Scripture: St. John 2:12-25 (NKJV) 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days. 13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” 18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. Devotion Remember that text which says how all things are possible with God (Matt. 19:26)? It is also spoken for our benefit to see that without Christ, nothing is possible as we see in today’s reading. Going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with His disciples, Jesus enters the Temple only to find Jewish moneychangers doing business instead of using His Father’s House as a Place of Prayer. Angrily, He drives them out, to which they ask, “What sign do you show us for your actions?” “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Of course, they could not understand Jesus’ words. And why not? Like many others, these Jews had rejected how God chose to reveal Himself in the person of Jesus Christ to be the promised Messiah. We see that rejection from His birth, His miracles, and where His authoritative Word was taught. With no Christ, there can be no faith. With no faith, there is no way to understand the deep things of God. All of which led to their comment how a 46 year old Temple could possibly be rebuilt in three days! They had no way of comprehending that Jesus was talking of His death and resurrection. Thank God for blessing you with the gift of faith through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, as He enables you to remember how all things are possible with God, including believing that He is risen from the dead…He is risen indeed! We Pray: For the sheep the Lamb hath bled, Alleluia! Sinless in the sinners’ stead. Alleluia! “Christ is risen,” today we cry; Alleluia! Now He lives no more to die. Alleluia! Amen. The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and deacons of the diocese. Direct inquiries to The Reverend Jeffrey A. Ahonen at [email protected].
_______________________________________________ Sermons mailing list [email protected] http://cat41.org/mailman/listinfo/sermons
