Cleaning House (John 2:13-25)

Good morning. Peter, one of the pastors here. Welcome. Continuing in our series through the gospel of John. Heads up that starting in a couple weeks on June 8, we’re going to step out of John, and do a 4 week series on Relationships – Friendship, Marriage, Singleness, and the Family and Church. Culture and the world have a lot to say on these. What the bible teaches. Practical. Invite.

Finishing up John 2. Bibles. Turn. Screen.

Text: John 2 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (Passover – Biggest and most important Jewish holiday – Remembering and celebrating God’s salvation of his people from slavery in Egypt. Jews would travel from all over to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple.) 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. (When people came to the Temple for Passover, they were expected to bring offerings – monetary and animal sacrifice. So it seems somewhat convenient to be able to buy your sacrifices at the Temple so you don’t have to travel with them. One less thing to keep track of. The sacrifices had to be perfect/without blemish – so you skip the risks of something happening to your sacrifice – predator or stumbles and breaks something. And you could exchange foreign currency to pay the Temple taxes. But Jesus is not a fan…) 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (This is the disciples remembering and looking back at the OT – Ps. 69:9 – and how Jesus fulfilled that verse.)

18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” (What right? By what authority? To disrupt the status quo.) 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore 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. 

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. (Not just this sign, but many others not recorded.) 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

So much going on here…Three points from this passage…

1. The gospel is offensive. Nothing else should be. 

Why does Jesus react the way he does with what’s going on in the Temple courts? Jesus’ disposition – Not usually how we picture Jesus. Usually – gentle, holding a lamb or little children in his lap. But here, you see Jesus’ righteous anger, driving out people with a whip. (X Wall Art) This would have been a huge scene. The Temple would have been busy like the malls in KL for Chinese New Year. Again, why Jesus’ response?

The Temple – Where God’s presence dwelled. Place of holiness. Place where people would come to meet with God and worship him.

Temple Layout – (Room) Court of the Gentiles around the outside. Large. Then the Court for the Women (Back Middle), Court for the Israelite Men (Front Middle), then the Court for the Priests (Stage), and the Holy of Holies, the innermost place of the Temple, where the ark of the covenant was and only the High Priest would go in just once a year. (Where I’m standing.) – Doesn’t apply today. Your place in this room doesn’t make you any more or less holy or valuable. Be where you like.

Outer Court of the Gentiles – Where this scene takes place – Place of worship for nonJewish people, all other nations. And this was Jesus’ problem. The traders made it impossible for the Gentiles who were seeking God to worship and pray. There was physically no room. And then it was noisy from all the animals and money changing. (Live: Oxen – Moo. Sheep – Baa. Pigeons – Chirp. Coins – Make it up.) Add people talking, crying babies, etc. I don’t know about you but I’d be a little distracted. It’d be hard for anyone to pray or worship. 

And the traders weren’t trying to do a good deed and provide a convenient service – They were driven by profit and greed. Not just selling sacrifices. People who brought their own – Inspected and found unacceptable for whatever made up reason. Then sold another sacrifice. Essentially – blackmailed. (NDSB) Money changing – changing currency for the Temple Tax to keep things running – charged a crazy commission fee. They were taking full advantage of people coming to worship God. So it was neither helpful to the Israelites nor Gentiles who were coming to the Temple to worship God. This is why Jesus was so passionate driving them all out.

Point – All barriers for people coming to worship the one true God must be removed. The gospel is offensive – You’re dead in your sin and separated from God. You can’t save yourself. You need God to save you. People – called to repent and believe in God. Leave behind all your old gods, your life, and possibly be blacklisted by your family, your community, and lose everything you’ve ever known and taken comfort in. That’s a lot. So nothing else that’s not required for salvation should be added on unnecessarily.

So how does this apply to us today, at our church? We will do everything it takes to remove any and all barriers from people coming to hear the gospel. We don’t want to give people a reason to reject the gospel. No stumbling blocks that are man-made (dress, talk, look – certain way). They already have so much on their minds and maybe a million reasons why they won’t believe. We don’t want to give them another. 

Let me give you a hypothetical example – Our hospitality team does an incredible job providing refreshments after service to create space and opportunities for people to connect. But if at any point it becomes a point of division, a stumbling block, or barrier to the gospel here at Garden City, it will be gone the next week. (That’s not an announcement. But to show you how serious we are about the gospel. Because we all love the curry puffs and other goodies a lot. But we love people’s souls more.) 

Let me give you one more – Not an issue here, I don’t think. But I want to address it to make sure we’re all on the same page. Sometimes, Christians sanitize their lives from hard things and hard people. Maybe because they are trying to leave behind their old way of life, which is a good thing. But it is possible to create too much distance and separation from broken people and the world. To isolate and not live sent into the world. And that separation often leads to judgement instead of love and relationship.

