Public Statement Becomes Public Challenge
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matt. 21:12, 13.
With the cleansing of the Temple Jesus takes the battle into the very heart of the enemy camp. His demonstration in the Temple is no burst of enthusiasm or righteous anger stirred up by the momentary excitement of the triumphal entry. A reading of Matthew could give that impression, but Mark tells us that it was the "next day" after the entry when the cleansing took place (Mark 11:12, NIV). That is a significant bit of knowledge, since it definitely indicates that it was not some spur-of-the-moment challenge to the Jewish authorities. To the contrary, the fact that a night passes between the entry and the cleansing shows that we are dealing with a premeditated challenge whose purpose is to forcefully call the attention of the Jews to Jesus' mission. Thus in the cleansing we find Him making His Messianic claim and exerting His Messianic authority at the very heart of Judaism.
The challenge is now impossible for either the leaders or the common people to ignore. The common people flock to Jesus in the Temple and shout Messianic praises to the "Son of David" as He heals the blind and lame outcasts (Matt. 21:14, 15). The chief priests and the scribes react to all the celebration with indignation (verse 15). The enthusiasm of the crowds was bad enough out in the city, but now it has entered their own special territory and casts their lucrative Temple trade in an extremely insidious light.
Thus it is that in the Temple episode we find a turning point in the description of Jesus' enemies. Heretofore the gospel story has scarcely mentioned the high priests. But from now on out they will play a central role.
In the cleansing of the Temple Jesus has challenged and judged the formal religious power structure. The high priests will make common cause with the scribes and Pharisees to get rid of Him with a determination not present before. In cleansing the Temple He has truly proved Himself to be a dangerous enemy.
Father, help us as we meditate on the events leading up to the cross to see the importance and significance of Jesus' every step as He works out our salvation.
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matt. 21:12, 13.
With the cleansing of the Temple Jesus takes the battle into the very heart of the enemy camp. His demonstration in the Temple is no burst of enthusiasm or righteous anger stirred up by the momentary excitement of the triumphal entry. A reading of Matthew could give that impression, but Mark tells us that it was the "next day" after the entry when the cleansing took place (Mark 11:12, NIV). That is a significant bit of knowledge, since it definitely indicates that it was not some spur-of-the-moment challenge to the Jewish authorities. To the contrary, the fact that a night passes between the entry and the cleansing shows that we are dealing with a premeditated challenge whose purpose is to forcefully call the attention of the Jews to Jesus' mission. Thus in the cleansing we find Him making His Messianic claim and exerting His Messianic authority at the very heart of Judaism.
The challenge is now impossible for either the leaders or the common people to ignore. The common people flock to Jesus in the Temple and shout Messianic praises to the "Son of David" as He heals the blind and lame outcasts (Matt. 21:14, 15). The chief priests and the scribes react to all the celebration with indignation (verse 15). The enthusiasm of the crowds was bad enough out in the city, but now it has entered their own special territory and casts their lucrative Temple trade in an extremely insidious light.
Thus it is that in the Temple episode we find a turning point in the description of Jesus' enemies. Heretofore the gospel story has scarcely mentioned the high priests. But from now on out they will play a central role.
In the cleansing of the Temple Jesus has challenged and judged the formal religious power structure. The high priests will make common cause with the scribes and Pharisees to get rid of Him with a determination not present before. In cleansing the Temple He has truly proved Himself to be a dangerous enemy.
Father, help us as we meditate on the events leading up to the cross to see the importance and significance of Jesus' every step as He works out our salvation.
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