LENTEN GOSPEL STUDIES John 2:13-22

TEXT  John 2:13-22  The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, "Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a marketplace!" His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." The Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing this?" Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

ARTISTIC INTERPRETATIONS

Bernardino-Mei-Christ-cleansing-the-temple

1610, Cecco del Caravaggio Christ expulses money changers anagoria

El Greco, Christ driving the traders from the temple, 1600

Jesus cleanses temple, The Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey

COMMENTARIES

THE EERDMAN’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, 3 RD EDITION, 935.  13, Some see here a description intended to distinguish the feast from the Christian Passover, but it is probably added for the benefit of non-Jewish readers.14, Peter, probably after some deliberation on the matter drew the Lord aside and “began to rebuke him.”  14, This would refer to the outer court where animals were prepared for sacrifice. The details of the incident are graphically described, and differ in some respects from the record of the similar event in the Synoptic Gospels. It is only John who mentions that Jesus drove out oxen and sheep. The money changers were the people who exchanged other currency for the official Temple currency. This was a legitimate pursuit, but was open to abuse since it offered opportunity for exorbitant exchange rates.  15, Jesus’ use of a whip of cords was a symbolic act, for the scourge was a symbol of judgment.

THE EERDMAN’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, 3 RD EDITION, 935.  16, Our Lords’ claim that the Temple was His Father’s house is a distinctive claim that the temple claim which fits in with His Messianic office. It was the threat that the traffickers made to true worship that Jesus challenged.  17, The appeal to Scripture in support is characteristic of the early Christian approach.  18, The word ‘sign’ is here used in the general sense of ‘miracle’ and not in the more specific Johannine sense.  19, It is not surprising that the Jews misunderstood, for the statement is enigmatic. The explanation is given in v. 21, although even the disciples did not recognize this until after the resurrection of Jesus.

 20, The statement was perplexing for the Jews, because of the considerable time taken to build the Temple thus far. It was not in fact completed until 36 years later. The contrast between forty six years and three days was ludicrous to those symbolically.  21, The application of the concept of the temple to the Body of Christ is suggestive. Both were the dwelling place of God. Some find difficulty in supposing that Jesus is referring His own body.  22, After the resurrection the significance of many things not previously grasped. It is worth noting that memory led to faith both in Scripture and in the statement of Jesus, a reminder of the close connection of these in the thought of the early Christians. The word of Jesus placed on a level with Scripture in the faith of the disciples.

OXFORD STUDY BIBLE

COMMENTS, QUESTIONS

TRANSITION, BREAK IF NECESSARY

KALEIDOSCOPE BIBLE STUDY  Read the Respectful Communication Guidelines and invite members of the group to affirm them for their time together.  Inform participants that the Bible passage will be read 3 times. After each reading, participants will be invited to share their reflections.  Invite participants to capture a word, a phrase or image when listening to the passage the first time.  Invite someone to read the passage.  A moment of silence to capture a word, a phrase or image that stood out from the passage for them.  Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her word, phrase or image briefly. (This should take no more than 5 minutes.)  Invite participants to consider the reflection question appointed for this passage. Invite someone to read the passage a second time.  A moment of silence to reflect on the question.

KALEIDOSCOPE BIBLE STUDY  Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.  Invite participants to consider the following question while listening to the passage again.  “What does God invite you to do, be or change through this passage?”  Invite someone to read the passage a third time.  A moment of silence to reflect on the question.  Using Mutual Invitation, invite each person to share his or her reflection.  End the session with a prayer circle:  Invite participants to join hands in a circle. Invite each person to mentally complete the sentences:  I thank God today...  I ask God today...  The leader will begin by sharing his or her prayers. After he or she has shared, the leader then squeezes the hand of the person to the right. That will be the signal for the next person to share his or her prayers. If the person does not want to share, he or she can simply pass the pulse to the next person. When the pulse comes back to the leader, he or she can begin the Lord’s Prayer and invite everyone to join in.

NEXT WEEK: JOHN 3:14-21: WALKING IN THE LIGHT