When Jesus Cleans House

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When Jesus Cleans House

John 2:13-25

Memory Verse: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

We’ve been working on this verse for the past few weeks. We are to SEEK (zētéō )—to invistigate the Kingdom of God. (GREEK PRESENT IMPERATIVE)—We do that continually, habitually…

The Kingdom of God is God’s rule and authority. Citizens of God’s Kingdom live their lives in such a way that their lives are submitted to the King in every way. When we do this, we expand His influence, right here, right now on earth.

When we become a believer, we enter the Kingdom of God. We align with His rule and reign.

And the verse continues… Seek also HIS righteousness…

His righteousness. Righteousness—that means the things that God divenly approves. 

We’re going to get a GREAT look at the King’s heart today. We’re going to see something that God divenly approves of.

On the flip side of that—we’re going to see something  God divenly dissaproves.

Let’s turn to John 2:13-25. 

READ THE TEXT: John 2:13-25 (NIV)

TRANSITION

PRAYER

Well now…. We just got a totally different picture of Jesus. Last week we pictured Him laughing, celebrating. He was happy. Last week’s sermon was full of joy—Jesus’ first miracle—the Wedding at Cana.

This week—Jesus isn’t so happy. We see a different side of Him—a righteous anger—if you will. 

Before we get too far—it’s important to note that there is something that seems off. The placement of the story seems odd. Just a few verses before Jesus was performing His first miracle. And now—few verses later, He cleanses the Temple. 

You may be scratching your head this morning thinking—“Didn’t Jesus do that at the very end of His ministry?” Like—the last week of His life?

That’s a great observation. You’re paying attenting. I wish I had a good answer for ya. I read a commentary this week. Someone asked that same question and the commentator said, “Maybe because he wanted to.” Ha.. 

It is true that the synoptic Gospels put this story at the end of Jesus’ ministry. 

Some scholars say there were two different temple cleansings. 

Here’s the thing—John isn’t confused about the timing. John had a goal in mind when writing His book. John 20:31 says, “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.” 

Maybe John isn’t worried so much about a timeline- maybe he’s setting forth a theological theme. 

Either way— the point is still the same. It’s important that we focus on THAT. The point is…Jesus confronts empty religion, and He restores God’s house to God’s purposes.  That’s what happens when Jesus cleans house!

So—let’s dive in…

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

Picture the scene—it’s crowded. Going to Jerusalem for the Passover is like going to the “Big Apple.” The temple courts filled with noise. People, animals—and yeah—some hucksters cashing in on the situation. It’s busy, it’s loud. 

I don’t believe Jesus had a problem with people selling animals. Let’s remember, people were traveling from all over—great distances to get there. Selling animals for the sacrifices was actually needed. 

So what was the problem? The people who used to buy and sell outside the Temple have now moved inside the Courtyard. The sales were taking place in the outermost court of the temple—This was the court of the Gentiles. Now there is this overcrowded, noisy crowd in an area where some people are trying to worship.

The non-Jews who came to worship Israel’s God were being kept from doing so. What was intended for worship was turned into human agenda. 

Remember- PROPER Worship is a big deal to God. It always has been. You can go back to Isaiah 1 and get a glimpse of God’s anger regarding improper worship.

From other passages and historical accounts, the merchants here were also lining their pockets. They were price gouging or even disapproving the animals that people did bring. They would “find” blemishes or flaws—of course—all so they could sell a perfect one to them. This is straight up manipulation and corruption.

Making a profit off of worshipers? The prophet Malachi predicted that One would come “and clean the house—” to purify the Temple—and that’s what Jesus is going to do. 

Why? Because the Temple are holy. The Temple is the place where Heaven Meets Earth.

So Jesus “made a whip out of cords, and drove them from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.” Wow! That’s a scene.

Last week at the Wedding—He remained anonymous. This week- He made a scene!

We need to understand though, this wasn’t Jesus flying off the handle. He didn’t lose His temper. Jesus didn’t burst into some crazy rage. He carefully took the time to make a whip of cords. I imagine He thought carefully about what He was about to do. 

With His cord in hand, He drives them out—the merchants and the animals. Notice however— it doesn’t say that he lashed and struck the people with it.

This is not an instrument to inflict harm— it’s a symbol—a way to express his indignation. He is not committing an act of violence. This is an act of protest. And the one doing it is the Lamb of God—the one whose sacrificial death will bring an end to all animal sacrifice. 

Jesus DROVE them out—He expelled them. Interestingly enough, they didn’t resist. There were more of them, remember…..But they didn’t resist. So- if they didn’t resist and Jesus wasn’t lashing at them to cause physical harm, could it be that God’s terror fell upon them? 

“Not by this slender whip, but by divine majesty was the ejection accomplished, the whip being but a sign of the scourge of divine anger.” (Grotius)

In all the commotion, Jesus flipped tables, money went rolling all over the floor.

HA— Ms. Miriam, I can’t help but think of you. This past week we went to Huddle House. As Ms. Meriam paid her tab, coins fell out of her change purse and rolled all over the floor. There I was on my hands and knees chasing after every single coin. 

Can you imagine those people crawling across the floor trying to save every “dime” before being driven all the way out. 

Verse 16 Jesus says, “Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

A marketplace—A marketplace is a place where transactions take place. Religion can turn into transactions can’t it? What do I get from God? Let me just say—we’re living in a day in our culture of severe spiritual consumerism. 

I’m reading a great book that explains this huge problem. Spiritual consumerism. People go to church—which is supposed to be a place of worship…a place of prayer…They go based on what they’re going to get out of it. They just want to be served—they want the best goods and services for the lowest investment,” Debra White Smith writes.

