September 4, 2025 • 18 mins
In this Bible Story, we witness the righteous anger of Jesus. During the Passover, corrupt money-changers and religious leaders exploit people’s desire to worship. So Jesus fashions a whip and drives them out. This story is inspired by John 2:13-23, John 3: 1-21, Numbers 21:4-9. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.
Today's Bible verse is John 2:15 from the King James Version.
Episode 178: As Jesus entered the temple gates during Passover, His eyes were open to the corruption of that sacred place. Where there should have been awe and a sense of holiness, a marketplace existed. Instead of forgiveness, the religious leaders were requiring fees. Jesus could not stand this happening in God’s temple, so He drove out the buyers, sellers, and the money changers! The temple priests challenged Him on this but Jesus did not falter. Later that evening though, one of the Pharisees came to Him to know more about who He was and what He came to do.
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Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard
Producer: Ben Gammon
Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham
Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith
Bible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray. 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
changer's money and overthrew the tables John two fifteen. I
confess to day that zeal for your house has consumed me.
(00:27):
Move in my life so that I can stand for
what is righteous. Help me so that I can stand
for what is godly. Move in my life and allow
me to understand heavenly matters. As I look at you, Jesus,
help me to understand that God loved me so much
(00:48):
that he sent you as a bridge to connect me
back into his loving arms. I praise you Lord that
as I believe in Jesus Christ, I will have access
to eternal life. I thank you that you did not
send Jesus to condemn me, but to rescue me from
(01:10):
my sins and from myself. I declare that I am
new and restored because I now have you in my
life in Jesus name. Amen, Thanks for making prayer a
priority in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
(01:32):
stay tuned for the Bible in a year brought to
you by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Com, flipping tables and eternal Life. In our last story,
Jesus performed his first of many miracles at a wedding
in cana By the request of his mother, Jesus blessed
a wedding by turning water into wine. Although our guests
(02:00):
were not aware of this miracle, the servants and disciples knew.
They awed at the humble power of Christ. They knew
even more that he was the promised Messiah. Now we
witness the righteous anger of Jesus. When the greed of
men seeps into the temple gates, Jesus violently empties its courtyard.
He drives out corruption, then speaks of eternal life and
(02:22):
why he is come inspired by the Gospels.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Hello, this is pastor Jack Graham with another episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. We have now seen
Jesus calling his disciples to himself, men who believe that
he was from God, even if they didn't fully understand
his purpose or the path that he would take as
the Messiah. But they were compelled to the call. They
dropped everything and began following Jesus. We also heard the
(02:51):
last time how Jesus performed his first miracle in cana
of Galilee, turning water into wine. It is a symbol
of the power of Christ to transform our lives. The
miracle further strengthened the disciples faith in Jesus. Today we'll
hear how Jesus shows a righteous anger at the dishonoring
and the disrespectfulness of God's house by greedy men who
(03:14):
were seeking personal gain at the temple gates. Christ will
act swiftly and forcefully to cleanse his temple, showing the
disciples that he was zealous for his father's house and
serious about calling out wickedness and hypocrisy wherever it presented itself.
Most of the religious leaders will look on this act
with scorn, but one man will seek Jesus out in secret,
(03:38):
wanting to know more. Let's listen now to the reading
of God's word.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It was Passover in Jerusalem. Men, women and children from
many nations gathered in the temple courtyards to make a
sacrifice to the Lord. It was a widely celebrated time,
a time for reflection on the goodness of God, a
time for prayer and thanksgiving, a time to contemplate the
saving power of God. However, when Jesus walked into the
(04:05):
temple gates. He did not see people celebrating the Lord.
He saw money changers and lenders haggling with foreigners. He
saw temple clerks charging extra money for people to buy sacrifices.
Worst of all, he saw the court yard of the
Gentiles filled with money hungry salesmen. Money changes were purposely
(04:25):
hiking up exchange rates, so the Gentiles had to pay
more money for sacrifices. People outside the family of God
had come to Jerusalem to seek forgiveness. Instead, they were
met with payments and fees. The religious leaders were making
people pay to access forgiveness. The deep fury of God
welled up within Jesus. Silently, Jesus grabbed some cords from
(04:50):
a nearby cart. He sat down and began to braid them.
