"The road to Easter goes through the Temple"

Introduction

This Jewish temple, as re-built under Herod the Great, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Recent archaeological excavations are showing the extent of these huge buildings before their destruction in AD 70. For the Jewish nation, the temple was the focus of their devotion and the place where God had caused ‘his name to dwell’. The concept of a God who pitched his tent with his people in the wilderness was formalized by the building of this more permanent house of God by King Solomon.

Although the temple had been destroyed and rebuilt several times, it still had a powerful hold on the Jewish imagination. It is a great credit to Judaism that the Jewish faith survived the destruction of this shrine.

NOTE: The commerce taking place in the Temple was disturbing enough, however, the greater issue that Jesus is condemning is a system that complicates access to God. Jesus is the new Temple, Jesus is the whole focus of the story. The Jews now appear on the scene and for the first time are demanding a sign. We read in Matthew 21:23 that the only sign that Jesus givew ehm is his passion, the destruction of his body and its raising up in three days.

John introduces this incident early in his gospel, most likely he wants to force the opposition to be confronted before the triumphant purpose of God in Jesus can win its way to destined victory. John is particularly concerned with the annual Jewish feasts in his record of Jesus ministry. John uses these feasts to make the claims that Jesus is the fulfilment of the whole purpose of the feasts.

3 passover feasts.

The passover festival during the Temple cleansing is deriving from the exodus from Egypt was celebrated primarily in the temple, the perceived ‘seat’ of the living God, and the source of true holiness both of the city and the nation. The cleansing of the Temple in effect happens during this feast making it an impressive statement both of his personal authority and of the crisis which his mission represented for Judaism.

The festival was celebrated on the 14th day of the lunar month Nisan (full moon that was t the end of March or the beinning of April). It commemorated the night that the angel of death passed over their homes that had the blood of the passover lamb smeared above the door.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

vv. 14-16

Prior to the passover Jesus comes to the Temple where he finds men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. The provision of cattle, sheep and doves, and the exchanging of money were all necessary for temple worship. Especially at this time of the year whre pilgirms had travelled some distance up from Galilee (a journey of about 90 miles), therefore, could not bring animals for sacrifice with them. People traveling from other countries would need to change their money into Tyrian coinage, the prescribed currency of the day.

The necessary functions were being carried out in the temple court, in an area known as the court of the Gentiles. This was seperate from the court of women, and the court of the Israel which was only accessible by the Jews. The penalty for a foreigner to enter the other two courts was sure and immediate death. The only place then that the Gentiles could come and worship and pray was in the court of the Gentiles, and this had been turned into a noisy market of commerse.

The money changers were not set up all year round, but only around the time when the temple tax was collected. In Jerusalem, there was a 24 Adar on the lunar month before Nisan.

NOTE: There is no historical evidence that the animal merchants in and of itself were doing anything wrong, or immoral. Jesus comlant is not what they are doing but where they are doing it. Instead of the solemn dignity that they should have been giving all you could hear was the bleating of sheep and bellowing of the cattle.

Jesus action was a direct attack on the whole financial arrangements for the sacrificial system, and therefore, an enormous threat to the priestly athorities.

NOTE: in the Parllel account in Mark:

Mark 11:17 ESV

17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

This is a quote in part from:

Isaiah 56:7 ESV

7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME

Psalm 69:9 ESV

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

Jesus was consumed with the zeal to preserve God’s honor and holiness among His people.

David McCullough in his book Mornings on Horseback tells this story about young Teddy Roosevelt:

"Mittie (his mother) had found he was so afraid of the Madison Square Church that he refused to set foot inside if alone. He was terrified, she discovered, of something called the 'zeal.' It was crouched in the dark corners of the church ready to jump at him, he said. When she asked what a zeal might be, he said he was not sure, but thought it was probably a large animal like an alligator or a dragon. He had heard the minister read about it from the Bible. Using a concordance, she read him those passages containing the word 'zeal' until suddenly, very excited, he told her to stop. The line was from the Book of John, (John 2)17: "And his disciples remembered that it was written, 'The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.' "

People are still justifiably afraid to come near the "zeal" of the Lord, for they are perfectly aware it could "eat them up" if they aren't one of his. Our Lord is good, but he isn't safe

Big Idea: The Zeal of the Lord is Good but it isn’t safe

Note: Remember that Jesus is condemning a system which complicates access to God and his Holiness.

NOTE: Jesus making a whip of cords, drove them all out of the temple saying, “take these things out of the temple.

