The Revelation Of Jesus,The Son Of God

B. Revelation 2: Jesus Is Supreme Over God's House,2:12-22

^{Lesson Scriptures:
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.
   ¹³And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
   ¹⁴And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
   ¹⁵And 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;
   ¹⁶And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
   ¹⁷And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
   ¹⁸Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
   ¹⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
   ²⁰Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
   ²¹But he spake of the temple of his body.
   ²²When 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.

(2:12-22) Introduction:Jesus Christ has suremacy over God's house,that is, over the temple or church. He alone has the right to rule over God's house.
   1)Jesus left Cana (vv.12-13)
   2)His discovery of evil in the temple(v14)
   3)His right to cleanse the temple(vv15-17)
   4)His power to erect a new temple(vv18-22)

[1] (2:12-13) Jesus left Cana. He went down to capernaum and stayed there for just a brief time.Then  He left for Jerusalem to attend the passover Feast.
[2] (2:14) Jesus discovered evil in the temple. Note two facts.
    a. He entered the temple

   b. He found the temple being desecrated.It was the Court of the Gentile where so much of the  commercialism took place.There was a regular commercial market place within its walls.How did a commercial market ever get into the temple of God?Very simply,greed.Worshippers needed animals and other things for their sacrifices and offerings,while Pilgrims from foreign nations needed money exchanged.at some point the priest though had decided to take advantage of the market themselves instead of letting retailers on the outside reap all the profits.The priest began to set up booths within the courts of the Gentiles and to lease space to outside retailers,which for the most part were their family members.can you imagine thousands of animals with their various noises and smells and waste within the temple of God?And for what ,so a few can abuse the worship center for the gain of money?It is no wonder why Jesus did what He did.He could do no other wise for He is the Son of God,and they were defiling His Fathers House.There was no hope of worship within the court of the Gentiles.Prayer and worship were impossible.

[3] (2:15-17) Jesus' right to cleanse the temple. Three points show His right.

    a.The scourge of cords. Ths was a symbol of His righteous anger,of His right to be obeyed,of His right to enforce obedience within the temple.The scourge was a symbol of the power and cleansing judgment of God,the kind of power and cleansing judgment that causes men to tremble before God.He ran through the temple doing three things(a) He chased out all who were buying and selling;(b)He threw over the tables of the money changers; and(c)He threw over the chairs of the dove dealers.

Thought 1.The temple(church) can be abused by...

* Forgetting what worship is all about

* Misusing the facilities and buildings of God's house

* Ignoring God's holiness and forgetting ones duty to reverence God.

* allowing questionable,non-worshipful activities

  b. Jesus' unique relationship to God.He called God "My Father" and the temple "My Father's house".

Jesus was saying the temple was God's therefore,it was to be a house of worship for all people.The temple is called the house of worship not the house of sacrifice,offerings teachings,prophecy, or preaching.Everything done in the House of God is to lead to the worship of the Father and communion with the Father.It is not to be used as a commercial center.It is not a place of buying and selling.It is not to be profaned.It is to be a place of sancity,refined and purified by God himself.
[4] (2:18-21) Temple-Church,The death of Jesus predicted;Jesus power to erect a new temple,His authority was questioned by the religionist.They wanted to know what right did He have to do what He was doing.The proof that He was the Son of God with authority over the house of God ws to be given.The sign was to be His body,His death and resurrection.The resurrection was to be the supreme proof of who He is.They were to destroy Him( kill Him) but He would raise from the dead after three days.His death and resurrection was to provide a new temple,a meeting place for God and man.It would be in Him that man would thereafter meet God.The temple of His body was to become the temple of men,the temple whereby men would worship and be reconciled to God.
Conclusion:Cleanse your temple of all that might hinder a true worship experience with the Lord.empty it of all malice,envy,greed, and self-righteousness, and allow the peace of the Lord to abode in your temple that you might dwell in the temple of the Lord forever........