Jesus Cleanses the Temple
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Welcome — I hope you’re well.
If you’re new, we go through books of the Bible, we’re in Matthew.
If you don’t have a Bible, you can have the one in the pew in front of you.
Let’s go to page 482 together. .
If you’re able, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
Matthew
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,
and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
Most of the world believes in God. Most of the world embraces this idea — we long for something more. The Bible even acknowledges this reality.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
“ETERNITY INTO OUR HEART” — we long for something more than what’s in front of us.
And the Bible is so blatant about the truth. Sometimes we make it more confusing than it is.
So, many of us, we take on a form of godliness/religiosity/spirituality… THE PROBLEM is we make it about US. It’s not about worshipping God, it’s about alleviating our anxiety, fear, loneliness, sense of longing we talked about a minute ago...
But here’s what’s real: Faith isn’t about us, it’s primarily about God.
We get that mixed up. And when we get that mixed up, we often miss the whole point.
So what does that look like?
When we make faith primarily about us:
(1) We make our faith almost exclusively about us.
We’re less likely to take risks
We’re less likely to be uncomfortable for the sake of mission and ministry
We’re always weighing mission and ministry against how it will affect us and make us feel. We only give when it’s easy + safe + convenient.
(2) We lack a relational prayer life.
We ask God for things sometimes, but again, it’s always about us.
We’re too busy doing things that make us look good + or that advance our agenda, prayer is our last concern.
Prayer simply seems pointless to us.
As a result, our faith is void of any real power or substance.
(3) We see others as obstacles rather than children of God.
So: “I like you if you make me better...”
But: “If you’re a problem to me in any way, I want nothing to do with you.”
To us, people become the problem… But to God, people are the POINT. Do you see the difference???
The religious people in Jerusalem had made their whole faith system earnestly, but they missed the mark — they worked hard at it, but missed the point of it… It’s sad, really. But we do it too!
Big idea for today: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
And I am not talking about songs or music or anything like that necessarily… that’s a part of it, sure. But I am talking about our day-in-day-out worship of God… how we approach God in the real world, in our lives, everyday.
Big idea for today: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
Org. sentence: (1) Better understand the temple, (2) Why Jesus is upset at what’s going on, and (3) how are we to think about this in light of the whole of Scripture?
description
subject
Jesus in the temple
what text saying about subject?
Jesus drives people out of the temple
response?
worship appropriately
how does text elicit response?
Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, accepts children’s identifying him as Messiah
how does fit in history of redemption?
The people of God have always been called to worship God appropriately… God made us, and called it good, all the way back in Genesis. Unfortunately, we have not heeded that command. We do not worship God as we should. Fortunately, Jesus DOES! Jesus is the one who worshipped God rightly, and when we give our life to him, because of his death and resurrection, we can have the benefits of his perfect obedience — which is life with God under God’s good and perfect rule!
primary claim: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
against prosperity gospel
MARK talks about chief priests wanting to kill Jesus… also, “house of prayer for ALL NATIONS”
temple area was for Gentiles and Jews, alike. Then you made your way to area only for Jews
Keller Q: “And this is a place where the Gentiles were supposed to find God through quiet reflection and prayer?”
Jesus is coming against what was thought of at the time… people thought the temple would be cleaned of foreigners… when actually Jesus was cleaning it FOR the foreigners… Jesus was acting as their “advocate”
the temple pointed to Eden… the perfect temple… ultimately we forfeited this when we rebelled against God… we were separated.
Keller quote pg 158… nobody gets back without the sword
temple had the holy of holies… only once a year… only a Jewish priest carrying a blood sacrifice
but we are told that one day the world will be the holy of holies!
John Owen… “the death of death in the death of Christ.” Keller: “When Jesus went under the sword, it broke his body, but it also broke itself.”
mark 15:38, the veil ripped…
What is the temple? (vs. 12)
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
Up to this point, Jesus has been doing almost all of his ministry outside of the city, outside of Jerusalem.
We noticed last week, Jesus making this pretty incredible entry back into Jerusalem, people cheering and praising and all excited.
And following that he strolls into the temple. The temple was so significant, it was the place of worship — it was the place of sacrifice.
If we look all the way back to the beginning of the Bible, what we would find is Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden.
The Garden was lush with beauty and perfection. The food was plentiful, the scenery was colorful and warm, the relationship between God and mankind was perfectly connected. Adam and Eve had direct access to God. They spoke to each other freely and without boundary. It was without pain, without suffering, without drama!