What is the primary purpose of our sanctification? (to be holy as he is holy)

What made the Temple a holy place? (The very presence of God, the holy of holies was present in the temple)

Isaiah 6: We see a scene of the seraphim circling around the throne of God calling out, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. This is the only place in scripture where an attribute of God is evoked consecutively three times. The Lords prayer states that the very first thing we should acknowledge is the holiness of God with “our Lord God hallowed be your name,” meaning to evoke the holiness and honor that is due to God alone. The seraphim and angels in heaven understand and sing the anthem everday of the holiness of God.

NOTE: We read throughout scripture that the corruption of civilization and the Church where there is a lack of fear and reverence for God alone. We time, and time again block the reality of the presence of God in our lives. The awe and reverence before God has been lost. The name of God is no longer honored.

We use it as a by word in our lives. instead of a consuming zeal for the holiness of God.

ZEAL: A single-minded desire, characterized by enthusiasm and devotion. In Scripture it is often directed towards god, but God is also credited with zeal for his people and for the honor of his name. Misdirected zeal leads to honoring ourselves and making our name great.

4 Ways in which we find Zeal for God’s House

1. A Zeal for the Structure of the House.

People are essentially by nature social beings. We were created to live in fellowship and community with other human beings.

Remember in Genesis when God had finished making man out of the dust of the earth he said that it is not good that man should be alone. He then told them to go be fruitful and multiply other relational beings.

Now when we talk about the place we gather to worship with the body, or the building things can get a little bit heated.

There are people on several different sides of the debate on the efficacy of having a building or place we come to worship. For sure there are Churches who spend an over exhorbant amount of money on the place of worship which is a waste of time and effort, however, the under-building of places to gather and minister to the community as a whole I believe can also be just as detrimental.

NOTE: For Sure God does not discount or downplay the importance of the place of worship. In fact when He gave instructions for building the Temple they were very specific, and purposeful.

Psalm 69:9 ESV

9 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

King David is lamenting over the house of the Lord. David’s conscience led him to the realization that he lived in a better dwelling place that God, “Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord remains under curtains.

NOTE: If Jesus was not concerned with the actual building or structre that was built to gather people to gather to honor and glorify His name, then why did he have such an adverse reaction to what he saw.

The zeal for the structure reveals the zeal for our relationship

NOTE: The place of worship was always in relation to the current prosperity of the people in the Church. When His people were few and their circumstances different, the alter of the Lord and the place of worship was thrown up hastily in the desert. When His peoles circumstance changed and the people began to multiply in number the temporary alter was turned into an alter of stones, the Church developed as God blessed His people.

Our zeal is fulfilled in the greatest commandment to Love God and love people.

NOTE: Part of the way we show our love for God is by gathering together to worship as the Church of God.

We dishonor God and his son when we downplay the necessity of having a place we go to worship with the body of Christ.

We also dishonor God If we say that Jesus Christ is the most important thing in our life but we do not make it a priority to go and Celebrate with the body as often as possible.

NOTE: Acts 2:46 tells us that the early Church was daily going to the Temple to worship.

Acts 2:46 ESV

46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

ILLUSTRATION

How many here who are married would dare to forget the day of your anniversery, or the day of your childs birth. Those are reasons to Celebrate, however the growing trend in our Church culture today is to not honor God with our coorporate worship on Sunday’s. Would we dare not honor our spouse by blowing off the celebration of our wedding day?

Make no mistake about it, Jesus cares for the church both, the physical body, and the place we gather to worship. When Jesus came back to visit his home town of Nazareth where did he go. To the Synogogue, on the cusp being tortured and hung on a cross where does Jesus go, to the structure where worship and honor should have been taking place. Where the refrain of Holy, Holy, Holy, should have been reverbarating off of the walls.

What did Jesus find, a noisy market place where little thought was actually given to worship.

The zeal for the structure reveals the zeal for our stewardship

Many churches today face the unnessary burden of paying for the upkeep of the buildings that they gather to worship with little or no help from those who darken their doors of the church each week for worship.

We live in a self-centered, consumer driven culture. Many people who attend Church every week give little thought to the cost of maintaining the place they so richly benefit from each week.

George Barna Research group did a study recently on giving trends among Christians. Barna found in their research that for most Christians serving God with their money and possessions is not at the top of their priority list. Serving God with our finances came in at #6 behind, #5 Charitable giving, #4 Be content, #3 Meet my obligations and needs, #2 Support the lifestyle I want, and #1 provide for my family.