His disciples watched him curiously. They were used to seeing
Jesus filled with joy and peace, yet there was a
different expression on his face, righteous anger. Jesus finished braiding
a long braid of leather cords twice as long as himself.
He stood up. Although Jesus was not a particularly tall man,
(05:13):
his presence felt larger than the temple itself, like lightning,
Jesus swung his hips and whipped the braid towards the
sheep and oxen. The livestock scattered and ran away as
Jesus relentlessly drove them out of the temple. The cellars
of the livestock ran after them. Jesus turned his eyes
towards the money changer. With purpose, he marched toward the table,
(05:36):
took the bags of temple currency, and threw them against
the wall. Off Jesus turned towards the large stone tables
with weights and scales. With god like strength, Jesus flipped
them over on their sides and let the gold spill
over the edge. The money changers and salesmen were frantically
trying to gather their goods. When Jesus marched up the
(05:56):
temple stairs. The people watched him closely, and the entire
courtyard fell silent. It is written, Jesus began to yell.
It is written, my father's house should be called a
house of prayer. Jesus's eyes were filled with furious compassion.
But look at what is around you. Look closely. You
(06:18):
have turned this house of prayer into a den of thieves.
His disciples listened to his words. They could see the
deep pain in Jesus's eyes. All he wanted was for
people to worship God free from burdens. The prophecy of
David resonated in their minds. Zeal for your house will
consume me. The people looked at him with awe, but
(06:41):
the religious leaders looked at him with contempt. What authority
do you have to say these things? What sign will
you show us? Jesus dropped the whip in his hands
and pointed to the temple. Destroy this temple, and I
will show you if you destroy it, I will raise
it back up again in three days. Uncle could be
heard from the crowd. One of them scoffed at him
(07:03):
and said, it took forty six years to rebuild that temple,
and you think you could do so in three days.
Jesus shook his head and walked down the steps. He
took his disciples and left the courtyard. What they did
not know is that Jesus was not speaking of the
actual temple. He was speaking of his body. He would
be destroyed and raised again in three days time, all
(07:26):
for the sake of people worshiping God free from burdens.
Many of the Pharisees scoffed at Jesus. They shook their
heads and spat in his direction. They thought of him
to be just another zealot. They were wrong. They were
profoundly and dangerously wrong. Yet there was one among them
who did not scoff. His curiosity about Jesus was piqued,
(07:49):
and the dead of night a pharisee named Nicodemus entered
into the home of Jesus. Nicodemus knocked on the door silently.
He did not want to be seen speaking with Jesus,
in fear that it might ruin his reputation. Jesus opened
the door and smiled. He greeted Nicodemus and allowed him
to come in. A few of Jesus's followers were sitting
(08:09):
beside the fire. Jesus sat Nicodemus down. He had been
expecting him. How can I help you, Jesus asked, pouring
Nicodemus a drink. Nicodemus began speaking, Rabbi, there is no
doubt in my mind you are a teacher sent from God.
No one can do these things that you have been
doing otherwise. Jesus nodded in agreement. However, he was more
(08:34):
than a teacher. Unless one is born again, he truly
cannot see the Kingdom of God, Jesus said. Nicodemus was
confused at his statement. I'm not sure I follow Rabbi.
Are you suggesting that someone needs to re enter his
mother's womb and be born again? Jesus gave a gentle laugh. No, no, listen.
(08:55):
Unless you are born of the spirit, you cannot enter
into the Kingdom of God. We are all born in
the flesh, yes, however not all are born of the spirit.
Jesus could tell that Nicodemus was having difficulty understanding. He
leaned forward and touched Nicodemus's shoulder. Don't be confused by this,
he said, reassuringly. The wind blows and nobody can see it.
(09:19):
It is the same with being borne by the spirit.
But how can that happen? Nicodemus asked, aren't you a teacher?