The Garden of Eden was a type of Temple, the place where God’s people would commune with God. A place of peace, a place of connection with the creator God.
Unfortunately, this harmonious communion didn’t last long.
Adam and Eve, rather than trusting in God, chose to obey the lying serpent and rebel.
Like all sin, theirs was one of distrust and pride. The serpent told Adam and Eve, that they could be like God… and that God was withholding from them.
So they chose to disobey, to rebel the creator… with the desire to be exalted themselves!
And this fractured their relationship with God. This ultimately, altered the course of history. They had to leave Eden, and their relationship with God changed forever.
Their perspective did expand, but not in the way they probably imagined. They now understand the potential for pain + suffering… loneliness + other mysterious evils. They got what they wanted… they were not on their own, to make for themselves a good life — and to say it was difficult would be a radical understatement.
See, the temple that Jesus walks into — is the place where people would make sacrifices to God… which acted as a symbol of sorts… the sacrifices represented the cost that their sins incurred. There was a debt that was owed.
If you’ve ever been wronged or if anyone has ever stolen from you, then you know what this feels like.
When wrongs are committed against us, something is lost in the process, and rarely are we ever the same as a result. Damage incurs, there is loss, there is suffering.
This is what the temple sacrifices represented. A GOOD GOD HAD TO DEMAND THAT JUSTICE BE DONE TO ATONE FOR THE SIN/WRONGDOING.
And the temple sacrifices were the means by which followers of God would make amends for their wrongdoing.
Interestingly, what we also know is that there were major ethnic and racial tensions concerning the temple.
The outside area of the temple was where non-Jewish worshippers could come and participate… but there were inner courts where only Jews could participate.
Why is Jesus upset? (vs. 12-13)
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
The people were there to worship, to make their sacrifices.
But what was happening is that there were people in the outer court, up-charging for sacrifices, and ultimately exploiting the poor. Pigeons were sold to the poor who could not afford a lamb. But the merchants were taking advantage of them.
And this frustrated Jesus.
The religious leaders of the temple had found a way to monetize the sacrificial system in such a way as to (1) take advantage of the poor and (2) the foreigner.
people were traveling large distances to make sacrifices in the temple, and ultimately, they were being taken advantage of.
Jesus was not having it!
Interestingly, what we also know is that there were major ethnic and racial tensions concerning the temple.
The outside area of the temple was where non-Jewish worshippers could come and participate… but there were inner courts where only Jews could participate.
This is where it gets really interesting, because now we begin to notice what Jesus is doing, why he is upset, and why the religious leaders become so upset with him.
But first, we need to look at Mark’s account, because he adds one short phrase that gives us a bit more context...
Mark
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.”
Jesus is quoting .
isaiaih 56:7
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.”
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people”… Jesus quotes it by changing the word “peoples” to “nations”
But, do you see what he is doing?
Jesus is coming against what was thought of as right at the time… people thought the temple would be cleaned of foreigners… when actually Jesus was cleaning it FOR the foreigners… Jesus was acting as their “advocate”
That’s pretty radical!
Jesus is coming against what was thought of at the time… people thought the temple would be cleaned of foreigners… when actually Jesus was cleaning it FOR the foreigners… Jesus was acting as their “advocate”
And that’s fairly relevant for us, isn’t it?
Craig Blomberg says:
The New American Commentary: Matthew 1. True Discipleship versus Harsher Condemnation for the Jewish Leaders (19:1–22:46)
But Jesus’ challenge runs deeper than merely lamenting the replacement of worship with nationalism or decrying unjust business practices. The Jewish scholar, J. Neusner, rightly recognizes that Jesus is in fact threatening the whole sacrificial system.
Tim Keller writes in his book, Jesus the King:
Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God Opening the Temple
The tabernacle, the temple, and the whole sacrificial system—the only solution to the problem of the sword and the only access, however limited, to the presence of God—were only for the Israelites. So when Jesus quoted Isaiah to imply that the Gentiles could get access to the presence of God, the people were amazed.
Jesus is saying, “I am doing away with the division. I am doing away with the whole temple system. I am making a way for people to have direct access to God!”
And the religious leaders are not happy about it!
And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.
They wanted to kill Jesus because they were so entrenched in their power, greed, and racism!
These are some of the same challenges the current Church faces!
Do you realize that the Bible does NOT teach that God loves certain kinds of people more than others?!
It actually teaches the OPPOSITE!!!
How are we to think about this passage in light of the whole of Scripture? (vs. 13-17)
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,
and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
Big idea for today: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
s
There’s a lot we can learn from the religious leaders.
