More than a King

Matthew 21:12-22

Something tragic has happened… we have a worship problem on our hands and it didn’t originate in the temple in our passage before us today.

After God created the heavens and earth to be a cosmic temple to display His glory, He created a garden called Eden where He placed mankind to worship the true God and be those who spread His glory to the ends of the earth. The Book of Ezekiel tells us this was the first temple.

But This garden-temple was desecrated. It was defiled. As the demonic Serpent slithered in, deceived the woman and the man to eat what God had forbidden, sin corrupted all of our hearts. We have had a worship problem ever since—the very thing we were created for has been shattered and is the root of every other problem including the big problem we see in the temple in our text.

As we fast forward from the garden, Matthew is recording Jesus’ final week in Jerusalem and turns our attention to the place of worship for the ancient Jews—The temple.

This is the second time Jesus cleanses the temple. Evidently, since the first cleansing, the money changers have set their tables back up. Jesus once again cleanses the temple, dealing a fatal blow to hypocrisy and idolatry.

Main Point: Good news! King Jesus is also the Prophet and Priest who restores true worship by wrecking our pride and reorienting our faith.

In scripture, Jesus holds three offices, prophet, priest, and , and I believe our text reveals that to us. We will look to him as the restorer of our worship. He restores our worship by…

Being the Prophet We Need Vs 12-13; 18-19

I love that beutiful quote from C.S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian, part of The Chronicles of Narnia. “Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

In this text are two unique and strange actions that we wouldn’t expect from Jesus.

His default disposition was not to daily walk the streets of Israel looking for tables to turn over, and trees to talk to. However, as we keep reading and as we grow in Christ, we do see Jesus revealed more and more to us and Matthew reveals a whole Christ, a Christ that is revealed as both Savior and a just judge.

Our understanding and view of Him get’s wider and bigger the more we grow—so let’s behold Him together.

Exposition: The Prophet in the Temple vs 12

Remember where we are in the book of Matthew. Up to this point, Jesus has been laboring, teaching, performing miracles in Galilee. Now he’s moved on into the regions of Judea and Jerusalem. Matthew recording all of these things to show Jesus as the Son of David, as God with us, Israel’s Messiah, and really, as well soon see, the true Israel of God.

Right before this scene in the temple, Matthew records for us what we call the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He comes lowly, humble, and on a Donkey, symbolizing a peaceful rule that didn’t live up to the jewish expectations of who the messiah would be.

But back up to verse 11 of the chapter right before the temple, what is Jesus called? “This is the prophet…”

Immediately, the narrative picks up, using the word And which normally connects two thoughts together, with this episode of Jesus angrily storming through the temple.

He physically drives out those who sold and bought in the temple. That word “drove” is a very strong word. It’s not as if he just walked into the temple and started firmly telling them to stop, He goes in there, and gets it done. It literally means he uses force to get them out. Jesus is indignant. He’s mad. He’s turning tables upside down and you can probably picture the people gasping, looking with such shock and disgust, you can probably hear the sounds of coins hitting the floor, the bleating of sheep, and pigeons quickly flying away.

What was the main problem? Was Jesus just overreacting? To sum it up, it can be boiled down to two things, two kinds of business were carried out:

First, the exchange of national currencies—There was an exchange happening of money for temple coins that we re used to pay temple tax.

Second, there was the sale of animals for sacrifices to be made. Worshipers could bring their sacrifices, but gentiles who traveled far would conveniently be able to purchase animals at the temple itself.

On the surface, these two things don’t seem bad. The problem was they were abusing these practices. They were excluding the gentiles by selling in their court in the temple, they were raising the prices dramatically on animals for sacrifices and making a huge profit on the exchanges of currencies for the coins they needed.

The poor are being oppressed and ripped off, The nations are being excluded, and the worship of God is being destroyed and profaned. The place of worship became a place of commerce. It’s a mess.

So yah, Jesus makes a scene. His anger is not a sinful one, but a righteous one. Anger that leads to seeking the Justice of God upon sin is a good thing.