Jesus replied, you should understand this. I have done many
signs and given you earthly examples. You have seen and
heard them. Yet you and the rest of the Pharisee
still do not believe. So how could I possibly explain
(09:41):
heavenly matters to you? Jesus could see the look of
disappointment on Nicodemus's face. He had compassion on him and
loved him for his heart. Jesus spoke of himself now, saying,
the one who truly knows the things of heaven is
the one who came from heaven. Just as Moses lifted
the bronze serpent up in the wilderness for people to
(10:02):
be healed, so people will look upon him and receive
eternal life. Nicodemus knew that story, the story of the
Israelites being saved in the wilderness from venomous snakes. By
gazing upon the bronze serpent. He was beginning to understand
slightly what Jesus was telling him. The Lord smiled and
leaned in closer to Nicodemus. For God so loved the
(10:25):
world that he offered up his only begotten son, and
whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
And God did not send his son to condemn the world, no,
but that by him the world should be saved. There
was a joyfulness in Jesus's voice. His disciples were behind him,
hanging on his every word. His eyes glistened in the
(10:48):
fire light. The light has come to the world, Jesus continued,
but people love darkness rather than the light. Wickedness hates
the light because it exposes it. But whoever knows and
acts upon the truth steps into the light. With those words,
Nicodemus left. He held the words of Jesus closely, regretting
(11:12):
that he could not totally understand.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Today we began with Jesus once again at the temple
during Passover, and this time we don't see Jesus sitting
with teachers. In today's reading, we saw something that included
a holy zeal and a righteous fiery anger that comes
from the Lord. God's temple is meant to be a
house of worship, a place of prayer, a place where
people are forgiven, But instead the temple was being used
(11:41):
by greedy businessmen and religious leader taking advantage of people,
charging exorbitant fees for them to access sacrifices and find forgiveness.
We often think of the gentleness of Jesus, and truly
Jesus is gentle and lowly of heart. His character is kind.
But Jesus is also strong and never weak. He was
(12:04):
always deeply devoted to the things of God, just like
his predecessor, ancestor King David was called to be strong
as a warrior for the Lord. Jesus now rises up
to defend the house of God. He was not silent,
and this was not calm. It was violent. He was
determined to set people straight. God's temple would not be
(12:25):
defiled by thieves. He braided a whip and scattered the vendors.
He turned over the tables of those charging money and
taking advantage of the gentiles, speaking with loud voice his
accusations against them. He would not allow this hypocrisy, this dishonesty,
to continue. This was not Jesus losing control of his emotion,
(12:46):
flying off the handle and losing composure. This was clear
and planned behavior. This was righteous indignation. We can only
imagine how shocked the disciples must have been to see
Jesus performed this act of cleansing the temple and behaving
in this way. But they remember the words of Psalm
sixty nine, which says the zeal of your house will
(13:09):
consume me. This is yet another sign that Jesus is
indeed the Messiah. But the religious leaders and other Jews
did not see this so clearly. They challenged Jesus and
asked what right he had what authority he possessed to
say and do these things. His response for them was
confusing to those who heard it. In John two nineteen,
(13:31):
Jesus answered them, destroy this temple, and I will raise
it again in three days. They thought he was talking
about the physical temple, the building, the temple of stone
and mortar. But Jesus was speaking here about himself. He
was the temple. He was the very presence of God.
The glory of God was upon him, and one day
(13:53):
he would be destroyed his temple, his physical body would die,
but he would be raised to life on the third
day day. Here Jesus begins prophesying his own death and resurrection.
The Pharisees tried to laugh this off, failing to see
the one who was standing before them. All they knew
(14:13):
is that they despised this man who spoke with such
authority and challenged their position and power. But Jesus was
not seeking personal power and pride and prominence. He was
calling people to repentance. He was calling people to himself
in a brand new life. There was one leader among
them who wanted to know more about this Jesus. Perhaps
(14:35):
he was afraid to ask in the broad daylight to
ask openly. So at night this man came to Jesus.
