The Zeal That Eats Up

John 2:12-25

Pray:

Intro: Have you ever read a portion of scripture a million times seemingly. You think you know what it’s about, and then you either read something or you sit through a sermon and its explained to you with both depth and grace. All of a sudden you may feel like you don’t know anything about the portion of scripture you just read at all. Like you missed the whole point! This sums up my experience preparing this message. I was saved as a five year old little boy. Grew up in church. Went to a year of Bible school, and last week I was sitting in my office at home studying for this message reading Sam Davidson’s Commentary on John. These are the feelings I was having. I had to put it down a couple times to process what I was reading. Because while Jesus flipped tables, and cleaned house in verses 12-25. Thats not actually what vs 12-25 was about! John continues His thought from chapter one by giving us another example of faith in Jesus. The kind of faith that saves people. The kind of belief that not only you know to be true mentally, but the kind of faith that you willingly and completely abandon your life to. This is the kind of faith that John writes about. The kind of faith that is described as zealous. Or the base word of zeal. What does that word mean though. To have zeal regarding something. What did the disciples mean in vs 17. The disciples were referencing Psalm 69:9. READ, the meaning of zeal is to be fervent, indignant, or jealous. To understand this portion of scripture completely we should look at the background of what’s going on.

Background: Jesus being a Jew he observed the Passover feast. It was in fact required for all Jews to attend within fifteen miles of Jerusalem. Again we have another example of Jesus fulfilling the law. And so after coming from the wedding described in the first part of chapter two. He goes to the feast ready to worship the Father in the Temple. What He finds there though is something more similar the State Fair. You know what I mean at the State Fair. They have vendors selling various things, animals all kinds of things. Expecting to find people coming with hearts prepared. Jesus instead finds the peoples hearts full of compliance. Superficial or formalistic in nature. The people that were going were showing up to check a box. To follow the official rules for sure, without any real care or meaning. He finds the hearts of the Pharisees or Pastors full of greed and bureaucracy. No one in attendance is coming to deal with their sin from the past year. Jesus saw the sin in each of the peoples hearts that were there. The sacrifice that Jesus knew was coming being ever present on His mind. Would have found the peoples attitudes toward their sin. Towards the Passover feast and thereby their relationship with the Father infuriating. Having a righteous anger, and being zealous for what belongs to the father. Jesus deals directly with the peoples attitude. There are a couple of significant things we should notice though. One Jesus righteous jealousy is manifested. And two that Jesus establishes His authority to act.

Transition: To put into context in part of what is going on. We need to acknowledge the obvious. That Jesus is righteous. The word righteous from a Biblical definition and perspective means to be in a right relationship with God and acting in alignment with God the Fathers character. So pairing this definition with Jealousy is something Jesus exemplifies for us. Imagine that, having an attitude of sinless jealousy? We see the how and why of Jesus’ righteous jealousy manifested in vs 12-17. Jesus doesn’t actually say how he is feeling in this moment. Instead we see His actions, we see his heart of righteous jealousy manifested out.