People were also asked why they did not attend Church and the top 2 reasons were 1) It is boring, and 2)It is not relevant to my life.

NOTE: So what does this tell us and why am I sharing this with you this morning. I think when it comes to zeal for God and the things of God we take care of ourselves 1st and if there is anything left over after I meet all my obligations and needs then God can have his part.

We just read how David was burdened for the house of God when he considered his own luxerious living accomadations. Don’t get me wrong God does not condemn those for enjoying the monatary things that he has so richly allowed them to enjoy, however, how does this relate to being generous with what he has given us?

Do we see the bigger picture of having the staging grownd to go out and evangelize the world.

2. A Zeal for the Ordinances of the House.

NOTE: So if all of humanity are social beings, and Christianity is a social religion, then we must remember what we are saved into which is a family. God expects us to come to the public gathering of His body to bring thanksgiving and praise to God.

The zeal for the ordinances is the zeal for the Kingdom of God.

The individual who say’s they are a Christian but deny the gathering of the body, or find it a wast of time, I would strongly have to questions whether they are truly saved into the body of Christ. Kingdom minded believers see the necessity of gathering as a body to observe the ordinances of the Church.

NOTE: When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, it was established in the Church by the chief cornerstone of the Church, and for the edification of the Church.

There are two extremes given when it comes to the taking of the Lords Supper and Baptism, one view is that the bread and wine actually become the body and the blood of Christ, therefore having some miraculous redeeming quality or value to them, and baptism is what regenerates or establishes someones rebirth into Christ.

The other extreme is that they are both common, this leads people to take or leave whether they participate or not. When we downlpay the significance of these ordinances it takes away from the power they display. Remember after the resurrection on the road to Emmaus as soon as Jeus broke the bread they said did not our hearts burn within us. Both of these ordinances point believers towards the coming kingdom of God.

Here we have the picture in the Temple on this day of the passover lamb of God, the one whose blood has the power to raise the dead and save the soul of the sinner that is destined for hell.

Perhaps Jesus came to the Temple this one last time to worship with his disciples and followers. However on this day all Jesus saw was the cavalere way that people were going about their own businness, instead of worshiping a Holy God.

Many times we do the same thing with the ordinances of the church. We come and take the Lords Supper, or wittness the Baptism and miss the gravity of what is taking place. We miss the new believer who now can enter into the Holy of Holies by the blood of the lamb, the place where the seraphim are crying 3 times Holy, Holy, Holy.

NOTE: There was much conterfeit going on in the Tempt that day, it was all about businbess and less about worship and their was very little genuinness about their worship.

NOTE: Jesus is also identifying a spiritual deadness among the people.

John 2:19–20 ESV

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”

What does Jesus mean by destroy this temlple, and in three days I will raise it up?”

First, He meant you are destroying this temple. When you desecrate the worship of my Fathers house, and 40 years later the Temple was destroyed.

Second, the same materialistic deadness to spritual reality that destroys this temple will destroy me. Just like you are worshiping in the Temple with your consumerism and materialism, you will kill me.

Destroy this Temple, the building, and destroy this temple, my body......

3. A Zeal for the Discipline of the House

NOTE: Christ drove everyone out of the temple. He wanted his house to be a holy place. After the cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 21:12-14. The sick came to him and they were cleansed and healed.

The zeal for the Discipline of the house is the zeal for the Character of God.

What is the Character of God?

He is a loving Father to all believers.

By nature He is wholly good in all his ways.

God’s Holiness is unequaled.

God is perfectly Righteouse (meaning He exists in a state of moral perfection.)

God is just (meaning he is perfecty upright and fair in how he treats His creaton.)

God is completely truthful. (His word is completely true).

God is patient and longsuffering.

We can spend a lifetime trying to digest all of the facets of God’s charater and never fully exauhst them all.

NOTE: Even if we lose people out of the pews of our Church let us never compromise but maintain the purity of God’s character.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

The zeal for the discipline of the house is the zeal for the pruning of the House.

NOTE: There is a need for rods in Christian Churches and families. Wise discipline, and judicious prining is necessary if we are going to be the house of God he has created us to be for His glory.

Hebrews 12:6 “For the Lord disciplines the ones he loves.”

The moment that discipline dissapears from the Church all sense of morality dissapear.

This principle has proven to be true time and time again, Churches that fail to live under the character and disciplining hand of God will soon move down the slippery slope of moral decay.

