Reflection on John 2:13-25

What are we to make of this surprising outburst of passionate anger in the beginning of Jesus' ministry? Doesn't Jesus know that overturning tables is not a way to make friends? Perhaps the polite, Canadian way is a better option; Our Lord could calmly approach the money changers and kindly suggest that they move their business out of the temple courts. But there's not even as much as a 'please' or 'thank you' or 'sorry' mixed in. Why is this?

We know that zeal for God's house did consume Jesus. Here we see that Jesus did NOT sin in His anger, because unlike us, His anger was and is 100% righteous and pure.

He entered the temple courts and what He found made his blood boil. In the area where Gentiles were allowed to come and worship, there were greedy men that belonged on Wall Street NOT on holy ground. They were corrupt and sought financial gain, often taking advantage of the worshipper who needed a temple sacrifice and proper currency.

How Jesus responds might take us by surprise. This gentle, humble Jesus breaks out of the box of our expectations. He fashions a whip. A whip. He overturns tables. And not only that. He poured out all the coins of the money changers. He was angry.

In this exchange we see passion in Jesus' heart for what is in our hearts. The temple was the place in the Old Testament where God would dwell with His people. Instead of a humble heart ready to seek the Lord and hear from Him, Jesus found corrupt people doing corrupt things which actually kept people from coming to know God! Ritual and sinful desire took the place of true worship. People had forgotten that they were on Holy ground. How would God Himself respond to this complacency of people in the presence of the Sacred? We are given the answer here. He. Is. Angry.

It is important to note that the temple was never meant to be an end in itself. It was always meant to point to Jesus. In chapter 19 of Revelation we read about the New Heaven and New Earth:

 ²² And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Jesus was alluding to this fact in John 2:19-22 when he speaks of Himself as the temple. This is significant. The temple was the place where God would dwell with His people. But when Christ arrives on the scene we learn of another name He is called by: Emmanuel, which means God with us. There is no longer a need for the temple once Jesus dies on the cross. The curtain was torn at His death and access to God's throne was available to those who believed...without the sacrifice of an animal. JESUS was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus is God with us. He is the temple. 

Let us close by reminding ourselves that Jesus knows what is in a man (John 2:25). He knows what is in our hearts. He knows if our worship of God is lip service or true Spirit led worship. And do you know what? IT MATTERS. If we are struggling with complacent hearts, hypocrisy, materialism or greed, let us repent and come back to our true love. "True worshipers WILL worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him" John 4:23. May we be included among the TRUE worshippers.