The Zeal of The Lord (John 2:12-25)

I do not have that ability. Lord I'm helpless without your spirit speaking through me. To change all of our hearts. That is what we desire today to be changed by your spirit through the power of your word.

Changed into the likeness of your son through the preaching of your word.

So I ask that you would speak through me. Draws closer to you and closer to each other. In Jesus name amen.

My niece is two and a half years old. She's adorable. And her wild curls are almost as strong-willed as she is.

Her favorite color is orange. And just last weekend. She was at our house playing with some colored foam blocks. And she found all of the orange blocks and she put them in a pile in front of her. Like a good uncle I decided to mess with her a little bit.

I took a Blue Block at put it right on top of her pile of orange blocks. And she looked at me like I had done the unthinkable. How dare you put a Blue Block on my orange blocks is the I had messed up her little orange Sanctuary. I painted it with the wrong color.

So she took that Blue Block. And she threw it across the room. Not remember their phone block. So no one got her. Nothing got destroyed. And as soon as she threw it I took another Blue Block. I put it right where that other one was. And she gave me that same look, how dare you.

And she took that block and she threw that block 2. List kept up until all the blue blocks were gone. Then we went on to play with something else, but my niece had created something that she wanted to keep pure.

And she took action to make sure it stayed pure. And she has the authority to do it because she made her little orange pile.

She was zealous. For her pile of blocks to remain purely Orange.

Now just like my niece show does zeal for the purity of her pile of orange blocks. Jesus shows a Zeal for the purity of worship in our passage today. John 2:12 through 25 because worship of God tends to be replaced with other things. Jesus zealously pursues proper Worship in our hearts just like he did in the temple.

Inner passage, we're going to see three aspects of Jesus's zealous pursuit of proper worship.

Let's read John to 12225. And then I want to highlight Jesus's cleansing Zeal his authoritative Zeal and his omniscient zeal. John 2:12 through 25

after this he went down to capernium with his mother and his brothers and his disciples and they stayed there for 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 overturns their tables and he told those who sold the pigeons take these things away. Do not make my father's house 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 in Jesus answered them destroy this Temple. And in three days, I will raise it up. The Jews then said it is 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 he needed no one to Bear witness about men for he himself knew what was in man.

The first we see Jesus is cleansing Zeal in verses 12 through 17. We start out with a transition through capernium inverse 12 Jesus in his family and his disciples all had from the wedding in Cana. Down to capernium now bear in mind that Jesus's disciples. They'd only been following him for maybe a little over a week at this point.

Jesus had probably move to capernium after growing up in Nazareth. This is where he had his base of operations for his Galilee and Ministry. And just a directional side note. The culture at that time use the words up and down a little differently than we do. We typically use up-and-down directionally to indicate North and South but they used up and down to refer to Elevation. So capernium was down by the edge of the Sea of Galilee compared to the slightly higher elevation of Cana and Jesus went up in elevation to Jerusalem to spend the pass over there in verse 13. Now Jesus's parents went to Jerusalem for every Passover. We know that from Luke 2:41. It says now his Jesus's parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

There was a reasonable assumption that they brought Jesus with them. And the Jesus also continued the tradition into adulthood going to Jerusalem for every Passover. but this time

this time Jesus found something at the temple. That had not happened at any of the previous passover's. This time there was a terrible misuse of the Temple.

Verse 14 the court of the Gentiles was overrun with vendors and animals and money changers. Now all these are legitimate services for Passover people coming from a long distance would need to purchase an animal for sacrifice because it would be almost impossible for them to bring one with him on such a long journey.

They're also levitical law is dictating the proper coinage to pay the temple tax. So money changers were also necessary.

The problem was that these legitimate services or being done in the wrong place. They effectively excluded a large group of people from worshipping in the temple. I mean, can you imagine coming to church today to worship and the only place you could come to worship was out in the foyer? But there was an active animal auction going on out there at the same time is the church service.

I mean, what what do you probably going to do? I probably go home or go find another church.

