Let’s check in on what’s going on with Jesus.
Jesus has come to Jerusalem for the last time. He’s intent on completing the sacrifice for our sins. But before that happens, he has some work to do…
One thing on His agenda, a visit to the temple.
The temple may not be what you imagine it to be. It was a large complex. There were multiple buildings and structures spread out over a large, prominent part of the city of Jerusalem. The temple proper was in the middle, but as you entered, you would have gone through a number of courtyards.
Here’s a picture from the Model City in Jerusalem picturing what the temple would have been line in Jesus’ time. You can see the entire temple complex inside the walls. The actual temple itself is right there in the center of the plaza. All around it are wide open areas.
When Jesus came to the temple, the plaza was full of commerce. People were there selling animals for sacrifices (if you came from a long way away, you wouldn’t be able to bring a lamb with you). There were also money changers (Roman coins had Caesar’s image stamped on them, and had to be exchanged for Jewish coins that did not have any human faces).
The temple was big business. No doubt the Levites who ran all these shops were turning a tidy profit. Of course, all in the name of convenience for worshippers. Enhancing their worship experience by providing all the resources they needed at their fingertips. All for a price, of course.
But imagine the chaos and bedlam and noise and smells and mess that would have come with all the livestock and the merchants shouting their wares. This was not a proper setting for the worship of God. It stole from the focus on God to be all about the goings on in the courtyard.
When Jesus arrived on the scene, it infuriated Him. He called the merchants thieves for extorting the worshippers and taking advantage of their position. This was God’s house, where God was to be worshipped, and they were no longer welcome there.
So Jesus drove them out. In John 2 we read that He used a bunch of cords fashioned into a whip or scourge and probably struck those were too slow to get the message. When He was done, all the livestock and merchants were outside the walls of the temple complex. The money changers were gone and their coins were all dumped on the ground.
Why does this matter to us today?
In Jesus time the business of religion got in the way of the worship of God. That was nothing more than idolatry. All the buying and selling and money changing had overtaken the purpose that the temple served.
Only a few days earlier, as He rode into town, He said that if proper praise and worship was not offered, then the rocks would cry out. Now He cleaned up the scene in the temple so that proper worship could happen there too.
We are not immune to this tendency today either. We can get so wrapped up in the mechanics of our faith, that we miss out on the heart of our faith.
This week is all about the Resurrection. The final sacrifice that that dealt with the problem of sin forever. Is that your focus?
Have you allowed other matters to crowd out the truth of the Resurrection? Now would be a good time to repent and ask God to renew your focus on the earth-shattering truth of this weekend.
I’m not just talking about this week because it’s the week of the passion. I’m talking about every day. We who believe live in the shadow of the cross daily, and enjoy the brilliance of the empty tomb as a way of life. Don’t trade this for religious business or apathy.
As we approach Calvary and the Resurrection, take inventory and do what you need to re-orient your life on what truly matters.
Blessings,
Dennis
P.S. I completely forgot to tell you about something in the last email. Since was about the need to worship Jesus I completely blanked out on telling you about the great worship aide I have on sale. Now through Resurrection Sunday, I’ve put my book I Will Sing of My Redeemer on sale for 99c.
I Will Sing of My Redeemer is a devotional book that dives into the lyrics of 52 classic, great hymns of the faith. It’s amazing how often those hymns celebrate the cross and the resurrection. They are wonderfully gospel drenched.
If you’re looking for a resource to quiet your heart and direct it to Jesus (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus), these hymns will take you there.
I can’t tell you how many tears I shed while writing it as I contemplated the great truths that support our faith. It was a lot. There were times I was glad I could touch type, because I couldn’t see the letters on my keyboard.
I think this book will serve you well either to start your day, or to wind it down (or as a pick-me-up in the middle). And for 99c you can’t beat the price.
You can find it on Amazon US here. Or Amazon UK here.
If you like to buy someplace other than Amazon, this page will give you the option of 11 different stores.
If you would like to support me directly, you can get the ebook from my website here.
Anticipating the Resurrection,
D
