All Things New | A New Sacrifice, A New Worship, & A New Temple
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewJesus enters Jerusalem to worship at the annual Passover and finds that His Father's house (the Temple) was anything but a house of worship. It had become a business a house of thieves.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Jesus enters Jerusalem to worship at the annual Passover and finds that His Father's house (the Temple) was anything but a house of worship. It had become a business a house of thieves.
Focus Passage: John 2:13-22
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And within the temple grounds He found those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking about the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Outline
Jesus, his mother, family, and disciples all stayed in Cana for a few days, and then Jesus and His disciples, being obedient to the Law, traveled back to Jerusalem. As men, they were required to attend three feasts annually (The Passover, Pentecost, and Feasts of Tabernacles), according to the Law.
“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths; and they are not to appear before the Lord empty-handed.
The feasts mentioned in the Gospel of John are Passover (John 2:13; 6:4; 12:1), Tabernacles (John 7:2), and Dedication (John 10:22). The unnamed feast in John 5:1 may have been Purim (Es. 9:26, 31).
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 292.
The annual Passover took place in the second month of the year, Abib (April), on the fourteenth day of the Month. The days of Unleavened Bread would proceed from April 15 through April 21. This was a celebration of the Death Angel passing over the doors of the Jews as the first born of all Israelites were killed as a result of Pharaoh’s rebellion and heart toward God and not allowing His people, the Jews, to leave. As Jesus comes to the Holy City, Jerusalem, He sees that which causes Him grief, anger. Our text reveals some key truths that we must see and allow to change our lives.
Jesus had a zeal for His Father’s House
Jesus showed His zeal for His Father’s house by cleansing the temple
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And within the temple grounds He found those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”
What do you see within our text that would have caused Jesus to be upset?
How do you think Jesus would react if He came into the average church in America?
How do you think Jesus would react if He came into CBC on a Sunday morning worship service?
As Jesus came into the temple for the annual Passover, Jesus finds business rather than worship - ‘…those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers…’
The idea of exchanging money and selling oxen, sheep, and doves, was only part of the issue. When the people travelled for long distances for annual Passover, to carry their sacrifice would have been a feat. The religious leaders saw an opportunity to provide a way of convenience for them. They sold all the sacrifices that were needed for the wealthy (oxen and sheep) and the poor alike (doves). Not only that, the temple only accepted one form of currency, temple currency, so they made good on that too with money changers.
As Jesus came into the temple for the annual Passover, Jesus finds business rather than sharing - ‘…And within temple grounds…’
The “temple grounds” was the outer court or the Court of the Gentiles. Those within this court would not typically be those who were genuine followers of God. Rather than sharing the Law and the Prophets (the Word of God), they were there just making money off of them. These religious leaders were no faithful shepherds. They were wolves in sheep’s clothing promoting a false worship in place of genuine worship.
What are some examples of this type of “false gospel” within the church today?
How do we respond to this “false gospel” that is presented today?
Is it okay to be angry over this “false gospel” and is it okay to react in that anger?
As Jesus came into the temple, Jesus showed zeal for His Father’s house due to worship being replaced with business
How does Jesus show zeal for HIs Father’s house?
Jesus shows zeal for His Father’s house by cleaning house!
He drives everyone and everything out (v. 15)
He demands that convenient worship be removed (v. 16a)
He demands that house of God be a place of worship not business (v. 16b)
Jesus Had a Mission to Complete (vv. 18-21)
The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking about the temple of His body.
The Jews, like many today, seek evidence (a sign) of who Jesus is - ‘…What sign do You show us…’
This was the calling card for the Jews. It has always been a calling card for the Jews. As Paul declares this in his letter to the believers at Corinth.
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;
As we look around during our time, we see the same heart. People are always looking for a sign. They are looking at the Great American Eclipse of 2024, the Acadia infestation that is coming, the earthquake in New York, etc. They pray and seek God to do this to show that He is real. The reality of it is that God doesn’t have to show us anything.
Why do people look for evidence (signs) of Jesus before accepting Jesus?
The Jews, like many today, question Jesus’ authority - ‘…as your authority for doing these things…’
Jesus used their pride to reveal His Mission - ‘…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up…’
Jesus, speaking of the temple was not speaking of Herod’s Temple (2nd Temple) that began construction 20B.C. and was not completed until 63A.D. The Jews took great pride in this temple. Jesus took that which they had pride in and brought about a spiritual message. He speaks to them using a metaphor. He tells them that if they destroyed this temple (His body), that He would raise it up in three days (His resurrection). This was the purpose of the Gospel of John. It was to show that Jesus was the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. He was discussing spiritual things using the physical realm. They could not understand it. They were blinded by their lostness. Their state is a perfect picture of the lost around us.
As they requested a sign, a sign was already given. Jonah was the sign and the only sign that would be given outside of His death, burial, and resurrection: His Passion, His Mission.
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign; and so no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
As Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, to was revealing to them something new. For…
In Jesus All Thing Would Become New
Jesus was the new sacrificial Lamb - ‘…oxen, sheep, and doves…’
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Jesus was the new temple - ‘…Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up…But He was speaking of the temple of His body…’
Jesus would usher in a new worship that would be inward integrity and not geographical location (John 4)
Conclusion
In the end, this is the whole purpose of the Gospel of John. It was to reveal who Jesus was, is, and will always be. The entirety of the Gospel of John is written with a post resurrection perspective. This is shown through this text in a couple of ways.
The first being, the placement of the story of the cleansing of the temple within the Gospel of John. Thy synoptic gospels place this story at the end of the life of Christ as He is approaching the Cross, but John puts this in the beginning to force the emphasis of who Jesus is. As John writes through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he shows this post resurrection perspective within this text by two other references.
His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.”
But He was speaking about the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
Remember, this is the focus of this Gospel. It was about declaring Jesus as Lord, as Deity, as God in the flesh.
And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
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