But those who were restricted to only Worship in the court of the Gentiles. They were stuck. There's nothing they could do.

Do Jesus has a cleansing response in verse 15, Jesus removes these legitimate services from their illegitimate place? He makes a whip out of the cords that were laying all over the ground from leading the animals around then he drives them all out of the temple and dumps the coins on the ground and overturns the tables. Do you think Jesus was angry?

It sure looks like he was angry.

Actually, though. There's nothing in these verses that actually indicates that Jesus has acted in anger.

We Infuse this passage with that idea. Because these are actions we would expect from someone who is angry.

We read that Jesus made a whip and we assume that he struck both man and Beast violently with it. We read the Jesus poured out the coins and overturn the tables and we assume that the coins went flying.

And if the tables were thrown and splintered in the Wrath of the son of God.

But these are assumptions.

not the words of scripture Yes, Jesus was forceful, but he wasn't necessarily violent. In fact the animals that Jesus drove out they were herd animals. A whip with a perfectly reasonable and effective tool for the removal of the animals. And they would have stayed together after being herded. How did the temple grounds so their owners would not have lost any of their livestock? and the coins the coins were only poured out not scattered. Anniversary 16 Jesus tells the pigeon vendors to take the birds away. Instead of letting them loose to fly away. You see Jesus did not cause chaos.

He brought order.

And he did not cause a loss of property only a relocation. Might seem amazing that one man was able to clear out the giant area of the court of the Gentiles. But it makes a little more sense if you realize that these vendors. Probably felt out of place because they had never before been allowed to do business in the temple grounds. They already felt like they were trespassing.

So they quickly fled at the first authoritative opposition to their presents. But why did Jesus do this? What was it about this situation that caused him to take such Extreme Action?

Will we see the reason for Jesus's actions in verse 3:16 tells the pigeon vendors to take the pigeons away. He explains the main problem that compelled him. He says do not make my father's house a house of trade. And they have done that very thing. They had turned God's house the temple into a Marketplace. Rather than a place of worship.

Then John record that the disciples remember a prophecy and 417 John identified a further reason for Jesus's response to his disciples remembered Psalm 69 verse 9 which we read earlier in the service. Zeal for your house will consume me. This is how John quotes that verse. Now there are some slight differences you may have noticed. Between John quotation of Psalm 69 9 and the words that we find directly in that verse because John was using the Greek translation of the Hebrew scripture. But it's essentially essentially says the same thing. Jesus was zealous for the house of the Lord just like David was

that's why he responded like this when the house of the Lord was illegitimately repurposed. but jealous zealous does not mean angry.

Jealous means eager or enthusiastic or sometimes it can mean jealous. David was so enthusiastic for the Lord's House that he suffered loss and antagonism in many other areas of life. That's what song 69 is about.

Just like David. Jesus was also enthusiastic for the Lord's house so that people could worship the Lord.

Jesus was so enthusiastic that he would later suffer death on the cross. So that true worshippers could worship in spirit and Truth in their heart.

I don't think it's too much of a leap to see our hearts as little temples that also need to be cleansed.

Jesus is zealous. for your heart

just like he was Ellis for the Lord's House.

What legitimate things? in your life might be taking an illegitimate place in your heart.

What might be replacing worship of the Lord rather than properly serving that end?

Your job or your family?

entertainment for school

money or politics

How about causes? causes like abortion lgbtq poverty crime rate animal cruelty or environmentalism

or maybe a little closer to home. How about Ministries? Bible studies children's programs setting up and tearing down for the worship service. Helping to lead music for the worship service. or even preaching

all of these things have the potential to replace true worship of God in our hearts.

Some of that might just need to go but most just need to have the proper place.

They all have the potential to replace worship, but really there all occasions for worship.

Because all of life ought to be worship. Too often though. We don't worship God in these aspects of life because they have replaced it. Jesus is eager enthusiastic zealous. To cleanse your heart and make it fit for worship if you let him.

Ask him to identify anything that needs to change. And the Holy Spirit will let you know.

And all you have to do is obey.