I think our first propensity is to point our fingers, and shake our heads, to essentially judge them… but we first need to recognize how like them we are!
Like the religious leaders in the first century, our propensity is to make our faith in God all about US! When we do that, we will inevitably end up in the wrong place.
When we do that… we put on the strappings of religion — we might be super involved in a church — we might do a lot of busy religious activities — but we remain an enemy of God!
Because ultimately all of what we do is to aimed at God, not ourselves!
In reality, I think our enemy works subversively, in a way that is easily overlooked [flying under the radar], and is often influencing us in ways we don’t even know. In the Bible, Lucifer’s first sin was that of pride — SELF-PREOCCUPATION, SELF-WORSHIP. When our faith resembles that, that we are not practicing Christianity, it’s actually the opposite!
Let’s look at again:
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.”
“A house of prayer...”
PRAYER — a vertically focused activity, the hardest of spiritual disciplines to cultivate for humans… but the most significant and life-altering one.
Does your ministry cultivate prayer or squeeze it out?
Most people will do anything but pray!
Does your pace of life include a leisurely posture of prayer? I would go as far to say that that is probably the most significant thing you could do!
Is to cultivate a life of prayer. I bet your whole life would change. No kidding.
Big idea for today: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
matthew 21:
Prayer is God-worshipping, not us-worshipping.
Prayer is where we best know ourselves, and where we best know God… Prayer is where we are exposed before God, as we really are… Prayer is where we listen and wait upon the Lord. Prayer is where we cry out to God with our doubts and fears and longing and sin. Prayer is where we sit before the Lord… with words, with silence, with eagerness, with space, with rest… it’s where the power is.
You see the urgency of this in the children crying out after Jesus, this is what offended the religious leaders most… it’s what offends demons as well.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,
matthew 21:14-
All of a sudden, the broken, poor + destitute, the Gentiles [for Heaven’s sake] are being healed and cared for!
The children cry out, “HOSANNA!”
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Hosanna
The term is simply a transliteration of the Heb imperative hôšaʿ, “save,” augmented by the enclitic precative particle - (n)nā, which adds a note of urgency, “save, now/please.”
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Hosanna
ʿannā YHWH hôšı̂ʿā (h)nnā
“Oh, please, Lord, save (us), please!
ʿannā YHWH haṣlı̂ḥā (h)nnā
Oh, please, Lord, prosper (us), please!”
They are in awe… Their response is genuine, raw, unadulterated WORSHIP!!!
“Lord, save us!!!”
The people of God have always been called to worship God appropriately… God made us, and called us good, all the way back in Genesis. Unfortunately, we have not heeded that command. We do not worship God as we should. Fortunately, Jesus DOES! Jesus is the one who worshipped God rightly, and when we give our life to him, because of his death and resurrection, we can have the benefits of his perfect obedience — which is life with God under God’s good and perfect rule!
The people of God have always been called to worship God appropriately… God made us, and called it good, all the way back in Genesis. Unfortunately, we have not heeded that command. We do not worship God as we should. Fortunately, Jesus DOES! Jesus is the one who worshipped God rightly, and when we give our life to him, because of his death and resurrection, we can have the benefits of his perfect obedience — which is life with God under God’s good and perfect rule!
Big idea for today: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.
All of these sacrifices point to death, they point to sin!
John Owen famously said, “the death of death [is found] in the death of Christ.”
Keller put it this way:
“When Jesus went under the sword, it broke his body, but it also broke itself.”
The natural and appropriate response to this, for the Christian, is awe! Worship! Prayer!
Jesus is king, but he came as a servant.
One author wrote,
“In Jesus we find infinite majesty yet complete humility, perfect justice yet boundless grace, absolute sovereignty yet utter submission, all-sufficiency in himself yet entire trust and dependence on God.”
Application:
Community Group Reflection:
Read . What is the temple and why is it significant?
Read . Why is Jesus upset?
Read . How are we to think about this passage in light of the whole of Scripture?
Communion:
L: In the night in which he was betrayed, Our lord Jesus took bread,He gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.Do this for the remembrance of me.
L: Again, after supper,He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying; this cup is The new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.Do this for the remembrance of me.
Silent Reflection – to prepare our hearts toCome to the Lords table
L: Jesus' death brings us life and this meal reminds us that we are fed by Jesus and forgiven because of Jesus.
C: We rejoice that You have died, have risen, and are now with the Father advocating for us. Amen.
