God's House

Introduction

In the middle of the 1970s Christianity experienced an interesting change in the way it approached ministry.

Many referred to this change as the “seeker-sensitive movement”.

This movement was about:

Making people feel confortable in church.

Preaching to people’s “felt needs”.

Making our buildings feel less like a church and more like an ordinary building.

Making our music more appealing to the masses.

Making our sermons less theological and more therapeutic.

Speaking less about sin, death, holiness, sacrifice and more about overcoming your fears, feeling better about yourself, learning to be a better parent, etc.

Unfortunately, this lead opened the door to worldliness inside the church. Pretty soon, churches were growing in number, prospering financially, filling up the week with many programs; but in reality the church was now full of unbelievers. It had become a social gathering instead of the redeemed people of God.

The church had almost stopped being the church. It had lost its focus. The house of God had become the psychologist’s chair, the motivational speaker’s platform, the charlatan’s podium.

Something very similar occurred with the judaism of the first century. The jews, the children of Abraham had lost their way. We will consider this sad state of affairs under the following headings:

Jesus cleanses the temple

Jesus gives a sign of his authority

Jesus examines the hearts of men

I. Jesus cleanses the temple

I. Jesús limpia el templo

Jesus is in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Passover (2:13).

This feast was commanded by God in the Old Testament ().

Israel was to celebrate this feast to commemorate their liberation from the house of bondage. God had set them free. God had shown himself to be their liberator.

Just imagine how the jews living in the concentration camps felt when the allied forces arrived to liberate them from the Nazi’s. It was sure to be a day of great celebration for they were now free to serve God.

Passover was a time to celebrate they were the chosen people of God, God had demonstrated his great power, God had shown himself to be faithful to his promises.

Surely, people would be in the temple praising God’s faithfulness. Surely, people would be in his house giving thanks for his provision.

Jesus approaches the temple and he cannot hear the prayers of the people. He cannot hear the people singing praises to God. All he can here is the sound and stench of the cattle, sheep, and doves.

John 2:14 NIV

In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

John 2:14 NVI

Y en el templo halló a los que vendían bueyes, ovejas y palomas, e instalados en sus mesas a los que cambiaban dinero.

Try to take in this scene. You can hear the animals. You can hear and smell the chaos within the temple area.

What were these animals doing within the temple? Let us not forget that the people of God were commanded to bring a lamb to be sacrificed during the Passover.

Many people were coming from afar. Some would travel as much as 90 miles to Jerusalem. It was simply impractical to bring an animal along such a far distance.

The next best solution was for the animal herders to sell animals for the sacrifice to the traveling pilgrims. However, they were much more interested in the business of making a profit rather than to the worship of God.

We can also hear the clanging of coins - it’s the money changers? What are they doing in the temple courts?

These were people who would exchange foreign currency into currency made from pure silver that was required to purchase the animals for the sacrifices/offerings.

They too were most interested in turning a profit. Commentators tell us it’s possible they made as much as 12% commission on their exploitation of the people.

So instead of the worship of God, we encounter a pathetic sight of people selling, buying, haggling, exploiting one another - all this being done in God’s house!

The Lord Jesus is moved by a holy anger to drive out the people who have completely utterly the house of the Lord.

John 2:15–16 NIV

So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

John 2:15–16 NVI

Entonces, haciendo un látigo de cuerdas, echó a todos del templo, juntamente con sus ovejas y sus bueyes; regó por el suelo las monedas de los que cambiaban dinero y derribó sus mesas. A los que vendían las palomas les dijo: —¡Saquen esto de aquí! ¿Cómo se atreven a convertir la casa de mi Padre en un mercado?

He scares away the animals with the whip he made out of cords. He orders the money changers to leave the temple precincts.

He reclaims the house of the Lord for the Lord himself.

He charges the people with turning God’s house into a market! They have so disregarded the purpose of God’s house that it is absolutely unrecognizable.

The furniture in God’s house was the same.

This building still looked like a temple of worship.

The worshippers were there. However, none was interested in worshipping God. It was utter chaos; which sadly demonstrated their spiritual state.

The house that was to be a house of prayer for all nations had become a market place.

Isaiah 56:7 NIV

these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

Isaiah 56:7 NVI

los llevaré a mi monte santo; ¡los llenaré de alegría en mi casa de oración! Aceptaré los holocaustos y sacrificios que ofrezcan sobre mi altar, porque mi casa será llamada casa de oración para todos los pueblos.»

What was is that drove the Lord Jesus to do this? The disciples would later on reflect upon where it speaks of the psalmist being consumed with zeal for the house of the Lord.

