Do it Yourself Whip
A rat tail whip is the only kind I’ve ever fashioned. I thought of it after reading that Jesus fashioned a whip to use in cleansing the temple
And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:15-17
Jesus fashioned “a whip of cords.” This is a small line of text but I imagine that it took some time for the task. What was Jesus thinking while he worked? Was there a smile on his face as he imagined how the merchants or the religious leaders at the temple would react? Was he savoring what he was about to do or was there sadness or fear at the approaching confrontation?
This event is often described as Jesus’ display of righteous anger, but anger isn’t mentioned in the passage. The Greek word translated zeal in verse 17 is used in 8 places in the NT; 3 times as zeal (John 2:17, 1 Cor 9:2, 2 Cor 9:2) 4 times as jealousy (1 Cor 3:3, 2 Cor 12:20, James 3:16) and once to describe a raging or furious fire (Heb 10:27.) Ask God to show you how to passionately and jealousy rage for God’s truth when people around you settle for profit or perceived propriety.
John Riley
Jr. High Pastor
Den of Thieves
In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. (John 2:14 NLT)
Let’s set the context. There were three courts in the temple in Jerusalem. There was an inner court for only male Jewish worshipers. The next separated area was for Jewish women only. Finally, there was the outer court for all non-Jewish people, the Court of the Gentiles. It was in this outer court for the Gentiles that the animal merchants were now carrying on their business.
There were also money changers in this part of the temple. During the high feasts, Jews came from all over the Roman Empire. They had to pay a temple tax, paid with coins of the purest silver coming from Tyre. The moneychangers converted the money to the approved currency and charged a percentage for their service. This was big business. The animal merchants were there “because everyone offered a sacrifice for sins” and selling them there made it more “convenient.”
Imagine if you came to church on Sunday and found the parking lot and courtyard were a giant market. Imagine the noise, throngs, and general chaos. After wading through all of that, would you feel like worshiping God? The temple was supposed to be a place of worship, a place to meet God, a place where people could say, Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand (Psalm 95:6-7 ESV).
I don’t think this story is just about cleansing the temple. It is not about unfair and abusive business practices taking place. It is not just some isolated story about Jesus getting angry at what he found in the temple. The whole point of this story is to reveal Jesus’ identity and his mission. Jesus was the only one who could cleanse the temple. Only Jesus knows the heart of man. We can rationalize or be in denial about our sin just as the moneychangers and “religious” people were in the temple. Jesus’ very nature wouldn’t let him ignore wrongdoing in “his Father’s house” and he had no problem confronting the men doing it. This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because… he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:18 ESV). Passion for God’s house and God’s glory consumed Jesus.
Father, help us never take for granted our freedom to worship and bring you glory.
Deb Hill
The Shock of Cleansing
In John 2, we see Jesus utterly disrupting a group of merchants conducting business in the temple courts, looking to capitalize on the crowds coming to celebrate Passover. These merchants are not humble entrepreneurs as they would undoubtedly claim to be, rather Jesus calls them robbers. Doves or pigeons were God’s provision for those who couldn’t afford anything else, it’s inferred that they were swindling the poor because Jesus has biting words specifically for the bird vendors. However this kind of commerce is probably a common thing for the temple and it’s entirely possible that they went back to their ways in the days to come, if not later that same day. The merchants were allowed to be there by the temple guard and the Roman guards.
I imagine there was an awkward hush afterward where people didn’t really know what to do. At that moment, the temple court had been cleansed. Maybe people went into the courtyard and experienced what it was intended to be, a place of worship. I’m also sure there was a mad scramble to retrieve the scattered coins and find all the animals. But the sudden disruption of commerce and everything that goes with it had to bring a sense of peace after the chaos.
I think Jesus would be patient with his own adopted family and explain things and encourage obedience, but sometimes we lack perspective and don’t quite understand what he doesn’t want us to do. Sometimes he might come in and flip tables and disrupt what we thought was a good thing. Our goal would be to fight the urge to set up shop again! Leave the coins, leave the animals, take the loss, learn the lesson, and find another place of honest business.
Jonathan Duncan
Destroy this Temple
John 2:18-21
I remember the day I got my Driver’s License. I had my permit for months, completed all the required driving hours, caused my parents much pain and heartache, and then passed my test. I went to the DMV, completed the written and driving tests, and then was issued my official license. And it was just that, official. It ran through the government which meant that there was a sense of legitimacy to the piece of paper covered in plastic that I slipped into my wallet.
