John 2:13-22
Jesus’ “cleansing of the temple” is a turning point in the Gospel:
- He seeks to restore the temple as a house of prayer by casting out the moneylenders and vendors.
- We accumulate many “things” that distract us from the important and meaningfulness of life.
- We amas possessions but also store up feelings of fear…intimidation…disappointment…exhaustion.
- This is a season for a “spring cleaning” of our spirits and souls.
- To “drive out” whatever distracts us from the things of God and restore us to a new sense of being.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
With the crack of a whip…Jesus chased merchants from the temple.
- He drove out the oxen…scattered the sheep.
- He turned the tables on the moneychangers…with coins jangling to the floor and rolling.
- Single-handedly…Jesus broomed the temple clean.
- The leaders glared at him and said: “What sign can you show us for doing this?”
Well…Jesus was disrupting a workable and established system.
- The leaders at the temple were concerned that everybody was properly equipped for worship.
- Does anybody want to offer a sacrifice to God? An appropriate animal was available at the temple.
- Does anybody need to change Roman money into Jewish temple currency? Money changers will be available at the temple.
- How convenient! You could travel those long…dusty miles to the holy city…never worry about dragging along your own sacrificial ox or sheep.
- Never fear about bringing exact change.
- If you wanted to travel to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage…the system provided everything.
- Well…it was a good system until Jesus came and disrupted it.
The Temple Leaders saw Jesus as an upstart.
- According to the Gospel of John…this was the first time Jesus confronted organized religion.
- Up to this point…he had been collecting disciples and attending wedding receptions.
- Now for the first time…he met organized religion head on…and he exposed its seedy underside.
- No wonder they responded:
- “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Who did Jesus think he was? What were his credentials?
- Did he think he could march into the temple and smash the system to bits?
The other Gospels tell this story as if it happened much later in Jesus’ life.
- When Jesus undertakes this action in Matthew…Mark and Luke…the authorities say it is the last straw.
- They decide to eliminate the troublemaker. They practically sign his death warrant.
Yet in this Gospel…John tells the story as early as chapter two…as if to say that…from the beginning of his ministry…Jesus took on organized religion.
- No wonder the Jewish leaders demanded some proof of his authority.
OK then…shortly before all this chaos at the Temple there was a wedding party in Cana.
- So well attended that the caterer ran out of wine.
- So…here’s the deal…Jesus sees six stone jars…each able to hold 20 to 30 gallons.
- “Fill them with water” he said “and then ladle some out.”
- Out came some of the best wine the caterer had tasted in years.
The problem had to do with those six stone jars.
- Normally they were filled with water for purification ceremonies.
- But instead…Jesus fills them with Manischewitz.
- That is disrespectful!
- But that is what Jesus did.
So…here’s the thing…imagine a memorial service reception in the church’s fellowship hall.
- As the punch bowl is carried in…it accidentally slips and smashes on the floor.
- In the moment of panic…someone says:
- “Don’t worry! I know something we can use.”
- Slipping into the sanctuary…this young Turk lifts the baptismal bowl from the wooden font and carries it into fellowship hall.
- The stainless-steel baptismal bowl is then filled with Canada Dry and cranberry juice.
- The baptismal font becomes a punch bowl.
- Now…this is pretty much what Jesus did.
At Jesus’ command…Jewish purification jars became carafes of new wine.
- The writer says the wedding at Cana was the first sign Jesus performed.
- That sign stood against established customs.
- When Jesus cleansed the temple…the leaders demanded a sign.
- Did they know what they were asking for?
Jesus answered: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
- But wait! No one said anything about destroying the temple.
- All the people want to know is why he came in with a whip and chased the merchants away.
- But destroy the temple?
- “Jesus…it’s taken 46 years to build this Temple…and you challenge us to destroy it?”
- “Destroy this temple” …Jesus said… “and in three days I’ll raise it up.”
Well…there is something going on here.
- When Jesus cleansed the temple…his opponents wanted a sign.
- To meet their request…he spoke:
- “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
- Jesus was not talking about the temple and its traditions. He was talking about himself.
What we see throughout the Gospel of John is that Jesus does not need the temple.
- When Jesus encounters the traditions…routines…religious procedures…he often ignores them.
- Jesus does not need the temple, because…
- According to John…Jesus is the temple.
BUT…as our scripture passage shows us…Jesus deeply values what the temple represents.
- If the temple is where God meets people…that’s important.
- But the text also shows us that our temple is Jesus Christ.
- He is the One in whom God meets us.
As proof…Jesus gave the one sign that abolishes the over-organization of religion.
- He offered his own death and resurrection.
- Jesus said: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
- His opponents asked…Jesus…what gives you the right to reform our religion?
- What sign do you offer?
- The sign he offered was himself.