Are we consumed by that same zeal when we come to the house of the Lord?

Are we consumed by that same zeal when we gather to worship; when we come to present ourselves before the presence of God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?

Do we realize the presence that we are in?

Does our behavior and attitude in the house of the Lord reflect the majesty of God’s power, and holiness?

II. Jesus gives a sign of his authority

II. Jesús da una señal de su autoridad

Let us not forget that Jesus’ actions would have definitely captured the attention of the Jewish leaders.

John 2:18 NIV

The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

John 2:18 NVI

Entonces los judíos reaccionaron, preguntándole: —¿Qué señal puedes mostrarnos para actuar de esta manera?

John 2:17

They demand to know: what gives him the authority to do what he has just done?

Is he proclaiming to be a prophet of God? With what authority does he demonstrate God’s disapproval of their actions?

They demand a miraculous sign. They know that the prophets of old would perform miraculous signs demonstrating that they had come from God.

Jesus gives a single sign which they simply did not understand.

John 2:19 NIV

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

John 2:19 NVI

—Destruyan este templo—respondió Jesús—, y lo levantaré de nuevo en tres días.

Jesus speaks of destroying a temple that he would raise in three days.

Their immediate reaction was to think that he was speaking of the temple they were in.

This was Herod’s temple. It was a glorious temple indeed.

At the time that Jesus spoke those words, the temple had not yet been completed. It would not be completed for another 30 years; although it was completely destroyed in the year 70AD.

The disciples, including our author (John), later realized that Jesus was speaking about his own death and resurrection.

The sign that Jesus was giving the people was a future sign.

The sign that he was giving was that they would kill him but he would rise again three days later.

This is the the miraculous sign that Jesus gives all mankind to demonstrate his authority, his sovereignty, his worthiness to be praised and glorified, his right as the God and Creator of all that exists.

Nevertheless, they rejected him. He had come to his people - Israel - but they rejected him.

Jesus has given us all a undeniable sign - he has risen from the dead. That is his sign of authority.

As we come together, let us understand that this is God’s house. Let us understand that Jesus, in his word, has spoken about:

How his church is to be governed.

How people are to be evangelized.

How the gospel is to be preached.

How people should be discipled.

How pastors and deacons should function.

How fellow christians should strive for the unity of the body.

Who should be baptized; those who give a credible profession of faith.

How marriage should be considered a holy institution between a man and a woman.

How those who show themselves to be false professors should be exhorted regarding the state of their souls.

This may sound harsh to many. In fact, I am sure when Jesus drove out the sheep, cattle, and money changers; many saw him as being harsh. But brothers and sisters, we are not dealing with trivial matters. We are dealing with the eternal destiny of people’s souls!

III. Jesus examines the hearts of men

III. Jesús examina el corazón de los hombres

Jesus remained for a few more days in Jerusalem. The Bible says he continued doing “signs”.

John 2:23 NIV

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.

John 2:23 NVI

Mientras estaba en Jerusalén, durante la fiesta de la Pascua, muchos creyeron en su nombre al ver las señales que hacía.

We are not told what signs Jesus did in Jerusalem.

He may have been healing the sick, comforting the afflicted, cleansing lepers, or doing other miraculous signs.

These signs lead many people to start to follow Jesus. The Bible describes this as people who “believed in his name”.

To many of us, this is good news. To many of us seeing these people would have been marvelous news.

This was not to be the case. Jesus, who is God incarnate, knows the truth about people’s hearts.

John 2:24–25 NIV

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

John 2:25

John 2:24–25 NVI

En cambio Jesús no les creía porque los conocía a todos; no necesitaba que nadie le informara nada acerca de los demás, pues él conocía el interior del ser humano.

You see, when Jesus drove out the sheep, cattle, the doves and moneychangers he did not simply do it out of ignorance.

Jesus saw into the peoples hearts.

And now, that he sees this group of people start to follow him, he can see right through their false professions.

It is true that they act and profess to believe in him. They act as if they have believed and will begin to follow him.

Jesus knows the true state of their hearts and does not entrust himself to them. He knows their darkened hearts have not been transformed by the glorious gospel.

They have been attracted to the signs, they have been attracted to the possibility of seeing more miracles; but they have not experienced the miracle of the new birth.

Brothers and sisters, just as Jesus knows those who have made a false profession, he too knows the hearts of those who have truly trusted in him.

Jesus knows all those who are his people.

Jesus knows all those who have put their faith and trust in him.

To them…Jesus entrusts himself. They know him, but most importantly he knows them.