THE TIME OF THE PASSOVER WAS AT HAND AND JESUS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS DISCIPLES WENT UP TO JERUSALEM TO KEEP THE FEAST. THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE PASSOVERS THAT ARE MENTION IN THIS GOSPEL. IT IS A FITTING OCCASION FOR THE PUBLIC INAUGURATION OF HIS MINISTRY. HE VISITS THE TEMPLE AND FINDS WITHIN THE SACRED ENCLOSURE IN THE COURT OF THE GENTILES A MARKET HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE SALE OF ANIMALS REQUIRED FOR THE SACRIFICES [2:14]. THE MONEY CHANGERS SIT THERE CHANGING ROMAN CURRENCY INTO JEWISH. JESUS IS STIRRED IN HIS SOUL AND IS MOVED WITH FLAMING INDIGNATION AT SUCH PROFANATION OF THE TEMPLE OF GOD. HE TAKES A SCOURGE MADE OF TWISTED RUSHES AND 'CAST ALL OUT OF THE TEMPLE.' [2:15]. THE WRATH OF THE LAMB IS A REALITY. THE EXACTNESS OF STATEMENT AND THE PRECISION OF DETAIL BESPEAK THE EYEWITNESS. THE OXEN AND THE SHEEP ARE DRIVEN OUT, THE MONEY OF THE CHANGERS IS POURED OUT TO THE GROUND, AND THE DOVES ARE REMOVED AT THE COMMAND OF JESUS. " MAKE NOT MY FATHER'S HOUSE AN HOUSE OF MERCHANDISE [2:16]. WE CANNOT FAIL TO NOTE THE SPECIFIC RELATION JESUS HAS CLAIMED FOR HIMSELF. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS ACT IS MESSIANIC. THE RECORD IS A COMMENTARY ON [MALACHI 3.] THE LORD HAS COME SUDDENLY TO HIS TEMPLE. JUDGMENT HAS BEGUN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD. THE ZEAL THE JESUS HAS REVEALED IS A MESSIANIC CHARACTERISTIC. HE PROTESTED AGAINST THE IRREVERENCE AND UNSPITUALITY OF THE TEMPLE WORSHIP. HIS ACT MAY BE INTERPRETED AS A MESSIANIC PURIFICATION OF THE WHOLE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM, AN ACT WHICH HAD THE SANCTION OF PROPHETIC ZEAL. HIS DISCIPLES REMEMBERED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN, THE "ZEAL OF THINE HOUSE HATH EATEN ME UP." THE FORCE OF THIS WORD, "EAT UP" IS EXPRESSED IN WORDS LIKE CONSUME, DESTROY. THERE MAY BE A VEILED REFERENCE TO THE DEATH OF JESUS.
THE PURIFICATION OF WHICH THIS ACTION IS A SIGN DEPENDS UPON THE SACRIFICE OF HIS BODY. THE JEWS DEMAND A SIGN., FOR THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORT OF HIS ACT. THEY ASK FOR A VISIBLE ATTESTATION OF JESUS GIVES THEM THE ANSWER IN METAPHORICAL LANGUAGE THAT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND AND HAD NO MEANING FOR THEM. "DESTROY THIS TEMPLE, AND IN THREE DAYS I WILL RAISE IT UP.." THEY WILL KILL HIM, BUT HE WILL SET UP AGAIN THE SANCTUARY THEY HAVE DESTROYED. THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS VERSE IS DUE TO THE DOUBLE REFERENCE TO THE VERBS "DESTROY AND RAISE. THE VERB "DESTROY' HAS THE DOUBLE MEANING OF LOOSE, AS OF DESTRUCTION OF A BUILDING AND THE DISSOLUTION OF THE BODY; WHILE THE VERB "RAISE" CAN MEAN EITHER RAISING A BUILDING OR HOUSE OR THE SETTING UP OF A SANCTUARY; HENCE THE IDEA OF RAISING UP A BODY. JESUS GIVES THE SIGN OF RESURRECTION AS HIS AUTHORITY FOR PURIFYING THE TEMPLE. THE JEWS SUPPOSE JESUS TO HAVE REFERRED TO THE LITERAL TEMPLE WHICH WAS IN PROCESS OF BEING BUILT. THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE WAS INITIATED c. 20 B.C. AND COMPLETED IN A.D. 63. FORTY-SIX YEARS HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE BUILDING, THUS BRINGING THE DATE UP TO A.D. 26 OR 27. THE JEWS WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE IDEA OF THE SANCTUARY OR THE TEMPLE OF THE BODY. REMEMBER JESUS NEVER READ THE GOSPELS" SCHOLARS TELL US. THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS JESUS BIBLE. IN THE TEMPLE AT 12. HE STARTED. WE START WITH THE "FLOOD AND NOAH", FOR OUR
STUDY, OUR FOUNDATION; NOT MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN.
JESUS GIVES THE SIGN OF RESURRECTION AS HIS AUTHORITY. THIS IDENTIFICATION WAS BASED ON THE IMPROBABILITY OF TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS TAKING PLACE, ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY, THE OTHER AT THE END. THE TWO INCIDENTS HAVE MANY POINTS OF CONCURRENCE., BUT THE MINUTENESS OF DETAIL, LED TO THE BACKGROUND FOR THE DISCOURSE ON THE NEW BIRTH THIS IS THAT OF THE INSUFFICIENCY OF A FAITH BASED ON ETERNAL SIGNS. JESUS COULD NOT TRUST HIMSELF TO THOSE WHOSE FAITH WAS ONLY SUPERFICIAL, FOR HE HAD A PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR MOTIVES. THIS IS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE STORY OF THE INTERVIEW WITH NICODEMUS. NICODEMUS, A MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN ( A RULER OF THE JEWS,) VISITS JESUS AT NIGHT PROBABLY IN ORDER TO AVOID COMPROMISING HIS POSITION. HE RECOGNIZES JESUS IS A TEACHER SENT FROM GOD. (AN EMPHATIC PHRASE,) DISTINGUISHING HIM FROM TEACHERS QUALIFIED BY PASSING THROUGH SCHOOLS, AND IS IMPRESSED WITH THE SIGNS JESUS DOES . HE THEREFORE ASKS OUR LORD TO CLARIFY HIS TEACHING, ESPECIALLY REGARDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD. JESUS MAKES THE REPLY: " EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM. THE GREEK WORD "ANOTHEN," TRANSLATED 'AGAIN' MAY ALSO BE TRANSLATED FROM 'ABOVE.' THE REPLY OF JESUS CONTAINS THE VERY HEART THAT IT IS CONCEIVED OF IN TERMS OF A BIRTH FROM ABOVE. IT AFFIRMS THE NECESSITY OF SUCH A RADICAL CHANGE OF HEART THAT IT IS CONCEIVED OF IN TERMS OF A BIRTH FROM ABOVE. A FAITH BASED ON MIRACLES IS INSUFFICIENT. AND LEAVES THE INNER CORE OF A MAN'S LIFE UNTOUCHED. HE MEANS NO PHYSICAL BIRTH BUT A CREATIVE ACT OF GOD WITHIN A SOUL.
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