John 2 - Tear Down the Temple

John 2 Part 3 Tear Down the Temple

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (John 2:18-22 ESV)

Why was Jesus killed? (There could be a bunch of answers for this one)

What was the human reason for killing Jesus?

And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” (Luke 23:2 NIV)

The Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus for subversion and troublemaking, and for blasphemy. Blasphemy, of course, is the reason religious men want to kill him, but the Romans with their pantheon of Gods would not have cared about Jesus calling himself God. Pilate cared only that there was a riot going on outside his palace and the rioters wanted to kill Christ. Jesus is causing disorder with his popularity and words that the Jewish leaders see as subversive.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’ ” (Mark 14:55-58 NIV)

It comes out in the trial after Jesus' arrest. This guy says he will tear down the temple and rebuild it. Did you hear that, he's a terrorist! He's a witch, burn him!

Think about it. . .what happens if you post on Facebook, blow up the White House tomorrow and then I'll rebuild it. What will happen? Black helicopters will land in your front yard, Navy Seals will break in your windows and they will haul you off to jail. If you say you will destroy the epicenter of the nation, you are in big trouble, whether it is Israel or America. Semantics will likely not get you off the hook either. I didn't say "I will destroy the White House,". I only said, "destroy the White House, and I'll rebuild it."

If he's going to get in a bunch of trouble, why does Jesus say it?

Jesus's mission earth is to get himself killed. . .but at the proper time, once he has done his preaching and teaching and shared everything the father asked. This is bus stop number one on the road to the cross, and it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I will be killed and rise again, but I will be killed and rise again because I say publicly that I will be killed and rise again.

How does this story relate to the story about Jesus turning over tables in the temple and why does John put the two stories side by side?

The way worship and forgiveness works is about to change. In the past it had been based on temple sacrifice, the priests going in to the super-holy part of the temple and offering sacrifices for atonement and cleanliness. But Jesus is saying that the temple building will no longer be where forgiveness happens. Forgiveness will happen in Jesus's own body, through his death and resurrection.

So in reality, Jesus is being way more subversive than the Jews even know. They are scared he will destroy the temple. But the temple was already destroyed and rebuilt once (See Nehemiah) and it could be done again. What they don't realize is that Jesus is pledging to destroy their religion, societal structure, and very way of life and rebuild it all upon himself and his sacrifice.

The book of Hebrews describes all of this in super-detail.

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever. (Hebrews 7:23-28 ESV).

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:11-15, 24-28 ESV)

John 2 - Turning over Tables

John 2 Part 2 - Turning over Tables

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (John 2:13-17 ESV)

Why were the people selling animals? It was Passover, when Jewish people made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and sacrificed animals for the forgiveness of their sin. There were all sorts of animals that could be purchased according to how much money someone had. It was presumably very loud, very crazy, very hectic.

Why was Jesus angry?

From John - this is church, this is my father's house, this is where worship happens, this is where scripture is read, where sin is forgiven: and you're turning it into a marketplace! This is not a flea market, this is a place of worship! Not cool!

From Mark (Matthew and Luke are similar) And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:17 ESV). People are supposed to be bowing down before God, worshipping and praying in the temple courtyard. Women and non-Jews cannot enter the temple; this is their place of worship. The courtyard is as close as they are allowed to come to God. There should be greeters, saying welcome, glad you're here! We are happy to see you, come and worship! This is the epicenter of Jerusalem, the city on a hill. . .this is where man comes to meet with God and God with man. And the pilgrims are competing with cows and greedy men for God's ear? Not cool!

Why is a really big deal that Jesus gets mad?

“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:3-6 ESV)

God's jealousy is written in the Ten Commandments: I am God, don't worship any other God. That's not cool and I'm going to get ticked. Remember me, and I'm going to be really, really happy. Forget about me, turn your back on me, and I'm going to be upset. Forget about me, turn your back on me, and prevent true worshippers from worshipping me, and I'm going to send Jesus in to flip your tables over.

What are idols?

"Idols are much more than statues that our ancestors bowed down to. Anything that we build our lives on, anything that we lean on for meaning or identity, anything that we hope can bring us freedom can be an idol."

