WTTW HIS WORD

JOHN 2:1-11 SERMON: “His House, His Word, His Body”


Introduction: In this passage John tells his first century readers that Jesus had authority to cleanse the temple because of:

A. His Father’s House v 13-16 – His Holy House

B. His Messianic Word v 17 - Prophecy Foretelling It

C. His Resurrected Body vv 18-22 - The New Temple

This morning we’ll begin by looking at Jesus’ temple cleaning authority in relationship to:

A. HIS FATHER’S HOUSE

Explanation:

vv 13-16 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

-Passover - annual feast all Jewish men were required to celebrate in Jerusalem (Ex 12:11)

-Temple Courts - the place where Gentiles could come to pray

-Cattle, Sheep, Doves - required for sacrifices

-Exchanging Money - into currency acceptable to the temple authorities

Leviticus 11:44-45 44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. 45 I am the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
Holy Place turned into a Market Place – a Market Place exploiting God’s People!

Illustration: To illustrated this, let’s fast forward a short period of time to after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to shortly after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit had come to Jesus’ followers and what we call the New Testament Church was at its very beginning.

Acts 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira v 4b “What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Application: So what do we make of this today?

What is John telling us today in this portion of the passage about Jesus authority to keep his Father’s House clean-to keep the Church a place that is Holy?

Is God’s Holiness relevant today?

Does God’s Holiness still serve as the basis for Jesus authority to cleanse His Church in our day?

PTL Scandal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGgWhX-zNXI

The Church is where the Holy Spirit dwells amongst the Body of Christ – the Body of Believers.

This doesn’t mean churches are for holy people – churches are for the unholy.

It does mean that the church is different from the world with respect to tolerance of sin.

The world tolerates Sin – A Holy God doesn’t.

Out call to holiness as believers is stated in 1 Peter 1:15-16,

15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2)

And John 3:16 tells us God sent His Son so we could be.

The Apostle Paul tells us the effect Christ has on our lives in 2 Corinthians 5:17,

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!

God’s plan for cleaning His people, for cleaning His Church is His Son – who newly creates us through the washing away of our old sinfulness by the blood He shed for us on Cross.

Summary: Jesus had the authority to cleanse the temple because it was His Father’s House and Holy Fathers have Holy Houses.

Question: How clean is your house? Any closets you still need to clean out? To let Jesus into?

Transition: Let’s move on to look at the second reason John gives us for Jesus’ temple cleaning authority:

B. His MESSIANIC WORD - PROPHECY FORETOLD IT (Who He Was & What He Would Do)

Explanation:

v17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Psalm 69:7-9 For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face. I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons, for zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me. - a Messianic Prophecy of David (foreshadowing the sufferings of Christ) - 2nd most quoted Psalm in New Testament after Psalm 22

Matthew, Mark, Luke - record a cleansing of the temple at the end of Jesus’ ministry

Differing details:

-selling of cattle and sheep in John 2:14,

-the whip in John 2:15,

-the statements of Jesus in Matthew 21:13 “It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be
called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”

Isaiah 56:7 these things I will bring to my holy mountain and give them
joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. - a Messianic Prophecy of Isaiah
(regarding Salvation for all Nations)

His Messianic Word – Psalm of David & Prophecy of Isaiah

Foretell Who He Is & What He Will Do

So when He does it, when He cleans the temple, when he keeps it a house of prayer, when this comes true, it validates who He is – the Messiah, the Son of God

And, the Messiah has the authority to clean the temple.

Illustration:

Has anything ever foretold or prophesied or predicted about you come true?

Has anyone, a parent, a teacher, a spouse, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a neighbor, someone who just came up to you on the street ever predicted something about you that came true?

Has anyone ever said you were going to do exactly what you turned out to do in life?

How about, has anyone ever said exactly what you were going to say in a specific situation at a specific time in your life?

What would you think if they did?

What would you think if someone said on the day you were born that at 12 noon on Easter Sunday during your 30th year alive you will say something that will upset the establishment so much it will seal your fate?

What if someone said this 400 years before you were born or 1000 years before you were born?

What would you think then?

What would you think if someone said this and then it was coming true in your midst like for the disciples?

What if you said something that was so controversial and upsetting and challenging to the religious establishment that it was clear you were a dangerous person to them and your days were numbered - maybe not challenging to the religious establishment but to the establishment where you go to church or where you work?

What would you think about the authority of their words about you?

