John 2:13–22

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵And 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. ¹⁶And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” ¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²When 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.

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For centuries, roasted lambs had united people to the Passover miracle, when God zealously passed over the sin of people for the sake of the Lamb of God to come.  Every animal laid on the altar pointed toward the ultimate sacrifice, God in the flesh.  Jesus, God in the flesh, comes into His temple to overthrow idolatry and false worship.  This text reveals Jesus’ zeal for the one true God.  The sin against His Father’s dwelling place consumes Jesus.  He bursts into action when faithful pilgrims are unable to worship because of the clamor in the temple courtyard.  The faithful Jews from afar off came to receive an even exchange, however, they were abused by the powers in those high places.  But the power of God is His zeal to save people abused by the world’s system. 

When we feel abused by taxes, by poor health, by what we deem to be an unfair share of struggles, when all our zeal or passion for life seems to have run out the back door; God’s Holy Spirit is near:  “[He] tenderly invites us to believe [God] is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father” (Luther’s Small Catechism. CPH, 2017, pg. 19).  The power of God in Christ is unmatched in anything else in all of creation.  Even the gates of hell cannot prevail against this lowly, yet mighty body of believers.

When God’s people are being robbed of the comfort and assurance of forgiveness they should receive in His temple, Christ Jesus does not politely say, “Let’s see about this.”  Jesus does not play it safe by blending in, or keeping quiet, even though such an outburst will get Him killed.  No greater love, intensity, mercy, no greater humility has ever been shown than what we see in the person of Christ Jesus.  Though it may seem that Christ’s zeal was destroyed on the cross, it was raised in power on Easter morning.   And because He lives, we live in Christian hope for today and forever.  Jesus’ love, His zeal, His power will one day raise our lowly bodies out of the dust, from which we were made, and renew them to be like His glorious body. 

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