October 23, 2025 • 21 mins
The coins scatter, the animals bolt, and all at once the temple grows quiet enough to hear what really matters. We walk through John 2:13–25 with Pastor Harry Barens to see why Jesus’ most confrontational moment is also one of His most loving—an act of cleansing that restores worship to its true center.
We start with the Passover backdrop and how a system meant to serve pilgrims drifted into exploitation. Then comes the turn: Jesus claims the temple as His Father’s house and wields authority not as a reformer tweaking a program but as the Son who owns it. From there, we trace a powerful thread—Cana’s joy and the temple’s cleansing form a pattern of grace before judgment, a prophetic rhythm that reappears in Revelation’s wedding feast and returning King. It’s not distant theology; it’s a lens for our own lives and churches when reverence slides into revenue and hearts crowd out prayer with noise.
The centerpiece is Jesus’ sign: destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it. John clarifies the claim—His body is the true temple, the meeting place of God and humanity. The resurrection seals it. We also face the tension of belief, where many are drawn by signs yet miss the substance. Jesus knows what is in each of us, and that knowledge becomes an invitation: leave shallow belief and cling to His person. Together we consider how surrender allows Him to overturn what corrupts our worship, making room for spirit-and-truth devotion that outlasts trends and trials.
If this journey helps you see Jesus more clearly—the living temple, the Lord of worship, the Son who knows and renews—share the episode, subscribe for the next part on Nicodemus and new birth, and leave a review to help others find the message. What table is He asking to turn over today?
Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:10):
The temple courts echoed with the sound of
cleansing, coins falling,animals fleeing, and hearts
being exposed.
In that moment, Jesus wasn'tjust driving corruption from the
building, he was revealing hisdesire to cleanse the temple of
our hearts.
In John chapter 2, verses 13 to25, we see a Savior consumed
with zeal for his Father'sglory, determined to restore
(00:31):
true worship where it had beenlost.
This isn't just history, it'spersonal.
The same Jesus who overturnedtables in Jerusalem still works
to overturn sin within us.
His goal isn't to shame but topurify, preparing us to be
vessels of worship filled withhis presence.
In this episode of the Takeaway,Pastor Harry Barens invites us
to see this passage not only asa display of divine authority,
(00:55):
but as a call to surrender, tolet Christ cleanse, renew, and
dwell within the temple of ourhearts.
And now, here's Pastor HarryBarens with today's message.
SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
Hello, and welcome again to the Takeaway.
In today's episode, we'recontinuing our journey through
the Gospel of John.
But before we begin, let's do aquick recap.
So far, we've seen Jesusrevealed as the eternal word,
the source of life and light,the Lamb of God, Jacob's ladder
fulfilled, and the Lord of thewedding feast who brings joy.
But now the scene shiftsdramatically.
(01:31):
After the joy of the wedding,John brings us to the temple,
and instead of quiettransformation, we see bold
confrontation.
Our text today is John chaptertwo, verses thirteen to
twenty-five.
So let's read this together.
The Passover of the Jews was athand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
In the temple he found those whowere selling oxen and sheep and
(01:55):
pigeons, and the money changerssitting there, and making a whip
of cords, he drove them out ofthe temple with the sheep and
the oxen, and he poured out thecoins of the money changers and
overturned their tables, and hetold those who sold the pigeons,
Take these things away.
Do not make my father's house ahouse of trade.
(02:15):
His disciples remembered that itwas written, Zeal for my house
or zeal for your house willconsume me.
So the Jews said to him, Whatsign do you show us for doing
these things?
Jesus answered them, Destroythis temple, in three days I
will raise it up again.
The Jews then said, It has takenforty-six years to build this
(02:38):
temple, and will you raise it upin three days?
But he was speaking about thetemple of his body.
When therefore he was raisedfrom the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had saidthis, and they believed the
scriptures and the word thatJesus had spoken.
Now, when he was in Jerusalem atthe Passover feast, many
believed in his name when theysaw the signs that he was doing.
(03:02):
But Jesus, on his part, did notentrust himself to them, because
he knew all people and needed noone to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew what was inman.
So looking at this, we see thatJesus confronts corrupted
worship in verses thirteen toseventeen.
(03:23):
The Passover was a feastcommemorating deliverance from
Egypt.
