Jesus was a man of zeal

JESUS WAS A MAN OF ZEAL
Edited by Glenn Pease
John 2:17 17His disciples remembered that it is
written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
The Vindication Of A DesecratedTemple
John 2:14-17
J.R. Thomson
High purposes were subserved by the exercise ofthe Saviour's authority both
at the beginning and at the close ofhis ministry. If there was in this conduct
an evidential meaning for the Jews, there was also a symbolicalmeaning for
all time.
I. IN WHAT THE HOLINESS OF THE TEMPLE CONSISTED.
1. The true answerto this inquiry is to be found in the language ofthe Lord
himself. The temple was his Father's house. It was the building which was
originally erectedin a measure upon the model of the tabernacle of the
wilderness, the pattern of which had been communicated by Jehovah in some
way to Moses, the servant of God. It was by Divine command that a certain
speciallocalityand building were set apart and consecratedto the service of
him, who nevertheless "dwellethnot in temples made with hands."

2. The holy memories of national history gatheredaround this sacrededifice.
The original tabernacle was associatedwith Moses andAaron; the first temple
at Jerusalemwith the greatkings - David who prepared for it, and Solomon
who built it; the secondtemple with the greatleaders of the return from the
Captivity; and this restorededifice, in its costlymagnificence, with the royal
Herodian house.
3. The sacrifices whichwere offered, the priesthoods that ministered, the
festivals which were observed, the praises and prayers which were presented,
in these consecratedprecincts, all added to the sanctity of the place.
4. And it must be remembered that the house of the Father was the house of
the children; that our Lord himself designatedthe temple "a house of prayer
for all nations. This may not have been acknowledgedorunderstood by the
Jews themselves. Yetthere were intimations throughout their sacred
literature in its successive stagesthat they, as a nation, were electedin order
that through them all the nations of the earth might be blessed. The width of
the counsels ofDivine benevolence is apparent to all who study the psalms and
prophecies of the Old TestamentScripture; and our Lord's language connects
those counsels with the dedicatedhouse at Jerusalem.
5. To our minds the temple possessessanctitythrough its devotion to a
symbolical use, for by anticipation it set forth in emblem the holiness of our
Lord's body and the purity of the spiritual Church of Christ. The temple at
Jerusalemshould be destroyedin the crisis of Israel's fate; the sanctuaryof
the Lord's body should be taken down; and the holy temple, consecratedto
the Lord, should grow in stateliness and beauty until all the living stones
should be built into it for grace and glory eternal.
II. BY WHAT THE HOLINESS OF THE TEMPLE WAS VIOLATED.
There must have been an infamous desecrationin order to have awakened
such indignation in the breastof Jesus. We cansee two respects in which this
was so.
1. The building was abusedand profaned in being diverted from sacredto
secularuses. Where there should have been only sacrifices, there were sales of

beasts and birds; where there should have been only offerings, there was
money changing.
2. The sanctity of the temple was violatedby the cupidity of the rulers, who, it
is well known, made a sinful and scandalous profit for themselves by the
transactions which awakenedthe indignation of Jesus.
3. Norwas this all, injustice and fraud were added to cupidity - the temple
became a den of thieves."
III. IN WHAT WAY THE HOLINESS OF THE TEMPLE WAS
VINDICATED.
1. By the interposition of One of the highest dignity. Christ was "greaterthan
the temple;" he was the Lord of the temple; nay, he was himself the true
Temple appointed to supersede the material structure.
2. By the exercise ofjust and manifested authority. The demeanour and the
language ofJesus were such as to preclude resistance, to silence murmuring.
The Lord came to his own inheritance, to the house of his Father.
3. By the comparisonof the edifice at Jerusalemto his own sacredbody. In the
language he used in his subsequent conversationwith the Jews, he "spake of
the Temple of his body," and in so doing he attached to the sanctuary a
holiness greaterthan was conferredupon it by all the associations ofits use
and of its history. - T.

