Cleaning Out the Temple

What’s the Sabbath day all about? In one simple word, it’s “rest.” But the concept is seen throughout the story of the Israelites as a kind of renewal. Ultimately, rest is a rejuvenating activity, but we also see a rejuvenating activity in things like the Flood, Jubilee, and a host of other God-directed events. Sometimes to get to the point of rest, you have to do a little spring cleaning.

 
Early in Jesus’ ministry, a significant event demonstrated God’s “cleansing” of the place that was supposed to be a place of refreshment – the temple (John 2). Because of the activities going on in the temple, the words of David in Psalm 65:4 said didn't seem to be true, “...We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple.”

This place needed to see the light that the temple was intended to shine into the world around it. Jesus would soon reveal that He was the light of the temple. John began His gospel with a prologue that included these powerful words, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (John 1:4), but as John would continue in John 1:9-12, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”

Jesus was telling those with impure motives in their trade within the temple walls to GET OUT, just like He had done to Satan around the same time frame (Matthew 4, Luke 4). Jesus was confronting darkness with a message that cleaned house and set free.

 
Jesus’ temple cleaning can easily be seen as an important metaphor in our own lives. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” It’s THAT temple that we need to make sure stays free from corruption and evil intentions. It’s good to stop and consider what needs to be cleaned out of my life.

 
John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”