Every Jewish male was requiredto go up to Jerusalem for it.
The temple should have been aplace preparing hearts to
receive the true Passover lamb,but instead Jesus finds a
marketplace.
Now, for those of you who arenew believers, it's important to
understand what Passover meant.
(03:45):
In Exodus chapter 12, verses 1to 14, God commanded the people
of Israel to sacrifice aspotless lamb, put its blood on
their doorpost, and eat the mealin haste.
When the Lord passed throughEgypt to strike down the
firstborn, he passed over thehomes marked by the blood.
This became a lasting memorialof God's deliverance.
(04:07):
Deuteronomy chapter 16, verse 16explains why all males were
required to appear before theLord in Jerusalem for the
Passover.
It says, Three times a year, allyour males shall appear before
the Lord your God at the placethat he will choose, at the
feast of unleavened bread, atthe feast of weeks, and at the
(04:27):
feast of booths.
So when Jesus enters the templecourts during Passover, he is
stepping into the very settingthat pointed forward to him, the
true Passover lamb, as we saw inJohn chapter 1, verse 29.
Yet instead of reverence andpreparation for God's presence,
he finds a place consumed withprofit and trade.
Animals were sold forsacrifices, and money changers
(04:50):
were there to exchange foreigncoins into temple currency.
Originally, the system beganwith good intentions.
Pilgrims traveling longdistances to Jerusalem for
Passover could not always bringanimals with them.
So vendors provided approvedsacrifices near the temple.
Likewise, because templeofferings required specific
currency free from idolatrousimages, money changers offered a
(05:13):
service of exchange.
Yet what began as a conveniencefor travelers gradually became
corrupted.
Prices were inflated,worshippers were taken advantage
of, and the focus shifted fromreverence to revenue.
We see in Isaiah 56 7 that thetemple courts were meant to be a
place of prayer for all nations.
(05:34):
It says, These I will bring tomy holy mountain and make them
joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and theirsacrifices will be accepted on
my altar.
For my house shall be called ahouse of prayer for all peoples.
Now instead of that, we see thatit was instead turned into a
(05:55):
marketplace dominated by greed.
In this way, worship had becometransactional instead of
transformational.
Does that sound familiar?
Even today, churches often fallinto the same trap.
Worship treated like a business,members treated like consumers,
and leaders exploiting people'sdesire for God in order to
(06:15):
profit for themselves.
But Jesus won't allow it.
With deliberate action, he makesa whip of cords and drives out
both merchants and animalsoverturning the tables.
And then he makes a declarationof ownership.
Do not make my father's house ahouse of trade.
Notice he doesn't say ourfather.
(06:37):
He says my father.
This is a divine claim.
Jesus stands here not as areformer, but as the divine son
with authority over God's house.
The disciples watching thisscene, remember Psalm 69, 9.
It says, Zeal for your housewill consume me.
(06:59):
A psalm about the righteousservant who suffers for God's
name.
This moment not only showsJesus' zeal, but also
foreshadows his suffering andthe cross.
This cleansing is also a pictureof final judgment.
After the wedding feast inheaven, Christ will return,
defeat his enemies, cleanse andestablish his kingdom.
(07:20):
Just as he purified the temple,then he will purify all worship
in the end.
Scripture paints this pictureclearly.
In Revelation chapter 19, 7 and9, we see the marriage supper of
the Lamb.
It says, Let us rejoice andexalt and give him the glory.
For the marriage of the Lamb hascome, and his bride has made
herself ready.
(07:41):
It was granted her to clotheherself with fine linen, bright
and pure, for the fine linen isthe righteous deeds of the
saints.
And the angel said to me, Writethis, Blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supperof the Lamb.
And he said to me, Z are thetrue words of God.
Now, followed immediately byChrist, coming in judgment, we
(08:04):
see in Revelation 19, 11 to 16,it says, Then I saw heaven
opened, and behold, a whitehorse, the one sitting on it is
called faithful and true, and inrighteousness he judges and
makes war.
His eyes are like a flame offire, and on his head are many
diadems, and he has a namewritten that no one knows but
(08:24):
himself.
He is clothed in a robe dippedin blood, and the name by which
he is called is the word of God,and the armies of heaven,
arrayed in fine linen, white andpure, were following him on
white horses.