Biblical Illustrator
The zeal of Thine house hath eatenMe up.
John 2:17
Christ's zeal
H. Melvill.
I. ITS SPHERE. We cannot confine it to the temple or any other ecclesiastical
structure.
1. The universe, in all the glory of its interminable spreadings, is the house of
God. There is not a lonely spot which is not full of Deity.
2. And when we divide this universe into sections we know that there is some
scene hououred above others with the Almighty's presence — where angels
cluster, and where the Creatormay be said more emphatically to dwell.
3. The whole company of the faithful upon earth constitute "the house of
God" — builded togetherfor a habitation of God through the Spirit.
4. Nay, there is not a solitary individual, over whom the greatchange has
passed, who is not tenanted by the High and Lofty One.
II. CHRIST'S ZEAL WORKING IN THIS SPHERE. Zeal devoured the spirit
of our Saviour, and in driving out the traffickers from the temple we can
recognize the workings of the principle, but we cannot limit it to this. We
gather from the expression —
1. That Jesus was consumedwith a lofty desire to benefit the denizens of the
universe.

2. Over the inhabitants of heavenChrist poured His amazing solicitudes.
3. An ardent longing to rescue this world from its degradation, and to build
up its desecratedfragments into s temple of the living God, throbbed in the
heart of Jesus of Nazareth. Confined, as it might have seemed, to a single race,
its effect branched out into every quarter of the house of God, and orders of
intelligence which needed not to be brought to the Saviour might have been
confirmed and sustained by that which put man within the circles of
acceptance.
4. Viewing God's house as including the believing remnants of Adam's
descendants, we see Him entering on His course as the sun enters on his
march in the firmament. His soul yearned over those who had destroyed
themselves. He entered into the nature on which rested the awful curse;and
when the race He had come to redeem rejectedHim, the zeal of God's house
kept Him fast on His pathway of pain.
(H. Melvill.)
Christ's zeal
I. The OBJECT ofzeal — "Thy house." The Jewishtemple as symbolizing —
1. The Old TestamentChurch.
2. The world of sinners.
3. Corrupted Christian communities.
II. The NATURE of zeal. True and godly zeal, says Bp. Jewell, eatethand
devoureth up the heart, even as the thing that is eaten is turned into the
substance of him that eateth it; and as iron, while iris burning hot, is turned
into the nature of the fire, so greatand just is the grief that they which have
this zeal conceive whenthey see God's house spoiled, or His holy name
dishonoured.
III. The MANIFESTATION ofthe zeal.

1. In rigidly expelling the defiling and the false.
2. In replacing and building up the pure and the true.
The zeal of Christ
C. H. Spurgeon.
It is said that sometimes when a crowdsee a vesselthat is going to pieces, and
hear the cries of the drowning men, they seemas if they were all seizedwith
madness, because, notbeing able to give vent to their kindness towardthe
perishing ones by any practical activity, they know not what to do, and are
ready to sacrifice their lives if they might but do something to save others.
Men feel that they must work in the presence of so dreadful a need. And
Christ saw this world of ours quivering over the pit. He saw it floating, as it
were, in an atmosphere of fire, and he wished to quench those flames and
make the world rejoice, and therefore He must work to that end. He could not
rest and be quiet.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
The zeal of our Lord to be imitated
Let the zeal of the house of God ever eat thee. For example: seestthou a
brother running to the theatre? stop him, warn him, be grieved for him, if the
zeal of God's house hath now eatenthee. Seestthou others running and
wanting to drink themselves drunk? Stop whom thou canst, hold whom thou
canst, frighten whom thou canst; whom thou canst, win in gentleness:do not
in any wise sit still and do nothing.
( Augustine.)
Commendable zeal

The most remarkable examples of zeal are found in the records of the early
itinerant ministers. Richard Nolley, one of these, came upon the fresh trail of
an emigrant in the wilderness, and followedit till he overtook the family.
When the emigrant saw him he said, "What? a Methodistpreacher! I quit
Virginia to be out of the way of them; but in my settlement in Georgia I
thought I should be beyond their reach. There they were;and they gotmy
wife and daughter into their church. Then I come here to ChocktawCorner,
find a piece of land, feelsure that I shall have some peace from the preachers;
and here is one before I have unloaded my waggon!" The preacherexhorted
him to make his peace with God, that he might not be troubled by the
everywhere present Methodistpreachers.
Christian zeal necessary
Chronicle of London MissionarySociety.
A young Brahman put this question to the Rev. E. Lewis, of Bellary — "Do
the Christian people of England really believe that it would be a goodthing
for the people of India to become Christians?" "Why, yes, to be sure they do,"
he replied. "WhatI mean is this," continued the Brahman, "do they in their
hearts believe that the Hindoos would be better and happier if they were
convertedto Christianity?" "Certainlythey do," said Mr. Lewis. "Why, then,
do they act in such a strange way? Why do they send so few to preachtheir
religion? When there are vacancies in the Civil Service, there are numerous
applicants at once;when there is a military expedition, a hundred officers
volunteer for it; in commercialenterprises, also, you are full of activity, and
always have a strong staff. But it is different with your religion. I see one
missionary with his wife here, and one hundred and fifty miles awayis
another, and one hundred miles in another direction is a third. How canthe
Christians of England expect to convert the people of India from their hoary
faith with so little effort on their part?"
(Chronicle of London MissionarySociety.)

Consuming zeal
Bp. Ryle.
When Baxter came to Kidderminster there was about one family in a street
which worshipped God at home. When he went away there were some streets
in which there was not more than one family on a side that did not do it; and
this was the case evenwith inns and public-houses. While some Divines were
wrangling about the Divine right of Episcopacyor Presbytery, or splitting
hairs about reprobation and free-will, Baxter was always visiting from house
to house, and beseeching men, for Christ's sake, to be reconciledto God and
flee from the wrath to come.
(Bp. Ryle.)
Zealous, but not furious
Bp. Hall.
It is in the matter of religion as with the tending of a still; if we put in too
much fire it burns, if too little, it works not: a middle temper must be kept. A
heat there must be, but a moderate one. We may not be like a drowsy judge
upon a Grecianbench, who is fain to bite upon beans, to keephimself from
sleeping;neither may we be like that Grecianplayer, who actedmad Ajax on
the stage;but we must be soberly fervent and discreetlyactive. St. Paul's
spirit was stirred within him at Athens because ofits idolatry, and it breaks
out of his mouth in a grave reproof: I do not see him put his hand furiously to
demolish them. And if a Juventius and Maximinian, in the heat of zeal, shall
rail on wickedJulian at a feast, he justly casts their death, not on their
religion, but on their petulancy. It was a well-made decree in the councilof
Eliberis, that if any man did take upon him to break down idols, and were
slain, he should not be reckonedamongstthe martyrs. There must then be two
moderators of zeal, discretionand charity, without either and both of which it
is no other than a wild distemper; and with them, it is no less than the very
life-blood of the Christian.

(Bp. Hall.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(17) Was written . . . hath eaten me up .—More literally, is written . . . shall
eat me up. The verse is full of interest in many ways. It gives us the thought of
the disciples at the time (comp. John 2:22) which could be knownonly to one
of their number. It shows us what we too seldom realise in reading the New
Testament, that the Jewishmind was filled to overflowing with thoughts of the
Old Testament. The child was taught to sayby heart large portions of the Law
and Psalms and Prophets, and they formed the very texture of the mind,
ready to pass into conscious thought wheneveroccasionsuggested. Withthe
exceptionof the 22nd Psalm, no part of the Old Testamentis so frequently
referred to in the New as the psalm from which these words are taken(Psalm
69:9), and yet that psalm could not have been in its historic meaning
Messianic (see,e.g., John2:5; John 2:22-25). This reference to it gives us,
then, their method of interpretation. Every human life is typical. The
persecutionwithout reason, the wrong heaped upon the innocent, the appeal
to and trust in Jehovah, the song of thanksgiving from him whose parched
throat was weary of calling—allthis was true of some representative sufferer
of earlier days, and we may hear in it almostcertainly the voice of Jeremiah;
but it was true of him in that he was a forerunner of the representative
sufferer. The darker features of the psalm belong to the individual; the Life
which sustains in all, and the Light which illumines in all, was even then in the
world, though men knew Him not. The words of Jeremiahare Messianic,
because his life—like every noble, self-forgetting, others’sorrow bearing, man
and God loving life—was itself Messianic.
The change of tense, from the past of the Psalmistto the future here, is itself
significant. The words were true of the inner burning which consumedthe

