The significance of jesus cleansing the temple, prepared. Jesus cleansing of the temple in jerusalem is one of the most fascinating aspects of his life and personality. It is common to think of jesus as a gentle, peaceloving man. The books of luke and acts form a good record of the origin and development of the christian church. The sanctuarythe small structure which contained the holy and most holy places, and which answered to the tabernacle used in the wilderness. He purges the temple at the feast of the passover, 17.
Of course, the cleansing is a healing, but cleansing is the more proper term. There were two occasions where jesus cleansed the temple. The new jerome biblical commentary, prentice hall 1990 isbn 06149340 ched myers. He certainly presented himself as such on most occasions e. In the socalled templecleansing, we have, apparently, prophetic demonstration or, one could say, provocation, in which it was not a matter of driving out all those who sold and the money changers for such an action would not be possible without a large continent of troops and a corresponding general riot, and would inevitably have led to intervention on the part of the temple guard and the romans. The temple, for old testament jews, was everything. Cleansing the temple storacle lessons amazing facts.
Jesus first act as messiah in jerusalem is to cleanse the temple of the moneychangers and merchants. Matthew 21 commentary judgment on the temple establishment. Of herods building projects, none were greater than the jerusalem temple, which he expanded. Stop making my fathers house a place for making a lot of money. The front of the temple building was 150 feet wide and high, a gilded spectacle that was the wonder of all.
The other three evangelists say that the lord, after his conflict with the devil, departed into galilee. In the socalled templecleansing, we have, apparently, prophetic demonstration or, one could say, provocation, in which it was not a matter of driving out all those who sold and the money changers for such an action would not be possible without a large continent of troops and a corresponding general riot, and would inevitably. We shouldnt relegate that image or the lord himself to merely a. The two stories about the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig. The cleansing occurs on monday, the 11th of nisan, just three days before the preparations for the passover meal see appendix b. Having entered the city, jesus went to the temple and removed from it those who were using it. In the synoptic gospelsthat is, matthew, mark, and lukethe cleansing of the temple comes near the end of jesus ministry, upon his. The heiron, or entire court space which surrounded the naos. Some people brought animals with them, but others bought them in.
Jesus cleanses the temple by new christian bible study staff in this story, on the monday after palm sunday, jesus reenters jerusalem, goes to the temple, and drives out the moneychangers and people who were selling animals for sacrifices. The second temple as finally destroyed by the romans under titus in 70 ad, and has not been rebuilt. The jews require a miracle, as a proof that he had authority to do these things, 18. The templecleansing christ is a memorable image with enduring power. As part of the celebration, they made animal offerings at the temple. Home fathers of the church commentary on john origen book x. The temple is where gods people could meet god, and jesus was of course exactly that. A close look at the gospel accounts reveals that jesus cleansed the jewish temple in jerusalem on two.
If this public act was intended to cause an open confrontation, it seems that, for matthew, it failed in that purpose. John chrysostom, church father, believed that jesus cleansed the temple twice, at the beginning and again at the end of his public ministry. Oftentimes we think of him as so loving and understanding that he lets you get. Jesus cleansing of the temple was a messianic act in the sense that he did this as the messiah. Sproul points out that the activities being performed were legitimate, in that people needed sacrifices, a tax had to be paid and currency exchanged. So both incidents primarily refer to the coming judgment on israel, on jerusalem, and on the temple. In john, the temple scene makes a claim for jesus authority at the beginning of his. People felt comfortable in bringing their children to him e. All the stones and boards were precut elsewhere, then brought to the temple site and quietly assembled 1. First of all, there is a record of the common practice of setting up moneychangers in the temple area during passover. In this occasion, jesus found those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers in the temple. While johns gospel places the cleansing of the temple at the beginning of jesus ministry, the synoptics place it during the last week of his ministry, the precipitating event that caused the jewish rulers to arrest him. There his people could converse with him in prayer. The first time is described in john 2 following his first recorded miracle of turning water into wine at a jewish wedding in cana.
Also, he makes a whip from ropes and drives all the animals out of the temple. The disciples came to view this cleansing of the temple in the light of psalm 69. Yet in a city that was given over to cleansing every house, when jesus came into the temple, the house of god, he found it filled with clutter and noise, dirtysmelling animals, moneychangers and merchandise, and no one seemed concerned about it. Later the romans built palaces and a temple of jupiter, and the byzantines a. The book of mormon outlines the downfall of multiple civilizations.
Jesus came to the attention of the public through his cleansing of the temple. When it was almost time for the jewish passover, jesus went up to jerusalem. Mark places the sentence on the barren fig tree on the next morning, and before the cleansing of the temple. Many believe on him while at the feast of the passover, to whom jesus would not. David guzik commentary on john 2,where jesus performs the miracle of turning water into wine and drives the money changers out of the temple. The account of jesus cleansing the temple in this weeks gospel, brought together with pauls insight, provides us with a wonderful lenten meditation. It is in holy things that he rules, and in the temple of god that he exercises authority. It is clear, however, that the purpose of this second cleansing was so that the temple could minister properly to the needs of the peoplethe blind and the lame in particular. Out of this conception of the temple grew the book of psalms with its prayers for all kinds of life situations. Gladish, page 2 page is in red type, almost all the lord speaking, until you come to chapter 26 when the plot to destroy him comes out into the open. This provides the clue for understanding the source of jesus authority. In matthews gospel, jesus entry into jerusalem culminates with the cleansing of the temple. The cleansing of the temple narrative tells of jesus expelling the merchants and the money. What is the meaning of the temple veil being torn in two when jesus died.