I imagine once the tables were flipped and the people were expelled, there was an eerie kind of quiet for a minute. Perhaps a state of shock.

I can almost see the faces of His disciples. “DUDE! What just happened. Did you see that?” Maybe they giggled out of an uncomfortable squirm. Did you see that guy scrambling to carry those cages out? “What…. Just…… happened….. here….”

Oh yeah… they remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Zeal. Remember that word? We saw that a few weeks ago about being “zealous” for good deeds. It’s a term that mimics the sound of water bubbling from heat; boiling over.

Zeal for my Father’s house will devour me, consume me… eat me alive! 

MY Father’s house—Jesus loves the Father’s House and refuses to let what belongs to the Father be compromised.  What belongs to the Father? Worship. Authentic, acceptable worship. 

Now that the show is “over” in come the police. Well, not really, but the Jews—the leaders, the authorities—the people who ran the Temple system. …

“Who do you think you are, mister?” “Who died and put you in charge?” “Since when did you become king?” “I want to see your credentials that can justify what you’ve just done.” You’ve got some explaining to do! 

Vs. 18—“What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Remember when Moses went to Egypt to rescue them, he gave signs that he was acting under a Divine authority. They wanted a sign.

I picture Jesus gesturing to Himself while He says, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” Wow! That’s a mic-drop moment. 

He was speaking of His body. He was speaking of His death, burial and resurrection. He would become the Temple—the connection. The place where Heaven Meets Earth. 

This sounds a little familiar to the  passage from two weeks ago when Jesus referred to Himself as Jacob’s ladder in His conversation to Nathaniel. Jesus—the connection—the place where Heaven Meets Earth.

Praise the Lord, no more barriers. No more shadows. No more animal sacrifices! Jesus would demolish that old system by fulfilling it in Himself. 

But he said… “DESTROY this Temple? Destroy…Isn’t that what sin does? It always destroys, but grace always restores. 

Of course His words flew right over their heads. “It’s taken 46 years to build this temple…” they respond.

Verse 21,“But the temple he had spoken of was his body.” Interesting, Jesus didn’t argue. He didn’t explain any further. 

John gives us more information—vs 23- “Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.”

God knows our hearts doesn’t He? The good. The bad. The potential. He knew their hearts. Just because Jesus didn’t have confidence in them at that time, it doesn’t necessarily mean He wrote them off for good. Here’s the thing, spiritual maturity is important because it opens us up to more of God.

Jesus doesn’t relate to all believers in the exact same way. They weren’t ready for full commitment to Him and He knew it. He knows us too. 

That brings us back around to the Season of Epiphany, doesn’t it? Getting a better glimpse of who Jesus is? A revelation? It also brings us back around to our Memory Verse this month—Seek first the Kingdom of God.  You see, He rewards those who seek Him with more revelation of Himself. Our understanding of Him expands.

So… What do we do with a passage like this? It’s not like we’re in the temple courts in Jerusalem these days.

You know—We hear a lot these days about “The Church is not a Building.” That’s true—we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. His presence doesn’t dwell in a building—He isn’t confined there. But I do believe that Jesus came to cleanse buildings and hearts! What happens in the building is important. What happens in our heart is important. Both need to be cleansed and made holy.

I believe Jesus wants to do more than just forgive us of our sin. Just like the Temple courts, our lives are filled with noise, distraction, impure motives. I believe He wants to drive out what doesn’t belong—what isn’t holy.

I believe Jesus wants to flip tables in our hearts to restore us and re—focus our hearts with love. He doesn’t flip the tables to harm us, but to restore us and for the Holy Spirit to have free reign in our hearts and lives.

As a believer, you are the Temple. How we need Jesus to come and cleanse our house! What must stay? What must go? What must be re-ordered?

And He doesn’t cleanse us for us to be isolated—living holy unto the Lord all by ourselves. NO! 

Do you see the shift? The presence of God shifted from a building, to a person, to a people filled with His Spirit. Holy people point to a Holy God. A cleansed people live their lives for others, not for profit.

How we need Jesus to come and confront, disrupt and clean His people so that we can be an effective Church House for God—A collective group of believers on a mission—not stuck stuck in spiritual consumerism looking for what the church can do for me? 

Do we have anyone here that desires for Jesus to cleanse this House? Are we the kind of community of faith that would pray, God- come and have Your way with us as a body of believers in this place? This is a Holy Place! 

This morning, I believe Jesus is doing what He did in that temple courtyard: He is walking through the rooms of our lives, whispering, “This doesn’t belong here. Let Me take it.” Not to condemn— but to free us, to focus us, to fill us.

And He is walking through this church  as well, asking, “Will you be a house of prayer? A house of worship? I believe He’s asking because He knows what His Church can be—A holy people pointing to a Holy God. A sanctuary where mercy is thick in the air. A safe place where grace is so abundant that prodigals feel safe enough to come home. A place where a community of believers can live their lives together. 

When Jesus comes to clean the house—He makes it holy, set apart for His glory. The House can be where heaven truly meets earth!” This is the place to welcome His presence again.

Last week I mentioned that Jesus did His first miracle out in the community at a social gathering—but we have to know He’s doing miracles in the Church House too.

This morning, if your heart is longing to be cleansed, if your spirit is whispering, “Yes, Lord—clean my house…” then come. Come to the altar—this is a house a prayer. Because church— this is the place. This is the place to kneel in surrender. It’s a good day to say, Jesus, come and clean my house.

This is the place to find mercy. This is the place to welcome His presence again.

Prayer—Invitation—Soft Music

Closing Song: “This is the Place” Gaither Vocal Band

Benediction