20 years later

January 25, 2009

The life of Jesus. Read Today: The 1st temple cleansing; John 2:13-25

In an earlier reading, we discovered Jesus was quoting scripture to the Jewish leaders when He was 12 years old, in Jerusalem, in the Temple. They remarked at how much wisdom that this child had. The next time our Bibles record Jesus going to Jerusalem, He again quotes scripture, but it is to the people around the courtyard He speaks.

John 2:14-16 ESV
14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.
15 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.
16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”

What a difference that approximately 20 years make. When we last saw Him there he was the darling of the leaders. Now He comes, and with all the wisdom and strength He has, He clears the Temple of these crooks. Were they there when He was 12? Most likely they were. Jesus however is ready to start His ministry. He is not afraid to get the attention of people in a way that might be considered wrong. In fact they later ask Him why He has the authority to do this.

God, give us the wisdom to know they time to step out for you as Jesus did, and the strength to be able to do it.


Read for tomorrow: Nicodemus meets Jesus at night; John 3:1-21