John Chapter 2 Verses 13 – 17

 John is the only disciple that gives us this scene. This actually

happened twice. Once at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (in this

scene given to us by John) and again at the end of Jesus’ ministry

which is a scene given to us in the other gospels.

 In all the characteristics of Jesus, this is one that is remember the

least. Doesn’t fit the mold of how people think of Him. He makes a

whip of cords, a weapon, drives people out of the temple, turns over

tables and pours out their money. Toxic masculinity! HA! Maybe not,

but at any rate, not the same Jesus in people’s minds that willingly

took the cross for His enemies.

 During the time of the Passover, the crowds in Jerusalem would be

substantial. People would come from all over to the city and it says

here they came “up” to Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples were north

of Jerusalem… But Jerusalem sits on a hill. So, anyone coming to the

Temple, no matter where they were coming from, would be going

“up” to the temple.

 A city of normally around 20,000 people would overnight turn into

city hosting millions of people! The temple itself would be particularly

crowded. There were three festivals of the Jews that the Jewish males

were commanded to attend in Jerusalem. Deuteronomy 16:16 says,

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your

God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread

(Passover), at the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and at the Feast of

Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-

handed.”

 Every family was to bring an animal sacrifice of either a lamb, an ox,

or a dove, depending upon their financial ability. The men had to pay a

temple-tax which was equivalent to two days’ worth of wages. This

would be the primary means by which the temple would fund its

operations for the year. A bit of an issue here though, people would

come from all over with all types of currency.

 Today, the US dollar is involved in roughly 90% of all foreign

exchange transactions and makes up around 60% of global central

bank foreign exchange reserves. However, there are some nations

today that the US dollar is not accepted. North Korea, Cuba,

Venezuela, Russia, Iran are some examples. The money in your pocket

is worthless there…

 This was the situation in the first century for most currencies in

foreign countries. What’s more, most coin currency bore the image of

the regent where it was from. Talk about idolatry! Remember when

Jesus asked the Herodians in Matthew 22 when they brought him a

coin asking Him about paying taxes? He said to them, “Whose image

and inscription/word is this?”

 So, the temple tax could not be paid with pagan property. To remedy

this, they setup money changers in the court of the gentiles (moved in

from the Kidron Valley), and these were exchange clerks if you will,

that would exchange all of the foreign currency into temple currency.

Actually, a great show of respect and worship towards God. The

problem was they were taking advantage of the people and exchanging

currency in such a way as to turn a profit for themselves.

 On top of that, this is Passover. Every male or household would be

required, expected to bring a sacrifice. An unblemished lamb, ox or

dove to be the atonement of the sin of their family to God. Now,

traveling days on foot to get there, who wanted to bring an animal

with them? And the possibility of it picking up a blemish along the

way and not being accepted by the priests!?

 No problem, they had you covered. You could purchase a pre-

screened unblemished lamb right there at the temple! Now, have you

ever bought a soda at a movie theater or at a theme park? How do

those clerks keep a straight face!? $8 for a bottle of water!? Same

thing was happening here… The oxen and sheep and doves were

wildly overpriced and an unfair burden to the people!

 Jesus sees all of this and activates. Not in an outburst of wrath or a

red-faced tirade! Notice, He takes the time to make a whip of cords.

Calm, collected, locked-in and resolved! There is absolutely NO way

Jesus was going to allow people to be abused in the name of

worship…

 Also, notice He says not to those who sold lambs and oxen but He

speaks to the those who sold doves. Doves were the animal sacrifice

used by the poorest of the people. The point here is and what’s

happening here is God is absolutely intolerable to people being taken

advantage of by others. People being abused. It is entirely opposite of

the character of love and typically the most vulnerable are the easiest

targets.

 You drive through an affluent area and you can hardly find a church.

But drive through an area that is severely poverty stricken and for

every three houses, there’s a church. I get the whole, “blessed are the

poor in spirit,” idea and, “it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye

of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven

bit…” I get that. And, for every church, there’s probably a pastor

living off the people and in one of those three houses… That makes

me a little crazy…

 Proverbs 31:9 instructs us to, “plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

Psalm 82:3-4 says, “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the

afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the

hand of the wicked.” Cruelty is to leverage a vulnerability in order to

inflict harm for the purpose of personal advantage. That simply does

not have a chance of being unconfronted in the presence of a God and

King who would willingly give His life to save His enemy.

