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45 He went into the Temple and began to throw out the traders. 46 ‘It’s written,’ he said, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer; but you’ve made it a brigands’ cave.’ 47 He was teaching every day in the Temple. But the chief priests, the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy him. 48 They couldn’t find any way to do it, because all the people were hanging on his every word.~ Luke 19:45-48
It was Tuesday, the day after the Lord Jesus entered Jerusalem on the donkey and it was the Passover week. The Lord Jesus lodged in Bethany that night and came into the city early the next morning. According to Mark, on His way to the temple, He cursed the fig tree. That particular tree draws His attention because it had a full covering of leaves and it should have already bore figs. This was an object lesson of Israel's rejection of the truth.
When He arrived at the temple, He entered the court of the Gentiles which was the only place in the temple that was accessible to the Gentiles. There, the Jews could witness to the Gentiles about the one true and living God. Instead of sharing their faith, they used the area for a “religious marketplace” where Jews from other lands could exchange money and purchase overpriced approved animals for the sacrifices. The priests managed this business and made a great profit from it.
In v.45 we read, "He went into the Temple and began to throw out the traders." This is the second time the Lord Jesus went into the temple to confront religion. The Jews hoped that He would overthrow Pilate and his Roman army. But, He didn't confront the pagan Romans, He confronted Judaism, the soul of the nation. The Jews didn't understand that their greatest enemy was themselves and their lust for this world's provisions.
The ministry of the Lord Jesus has always been focused on the heart of man. It has always focused on that which concerns our relationship with Him. He is concerned about true worship of the true God in the true manner, not impacted by politics, or other earthly matters.
When the Lord Jesus entered the Court of the Gentiles, it was clear that it had been turned into a commerce center. The priests were selling animals for the needed sacrifices. And, the prices were jacked up, thus the people were being gouged with the high prices.
In v.46 we read, "It’s written,’ he said, ‘my house shall be a house of prayer; but you’ve made it a thieves’ cave."
The Temple was always designed by God to be a place of prayer, worship, devotion, confession, and praise. The religious had turned it into a circus of blasphemy and greed.
In v.47 we read, "He was teaching every day in the Temple. But the chief priests, the scribes and the leading men of the people were trying to destroy him."
According to Luke 20:1, the Lord Jesus was teaching the gospel. He was teaching about sin, forgiveness, and a personal relationship with God. In Matthew's gospel we learn that He was also healing the blind and the lame.
On the other hand, the religious leaders were in a rage, losing control, and so they were out to destroy the Lord Jesus. They wanted Him dead more than ever. What a contrast between the Lord and the flesh of the religious leaders.
In v.48 we read, "They couldn’t find any way to do it, because all the people were hanging on his every word."
The people were so clued in on the teachings of the Lord Jesus, the religious leaders could not find a way to kill Him. Sadly, in a few days, the crowd decreased, and those who were left were found screaming for His death. After His resurrection, only 120 believers were in Judea gathered together and 500 were gathered in Galilee. He had been rejected, in order to fulfill God's purpose.
God has proven He is sovereign and we can trust Him with our lives. It is true that all things work together for our good when we let Him have His way in our lives. All things are not good. It would be a mockery to say that the death of a child is good.
In the chemistry of the cross, God takes things that, in and of themselves, are bad, and He puts them together, much as a chemist might take chemicals that, in and of themselves, may create danger and mixes them to make a medicine that brings healing.
When we mix sodium and chloride we get table salt. By itself, sodium is a deadly poison, and so is chloride. Salt flavors food, and a certain amount of salt is necessary for health and life. When God puts things together in the crucible of His wisdom and love, we end up as victors and benefactors. He works all things together for good, and He gives us the wonderful promise that He will always do so. We simply must trust Him!