John 15:1–5 ESV

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

The zeal for the discipline of the house is the zeal for the virtues of the house

NOTE: You may be aware of the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, slothfullness, wrath, envy, and pride. These are all knownw throughout the Catholic Church in the famous writting of Dante’s “The Divine Comedy, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

Obviously we cannot achieve a state of perfect sinlessness, for “if we say we do not sin, we deceive ourself, and the truth is not in us.” But, if we cannot be sinless, we should strive to be, blameless.

1 Peter 1:15–16 ESV

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

VIRTUES ARE THINKING AND FEELING LIKE JESUS

Dane Ortland “Gentle and Lowly”

“Jesus is not trigger-happy. Not harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated, He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open arms.”

Christ’s heart does not just compel us to draw near to him; it constrains us to reflect him. Jesus’s life doesn’t only achieve salvation for sinners; it models for us the kind of life we should live. We are told to love our neighbor as ourselves - and, in Jesus, we see what that kind of love looks like. The Bible’s vices of virtues are not a generic do’s and don’t list; the are the character qualities of every genuine disciple and follower of Christ who follow in his footsteps. They are byproducts of our union and commuion with Christ. Abiding in him produces fruit in us.

“If we spent as much time marveling at Jesus as we spent consuming the news, how much more would our lives reflect the perfect God-man, rather than the empty rhetoric of fallen man”

1 Peter 2:11–12 ESV

11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

The challenge in front of us is to let he principles of everlasting beauty find it’s exquisite beauty examplified in our life and conversations to the world.

Where the house of the Lord had become a place of comercialism and worldly beauty, Jesus wanted to shine a light on the out of this world beauty that was standing right in front of their faces.

4. A Zeal for the Doctrines of the House.

It is the Churches vocation, and responsibility to defend the faith.

The Zeal for the Doctrine of the House is the zeal for the defense of the House.

1 Peter 3:13–15 ESV

13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

NOTE: It is our duty as believers to not let go of the vital doctrines of Christianity.

2 Timothy 4:2–4 ESV

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

This kind of zeal implies a mental hostility towards error.

ERRORS IN THE LAST CENTURY

Denial of everlasting punishment

(you can preach on almost any other subject, but, the moment you preach about the reality of hell and eternal punishment for sin, hold the phone.)

The Sacredness of the Sabath Day

( “Remember the Sabath Day and Keep it Holy.)

The clear truth in the Doctrines of Salvation

(Salvation, in Christ alone, and through Christ alone, some religions wear the cross of Christ around their neck, I wear it in my heart. No sermon is worth delivering if it is not sprinkled with the blood of Christ.)

We must not allow ourselves to be sucked into calling into question vital truths of the gospel, - the incarnation of Christ, the atonement, justification by fatih.

NOTE: Jesus was in complete control of the situation in the Temple that day. The Holiness of God and zeal that Jesus had for worship was undeniable.

CONCLUSION

In Life and Death Jesus Was the Master of the Situation

Imagine a basketball game. It's almost the end of overtime; it's time for one last shot. Who do you want to have the ball? You want the calmest and best player out there. Or imagine the security of the nation is threatened. Threat levels have gone through the roof, and an attack is imminent. Who do you want to have the nuclear codes? Who do you want making the final call on what to do or not to do? You want someone who is calm under pressure. Or here's one more example. Imagine you need a crucial surgery to save your life or the life of a loved one. Who do you want behind that scalpel? Who do you want performing the surgery? Of course you want the best doctor available.

That's how the Gospels present Jesus as he faces the cross. He's under extreme pressure—pressure that we will never even fathom. He's actually sweating drops of blood. And yet at every stage Jesus is calm. He is in control of himself.

But Jesus also leaves every sports star, every politician, every surgeon far behind. It's not just that Jesus is in control of himself; Jesus is in control of the events themselves. It's not just that he's able to handle his own adrenaline; he's able to dictate the result. It's not just he's able to act wisely under pressure; he's able to determine the outcome. Jesus isn't just able to respond skillfully to what he finds; he already knows what he will find, and has already mapped out the solution to the deepest human problem of all.

Jesus stands out in this because he is in control of the entire sweep of human history, even as he goes through his death.

Jesus trip to the Temple that day had already been in his divine plan, It had skillfully already been mapped out, and he already knew what He would find, and has already mapped out the solution to the deepest human problem of all.

The zeal of the Lord for his house is undeniably good, but it is never safe.

Heart Questions:

What are you full of zeal for Today?

(security, comfort, family)

What would happen if you had that kind of zeal for God’s house?