prophet-priest. They come to the heart as true, with a fuller truth, of Christ’s
spirit burning with righteous indignation, and castdown by deepestsorrow;
but shrinking not from the painful task, which leaves its mark falling on that
face as the shadow of a deeperdarkness. Theyare to be, in a deepersense,
truer still.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
2:12-22 The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, wasdriving
from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged
to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of
merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares aboutworldly business when
attending religious exercises, orwho perform Divine offices for love of gain.
Christ, having thus cleansedthe temple, gave a sign to those who demanded it,
to prove his authority for so doing. He foretells his death by the Jews'malice,
Destroyye this temple; I will permit you to destroy it. He foretells his
resurrectionby his own power; In three days I will raise it up. Christ took
againhis own life. Men mistake by understanding that according to the letter,
which the Scripture speaks by way of figure. When Jesus was risenfrom the
dead, his disciples remembered he has said this. It helps much in
understanding the Divine word, to observe the fulfilling of the Scriptures.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
It was written ... - This is recorded in Psalm69:9. Its meaning is, that he was
affectedwith great zeal or concernfor the pure worship of God.
The zeal of thine house - "Zeal" is intense ardor in reference to any object.
The "zealof thine house" means extraordinary concernfor the temple of
God; intense solicitude that the worship there should be pure, and such as
God would approve.
Hath eatenme up - Hath absorbed me, or engagedmy entire attention and
affection;hath surpassedall other feelings, so that it may be said to be the one
greatabsorbing affectionand desire of the mind. Here is an example set for
ministers and for all Christians. In Jesus this was the greatcommanding

sentiment of his life. In us it should be also. In this manifestationof zeal he
beganand ended his ministry. In this we should begin and end our lives. We
learn, also, that ministers of religion should aim to purify the church of God.
Wickedmen, conscience-smitten, will tremble when they see proper zeal in the
ministers of Jesus Christ;and there is no combination of wickedmen, and no
form of depravity, that can stand before the faithful, zealous, pure preaching
of the gospel. The preaching of every minister should be such that wickedmen
will feelthat they must either become Christians or leave the house of God, or
spend their lives there in the consciousnessofguilt and the fearof hell.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
17. eatenme up—a glorious feature in the predicted characterof the suffering
Messiah(Ps 69:9), and rising high even in some not worthy to loose the latchet
of His shoes. (Ex32:19, &c.).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
The disciples, as well as the restof the people there present, could not but be
astonishedat this so strange a thing, to see a single person, and he in no repute
but as a private person, to make a whip, and with authority drive the buyers
and sellers out of the temple, and nobody to oppose him; but they
remembered the words of David, Psalm69:9. Some think that John here
reports what they did after Christ’s resurrection; and, indeed, whoso
considereththe following part of the gospel history, would think that it were
so;for they did not seemso early to have had a persuasionof Christ’s Divine
nature, nor that he was the Messiah;or if they at this time remembered it, and
apprehended that Christ was the Son of David, the impression seems to have
worn off. It is a greaterquestionwhether Psalm 69:1-36 (from whence this
quotation is) is to be understoodof Christ, properly and literally, or merely as
the Antitype to David, of whom that Psalmis literally to be understood? Some
of the Lutherans think that Psalmprimarily concernedChrist. Mr. Calvin
and others think it only concernedChrist as David’s Antitype. The former,
for their opinion, take notice of the frequent quotation of it in the New
Testament, Matthew 27:48 John 19:28 Acts 1:20 Romans 15:3. The other urge
that there are some things in that Psalm which cannot agree to Christ. The

