John 2:13-22 THE HOLY ANGER
“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.”
The story of the Passover will be found in the book of Exodus starting in verse 12. The Passover is the commemoration of God's goodness to Israelites who were spared from the plagues sent to Egypt through the sacrificial blood of the lamb put on the doorposts and lintel of the houses in which they ate. This is a Jewish memorial day that the Lord wanted them to keep this "as a feast to the Lord; throughout generations, as a statute forever" (v. 14).
So when Passover was approaching, Jesus went to the temple. But to His disappointment, He found utter perversion of the house of the Lord.
“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. And He told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.’”
Jesus cleansed the temple that was full of sellers and money-changers that took advantage of those who wanted to worship at the temple. Instead of keeping the temple and the Passover holy, those people took it as an opportunity to do business for the convenience of the people, local and foreign. There was an abundant demand for oxen and doves for sacrificial purposes, which made it harder to bring by foreigners from distant places. The Jews were required to pay one half-shekel annually as an offering to the Lord (Exodus 30:13). And in Jesus' eyes, these people were cheating the worshipers and making the temple a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13).
Here we can see the other side of Jesus: angry and full of zeal for the House of the God! Jesus does not tolerate perversion and corruption especially in the Temple. He dislike injustice, exploitation, and sin of any kind that disgraces God the Father. Here we see Jesus' holy anger towards the peoples' sins; disrespecting the Passover that established God's faithfulness forever throughout generations and disrespecting God Himself for their personal gain.
WE ARE GOD'S TEMPLE
Aside from His zeal towards the physical temple, Jesus is also zealous for us because we are "God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in us... For God's temple is HOLY, and WE ARE THAT TEMPLE" (1 Corin. 3:16-17). But how many times did we also pervert our own bodies for our own pleasure? How many times did we submit to our own flesh rather than the Spirit?
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, which is your spiritual worship.””
PRAYER
God of mercy, we come humbly before Your throne of grace. We acknowledge all of our sins against you and against Your temple that is our bodies. We know that You have called us to be holy and blameless, yet we choose to live as though we are not Yours. Father, we ask for Your forgiveness and healing power to release us from our sins. Would You cleanse us again by the blood of Jesus. Would you empower us by Your Holy Spirit to resist the devil and all his schemes. Father, we want to live the right way and to truly worship You. Help us, Oh' Lord in our weaknesses. I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen!