same as what Jesus did. Indeed, He took up "a whip of cords." Some wanted to know What right did He have to use such a display of force?
His anger was prompted by also.
III. THE display of the AUTHORITY OF THE LORD.
A. THE SIGN THAT PROVES He has AUTHORITY.
1. They wanted to know what sign (miracle) He could offer to prove His right to cleanse the temple. JN 2:18 "What right do you have to do these things?" the Jewish leaders demanded. "If you have this authority from God, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." Jesus offered His ability to rise from the dead as the ultimate proof. JN 2:19-22 "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." "What!" they exclaimed. "It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can do it in three days?" But by "this temple," Jesus meant his body. After he was raised from the dead, the disciples remembered that he had said this. And they believed both Jesus and the Scriptures.
2. Later, He would restate His claim to have this ability. JN 10:17-19 "The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can take my life from me. I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right to lay it down when I want to and also the power to take it again. For my Father has given me this command." When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him.
His resurrection proved that He was the Son of God. RM 1:4 “And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.
He has been given the authority to exercise such judgment as cleansing the temple. And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son, John 5:26-27 “The Father has life in himself, and he has granted his Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge all mankind because he is the Son of Man.”
Do we HAVE That SAME AUTHORITY?
1. We are to judge with upright judgment.
a. At times we must discern between "hogs" and "dogs". MT 7:6"Don’t give what is holy to unholy people. Don’t give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.
b. We can discern between good and bad fruit. Mt 7:15-20"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don’t pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles. A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.
2. But our authority to judge is limited. Mt 7:1-5 “Stop judging others and you will not be judged. For others will treat you as you treat them. Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying, ’Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.
a. There are things we cannot judge in this life. 1Co 4:3-5 “What about me? Have I been faithful? Well, it matters very little what you or anyone else thinks. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that isn’t what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.”
b. There are people we are not to judge. 1Co 5:11-13 “What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your job to judge those inside the church who are sinning in these ways. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you."
c. Vengeance in particular belongs to the Lord. RM 12:17-19 “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord.” While Jesus is our example there are some "steps" that He took that we cannot take. 1Pe 2:21 “This suffering is all part of what God has called you to. Christ, who suffered for you, is your example.” Follow in his steps.
His anger was prompted by also.
IV. THE power OF THE LORD
A. THE POWER THAT JUSTIFIES HIS ACTION. John mentions how many came to believe in Him because of His signs. JN 2:23 “Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah.” John also makes remark of His unwillingness to commit Himself to others at this time. He had no need to, because he knew all. JN 2:24 ‘But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew what people were really like.” He had no need to, because he knew what was in man” JN 2:25 “No one needed to tell him about human nature. Jesus is exposed as one who can recognize the hearts of men.” Mt 9:4 “Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why are you thinking such evil thoughts?” Re 2:23 ‘I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.”
Do we HAVE That SAME AUTHORITY?
1. We cannot discern the hearts of men like the Lord can; note: "Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions, affections, designs, so as we do not know any man, not even ourselves." "He knows his crafty enemies, and all their secret projects; his false friends, and their true characters." "He knows who are truly his, knows their uprightness, and knows their weaknesses." "We know what is done by men; Christ knows what is in them, he tries the heart."
2. Since we cannot read the hearts of men, we must be careful. We are unable to always know the motives of others. We must approach those in opposition with humility. 2 Tim. 2:24-26 “The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will believe the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” We must approach brethren overtaken in a fault with gentleness. GAL 6:1 ‘Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.”
We do need to challenge faith. Jude 1:3 “Dearly loved friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the truth of the Good News. God gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy people.” We cannot use the example of Jesus cleansing the temple to justify our angry behavior and strike out in anger towards those who are teaching in error. Are we justified to use a whip of cords as well like Jesus did? Jesus possessed great authority to judge man, proven by His resurrection from the dead. Jesus possessed divine power to read the hearts of men. Would you agree that we sometimes cannot even discern our own hearts?
While we may not always be able to follow the Lord’s right to judge, we should certainly strive to copy His passion for His Father’s house. Is our passion for His church what it ought to be?
