Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, give me a more fervent passion for your people, your work, and your Kingdom. Through your Holy Spirit, stoke the fires of my heart to live with a holy passion for your things. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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.

Related Scripture Readings

Every year Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. When Jesus was twelve years old, they went to the feast like they always did. When the feast days were finished, they went home. But the boy Jesus stayed in Jerusalem. His parents did not know about it. Joseph and Mary traveled for a whole day. They thought that Jesus was with them in the group. They began to look for him among their family and close friends. But Joseph and Mary did not find Jesus in the group. So they went back to Jerusalem to look for him there. After three days they found him. Jesus was sitting in the temple area with the religious teachers, listening and asking them questions. Everyone heard him. They were amazed at his understanding and wise answers. When Jesus' parents saw him, they were amazed. His mother said to him, "Son, why did you do this to us? Your father and I were very worried about you. We have been looking for you." Jesus said to them, "Why did you have to look for me? You should have known that I must be where my Father's (God's) work is!" But they did not understand the meaning of what he said to them.

You should know that you yourselves are God's temple (house). God's Spirit lives in you. If any person destroys God's temple, then God will destroy that person. Why? Because God's temple is holy. You yourselves are God's temple.

So now you {non-Jews} are not visitors or strangers. Now you are citizens together with God's holy people. You belong to God's family. You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ himself is the most important stone in that building. That whole building is joined together in Christ. And Christ makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you people are being built together with the other people (the Jews). You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.