Summary: God was pictured as terrifying, zealous, and consuming fire. God was known as the creator, protector, shepherd, and by many other roles. But for the first time, he was addressed as Father.

Theme: Father’s House

Text: John 2: 12-25

Introduction:

1. Conviction on Father’s House (John 2:16)

Temple at Jerusalem: Tent of meeting during the wilderness, house of God during David, Temple concept during monarchs, then in synagogues during exilic periods. Gathering of believers in NT age called the house of God. House worships, and the concept of you are a temple, your body is the dwelling place of God.

The temple at Jerusalem has known as the house of God, the house of Prayer, house of instruction, house of worship, and the house of healing, and the house of praises. Jesus had a conviction in his mind. He was the first person to name the temple as “My Father’s House.” Joseph and Mary regularly visited the Temple at Jerusalem on every Passover feast (Luke 2:41). Earlier, also Jesus had the conviction that this Temple is the House of his Father (Luke 2:49).

God was pictured as terrifying, zealous, and consuming fire. God was known as the creator, protector, shepherd, and by many other roles. But for the first time, he was addressed as Father by a human person. God has introduced himself as the father of Israelite, not as a father of Israel in Exodus 4:22-23. Moses mentioned God as Father metaphorically in Deuteronomy 1:31, 8:5, 14:1, 32:6. “... and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place”(Deuteronomy 1:31).

The Hebrew word yasar used 43 times in the Old Testament and been translated to refer to Father. This Yasar means “discipline”, “chasten”, “chastise”, “instruct”, “punish”, “teach”, “train”, “warn”, and so on. A Croatian translation uses fatherhood – “to bring up”.

The avoidance of this description for God as Father can still be found in the intertestamental literature. There its use is also rare: Apocrypha ( Wisdom 2:16; 14:3; Tobias 13:4; Sirach 23:1, 4; 51:10); Pseudepigrapha ( Jub 1:24, 28; 19:29; 3 Maccabees 5:7; 6:4, 8; T. Levi 18:6; T. Judah 24:2); and Dead Sea Scrolls (1 QH 9:35 f.) The concept of God as Father doesn’t mean that God is a male. But we God is not a "man" ( Numbers 23:19 ). He is a Spirit ( John 4:24 ) without sexual parts.

While the fatherhood of God seems to be a minor doctrine in the Old Testament, it becomes a major one in the New Testament, promoted by the Son of God himself. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God the Son, revealed the father’s character, power, and plans for humanity (Hebrews 1:1-5). But, Christ taught his disciples the new relationship of God as “Father” in Mathew 5:16. So, it was considered blasphemy by Jewish leaders.

Jesus addressed God as Father 65 times in the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John for 107 times (ref: biblestudytools.com). John 1:12 says that all those who believe in Jesus and accept him had given the authority to become the children of God. What is your relationship with God determines your yardstick for him. God looks for closer proximity with him and lives a glorious life for him.

2. Confusion in the Father’s House(John 2:12-14)

John introduces the chaotic situation of the Temple, and he shows Jesus as a zealous young man moving with courage into the Temple yards with cords of the whip. Jesus had visited the temple with his parents Joseph and Mary, and he had witnessed all these chaotic conditions for many years. But this Passover has brought a new look at the temple. Jesus was so much disturbed seeing the scene in the temple courts. The market has come here, selling of cattle, sheep and doves, and exchange of money. This disrespectful mockery of God's house was unacceptable to Jesus.

Synoptic Gospels put this event at the end of Jesus' Ministry, whereas John records the cleansing at the beginning of the ministry, which, could be correct. The right answer is both incidents have occurred. Jesus could have cleansed at the beginning and the end. It is a human tendency to repeat the mistake. We have seen how people once displaced and cleared by the Government are settling down and re-establish the same.

Festivals have been a source of collection all through the centuries. People everywhere and every time took it as the best time to make money and to increase business and to build their kingdoms. Now he Jesus has come to fulfill Malachi's prophecy about the Messiah, "The Lord whom you see shall suddenly come to his temple," (Malachi 3:1 b RSV), ... "and he will purify the sons of Levi," (Malachi 3:3 b RSV).

It has been always the trend in every religion that the temples and its vicinities have become costlier, and turned into a good and attractive market place. The Realtek, the food industry, the flower industry, the fruit markets, and many other markets quickly flourish in these areas.

The mobility of the people had been misused for the benefit of the temple staff and trustees. Misused resources of God (Matthew 21:12): Christians misuse the God-given resources. How often the available resources of personal, public, Church are misused for the benefit of the few. The mission resources, church resources, and personal resources are either not cared and or misused and abused for the benefit of the sum.

John 2:14 narrates that Jesus found in the Temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money changers. The worshippers had to sacrifice animals without blemish as per the mosaic law. So they had a fear of their animal may be rejected citing blemish if they do not buy from the temple.

Another issue was the normal Roman coins had an image of Caesar, so they could not be used in the ‘holy’ Temple so they had to change the temple money. Added to that Exchange rates were fixed in favor of the Temple-authorities! So there was corruption in high-places (ref: oxfordbiblechurch.com). Every time we need to identify and cleanse the temple of God for the benefit of devotion and blessing of others.

3. Cleansing the Father’s house (John 2:15-17)

“By disrupting the well-established and accepted economic practices of the temple, Jesus publicly reveals he is more than a pilgrim visiting the temple.” Pilgrims usually personally benefit-oriented and non-involved in the system. They have occupied with many other things in their lives. The zeal consumed him refers to the interest he has shown to do greater things for the Lord.

Read Psalm 69:9: “For zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.” This zeal distinguishes him from the majority of temple pilgrims who participated in the temple’s sacred economy. The zeal represents God’s interests in his people, as we read in Numbers 25:11. God says that Phinehas was as zealous as I am for my honor (ref:workingpreacher.org).

Zeal for the name of the Lord, zeal for the house of the Lord, zeal for the ministry of the Lord required of the true follower of Christ. Zeal for the Lord referred to as Cloak in Isaiah 59:17. The Jewish Temple was appointed by God and was still the Father’s House. However it was just symbolic of, and preparation for the true Temple (Dwelling-Place) of God: Redeemed Man. That true Temple was already present in prototype form in the Person of Jesus. His passionate zeal for God’s Temple caused Him to suffer and die for us.

The temple supposed to be a house of Prayer (Matthew 21:13). Pray for the nations, kings, people groups. Pray for the saved and the unsaved. Pray for the needy and rich. Pray for the sick and the weak. Pray for the not reached and outreaches. Pray for the missions and visions of God.

Temple is the place of healing. Place of soothing. People must experience healing physically, mentally, psychologically, and emotionally, etc., the Church has forgotten the healing oil. The ways of the teachings of the Bible. God is the Healer. He heals all the sicknesses. Once again, the Church and missions must take up this great work.

Jesus used the place as the place of Praises. Many children, young and adult started to praise Him. Temple is a place to express and sing wonders of God, Whereas many churches have failed to do so. No real love for the Lord. Worship became a program. Everything becomes a time-bound event. Spirit has controlled, and the soul is depressed.