matter is not much. Zeal is nothing but a warmth of love and anger. It is good
to be zealous, yea, swallowedup with zeal, in a goodcause;but men must take
heed of the Pharisaicalzeal, not according to knowledge. Christwas zealous,
but the cause was good.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And his disciples remembered that it was written,.... In Psalm69:9, which
Psalmbelongs to the Messiah, as is manifest from the citations out of it in the
New Testament, and the application of them to Christ, as in John 15:25,
compared with Psalm 69:4. Christ is representedin it, as suffering for the sins
of his people; for he himself was innocent; and was hated without a cause;but
having the sins of his people imputed to him, he made satisfactionforthem,
and so restoredwhat he took not away. His sufferings are spokenof in it as
very great;and from it we learn, that they are fitly called, by himself, a
baptism, which he desired to be baptized with, Luke 12:50, since the waters
are saidto come into his soul, and he to be in deep waters, where the floods
overflowedhim; so that he was as one immersed in them: it is not only
prophesied of him in it, that he should be the objectof the scornand contempt
of the Jewishnation, and be rejectedby them, and treatedwith the utmost
indignity, and loadedwith reproaches;but it foretold, that they should give
him gall to eat, and vinegar to drink, which were literally fulfilled in him: and
even the Jews themselves seemto be under some conviction, that the Psalm
has respectto him; for Aben Ezra, a noted commentator of theirs, on the last
words of the Psalm, has this note;
"the sense is, they and their children shall inherit it in the days of David, or in
the days of the Messiah.''
It appears from hence, that the disciples of Christ were acquainted with the
sacredwritings, and had diligently read them, and searchedinto them, and
had made them their study; and upon this wonderful actionof Christ, called
to mind, and reflectedupon the following passageofScripture, which they
judged very proper and pertinent to him:
the zealof thine house hath eatenme up. This passage, so faras it is cited,
agrees exactly, wordfor word, with the original text in Psalm69:9, wherefore

it is very strange that Surenhusius (f) should remark a difference, and give
himself a gooddeal of trouble to reconcile it: he observes, thatin the Hebrew
text, it is read, "the zeal of the Lord", in the third person; whereas it is there, ,
"the zeal of thine house", as here, in the secondperson: indeed, the word
"for", is left out, as he remarks, there being no need of it in the citation; the
evangelistonly historically relating the accommodationofit to Christ, by the
disciples;whereas in the original text, the words contain a reasonof the
reproachand shame which Christ endured, and was put to by the Jews on
accountof his zealfor the house, honour, and worship of God; and the latter
part of the text is not produced at all, being not for the present purpose,
though very applicable to Christ; and is cited, and applied to him by the
apostle, in Romans 15:3. Such was Christ's regard to his Father's house, and
which was typical of the church of God; and such his concernfor his honour,
ordinances, and worship, that when he saw the merchandise that was carried
on in the temple, his zeal, which was a true and hearty affectionfor God, and
was according to knowledge, was stirredup in him, and to such a degree, that
it was like a consuming fire within him, that ate up his spirits; so that he could
not forbeargiving it vent, and expressing it in the manner he did, by driving
those traders out of it. Phinehas and Elias were in their zeal, as well as other
things, types of Christ; and in the Spirit and powerof the latter he came;and
Christ not only expresseda zealfor the house of God, the place of religious
worship, but for the church and people of God, whose salvationhe most
earnestlydesired, and most zealouslypursued: he showedhis strong, and
affectionate regardto it, by his suretyship engagements forthem, by his
assumption of their nature, by his ardent desire to accomplishit, and by his
voluntary and cheerful submission to death on accountof it. And such was his
zeal for it, that it eathim up, it inflamed his Spirit and affections, consumed
his time and strength, and, at last, his life: and he also showeda zeal for the
discipline of God's house, by his severe reflections onhuman traditions; by
asserting the spirituality of worship; by commanding a strict regard to divine
institutions; and by sharply inveighing againstthe sins of professors of
religion: and he discovereda warm zeal for the truths of the Gospel, by a
lively and powerful preaching of them; by his constancyand assiduity in it; by
the many fatiguing journeys he took for that purpose; by the dangers he
exposedhimself to by it; and by the care he took to free the Gospelfrom

