The Gospel of John 2:13-25 Names of Jesus RECAP 1. Logos (Word), God (v.1) 2. Light (vv. 4-5) 3. Only begotten from the Father (v.14) 4. Jesus Christ (v.17) 5. Only begotten God (v.18) 6. The Lamb of God (v. 29) 7. The Son of God (v.34, 36, 49) 8. Rabbi (v.38) 9. Messiah (v.41) 10. The son of Joseph (v.45) 11. King of Israel (v.49) 12. The Son of Man (v.51) First Passover Cleansing the Temple 13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. After leaving the wedding feast Jesus, his family (mother and brothers), and disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days. It was shortly after this that we found Jesus and all those who were following Him setting out to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast. The Passover fell on the 15 th day of Nisan (April) and all Jewish adult males within 15 miles of the Holy City were obligated to attend as part of their custom and tradition (Ex. 12:17-20).
Exodus 12:17-20 17. You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 18. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19. Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that b person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 20. You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread. Notice that Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem to attend an event which was based on the Jewish traditions; we will soon see Him condemning the traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees because they were made by men and not God (Deut. 16:16). Deuteronomy 16:16-17 16. Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
Passover brought Jewish people from all parts of the known world for it was the greatest of the Jewish holidays. Jesus entered the temple to find the priest (those responsible for the temple) making money from those who came to worship God. According to Barclay there could have been up to 2,250,000 in attendance. Every Jew over the age of nineteen were required to pay the temple tax. The tax was half-shekel which was almost the equivalent of two days wages (p. 127). The priest had established a profitable business where they exchanged foreign currency for Jewish currency. Though foreign currency could be used by Jew to pay debt, it was considered unclean and could not be used in the sanctuary. The sanctuary had its own currency. They were also selling the animals that were needed for the sacrifice to those who did not have one. The annual income of the temple tax had been estimated to be equivalent to 100,000 pounds. This meeting was taking place in the court of the Gentiles where the Jews were to meet those who did not know God and share with them the message of the one true God. As it stands, no Gentile would have approach these business men to obtain truth concerning God. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, Take these things away; stop making My Father s house a place of business. Malachi predicted this to take place (3:1-3) 1. Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will c clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the d messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner s fire and like fullers soap. 3. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.
Note Jesus disposition; His anger moved Him to action. He made something that was used to direct animals on both animal and man. He continued to pour out the money that had been made, and overturned the tables that they were using to exchange the money on. Note how His reaction was different to those selling the doves. He simply told them to stop doing business in the temple. 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for Your house will consume me. Jesus disciples remembered Psalm 69:9, which speaks of the fact that the Righteous One would pay a price for His commitment to God s temple. This zeal for God would ultimately lead Him to His death. 1 18 The Jews then said to Him, What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things? 19 Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 The Jews then said, It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days? 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. Pay close attention to the fact that it was not until after the Lord s resurrection that His disciples believed. We will see that throughout the Gospels the disciples will make statements of belief in Christ and then display and attitude of unbelief. 23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man (deity), for He Himself knew what was in man. 1 Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 279 280). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Summary of Gospel Introductions Gospel Matthew Mark Luke John Dates 40-70 Probably 40s 63 70 Probably 60s 57 59 Probably 50s 65 95 Probably 90s Origins Palestine Rome Caesarea Ephesus Audience Jews Romans Greeks Gentiles Emphasis King Servant Man God