Sermon Tone Analysis

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Introduction:
For this widowed, single mom, that day in the Temple felt like she was being rescued.
The reason she and most likely a couple of million other people were in Jerusalem and on their way to the Temple was to celebrate the greatest rescue in the history of the Hebrew people to that point.
They were in town to celebrate the Passover holiday that remembered how God had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt so many centuries ago.
The scene the widowed woman referred to is known as the “Cleansing of the Temple.”
While all four of the gospels retell this story, the version she is referring to that identifies Jesus not only turning over the money tables and pouring the coins on the ground, but also using a whip to drive out the animals and corruption, is found in John 2:13-22.
This episode made quite an impression on all who were in town for the Passover that year.
“13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14
In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.
15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen.
And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.16
And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”
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?”
21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”
John 2:13-22
The Occasion
It cannot be overstated how central both the Temple and the celebration of the Passover were to the people of God.
N.T. Wright suggests, “The temple was the beating heart of Judaism.
It wasn’t just a church on a street corner.
It was the center of worship and music, of politics and society, of national celebration and mourning….But, towering above all these, it was the place where Israel’s God had promised to live in the midst of his people.
It was the focal point of the nation, and of the national way of life.”
The fact that our story takes place during the week of Passover meant that the city of Jerusalem and the Temple itself would have been heaving with people.
Pilgrims from all over would have been crawling around the countryside trying to be a part of this annual celebration of the rescue of the people of God from Egypt in the events of the Exodus.
The laws stated that those who lived within 15 miles of Jerusalem had to return to celebrate each year.
Because the Jewish people were spread throughout the entire populated world by this time, it was customary for all Jews to make at least one pilgrimage back to the focal point of their heritage during their lifetime; back to Jerusalem, back to the Temple, back to bring a sacrifice, back to worship.
During the time of Passover it is estimated that over two million people would flock to the city to celebrate.
With this in mind, our text begins by letting us know that Jesus was in town for such a time as this.
“13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.”
John 2:13-14
The Temple & The Problem
Without getting into too much detail, the Temple was divided into different sections that enabled different groups of people different levels of access depending on race, ethnicity, and gender.
When initially walking through the gates of the Temple walls, one would enter a general area known as the Court of the Gentiles.
In this gathering space both Jews and Gentiles, men and women alike could find access and acceptance.
Biggest court, in series of nesting courts that increased in Holiness as they decreased in accessability.
Check this out - Show Image of Temple.
Those traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover would have a destination of the Temple to offer a sacrifice and to give a monetary Temple offering.
Because there were different qualifications for what made a sacrificial animal acceptable and what kinds of coins could be used for the Temple offering, kosher animals and appropriate coin exchanges were set up in the Court of the Gentiles to make it more convenient for people to participate in their ritual acts of worship.
Thus we see the animal vendors and money changers.
They were there to provide a service so that a person’s worship was up to acceptable kosher guidelines.
What had started as a service of convenience opportunity had turned into a scummy corrupt “greedfest.”
God’s Temple and God’s glory had been stained by the vile practices of usury and crooked business practices in the name of religion.
The outer courts had even become a short cut through to the other side of town for some people.
The reverence and awe of God was waning within the people who were into religious and ritualistic rhythms.
For many, it was about keeping a bunch of rules without really having a heart toward God.
When Jesus entered into the outer gates of the Temple courts, the first thing he smelled was the stench of animals.
The first thing he heard was the clatter of unscrupulous business practices.
The first thing he saw was his Father’s House being turned from a place of prayer and worship into a den of robbers and thieves.
The people of God needed rescuing again from the evil that had taken up residence in the House of God.
“15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen.
And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.16
And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:15-17
Jesus’ Reaction
The righteous anger began to rise inside of Jesus.
The people who had come to worship were being fleeced by those who were working the system; and the religious leaders of the Temple had endorsed it and were in on part of the take!
This was injustice.
This was oppression.
This was unacceptable.
And this made Jesus’ blood boil.
Although the text states that Jesus took or fashioned a whip to drive out the chaos of animals and money-changers, the early Christian biblical scholar, Jerome, thinks that the very sight of Jesus may have made the whip unnecessary.
He wrote, “A certain fiery and starry light shone from his eyes, and the majesty of the Godhead gleamed in his face.”
Jesus not only was cleansing the corruption from the Temple, he was making a statement by his actions.
Many scholars believe he was making a Messianic statement and fulfilling prophecies of old.
Some scholars even suggest the way Jesus acted with such demonstrative fashion was akin to a kind of “street theater” that conveyed a prophetic message in the moment justice.
Some of the Big Ones:
Jeremiah 7:1-15
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand in the gate of theLord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of theLord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.
4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of theLord.’
5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.
8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.
9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only
to go on doing all these abominations?
11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?
Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.
12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.
13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.
15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.”
Amos 5:21-25
21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.23
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?”
Isaiah 66:1-4
“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.
3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; 4 I also will choose harsh treatment for them and bring their fears upon them, because when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes and chose that in which I did not delight.”
What does that Signify?
These passages and others would had to have popped into the minds of those in the Temple on that day and in reflection upon what took place by Jesus’ actions.
When Jesus was cleansing the Temple in this matter he not only was removing corruption, but also was announcing in his actions that he was the long awaited Messiah.
This is tied into what verse 17 states about the disciples remembrance.
“His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
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