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MARK’S GOSPEL…PANDEMONIUM – 27

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Mark 11:15-18 NIV

“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In an instant, Jesus’ peaceful donkey-ride into Jerusalem turned into chaos. What did He think He would was doing? He was supposed to be leading a celebration, claiming the title of “King of the Jews”, and setting up His rule of righteousness and peace over His people but, instead, He was literally setting the cat among the pigeons. 

A one-man show! His disciples were aghast! They could not believe what they were seeing…sheep and goats running wild, birds flapping and flying in glee, men diving after coins rolling everywhere, chairs and tables tossed about like matchboxes…and Jesus was acting like He was having fun!

Except He wasn’t! He was angry, livid in fact, shouting as He sent animals, birds and furniture flying, and men scattering, “Get out of here! This is a ‘house of prayer’. How dare you turn it into a market, you bunch of thieves!”

What was Jesus’ case…this “gentle Jesus, meek and mild”? Has he suddenly morphed into a revolutionary? Yes, in a sense He had but no, not in the sense we humans think! 

From His earliest years, Jesus had always been “about His Father”. He was indifferent to people’s opinions. He had a one-track mind. No one was going to trample on His Father’s honour, not even the highest authority in the land, without His reaction. 

It was quite clear that these people who were bargaining and bartering right in the temple courts were there by permission. The religious authorities were in cahoots with them, obviously getting their cut of the profits. Jesus was not fooled by their so-called “service” to the people…declaring the sacrificial beast “imperfect”, confiscating it to sell to the  next worshipper…guess what, yes, the very animal previously confiscated and declared “unfit” for sacrifice! It was a clever, money-making racket…carried out in the only part of the temple where Gentiles were permitted to come and pray, and Jesus saw through it. 

Do you suppose, for a moment, that the religious hierarchy would let this challenge to their authority pass without reacting? Would they perhaps ignore this terrible exposure, embarrassment, humiliation…let it pass without reaction? Not a bit of it! They were nailed and Jesus must pay! 

“The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”

Knowing full well that His action would have drastic consequences, Jesus did what He had to do! This was no act of uncontrolled rage. Jesus’ anger was righteous and justified. His Father’s “house”, intended to be the place where Gentiles could also connect with God through sacrifice and prayer, had been degraded into a shop run by crooks. 

And so, the die was cast. Jesus must die, and He knew it! Once again, He was working in tandem with the Father’s plan and timetable, not a random act of emotion but a calculated  response to evil that would trigger the countdown to the cross. 

Passover, in a few days time. was the moment when history, prophecy, time, and eternity would meet at 3 pm, when the Passover lamb and Jesus would die in perfect synchrony to take away the sin of the world. 

MORE THAN

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MORE THAN

“After this He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

“When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts He found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So He made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves He said, ‘Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!’

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:12-17 (NIV).

Really, Jesus! Was He just having “a bad hair day” or was there something more significant going on here?

The other gospels place this incident towards the end of His ministry; John puts it at the beginning. Did it happen twice — not likely? Was John  mistaken? or was there a reason for deliberately altering the chronology? It seems that chronology was less important to him than purpose.

There is no doubt in John’s mind that it happened but, once again, he interpreted this incident as much more that ridding the temple of greedy opportunists. Just as Jesus turned water into wine, symbolising the new life that would come to those who believe in Him in the wake of H,is death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, so He would purify His temple of greed and sickness and make it fit to be a dwelling place for the Father.

“The Jews responded to Him, ‘What sign do you show us to prove your authority to do this?’

“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’ They replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?’ But the temple He had spoken of was His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” John 2:18-22 (NIV).

Jesus’ response to the Jews’ demand was not a fabrication of John. Some of the false witnesses at His trial before the Sanhedrin referred to His words as a possible reason to crucify 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.’ Yet even their testimony did not agree.” Mark 14:58, 59 (NIV). Of course, they misquoted what He had actually said!

His retort was a veiled reference to what they, His interrogators, would do to Him but they would not succeed. He almost threw it out as a challenge. ‘You destroy this temple — me — but you won’t get it right. In three days, I’ll be back, and my very death and resurrection will give me the authority to do in the hearts of people what I am doing in the temple right now.’

John was careful to let his readers know that, at the time, not even His disciples understood what was going on. It was only on hindsight, after the resurrection, that all of this made sense to them. In contrast to the Jewish leaders, who persistently repudiated Jesus and His claims despite the evidence that pointed to the truth of what He was saying, His disciples believed in Him.

Time and again, as we travel through John’s record of this man’s extraordinary life, we are confronted with his challenge: ‘These people believed in Jesus. Will you?’ What Jesus did was much more than intervention to save the day. These were signs — pointers to His identity and His mission — to reveal the Father and to take us to the Father.

On the eve of His death, in the final tender moments with them before His arrest, He clarified for His mystified disciples what He was all about. ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,’ He told Philip, and ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,’ He assured them.

Have you come to the Father through Jesus yet?

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.