Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.14UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.14UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.52LIKELY
Sadness
0.56LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.7LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.35UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.87LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.59LIKELY
Extraversion
0.52LIKELY
Agreeableness
0.78LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.64LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
[bookmarks] Some debate over this passage since other gospels talk about temple cleansing that happens right before Jesus arrested.
John speaks here about temple cleansing early on in Jesus’ ministry.
So how reconcile?
Carefully examine both accounts.
Aside from the main act - driving merchants out of the temple - number of differences between the two.
Jesus says different things and does some additional things in other gospels’ account of temple cleansing compared to John’s account.
All of this highly suggests were two temple cleansings done by Jesus.
John records first one, other gospels record last one.
Considering how power and money hungry the religious leaders were back then, no surprise that Jesus had to do this twice during his ministry!
[read passage, prayer]
Our passage begins quietly enough.
Jesus and his disciples come into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.
But certainly ends in very bold way.
This first passage where becomes clear that ministry of Jesus not going be quiet one.
This where Jesus begins to become thorn in side of Jewish establishment.
Up to this point might get impression that Jesus’ ministry going be nice and safe.
Religious leaders would have loved for Jesus stay in background, become bootlegger Jesus, just making wine for people.
Now we see that Jesus’ ministry is by no means going to be secret.
It will involve confrontation.
Why does Jesus do this?
Will answer that question by first examining the main reason given to us for his actions.
But also learn from the sign that stands behind his actions.
But ultimately, in answering this question what hope will help us do is get better understanding about what worship truly is.
All people worship……question is, who are you giving your worship to.
Message of the Bible is that worship which you naturally created to give only really works when it is given to God.
True Christian church then is supposed to help teach people to rightly worship God and build a community that helps facilitate right worship of God.
So look around today, and we got whole industry around worship.
In fact, “worship” in Christian world is effect a product, a style, a vague mystical feeling you get depending on the lighting and the chords and spontaneity of the musicians.
It’s become an event, a concert, a performance.
It’s about being modern or traditional or charismatic.
Think about it – we now speak of “worship,” as single word, when in fact is word that always requires direct object.
We should speak of worship of God.
But the “of God” been neatly cut out.
Believe we need have a serious reorientation towards biblical view on worship.
That’s what hope accomplish today and then explore even more when get to John 4.
But, before can properly explore what Jesus does and what it should begin to tell us about worship, what will need to first do is help us get sense of the significance and importance of the temple in Jesus’ day.
Temple center of worship for ancient Jewish society.
In fact, was at center of all Jewish life - political, social, religious.
Got couple images here, most of them come from joint project by Israel Antiquities Authority and the Urban Simulation Team at UCLA.
Help you get sense of what would been like to go into the temple.
*[CLICK]* Most people entered, exited Temple from south.
Come from large plaza, go up broad stairway.
*[2 CLICKS] *Straight ahead is Double Gate.
Go up stairs, along the way were ritual baths so people could first purify themselves.
Eventually enter large plaza, the Court of the Gentiles.
*[CLICK - Plaza] *With this image hope get sense what been like to stand there.
Large open area, surrounded by pillared porticos (they are like wide outdoor hallway bordered by pillars).
In porticos could find teachers publicly speaking or debating.
Early Christian church held its first public worship services in one of the porticos.
Acts 5 - Met in Solomon’s Portico, which on the east side.
Did this of course along with regular meetings at people’s homes.
Incidentally, it is this ancient format of both large public meeting and smaller private meetings that this church structured on.
As stood in this large plaza before would be Temple structure itself.
Could see smoke [show this on image].
Would be coming from sacrifices being burned on altar in front of main temple structure.
Some other views of this *[CLICK] *Note here the gate entrances.
*[CLICK]* Enter temple structure itself, would first be in courtyard called the Court of the Women.
All Jews including women could come in here.
But was off-limits to Gentiles on pain of death.
Only Jewish men could from here into next courtyard, the Court of the Israelites.
In this court was the altar stood.
No one but priests could continue on to enter Temple building itself.
Jewish historian Josephus writes that to approaching visitors temple appeared as a “mountain of snow” as sunlight reflected off of it.
On a clear day could see temple from many miles away.
Temple obviously very impressive place.
No surprise then that occupied the central place within ancient Jewish society.
Source of religious and national pride.
Here was the place that was God’s home.
The one unique place on earth where God himself dwelled.
Was place expressly built to facilitate worship.
Coming into main temple plaza, might expect environment conducive to reverent worship.
This though not what Jesus experienced when come onto the temple plaza.
*[CLICK – Artistic pic] *The scene instead was like an open air flea market.
Imagine an ancient First Friday, but a lot smellier and nosier.
So imagine now, preparing to come and worship God.
You walk out into the plaza and you are greeted with sounds of animals mooing and bleating, of merchants and customers haggling, the smells of animal sweat and excrement.
All this came about through the religious establishment.
Each year had hundreds of thousands of pilgrims coming to Jerusalem.
Since many people were coming from far away, was inconvenient to bring their sacrificial animals with them.
Normally they did was buy what they needed at various places within Jerusalem.
But religious leaders saw an opportunity here.
They had merchants set up within the temple proper itself, in the outer court of the Gentiles.
Talking instant monopoly here.
And then on special occasions, like Passover, talking lot of potential profit.
Worship of God was big business.
Through all this temple establishment able collect great amount of money to help further beautify the temple structure and cover various administrative affairs.
Jesus outraged.
John 2:14-16 -* In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.
[15] And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen.
And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
J*esus drives everybody out – the merchants, the money-changers, all their animals.
Then for good measure he flips over a couple of tables.
* *
*Then v.16 gives us reason behind Jesus’ actions.
* Think carefully about what he says.*
[CLICK] [16] And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."
*
The temple should be a place for prayer.
Instead place of noise and bustle.
Should be a place to encourage confession of sin, reverent praise of God.
Instead was place guided by marketing strategies and consumerism.
Worship been superceded by convenience and expediency.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9