What would you think about the authority of the words you spoke in a situation like this?

Well, it is unlikely that you have or will experience a foretelling like this but if you did it would give your words would have a historical amount of weight behind them.

Jesus temple cleaning words had a historical amount of weight behind them!

Application: So what can John be telling us today about the Messianic Words of Scripture and Jesus’ authority today to keep his Father’s House clean-to keep His Church a place that is Holy?

In another book written by the Apostle John, the Book of Revelation in the 21st Chapter starting with the 1st verse it says,

1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

This is Messianic Prophecy as well.

It is Prophecy about the Messiah’s Second Coming written some 2000 years ago by a 90 year old disciple of Jesus Christ imprisoned on an island.

Do we believe them? Do we believe in the Second Coming of the Messiah?

Do these Messianic Words of the Prophet John carry authority like the Messianic Words of Isaiah and David did in foretelling the Messiah’s First Coming and what he would do – about His Zeal for His Father’s House – a House that is Holy, a House of Prayer?

Do these words carry authority that the Messiah will return - and as the first three chapters of Revelation are about that He cares about the state of His House – His Church?

And do these words of the Prophet John carry authority that when He returns He cares about the state of your house?

In Revelation 22:12 Jesus says,

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

while in 22:17 the Prophet says,
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
The Prophet of Revelation, the Prophet John tells us it is important to get our house, our life in order and that we do this through the free gift of the water of life.

Remember Jesus I AM’s. I AM the way, the truth and the life!

Accept this Life! Hold on to His Life! Live this Life!

Summary: Jesus had the authority to cleanse the temple because Messianic Prophecy Foretold who He was and what He would do - the Messianic Psalm of David (69:9) and the Messianic Prophecy of Isaiah (56:7) – it identified him as the Messiah, the Son of God!

Transition: John gives us a final reason for the authority Jesus had for cleansing the temple:

C. HIS RESURRECTED BODY - THE NEW TEMPLE

Explanation:

When his authority was questioned in Matthew he silenced them by telling them he would only answer them if they first told him if John’s baptism came from heaven or from men. When they wouldn’t answer him he told them he wouldn’t answer them either.

In our text today,

vv18-22 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this? Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.

To understand this:

1. Psalm 16:10 (Messianic Psalm) because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

2. John 20 The Empty Tomb

-v 6b-7 He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been
around Jesus’ head.

-v 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for??

-v 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand
and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Jesus Body was not abandoned to the grave to decay but rose again to life!

His Body is the New Temple and by extension of His Holy Spirit ours too…

Illustration:

1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Application: So what is John telling us today about Jesus’ authority with respect to His Resurrected Body being the Temple and keeping his Father’s House clean-about keeping His Church a place that is Holy?

You don’t connect with God in the temple like was done prior to Jesus.

You connect with God through the risen Lord, Jesus Christ through His Spirit – the Holy Spirit

The Resurrected Christ is what the temple used to be – it is our connection to God.

And the Resurrected Christ through the Holy Spirit is an eternal connection to God!

This is the ultimate authority there is. There is no greater authority than the Risen Christ!

It is Christ’s death and resurrection that give Him the authority to keep His Father’s House clean, His Church clean, us clean.

His sacrifice was so great it gives him total authority over His Church, His Body of Believers.

It gives Christ the authority to keep His House clean and that is what he does when he allows corruption to be exposed in His Body, when he allows scandals to be seen, to come into view.

Christ isn’t afraid of scandal destroying the Church, he is afraid of cover ups, lies, and deception destroying the Church.

These are of Satan.

Jesus is light and he brings what is in the dark into the light so that there can be healing.

Without light there is no healing and without healing there is no Holiness.

Transition:

In this passage, John tells his first century readers that Jesus had authority to cleanse the Temple because it was His Father’s House, because of His Messianic Word or Prophecy Foretelling who He is & what He would do and because His Resurrected Body would become the New Temple – the holiness of God within us that connects us eternally to God!

Conclusion:

In this passage, John tells us today that Jesus has authority to cleanse the Church because it is His Father’s House, because of His Messianic Word or Prophecy foretelling His return and what He will do and because His Resurrected Body has become the New Temple – the holiness of God within us that eternally connects us to God.

His Father’s House, His Word (Messianic Prophecy), His Resurrected Body – His Authority!

The basis for His Father’s House, His Church, His Body of Believers being Holy.

The basis for our house, our body, being Holy.

The basis for our life being Holy.

In the name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Amen.