Joh 2:13-17 | KingComments | STEP | After the Lord has revealed His glory in Cana, He goes down to Capernaum. He takes the initiative, He leads the way, while His mother, His brothers and His disciples go with Him. Joseph is missing. The last time he is mentioned is when the Lord Jesus is twelve years old ( ). No doubt he died before the Lord’s public appearance. The brothers of the Lord do not yet believe in Him at this time ( ). Later they have come to faith ( ). The Lord goes up to Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover. This is the first Passover that is mentioned during His life on earth ( ). It is significant that John speaks of “the Passover of the Jews”. This means that God’s Spirit does not see it here as “the LORD’s Passover” as it was originally intended ( ; ). The Jews have made it a feast of their own (cf. ). They take no account of God’s righteous and holy demands and His purpose with this feast. The true Passover, Christ ( ), is present and they reject Him. How, then, can they celebrate a feast that is pleasing to God? On the occasion of the feast many Jews came to Jerusalem from all over the land. Those who came from far away did not bring sacrificial animals. God has arranged it so that such Israelites can take money and buy sacrificial animals in Jerusalem ( ). It is not about such a situation when the Lord finds the vendors of sacrificial animals and the money changers in the temple. The people who sit there to sell are people who are out to make as much profit as possible. They do not count with God, they only think of themselves. This evokes indignation on the part of the Lord, which leads Him to cleanse the temple with a hand-made scourge made of cords. This cleansing of the temple takes place before the Lord begins His public performance. In the other Gospels, another cleansing of the temple takes place at the end of His life on earth ( ; ; ). The fact that John mentions the cleansing of the temple as early as the beginning of His performance is proof that He begins where the other evangelists end. The other Gospels work toward the rejection of the Lord by the people and vice versa also toward the rejection of Israel by the Lord. In this Gospel, Christ is rejected from the beginning and the people are also rejected by Him ( ). We see in this action of the Lord a foreshadowing of Yahweh – that is the Lord Jesus – Who suddenly comes to His temple to judge ( ). Bringing blessing and joy through repentance, as we see in the previous history, is preceded by a purification in judgment. We see this in the cleansing of the temple. In this center of religious life, it becomes clear how necessary cleansing is. The same we find for example in the roman-catholic relics. They can be bought by ‘the believers’. Also in protestantism that trade exists. More and more people work with candles and pictures. Reproductions of nails with which the Lord Jesus would have been crucified are also a popular article. Roman-catholicism is not only a religious power but also an economic power. The Lord Jesus will judge both powers ( ). Yet the Lord still calls the temple “the house of My Father”. Not that God still lives there. His glory has left the temple ( ) and neither is the ark in it. This temple was built by Herod, without a commission from God. Yet, when the Son of God enters the temple and as long as He is there, God’s glory is there, and the temple is His Father’s house. He commands all those who have made His Father’s house a place of business to pick up their belongings and take them away. He acts as the Lord with Divine rights. Through His action the disciples are reminded of a quotation from Psalm 69 ( ). Him Who openly identifies Himself with the interests of His Father and His house has been spoken of by the Spirit of prophecy. That comes to mind for the disciples. How good it is to know God’s Word so that the Spirit may remind us of it in certain circumstances to our encouragement.

‏ John 2:13-17

Cleansing the Temple

After the Lord has revealed His glory in Cana, He goes down to Capernaum. He takes the initiative, He leads the way, while His mother, His brothers and His disciples go with Him. Joseph is missing. The last time he is mentioned is when the Lord Jesus is twelve years old (Lk 2:48). No doubt he died before the Lord’s public appearance. The brothers of the Lord do not yet believe in Him at this time (Jn 7:5). Later they have come to faith (Acts 1:14).

The Lord goes up to Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover. This is the first Passover that is mentioned during His life on earth (Jn 6:4 ; Jn 11:55). It is significant that John speaks of “the Passover of the Jews”. This means that God’s Spirit does not see it here as “the LORD’s Passover” as it was originally intended (Exo 12:11; Lev 23:5). The Jews have made it a feast of their own (cf. Jn 5:1 ; Jn 7:2). They take no account of God’s righteous and holy demands and His purpose with this feast. The true Passover, Christ (1Cor 5:7), is present and they reject Him. How, then, can they celebrate a feast that is pleasing to God?

On the occasion of the feast many Jews came to Jerusalem from all over the land. Those who came from far away did not bring sacrificial animals. God has arranged it so that such Israelites can take money and buy sacrificial animals in Jerusalem (Deu 14:24-26). It is not about such a situation when the Lord finds the vendors of sacrificial animals and the money changers in the temple. The people who sit there to sell are people who are out to make as much profit as possible. They do not count with God, they only think of themselves. This evokes indignation on the part of the Lord, which leads Him to cleanse the temple with a hand-made scourge made of cords.

This cleansing of the temple takes place before the Lord begins His public performance. In the other Gospels, another cleansing of the temple takes place at the end of His life on earth (Mt 21:12; Mk 11:15; Lk 19:45). The fact that John mentions the cleansing of the temple as early as the beginning of His performance is proof that He begins where the other evangelists end. The other Gospels work toward the rejection of the Lord by the people and vice versa also toward the rejection of Israel by the Lord. In this Gospel, Christ is rejected from the beginning and the people are also rejected by Him (Jn 1:11).

We see in this action of the Lord a foreshadowing of Yahweh – that is the Lord Jesus – Who suddenly comes to His temple to judge (Mal 3:1). Bringing blessing and joy through repentance, as we see in the previous history, is preceded by a purification in judgment. We see this in the cleansing of the temple. In this center of religious life, it becomes clear how necessary cleansing is.

The same we find for example in the roman-catholic relics. They can be bought by ‘the believers’. Also in protestantism that trade exists. More and more people work with candles and pictures. Reproductions of nails with which the Lord Jesus would have been crucified are also a popular article. Roman-catholicism is not only a religious power but also an economic power. The Lord Jesus will judge both powers (Rev 17:16 ; Rev 18:1-3).

Yet the Lord still calls the temple “the house of My Father”. Not that God still lives there. His glory has left the temple (Eze 10:18 ; Eze 11:23) and neither is the ark in it. This temple was built by Herod, without a commission from God. Yet, when the Son of God enters the temple and as long as He is there, God’s glory is there, and the temple is His Father’s house.

He commands all those who have made His Father’s house a place of business to pick up their belongings and take them away. He acts as the Lord with Divine rights. Through His action the disciples are reminded of a quotation from Psalm 69 (Psa 69:9a). Him Who openly identifies Himself with the interests of His Father and His house has been spoken of by the Spirit of prophecy. That comes to mind for the disciples. How good it is to know God’s Word so that the Spirit may remind us of it in certain circumstances to our encouragement.