Knowing The Truth
They must have thought Jesus was crazy.
The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After 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. When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. - John 2:13-25
This is how John introduces us to Jesus and his ministry.
Matthew and Mark have this event taking place much later, but John wants us to see Jesus as starting out angry.
Perhaps John wants us to see that Jesus means business. He is not here to make friends with the leaders of the faith. He is against the establishment structure and the laws they have created to obtain and hold power over the people.
He wants them to know he will clean house.
But he is not running for office. He will not let them make him King. He will not play politics.
He doesn't fit the image people have of a Messiah, and that is what intrigues me the most. What did they expect?
The Messiah will come and visit the Temple, have a meal with the leaders and priests and together they will chat about the future?
If the Messiah came the way they expected, there would be chariots of fire descending from heaven and a major battle would ensue.
They should be thankful God had other ideas.
But they reject him.
John ends with an interesting statement about Jesus and trust.
Jesus, he says, knew what was in everyone. He knew what they thought about him. So, from the outset of Jesus' ministry, according to John, Jesus was ready for what was to come, that they would turn against him.
Sad.
More to come...