Here we see Jesus explain his actions in the temple, and the prophecy that predicted it.

“And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” (John 2:16-17)

Notice Jesus motivation for his actions.

In this section of scripture, we see Jesus’ motivation for turning over the tables and running out the money changers and retailers from the Temple. He tells them to get out. He tells them that they have made this place of prayer, this place of sacrifice, this place of devotion to God, into a house of merchandise.

This means that they were all about profit. They were all about making a buck. As we have seen earlier, they were exploiting people who were coming to worship. They were using the obedience and desire of the people coming to worship to enrich themselves in the wrong kind of ways.

You also see here Jesus’ authority in that motivation. He claims that God is His Father. He claims that this is His Father’s house. He is enforcing what should be in the temple—what should be done in the temple with these people. He is literally kicking them out. Jesus is in charge, and He sees Himself in charge.

The disciples later ended up remembering when this happened, and that’s what John notes here from Psalm 69. The Bible describes—or predicts—exactly this about Jesus. It says, “For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me” (Psalm 69:9). John essentially remembers this part of a lyric of the Psalms that they used to sing, which predicted that this kind of attitude is something that Jesus would have.

What does this mean for us in local churches?

The temple and the church are not exactly the same. We don’t really have sanctioned buildings like the temple was sanctioned by God. The church really isn’t the building—the church is the people. Yet the church does use buildings as a tool to practice what God’s told us to practice as the local church.

We’re told to assemble. We’re told to pray. We are told to read and help people understand the Scriptures. We’re told to proclaim the gospel, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. And we use buildings to do that.

But the church is not a money-making venture. The church uses money to accomplish its mission, but it does not use its mission to make money. Jesus makes it clear that this ought to be the case, at least in principle. And if we’re gonna be like Jesus, then we want to make sure that we don’t do that.

What does this mean for you?

• What’s your relationship like with the money that you have?
• Do you own money and use it for kingdom purposes, or does it own you?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This week we are taking a look at the actions of Jesus towards the money changers and sellers in the temple.

“And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables.” (John 2:13-15)

Understanding Jesus Actions

In this section of Scripture, we see Jesus in an authoritative position—He’s taking on authority by what He’s doing. We’re going to see it throughout this week in four different areas, four different ways that authority is described. We see it first of all in today’s text in this correction.

The context here is that it’s Passover, and Jesus went to the Passover to celebrate with the Jews. It says that He went up to Jerusalem. This is common phraseology describing how people went to Jerusalem. Even though they may be headed south, they always went “up” to Jerusalem because Jerusalem was a city that was elevated. They also honored the city of Jerusalem by saying you went up to it.

When you go to the Passover, you go to the temple. Many of the people that would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover came from out of town, and so they were coming to make sacrifices. In doing that, it was much more convenient to not travel with the sacrifice you would bring, but to buy the sacrifice once you got there. They would also come with their local currency, but to pay the temple fees they would have to exchange their money. In doing so, the changers of money would give them exploitative rates of exchange—predatory fees, that kind of thing.

When Jesus got there, He sees these practices going on of people selling these oxen, sheep, and doves. It probably wasn’t wrong necessarily to sell; it’s that they were doing it in these exploitive ways. You see Him in verse 15 making a scourge of small cords, and He drives all of them out of the temple. He drives out the sheep, the oxen, He pours out the money, and He overthrows the tables.

Now we know that Jesus was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. There is such a thing as righteous anger, and that’s what we see here exhibited by Jesus.

How should we worship?

When it comes to how we think about practicing the disciplines of our faith, we ought to have pure motives in how we practice it. The New Testament describes worldliness as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. If those three descriptions of worldliness are not of the Father, but are of the world, when those things enter into the way that we practice our faith, then we’re doing it wrong.

If we are like Jesus, then some things should make us angry. There are some things should move us to action. That’s what we see going on here. Jesus is righteously angry in this moment. He is also revealing something of the heart of God in how he is to be worshipped, how people are to be treated, and how God’s commands are to be obeyed.

RESPOND

1. Is there any part of your life right now that is characterized by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life? Is that entering into how you’re doing life and how you’re practicing your religion?
2. What makes you angry? Is there anything that doesn’t make you angry that makes Jesus angry?