His anger is manifested in a classic prophet fashion. This is the connection. He’s called a prophet right before this, then comes in and performs these actions. The prophets of Old would, very seriously and indignantly, raise their voice to pronounce judgement upon Israel and their faulty worship.

Jesus is acting as the true prophet as He pronounces divine judgement upon the temple because of Israel’s hypocritical worship.

Jesus acts as a prophet also by speaking (Read vs 13; 18-19)

He quotes from the prophets of Old—Both Isaiah and Jeremiah. This is Jesus’ contention. The people have turned what is called a house of prayer, into the place where the criminals hang out, counting their cash, while those outside are left with empty hands.

God takes His glory and the worship of His name very seriously.

The Prophet over Creation: But jump down again to verse 18— Jesus is hungry, comes to a fig tree for food, sees it full of leaves but empty of fruit. He once again speaks. He curses fig tree and it immediately withers.

First we saw the prophet in the temple judging the nation of Israel for the commercialization of religion and their vain worship, and now He speaks judgement over the fig tree.

But the symbolism that Matthew is pointing out here is outstanding.

In the Old Testament, particularly throughout the minor prophets, in numerous places, the Nation of Israel is compared to a fig tree.

Jesus here sees no fruit from the fig tree but only leaves. He judges it, symbolizing the hypocritical worship of Israel who only had outward leaves but no lasting fruit.

Application: Here’s what we need to see for us today, church. The King rides into Jerusalem, but he’s more than a king. Matthew unfolds His character to show that he’s not just the promised Davidic King. He’s a prophet who, with His word, judges vain worship.

Jesus sees right through things done in His name that are done for our own pleasure, profit, and convenience. He sees right through the outward religion that is dressed up with leaves of forms and practices, but completely devoid of a love for God and neighbor.

What we see here is a worship of self. Many churches today are plagued with this kind of commercialization. Pastors have become marketers and CEOs, seeking to perform, expand, and protect a brand rather than feed God’s sheep.

Church leaders become board members of an organization rather than those who are to meet genuine human needs even if it’s uncomfortable or messy.

Church members become consumers hoping to hear what will give them motivation and inspiration for their Monday morning. Many come to church, not to encounter the living God but to promote their agenda and hope to see the worship service conform to their preferences. Many ask the question today, “What does the culture like? How do they want to worship?” And yet we forget the main crucial question, “How does God want to be worshiped?”

Convenience and material gain becomes our God. Idolatry can be alive and well even in buildings that have crosses on them.

Jesus has a strong word for hypocrites. It’s a word of judgement. Like the prophet Amos as he gives God’s message, when the people’s hearts were far from God and they neglected the poor and yet had many songs to sing, he rebuked them. He said away with your noisy songs. I won’t even listen.

The prophet has come, and with His authority, He draws us back to the utter holiness and immensity of our God and crushes us with His holy standard. It wrecks our pride when we see who we are in light of God’s holiness and how we have not honored Him the way He deserves and how often, we have outward forms of religion with no actual fruit.

Being the True King We Need Vs 14-17

Now go back up to the 14 (read).

Matthew now presents this juxtaposition. As we’ll see, Jesus’ pronouncement of judgement on the temple and Israel’s paves the way for revealing Himself as the true Israel who restores the Worship of His people.

The sick are healed: See the beautiful contrast. The temple, which was now taking the focus off of God and on to material gain and profit, is embodied by Jesus Christ.

He shows the temple’s true purpose which was the healing of the nations. The place where the atmosphere is one of prayer, one of drawing near to God. Now, in this very temple, people who are sick draw near to Jesus and are healed.

This points us to the King whose rule is one of grace and whose Kingdom is one of healing and cleansing.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us.

The Temple was showcasing “God with us” and now King Jesus as Matthew points out, is now called “God with us.”

So we behold Jesus Christ, the King and fulfillment of Israel’s temple. People have direct access to God Himself in the person of Jesus, though only dimly revealed at this point. But the children’s cry is pretty revealing as well:

Jesus is praised (Read vs 15-16)

The Priests and scribes who, just a moment ago tolerated the belittling of the worship of God, are now upset that people are worshiping Christ as the Son of David.