From his mouth comes a sharpsword with which to strike down
the nations, and he will rulethem with a rod of iron.
(08:44):
He will tread the winepress ofhis fury, of the wrath of God
the Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh hehas a name written, King of King
and Lord of Lords, striking downthe nations and treading the
winepress of the fury of God.
Now this echoes what we studiedin the previous episode at the
wedding in Cana.
Joy first, then judgment.
(09:07):
The pattern of John's narrativefollows God's redemptive plan.
First the feast of salvation,then the final reckoning.
Zechariah chapter 14, verses 20to 21 also envisions that day.
It says, and on that day thereshall be inscribed on the bells
of the horses, holy to the Lord,and the pots in the house of the
(09:30):
Lord shall be as the bowlsbefore the altar.
And every pot in Jerusalem andJudea shall be holy to the Lord
of hosts, so that all whosacrifice may come to take of
them and boil the meat of thesacrifice in them, and there
shall no longer be a traitor inthe house of the Lord of the
hosts of that day.
This prophetic word anticipatesthe same cleansing Jesus
(09:53):
displayed in the temple.
So the cleansing in John 2 isnot merely historical, it is
prophetic.
It points forward to theultimate day when Christ, the
bridegroom, we celebrated inJohn chapter 2, verses 1 to 12,
will return after the weddingfeast to judge, cleanse, and
reign.
(10:14):
The joy of his salvation isinseparable from the holiness of
his judgment.
Naturally, the Jewish leadersdemanded a sign.
They said, What authority do youhave to do this?
Jesus answers in a way theycannot grasp.
Destroy this temple, and inthree days I will raise it up.
(10:35):
They laugh.
Herod's temple had been underconstruction for 46 years.
How could he rebuild it in threedays?
But John explains he wasspeaking about his body.
The word Jesus uses for templehere is Naos, the inner
sanctuary, God's true dwellingplace.
And he's saying that his body isthe true temple.
(10:58):
The presence of God is no longertied to stone or mortar.
God's dwelling is now in Jesus.
He is the greater temple, thegreater meeting place between
God and man.
And this claim is validated bythe resurrection.
When he rises on the third day,his disciples remember these
words and they believe both thescriptures and his promise.
(11:22):
Here, John intentionally tiesthis moment back to John chapter
1, verse 14.
And the word became flesh anddwelt among us.
The word translated dweltliterally means tabernacle.
Just as God's presence oncefilled the tabernacle in the
wilderness, now his presencedwells fully in Jesus.
The cleansing of the temple andhis declaration here make it
(11:44):
clear.
Now in verses 23 to 25, Jesusdiscerns superficial faith.
We see finally, John shows usthat Jesus reveals his divine
(12:07):
knowledge of the human heart.
Many believed in his name whenthey saw his signs, but Jesus
did not entrust himself to them.
The Greek text uses a wordplayhere.
They believed in him, but he didnot believe in their belief.
Their faith was shallow,sign-based, not rooted in who he
(12:27):
is.
And Jesus knew it.
Verse 25 tells us that he knewwhat was in man.
That's a divine attribute.
Only God knows the secret to theheart.
This shows us that Jesus is notjust a miracle worker, he is the
omniscient Son of God.
Now, here's the deeper truth.
We must believe in him in orderto be transformed.
(12:48):
But he does not need to believein our belief.
The question becomes who are weidentified with?
Christ or our sin?
(13:08):
When our faith is superficial,it reflects a heart clinging to
signs, experiences, orself-identity.
But when our faith is saving, weare identified with him, united
to his death and resurrection.
This prepares the way for theconversation with Nicodemus in
chapter three, where the focusshifts from shallow belief to
(13:31):
the necessity of being bornagain.
When we step back and look atthis passage as a whole, several
key truths rise to the surface.
First, Jesus is the new temple.
God's presence no longer dwellsin a building of stone, but in
Christ Himself.
In him, heaven meets earth, andGod dwells with his people.
(13:52):
Revelation 21, 22.
And I saw no temple in the city,for its temple is the Lord God,
the Almighty and the Lamb.
Now, second, we see zeal fortrue worship.
God is not honored by hollowrituals or prophet-driven
religion.
(14:12):
He desires worship that is purefrom the heart, centered on him
rather than on gain.