His name was Nicodemus. He wanted to know more about
this man. Is he the Messiah? Is he more than
a man? Is he more than a teacher from God.
Jesus then told Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom of God,
(14:56):
one must be born again. Sademus was confused, so he
asked for clarification. How is it possible to be born again?
The Lord explained to him that he was not talking
about physical birth, but birth in the spirit, heavenly birth,
to be born again from above. This is the new
life that Jesus promises to all who will be born again.
(15:21):
Jesus then gave Nicodemus and Us an illustration. He talked
about Moses and the Israelites who looked to a bronze
servant a brazen serpent in the wilderness to be saved
from the bites of snakes. This was a story that
Nicodemus knew well, and Jesus explained to him that this
is a picture of God's love. That God sent his
(15:42):
only son Jesus into the world, and that whoever would
believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. This,
of course, is one of the key verses in all
of the Bible. John three point sixteen. For God so
loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,
that whoever believe and him would not perish, but have
everlasting life. His words clearly stuck with Nicodemus. Jesus came
(16:10):
into the world to save sinners, religious people like Nicodemus
and irreligious people even like you and me. Whoever you are,
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
And if you will trust in Christ and Christ alone
as your savior and Lord, you will be given eternal life.
(16:30):
Not only will your sins be forgiven, but Jesus will
live in your life, and you will live with the
hope of eternal life with you now and forever. I
want to invite you and encourage you to be born again.
If you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus,
do it right now. Simply pray a prayer and invite
Christ into your life. Be willing to turn from your sins,
(16:53):
that's repentance, and receive Jesus as your lord and follow
him as your savior. And if you will do this.
You will have a brand new life now and forever.
Pray something like this, Jesus, I ask you to come
into my life to be my savior and my God,
my master and friend. In the power of your spirit.
(17:13):
I will live for you all the days of my life,
and I will live with you forever in heaven. Lord,
thank you for giving me a brand new life today
in Jesus's name. Amen. Once again, thank you for listening
to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack
Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to download
(17:35):
thepray dot com app and make Bible study and prayer
a real priority in your life. And if you are
enjoying this podcast, share it with someone you know, someone
you care about, because sharing God's word has a powerful
impact upon people's lives. And if you want more resources
as to how you can find faith, grow in your faith,
(17:59):
develop as a deci disciple and follower of Jesus, be
sure to visit me at Jack Graham dot org. We
have plenty of resources that will encourage you and equip
you for life. God bless you.
Let us pray. 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
changer's money and overthrew the tables John two fifteen. I
confess to day that zeal for your house has consumed me.
(00:27):
Move in my life so that I can stand for
what is righteous. Help me so that I can stand
for what is godly. Move in my life and allow
me to understand heavenly matters. As I look at you, Jesus,
help me to understand that God loved me so much
(00:48):
that he sent you as a bridge to connect me
back into his loving arms. I praise you Lord that
as I believe in Jesus Christ, I will have access
to eternal life. I thank you that you did not
send Jesus to condemn me, but to rescue me from
(01:10):
my sins and from myself. I declare that I am
new and restored because I now have you in my
life in Jesus name. Amen, Thanks for making prayer a
priority in your life. To hear the Bible come to life,
(01:32):
stay tuned for the Bible in a year brought to
you by Bible in a Year dot.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Com, flipping tables and eternal Life. In our last story,
Jesus performed his first of many miracles at a wedding
in cana By the request of his mother, Jesus blessed
a wedding by turning water into wine. Although our guests
(02:00):
were not aware of this miracle, the servants and disciples knew.
They awed at the humble power of Christ. They knew
even more that he was the promised Messiah. Now we
witness the righteous anger of Jesus. When the greed of
men seeps into the temple gates, Jesus violently empties its courtyard.
