Passion Week - Jesus in the Temple
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Are you ready for the word?
Today is the first day of Passion Week -
Events of passion week are recorded in the four gospels.
The major events of passion week include:
Jesus in Jerusalem - starting with what we call His triumphal Entry.
Jesus’ Trial - by the Jewish religious leaders
Jesus’ Crucifixion - the leaders persuaded Rome to enact to death penalty - death by cross
Jesus’ resurrection - God concours all, defeating death, hell, and the grave - establishing a way for us to have relationship with God
Today we look at Jesus in Jerusalem - Which starts on Palm Sunday - Sermon titled - Jesus in the Temple
1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Matthew, Mark, and Like tell the story from the perspective of Jesus sending His disciples to prepare for His entry to Jerusalem.
John’s account of the entry into Jerusalem is from the people’s perspective - them receiving Jesus.
12 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
The King of Israel!”
14 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:
15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion;
Behold, your King is coming,
Sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
Hosanna - A praise of Save us please!
The people are excited and rejoicing because they believe the King that the Old Testament spoke about has come to deliver them from Roman rule and to establish His kingdom for the Jews.
The Jews thought the Messiah was coming to establish His kingdom on earth.
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I would like to highlight 3 things that Jesus did after entering Jerusalem.
The first this Jesus does is:
Jesus cleanses the Temple
15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.
Religious leaders of the day had perverted worship of God - They made it all about money.
They took advantage of people by making them buy animals for sacrificing from the workers in the temple (amusement park store example).
Money changers - helped visitors change foreign money into Syrian silver, the money of Jerusalem at that time.
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Money Changers
Money changers were in the area with vendors who sold animals, birds, and other items used in temple worship and sacrifices. Such transactions were numerous and required the service of brokers who knew the value of foreign money. Some exchangers profited greatly and loaned their money along with what others invested with them. Their interest rates ranged from 20 to 300 percent per year.
Some people have made the Christian experience all about money - buy this blessed oil, blessed handkerchief, etc.
Jesus starts at this spiritual place of worship - the Temple.
He starts where it counts the most, He cleanses the temple and takes His place in the temple
Thats where Jesus starts with us today, where we worship or what we worship.
You cannot worship God and money.
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The rich don’t enter heaven because of riches
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”
Some of you have been turned off by the focus on money in some churches - Let Jesus in - He will make it right
Another thing Jesus does when he arrives in Jerusalem is:
2. Jesus heals in the temple.
14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
Jesus reveals that healing comes from a spiritual source - God
When our relationship with God is restored we have access to healing by faith in God.
Jesus came to provide healing for those in need
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus heals is our heart
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Previously, the religious leaders in the temple exploited the people, now Jesus heals the people!
People use this term church-hurts, negative things people experience at churches - let Jesus heal your heart
What type of healing do you need?
The third thing Jesus does is:
3. Jesus teaches in the temple.
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
People were hungry for the words Jesus spoke - they were hungry for the word of God!
Those listening became disciples of Jesus.
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
Jesus us revealing discipleship is an important element of your worship.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Our focus as a church should be on discipleship
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
3 things Jesus did
Jesus cleansed the temple
Jesus healed in the temple
Jesus taught in the temple
Scriptures reveal that the religious leaders sought to kill Jesus after he did these things!
Lets pray