What if people could just get their Driver’s License from a street vendor? What if you could pick one up at a 7-11 or Supermarket? That’s the functional equivalent of what Jesus did when he cleansed the temple and claimed he was the new temple. The temple existed as a way for people to meet with God and experience forgiveness, and there was a formality around it. What happened at the temple was unique - it only happened at the temple. After Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, the leaders wanted to know what gave him the right to do that. John recorded the conversation by writing,
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. (John 2:18-21)
The temple of his body? That seems so informal, so unofficial. Without the leaders and priests overseeing things, couldn’t the formalities be lost and chaos ensue? There’s a reason you can’t buy your license from a street vendor, right?
If you read through the stories of Jesus cleansing the temple, what you’ll find is that there was major corruption taking place within the temple system. Traditions had developed that weren’t serving people, but rather feeding the power of the leaders. When Jesus overturned the tables, he confronted religious corruption and led people to a new Exodus freedom. He was claiming that he was the new place where forgiveness was found - not through inflated prices, but through free grace. He was the place where the glory of God dwelt, but it wasn’t accessed through the traditions of men, but through a pure heart (Mt. 5:8). He was claiming that he was the new way to holiness, not through the blood of bulls and goats, but through his blood shed for us (Heb 10:4).
Under Jesus, the system feels less formal, but it’s more free. It’s more life-giving. It’s what God originally designed and what he ultimately wanted. As we read the story of the cleansing of the temple, we see the way religion often complicates, commodifies, and corrupts what God originally intended; but Jesus rages against the religious machine by overturning tables and in so doing gives everyone the opportunity to find a seat at the banquet of Jesus.
Today, pause and ask the Lord if there are any ways that you’ve settled for religious activity instead of seeking intimacy with Jesus. Then, boldly ask Jesus to overturn any tables in your life that he needs to so that you can simply, informally, and vibrantly abide in Jesus.
Pastor Ryan Paulson
Glory Revealed
In the weddings I have had the pleasure to attend, the moment of “glory” always occurs when a
radiant bride comes down the aisle. However, in John’s account of the wedding at Cana, we’re
told that true glory wasn’t revealed until the reception when the Lord transformed water into
wine. This must have been a glorious sight indeed!
Long before the wedding at Cana, in eternity past, the Son of God shared equally in the Holy
Trinity’s glory. But according to the Apostle Paul, when the Son stepped down from heaven and
took a human nature upon himself, he voluntarily emptied himself of divine glory (Phil. 2:5-7).
It’s impossible for the human mind to grasp how God’s Son was able to do so. This is a mystery
known only to God. What we can grasp is that due to this act of “self-emptying” the Son had to
rely on the power of the Holy Spirit for miracles he performed during his first coming to earth
(Mt. 12:32). Jesus had full authority to ask the Father and the Spirit to accomplish miraculous
works through himself, but he limited this to instances where he knew it was in the Father’s will.
Even though Jesus knew a variety of public miracles would be required during his earthly
ministry, he didn’t want these to detract from his primary mission of going the Cross to save
sinners. Thus, we sense a bit of reluctance in his initial response to Mary when he says, “My
hour has not come.” (Jn. 2:4)
John recorded details of that conversation between Mary, Jesus, and the servants. However,
John didn’t disclose the private dialogue that next took place in the spirit between Jesus, the
Father, and the Holy Spirit. We infer from what ensued that the Holy Trinity mutually affirmed
this as the initial miracle of Jesus’ ministry. Bible scholar Wilbur Pickering concludes that this
transformation of water into wine manifested the divine glory through a new “creative” work
much like the original work of creation when the Holy Trinity spoke the universe into existence.
The glory of the Son of God will one day be fully revealed to his “bride” (the church) at the
marriage supper of the Lamb. In the meantime, as God’s people, we too must rely upon the
power of the Holy Spirit for our works of service before God. Let us pray that, like the miraculous
transformation of water in the jugs at Cana, our own lives will be filled to the brim with the power
of the Holy Spirit. If so, our lives will also bring glory to our God and Savior.
Dave Korinek
So much LIFE!
“Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” - John 2:6
Did you catch that? “Six stone water jars… each holding from twenty to thirty gallons… and they filled them up to the brim”! This of course is the amount of water that Jesus would turn into wine… but not just any wine… really good wine… the kind of wine that you can tell the quality of with one small sip! So, quality stuff, but also a crazy quantity!!
Have you ever really considered how much wine Jesus makes? Well, if not, you are going to today… If we take the average capacity of these six stone water pots to be 25 gallons each. That means that Jesus made about 150 gallons of wine! To put that into perspective, that would be more than 62 cases of wine, 750 individual bottles, or 3,750 glasses by today’s standards. Now, we don’t know how big this wedding was, but even if it was 300 people (which would be HUGE even by today’s standards), that means that Jesus made at least half a gallon of wine for every man, woman, and child in attendance. Two and a half bottles each! And this is after they had already finished the original batch of wine!
So, why did Jesus make this much wine? Certainly, it was not to encourage over-drinking. It must have been a sign pointing to something else. And sure enough, it was a sign… in fact, John 2:11 tells us: “This, the first of his signs…” So, the appropriate quest is, what was this sign pointing to?
As it turns out, if we dig a bit, the Scriptures answer that question. What we find is that the abundance of wine was used throughout the Old Testament as a sign of God’s blessing and the restoration of Israel! Take a look at Amos 9:13-14. That passage suggests that there will be a day when “the hills shall flow” with “sweet wine.” Jesus was ushering in those days! This first “sign” was telling the world that He is the one who will bring about restoration and blessing! And the truth is Jesus came to give us more than we could possibly hope or imagine or dream or even need. The crazy amount of wine is a sign pointing us to the lavish and abundant grace, goodness, joy, and love that Jesus wants to pour out on us.
Consider today how you have enjoyed Jesus’ abundance in your life
Josh Rose
Discipleship Pastor
It's Not Time Yet!
I can think of plenty of times when someone wanted me to do something but I didn’t feel ready to do it yet.
When I was a kid it was:
“Take out the trash!”
“It's time to leave! You're making me late!”
These days its:
“Take out the trash!”
“It’s time to leave, you’re making us late!”
Ha. Even with some things that I know I should do, and some things that I really want to do, I can feel like I’m just not ready yet. Maybe I shouldn't feel surprised at the way Jesus responded to his mom when she sought him out at the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:3-5
Does Jesus utter a more human response than this line to his mom at the beginning of his public ministry?
What does that have to do with me?
It's not time yet.
I feel guilty being that human.
Was Jesus smiling as he said those words? Was he being playful and or sarcastic? Did he just want to experience the feast without having to contribute to it? Had time snuck up on him like it sometimes does on us?
In John chapter 1 we read that the Word, God himself, became flesh, became human. At the start of chapter 2 Jesus responds like humans do. He doesn’t sin, but he asks a human question and makes a human complaint. Then he does the miracle his mom hoped he would. Jesus relates to me and you and he gives us lots of good to do.
Is it time yet?
Pastor John Riley
Invited
In Cana and the surrounding area because of the close relationships in the community weddings were a big gathering. The ceremony would have been more intimate, but the reception would have been up to a 7-day gathering and party. Jesus' mom was there and Jesus and his disciples were invited. The groom's family recognized Jesus as someone they wanted to have at the celebration. He was part of the fabric of their life and they wanted him there. He must have meant something to them and they liked him enough to be there! So they invited Jesus to the wedding celebration.
I have had the honor to officiate a few weddings and it is a special event to be a part of. I love the stories that are shared, the closeness of the community, and watching two people join together for life. It is such a blessing to be invited. People naturally want to celebrate with people they care about and who care about them. I guess that is why Jesus was invited. He is the kind of person who would be. Maybe they grew up together, maybe he built something for them, or maybe they just were friends. Whatever the reason they wanted him there. Could you imagine having Jesus in person at your wedding (how cool would that be)?
Think of your life and where you are right now. Are you inviting Jesus in? Do you want to celebrate the good things with him? Are you running to him when you run out of wine? Jesus is the kind of person you want with you in all aspects of life, but sometimes it is hard for us to let him in. Remember he didn’t leave the father of the groom in the cold and out of wine, he stepped in and helped. Let me encourage you to invite Jesus into whatever is going on in your life. Maybe you need help, invite him. Maybe something good is happening, invite him along there as well.