Jesus pursued proper worship Through his cleansing zeal. But the Jews the religious leaders. They didn't like it when their Authority was challenged. That's what Jesus had done so they can front Jesus and demand that he proved his authority to do these things. So second. We see Jesus has we see Jesus pursuing proper worship through his authoritative Zeal in verses 18 through 22.

Says so the Jews said to him what sign do you show us for doing these things? And Jesus answered them destroy this Temple. And in three days, I will raise it up. The Jews then said his taken 46 years to build this Temple. 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 is disciples remembered that he had said this and they believe the scripture in the word that Jesus had spoken. Do the Jews demand a sign? to authorize Jesus's actions

It might be just me but I feel like these Jews are always looking for signs.

and Jesus He did a lot of signs.

But these dudes these religious leaders, they ignored or explained away most. If not, all of Jesus's Signs Now the signs that we're talking about these signs are proof of divine Authority. Kind of like the Miracles in the Old Testament that would accompany God's prophets to prove that they were speaking on God's behalf. The Assumption here. Is that the only one who had the authority to challenge the religious leaders? will be God himself

so they demand assigned to prove his Divine Authority assuming that this Jesus guy would just crumble under their scrutiny. But Jesus doesn't crumble because he really does have that Authority.

Jesus proved his authority. By figuratively referring to his future Resurrection in verse 19. He says destroy this Temple and in three days, I will raise it up.

This is a startling claim. And one that has an authoritative challenge in it. When Jesus says destroy this Temple. He says it is a command.

a challenge almost a dare At first glance Jesus challenges these religious leaders to destroy something very dear to them. So that he could prove his authority by restoring it to them in a very short amount of time. That's exactly how they took this claim because the Jews think he's speaking literally. in verse 20 I Think Jesus is saying destroy this temple building that were standing in. It's taken so many years to build and I will build it back in only three days. Not even a literal Mystic understanding of Jesus's statement would be a miraculous claim.

The after Solomon's magnificent Temple was destroyed by Babylon. The Jews were eventually after many years allowed to return to rebuild it under the supervision of a guy named zerubbabel. And that Temple took about 20 years to build. But it was small not nearly as glorious as Solomon's Temple. Then when Herod the Great was in charge, he started a temple renovation project.

That have been going on for 46 years. And it still wasn't even finished. And now Jesus appears to be claiming that if they were to destroy all that hard work.

He would rebuild it in only three days.

But we know that that's not what Jesus was actually talking about. Because John gives us the answer to Jesus's figurative language in verse 21. Jesus was talking about his body. Not the temple building. Now it's significant that Jesus uses a different word for temple here. Then John had used in The Narrative up to this point the previous where the John had used refers broadly to the temple grounds. Including the court of the Gentiles where this incident took place.

The word Jesus use refers specifically very specifically to the place where God's presence resides. God's presence resides in Jesus's body because he is God.

Jesus effectively challenges destroy my body God's body. And in three days, I will prove my deity by rising from the dead. They were looking for a miraculous sign to prove that Jesus had more Authority than them. And Jesus gave them a challenge that they thought. What kind of silly? Rapid Temple construction had never been used before to authenticate a profit. But Jesus is real claim was even more divinely authenticating than they even knew. His real claim was that he had authority over death?

John explains that the disciples remembered Jesus is prophetic words. Verse 22 says 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.

Turn with me briefly over to act 2. 22 through 24 so we can see how Peter remembered and believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Acts 2 22 through 24

And this is after the Holy Spirit has been poured out on them at PennDOT Pentecost. And Peter says starting at verse 22. About 22. He says men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man attested to you by God with Mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst as you yourselves know this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of Lawless men. God raised him up losing the pangs of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Peter Remembered Jesus's words and believed. He remembered that Jesus. Performed many signs to prove his deity. He remembered Jesus's words that Sovereign Lee declared God's plan to destroy his body on the cross through the actions those Jews were responsible for. And he remembered Jesus is claimed that he could not be held by death because he has Authority even over death.

