John 2:13–21 (NLT) — 13 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, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and 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, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body.

Jesus was the ultimate zealot! 

• The mission to earth was one of death and resurrection!
• He agreed to an impoverished life
• He was born to a subjugated people
• He slept on rocks and boats
• He displayed the full gambit of human emotions - Agony, sorrow, joy, laughter, anger
• His suffering is called his “pascho” where we get the word passion
• The book of revelations has his eyes on fire! 

This story

• Recorded in all four gospels
• I believe he did this same act twice 
• Let’s reimagine this
  • He’s taking this personally
  • This was a well established market
  • He made a whip! 
  • There is no way this was a few seconds, it had to be at least several minutes to get them all out! 
• After he is done, he gets grilled by the Jewish leaders, who probably were profiting from the whole racquet

Why was Jesus so upset?!

1. He had a love for His Father’s house
   1. Do you remember when he said it Luke, “Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house.” Like, where else would I be?!
      1. If you were away from your parents, and had a way to feel close to them, wouldn’t you love it
      2. Psalm 84:10 (NLT) — 10 A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
      3. Psalm 27:4 (NLT) — 4 The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
   2. When I grew up I had a love for the church
   3. He felt like His Father’s house was being defiled! 
      1. Imagine going over to your parents house, and someone is on the couch, drinking a sweet tea, and watching a football game.
2. His Father wanted all people to come, but they were being obstructed 
   1. Isaiah 56:6–7 (NLT) — 6 “I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the LORD, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations. 
   2. This whole event took place in the court of the gentiles. They were supposed to be able to come and pray in the court of the gentiles, but it was filled with merchants. 
3. The holiness of His Father’s temple was being turned into common and unholy 
   1. Antiochus 4th in 167 BC was a Greek ruler that came into the holy city and offered a pig on the altar of incense. It was known by the Jews as the Abomination of Desolation. 
      1. This act was seen as something that defiled
   2. Jesus sees this unholy commercialization of God’s house as a defilement
   3. Don’t you hate to see things capitalized on to make money?
      1. Being trapped in an airport
      2. Being at a ball game
      3. Being at Disney world
   4. Church of the holy sepulcher
      1. Selling candles, incense
   5. The problem is... THERE IS A MARKET FOR IT
      1. We want something easy! 
      2. We will pay for convenience 
4. Bottom line
   1. Jesus loved his fathers house
   2. He wanted all people to come
   3. He couldn’t stand to see His Father’s house defiled 

What does Jesus care about today in the same way he cared about the temple

1. He cares about the place of worship
   1. Matthew 18:20 (NLT) — 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
   2. Although a building means nothing, when we gather together, we are his temple.
   3. Our gathering is holy 
      1. May we prioritize it
      2. May we cherish it
      3. May we it be holy to us (not common)
         1. We should not come with agendas!
         2. We should not come haphazardly
         3. We should not come unprepared
      4. May we be filled with joy, lifting up prayer and worship “Isaiah 56”
2. He cares about about His church
   1. He is walking among the candlestick - He will remove them if they aren’t right! 
   2. He cares about our doctrine (how are we representing him to people)
   3. He cares about our worship (how are we worshiping him)
   4. He cares about our outreach (who are we welcoming into our midst)
   5. He cares about our unity (In John 17, this was his top prayer)
   6. He cares about our shepherds (Those that lead among us will be held accountable, like the pharisees
   7. He cares about our purity (The stumbling blocks we place in the way, our cheesy commercialization of it, the bad examples, the way we use people)
   8. He is the great sifter of our hearts and motives. He knows!
3. He cares about you! 
   1. We are told that “our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit,” and that we are spiritual stones that are making a “temple” for God.
   2. What tables does He need to turn over in your heart
   3. What money changers does he need to kick out?
   4. Is my belief in him about “what I can get out of this?” that is the money changers

Final questions:

1. What is obstructing you from prayer and worship? Is the courts cluttered with junk?
2. Do you value your Father’s house like Jesus did? His place of worship, his church, your own heart.
3. Will you get zealous like Jesus to clean it out and make room!