13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money.15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?”21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body.22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.John 2:13-22 (NLT)

Why?

No outsider shall enterthe protective enclosure

around the sanctuary. Andwhoever is caught will

only have himselfto blame for theensuing death

Jesus' spirited protest entailed a rigorous application of existing provisions, which prohibited anyone from entering the Temple Mount with a staff, sandals or his wallet, and which specifically denied the right to make of the forecourt a 'short by-path' (M. Berachoth IX.5; TB Berachoth 54a)." [William Lane, Mark]

• Temple tax = 2 days wages• Money Changer’s Share = 1 days wages• Sacrifice Inspector = ½ days wages• Sacrifice = (1 pair of doves outside the temple); 2

days wages = (1 pair of doves purchased inside the temple—should your offering not be accepted); 40 days wages

• In today’s economy, a day at the temple could cost about $3,000—$4,000 dollars and any Jew within 15 miles of temple was required to attend at least one of the three festivals each year.

• Bottom line = $170,000,000 a year

Jesus as Prophet and Messiah

“Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house

into a marketplace!”

PROPHET

Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely

coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.2 “But who will be able to

endure it when he comes? Mal 3:1-2 (NLT)

Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures:

“Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

Passion for your house has consumed me, and the insults of

those who insult you have fallen on me. Psalms 69:9 (NLT)

Zeal [GSN2205, zelos]The root word of zeal is zeo

[GSN2204] and it describes boiling liquids or metal that is molten hot.

Applied to a person; the word would mean jealousy, indignation or to burn with anger. The image John gives us is of our Lord (the

face of God on earth) burning, seething with anger.

“God’s House”

Until the temple was built, the word Jesus used always refers to God’s

beloved people. His family. The family that God had pledged to love

and care for.

“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Messiah

Wherever Jesus was—that was the temple

[GSN3485, naos].

The word He used was egeiro, which John uses five times in his Gospel. Its actual meaning is "to wake up" and, each time

the word is used, it refers to awaking from the dead.

—J. Vernon McGee's

Thru The Bible

The sign they wanted had already been provided.

Where are we cutting corners?

What areas of our life are we allowing to go unexamined and not under the Lordship of

Jesus?

What habits do we need to end right now?