Remember our play-dough people? You create a world and a bunch of little play-dough people, and you just want to play with them and love them.
But they decide they want nothing to do with you. You say, "hey, how about this, I get that you're a little freaked out about me, being as I'm like a hundred times your size. I get that you live in play dough land, and that you have trouble believing in anything more than what you know. So why don't I build a special house where we can come hang out. I'll be there, and when you show up, I'll be very happy to see you and we'll work on that whole forgiving you for worshipping play dough cars and play dough money instead of me."

You have this great idea, to take a part of yourself and send it into play dough world. This play dough Jesus will be you, he'll have all of your power and abilities, but he won't be all big and scary like you. He'll look just like the other play dough people, only he'll act differently. . .he'll act just like you. So you send this part of yourself to earth, and play dough Jesus is born. And play dough Jesus walks into the house you built to hang out with your people. Only your people aren't allowed to come hang out. . . There are play dough cows and play dough doves and goats and sheep running around everywhere. There are guys charging too much money to get in and throwing out the poor people. What are you going to do? You made part of yourself a play dough person so that everyone could remember how awesome and cool a creator you are and so that they will want to hang out with you. And there are these play dough bad men preventing that very thing from happening. What do you do? You throw the bums out, right? You make a little play dough whip and run them out of there! This is my dad's house. This is my day's world! You don't keep the people my dad love away from him. You flip over play dough tables, throw their play dough money all over the place. Get out of here robbers! You're robbing these people of being with their creator. . .get on out of here!

When is jealousy a good thing?

When is jealousy a bad thing?

Why should we be glad that God is jealous?

Jars of Clay has a cool song called Love of a Jealous Kind that illustrates this, that God really really wants to love us, and really really wants us to love him. He will move heaven and earth, and even give up his own son to death in order to bring us to himself. And God will not put up with anyone or anything keeping us from him:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 ESV)

John 1 Part 3 What do you Want?

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” (John 1:35-38 NIV)

Madeline has a game that she loves to play, where she will sneak up and stand right behind my back and wait for me to notice her. Usually she does it in department stores, and usually I discover her presence by stepping on her feet and nearly knocking both of us over. But that somehow doesn't diminish her fun.

The disciples follow Jesus Madeline-like for a while, and Jesus is either oblivious to them or chooses not to notice. Can you imagine being in this situation? What would you do? John tells you the lamb of God is walking by, so you follow him. . .and follow him. . .and follow him. He walks up a mountain and down the other side, completely silent. You clear your throat a few times. . .or start whistling. Is this lamb guy ever going to notice me?

Finally he does, in an odd way, but in a very particular one. "What do you want?"

What if Jesus showed up right now, in this room and asked the same question. What do you want? How would you answer? Keep in mind, this is creator of the universe Jesus, he has unlimited power and wisdom. He can do absolutely anything. . .what do you want?

This question is a really, really, really big deal. Because you will likely find what you are looking for. What are you doing here on earth? Why are you sitting in school? Why do you come to church? What do you want?

Now imagine yourself in the story. How would you answer if you were one of these disciples?

Teacher, where are you staying?

Interesting response, huh? But how completely perfect. Rabbi, teacher, we don't know anything, but John said you are the lamb and that he is not worthy of you. We aren't really even sure what to ask. So, like, can we come hang out at your place?

Great humility these guys show. They don't have any religious questions prepared like the Jews. They don't debate philosophy like Pilate. They simply call Jesus, "teacher," and ask to be with him.

Teacher, I want to be with you. I want to hang out at your place. I want to walk behind you and see what you do. I want to follow you.

What do you want? What if your answer was, to be with and follow Jesus? What would your life look like? What would be the same and what would be different?

Lets take a look at a guy who knows exactly what he wants: Paul.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11 ESV)

What did Paul not want - what did he consider rubbish?

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (Philippians 3:4-7 ESV)

All the external things that defined him, he considered rubbish. What would the equivalent be in your or my life? It would probably read exactly like your college applications or a speech when running for student government.

What did Paul want?