Amos 5 21 to 24.
I hate, I despise your feasts,and I take no delight in your
solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me yourburnt offerings and your grain
offerings, I will not acceptthem, and the peace offerings of
(14:35):
your fattened animals, I willnot look upon them.
Take away from me the noise ofyour songs, the melody of your
harps, I will not listen, butlet justice roll down like
water, and righteousness like anever flowing stream.
And third, this moment revealsthe authority of the Son.
(14:57):
Jesus doesn't need anyone'spermission to cleanse the temple
or redefine worship.
He acts with define authoritybecause he is God.
And fourth, John reminds us ofthe contrast between superficial
faith and saving faith.
Not all belief is true belief.
(15:17):
Saving faith goes beyondexcitement over miracles.
It rests in who Jesus is, notjust in what he can do.
John 8 30 to 31.
As he was saying these things,many believed in him.
So Jesus said to the Jews whohad believed in him, If you
abide in my word, you are trulymy disciples, and you will know
(15:39):
the truth, and the truth willset you free.
And then finally, this passagehighlights the omniscience of
Christ.
He knows what is in every heart,nothing hidden from him.
And the knowledge, and thatknowledge proves his divine
nature.
Hebrews 4 13 says, And nocreature is hidden from his
sight, but all are naked andexposed to the eyes of him whom
(16:03):
we must give account.
And together, these themes helpus see Jesus more clearly.
The living temple, the Lord ofworship, the Son of God who
knows us and calls us to true,lasting faith.
Now, in conclusion, Jesus is notjust a reformer of religion.
He is the fulfillment of it.
(16:24):
He is the true temple, the placewhere God meets man.
He has authority to cleanse,authority to speak, authority to
know.
True worship is not aboutrituals or locations.
It's about worshiping the Fatherin spirit and truth through the
Son.
John chapter 4, verses 23 to 24says, But the hour is coming and
(16:45):
is now here when the trueworshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth.
For the Father is seeking suchpeople to worship him.
God is spirit, and those whoworship him must worship in
spirit and truth.
This passage calls us to morethan admiration, it calls us to
(17:06):
transformation.
Jesus entered the temple withzeal, not to observe, but to
cleanse.
In the same way he desires toenter our hearts and drive out
whatever corrupts our worship.
Is your heart truly hissanctuary?
Or has it become cluttered withdistractions, compromises, and
(17:27):
worldly pursuits?
He calls us to worship in spiritand truth.
Do you trust him for who he is?
The Son of God, the livingtemple, or do you only seek him
for what he can do?
True faith clings to his person,not just his power.
And will you let him turn overthe tables in your life, even if
(17:49):
it feels uncomfortable?
Transformation comes when wesurrender and allow him to
cleanse us.
Now here's the takeaway Jesusdoesn't simply improve us, he
makes us new.
His authority is greater thanour failures, his zeal is
stronger than our sin, and hislove is deeper than our doubts.
(18:12):
The question is not whether hehas authority, he does.
The question is whether we willyield our hearts to his
cleansing and find our identityin him.
Think back to Cana.
The joy of new wine pointed usto the abundance of his grace.
Now the cleansing of the templepoints us to the holiness of his
(18:33):
judgment.
Joy and holiness, grace andtruth, they meet perfectly in
Jesus.
So today, let us open the doorsof our lives to the one who
knows us fully, loves uscompletely, and calls us to
worship him in holiness.
If he is the true temple, thenlet us be the living stones
(18:57):
built upon him, reflecting hisglory to the world.
Let's pray.
Father God, thank you so muchfor revealing your Son Jesus to
us that we may know you andworship you in spirit and truth.
Thank you that your desire is tocleanse us, the temple.
(19:18):
Paul says that our body is nowthe temple of the living God,
because the Holy Spirit lives inus, and you are turning over the
tables of our lives, the idoland the false worship of our
hearts, turning them over andcleansing them, not to judge us,
but to make us right for trueworship, to be prepared for you,
(19:40):
to honor you, and to glorifyyou, O God.
I pray that our listeners hearthis message and understand this
text so that they will meditateupon it day and night and allow
you into their lives as theliving God desires to come in
and cleanse us, God.
So make a way where there is noway, where we cannot do it
ourselves.