So if a needy person comes to our church, a poor person, an addicted person, a broken person, if a person from another religion comes, good. Good. This is where they need to be. This church is not a place for people to gather together that have their lives together and everything in their life is fine. We are a hospital. The church is a place for the broken, the desperate, the needy. People needy and desperate for God. And that’s good news for all of us. Jesus – Clear – He came not for the well, but the unwell. And he showed it by being with and showing grace to the poor, the needy, the sick, adulterers, and the tax collector. His arms are open to all who seek him. So will ours.

Why we have a Welcome Team – Expert greeters with big smiles. Let you know – You’re all on the welcome team. It’s everyone’s job. (FTG Bag) Partially why we have a Kids Ministry – So parents can worship freely and so kids can worship and learn the gospel too.

Let me say this again: I’m not trying to be offensive or harsh but I don’t care what is convenient for you, what your preferences are, etc. Or mine. We will get rid of it, we will change it if it keeps people from the gospel. Period. The gospel is offensive. Nothing else should be… 

2. We’ll do whatever it takes to reach all people because we are zealous for the worship of the one true God. 

So Jesus cleanses the temple not just to get the traders out but so the worshippers could come in. “Zeal for his Father’s house.” He’s zealous for the worship of God from all peoples seeking him through prayer. Ever since the Fall, God has been at work to reverse the curse of sin and to redeem the nations back into his presence, worship. Because he’s the one true God.

Not in John’s account but look at the others: Isa. 56:7//Jer. 7:11//Mt. 21:13//Mk. 11:17//Lk. 19:46 – My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations but you have made it a den of robbers. House of Trade vs. House of Prayer “for all nations” – Speaks of his worthiness.

Beauty of the international church. Not that other ethnic churches are bad. They’re important and have their place. But there is something special about the diversity of the nations worshipping together in one place. Short Term Teams’ favorite things about their time in KL (15 teams, 85 people…10 teams coming over the next ~6wks starting next Sunday) – Not the tall buildings, not the malls, not the good food – KRC – refugee ministry or worshipping at church with the nations – glimpse of heaven. 

But let me ask you on a personal level – What are the things we are zealous for? Could you say that you are zealous for God, his worship among the nations? 

How do you make decisions? – What makes the most logical sense? What makes you the most money? What’s easiest? 

Do you know more/spend more time on favorite hobbies, actors/actresses, sports teams, and musicians or the word of God?

Does the thought of abiding with Jesus, spending time in prayer, and worship bore you? It’s something you do to get out of the way so you can get on with your day? Would you rather be scrolling on your phone or entertaining yourself with something else? 

What do you think and dream about? If your life could look anyway you want, what would it look like? Maybe a nice house, car, enough money to be secure and comfortable, to take some holidays. Is that it?

What do you pray for? If God answered all your prayers you’ve prayed the last month, what in the world would be different? Would the world look any differently? Would the nations know Jesus? Or would the only change happen in your life circumstances?

Are we more concerned and occupied with the worship of God, Christ’s kingdom being advanced or primarily about our lives? Our children, comfort, our security, education, career, money, a better life? Not that we shouldn’t care at all but the order certainly matters. And I would say this – It’s a waste of your life. But more than that – Wrong use of your life. You can be overly zealous for the good things in life. = Idolatry. Good things taking the place of God.

Rev. 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Rev. 7:9-12 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

There’s a gap we need to fill. Where we are now and what it will be like in heaven, and that gap is the worship of the nations. And our church’s mission is to take the gospel to the nations to fill in that gap, to advance Christ’s kingdom to the furthest corners of the earth.

So again, we will lay down all our preferences for the sake of reaching even one. This church will not be a church where we fight over whose country’s preferences win out. We will hold everything loosely and open handed. And we will change things and adapt over and over again to reach the nations. Why? Not because it’s easy or comfortable for us but because that’s what Jesus was zealous for – for the nations to know and worship God. So we will be too…

We’re going to do whatever it takes to reach all people. Starts not by going out and doing a bunch of stuff…

3. We entrust ourselves to Jesus and the power of his resurrection.

Let’s actually work from the end of the passage backwards here…Why does Jesus not entrust himself to men? Many believed in him but he does not entrust himself (same word) to them. Why? Because of their sin. Ever since Gen. 3 when man first rebelled against God and lost his presence, man’s been living for themselves according to their own will and not God’s. But Jesus was going to perfectly obey the will of the Father…to die for our sins so we could be restored back to him.

But the people wouldn’t have let him die like that. They would have tried to make Jesus their king, to seize power and overthrow Rome. Jesus would eventually have that power but it would come a different way. That way would be through the cross. He’d be given over to the hands of men to suffer and die for our sins and the death we deserved.