He drives out corruption, then speaks of eternal life and
(02:22):
why he is come inspired by the Gospels.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Hello, this is pastor Jack Graham with another episode of
the Bible in a Year podcast. We have now seen
Jesus calling his disciples to himself, men who believe that
he was from God, even if they didn't fully understand
his purpose or the path that he would take as
the Messiah. But they were compelled to the call. They
dropped everything and began following Jesus. We also heard the
(02:51):
last time how Jesus performed his first miracle in cana
of Galilee, turning water into wine. It is a symbol
of the power of Christ to transform our lives. The
miracle further strengthened the disciples faith in Jesus. Today we'll
hear how Jesus shows a righteous anger at the dishonoring
and the disrespectfulness of God's house by greedy men who
(03:14):
were seeking personal gain at the temple gates. Christ will
act swiftly and forcefully to cleanse his temple, showing the
disciples that he was zealous for his father's house and
serious about calling out wickedness and hypocrisy wherever it presented itself.
Most of the religious leaders will look on this act
with scorn, but one man will seek Jesus out in secret,
(03:38):
wanting to know more. Let's listen now to the reading
of God's word.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
It was Passover in Jerusalem. Men, women and children from
many nations gathered in the temple courtyards to make a
sacrifice to the Lord. It was a widely celebrated time,
a time for reflection on the goodness of God, a
time for prayer and thanksgiving, a time to contemplate the
saving power of God. However, when Jesus walked into the
(04:05):
temple gates. He did not see people celebrating the Lord.
He saw money changers and lenders haggling with foreigners. He
saw temple clerks charging extra money for people to buy sacrifices.
Worst of all, he saw the court yard of the
Gentiles filled with money hungry salesmen. Money changes were purposely
(04:25):
hiking up exchange rates, so the Gentiles had to pay
more money for sacrifices. People outside the family of God
had come to Jerusalem to seek forgiveness. Instead, they were
met with payments and fees. The religious leaders were making
people pay to access forgiveness. The deep fury of God
welled up within Jesus. Silently, Jesus grabbed some cords from
(04:50):
a nearby cart. He sat down and began to braid them.
His disciples watched him curiously. They were used to seeing
Jesus filled with joy and peace, yet there was a
different expression on his face, righteous anger. Jesus finished braiding
a long braid of leather cords twice as long as himself.
He stood up. Although Jesus was not a particularly tall man,
(05:13):
his presence felt larger than the temple itself, like lightning,
Jesus swung his hips and whipped the braid towards the
sheep and oxen. The livestock scattered and ran away as
Jesus relentlessly drove them out of the temple. The cellars
of the livestock ran after them. Jesus turned his eyes
towards the money changer. With purpose, he marched toward the table,
(05:36):
took the bags of temple currency, and threw them against
the wall. Off Jesus turned towards the large stone tables
with weights and scales. With god like strength, Jesus flipped
them over on their sides and let the gold spill
over the edge. The money changers and salesmen were frantically
trying to gather their goods. When Jesus marched up the
(05:56):
temple stairs. The people watched him closely, and the entire
courtyard fell silent. It is written, Jesus began to yell.
It is written, my father's house should be called a
house of prayer. Jesus's eyes were filled with furious compassion.
But look at what is around you. Look closely. You
(06:18):
have turned this house of prayer into a den of thieves.
His disciples listened to his words. They could see the
deep pain in Jesus's eyes. All he wanted was for
people to worship God free from burdens. The prophecy of
David resonated in their minds. Zeal for your house will
consume me. The people looked at him with awe, but
(06:41):
the religious leaders looked at him with contempt. What authority
do you have to say these things? What sign will
you show us? Jesus dropped the whip in his hands
and pointed to the temple. Destroy this temple, and I
will show you if you destroy it, I will raise
it back up again in three days. Uncle could be
heard from the crowd. One of them scoffed at him
(07:03):
and said, it took forty six years to rebuild that temple,
and you think you could do so in three days.
Jesus shook his head and walked down the steps. He
took his disciples and left the courtyard. What they did
not know is that Jesus was not speaking of the
actual temple. He was speaking of his body. He would
be destroyed and raised again in three days time, all
(07:26):
for the sake of people worshiping God free from burdens.