(20:00):
Glorify yourself in us, God,that we may worship you in
spirit and truth.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Now, in our next episode, we'regoing to take a step into John
chapter 3 and meet Nicodemus, areligious leader who comes to
Jesus by night.
There, Jesus explains themystery of being born again,
(20:23):
born from above by the Spirit ofGod.
Don't miss it as we discoverwhat it truly means to enter the
kingdom of God.
Now, as always, I want to thankyou for joining us today, and I
hope this episode has helped youtake a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you and wants you to
know Him.
Now, before we go, again, I wantto encourage you to send us any
(20:46):
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us share andshape future episodes that speak
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith.
It's our desire that thisministry be a tool to reach the
lost and equip the saints for alife that brings glory to God.
God bless, and we'll see younext time on the takeout.
The temple courts echoed with the sound of
cleansing, coins falling,animals fleeing, and hearts
being exposed.
In that moment, Jesus wasn'tjust driving corruption from the
building, he was revealing hisdesire to cleanse the temple of
our hearts.
In John chapter 2, verses 13 to25, we see a Savior consumed
with zeal for his Father'sglory, determined to restore
(00:31):
true worship where it had beenlost.
This isn't just history, it'spersonal.
The same Jesus who overturnedtables in Jerusalem still works
to overturn sin within us.
His goal isn't to shame but topurify, preparing us to be
vessels of worship filled withhis presence.
In this episode of the Takeaway,Pastor Harry Barens invites us
to see this passage not only asa display of divine authority,
(00:55):
but as a call to surrender, tolet Christ cleanse, renew, and
dwell within the temple of ourhearts.
And now, here's Pastor HarryBarens with today's message.
SPEAKER_01 (01:11):
Hello, and welcome again to the Takeaway.
In today's episode, we'recontinuing our journey through
the Gospel of John.
But before we begin, let's do aquick recap.
So far, we've seen Jesusrevealed as the eternal word,
the source of life and light,the Lamb of God, Jacob's ladder
fulfilled, and the Lord of thewedding feast who brings joy.
But now the scene shiftsdramatically.
(01:31):
After the joy of the wedding,John brings us to the temple,
and instead of quiettransformation, we see bold
confrontation.
Our text today is John chaptertwo, verses thirteen to
twenty-five.
So let's read this together.
The Passover of the Jews was athand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
In the temple he found those whowere selling oxen and sheep and
(01:55):
pigeons, and the money changerssitting there, and making a whip
of cords, he drove them out ofthe temple with the sheep and
the oxen, and he poured out thecoins of the money changers and
overturned their tables, and hetold those who sold the pigeons,
Take these things away.
Do not make my father's house ahouse of trade.
(02:15):
His disciples remembered that itwas written, Zeal for my house
or zeal for your house willconsume me.
So the Jews said to him, Whatsign do you show us for doing
these things?
Jesus answered them, Destroythis temple, in three days I
will raise it up again.
The Jews then said, It has takenforty-six years to build this
(02:38):
temple, and will you raise it upin three days?
But he was speaking about thetemple of his body.
When therefore he was raisedfrom the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had saidthis, and they believed the
scriptures and the word thatJesus had spoken.
Now, when he was in Jerusalem atthe Passover feast, many
believed in his name when theysaw the signs that he was doing.
(03:02):
But Jesus, on his part, did notentrust himself to them, because
he knew all people and needed noone to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew what was inman.
So looking at this, we see thatJesus confronts corrupted
worship in verses thirteen toseventeen.
(03:23):
The Passover was a feastcommemorating deliverance from
Egypt.
Every Jewish male was requiredto go up to Jerusalem for it.
The temple should have been aplace preparing hearts to
receive the true Passover lamb,but instead Jesus finds a
marketplace.
Now, for those of you who arenew believers, it's important to
understand what Passover meant.
(03:45):
In Exodus chapter 12, verses 1to 14, God commanded the people
of Israel to sacrifice aspotless lamb, put its blood on
their doorpost, and eat the mealin haste.
When the Lord passed throughEgypt to strike down the
firstborn, he passed over thehomes marked by the blood.
This became a lasting memorialof God's deliverance.
(04:07):
Deuteronomy chapter 16, verse 16explains why all males were
required to appear before theLord in Jerusalem for the
Passover.
