It’s interesting that the primary issue for Jesus wasn’t Rome’s political power or army, it was God’s temple. He didn’t come as a military, economic, political or social revolutionary. He came as a Savior who would willingly pay the penalty for sin that all of us rightfully owed, so that He could rescue us from sin + death + set us free!
He came to tear down every wall that separated us from God.
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus had actually cleared the temple at the beginning of His ministry, as well (John 2:13-22).
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 + doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes + chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep + cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor + 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 + in three days I will raise it up.”
20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple + 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 + they believed both the Scriptures + what Jesus had said. —John 2:13-22 NLT
Now, in Matthew 21, Mark 11 + Luke 19, He did it again just four days before His arrest + execution.
This is an indication of the priority He placed on + the passion He had for the temple!
In fact, after Jesus cleared the temple the first time in John 2, John’s commentary on what went down was that, “His disciples remembered that it is written, ‘Passion or zeal for your house will consume me.’” (John 2:17)
That’s a quote from Psalm 69:9:
For zeal for your house has consumed me + the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. —Psalm 69:9 ESV
It was Jesus’ passion for His House that moved Him to:
1) cleanse it,
2) de-clutter it, +
3) restore it to its original purpose as . . .
• A House of Prayer—a place where people from every nation could gather to communicate with God.
• A House for His Presence—a place where people from every nation could encounter the presence of God, +
• A place where people could experience God’s Power in operation to save, heal, deliver + set them free!
That’s what Matthew 21:14 is describing when it reads:
Now there was room for the blind + crippled to get in. They came to Jesus + he healed them. —Matthew 21:14 MSG
Today’s Verse: For zeal for your house has consumed me + the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. —Psalm 69:9 ESV
Today’s Prompt: Do I have a passion + zeal for God’s House?
Today’s Gratitude: I am grateful for my church + my church family. Today’s Prayer: Father, help me to not become complacent or numb to the power of gathering in Your House. May I always have a passionate fire burning within to go to Your House, to meet with Your people, to gather with other believers + to glorify You with others. In Jesus’ name.
Today’s Prayer: Father, help me to not become complacent or numb to the power of gathering in Your House. May I always have a passionate fire burning within to go to Your House, to meet with Your people, to gather with other believers + to glorify You with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
