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The Temple Cleansed Again
This chapter is based on Matthew 21:12-16, 23-46; Mark 11:15-19,
27-33; 12:1-12; Luke 19:45-48; 20:1-19.
At the beginning of His ministry, Christ had driven from the
temple those who defiled it by their unholy business dealings. His
stern and godlike bearing had struck terror in the scheming traders.
At the close of His mission, He came to the temple again and
found it still profaned like it was before—with the cries of animals,
the sharp chinking of coin, and the sound of angry disputes. The
dignitaries of the temple themselves were buying and selling. They
were so completely controlled by greed for gain that they were no
better than thieves in the sight of God.
At every Passover and Feast of Tabernacles, thousands of animals
were killed, their blood caught by the priests and poured on the altar.
The Jews had almost lost sight of the fact that sin was what made
all this shedding of blood necessary. They did not recognize that it
prefigured the blood of God’s dear Son that would be shed for the
life of the world.
Jesus saw how the Jews had made these great gatherings into
scenes of bloodshed and cruelty. They had multiplied the sacrifice
of animals, as if God could be honored by a heartless service. The
priests and rulers had made the symbols pointing to the Lamb of
God a way of making money. To a great degree, this had destroyed
the sacredness of the sacrificial service. Jesus knew that the priests
and elders would not appreciate His blood, so soon to be shed for
the sins of the world, just as they had little appreciation for the blood
of animals!
Through the prophets, Christ had spoken against these practices.
In prophetic vision Isaiah saw apostasy of the Jews and addressed
them:
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
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