Here is the effect of Jesus’ miracle.  Jesus did miracles as a sign so that we believe.

(11) This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.  (12) After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.  (John 2:11-12)

Explanation

We see that Jesus miracle had a three fold effect. First, that the miracle manifested forth his glory. The word used here for miracle is σημεῖον which is translated other places as “sign”. Sometimes the word miracles is translated from the word δύναμις which is often translated power. One word speaks more to what the miracle signified, and the other to the supernatural power of the miracle. Here it is clear what John is emphasizing. The miracle was a sign to confirm that He was the Messiah. 

Not only did the miracle manifest forth his glory. The second effect is that his disciples believed on him. This sign was a confirmation of what they had already seen and suspected. Jesus Christ really was the messiah.

The last effect is seen in verse 12. His disciples, along with his family continued with him. The disciples were continuing to follow him. Jesus had promised Nathanael that he would see “greater things than these”, and that was soon shown to be the case.

Application

I love what commentator and Pastor, Warren Weirsbe, said about this miracle.

If our Lord had preached a sermon after He turned the water into wine, what might He have said? For one thing, He likely would have told the people that the world’s joy always runs out and cannot be regained, but the joy He gives is ever new and ever satisfying. (In the Scriptures, wine is a symbol of joy. See Jdg 9:13 and Psa 104:15.) The world offers the best at the first, and then, once you are “hooked,” things start to get worse. But Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in the eternal kingdom (Luk 22:18). But our Lord would certainly have a special message here for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is pictured as “married” to God and unfaithful to her marriage covenant (Isa 54:5; Jer 31:32; Hos 2:2). The wine ran out, and all Israel had left were six empty waterpots! They held water for external washings, but they could provide nothing for internal cleaning and joy. In this miracle, our Lord brought fullness where there was emptiness, joy where there was disappointment, and something internal for that which was only external (water for ceremonial washings).

Response

1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is who he said He is?
2. Is your walk with the Lord based on empty ritual or a thriving relationship with God through Jesus?

Summary thought: Jesus does the miracle, and uses others in the process!

(9) When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, (10) And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth the good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. (John 2:9-10)

Explanation

It’s clear from the text that when the person in charge of the event tasted the wine he was impressed.  He knew nothing of its source in Jesus.  What he did know was the best tasting wine had just been brought out, and that this was not the normal procedure.  The law of diminishing returns is in effect, meaning the first taste is generally the best taste.  In planning out an event, first impressions are critical, and that means usually the best is what you start with.  In this case he noticed that the best now has come out at the end.  

Just a few thoughts about this miracle.

Jesus often used human instrumentation in the performing of his miracles.  The disciples hand out the bread as Jesus makes a few loves and fishes feed 5,000.  He has people loose the grave clothes off of Lazarus after he’s raised.  He has the blind man wash the mud off of his face in the pool.  Here he has the servants fill the water pots and take the wine to the governor of the feast.  He doesn’t know the miracle, but they are in on it.

Jesus demonstrates His power over his creation.  The first miracles here display that Christ the degree to which he has power, even to make the wine taste good.  What takes natural process to make water turn into the product of the vine, the Lord does in a mere moment.  He was the agent by which the world were made, and he is keeping it all together. (Collossians 1:14-17)  It is not far fetched that he can effect it in this supernatural way.  

Application

We ought to long for God to use us.

We are not God, and cannot do what He does in our own power. Yet, God has chosen to use us. When he does, and we obey, we have merely done our duty.

Luke 17:10

10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

He doesn’t have to use us, yet He often does. When we do we get to enjoy the miraculous. We don’t save people, but we can be there when people get saved. We don’t heal people, but we can pray for people to be healed and watch God do it. How blessed we are to be used.

We ougth love and worship the Creator, and enjoy the created.  God made creation to declare His glory, and it can be righteously enjoyed. He made the senses. He invented taste, feel, smell, touch, and sight. We can use our senses to identify the reality of God, and to enjoy Him and worship Him as well. Paul told Timothy to give a particular message to the rich people to which he ministered:

1 Timothy 6:17-19

17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;  18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Response

1. Look for ways that God maybe wanting to use you today. Are you ready to be used?
2. Is your enjoyment of the created thing coming before your relationship with the Creator? How can you address this?