Title: Jesus Cleansing the Temple
Contents
Worship for the 34th day of Lent>> ----> Saturday
Title: Jesus Cleansing the Temple
Bible: Matthew 21:12-17
Quiet Prayer: Together
Hymn: 432
Representative Prayer: Deacon Woo-Taek Jung
Starting Point of the Word>>
Today, this time we will share the sermon with the title of “Jesus Cleansing the Temple” through the words of the text.
Although we are still approaching Palm Sunday, we are looking at the events of Palm Sunday in advance.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, he foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem and shed tears and rebuked Jerusalem.
Among them, I told you that one of the biggest reasons Jesus rebuked Jerusalem was that the temple had become a den of thieves.
Until recently, Jesus had kept it a secret that he was the Messiah.
However, by entering the city of Jerusalem on a donkey, he publicly announced that he was the Messiah who would die for mankind.
This was for our Lord to find two kinds of people.
The first are those who will do the evil work of killing Jesus on the cross, and the other are those who are going to the Messiah, looking for people who will help them for good.
So he searched for the nameless man who offered the donkey, and those who spread their clothes on the path of the donkey and welcomed them, and those who welcomed the Lord with waving palm branches and entered Jerusalem.
So that day is called Palm Sunday.
Our Lord revealed his mission on Palm Sunday and did another essential thing to do, and that was the cleansing of the temple.
As soon as Jesus entered the city, the first thing he did was go to the temple in Jerusalem.
At that time, the appearance of the temple was like a market.
Those who made a profit by exchanging money and those selling oxen, sheep, and doves to be sacrificed were encamped.
The Lord overturned their tables and chairs and drove them out of the temple.
As in verse 13, “the temple should be a house of prayer,” but they turned it into a den of robbers to take care of their own interests.
It may be quite natural that the Jerusalem temple did not like Jesus.
Today, through these words, we must realize what kind of church fits the heart of the Lord.
Go to Word>>
Then, what kind of church is in the heart of the Lord?
First, it must be a house of prayer.
If we look at verse 13 of the text,
“He said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make a den of robbers.”
He drove out those who traded and changed money in the temple.
The words of Jesus are saying that “the temple should be a house of prayer.”
Looking at the appearance of the temple in Jerusalem at that time, it had many problems.
First, worship to God was being offered as a formal and obligatory worship service.
The offerings used in worship had to be sanctified.
So, in the past, people brought animals that were raised in their own homes and consecrated.
But people became annoyed with it and it became difficult.
So those who knew it sold the animals used as sacrifices in the temple.
People bought it because it was convenient and offered it as a sacrifice to God.
That is, the Jerusalem Temple was the place where God, the Lord of the sacrifices, disappeared, and human comfort was paramount.
Not only that.
At that time, offerings to God had to be Israel's currency.
However, at that time, it was ruled by Rome and Roman currency was used.
Business people using this exchanged Roman money for Israeli money and made a profit.
The temple of God does not exist for worship, but for their own convenience and profit, and the essence of the temple has been lost.
So Jesus overturned the tables and chairs of those who practiced it and drove them out of the temple.
These actions of Jesus were teaching that the church should be a place of prayer, not a place for commercialism, convenience, or profit.
The shape of the church Jesus is talking about is that it should be “a place where the church communicates with God.”
Prayers offered in God's temple accomplish an amazing work.
I hope that our church of service becomes a place of prayer to God.
It should not be a place of hatred, strife, or discord, but a church of service that is used as a gathering place for believers to pray to God.
In the name of the Lord, I ask in the name of the Lord that through this Lenten period, I and the members of the church will be able to please God as prayer saints who understand the deep meaning of Jesus who cleansed the temple.
Second, the church must be a place of healing and restoration.
If we look at the words of verse 14,
“The blind and the lame came to Jesus from the temple, and he healed them.”
Says.
The first thing Jesus did after he cleansed the temple in Jerusalem was to heal the sick.
This is the will of our Jesus.
In other words, the temple of God is a place of prayer and a place where the sick are healed.
So Jesus himself did that.
Our serving church must become a church with healing and restoration just like today's Word.
What kind of healing and recovery?