Even Jesus’ closest disciples didn’t fully understand. Jesus told them multiple times that he would have to suffer and die. And you know what they said? Peter – Oh no you won’t. I’m never letting that happen. And Jesus calls Peter, who would become one of the leaders of the early church – Satan. I’ve been called a lot of things by many people. But this is on a different level. -By Jesus! That hits different. 

If we’re honest, this is often how many people treat Jesus. They want Jesus to get on board with their plans. Their plans for their lives. Jesus is just a support. He’s only useful, will only follow him, love him to the degree he gives us what we want. He’s not the one setting the direction. Because his direction for us is towards the cross – to die to ourselves so his power is at work in us, making us like him, so we can live for him. And any other way, Jesus would say, is the way of Satan/world.

Phrase: God always works for “our good and his glory”. The relationship between the two is really important. People often believe God should give us what we think is “good” for us, essentially what we desire, and that’ll give God glory. But that’s not how it works. It’s – God’s glory is always for our good. You see the difference? It would be unloving for God to operate in any other way. He must primarily be about his glory because that is what is good for you, me, and all mankind.

Faith/Trust – Not superficial. Not just believing because Jesus did some cool signs and had some good teachings. Or when he’s cooperating and working for us. – Following Jesus just when it’s easy and convenient. But through it all. Even when it feels like your life is falling apart, nothing is going your way, you have to give up your dreams, even if it costs you your life.

Our lives should look different from people who follow the ways of man/world. We love, we serve, we’re humble, we’re hospitable, we’re generous – time, talent, treasure, we give up what is best for us for others and for the mission. Not because we get some out of it or because others deserve it but because it’s the way of Jesus. We don’t need to worry about ourselves because we’ve entrusted ourselves to Jesus. And we’re in good hands.

Let me apply this to our church again…We’ll be faithful to God’s Word and we will follow his Spirit regardless of what the latest trend may be. Because we don’t think man or culture should dictate how we do ministry and church or what we need to do to make it grow. 

So we’ll take what is biblically faithful and where there is freedom to try different things and take risks for the mission. But we will always be about preaching God’s word, worship, praying, giving, serving, celebrating the Lord’s Supper and baptism. The service week to week may look a little different but our core values won’t ever change.

Ultimately, we are entrusting ourselves to the one who promised to build the church, Jesus, the cornerstone which the church is built upon and the capstone the church is being built up into. He has the power and ability to grow his church. He said he’s going to do it, to build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail. So we’ve got nothing to worry about.

One of the things this means as God allows this church to grow is we’re going to go to multiple services and plant churches both here in KL and around the world. (Well, it looks like there’s enough space when I look around. But most weeks, when the kids start off in here with us, there’s not. If my family was a ftg, and I can’t find a row of 6 seats easily…You know what I think? There’s no place for me here. Right or wrong. And we want to make room for hard headed people like me.) Is it going to take more work? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.

Does it make sense? No. It doesn’t help us here to send missionaries out and plant churches – to send our people and support financially. But at the end of the day, none of this is about Garden City. It’s the glory of Jesus and the worship of God spreading to every corner of our city and the earth. So that’s what we’re going to do.

The sign Jesus chooses to give to prove his authority in Jn. 2 is critical. He could have said, watch me fly around on a cloud or turn you into cats and then back again. But instead, he gives the greatest sign of his power, his resurrection. And here’s what Jesus is saying – My body is the Temple where God’s presence dwells. 

And he was hinting that change was coming – That the focus would no longer be at the physical temple location but it would be about him. The temple and its sacrifices were about to become obsolete. The physical temple was a foreshadow pointing to Jesus himself, the one whom God promised…

Zech. 14:5, 9, 21 5…Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him… 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one… 21 And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day. 

Mal. 3:1 …And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

Jesus is the promised one who would come to rid the temple of not only the traders, but the sacrifices because he would be the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world. He would offer up his life, his perfect record – without blemish, for ours. So that we might become the righteousness of God.

And he comes not to just be a part of your life as an add on but to clean house in your life. To rid you and cleanse you of all your sin and unrighteousness so you, like Jesus, become a temple for the presence of God, where the Holy Spirit dwells, restored back to God. And that frees you to live for God and worship with zeal as you were created to do.

Response: (V. 22) Believed the Scripture and word that Jesus had spoken. – Belief isn’t passive. Changes your life completely. 

Come and See – come to the Temple to worship – has mostly been reversed to Go and Tell – God’s people being sent out to declare the glory of Jesus to the ends of the earth. 

You can entrust your life to Jesus. It may feel scary – What will other people, your family, think about you? Will you be ok? And while I can’t promise that things will be easy, I can promise God loves you and he’ll never forsake you. He sent his Son, Jesus, to die for you so your sins can be forgiven and you could be brought back into right relationship with God. He has the power to save you, the power to forgive you. Will you receive it? Free gift.