Jesus has the highest Authority. There is no higher authority because he is God. He created everything. He created you.

He has the authority to cleanse the temple. And he has the authority to cleanse your heart. Oh, you can certainly resist him. like the religious leaders did but your resistance cannot stop God's Sovereign plan. It only swaps. Joyful participation for prideful contention that will result in either judgement or discipline.

Jesus pursued proper worship and his cleansing Zeal and then he showed that he has the authority for that cleansing Zeal because he is God proved by his resurrection. Jesus has Zeal for your heart drove him to die on the cross on your behalf.

And then rise from the dead three days later proven that he has the authority to cleanse the Temple of your heart and return it to its intended use. worship

We saw Jesus has cleansing Zeal and his authoritative deal. Now for the third aspect of Jesus's pursuit of proper worship. Let's look at his omniscient Zeal verses 23 through 25. 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 he needed no one to Bear witness about men for he himself knew what was in man.

people believed in Jesus because of the signs he was doing

we don't get to know what those signs were. Unfortunately. My this is what John was referring to when he says later and chapter 20 verses 30 and 31. He says now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name. Is it John was particular? About which of Jesus's signs he included in his book so that we the readers. Would believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and by believing have life in his name. Many people did just that when they saw the signs that he was doing in Jerusalem that Passover.

I believed.

And a chapter 3 will see. Next time I preach exactly how belief in Jesus results in new life. But Jesus didn't divulge that information to the public.

Jesus kept his true purpose hidden It says in verse 24, but he did not entrust himself to the people who believed in him. Because he knew all people.

And then John comments on Jesus is omniscience and verse 25. He says that he knows what's in everyone's heart.

This is one of the most amazing Parts about the gospel. in my humble opinion Jesus went to the Cross fully knowing the sinful rebellion and all of our hearts. And Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful and desperately sick who can know it. Jesus knows it

instead of casting aside or treating us as enemies. He died for us.

Gave us the best gift in the entire world. himself so that we could live with him forever.

A Jesus knows what's in your heart. And he's jealous that it be devoted to worshipping God. Not worshiping yourself or the things in the world.

Now if you haven't already come to Jesus that I beg you to come to him now. Come to him and he will cleanse your heart. You don't have to clean yourself up first.

In fact, you can't really do that without him.

All you have to do is believe that he is the Christ and submit to his authority to cleanse your heart.

He knows your heart.

He loves you anyway.

I think of the song his Mercy is more. What love could remember no wrongs we have done. omniscient all-knowing he counts not there some. Thrown into a sea without bottom or Shore our sins. They are many.

His Mercy is more.

He fully knows the sinfulness in our hearts, but he offers us forgiveness and mercy instead of the just penalty we deserve because he loves us and he already paid the penalty for us.

Jesus is Dallas for proper Worship in our hearts, just like he was zealous for proper Worship in the temple. Is eager to cleanse your hearts and put worship back and its primary place? In your heart and he has the authority to do this because he made you. He's the one who satisfied the righteous requirements for your sin by dying in your place on the cross. And then rising from the dead proving he has Authority even over death.

And Jesus knows what's in your heart. I mean, that's why he went to the cross in the first place. to save you from sin and death because you loves you.

Bother you spoken to us today. Clearly shown us. the authority Jesus has to cleanse our hearts of anything that would replace or tarnish our worship of you.

I pray that you would expose those things in our lives and give us strength. to put them in their proper place

It's not easy to reorient our lives like this. So I pray that you would give us Supernatural Grace to make the necessary changes as you reveal them to us.

My father is a comfort to know that you haven't abandoned us in our sin.

We would expect you to turn your wrath on us because of our Rebellion against you. But in your mercy and kindness you turned your wrath on your son instead of us.

And you give us your loving discipline and stead as children adopted into your family.

You are zealous for proper worship. Help us to be zealous for that as well. Help us to know how important.

How important proper worship is. Because father we're going to be doing that. We're shipping you for all of eternity.

give us hope now as we look to the table as we remember Jesus's sacrifice as we look forward to his return in glory.