 What an impossibly horrible representation of God. This was all

happening in the temple! This misrepresentation of the Father… Let

that be a thought in your heart when you are angry with your brother.

Unforgiving and critical and selfish… Just for a moment, set aside

your earthly justification and ponder the representation of God you are

delivering to the world! Jesus can’t stand it!

 The Father’s house is not a house of merchandise; it is a house of

worship! Merchandise is trade. And trade we do. Greetings and

affection and conversation and all that… But that is not primary.

Sacrifice, man… This is the Christian way! That we come here to

worship God, to meet with Him and to serve each other as unto the

Lord. Don’t get too heavy on the people though. What you allow, you

affirm… The way churches are setup today, pastors showing up right

in time to preach and then disappearing, shops and stores and

restaurants and productions and on and on… Culture is set by those in

command… And thus, a stricter judgement…

 The same Jesus that bore the sin of the world made a whip of chords,

drove people out of the temple and turned over the tables of the money

changers… To preserve and protect and project the proper

representation of the love the Father!

 And John tells us that this was a fulfillment of prophecy! He

references Psalm 69:9, a Psalm of David that spoke of the coming

Messiah! Impossibly, it has been calculated that Jesus fulfilled over

300 Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah in His

birth, life, death and resurrection. The probability of someone

fulfilling just 8 is a mathematical impossibility! Jesus alone is

qualified practically in all of time to be the promised Savior!

John Chapter 2 Verse 18

 They didn’t question WHY He did this! They knew their hands were

dirty! This is nuts! Why were they doing this in the temple! To make

money! NO! They were doing this in the temple because the

priesthood and temple authority allowed it! They knew they were

doing wrong! Man, leaders… wake up! The team knows what is going

on in the team that is wrong! They’re many times waiting for you to

confront it! And then when you don’t, it becomes the way… And

those that cannot bear it…, leave! Leaders need to be courageous in

righteous leadership!

 And this is crazy! Show us a sign!? You just got one! Leadership, zeal,

authority, effectivity! All of these and so much more were signs of

exactly who Jesus was! But the wicked see the goodness of God all

day long and never see it….

John Chapter 2 Verses 19 – 22

 SO much going on in these scene and statement. First of all, it would

be them that would destroy Jesus’ body. He is basically telling them

that they can do their worst and He will still defeat them! This is the

promise of God upon all sin, darkness, evil and unrighteousness! God

can and will and always does overcome it all! That is one of the

reasons He is the All Mighty!

 Jesus also gave a statement of incredible strength and capability.

Destroy this temple and I will raise it up! Who raised Jesus from the

dead? Have you ever looked into that in the scripture? According to

Jesus, Jesus rose Jesus from the grave! Now, check this out! Galatians

1:1, “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through

Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)!” So

according to the Bible, God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. But

wait, there’s more! Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised

Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead

will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells

in you.” So, the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead! Well, who was

it? Jesus, the Father or the Spirit? YES!

 So, Jesus says this and His disciples hear it, they don’t understand it,

but three years later they do. Sometimes the things of God work like

that! Takes patience to understand what God has said, what He has

done… To grasp the full understanding…

John Chapter 2 Verses 23 – 25

 I love this bit of narrative. John is basically saying that what we’ve

already learned of Jesus is enough. And if we believe then we are on

the right track and if we don’t, it’s entirely on us. God does not need

me to give Him credit for being God in order to be God. He is God

anyway. And His Word will stand!

 They call Him, “Jesus meek and mild,” but in reality, He is Jesus,

meek and magnificent! Meek and All Mighty! Because He won’t force

Himself or His will upon anyone in this world…, AND…, this is still

His world! And all things will function according to His Word and

ultimate justice. Maybe not justice in the moment…, He will not force

His will, that’s why He told them, “Destroy this temple…”

 You’re going to do what you’re going to do and I won’t stop that.

That’s love. Love is patient, love is willing to yield, BUT, I will raise

Myself back up in the end! In the end, I will be the absolute last one

standing…

 They believed because of the signs and Jesus knew that wouldn’t

sustain them… He knew they would turn on them… And He still

loved them. He knows the absolute worst about Me and still pleads to

support, bless, uphold, provide and save Me. The love of God is so far

beyond what I think it is… And for that, man, I am so thankful!