That title again the Son of David, points to the Messiah King that Israel longed for. The true fulfillment of all of God’s promises including the one where David will not lack a person to occupy his throne.

Christ is the true Davidic King. This points to the faithfulness of God to give us a better David who will bring His people under His glorious reign.

So while we have this allusion to Jesus’ kingship again, we have the focus of true worship being taken away from outward forms like the temple and oriented toward a Person. He commends the little children as he quotes here from Psalm 8:2. They got it right. Praise is rightly directed to the glorious King deserving of all praise.

This moment anticipates the broader New Testament teaching that Jesus fulfills what the temple represented. We need not wait for another Temple in the future, but rather look in the past to the Lord Jesus who became for us the place where the presence of God is truly known.

The coming of Christ did away with a need for a temple— Illustration: I heard it put like when you have a menu at a mexican restaurant. Once the burrito comes, you have no need for the picture in the menu.

This has been Matthew’s point and as he points to the very spine of the story of redemption—Jesus Christ the new and true Israel now redeems a church for Himself. Because we are in union with our King, we are now a temple on earth, a new spiritual Israel which mediates God's rule to all nations.

Which leads to the next point here as we jump down to vs 20 and pick up the episode of the fig tree.

Being the True Priest We Need Vs 20-22

(Read vs 20) so remember, the disciples witnessed something very strange—Jesus speaks to a fig tree and it withers. The disciples are amazed and ask, not “why” he did this, but “how” this happened. Jesus doesn’t even answer their question. One commentator points out that Jesus answers the question they should’ve asked.

Again, this is to point us to the judgement Jesus pronounces on Israel, God’s fig tree. Israel is fruitless but has many leaves.

Their worship appears impressive but the object of their worship is simply their own righteousness and the approval of others.

This is really what happened because of the curse of sin. We who were created to have our hearts, our loves and affection directed toward the One who is man’s highest good, namely the true and living God, we are now bent inward on ourselves. Our default is to redirect our worship to people, things, and really our own righteosness. We desire the praise of others.

When we make ourselves and other’s approval the object of our worship, we belittle the glory of the One who made us for Himself. We draw the attention of others away from the all sufficient glorious God who alone can satisfy the longing soul. Secondarily, we fall into either pride or despair. Our souls are left hungering and thirsting but never being satisfied because that’s what idols do. They promise much but can never deliver.

But lets see what Jesus does here after the disciples ask their question.

Turns it to Prayer: (Read Vs 21-22)

Jesus reorients their faith here. He tells them that if they have faith, and do not doubt, they will do far more than he did—like casting a mountain into the sea.

What’s he telling them to place their faith IN? Themselves? A kind of magical power that they can wield to make trees wither and mountains move?

The rest of Scripture points out that faith or a confident trust is only as good as the object in which it is placed.

If I put my confidence in and put all my weight on a frozen lake with only thin ice, I won’t be held up. Who cares if someone has sincere faith if their faith is resting upon something faulty?

So true Faith is a assurance of and trust in God’s promises alone. Though we can’t see God, we trust Him knowing who he has revealed himself to be. As Hebrews 11:1 makes clear, the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.

This makes sense just by looking at the context of the chapter. Jesus has been pointing to Himself as the true object of worship, the one who holds true prophetic power by His very word. Now it only makes sense that when you look at Jesus’ word about Faith that He would be pointing out that the object of their faith should be him and him alone.

He’s restoring true worship in this moment by reorienting their faith. King Jesus is also the Prophet and Priest who restores true worship by wrecking our pride and reorienting our faith. He’s essentially telling His disciples that if they trust not in outward forms of religion but trust in Him, they’ll have enabling to do works that glorify Him and bear true fruit unlike Israel and their dead practices.

The mountain here can be referring, not to a generic mountain, but to a specific mountain.

One commentator suggested that the two mountains in view when Jesus said this was the mount of olives and the temple mount. If Jesus referred to the temple mount, then we see where He’s going. If the disciples reorient their faith to Christ Himself, then they can move the mountain of empty religion that produces nothing but pride.

