House Cleaning Jesus Style, John 2:12-22

 

John 2:12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. ¹³ Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 

After the wonderful wedding, turning water to wine in Cana, He went north a dozen or so miles to Capernaum, where He will be headquartered for the next few years. They rested there a little while then headed south about ninety miles to Jerusalem for Passover.

In case you’re wondering why it says He went down, when He headed north, and then, it says He went up, when He headed south. Back then, they didn’t pay attention to geography but topography. They weren’t driving a plane, train, or automobile, following a map, or GPS, they were walking.

From Cana to Capernaum, you walk down to around six or seven hundred feet below sea level. Whereas, Jerusalem, is twenty-four hundred feet above sea level. So, they went down to Capernaum and up to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem from any direction is always up. They considered this not just physically, topographically, but spiritually. 

Whenever you go to Jerusalem, you're going up. If you're Jewish and want to immigrate to Israel today, it's called making Aliyah. Making Aliyah is, literally, to go up. I'm moving up to Zion.

You've probably heard songs about this.

• Marching Upward to Zion.  Beautiful, beautiful Zion; We're marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God...
• Up to Zion (Ronnie Milsap).
• Going Up Higher, Going Up Higher, Higher Up To Zion

The Jefferson’s “Movin’ on up, to the east side, to that deluxe apartment in the sky…

No wait. Scratch that last one. 

Passover was one of three feasts per year, where Jews gather in Jerusalem.

If you live nearby, within fifteen miles or so, attendance was required. Further away, it was highly recommended. At least one Passover in Jerusalem is on the bucket-list of every Jew in the world. “Next year in Jerusalem,” is what they say at the end of the feast.

You remember, the Passover feast is in honor of the night they were freed from slavery. Exodus 12:1-13. On that night they killed and ate a one-year-old male lamb without spot or blemish. They spread some of the lamb’s blood over the doorpost and lintel.

Exodus12:12 “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³ Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

Of course, we know Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain to deliver us from the bondage of sin, death, hell and the grave.

Jesus made His way, up, (ninety miles south) to Zion, to Jerusalem. He didn’t stay home and say, I AM, the Passover Lamb, there’s no need for Me, to walk all that way, I’ll just stay home and watch on online.

When He got there, as was His custom, (Luke 4:16), He went to Church, to the temple.

What He found, wasn’t so pretty.

¹⁴ And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 

That sounds more like a livestock auction. What in the world is going on?

The place was packed with folks from all over the world. Since it's difficult to travel any great distance with animals, many showed up empty handed.

But noooo problem—long as your pockets are full. 

The temple merchants are prepared. For a price. Of course. Inflated more than hotdogs at the Super bowl; or, popcorn at the movie theatre. Or, pie, right here at our Whispering Pines Pie Auction. (Which was for a good cause. We raised about $4k to give to the local mission).

So, if you were able to bring your own popcorn, I mean, animal, you'd save a bundle. 

Until Levi the inspector shows up. With a microscope. He’s fresh out of the Levitical School of Nit-Pickers. Eighteen months on a farm learning how to find flaws. What constitutes clean and unclean animals, acceptable for sacrifice.

I think I’ve met a mechanic or two that attended that school.

Mr. Inspector looks at your beautiful, kosher, animal, tries to look sad as he finds some invisible flaw that only he can see with his professional expertise. “I’m so sorry, this animal is unacceptable. However, the Lord must be smiling on you, because I just so happen to have exactly what you need.”   

That’s not all. 

For upkeep of the sanctuary everyone had to pay a temple tax, using a temple shekel or a Tyrian shekel. That was the only coin accepted. So, money changers gladly offered their services. For a fee. Of course. To the tune of twelve to twenty percent.

The temple shekel is mentioned in, Matthew 17:24-27, when the temple version of the IRS asked Peter if Jesus paid the tax. Peter said that He did. Jesus told Peter to go fishing, and in the mouth of the first fish would be a coin to pay the temple tax for both of them. 

Only Jesus is that extraordinarily awesome.

Do you remember the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas for betraying Jesus? Those were most likely Tyrian shekels since they came from the temple treasury. Matthew 26:14-15.

Jesus saw all of this chaos and corruption when He got to Jerusalem. A bunch of rude, money hungry, hypocrites. So, He turned around and went back home, to Capernaum, sat on the peaceful shores of Galilee, and said, “I’m never going to Church again. They’re just a bunch of hypocrites. They didn’t even recognize Me. How rude.”

Oh wait—that’s what we do.  

Not Jesus.

¹⁵ When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. ¹⁶ And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 

Okay, so He did go home—to His Father’s House.

He took it personal. He took ownership. He took over and turned over, the tables. 

From making wine, to cracking a whip, Jesus Christ is no wimp.

