John 2:13-14

“¹³ The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.”

            Just like in the last passage this is another section where Jesus was traveling. This time, however, instead of going to Capernaum Jesus went to Jerusalem. Keep in mind, this comes right after Jesus went to Capernaum to set up what would be His ministry base, so this is either out of place chronologically or a temporary travel—which could be the case—either way this does not effect John’s point in writing this passage as it will be another movement forward in the disciples understanding who Jesus is and connecting Him to the prophecies in the old testament just like Him going to Capernaum to start His ministry proper.

            For the first time in the book, John is showing a piece of time where we can date what Jesus is doing. This came during the Passover of the Jews, which was a celebration every year for the Jews where they would remember when God delivered them from Egypt, when he killed the first-born in all of Egypt sparing the Jewish people because God told them to put the blood of a lamb around their door so God would pass over them. It is a time of remembering what God has done for the people and a time of sacrifice. This is also a time where people sell oxen, sheep, and goats to make money selling sacrifices to the people. This is not necessarily wrong, but John makes an emphasis that there were money changers there too. This had become a place of commerce not of worship as the temple should be. John paints a picture of what the temple was like at the time. The holy temple to the God of the universe is not first described as a place of prayer and worship to that God but is instead described as an open-air marketplace. Soon Jesus will show the only response that the Holy God has to such an affront of His place.

            For Christians, our bodies are a temple to the living God. Jesus has come and saved us making us holy and consecrating us to be living temples and sanctuaries for the living God. How have we sold that temple today? Are we ones who could be considered places of worship or more like open-air markets? If we are the latter, we must get back to that place of Holiness. This can only be done through His Word, the Bible, and Prayer. We must rededicate ourselves through Jesus to be holy temples to God. If we don’t, we have to look forward to what will happen next in the passage.            

For non-Christians, your life is defined by acting as a marketplace, a place where the evil one buys and sells what he wants on your dead flesh, yet God wants to make you into a holy temple for Him not defined by your monetary value but defined by what God will make those who believe, holy and set apart for Him. Only God can do this for you, though. Do not try to clean yourself out but allow Jesus to come in and He will do the work that must be done. Call on Him now.