Luke, however, gives us no further revelation about christs purpose in cleansing the temple. The two stories about the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree may be marks best use of his common technique of sandwiching stories in a manner that allows one to serve as an exegesis on the other. Paul, who lived for many years in jerusalem and knew the rituals of the temple very well, told the corinthians that their bodies were temples of the holy spirit. Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons v. The cleansing of the temple sermon by curt cizek, john 2.
In the account in john, just after the temple cleansing, jesus also refers to his own body as the temple, and of how it will be rebuilt after just three days. In this incident of jesus cleansing the temple, dr. They would not have appreciated being prevented from fulfilling the religious duties for which they made their pilgrimages. Chrysostom points out in his homilies on the gospel of john that jesus is reported using two.
Home books the gospel of john commentary chapters 111 by chapter john. We will today look at our lords cleansing of the temple in matthew 21. The corruption of the ruling elite had long defiled the faith and the temple. The cleansing of the temple narrative tells of jesus expelling the merchants and the money changers from the temple, and occurs in all four canonical gospels of the new testament. Jesus cleanses the temple 12 and jesus entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those. Cleansing the temple was a necessary precursor for what was to come his final sacrifice and universal expiation. Our lesson is about our lords cleansing of the temple as described. True worship and the cleansing of the temple on the readings for sunday, march 4, 2018, the third sunday of lent march 3, 2018 carl e. Many of us have, no doubt, seen portrayals of jesus. Christ makes the distinction between cleansing and healing when commissioning the apostles.
When solomon built the first temple in jerusalem, there was such respect for gods house that not even the sound of a hammer could be heard during its construction. Discrepancy of the gospel narratives connected with the cleansing of the temple. After this he went down to capernaum, he and his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and there they abode not many days. But by jesus day in contrast to the old testament temple a partition with warning signs segregated gentiles from the israelite section of the outer court jos. Sunday evening service from calvary chapel spring valley in las vegas, nevada. Judea was under the rule of the romans, and the money in current use was roman coin.
John considered this incident one of the more significant actions of our lord at the outset of his public ministry. In the synoptic gospels thats matthew, mark and luke synoptic means seeing together because the first three gospels tell mostly the same stories in roughly the same order tell the story of the cleansing of the temple during holy week but john tells it at the beginning of jesus ministry so were not sure if they are one. And jesus went into the temple he did not go up to the court, or to the palace, though he came in as a king. Here, jesus uses a scourge that is not mentioned in the accounts of the second cleansing. Jesus cleanses the temple by new christian bible study staff. Preach this week craft of preaching wp app wp books bible index support this site sermon brainwave narrative podcast. Our task is to learn why this is true, and what the temple cleansing has to. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple. The deeper meaning of the story of jesus and the moneychangers. Jesus cleansed the temple of the moneychangers and sellers of merchandise because of his disgust at what they had made of gods house of prayer and his zeal to purify it from the abuse of ungodly men. Book of daniel from the king james version of the bible. In this story, on the monday after palm sunday, jesus reenters jerusalem, goes to the temple, and drives out the moneychangers and people who were selling animals for sacrifices.
Once was shortly after he began his earthly ministry, and in fact, the temple in ancient israel had become defiled too, due to neglect of the law of god, or scripture. Visit us at for online studies through the entire bible. This act of jesus cleansing the temple just doesnt make any sense once you understand jewish law and what was happening in the courtyard during jesus time. Some of jesus followers are with him here at the temple in jerusalem. Mark places the sentence on the barren figtree on the next morning, and before the cleansing of the temple. How should we understand the cleansing of the temple. And truly jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. Our lesson is about our lords cleansing of the temple as described in john, chapter 2. The miracle at cana in galilee, where our lord changed water into wine, 111.
The filthiness of sin can be removed only by the cleansing blood of christ. And cast out them that sold and bought namely, doves and oxen for sacrifice. In answer he refers to his own death and resurrection, 1922. It is a story which grabs our attention, and makes us think that perhaps, on this one occasion, jesus went a little too far. Luke was a companion of paul and apparently did most of the writing for him. In this account, the priests are not so much angered by the cleansing of the temple, but by jesus continued teachings and the power of his parables, so the cleansing of the temple becomes a less important episode. Both stories are probably not literal, but the story of the fig tree is even more abstract and reveals a deeper meaning to the story of jesus cleansing the temple and. A close look at the gospel accounts reveals that jesus cleansed the jewish temple in jerusalem on two occasions. A chapter by chapter and verse by verse study of john taught by pastor paul leboutillier of calvary chapel ontario, oregon. What is the significance of jesus cleansing the temple. Discusses relationship to accounts in the synoptic. After his death and resurrection, our lords disciples remembered that it was written, 123 passion for your house will devour me verse 17. Uzziahs pride caused him to act as a high priest at the temple 2 nd chron 26. Study the bible online using commentary on jesus cleanses the temple.
That was an absolute necessity in order to properly celebrate the passover. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. The story, in fact, has a much deeper dimension than whether jesus got a little too angry. Matthew and luke represent that he was first at nazara, and then left them and came and dwelt in capernaum. It sat on what we now call the temple mount, an area of some thirtyfive acres.