It says, Three times a year, allyour males shall appear before
the Lord your God at the placethat he will choose, at the
feast of unleavened bread, atthe feast of weeks, and at the
(04:27):
feast of booths.
So when Jesus enters the templecourts during Passover, he is
stepping into the very settingthat pointed forward to him, the
true Passover lamb, as we saw inJohn chapter 1, verse 29.
Yet instead of reverence andpreparation for God's presence,
he finds a place consumed withprofit and trade.
Animals were sold forsacrifices, and money changers
(04:50):
were there to exchange foreigncoins into temple currency.
Originally, the system beganwith good intentions.
Pilgrims traveling longdistances to Jerusalem for
Passover could not always bringanimals with them.
So vendors provided approvedsacrifices near the temple.
Likewise, because templeofferings required specific
currency free from idolatrousimages, money changers offered a
(05:13):
service of exchange.
Yet what began as a conveniencefor travelers gradually became
corrupted.
Prices were inflated,worshippers were taken advantage
of, and the focus shifted fromreverence to revenue.
We see in Isaiah 56 7 that thetemple courts were meant to be a
place of prayer for all nations.
(05:34):
It says, These I will bring tomy holy mountain and make them
joyful in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and theirsacrifices will be accepted on
my altar.
For my house shall be called ahouse of prayer for all peoples.
Now instead of that, we see thatit was instead turned into a
(05:55):
marketplace dominated by greed.
In this way, worship had becometransactional instead of
transformational.
Does that sound familiar?
Even today, churches often fallinto the same trap.
Worship treated like a business,members treated like consumers,
and leaders exploiting people'sdesire for God in order to
(06:15):
profit for themselves.
But Jesus won't allow it.
With deliberate action, he makesa whip of cords and drives out
both merchants and animalsoverturning the tables.
And then he makes a declarationof ownership.
Do not make my father's house ahouse of trade.
Notice he doesn't say ourfather.
(06:37):
He says my father.
This is a divine claim.
Jesus stands here not as areformer, but as the divine son
with authority over God's house.
The disciples watching thisscene, remember Psalm 69, 9.
It says, Zeal for your housewill consume me.
(06:59):
A psalm about the righteousservant who suffers for God's
name.
This moment not only showsJesus' zeal, but also
foreshadows his suffering andthe cross.
This cleansing is also a pictureof final judgment.
After the wedding feast inheaven, Christ will return,
defeat his enemies, cleanse andestablish his kingdom.
(07:20):
Just as he purified the temple,then he will purify all worship
in the end.
Scripture paints this pictureclearly.
In Revelation chapter 19, 7 and9, we see the marriage supper of
the Lamb.
It says, Let us rejoice andexalt and give him the glory.
For the marriage of the Lamb hascome, and his bride has made
herself ready.
(07:41):
It was granted her to clotheherself with fine linen, bright
and pure, for the fine linen isthe righteous deeds of the
saints.
And the angel said to me, Writethis, Blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supperof the Lamb.
And he said to me, Z are thetrue words of God.
Now, followed immediately byChrist, coming in judgment, we
(08:04):
see in Revelation 19, 11 to 16,it says, Then I saw heaven
opened, and behold, a whitehorse, the one sitting on it is
called faithful and true, and inrighteousness he judges and
makes war.
His eyes are like a flame offire, and on his head are many
diadems, and he has a namewritten that no one knows but
(08:24):
himself.
He is clothed in a robe dippedin blood, and the name by which
he is called is the word of God,and the armies of heaven,
arrayed in fine linen, white andpure, were following him on
white horses.
From his mouth comes a sharpsword with which to strike down
the nations, and he will rulethem with a rod of iron.
(08:44):
He will tread the winepress ofhis fury, of the wrath of God
the Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh hehas a name written, King of King
and Lord of Lords, striking downthe nations and treading the
winepress of the fury of God.
Now this echoes what we studiedin the previous episode at the
wedding in Cana.
Joy first, then judgment.
(09:07):
The pattern of John's narrativefollows God's redemptive plan.
First the feast of salvation,then the final reckoning.
Zechariah chapter 14, verses 20to 21 also envisions that day.
It says, and on that day thereshall be inscribed on the bells
of the horses, holy to the Lord,and the pots in the house of the
(09:30):
Lord shall be as the bowlsbefore the altar.