Many of the Pharisees scoffed at Jesus. They shook their
heads and spat in his direction. They thought of him
to be just another zealot. They were wrong. They were
profoundly and dangerously wrong. Yet there was one among them
who did not scoff. His curiosity about Jesus was piqued,
(07:49):
and the dead of night a pharisee named Nicodemus entered
into the home of Jesus. Nicodemus knocked on the door silently.
He did not want to be seen speaking with Jesus,
in fear that it might ruin his reputation. Jesus opened
the door and smiled. He greeted Nicodemus and allowed him
to come in. A few of Jesus's followers were sitting
(08:09):
beside the fire. Jesus sat Nicodemus down. He had been
expecting him. How can I help you, Jesus asked, pouring
Nicodemus a drink. Nicodemus began speaking, Rabbi, there is no
doubt in my mind you are a teacher sent from God.
No one can do these things that you have been
doing otherwise. Jesus nodded in agreement. However, he was more
(08:34):
than a teacher. Unless one is born again, he truly
cannot see the Kingdom of God, Jesus said. Nicodemus was
confused at his statement. I'm not sure I follow Rabbi.
Are you suggesting that someone needs to re enter his
mother's womb and be born again? Jesus gave a gentle laugh. No, no, listen.
(08:55):
Unless you are born of the spirit, you cannot enter
into the Kingdom of God. We are all born in
the flesh, yes, however not all are born of the spirit.
Jesus could tell that Nicodemus was having difficulty understanding. He
leaned forward and touched Nicodemus's shoulder. Don't be confused by this,
he said, reassuringly. The wind blows and nobody can see it.
(09:19):
It is the same with being borne by the spirit.
But how can that happen? Nicodemus asked, aren't you a teacher?
Jesus replied, you should understand this. I have done many
signs and given you earthly examples. You have seen and
heard them. Yet you and the rest of the Pharisee
still do not believe. So how could I possibly explain
(09:41):
heavenly matters to you? Jesus could see the look of
disappointment on Nicodemus's face. He had compassion on him and
loved him for his heart. Jesus spoke of himself now, saying,
the one who truly knows the things of heaven is
the one who came from heaven. Just as Moses lifted
the bronze serpent up in the wilderness for people to
(10:02):
be healed, so people will look upon him and receive
eternal life. Nicodemus knew that story, the story of the
Israelites being saved in the wilderness from venomous snakes. By
gazing upon the bronze serpent. He was beginning to understand
slightly what Jesus was telling him. The Lord smiled and
leaned in closer to Nicodemus. For God so loved the
(10:25):
world that he offered up his only begotten son, and
whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
And God did not send his son to condemn the world, no,
but that by him the world should be saved. There
was a joyfulness in Jesus's voice. His disciples were behind him,
hanging on his every word. His eyes glistened in the
(10:48):
fire light. The light has come to the world, Jesus continued,
but people love darkness rather than the light. Wickedness hates
the light because it exposes it. But whoever knows and
acts upon the truth steps into the light. With those words,
Nicodemus left. He held the words of Jesus closely, regretting
(11:12):
that he could not totally understand.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Today we began with Jesus once again at the temple
during Passover, and this time we don't see Jesus sitting
with teachers. In today's reading, we saw something that included
a holy zeal and a righteous fiery anger that comes
from the Lord. God's temple is meant to be a
house of worship, a place of prayer, a place where
people are forgiven, But instead the temple was being used
(11:41):
by greedy businessmen and religious leader taking advantage of people,
charging exorbitant fees for them to access sacrifices and find forgiveness.
We often think of the gentleness of Jesus, and truly
Jesus is gentle and lowly of heart. His character is kind.
But Jesus is also strong and never weak. He was
(12:04):
always deeply devoted to the things of God, just like
his predecessor, ancestor King David was called to be strong
as a warrior for the Lord. Jesus now rises up
to defend the house of God. He was not silent,
and this was not calm. It was violent. He was
determined to set people straight. God's temple would not be
(12:25):
defiled by thieves. He braided a whip and scattered the vendors.