prejudice and calumnies: and it becomes us, in imitation of our greatmaster,
to be zealous for his truths and ordinances, and for the discipline of his house,
and not bear with either the erroneous principles, or the bad practices of
wickedmen.
(f) Biblos Katallages, p. 347.
Geneva Study Bible
And his disciples remembered that it was written, The {g} zeal of thine house
hath eatenme up.
(g) Zeal in this place is takenfor a wrathful indignation and displeasure of the
mind, brought about when someone deals wickedlyand evilly towards those
whom we love well.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
John 2:17. Ἐμνήσθησαν] At the very time of the occurrence, andnot (as
Olshausenasserts)afterthe resurrection, a circumstance which has to be
statedin John 2:22 (comp. John 12:16).
The text quoted is Psalm 69:10;the theocratic suffererin this psalm, a psalm
written during the exile, is a type of the Messiah;see John15:25, John 19:28
ff. Comp. Romans 15:3; Romans 11:9; Acts 1:20καταφάγεταί με]will devour
or consume me, is to be understood of a powerwhich wears one out internally,
Psalm119:139, not to be referred to the death of Jesus (Bengel, Olshausen,
Hofmann, Weissag. u. Erf. p. 111;Luthardt, comp. Brückner), for the
disciples could at that time have thought of anything but His death; comp.
John 2:22. In this wrathful zeal, which they saw had taken hold of Jesus, they
thought they saw the Messianic fulfilment of that word in the psalm, wherein
the speakerdeclareshis greatzeal for God’s house, which was yet to wearhim
out. The fulfilment relates to the ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου σου, whereofthe
καταφάγεταιindicates only the violence and permanence;and there is
therefore no ground for imagining alreadyany gloomy forebodings on the

part of the disciples (Lange). For ἐσθίειν and ἔδειν, used of consuming
emotions (as in Aristophanes, Vesp. 287), see Jacobs, adAnthol. VI. 280;Del.
epigr. p. 257. As to the future φάγομαι,whichbelongs to the LXX. and
Apocrypha, see Lobeck, adPhryn. p. 327;like the classicalἔδομαι, itnever
stands as present (againstTholuck, Hengstenberg, Godet, and others).
Note.
If there was but one cleansing of the temple, then either John or the Synoptics
have given an erroneous narrative. But if it happened twice,[140]first at the
beginning, and then at the end of the Messianic ministry of Jesus,—a
supposition which in itself corresponds too wellto the significance ofthe act
(in so far as its repetition was occasionedby the state of disorder remaining
unchanged after so long an interval had elapsed)to be inconceivable (as has
been assertedby some), or even merely to pass the limits of probability,—it is
then, on the one hand, conceivable that the Synoptics do not contain the first
cleansing, becauseChrist’s early labours in Jerusalemdo not belong to the
range of events which they generally narrate; and, on the other hand, that
John passes overthe secondcleansing, becausehe had already recordedthe
Messianic ΣΗΜΕῖΟΝ ofthe same kind. We are not therefore to suppose that
the one accountis true, and the other false, but to assume that the act was
repeated. See on Matthew 21:12-13. So the Fathers and most subsequent
writers; also Schleiermacher, Tholuck, Olshausen, B. Crusius, Maier, Ebrard,
Luthardt, Riggenbach, Lange, Baumgarten, Hengstenberg, Godet, etc.
Others, on the contrary, admitting only one temple-cleansing, decide in
favour, some of the synoptical account(Strauss, Weisse, Baur, Hilgenfeld,
Scholten, Schenkel[141]), andsome in favour of John’s (Lücke, De Wette,
Ammon, Krabbe, Brückner, Ewald, Weizsäcker,and many others; Bäumlein
hesitatingly). The latter would be the correctview, because Johnwas an eye-
witness;although we are not to suppose, as Baur, in keeping with his view of
the fourth Gospel, thinks, that John derived the facts from the Synoptics, but
fixed the time of the transactionindependently, in consistencywith the idea of

