Conflict in the Temple : John 2:13-16 : What Jesus Did! : HEARTLIGHT®

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Conflict in the Temple - John 2:13-16

Key Thought

Jesus rarely displays his anger and displeasure with such demonstrative action and such fervent emotion. Passover was the celebration of God's deliverance of the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt. God's people came to Jerusalem and the Temple from all over the world to remember and celebrate God's powerful grace. For this celebration to be turned into a time for scrounging money out of Israelite visitors was a desecration of the Passover Feast and the Temple. Jesus doesn’t want us to turn God’s Temple into a place to transact business and to take advantage of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, he wants the fellowship of his people to be a place of deliverance, grace, and prayer!

Today's Prayer

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Holy and righteous God, please keep my heart set on glorifying you and encouraging my brothers and sisters in the faith when we assemble together. May my joyful remembrance of my deliverance through Jesus' sacrifice lead me to praise you and to generously bless others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Today's Verses in Context

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover. So Jesus went to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem Jesus went to the temple. In the temple area Jesus saw men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. Jesus saw other men sitting at tables. These men were exchanging and trading people's money. Jesus made a whip with some pieces of rope. Then Jesus forced all these men and the sheep and cattle to leave the temple area. Jesus turned over the tables and scattered the money of the men that exchange money. Then Jesus said to the men that were selling pigeons, "Take these things out of here! Don't make my Father's house a place for buying and selling!" When this happened the followers of Jesus remembered what was written {in the Scriptures }: "My excitement for your house will destroy me." Some Jews said to Jesus, "Show us a miracle for a sign. Prove that you have the right to do these things." Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple and I will build it again in three days." The Jews answered, "People worked 46 years to build this temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?" (But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. After Jesus was raised from death, his followers remembered that Jesus had said this. So his followers believed the Scripture {about him}, and they believed the words Jesus said.) Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Many people believed in Jesus because they saw the miracles he did. But Jesus did not trust them. Why? Because Jesus knew the things people were thinking. Jesus did not need any person to tell him about people. Jesus knew what was in a person's mind.

— John 2:13-25 (ERV)

Comments on "Conflict in the Temple":

So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. And don't forget to do good for other people. And share with other people. These are the sacrifices that please God. —Hebrews 13:15-16 (ERV)

God is the One who gives seed to the person who plants. And he gives bread for food. And God will give you {spiritual} seed and make your seed grow. He will make a great harvest from your goodness (giving). God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God. —2 Corinthians 9:10-11 (ERV)

In the past there were false prophets among {God's} people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong—teachings that will make people be lost. And those false teachers will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to accept the Master (Jesus) who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves. Many people will follow them in the morally wrong things they do. And other people will say bad things about the Way of truth because of those people. Those false teachers only want your money. So they will use you by telling you things that are not true. But the judgment against those false teachers has been ready for a long time. And they will not escape the One (God) who will destroy them. —2 Peter 2:1-3 (ERV)