I want to know Christ, to gain my identity from him, to have faith in him, to know his power, to suffer like him, to die like him, and to be raised from the dead like him. I want to know Christ, believe in him, and follow in his footsteps. We talked about getting what we want, Paul certainly got it. He traveled all over Asia telling people about Jesus, getting beat up, shipwrecked, thrown in jail, bitten by snakes, all manner of craziness. But he shared the gospel, through his presence and letters, literally to the entire world. The only thing Paul didn't get was the opportunity to die like Jesus. . .as far as we know, he died a peaceful death while waiting for the opportunity to share Christ with the Roman emperor.

So write this backwards on your forehead, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, and somehow to gain resurrection from the dead so I can live with him forever." And every morning when you look in the mirror, you can remember that you want Christ!

You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12, 13 HCSB)

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ). (John 1:39-42 NIV)

Back to our story, the disciples go with Jesus and they spend the day hanging out. We don't know what happened that day. Maybe they played games and Jesus got twenty Yatzees in a row, or maybe their bottomless bowl of nachos really didn't run out no matter how many they ate. But whatever happened, it made a huge impression on Andrew. After hangout time was over, he runs to find his brother and tells him, "come see, we have found the messiah!" Peter comes and then Jesus does a strange thing. He takes one look at Peter and then gives him a new name.

Why does Peter get a new name?

From time to time in the Bible we see this happen. God told Abram that his name would change to Abraham, which means father of many. Basically saying, hey, I'm promising children as many as the stars in the sky, so lets go ahead and change your name to match the promise. (Genesis 17). Jacob, who gets a new name and a busted hip after an all-night wrestling match with God: "What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:27, 28 NIV).

The new names are part of a new identity. God is saying, you have been this person, but I'm going to do something new and awesome with you. I'm giving you a completely different identity.

So what does Cephas or Peter mean? Cephas is an Aramaic word and Petra (which we translate as Peter) is Greek. They both mean the same thing: rock or stone. If Jesus was here speaking English, he might have said, "you are Simon Johnson, but you will be called Rocky."

Why in the world is Jesus changing Simon's name to Rocky? To find the answer we need to flip over to Matthew.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:13-18 ESV)

The rock is Simon's confession: "you are the Christ, the son of the living God." This is the foundation of the church, Saying and Believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God. If you want your nickname to be Rocky, just do the same thing - believe and say who Jesus is! Seriously, try this at school on Monday. . .write Rocky on all your notebooks and test papers. Or maybe get "Hi, I'm Rocky," printed on a T-shirt.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." (John 1:43-46 ESV)

I have to say, this is one of my favorite verses in the New Testament. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? It's such a human thing to do. Your friend walks up an tells you the most amazing news. . .and you find some little reason to discredit it. You're dating Johnny Ringwold? Yeah he's good looking, but I heard he's a bad dancer. You got an A on your chemistry test. . .yeah, just wait until the final exam, you won't do so well then. Nazareth? That place is a dump? How could the messiah come from Nazareth?

Think about how we prejudge things in our life. I'm not going to be be her friend because she's weird looking. Could anyone with freckles an wonky eyes ever be cool? I'm not going to go on the youth trip because Timmy Stinkytoes is going and he has stinky toes. How could a retreat be fun if Timmy is there?

Has this ever happened to you? Has someone ever rained on your parade or ruined your excitement or disbelieved in you?

Imagine Jesus didn't show up on earth 2,000 years ago, and that instead he came today. Where would he be born? What would he look like? Who would he be friends with?

Would he be the shampoo commercial flowy-haired Jesus carrying around a lamb and walking on perpetual clouds of glory? What if he was born to a teenage mom in Meridian Mississippi? What if his dad was a mechanic, and what if he wore slightly-dirty NASCAR T-shirts? What if he didn't have braces and a perfect smile?

What reasons would we find to reject him? Would we discredit him because he never went to college, much less got a religion degree? Would we disbelieve his teaching about heaven because he spoke with too Southern an accent? Would we reject him because he was baptized by one of the guys on Duck Dynasty?

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, "I saw you under the fig tree," do you believe? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:47-51 ESV)

Come on Nathanael, this is Messiah 101 stuff. You think that is cool, I'll show you something really amazing.