Jesus’ Righteous Jealousy is Manifested Vs 12-17: Here’s an important question we should ask ourselves as we look at these vs. Why would Jesus be zealous in this moment. The obvious point is that Jesus being completely righteous, and the people and religious leaders had taken advantage of the sin atonement process God had given them, and were using it for their financial benefit. Thats the obvious situation that is going on in this portion of scripture. However there is a deeper and equally important truth here. You see there was three parts of the temple. There was the Holy of Holies. Where the Holy Spirit would reside upon, and only the Levitical Priests were allowed to go. There was the outer santcum, where the sacrifices were brought. And there was the forecourt. The forecourt was intended to be where Gentiles would come and hear how they might become right with God the Father. How they could have atonement for sins. And so this is where the buying and selling of sacrificial animals was going on. Where the currency exchange was taking place. To be clear, IT ALL BELONGED TO GOD THE FATHER! And so the Pharisees were essentially saying, yes its ok to bring what is unholy into the space intended for the unclean, and unworthy. This is the very same attitude that many Christians have today, when they choose not to engage visitors to church. When they choose not to invite people in their community after a short conversation at the grocery market. I am a Baptist, but I am a Christian first and primarily. This is the same attitude that many Christians, many Baptists have regarding how they engage people that show up to church that aren’t dressed “appropriately for church.” I wear a suit and tie on Sunday because it part of the job of a Pastor, it is most certainly not because it makes me a better Christian. I would say Jesus is somewhat indifferent to what clothes we wear when we show up on Sunday. Here’s a harder question, hows your heart? Have you asked Jesus to prepare your heart yesterday for the today services? When you showed up this morning for church, were you ready with an answer for people of why you have Joy in your heart? Have you dealt with your sin from this last week? Or are you bringing your sacrifices to church to check the box? With a formalistic mindset. Heres something important to consider, Jesus isn’t fooled. He knows full well where your heart is in regards to Him, and He is Jealous over it when we fail to surrender ourselves to Him. That word belief pisteuos in the greek that is referenced in Vs 22. Its a belief that is in the active sense. Its a verb, its the type of belief that changes everything in a life. Jesus is fully aware if you only believe in Him in your mind. If you haven’t decided to act on that faith, and to translate that faith into an active sense He knows. And so, heres a convicting question. How did you show up here tonight?! Did you walk out the door of your house get in your car because thats what your expected to do. Because thats what you’ve always done? Did you walk into this room completely unprepared? Think about how Jesus would respond to this. We have in part possibly the answer when we READ John 2:15,16. He might tell you to get out! LEAVE! In the words of Jesus, “Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” Let me be clear in this moment, Thats the reaction Jesus has for people when He knows the hearts and minds of people. And so saying that, thats a pretty uncomfortable truth for church folks huh? Its a pretty uncomfortable truth for me. That many times we may show up to church in a manner that Jesus would tell us to get out. Jesus doesn’t compromise. He requires we meet a certain standard. Think about that, He doesn’t require you to pull yourself up your bootstraps, and be a better person. He says believe in Me, and I will save. Believe in me, and I will make you Holy. He isn’t willing to compromise over these things. Why because He paid for you in full. He isn’t willing to compromise over the things that are the Fathers.

Transition: Understand if this message in a certain way makes you feel uncomfortable tonight stay with that feeling for a bit after you leave this room. It was uncomfortable for the people Jesus was kicking out of the temple as well. When you really meet Jesus. When you come in contact with His nature. People have one of two reactions. We are either overjoyed because He is our Savior and continues to meet every one of our needs. Or we are offended by Him, because He goes direct with our sin problem, and flips the tables in our life as it were. This is where we see the Pharisees in Vs 18-25. Culturally it was what you did in that time. You were always looking for the Messiah, and so not with pure motives or with a clean heart certainly. The Pharisees essentially ask the question. On what authority do you interrupt God’s Passover feast? They completely ignore the fact that what they were doing was wrong. That they had added to what to what didn’t belong to them. That they had said a whole group of lost people weren’t worthy to have relationship with the one true God. And so in response Jesus establishes His authority to act. Notice how Jesus had already established His authority in Vs 16 when He establishes Himself as the Son of God. The Pharisees asked for a sign or miracle to solidify Jesus as the Messiah to solidify His claims of being the Son of God. And so, not that either of these would have created or stirred a saving faith in the Pharisees. They didn’t want a Savior from Sin. They wanted the Messiah that would overthrow the Roman government and reign as King on earth. They wanted to maintain the position and power they held and to have the Messiah acknowledge them. To have the Messiah appoint them into a position of power very much like what James and John asked for sitting at the right and left hand of Jesus referenced in Mark 10:35-38. The authority Jesus would establish was a miracle that hadn’t happened yet. Putting aside the Pharisees hardness of heart, and sin issues. This was the hard part for even the disciples to see and understand. That Jesus’ authority to act came from what hadn’t happened yet. It wasn’t from the healing the lame, and making the blind see. It was instead first by His very nature, but specifically by the miracle of conquering death.

