Read: John 2:13-22 (part 1)

It was nearly the time of the Passover in Jerusalem. There would have been a lot of people travelling and a lot of excitement and activities. It is during this time that Jesus goes to the temple. When Jesus sees all the buying and selling that is happening, he takes a whip and drives out all the people that were buying and selling in the outer court. And while he is doing this, he says, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of merchandise.”

Notice how Jesus calls the temple his Father’s house. This is where his Father lived among his people. God dwelt in the temple. We know this from the Old Testament. The glory of the Lord was in the temple. And God was only able to dwell in the temple because of the sacrifices that were made every day. God is too holy to live among sinful people. And so, God had told the Israelites to offer sacrifices. These sacrifices pointed to the taking away of the sins of the people so that they could go to the temple where God was.

So, in the outer court of the temple, the people should have been repenting from their sins and then offering sacrifices so that they could enjoy the glory of the Lord — a relationship with the Lord. That’s what the temple and the sacrifices pointed to. And that is what should have been happening at this time before Passover.

But Jesus didn’t see people who were sad because of their sins and who were seeking to be reconciled to God; he saw people trying to make money and do business. And so Jesus drove away all these things that were stopping the people from seeing what the temple was really for.

Are there things in your life that are stopping you from serving the Lord correctly? These need to be driven out of your life so that you can have a beautiful relationship with the Lord. And that is what Jesus himself came to do — to cleanse us from our sins.

Reflection with your child:

What would Jesus whip out of your heart and home?

Source: Sermon by Rev. R. Vermeulen