in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ second cleansing of the temple...

In The Footsteps Of The Master:The Life and Times of Jesus Christ

Second Cleansing of the Temple

February 26, 2012

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• Stay in your seats• Pay attention• No talking to your neighbor• No pulling hair• No chewing gum• No texting• No phone calls• No online gaming

Class Rules

Don’t Make MeCall Your Mother


Matthew’s Version• Matthew 21:11-12

– 12And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”


For Discussion• How do you picture this scene in your

mind?

VS.


Mark’s Version• Mark 11:15-18

– 15Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.” 18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.


Luke’s Version• Luke 19:45-48

– 45Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46saying to them, “It is written, ‘And My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers’ den.” 47And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, 48and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.


A House of Prayer• Isaiah 56:1-2

– 1Thus says the LORD, “Preserve justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed. 2How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”


A House of Prayer (cont)• Isaiah 56:5-6

– 5“To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. 6Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the Sabbath and holds fast My covenant;


A House of Prayer (cont)• Isaiah 56:7

– 7“Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”


For Discussion• How could Jesus go about his reforming

work and leave the Temple untouched?• Jesus had to reclaim the Temple for its

true purpose• Yet to do that was to attract opposition


A Den of Robbers• Jeremiah 7:1-4

– 1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2“Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house and proclaim there this word and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of Judah, who enter by these gates to worship the LORD!’” 3Thus 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 deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’


A Den of Robbers (cont)• Jeremiah 7:5-7

– 5“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbor, 6if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, 7then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.


A Den of Robbers (cont)• Jeremiah 7:8-11

– 8“Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. 9Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, 10then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—that you may do all these abominations? 11Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the LORD.


For Discussion• The picture here is of a cave where the

bandits and other evil men gather before and after their deeds

• Jesus is saying that the place there bears the Name of the Almighty has become a gathering place for evil men


Herod’s Temple

Court of Gentiles

Temple Proper

Court of Women

Court of Israel

Solomon’s Portico


For Discussion• What was at issue here?• Why would Jesus throw out the money-

changers and street vendors?• Why would he throw out the buyers, as

well?


The Lord in the Temple• Malachi 3:1-4

– 1“Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. 2“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.”


The Issue?• Travelers to Jerusalem for the feast days

would potentially be in need of two things– Animals for sacrifice– Temple currency for temple tax


Animals for Sacrifice• No one could expect an animal to endur a

a journey of hundreds of miles and arrive unblemished

• The selling of unblemished animals in Jerusalem provided a needed “service”

• However, there would have been a premium price attached

• Ever buy gas a the only gas station for 100 miles?


Money Changers• Travelers would have arrived in Jerusalem

carrying various forms of Greek currency• The OT required that the Temple tax be

paid according to the Temple shekel• The closest thing in these days was the

Tyrian shekel• So, these money changers provided a

needed service, as well – for a price


Vendors• Historians tell us that the vendors and

moneychangers occupied the Mount of Olives during the feast days

• However, their introduction into the Temple area was a recent development in Jesus’ day

• The chief priests obviously approved of this practice, which was clearly a violation of the sanctity of the Temple


Location• These vendors certainly would not have

been inside the Temple gates, given the limited room

• They would have been set up in the Court of Gentiles– Plenty of room– Pass through there on the way to the Temple

• This was the only area where non-proselyted Gentiles could approach and hear the teaching


Location (cont)• These activities not only profaned the

Temple area, they cut off access for the Gentiles


The Real Issue• The real issue was not what these

vendors were doing, but where there were doing it

• Note that Jesus drove out not only the sellers, but the buyers, as well

• To paraphrase:– “This is MY House. Do your business

elsewhere!”


For Discussion• What can we take away from this

episode?• How we do things matters• Our God is a Holy God• We must approach Him and worship Him

in holiness


Next Week• I Have No Idea

in the footsteps of the master: the life and times of jesus christ second cleansing of the temple...

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