Jeremy Johnson
Family Pastor
He Called Her “Imma!”
It seemed appropriate after Mother’s Day to talk about Jesus’ mother, Mary.
In Mark 14:36, Jesus calls His Father God, Abba. This is significant
because it happened in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was asking
His Father to remove “this cup of suffering.” Abba was the word young
Jewish children would call their fathers and was never used in relation to
God until this time. It indicated Jesus’ intimacy and familiarity with His
Father. What did Jewish children call their mothers? Imma and is like
saying, “Mommy!” Jesus surely called her “Imma” although we never see
this in Scripture. In looking at this passage in John 2, it is the only time
we get to see an intimate, though short, conversation between them. In
fact, after the details in Matthew and Luke surrounding the Nativity, we
only read about Mary specifically three more times in the Bible and this is
one of them.
What can we learn from Mary as the mother of Jesus from this event? A
little background may be necessary about weddings in those times; they
often lasted seven days and it would bring shame on the family to run out
of wine. This was serious in a shame culture! Here we see Mary’s concern
for the family when she sees that the wine is gone. She goes to Jesus and
makes a simple statement, “They have no more wine.” That is akin to a
mom saying, “The dishes are still in the sink” or “The trash hasn’t been
taken out.” Just a statement, nothing more needed, she knew her son.
When He called her “Dear woman” it was a polite, kind expression not in
anyway diminishing who she was to Him. Scholars are not certain that she
fully understood his answer nor even that He was about to do a miracle.
Her next words showed that she trusted Him whatever He did. She tells
the servants, “Do whatever He tells you!” What an affirmation of her son
in front of the servants. And, of course, we know that Jesus does His first
recorded miracle by turning the water into the best wine inside six huge jars.
In my imaginative reading, I can just see Imma standing quietly aside
smiling with a twinkle in her eyes!
She was a mom concerned about others and observant of needs. She did
not argue with Jesus or tell Him what to do. She trusted Him and
submitted to whatever might happen. John 2:5 says “...Do whatever He tells you.”
That is certainly a message for us today to obey and trust Him in whatever happens!
We might get to see a miracle!!!
Read imaginatively John 2:1-11. Who would you be in the story? What
would it be like to see this miracle? How does this glimpse of Mary impact
You?
Francie Overstreet
Greater Things
Most of what we know of Nathanael is from John 1:43-51 as we read about his calling by Jesus. First we see Phillip “found by Jesus” (John 1:43) and then told to follow Jesus. Then Phillip immediately and enthusiastically tells his friend Nathanael about Jesus. Nathanael, though, is a bit skeptical.
Jesus asked [Nathanael], "Do you believe [I am the Son of God] just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." Then he said, "I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth." I can imagine the speechless look on Nathaniel's face as Jesus continues by telling him that he will see even greater things,the heavens opening up and angels coming up and down on the "Son of Man," that being Jesus Himself.
For Nathanael, seeing was believing. He needed evidence. Jesus promised him more evidence. Jesus’ announcement of the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man probably connects with the dream of Jacob in Genesis 28:12, where Jacob saw a ladder from earth to heaven, and the angels ascending and descending upon it. Jesus said that He was the ladder, the link, between heaven and earth. When Nathanael came to understand that Jesus is the mediator between God and man, it would be an even greater sign (you will see greater things than these).
We see Nathanael go from being a skeptic to being a seeker of Jesus. Jesus challenges Nathaniel to look beyond Jesus' power to know what was in his heart. Jesus wants to lead Nathaniel to see greater things. He wants Nathaniel to know that when he is around Jesus, he is looking through the window into heaven. Jesus is "the stairway between heaven and earth,"
Here is a great example of how I need to bring others to Jesus. Jesus still does all the doing, but He works through me. Philip had to tell Nathaniel “come and see.” Nathaniel had to come. However, Jesus had been watching Nathaniel all along. My job is merely to say "come and see" and it is on that person to come and it is on Jesus to give the gift of faith.
Heavenly Father forgive all the times we let doubt creep into our hearts. We know that Jesus has done wonderful things for us. We know we can trust you to fulfill your promise to show us even more amazing things.
Deb Hill