A Call to Worship

Introduction

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey with cries of kingly celebration. Following this he goes into the Temple to rebuke the corruption that was taking place among the leadership of Israel fulfilling yet other prophecies and affirming his role as the Son of David, the Messiah King. Just as entering into Jerusalem was a push to the Israelite Religious leadership to action so is entering the Temple and fulfilling prophecy.

Jesus Rebukes the Moneychangers

Matthew 21:12 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,”

Once upon a time the selling of sacrificial animals was done as a service to others. Foreign Jews arrived from all around the world to offer the annual sacrifices at the Passover. To travel with their sacrifices would have been very burdensome. So, the service was set up so they could simply bring money to purchase the animals needed. However, over time the people providing this service became corrupted and this corruption is believed to have been orchestrated all the way at the top by the High Priest, Annas. While not identified in Scripture it is said that Annas was the manager of all that went on there. His sons were his enforcers and he made sure he got rich from the corruption. It was this corruption that Jesus was highlighting. The same corruption talked about by the Prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 7:11 “Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.”

Jesus Claims Ownership of the Temple

Matthew 21:12–13 “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

A typical person would not refer to the Temple as “My house”. Jesus is establishing his authority to do what he had just done. Only the Lord of the house would claim such ownership. Jesus then reminds them that the Temple was to be a house of prayer. The Court of Gentiles was a place where Gentiles could come and learn about Yahweh, the one true and living God, but instead it had become a place of corruption and swindling. Jesus was preparing to die on the cross so that all people could know the heavenly Father.

Isaiah 56:7 “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, And make them joyful in my house of prayer: Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; For mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”

Jesus Heals the Lame and the Blind

Matthew 21:14 “And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.”

Jesus was Claiming ownership of the Temple, highlighting the corruption, and showing his authority all to fulfill Old Testament prophecy and his final act in this scene of the last week Jesus fulfills yet another prophecy as he heals the blind and the lame, but this time right in the heart of the Temple where nothing could be denied.

Isaiah 35:5–6 “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, And the tongue of the dumb sing: For in the wilderness shall waters break out, And streams in the desert.”

Upon his healing of the lame and the blind the people begin to worship him and say, “Hosanna to the son of David.” The Pharisees took issue with that because one would not allow themselves to be called the son of David as he was a term that referred only to the Messiah. They were expecting him to stop the people from calling him that, but he didn’t. Instead he quotes Psalm 8:2.

Psalm 8:2 “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength Because of thine enemies, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”

At this point he just simply exits. All of this was a fulfillment of prophecy.

Jesus was Exposing the Corruption of Sacrifice

The exorbitant prices had corrupted the whole process of the sacrifices. Poor people were allowed to substitute doves for the lambs and yet, the prices they were charging threatened the poor’s ability to pay for and offer their sacrifices. The High Priest had turned the whole sacrificial requirements of Moses Law for money. The sacrifices they were compromising were those intended on pointing people to the ultimate sacrifice of the Messiah. They Jewish leadership had corrupted it.

Jesus was Exposing the Corruption of Worship

The Gentile Court was meant to help point Gentiles to the one true and living God. The Pharisees had turned it into more of a worship of Jewish Tradition and Nationalism. They cared more about escaping Roman Rule than they did being ruled by God. Their worship was tainted by yet another false god. Their worship of Yahweh was more about political position than it was about purely worshipping God.\

Jesus was Showing them Who They Should be Worshipping

He fulfilled prophecy after prophecy after prophecy. What more proof do they need? And yet, they still hardened their hearts against Jesus. They did not want the Messiah. They wanted political position and influence. They wanted power. No matter how many prophecies Christ fulfilled and no matter how much evidence they saw that Jesus was the Messiah they refused to acknowledge him. That was out of the hardness of their heart and by God’s design as they would send Jesus to the cross to die for the sins of all mankind providing them a Spiritual Saviour rather than the political Saviour that they sought.

Conclusion

There may be someone here this morning that God has been trying to draw your heart to himself. You have said no over and over again. Yet, Jesus continues to expose your corruption, expose your false worship, and show himself to you. Will you be like the Pharisees and continue to refuse him time and again? Or will you finally see the truth and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ?\

There may be some Christians here this morning that have been involved in corrupted worship and Jesus is trying to call you back to pure worship in Him.

Let’s all make our way back to Jesus this morning, submit to his authority, and worship him as the Lord of our lives.