Temple Cleaning:

Context:

• Jesus rode the colt to Jerusalem.
• He later entered the temple and overturned tables and seats.
• He had also done this at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-22).

Matthew 21:13 “...He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers...”

Mark 11:17 “...And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers...”

Luke 19:46 “...saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers...”

What is perversion?

• Inappropriately changing something from its good, intended purpose.
• An evil deviation from original intentions.

Why was Jesus unhappy with the temple activity?

• It was inconsistent with the intent of the temple.
• The temple was to be a place for interaction with God.
• The temple had become a place of corrupt commercialism.
• The temple had become a safe place for thieves.
• The intentions of God had been perverted.

• Isaiah 56:7 “...these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples...”

•  Jeremiah 7:11 “...Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD...”

• Jeremiah 19:3-4 “...Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such disaster upon this place that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. Because the people have forsaken me and have profaned this place by making offerings in it to other gods...”

Can you think of any perversions in our world?

• Anything that deviates from God’s creative intentions.

Can you think of any perversions in our churches?

• A lot is done for reasons other than serving the one true God.

If Christ came into our gatherings today, would He overturn anything?

How can the process of religion pervert the purpose of religion?

• Focus on the practicalities can detract from the real purpose.
• We start paying more attention to the system than to our God.
• We become more involved with the scaffolding than our God.

How does God deal with perversion?

• His heart is to reconcile.
• He wants to restore things to their intended purpose.
• He wants to rescue from the domain of darkness and transfer to the kingdom of His Son.

• Matthew 24:1-2 “...Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down...”

How do people deal with perversion?

• They may participate in it.
• They may observe it, which is still a form of participation.
• They may try to avoid it.
• They may judge harshly those who are involved in it.

Do we want to rescue from the domain of darkness?

Matthew 21:15 “...But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant,...”

Mark 11:18 “...And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching...”

Luke 19:47 “...And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,...”

How did the religious authorities respond to Jesus?

• They were indignant.
• They were seeking to destroy Him.

Why do religious authorities have a difficult time with Jesus?

• Jesus is the completely righteous one.
• Religious leaders are fallible, and even perverted at times.
• Religious leaders sometimes practice more pride than humility.

Why do we sometimes have a difficult time with Jesus?