Cleansing the Temple, John 2:13-22

Yesterday's sermon had to do with the telling in the Gospel of John about Jesus' cleansing of the Temple.  As most have noticed, there is a difference in the timing of John's version of the cleansing and the telling in the Synoptic Gospels.  John places the cleansing or clearing of the Temple at the beginning of Jesus' ministry and the Synoptics place it at the end where it is actually the culminating reason for Jesus' crucifixion.  I am not one to worry about, nor one that feels compelled to explain away these discrepancies, they are what they are, the various authors had their reasons for the order in which these events are recorded in their Gospels.  But, having said that I don't believe there were two cleansings, that's trying too hard to reconcile scripture and is in my opinion counter-productive.

The final tilt of the sermon was to address the 'New Temple', which is, of course, Jesus and His body.  The somewhat different point that I stressed was that we, as members of the body of Christ, are in effect also a part of this 'New Temple'.  The query that I made to the congregation was, "are you desecrating the Temple". Too often, we are indeed polluting the Temple with our thoughts, words, and deeds. What would (will) Christ's reaction be to the state of your little corner of the Temple?

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

John 2:13-22 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

John 4:19-26 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you[a] say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I am he,[b] the one who is speaking to you.”

Isaiah 1:11-17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
    says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
    and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
    or of lambs, or of goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,[a]
    who asked this from your hand?
    Trample my courts no more;
13 bringing offerings is futile;
    incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—
    I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals
    my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
    I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you stretch out your hands,
    I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
    I will not listen;
    your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your doings
    from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.


Isaiah 56:7 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer 
for all peoples.

Jeremiah 7:22 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
22 For in the day that I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Hosea 5:6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
6 With their flocks and herds they shall go
    to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.

Hosea 8:13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
13 Though they offer choice sacrifices,[a]
    though they eat flesh,
    the Lord does not accept them.
Now he will remember their iniquity,
    and punish their sins;
they shall return to Egypt.