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Christ Confronts Corruption in the Temple
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The people pressed their way into Christ’s presence with urgent
appeals: “Master, bless me!” His ear heard every cry. All received
attention. Everyone was healed of whatever disease he had.
As the priests and temple officials witnessed this great work, the
sounds that fell on their ears were a revelation to them. The people
were telling about the pain they had suffered, about disappointed
hopes, painful days, and sleepless nights. When hope seemed dead,
Christ had healed them. “The burden was so heavy,” one said, “but
I have found a Helper. He is the Christ of God, and I will devote
my life to His service.” Parents said to their children, “He has saved
your life—lift up your voice and praise Him!” Hope and gladness
filled the hearts of children and youth, fathers and mothers, friends
and spectators. They were restored in both soul and body, and they
returned home proclaiming the love of Jesus.
At Jesus’ crucifixion, those who had been healed did not join
in shouting, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Their sympathies were
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with Jesus, for they had felt His wonderful power. They knew that
He was their Savior. They listened to the apostles, and they became
agents of God’s mercy and instruments of His salvation.
The crowd that had run from the temple court slowly drifted
back after a while, but their faces showed that they were uncertain
and timid. They were convinced that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies
concerning the Messiah. The sin of profaning the temple belonged
mostly to the priests. Their decisions had turned the court into a
marketplace. The people were comparatively innocent. But the
priests and rulers considered Christ’s mission as an upstart, and they
questioned His right to interfere with what the authorities of the
temple permitted. They were offended because He had interrupted
their business, and they stifled the convictions of the Holy Spirit.
The Beginning of the Final Rejection of Christ
The priests and rulers should have seen that Jesus was the
Anointed of the Lord, for they held the sacred scrolls that described
His mission. They knew that the cleansing of the temple showed
more than human power. Much as they hated Jesus, they could not
free themselves from the thought that He might be a prophet God
had sent to restore the temple’s sanctity. With a respect born of this