The Gospel of John: John 2.13-25

Read and meditate on John 2.13, 14.
Like other faithful Jews of His day, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover. At this first Passover of His public ministry, Jesus dared the Jews to tear down the temple. At His last Passover visit, they would do just that, but only so that the promise He declared at this Passover could be fulfilled.

¹³Now when the Passover of the Jews was near,
then Jesus went to Jerusalem, ¹⁴and there
He found within the temple many who
were selling oxen, sheep, and doves unto
the pilgrims who had come to worship – and
the money-changers, working at their stand.

- John 2.13, 14

Reflect
1.  Review Exodus 12.1-30, which reports the institution of Passover. How should this early mention of Passover affect our reading of the story of the Lamb of God? Complete this prayer: Thank You, Lord, that because of Your sacrifice, my sins have not only been passed over, but…

2.  What’s going on here in the temple? What were these people doing? Does this seem particularly vile and wicked to you? Explain. Help me to see the world with Your eyes, Lord, or…

3.  All these stalls, kiosks, and tables, ostensibly provided for the convenience of those coming for Passover, were an opportunity for profit, both by those who engaged in the selling and other transactions, and probably those who licensed the spaces to them. But what about this was so wrong? Do we do things like this in our churches today? Lord, buying and selling and making a profit aren’t bad things, but…

4.  These merchants were making of Israel’s most sacred holy day an opportunity for profit. By appealing to people’s convenience – after all, who wants to lug a sacrifice to Jerusalem when you can buy one once you get there? – and necessity – the temple merchants only accepted cash, and only local cash – these merchants contrived to wish “Happy Holidays!” to all their clients, but especially to themselves. What was in the minds of the people who purchased from these merchants? Do you suppose their practice of Passover was in any way affected by all this commerce? Explain. Lord, it’s so easy to let our holy days become…

5.  God had a purpose for instituting the Passover, and it did not please Him that others were glomming on to His purpose for their own purposes. What does this suggest about how we celebrate the holy days of our faith? Bring together into one the prayers you composed for questions 1-4.

Summary
“After recording the testimony borne by John the Baptist to Jesus and mentioning that he went into Galilee at the time when he turned the water into wine, and after he has also noticed the sojourn of a few days in Capernaum, John proceeds to tell us that he went up to Jerusalem at the season of the Jews’ Passover, and when he had made a scourge of small cords, drove out of the temple those who were selling in it. This makes it evident that this act was performed by the Lord not on a single occasion but twice over; but that only the first instance is put on record by John, and the last by the other three.” Augustine (354-430 AD)

The work of our Lord Jesus is set squarely in the culture and times of Judea under Roman rule. Jesus will manage to provoke all the powers-that-be to oppose Him, because He had this uncanny knack of knowing what they were about and making them look bad to the crowds. What better way to make His presence known than to begin His public ministry at the Passover, making a mess of the mess the Jews had made of this most sacred holy day? Do holy days still matter? Have we compromised them at all?

Closing Prayer
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.

Psalm 122

Psalm 122 (Nettleton: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)
I was glad when they said to me, “To the Lord’s house let us go!”
Holy City, let our feet be firmly planted in your soil.
Jesus builds His Church forever, where His people sing His praise!
As Your Word decrees forever, we will thank You all our days.

On the throne of David, Jesus sits to judge the nations all.
As our holy peace increases, we are safe who on You call.
Grant us peace, Lord, by Your favor; for Your people’s sake we pray.
For the Church’s sake, O Savior, we will seek Your good today.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.