Slices
Prepare
The seat of prayer and worship is no longer the Temple in Jerusalem, but is now in our hearts. Clear aside the clutter and pray as you come to God’s Word.
Bible passage
Jesus at the temple
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘“My house will be a house of prayer”; but you have made it “a den of robbers”.’
47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
The authority of Jesus questioned
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 ‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’
3 He replied, ‘I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism – was it from heaven, or of human origin?’
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” he will ask, “Why didn’t you believe him?” 6 But if we say, “Of human origin,” all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.’
7 So they answered, ‘We don’t know where it was from.’
8 Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.’
Explore
When a new teacher comes along performing miracles and teaching new things, it is right for leaders in the church to question his credentials. They have a duty to protect their ‘flock’ from being led astray. These leaders were asking the right questions, but with a very wrong motive.
In Acts we read that the Berean Jews were praised for being of ‘noble character’ when Paul went and preached the gospel to them. They didn’t just blindly accept or reject it, but ‘they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true’ (Acts 17:11).
These chief priests and teachers of the law should equally have been eagerly looking for the Messiah. When someone came along doing Messiah-like things and bringing new teaching, they should have searched the Scriptures with eyes of hope to see whether what he was saying and doing was in line with God’s Word.
Jesus knew that these priests and teachers weren’t seeking truth or trying to protect the people from false teaching. They were simply trying to preserve their own position.
Respond
Like the Pharisees, we can easily become hard-hearted to anything that challenges our thinking or lifestyle – or accept unbiblical teaching because it makes us feel good. Ask the Lord to show you any areas where you are resisting his Word.
Deeper Bible study
‘... true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.’1
I was awestruck when I first visited St Paul’s Cathedral in London. There is a sense of majesty in the architecture that draws me to worship God. In the first century, every pilgrim to Jerusalem would have been deeply impressed by the Temple, the spiritual centre for the Jews and the pride of the nation. However, Jesus was not concerned with the exterior beauty of the Temple. He had wept over the city (vs 41–44). Now, he was about to do something unimaginable. When Jesus entered the Temple, he kicked up a commotion by driving out those who were trading there.
The Temple was the heart of Israel since its foundation was laid during the days of Solomon. Sadly, over the years, the Temple had been corrupted to the point where true worship of God was diminishing. Decades before the first Temple was razed to the ground by the Babylonians, the prophet Jeremiah had warned the people about their false trust in the Temple, denouncing their evil acts of injustice, oppression and idolatry.2 God declared that the Temple had become ‘a den of robbers’3 where he was robbed of his worship. This same passage was cited when Jesus cleansed the Temple. He was denouncing exactly what Jeremiah did – the acts of injustice and oppression present in the Temple of his day.
Jesus would not let such corruption draw people away from true faith and worship of God. Imagine Jesus visiting our churches today. Would he be pleased with what he saw on the inside? Would he cleanse your church? What about our body as the temple of God? What would Jesus find inside our hearts?
Lord, strengthen the hands that serve, the ears that hear and the feet that go where you send them, that we may do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with you.
1 John 4:23 2 Jer 7:1–29 3 Jer 7:11
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Deuteronomy 15,16; Psalm 34
Pray for Scripture Union
Please pray for Local Mission Partner YoYo as, in collaboration with schools and churches, they share the Easter story with thousands of children and young people in York over the coming weeks. Pray that the creative, interactive activities will really bring the Christian faith alive.