And every pot in Jerusalem andJudea shall be holy to the Lord
of hosts, so that all whosacrifice may come to take of
them and boil the meat of thesacrifice in them, and there
shall no longer be a traitor inthe house of the Lord of the
hosts of that day.
This prophetic word anticipatesthe same cleansing Jesus
(09:53):
displayed in the temple.
So the cleansing in John 2 isnot merely historical, it is
prophetic.
It points forward to theultimate day when Christ, the
bridegroom, we celebrated inJohn chapter 2, verses 1 to 12,
will return after the weddingfeast to judge, cleanse, and
reign.
(10:14):
The joy of his salvation isinseparable from the holiness of
his judgment.
Naturally, the Jewish leadersdemanded a sign.
They said, What authority do youhave to do this?
Jesus answers in a way theycannot grasp.
Destroy this temple, and inthree days I will raise it up.
(10:35):
They laugh.
Herod's temple had been underconstruction for 46 years.
How could he rebuild it in threedays?
But John explains he wasspeaking about his body.
The word Jesus uses for templehere is Naos, the inner
sanctuary, God's true dwellingplace.
And he's saying that his body isthe true temple.
(10:58):
The presence of God is no longertied to stone or mortar.
God's dwelling is now in Jesus.
He is the greater temple, thegreater meeting place between
God and man.
And this claim is validated bythe resurrection.
When he rises on the third day,his disciples remember these
words and they believe both thescriptures and his promise.
(11:22):
Here, John intentionally tiesthis moment back to John chapter
1, verse 14.
And the word became flesh anddwelt among us.
The word translated dweltliterally means tabernacle.
Just as God's presence oncefilled the tabernacle in the
wilderness, now his presencedwells fully in Jesus.
The cleansing of the temple andhis declaration here make it
(11:44):
clear.
Now in verses 23 to 25, Jesusdiscerns superficial faith.
We see finally, John shows usthat Jesus reveals his divine
(12:07):
knowledge of the human heart.
Many believed in his name whenthey saw his signs, but Jesus
did not entrust himself to them.
The Greek text uses a wordplayhere.
They believed in him, but he didnot believe in their belief.
Their faith was shallow,sign-based, not rooted in who he
(12:27):
is.
And Jesus knew it.
Verse 25 tells us that he knewwhat was in man.
That's a divine attribute.
Only God knows the secret to theheart.
This shows us that Jesus is notjust a miracle worker, he is the
omniscient Son of God.
Now, here's the deeper truth.
We must believe in him in orderto be transformed.
(12:48):
But he does not need to believein our belief.
The question becomes who are weidentified with?
Christ or our sin?
(13:08):
When our faith is superficial,it reflects a heart clinging to
signs, experiences, orself-identity.
But when our faith is saving, weare identified with him, united
to his death and resurrection.
This prepares the way for theconversation with Nicodemus in
chapter three, where the focusshifts from shallow belief to
(13:31):
the necessity of being bornagain.
When we step back and look atthis passage as a whole, several
key truths rise to the surface.
First, Jesus is the new temple.
God's presence no longer dwellsin a building of stone, but in
Christ Himself.
In him, heaven meets earth, andGod dwells with his people.
(13:52):
Revelation 21, 22.
And I saw no temple in the city,for its temple is the Lord God,
the Almighty and the Lamb.
Now, second, we see zeal fortrue worship.
God is not honored by hollowrituals or prophet-driven
religion.
(14:12):
He desires worship that is purefrom the heart, centered on him
rather than on gain.
Amos 5 21 to 24.
I hate, I despise your feasts,and I take no delight in your
solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me yourburnt offerings and your grain
offerings, I will not acceptthem, and the peace offerings of
(14:35):
your fattened animals, I willnot look upon them.
Take away from me the noise ofyour songs, the melody of your
harps, I will not listen, butlet justice roll down like
water, and righteousness like anever flowing stream.
And third, this moment revealsthe authority of the Son.
(14:57):
Jesus doesn't need anyone'spermission to cleanse the temple
or redefine worship.
He acts with define authoritybecause he is God.
And fourth, John reminds us ofthe contrast between superficial
faith and saving faith.
Not all belief is true belief.
(15:17):
Saving faith goes beyondexcitement over miracles.