reformatory procedure. See also Hilgenfeld, who traces here the “idiosyncrasy
of John,” who, with reference atleastto the knowledge ofthe disciples and the
relations of Jesus to the Jews, begins where the Synoptics leave off; and thus
his narrative is merely a peculiar development of synoptical materials.
Besides, upon the supposition of two distinct cleansings ofthe temple, any
essentialdifference betweenthe two acts themselves is not to be discovered.
Luthardt, indeed, following Hofmann (comp. Lichtenstein, p. 156), thinks
that, in the synoptical account, Jesus as prophet protects the place of divine
worship, but that in John’s He as Son exercisesHis authority over the house;
but the ὁ οἶκός μου of the Synoptics, as the declarationof God, exactly
corresponds with ΤῸΝ ΟἾΚΟΝ ΤΟῦ ΠΑΤΡΌς ΜΟΥ in John as the word of
Christ. The distinction, moreover, that the first cleansing was the
announcement of reformation, and the secondthat of judgment
(Hengstenberg), cannotbe made good, separateswhatis clearly connected,
and attaches too much importance to collateralminutiae. This remark in
answerto Godet, who regards the first cleansing as “un appel,” the secondas
“une protestation.” The essentialelementof difference in John’s account lies
in the very striking declarationof Jesus aboutthe temple of His body, John
2:19, of which the Synoptics have not a word, and which possesses great
prophetic significance as uttered at the very outset of His Messianic ministry,
but has no specialfitness at the end of it. Jesus accordinglydid not utter it
againat the secondcleansing, but only at the first, though upon that second
cleansing also, occasionwas givenfor so doing (Matthew 21:23). It is this very
declaration, however, which marks unmistakeably the Messianic characterof
the appearance ofJesus in Jerusalemfrom the very first (againstWeizsäcker,
Evang. Gesch. p. 260). Chap. John 7:3 is not the first place which treats of
that Messianic appearance.
[140]“Whether it took place before or after, once or twice, it takes nothing
from our faith.”—LUTHER.

[141]Comp. also Luther: “It seems to me that John here skips overthe three
first years.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
17. remembered] Then and there. Who could know this but a disciple? Who
would think of inventing it? See above on John 2:11.
was written] Better, is written; in the Greek it is the perf. part. pass. with the
auxiliary, which S. John almost always uses in quotations, while the Synoptists
commonly use the perf. pass. Comp. John 6:31; John 6:45, John 10:34, John
12:14 (John 19:19).
hath eatenme up] Rather, will devour, or consume me, i.e. wearme out.
Psalm69:9, a psalm referred to againJohn 15:25 and John 19:28.
It is difficult to believe that this cleansing ofthe Temple is identical with the
one placedby the Synoptists at the lastPassoverin Christ’s ministry; difficult
also to see what is gainedby the identification. If they are the same event,
either S. John or the Synoptists have made a gross blunder in chronology.
Could S. John, who was with our Lord at both Passovers, make sucha
mistake? Could S. Matthew, who was with Him at the lastPassover, transfer
to it an event which took place at the first Passover, a year before his
conversion? When we considerthe immense differences which distinguish the
last Passoverfrom the first in Christ’s ministry, it seems incredible that
anyone who had contemporary evidence could through any lapse of memory
transfer a very remarkable incident indeed from one to the other. On the
other hand the difficulty of believing that the Temple was twice cleansedis
very slight. Was Christ’s preaching so universally successfulthat one
cleansing would be certain to suffice? And if two years later He found that the
evil had returned, would He not be certain to drive it out once more?
Differences in the details of the narratives corroborate this view.

