Monday of Holy Week
As we study day two, we will be studying in Matthew 21. This day of the Holy Week, we remember His entrance into the temple. Matthew 21:12 says, “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.” As He entered the temple, He saw it was being used as a market where people sought goods to sustain themselves physically. God established the Temple so the children of Israel could come to worship their God, thereby sustaining them spiritually. When Christ saw the activity in the temple, He became angry. Out of His anger, Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, and He “drove out” all those who were disrespecting His house. Jesus said to them, “… It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:13.
After Christ’s cleansing of the Temple, those who were blind and lame came to Him and He healed them. As Jesus was performing miracles in the Temple, the people inside began to worship Him, crying “…Hosanna to the Son of David!” When the Scribes and Priests heard this, they became very angry. They became concerned that their positions of power among the people were being challenged. Those in authority asked Jesus if He heard what the people were saying. Christ responded, as He was accustomed to. He spoke the Words of the prophets to them. By doing this, the Scribes and Priests were made speechless by Christ’s knowledge of the Scriptures. (The cleansing of His temple is displayed in the cleansing of the sin in our lives which causes the Holy Spirit to take control of our bodily temple. When He takes control of our lives, He begins to work His miracles through our new desire to be obedient to Him and to display His works through us. His working through us will cause conviction on those who have yet to surrender to His call.) After this, Jesus went out of the city of Bethany for the night.
*Can you think of an instance where you treated God’s house in a way that would anger Him?
*Do you remember when Christ “cleansed your temple” through salvation?
*What are some works (miracles) that He performed you for?
*Are you being obedient to His call for your life?