But then in vs 22 we see Jesus not only revealed as King, not only as prophet, but here we see Him as priest, the true meeting place between God and man. First, He talks about how when our faith is firmly in God, we ask of Him anything in prayer and we receive it.

Now this shouldn’t be abused. Jesus isn’t suggesting God is the vending machine where you insert your coins of prayer and then you get what you really want, the key clause is “If you have faith.”

Other places in scripture remind us that if we ask anything in alignment with God’s will, then we have it, if we don’t doubt.

James says it like this:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways

When we are united by faith to Jesus, we inevitably ask things that are in accordance with God’s will. Our asking has in view Christ as our mediator. It’s then that we see God effectively use our prayers.

But what does this all imply? Why does this showcase Christ as our priest?

The only way we can pray, the only way God hears us is if we come through the mediator, Jesus Christ. He is our great high priest. Priests in the Old Testament would act on behalf of the people and represent the people before God.

Jesus’ priestly ministry on earth culminated in the cross. The earthly priests would go beyond the veil to pour out the blood of an animal to atone for the sins of God’s people. This is because all men are broken because of sin. We’ve chosen our own sinful way and are by nature children of wrath.

The chasm is far too wide.

But God who is rich in mercy, knowing that the blood of animals cannot truly atone for real sin, became incarnate for us. He became the true priest that the priests of old were pointing towards. He, in His love, took the death we deserved after living the sinless and righteous life that we were required to live. The same God who required a penalty for my sin, became the payment for my sin.

This is Christ as priest. Instead of pouring out the blood of an animal, He willingly sacrificed His own life because of MY idolatry. Because I profaned the worship of God.

to the garden temple,Look at how Jesus fulfills it all.

Unlike Adam, Christ perfectly cleansed His temple, not just by renewing the earthly one, but by forming a new people who have true eternal life which consists of knowing and worshiping him.

Adam failed in his priestly role to mediate the presence of God to the ends of the earth and do away with the serpent, but Jesus was the true priest who sacrificed Himself and undid the deception of the devil by rising again and crushing His head once and for all.

It’s only because of this that our prayers are heard.

Now you, by the power of the Spirit dwelling in you, can actually go to the Father in prayer as an act of worship.

You have access to worship Him. Your worship is not acceptable to God because of how well you perform, how much you give, or how loud you sing, but because of the finished work of Jesus.

Take note of this, what did he rebuke the people for in the temple? Of holding God’s house as a house of prayer. Here at the of our text, isn’t it amazing that he draws us back to the place of prayer?

When we gather week in and week out, come in here knowing that your prophet, priest, and King has made the way and is the only way for you to have access to God. You can come and respond with a pure heart and not with mere dead religion. Aren’t you glad that Jesus loves hypocrites like you and like me?

We were created to worship God—this is our highest good. Sin redirected our hearts, making true worship impossible. The gospel and the gospel alone, moves us away from hypocrisy and restores true worship once again.

Conclusion

What did we see today? There is Good news! Our King Jesus is also the Prophet and Priest who restores what was lost by wrecking our pride and reorienting our faith.

He restores our worship by being the prophet we need, the true king we need, and the priest that we need. He could’ve just condemned us just like the temple, or made us wither like the fig tree, He could’ve given us a program to modify our behavior, but instead he gave us Himself and granted us a new heart. This is the soil from which everything else flows.

Church if your worship has been all a show, and had all the leaves of religion without the heart and the fruit, look to your prophet, priest, and King.

As King, reveals Himself to you as all-glorious and full of majestic beauty and holiness. Through His blood He subdues your sin and brings you into a Kingdom that is characterized by new life. As prophet, when you’ve gone astray and worshiped other things, even this week, run to His authoritative Word which wrecks your pride and reminds you of who He is.

And as priest, He has poured out His blood in your place, provided you His perfect righteousness, and on account of His finished work on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, He has reoriented your faith, restoring true worship.

The worship of God was shattered. That which were created for was tainted, but Jesus has restored what was lost.