Jesus Establishes His Authority to Act Vs 18-25: And so we see the thing that would establish Jesus’ authority to act hadn’t happened yet. Up until this point in the minds of many Jesus would have certainly been a prophet. To claim to be the messiah was allot to accept. Even the disciples would have had a faith of knowledge most likely. Saying this making the statement He in fact was the Son of the One True God, was heresy. Yet for some reason saying He was the Messiah was fine, yet it required proof. And to be clear there was only one miracle that would prove Jesus was the Messiah. Isaiah 53:10 implies that after making Himself an offering for sin, he would prolong His day. Logically you cant prolong your days if you die, and so logically there is only one conclusion that he would concur death that would truly and without question establish His authority to do and say the things He said. Matthew 12:39-40 further makes reference to Jesus completing a miracle unto Jonah being in the belly of a whale for three days. Most scholars agree that Jonah actually died those three days, and was resurrected. This is the miracle required to prove Jesus was Messiah. The Pharisees were wanting a miracle more likened unto Cesar dropping dead in Rome upon Jesus very word. The short sightedness for us sometimes is relatable in some ways. And so we see the will of the Father continuing to be done in John chapter two. We see the Zeal Jesus has for the things of the Father. A righteous jealousy and fervor exhibited by Him because when sin is introduced into our life after we have forgiveness of sin. Its as if we are saying our sin is more important than your sacrifice Lord. As if as a child of the King He has less authority over parts of our life. Hey pay attention for a second, Your life isn’t yours. Your purpose is to serve Him who gave His up for you. As a child of God His authority over your life should be one hundred percent. He is the owner of it, paid in full! Jesus’ jealousy regarding your life is perfectly natural. So one question you should ask yourself. What are the things you are zealous over? If you were to make a list of five things. How closely would your list be comparable to Jesus’? By the definition we talked about earlier regarding righteousness. Does your heart align with the character of the Father? Do you have jealousy in your hearts regarding things that are of this world? Or are you zealous regarding the things that are important to Jesus. Heres’s a hard question. How do you think Jesus talks to the Father about you…? What kind of words do you think Jesus uses to describe regarding you. Would He say, Yes Father. That child is faithful. He is slow to anger, slow speak. But oh goodness He loves the lost… Lets be clear about something. Jesus’ authority is absolute. How we choose to acknowledge it in our life is our own choice. Several years ago I was going to a job interview. I was running late, and the job interview was almost 45 minutes away from my house. I was driving on Highway 34 going entirely to fast, and all of a sudden I see red and blue lights behind me. The state trooper walks up to my door, and says to me. “Do you know how fast you were going?” I didn’t even try to play dumb. I didn’t know exactly, but I immediately came clean, and acknowledged my poor life choices up to that point. The point of that story is that the speed limit was posted. I had driven that highway hundreds of times since I got my license. I knew the law, and I broke it. The fact that I chose not to acknowledge the state of Oregon and the speed law in that area didn’t change the fact that I was going to have to pay a large fine. It didn’t change the fact that the State of Oregon, and that State Trooper had complete authority to act in that moment. If you are a child of God then automatically Jesus has complete authority to act in your life. Regardless if you have trusted in Him or not. Why? Because He is the King. He is that guy! He has that ability to act in ways that would be sinful for us, but not Him.

Conclusion: Isn’t it interesting how so many Sinful attitudes aren’t sinful at all when Jesus exhibits them? It’s obvious to say that many times that Jesus and I haven’t been Zealous about the same things. His Zeal are things regarding things he has payed for with His blood. I become zealous over things many times that are unimportant. I would encourage you to ask Jesus to give you a zeal a jealousy over the things that He sees are important. Do you have the kind of Zeal Jesus has regarding His church? Not this building, but the people that are His bride. How about the lost? Jesus certainly loved Samaritans. Do you love the people that come into this building who clearly haven’t been in church in awhile. How about His word? Do you have a zeal a love for His word? Yes? what’s God been teaching you lately? Your Zeal for the things of the Father should eat you up? In a way that there is nothing left. In a way that when someone asks you how your week was the things that come out of your mouth could only be described as peace, love, and joy.

Pray: