John 2:12-25
Jesus manifests His authority at the Passover.
Introduction: John wrote
these things that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing
we might have life through His name. He
has offered evidence that Jesus is the Christ. He has told us about His past
and notice that I say His past and not His beginning. John could not tell us of Jesus’ beginning for
He had no beginning. He told us about
His great work in creation. He told us
about John the Baptist who the prophets said would come to prepare the way for
the Lord. He gives us the testimony of
John the Baptist that Jesus is the Lamb of God.
He told us of the first followers of Jesus and of Nathanael’s
proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God the King of
I. John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum,
he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued
there not many days.
John 2:13 And the Jews' Passover was at hand,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Jesus goes to the
city of
II. John
2:14 And found in the temple those that
sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Jesus goes into the
temple and finds inside the temple grounds what might well have looked like a
livestock feed lot. There were tied up
together in the court yard small oxen less than a year old. There were sheep tied up together in the
court yard as well. Next to these there
were small baskets each containing a single dove. Can you imagine the noise of the people as
they bought animals to sacrifice? Can
you imagine the smell of these animals. Can you imagine what a distraction this would
have been to those who came there to worship and to pray? This was a scene that Jesus had seen
before. It did not take Him by
surprise. He had made more than 20 trips
to the feast of Passover with His family.
This time Jesus will do something about this outrage. The money changers were there for the purpose
of converting foreign currency into the shekel of the sanctuary. This money would be needed by those who came
to the temple so that they could pay the
III. John 2:15 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 changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
Jesus, after seeing
these things, took some of the cords and braded them into a whip. These cords were there for the purpose of
leading away the animals away after they had been purchased. The concessionaires were busy selling their
livestock and doves and the money changers were doing business as usual as
Jesus is preparing His whip. They have
no idea what is about to happen to them.
This morning will not be like all the other Passover mornings which they
had experienced. Men frequently ignore
God. God has said that judgment is
coming and men have refused to prepare themselves. They will be conducting business as usual
when Jesus comes again. Judgment will
fall upon them like a thief in the night.
They will suddenly be taken away.
Jesus is soon coming back. Don’t
let this day surprise you. If they had
only taken notice of Jesus they would have gathered their things and left the
temple and returned with a sacrifice to offer to God and sought God’s
forgiveness for their sin.
Jesus begins with
the larger animals and their owners. He
drives these men out of the temple and the oxen and sheep with them. Jesus used the whip to drive the oxen and the
sheep out of the
IV. John
2:16 And said unto them that sold doves,
Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
Jesus now turns and
speaks to those who sold doves. Jesus
could not drive out the doves for they were in baskets which were most likely
stacked on two wheel hand carts. Jesus
tells them to take their birds and get out of the
This building, in
which we meet, was dedicated for the use of worshiping the Lord God. This building should be used for that purpose. The activities here should always be honoring
to God. Weddings, Funerals, Worship
services, Singing praises to God, preaching the Word
of God, and messenger meetings of churches with which we associate are all
activities which are acceptable and appropriate uses of this building. We should not use this building for
prophet. We are not to charge
admission. We are not to sell items here
such as bibles and other literature for prophet. People should feel free to come to this place
to worship and pray before God almighty.
John
The disciples
remember a verse of scripture upon seeing Jesus drive these from the
V. John
The Jews question
the authority of Jesus to do these things.
What right did He have to drive out the men and animals from the
The Jews want a
sign from Him that will prove that He is who He says He is. They want proof. Nathanael had all the proof he needed. Peter had all the proof he needed. Andrew and all the proof he needed. Philip had all the proof He needed. The unnamed follower of Jesus who was
companion to Andrew had all the proof he needed. Jesus will give them a sign and it will be
all they need. It will be exactly what
they need. But they will not believe.
VI. John
2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them,
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
John 2:20
Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in
building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
John
Jesus gives them
the sign which they required. He told
them, in effect, “kill me and I will rise again from
the dead in three days”. Jesus words it
in such a way that if they had wanted to know what He meant they could have know. Jesus did not
say “THE
VII. John 2:22 When therefore he was risen from the dead,
his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the
scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
The disciples of
Jesus did not understand the words of Jesus until He rose again. At this point they believed the prophecy and
the words of Jesus. The Jewish leaders
would see this sign but would still not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God.
VIII. John
2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the
Passover, in the feast [day], many believed in his name, when they saw
the miracles which he did.
The Passover lasted
for eight days. During this time Jesus
preformed some miracles. What these
miracles were is not recorded for us here.
Most likely Jesus healed the sick and caused the lame to walk and the
blind to see. As a result of these
miracles many believed in His name. That
is to say they believed that He was the promised Messiah. The problem is that most did not understand
that the Messiah is the savior. They saw
the Messiah as a conquering King. They
did not see their need of a Savior.
They did not see themselves as sinners and did not repent before God in
confession and faith and throw themselves upon the mercy of God in order that
they might be saved. They simply believe
Him to be there promised King.
IX. John
John
Because
the people would not accept Jesus as their savior Jesus did not commit Himself
to them. He did not take control and
show Himself a great leader among them.
They were desiring to proclaim Him as their
King but Jesus came to save not to rule.
Jesus knew all men of His day.
Everyone in the crowd Jesus knew.
He knew every thought of every man.
He knew those who were saved and He knew those who were not saved. He knew every man who ever lived all the way
back to Adam. Jesus knows every man who
has lived since that time even until now.
Jesus knows you and He knows me.
He knows what I feel and what I think.
He knows my pain and my sorrow and my Joy. He knows what motivates me. He knows how to get my attention. He knows what I hold dear and He knows what I
abhor. He knows where I am now and where
I will be in the future. He knows when I
will die and what I will have to endure until that time. Jesus knows what is in me. He knows my sin nature and He knows that new
creature which I became the day I repented and believed in Him. He knows my weaknesses and my strengths. Armed with this assurance I can put all my
burdens on Him and leave them there. I
don’t have to worry about the future for I know He knows. I don’t have to worry about Jesus
understanding my problems for He knows what is in man. I will live my life for Jesus and serve Him
each day.
You
need to know that Jesus knows all about you.
He knows you better than you know yourself. Nothing can be hidden from Him. The amazing thing to me is that knowing me He
still loves me. Knowing what a sinner I
am He still died for me. He still paid
my sin debt.
Jesus
knows you. Do you Know Jesus? Have you experienced His marvelous saving
grace? Do you know Him as one who is
worthy of your trust. Do you know Him as
your Lord, savior and King?