Jesus Clears The Way

Text: John 2:12-25

Introduction

Q — Does anyone here hate it when things get in the way of progress?

Illustration — I think about the most recent storm damage that has occured in our county and joining counties. Properties that were once clear of debris are now covered in it. There is no workable ground for progress. What is the solution? CLEAR IT OUT!

Jesus was acting like in the role of a king when clearing out the Temple. In that day, only a king held the exclusive right to cleanse and reestablish the temple. That being said, this is probably what put into motion the desire of the religious leaders to have Him crucified.

Jesus flexes His divine zeal for both Jew and Gentiles to come to Him and become true believers, followers, and worshippers. When Jesus arrived, man had once again used the things that were meant for worship for wordly gain. Instead of God being the One worshiped, man had replaced Him with sensual wealth and pleasure. Man had become the God of the Temple. This discovery brings to light the zeal of our Savior.

What you are going to learn about Jesus is this: He has a great zeal against irreverence behavior in His house, His words rest on human hearts long after receiving them, and Jesus knows the true state of your heart.

1) Jesus’ Zeal For His House

A. The greedy pursuit found in the hearts of religious leaders

The following are quotes from (Mark E. Moore, “The Chronological Life Of Christ”)

As Jesus walked into the temple, it looked and smelled like a hybrid stockyard/circus. There would be blood spattered about the altar, oxen and sheep lowing, birds cooing, squawking, and flitting about when they were manhandled.

The people were cosmopolitan (as well as neapolitan), from all over the Roman world. They brought with them vacation money in a desire to make a sacrifice to their God. For the wealthy pious, this was an annual affair. For the poorer class it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. How disappointing for them this scene must have been.

The whole spectacle came to be known as the “Bazaar of Annas.” He was the Jewish high priest. His power was only exceeded by his avarice and greed. He was revered and feared. He had set up quite a profitable venture for himself in the courts of the sacred temple. It worked something like this (cf. Edersheim, I:369):

If a worshiper brought in an animal to be sacrificed, the officiating priest [mumcheh] would undoubtedly find something wrong with it and offer to buy it off him at a devalued price.

The animal would then be taken back to the pens of the priests, blessed and sold to another worshiper for an inflated price. The original worshiper then had to purchase a “kosher” animal at an exorbitant price, sometimes four or five times its actual value.

When he pulled his money out of his pocket, if it was not Palestinian coinage, he would have to visit the money changer to get the proper currency. When he did, he was charged a fifteen to twenty percent fee for the exchange. It was quite a scam.

In addition to the sacrifices, every Jew was required to submit a half-shekel temple tax annually (Exod 30:13; Mt 17:24). Jews from other areas (e.g., Persia, Tyre, Syria, Egypt, Greece, and Rome), who used different coinage, would also have to pay the exchange fee.

Hamilton observes that the temple in Jerusalem, like the pagan religious temples of the day, served as the central bank of the area (cf. 2 Macc. 3:6–15).There were a lot of financial moguls running around taking advantage these pious pilgrims.

All this made the visitors bitter. But they had no other choice if they wanted to fulfill their pious inclinations.

To make matters worse there were no set fees for the animals. It was all up for grabs. Thus there was constant and heated haggling going on over prices. Faces were red, fists were clenched, and voices were raised … all for the worship of God.

B. The passionate pursuit of Jesus for reverential worship toward God

Where else do you find Jesus more energized in his response to the actions of religious men?

Where else to you find Jesus operating with such righteous indignation?

a) This pursuit of God toward His church continues to the final revelation

John the Apostle writes at a later time to seven different churches in Asia Minor.

They were: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

Ephesus — forsaken her first love

Smyrna — remain faithful through persecution

Pergamum — tolerated cults and immorality

Thyatira — tolerated cults and immorality

Sardis — dead

Philadelphia — keep my word

Laodicea — indifferent, relied on riches, wretched

b) The word temple transitions to meaning “your body” in the New Testament

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 “16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

“defile” = to mess up v. — to make a mess of or create disorder in; perhaps with the idea of ruining or making useless by its disorder.

This shouldn’t only been seen as someone who has hiding sin in their heart.

This could easily be someone who has filled their life so full of lesser things that they become inwardly disordered and therefore useless.

C. What category do you find yourself in?

You might say, “I have never and will never act like they did in the Lord’s house!”

LISTEN...you sneak more into this place to worship than you would like to admit!

Q — Have you ever brought your job, business affairs, money, cattle, or any other worldly affair into this place of worship?

In other words, “Have you every came in with a wondering heart on others things other than be fully captivated by the splendor of God?”

Allowing your heart to wonder away from the focus of worship brings you to be no less guilty than they were!

Proverbs 5:14 “14 I was almost in all evil In the midst of the congregation and assembly.”

2) Jesus’ Zeal For Declaring His Authority

A. (v18) The religious leaders ask Him to prove His authority

This was something they should have done being the religious leaders of God’s people.

It always comes down to that question, “By what authority do you speak from?”

This is a something atheists have to skirt around in order to keep their position.

Here is some advice that will help you when seek out truth; STAY OBJECTIVE!

B. Jesus speaks from the authority of His bodily death and resurrection

What greater authority could one speak from than being the Divine One who resurrects from the dead?

Remember, who is resurrecting from the dead?

John 1:1–3 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Everyone else on planet earth that has died has remained dead.

Any other religion or philosophy has come from dead men!

C. Jesus came with authority as the REAL TEMPLE

What made this claim so radical, is that the Jews understood the Temple to be the place where sins were forgiven.

The Temple as been described as the extension of the Garden of Eden.

Jesus, in one short phrase replaces the Temple with Himself. He was claiming to be the Temple of God in living, breathing, walking, and talking form.

Jesus was truly the embodiment of what the Temple meant.

Jesus was joining together the dwelling of God and the dwelling of humans.

John 1:14 “14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

“dwelt among us” = Tabernacled among us

Colossians 2:9 “9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

The Temple afforded forgiveness of sins through the sacrifices that were offered. Jesus came as the real Temple and the real Sacrifice to offer forgiveness of sins.

We then learn how Jesus build another temple not made with hands; HIS CHURCH (the believers).

Mark 14:58 “58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.”

We are described as the “living stones.”

We are the building blocks of God’s dwelling.

3) Jesus’ Zeal Toward Human Hearts

A. Jesus came to lead humanity out of unbelief

a) They believed His works, but not His words

Quote: “People who want His works but not His Word can never share His life. (Warren W. Wiersbe)

John 5:36–38 “36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.”

Romans 10:17 “17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Conclusion

The first two events where Jesus revealed His glory was at a marriage supper and cleansing the temple. Purifying the whole church and holding a marriage supper will be among His first acts when He comes again.

Will you be one of the reasons why the church needs purified AND will you be at the greatest marriage supper in the universe?

Jesus is constantly clearing the way for you to hear His words and place your faith in Him!