He turned over the tables of those charging money and
taking advantage of the gentiles, speaking with loud voice his
accusations against them. He would not allow this hypocrisy, this dishonesty,
to continue. This was not Jesus losing control of his emotion,
(12:46):
flying off the handle and losing composure. This was clear
and planned behavior. This was righteous indignation. We can only
imagine how shocked the disciples must have been to see
Jesus performed this act of cleansing the temple and behaving
in this way. But they remember the words of Psalm
sixty nine, which says the zeal of your house will
(13:09):
consume me. This is yet another sign that Jesus is
indeed the Messiah. But the religious leaders and other Jews
did not see this so clearly. They challenged Jesus and
asked what right he had what authority he possessed to
say and do these things. His response for them was
confusing to those who heard it. In John two nineteen,
(13:31):
Jesus answered them, destroy this temple, and I will raise
it again in three days. They thought he was talking
about the physical temple, the building, the temple of stone
and mortar. But Jesus was speaking here about himself. He
was the temple. He was the very presence of God.
The glory of God was upon him, and one day
(13:53):
he would be destroyed his temple, his physical body would die,
but he would be raised to life on the third
day day. Here Jesus begins prophesying his own death and resurrection.
The Pharisees tried to laugh this off, failing to see
the one who was standing before them. All they knew
(14:13):
is that they despised this man who spoke with such
authority and challenged their position and power. But Jesus was
not seeking personal power and pride and prominence. He was
calling people to repentance. He was calling people to himself
in a brand new life. There was one leader among
them who wanted to know more about this Jesus. Perhaps
(14:35):
he was afraid to ask in the broad daylight to
ask openly. So at night this man came to Jesus.
His name was Nicodemus. He wanted to know more about
this man. Is he the Messiah? Is he more than
a man? Is he more than a teacher from God.
Jesus then told Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom of God,
(14:56):
one must be born again. Sademus was confused, so he
asked for clarification. How is it possible to be born again?
The Lord explained to him that he was not talking
about physical birth, but birth in the spirit, heavenly birth,
to be born again from above. This is the new
life that Jesus promises to all who will be born again.
(15:21):
Jesus then gave Nicodemus and Us an illustration. He talked
about Moses and the Israelites who looked to a bronze
servant a brazen serpent in the wilderness to be saved
from the bites of snakes. This was a story that
Nicodemus knew well, and Jesus explained to him that this
is a picture of God's love. That God sent his
(15:42):
only son Jesus into the world, and that whoever would
believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. This,
of course, is one of the key verses in all
of the Bible. John three point sixteen. For God so
loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,
that whoever believe and him would not perish, but have
everlasting life. His words clearly stuck with Nicodemus. Jesus came
(16:10):
into the world to save sinners, religious people like Nicodemus
and irreligious people even like you and me. Whoever you are,
God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
And if you will trust in Christ and Christ alone
as your savior and Lord, you will be given eternal life.
(16:30):
Not only will your sins be forgiven, but Jesus will
live in your life, and you will live with the
hope of eternal life with you now and forever. I
want to invite you and encourage you to be born again.
If you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus,
do it right now. Simply pray a prayer and invite
Christ into your life. Be willing to turn from your sins,
(16:53):
that's repentance, and receive Jesus as your lord and follow
him as your savior. And if you will do this.
You will have a brand new life now and forever.
Pray something like this, Jesus, I ask you to come
into my life to be my savior and my God,
my master and friend. In the power of your spirit.
(17:13):
I will live for you all the days of my life,
and I will live with you forever in heaven. Lord,
thank you for giving me a brand new life today
in Jesus's name. Amen. Once again, thank you for listening
to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack
Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to download
(17:35):
thepray dot com app and make Bible study and prayer
a real priority in your life. And if you are
enjoying this podcast, share it with someone you know, someone
you care about, because sharing God's word has a powerful
impact upon people's lives. And if you want more resources
as to how you can find faith, grow in your faith,
(17:59):
develop as a deci disciple and follower of Jesus, be
sure to visit me at Jack Graham dot org. We
have plenty of resources that will encourage you and equip
you for life. God bless you.
Host
Jack Graham
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