Christianity isn’t for wimps, either.

He could’ve easily ridden the wine making wave of popularity. Instead, He drove out, poured out, and shouted out…

After that, nobody was going to invite Him to speak at their, How to Grow Your Church Seminar.

But, He knows, for anything to grow, it needs to be pruned.  

JUDGEMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD. 1 PETER 4:17.

Many religious leaders then, and now, would look at the crowded temple, the money flowing like wine, and think they’re in revival.

But not Jesus. He will choose purity over popularity, every time.

He made a whip of cords, (bulrushes, reeds, grass), to drive out the sin and corruption separating His people from worshipping Him.

It wouldn’t be long until a different whip, not made of weeds, but thongs of leather, with shards of metal, would lash against Innocent flesh, until it hung like ribbons. Before all is said and done, the Innocent will cry out from a cross, “It is finished,” and the veil in the temple, that separated God and man, will be ripped in twain from top to bottom, making a way, once and for all, for you and I, and whosoever will, to enter, anytime, day or night, into His Holy Presence.

Never again will we need to travel any further than a thought, a whisper, to make Aliyah, and worship Him.    

¹⁷ Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

They remembered, Psalm 69:9.

Jesus passionately protects His people. God is zealous over His temple, His Church, His Bride; which you are, if you love Him. Hebrews 3:6. 1 Corinthians 3:16.

Today, we don’t buy and sell livestock in the sanctuary, but the same religious spirit attacks and separates the Church today.

Jesus says, woe to those who lay heavy loads on shoulders, but are not willing to lift a finger.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Luke 11:37-54.

Church denominations today, are doing what caused Jesus to throw them out of the temple. Placing themselves, their doctrine, between God and man. Promoting religion, not relationship.

For example.

Jesus addresses His Church as the Church, the ekklésia. Matthew 16:18 and every letter in Revelation. The Church at Ephesus, the Church at Smyrna, the Church at Pergamum… etc.

Ekklésia means people not steeple.

Our Church, in God’s eye, is The Church at Whispering Pines Village.

I know, there are legitimate reasons for Church names, but, in God’s Kingdom, He doesn’t acknowledge, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Berean…

As soon as we put a name on it, pride and promotion are not far behind. Suddenly there’s something other than Him. He will have no other God’s before Him.

People fight, split, leave, stay home, quit, over dumb doctrinal issues—even if there’s a unity of faith. 

A religious spirit, is an unforgiving, all pervasive cruel task master.  

“That’s not my religion.”

“You don’t baptize right”

“You use the wrong Bible”

“You speak in tongues”

“You don’t speak in tongues”

“You don’t… You do…”

“The music is all wrong”

“You don’t have the right sign”

Man did that. Man built those walls—not God.

¹⁸ So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

They were shallow, selfish, looking at the surface. Show us some flash, glitter, lights, signs, to dazzle the crowd and maybe we’ll believe. Make some more wine, and we just might get along.

¹⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

²⁰ Then the Jews 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 of the temple of His body. ²² Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

He said this knowing it’d be mind boggling to the religious leaders. This temple, Herod’s temple, was started sixteen years before Jesus was born. The Pharisees were scratching their heads; how could He possibly rebuild this temple in three days?

Of course, we know Jesus was talking about a much more powerful, and important, and Holy, temple, His temple, His body. He was talking Resurrection, not construction.

What a wonderful chapter. First, He paints a picture of His soul cleaning blood through the purification jars of water turned to wine. Now, He displays a marvelous picture beyond the blood, to the glorious Resurrection.

Only God could write a script so profound.

In closing, notice one more thing. The power of a Seed.

Jesus knew that His disciples would also be scratching their heads. What’s He talking about?  He knew that one day, about three years later, after His Resurrection, they’d remember what He said, and then, they’d finally get it.

He knows your future, if you’ll let Him, by keeping your heart open, like soft fertile soil, He will plant the Seed today, that you’ll need tomorrow.

Notice it says they remembered that He had said this to them.

To them.

Now, they have more than just a sign with wine (John 2:11). More than just zeal and a Scripture (John 2:17). They have a personal memory of Him, speaking to them. (John 2:22).

More than just witnessing a miracle.

More than just head knowledge of Scripture.

They have a personal Word, Rhema Word, Revelation Knowledge, from Him, to them; resulting in an unshakable, foundation of faith, that His Word, and, The Scripture, are One and the same.

And they believed the Scripture and the Word.

Mission accomplished.

 

Let’s pray,

Thank You Lord Jesus, for Your Word, that You planted in our hearts today. Thank You that Your Word will not return void, but will prosper in the thing whereunto it was sent. We pray, the Seed, today, bear fruit tomorrow, as a blessing, forever.

Amen.