This is an exposition of Luke 19:45-48. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, October 8, 2017.
Intro:
Have you ever gone to church and been disappointed in what you experienced? I mean that church was less than what you hoped it would be or less than what you needed? Let’s take it a step further. You weren’t disappointed, you were angry! You were fed up. You had had it! Well, you’re not alone.
[sections collapse="always"][section title="Read More"]
This morning we are going to see what happened one morning when the Lord Jesus went to “church.” What happened that morning may surprise you. In fact it may shock you! But there is a valuable lesson to be learned from what happened that morning in the Temple at Jerusalem. Our text is found at the end of Luke chapter 19.
Text: Luke 19:45-48
We are dealing with the events of the last week in the earthly life and ministry of Jesus.
The Passion Week, the week that Herbert Lockyer described as, “the week that changed the world.” Luke is nearing the end of his labor of love. He set out to write to a dear friend to set the record straight regarding Jesus’ life & work. His purpose was evangelistic – his aim was the heart and not just the head. He hoped his friend, and all who would read his account, would trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation.
Luke has been careful to show that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews and the Savior of the world. Throughout Luke’s account we’ve seen the crowds hanging on Jesus’ every word and the religious establishment bent on destroying him. The early rumblings have now gathered into a raging storm. Last time we looked at an extraordinary event. During the Passover season, at a time when the Roman authorities where already on edge. When the religious establishment was expecting some kind of move on Jesus’ part or that of his followers Jesus seemingly played right into their hands.
With his bold, public entrance into Jerusalem he was declaring to all the world, “I am the Messiah. I am the Great King!” The result was pandemonium. People singing, shouting, dancing and celebrating. One thing is certain everyone knew he was in town! If that entrance was any indication this was going to be an interesting Passover. If you needed further proof you didn’t have to wait long because early the next morning Jesus made his way to the Temple.
The Passover season was the busiest season of the year. Passover was one of the three mandatory feast. People from all over the world would gather in Jerusalem for the celebration of God’s deliverance of his people. It is estimated that the population of Jerusalem swelled to over 2.5 million during the Passover celebration. During that time, the Temple was the center of activity. As Jesus approached the Temple that morning righteous anger began to consume him. As he walked into the Temple instead of the quiet reverence of prayer he found the noise and confusion of a busy market along with the stench of a feed lot and all of this in the Temple!
As we consider what Jesus did and why we discover that:
Thesis: Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple reveals both the passion and the purpose of His life and ministry.
A careful reading of Scripture reveals this is not the first time Jesus is angered by this activity in the Temple. John 2 informs us that Jesus cleansed the Temple at the beginning of his ministry as well. It is important to see this event as a further revelation of who he is and what he has come to do. Throughout Jesus’ ministry we have noted a keen awareness of timing. Jesus instructed some of those healed to tell no one for his time had not come. When angry mobs tried to harm him they were unable, for his time had not come. Now, his time had come. Now was the time for the Father’s plan to reach its climax and the table is set by this bold, sweeping display of Jesus’ power, position and authority.
What we have in the text before us is nothing short of the coming of the Lord to his Temple describe in Malachi 3:1 - Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
The Sovereign has come demonstrating that he is Lord of the Temple. As the story unfolds I want us to note three things.
- A violent act. (19:45)
- A stunning rebuke. (19:46)
- A mixed review. (19:47-48)
Conclusion:
Jesus the Messiah and our Savior, is everything the temple with its gorgeous imagery and ascending sacrifices ever was or signified.
He is the presence of God.
He is the only access to God.
He is the atoning sacrifice.
He is our mediator.
His cleansing of the temple reveals both the passion and the purpose of his life and ministry. He was consumed with a passion for the glory of God and he came to seek and save the lost.
[/section][/sections]