Cleansing the Temple

Matthew 21:12–17 NKJV

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

INTRO:

AG:

TS: We are beginning a study where we will look through Holy Week. It began with the Triumphant Entry on Sunday. Today, we will begin the serries by considering a big even from Monday. Lord willing, in the coming weeks as we approach Easter Sunday, we will examine other days in Holy Week.

Today, we look at Mt 21:12-17. The scene is at the Temple. Jesus enters the court of the Gentiles and cleanses it.

RS:

I. Cleansing the Temple

Matthew 21:12–13 NKJV

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

EX: Jesus cleansed the temple by removing the money tables and rebuking the money changes.

A. Jesus Removes the Money Tables

in v 12 we see Jesus driving out those who were making a market out of the Temple

This was the 2nd time we see Jesus doing this. Jn 2:14-16 describes a similar incident at the beginning of his ministry.

Remember:

1) You had to have priestly approval for a sacrificial animal

Priest would only approve their own stock

This was a racket!

You couldn’t bring the best from your field, the priest would always find some blemish or flaw.

2) you could only buy sacrificial animals with ‘approve’ currency

money changers made a profit off the exchange

They had a con going to oppress people.

They were desecrating the Temple which was supposed to be holy and dedicated to the worship of GOD.

Instead of quiet prayer and contemplation, they had created a rowdy and corrupt marketplace

B. Jesus Rebukes the Money Changes

Jesus addresses all those assembled.

Reminding them of the Temple’s purpose

It was to be a house of prayer

Quote from 2 prophets:

Isaiah 56:7 NKJV

Even them 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 nations.”

Jeremiah 7:11 NKJV

Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.

ii. Rebuked their violation

They made it a den of thieves

They were so corrupt that it was robbery!

Instead of a place of worship, it was a den of thieves.

AP: This church is set aside for a special purpose as well

I’m not talking about this building.

That is merely the setting in which we gather

I’m talking about the church

The gathered believers.

When we assemble: THAT is the church

Ekklēsia = church

Definition Any public assembly or gathering of people in a political, religious, or informal sense

IL: We exist for the glory of God

It is absolutely essential that a church perceive itself as an institution established for the glory of God. I fear that the church in America has descended from that lofty purpose and focused instead on humanity.

John F. MacArthur

Our purpose in being together here is God’s glory, not our own!

We worship an Awesome God!

We praise and proclaim our risen and returning King!

II. Cleansing the People

Matthew 21:14 NKJV

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

EX: After cleansing the temple, He cleansed the people!

Jesus healed while in the Temple

He cared for the hurting and poor

As God, He directly met their pressing physical needs: sight, to walk, to hear, etc.

AP: Jesus cleanses us

He saves us, and in doing so He washes away the stain and consequences of our sin

He recreates us in His image and works to transform us from that moment until our final breath on Earth.

We are saved and kept saved by God’s grace . NOTHING we can do can ever earn it and NOTHING can ever make God take it away:

John 6:39 NKJV

This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

HOWEVER:

That doesn’t mean we should indulge our flesh and live a lust filled life of debauchery!

He has called us to be salt and light in the world

As HE said that, our Lord summed up the purpose of our good lives:

Matthew 5:16 NKJV

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Our lives are what people see of Jesus

When they see us today, do their thoughts turn to Christ?

Is there a marked difference in how we live compared to those who haven’t repented of their sins?

John Calvin said it this way

We are not cleansed by Christ so that we can immerse ourselves continually in fresh dirt, but in order that our purity may serve the glory of God.

John Calvin

Living righteously, glorifies GOD and draws the lost to Him.

III. Confronting the Hypocrites

Matthew 21:15–17 NKJV

But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

A. The Praise

The Passover crowd undoubtedly included many 12 year old boys who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate their first Passover

These children saw what Jesus had done and recognized their Messiah!

They cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David”

Hosanna

Hosanna” originally meant God save us but by the first century was probably just a cry of praise to Yahweh.

Craig Blomberg

B. The Protest

The chief men of the nation were envious of Jesus’ popularity.

They perceived this as an attack which threatened the the sacrificial worship center of Judaism himself.

They had created a false man-made religion as a substitute for God’s faith He delivered through Moses.

Their anger was a reaction to their assumptions being challenged.

They should have been welcoming Messiah Jesus just as the young ones did.

C. The Prophecy

he quotes Ps 8:2

Psalm 8:2 NKJV

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

AP: We see ourselves in one of the two groups here:

Chief Priests

Worry about being on the outside

Envious of what others have or what God is doing through other people/churches

Children

Recognize God’s work and rejoice!

Cry out His praise and our prayer of Repentance

Lord Save!

CONC:

God is at work in the world around us.

What will our reaction be?