L: With our money, time, and talent we give generously, knowing that through Your Son, Jesus, You have generously given to us.
C: We rejoice that You have given everything and we joyfully give everything back to Your care. Amen.
L: If you believe Jesus died to forgive you your sins you are welcome to come,
L: Come for all is ready
Benediction :
To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen! Peace be with you
—
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against prosperity gospel
MARK talks about chief priests wanting to kill Jesus… also, “house of prayer for ALL NATIONS”
temple area was for Gentiles and Jews, alike. Then you made your way to area only for Jews
Keller Q: “And this was the place where the Gentiles were supposed to find God through quiet reflection and prayer?”
the temple pointed to Eden… the perfect temple… ultimately we forfeited this when we rebelled against God… we were separated.
the temple pointed to Eden… the perfect temple… ultimately we forfeited this when we rebelled against God… we were separated.
Keller quote pg 158… nobody gets back without the sword
temple had the holy of holies… only once a year… only a Jewish priest carrying a blood sacrifice
but we are told that one day the world will be the holy of holies!
John Owen… “the death of death in the death of Christ.” Keller: “When Jesus went under the sword, it broke his body, but it also broke itself.”
mark 15:38, the veil ripped…
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 21
21:12 selling and buying Merchants were selling animals for sacrifices, and money changers converted the foreign currency of pilgrims into the temple’s official currency. See note on Mark 11:15.
doves The poor offered these in place of lambs (Lev 5:7–10). Jesus’ reaction may have been prompted, in part, by injustice done to the poor.
Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 21
21:13 cave of robbers Jesus’ rebuke—which quotes Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11—suggests that He is condemning corruption of the temple. This judgment might be aimed at commercial activity within the temple courts, or it might signal that oppressive (or unjust) practices were involved.
z
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 21
21:15–16 Hosanna to the Son of David! Jesus acknowledges the children’s praise and links it to Ps. 8:2, which the religious leaders should have known applied such praise to God, thus confirming Jesus as the divine Messiah.
The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Hosanna
The term is simply a transliteration of the Heb imperative hôšaʿ, “save,” augmented by the enclitic precative particle - (n)nā, which adds a note of urgency, “save, now/please.”
---
The New American Commentary: Matthew 1. True Discipleship versus Harsher Condemnation for the Jewish Leaders (19:1–22:46)
The poor who couldn’t afford to buy sheep to sacrifice could substitute doves in their place (Lev 5:7). The Mishnaic document M. Ker. 1:7 gives evidence, at least from a later date, that extortionary prices for doves exacerbated the plight of the poor.
The New American Commentary: Matthew 1. True Discipleship versus Harsher Condemnation for the Jewish Leaders (19:1–22:46)
Jesus may be accusing the leaders of having converted the temple into a “nationalist stronghold.”
The New American Commentary: Matthew 1. True Discipleship versus Harsher Condemnation for the Jewish Leaders (19:1–22:46)
But Jesus’ challenge runs deeper than merely lamenting the replacement of worship with nationalism or decrying unjust business practices. The Jewish scholar, J. Neusner, rightly recognizes that Jesus is in fact threatening the whole sacrificial system.56
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eighteen: The King’s Judgments (Matthew 21:1–22:14)
They had turned the court of the Gentiles into a place where foreign Jews could exchange money and purchase sacrifices. What had begun as a service and convenience for visitors from other lands soon turned into a lucrative business. The dealers charged exorbitant prices and no one could compete with them or oppose them.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eighteen: The King’s Judgments (Matthew 21:1–22:14)
The purpose of the court of the Gentiles in the temple was to give the “outcasts” an opportunity to enter the temple and learn from Israel about the true God. But the presence of this “religious market” turned many sensitive Gentiles away from the witness of Israel. The court of the Gentiles was used for mercenary business, not missionary business.
function
description
subject
Jesus in the temple
what text saying about subject?
Jesus drives people out of the temple
response?
worship appropriately
how does text elicit response?
Jesus quotes , accepts children’s identifying him as Messiah
how does fit in history of redemption?
The people of God have always been called to worship God appropriately… God made us, and called it good, all the way back in Genesis. Unfortunately, we have not heeded that command. We do not worship God as we should. Fortunately, Jesus DOES! Jesus is the one who worshipped God rightly, and when we give our life to him, because of his death and resurrection, we can have the benefits of his perfect obedience — which is life with God under God’s good and perfect rule!
primary claim: In this passage we see a description of what it looks like to appropriately worship God.