But to Nathanael's credit, at least he does get it. He recognizes, in spite of his prejudice and doubts that Jesus is the Son of God an King of Israel.

And this is the good news. . .that though we may be prejudiced and faithless, Jesus does not hold that against us. We can be silly as Nathanael, doubting as Thomas, but Jesus will break down our walls, break through our foolishness, and stop at nothing to show us how much he loves us.

John 2 Water to Wine

On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.” “What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman? ” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.” “Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants. Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained 20 or 30 gallons. “Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.” And they did. When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from — though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. After this, He went down to Capernaum, together with His mother, His brothers, and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days. (John 2:1-12 HCSB)

Whose wedding was this?

We don't know, but we can assume that it was some pretty good friend of the family because of Mary & Jesus's involvement. Mary knows about the wine problem before there is a riot and Jesus and his disciples were all invited to the wedding.  So they have to be buddies, if not relatives.   

Why doesn't Jesus think this problem is any of his business? "What is this to you an me?"

Why is Mary smart?

Jesus just kinda talked back to her. She could have gotten bossy: "I brought you into this world, now I'm going to take you out if you don't obey your mother!" Or she could well have answered in a nagging tone - "Mrs. Smith had you over to birthday parties every year and she patched you up when you fell off the donkey, we owe her a favor." But Mary wasn't the sort to boss or nag. . .she just asked and expected it to happen.

What can we learn about prayer from this story?

1. When we need something, ask God. . .do not pass go, do not collect $200, take the request straight to God. 

 If you are like me, you tend to exhaust every human possibility first before praying. If I were Mary, I would have asked a few friends for money and made a Chevron run to buy some more. . .or asked uncle Joe who always has a full cellar. Only if all other options are exhausted would I go to God. And that's not a good thing.

Example, I'm self-employed and work comes in spurts. There are so many times when I think that we don't have enough work, so we'll update the website or do some marketing. And after wasting several days of work I realize that I haven't prayed about it. How much time and worry could I have saved if I just put things in God's hands?

In Prince Caspian, Peter and Caspian lead the Narnian army into a surprise attack without waiting on Aslan to fight with them and are thoroughly defeated, losing many Narnians.  Lucy wanted them to wait for Aslan, but they rejected her advice and suffered.  Seek God first!!  

A very similar thing happens in 1 Samuel 13, and is the very reason that Saul loses his throne over Israel.  Samuel, the priest, must offer a sacrifice before the Israelites go into battle - basically seeking God's blessing and approval.  But when he is late showing up, Saul decides to offer the sacrifice himself without waiting.  Samuel is not fooled, Saul does not receive the blessing - moreover, he is rejected as king of Israel.  Seek God first, and patiently!

2. Nothing is too unimportant for God.

Mary didn't ask Jesus to solve the crisis of Roman oppression or to feed the hungry children in Africa. She asked her son, who happens to be God, to meet the mundane need that she had in that moment.

Lord, can you help me find my car keys? Can you help me focus so I can do well on this test? Can you help me stop obsessing over Tommy Thighpen so I can enjoy this semester? The things to pray about are not what are most important, but what we need - right here, right now.

Look at the Lord's Prayer - give us our daily bread - Lord, please give me what I need today. . .which happens to be five barrels full of wine. Tomorrow I may need something different; like a clean-up crew for this party.

For me personally, I am bad about asking. I'm bad about realizing that I need anything. And one way to combat this is to pray for very specific, tangible things. Please let the pain in my foot go away. Please provide me two weddings so that we have enough money to eat. Something I have done is to create a checklist of things/people I'm praying for, and to make a note when one of those prayers is answered.

3. God gives us better than we can give ourselves.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21 NIV)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11 NIV)

According to these verses, God wants to, and does give us more and better than we could ask for or even dream.

Now, this doesn't mean that you can game the system, praying for a 1998 Corolla so that God will upgrade you to a 2011 Lamborghini. Or that you can pray and study for a C so that God will give you an A. But it is like the boy with the loaves and fish, when we give what little we have to serve God, he will do amazing things with our tiny offering.