It rests in who Jesus is, notjust in what he can do.
John 8 30 to 31.
As he was saying these things,many believed in him.
So Jesus said to the Jews whohad believed in him, If you
abide in my word, you are trulymy disciples, and you will know
(15:39):
the truth, and the truth willset you free.
And then finally, this passagehighlights the omniscience of
Christ.
He knows what is in every heart,nothing hidden from him.
And the knowledge, and thatknowledge proves his divine
nature.
Hebrews 4 13 says, And nocreature is hidden from his
sight, but all are naked andexposed to the eyes of him whom
(16:03):
we must give account.
And together, these themes helpus see Jesus more clearly.
The living temple, the Lord ofworship, the Son of God who
knows us and calls us to true,lasting faith.
Now, in conclusion, Jesus is notjust a reformer of religion.
He is the fulfillment of it.
(16:24):
He is the true temple, the placewhere God meets man.
He has authority to cleanse,authority to speak, authority to
know.
True worship is not aboutrituals or locations.
It's about worshiping the Fatherin spirit and truth through the
Son.
John chapter 4, verses 23 to 24says, But the hour is coming and
(16:45):
is now here when the trueworshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth.
For the Father is seeking suchpeople to worship him.
God is spirit, and those whoworship him must worship in
spirit and truth.
This passage calls us to morethan admiration, it calls us to
(17:06):
transformation.
Jesus entered the temple withzeal, not to observe, but to
cleanse.
In the same way he desires toenter our hearts and drive out
whatever corrupts our worship.
Is your heart truly hissanctuary?
Or has it become cluttered withdistractions, compromises, and
(17:27):
worldly pursuits?
He calls us to worship in spiritand truth.
Do you trust him for who he is?
The Son of God, the livingtemple, or do you only seek him
for what he can do?
True faith clings to his person,not just his power.
And will you let him turn overthe tables in your life, even if
(17:49):
it feels uncomfortable?
Transformation comes when wesurrender and allow him to
cleanse us.
Now here's the takeaway Jesusdoesn't simply improve us, he
makes us new.
His authority is greater thanour failures, his zeal is
stronger than our sin, and hislove is deeper than our doubts.
(18:12):
The question is not whether hehas authority, he does.
The question is whether we willyield our hearts to his
cleansing and find our identityin him.
Think back to Cana.
The joy of new wine pointed usto the abundance of his grace.
Now the cleansing of the templepoints us to the holiness of his
(18:33):
judgment.
Joy and holiness, grace andtruth, they meet perfectly in
Jesus.
So today, let us open the doorsof our lives to the one who
knows us fully, loves uscompletely, and calls us to
worship him in holiness.
If he is the true temple, thenlet us be the living stones
(18:57):
built upon him, reflecting hisglory to the world.
Let's pray.
Father God, thank you so muchfor revealing your Son Jesus to
us that we may know you andworship you in spirit and truth.
Thank you that your desire is tocleanse us, the temple.
(19:18):
Paul says that our body is nowthe temple of the living God,
because the Holy Spirit lives inus, and you are turning over the
tables of our lives, the idoland the false worship of our
hearts, turning them over andcleansing them, not to judge us,
but to make us right for trueworship, to be prepared for you,
(19:40):
to honor you, and to glorifyyou, O God.
I pray that our listeners hearthis message and understand this
text so that they will meditateupon it day and night and allow
you into their lives as theliving God desires to come in
and cleanse us, God.
So make a way where there is noway, where we cannot do it
ourselves.
(20:00):
Glorify yourself in us, God,that we may worship you in
spirit and truth.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Now, in our next episode, we'regoing to take a step into John
chapter 3 and meet Nicodemus, areligious leader who comes to
Jesus by night.
There, Jesus explains themystery of being born again,
(20:23):
born from above by the Spirit ofGod.
Don't miss it as we discoverwhat it truly means to enter the
kingdom of God.
Now, as always, I want to thankyou for joining us today, and I
hope this episode has helped youtake a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you and wants you to
know Him.
Now, before we go, again, I wantto encourage you to send us any
(20:46):
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us share andshape future episodes that speak
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith.
It's our desire that thisministry be a tool to reach the
lost and equip the saints for alife that brings glory to God.
God bless, and we'll see younext time on the takeout.
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