① It is the healing and recovery of the sick body.
Jesus healed the lame and the blind in the temple.
On the Sabbath, in the synagogue, stretch out your hand to the withered hand, and He healed me.
He also healed a person with bloat, and said to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” and forgave them.
He also performed the miracle of a crippled man walking through the beautiful gate of the temple in the name of Jesus.
Even now, the history of healing and recovery of the sick body continues.
I hope that this work of God will be with me and our members.
② It is the healing and recovery of the sick mind.
The widow of Nain lived looking for only one son, and the son died at a young age.
The cries of the widow's mourning resounded throughout the city.
Then the funeral procession met Jesus.
At that time, Jesus comforted the widow not to weep, healed her heart, and spared her son.
These days, many people commit suicide and want to become a bad person.
Because you cannot overcome the disease of the heart.
I hope that the church of our service will be a church where the wounded souls are comforted and healed.
③ It is the healing and recovery of sick souls.
To be healed of the soul is to become a people of God.
To become the people of the kingdom of heaven and to become the sons of God.
It is to believe in Jesus and receive eternal life.
This is what fulfills the saying, “Blessed are those who have peace in their spirits and have the highways of Zion in their hearts.”
Then, how can we be healed of body, mind, and soul?
We must walk right in our way.
Sickness of mind, soul, and body comes from sin.
The word 'sin' is a Greek word that means to miss the mark.
Therefore, we can be healed of diseases in our bodies, minds, and souls only if we go from the wrong path to the right path.
We hope that we will hear this word now and do not lean to the left or right, but turn to God to fix everything we have and receive God's blessings of being healed.
Third, it must be a place of praise.
This is verse 16 of the text.
“Jesus said, “Do you hear what they say?” Jesus said, “You have made perfect out of the mouths of babies and sucklings a praise.”
When Jesus cleansed the temple and healed all the sick, the children in the temple saw Him and sang Hosanna Hosanna.
Seeing this, the chief priests and scribes, who were dissatisfied with Jesus' actions, slandered Him.
Then Jesus heard their story.
“Jesus said, “Do you hear what they say?” Jesus said, “You have made perfect out of the mouths of babies and sucklings a praise.”
That's what you answered.
Jesus' answer to this is that the temple of God should be not only a place of prayer, but also a place of praising God.
However, it teaches us a deep lesson that there are people who are angry after hearing the hymn.
The Bible testifies that the chief priests and scribes were angry and complained.
This is to teach us that our praise is not easy.
Satan prevents us from singing, and the world hinders us from singing.
Nevertheless, in the temple of God, Jesus is setting the example to teach us that we should not stop singing praises to God.
Don't let the world praise us.
Satan makes us sigh, complain, and grumble instead of praising.
However, we must not be swayed by Satan's hindrances, but sing diligently to make our church a glorious church that glorifies God.
At the end of the speech>>
Organize your words.
Today Jesus taught that the temple should be a temple.
Now, the Jerusalem Temple has lost its role as a temple.
I see too many places today where many churches have lost their role as temples and have been transformed into churches that satisfy the interests and greed of the church.
First of all, it should be the season of Lent where we pray that the church we serve will not be transformed into such a church.
As the Lord taught, our serving church is a praying church, a church with healing and restoration, and a church where praise is continuous every day.
Also, our bad habits of faith must be changed into the habits of faith that Jesus Christ desires.
I pray in the name of the Lord that this Lent will be a time for positive changes in faith to be filled with me and all of our members.
United Prayer>>
You are my son, and today I have begotten you.
We give thanks and praise to the Father who took us as children and leads us to His great grace and love.
Also, thank you for atonement for all our sins like the prodigal son at this time today, and for allowing us to join you at the feast of grace.
Forgive us when we stand before you, and embrace us only with your righteous right arm.
May the shape of our lives facing the world turn back to you, change them into a life that pleases God, and bear the fruit of righteousness so that it becomes our life that testifies to the love of the living Father to many souls.
Remember the Lord, who showed the example of service and sacrifice like a grain of wheat, so that our lives will also follow you.
Today, we pray in the name of Jesus, who guides our lives on the path of righteousness. Amen
The Lord's Prayer: Together