John 2:13-25 – Jesus Cleansing the Temple

Jon Beck

My sermon notes from Sunday, April 23rd   as we continue our study through The Gospel of John. Remember, these are my study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon.

 

John 2:13-25 – Cleansing the temple.

  1. The Significance of the coming of Jesus.
  2. THE OLD AND THE NEW.
  3. Temple represented the Old/Law.  Jesus represents the New/Grace.

First….A few words about the temple from a historical perspective.

The Temple was considered the house of God for the nation of Israel.

  • It was a Reminder of Sin
  • It was Place for forgiveness
  • It was a Place to commune with and seek God

First Temple

  • Solomon’s Temple was built in 957 BC by King Solomon
  • The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Second Temple

  • Ezra & Nehemiah. Construction of the Second Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and began in 538 (23 years to build).  Over the next four hundred years, a series of Gentile rulers building up and defiling the temple.
  • Historical side note….It was rendered unclean after the Greek king Antiochus Epiphanes, sparking the Maccabean revolt (167 BC)

Herod’s Temple

  • The new testament temple known by Jesus and his disciples was built by King Herod in 20 BC.
  • After years of unrest, Titus the Roman general besieged Jerusalem and burned down the temple in AD 70. As the temple burned, the gold and silver ornamentation melted and seeped between the cracks in the stones. In their zeal for a stipend, the Roman soldiers took the temple apart, stone by stone, fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24:1-2

 

Jesus and Worship– vv. 13-17

v. 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went to Jerusalem.

 

  • He knew the Passover celebration commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt when the death angel passed over the homes where the blood of the lamb was placed. (Ex 12-13)
  • Jesus had a desire to please the Father. He knew the temple was where the true worship of God took place.
    • 16 – Fathers House
    • Court of Gentiles was they only place they could properly pray and seek the face of God.
  • The said worship is about ME  and MY needs met…it is a slippery slope.
    • Carelessness
    • Convenience
    • Contentment
    • Commercialism
    • Corruption

v. 17 – Ps. 69:9 (Zeal for your house) – The disciples remembered Ps. 69 where David speaks of his enemies attacks due to his love and devotion.

Jesus and the Temple – vv. 18-22

 v. 18 – What sign do you show us for doing these things?

 

  • Show us/Prove it
  • Why did you do this?
  • Who are you to do this?
  • By what authority can you do this?

v. 19 Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.

No longer is there a need for:

  • elaborate ceremonies
  • ritual purifications

God has come to earth and walks among us. God’s presence with man, a promise for so long, has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

They were looking at life through a material and physical sense…one needs to look at life through spiritual eyes.

  • He is the temple. His life, death, burial, and resurrection
    • The irony is they are the ones to brought it about
    • The irony is by these actions there would be no more need for an earthly temple.
    • Crucifixion the temple veil is torn from top to bottom

Jesus and the Heart – vv. 23-25

 vv. 24 -25 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. And needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

 

  • They believed in the signs – They did not believe in the Savior.

Jesus knew them.  Their heart, mind, beliefs

REMEMBER….JESUS KNOW US

  • He knew Simons character – 1;42
  • He knew Nathaniel – 1:46
  • He knew the Samaritan Woman – 4:29
    • Come see the man that has told me all I ever did.
  • He knew the religious leaders – 5:24&42
    • 24 Truly, truly I say to you whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.
    • 42 – But I know you do not have the love of God within you.
  • He knew the false disciple – 6:64
    • There are some of you who do not believe
  • He knew the repentant heart of the adulteress women – 8:10
    • Go and sin no more.
  • He knew the murder of the heart within his enemies – 8:40
    • You have come to kill me….if you were born of God you would love me.

He knows you,  Where you are.  What you have done. What you need.

Leave a Reply