Pastor Marty Sloan | Apr. 3, 2022
The Passion of Christ: Crying for the City and Cleansing the Temple
“… for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Isaiah 56:7 (NIV)
Do we care about the same things that God cares about?
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words. - Luke 19:41-48 (NIV)
Jesus’ actions during his last week in Jerusalem are
The crowds of Jerusalem never turned their backs on Jesus.
Jesus understood himself as God’s anointed, and with his coming and ministry, God’s reign had broken forth.
After cleansing the temple, Jesus begins to teach the people that the temple was to be a house of prayer for all
He wept because the
He wept for the city, yet in that city, there were people who acknowledged his
He is talking about the city, yet in that city, there were people who acknowledged his redemption.
Do we see our city the way
As in the days of Lot, even in the greatest moments of wickedness, God is a God of redemption.
God is always sending redemptive
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. - Matthew 9:35-37 (NIV)
The people were in a mess and there were no
They were
Jesus sees our city through the lens of wickedness and
He cleansed the temple because they were harassing and hiding access to worship.
He cleansed the temple because they were harassing and hiding access to His
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The Sovereign Lord declares—he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.” - Isaiah 56:6-8 (NIV)
As Christ followers, we are
We are commissioned to show
We are called to clear the path for His
Resources suggested and used for this message:
1. biblicalnomad.substack.com
2. “The Final Days of Jesus” by Köstenberger and Taylor
3. “Luke” by R. Kent Hughes