Bengel's Gnomen
John 2:17. Ἐμνήσθησαν, they remembered) Comp. John 2:22, ch. John 12:16
[His triumphant entry into Jerusalem], “Thesethings understoodnot His
disciples at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that
these things were written of Him.” Concerning the time of remembrance, also
ch. John 14:26, “The Holy Ghost shall bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoeverI have said unto you.”—ὁ ζῆλος—καταφάγεταίμε, Zeal—shalleat
Me up[46]) So Septuagint, Psalm 69:10. In truth, His enemies afterwards
killed Jesus on accountof His zealfor His Father’s house.—οἴκου, house)See
John 2:16.
[46] So ABP, the best authorities, read; but the old Latin Versions abc Vulg.,
and the Rec. Text, read κατέφαγέ, hath eatenMe up.—E. and T.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 17. - His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house
will consume me. The future tense, affirmed by the best manuscripts, never
(Meyer) bears the present meaning. The disciples, familiar with the Old
Testament, remembered at the time the words of Psalm69:9. In that psalm
the theocratic Suffererapproachedthe climax of his sorrows, andadmitted
that a holy zeal for God's house will ultimately consume him - eathim up. Tile
word is used for consuming emotions (cf. Aristoph., 'Vespae,'287), and there
is a foreshadowing ofthe reproachand agonywhich will befall the righteous
Servant of God in his passionfor God's honour. The parallelism of the second
clause of the verse, "The reproaches ofthem that reproachedthee have fallen
upon me," confirm the application, though the words are not cited. Several
other citations are made in the New Testamentfrom this psalm, which,
whether it be Messianic in the oracularsense ornot, is dearly one that
furnished the mind of the early Church with abundant illustration of the
suffering of the Christ (Romans 15:3; Romans 11:9, 10;Acts 1:20; cf. also
Psalm69:21 with the narrative of the Crucifixion). Thoma labours to find in
the Old Testamentprophecies generallythe true source ofthe Johannine
narrative. He points to Hosea 6:5; Malachi3:11; Jeremiah25:29.

Vincent's Word Studies
It was written (γεγραμμένονἐστὶν)
Literally, it stands written. This form of the phrase, the participle with the
substantive verb, is peculiar to John in place of the more common γέγραπται.
For a similar construction see John3:21.
The zeal of thine house
Jealousyfor the honor of God's house. Zeal, ζῆλος, from ζέω, to boil. See on
James 3:14.
Hath eatenme up (κατέφαγέ με)
So the Sept., Psalm 68 (A.V., Psalm69:9). But the best texts read
καταφάγεται, shalleatup. So Rev., Wyc., "The fervor of love of thine house
hath eatenme."
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Barnabas Ministry
Consumed With Zeal? John 2:17
Some have used the text of John 2:17 to teachthat Christians should be
extremely zealous because Jesus was"consumedwith zeal." But is that
interpretation really consistentwith what this text says in its context? Let's
start by taking a look at the passagein question.
When it was almost time for the JewishPassover, Jesus wentup to Jerusalem.
14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and

others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords,
and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scatteredthe
coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold
doves he said, "Getthese out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house
into a market!"
His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zealfor your house will consume
me."
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "Whatmiraculous sign can you show us
to prove your authority to do all this?"
19 Jesus answeredthem, "Destroythis temple, and I will raise it againin
three days."
20 The Jews replied, "It has takenforty-six years to build this temple, and you
are going to raise it in three days?" 21 But the temple he had spokenof was
his body. 22 After he was raisedfrom the dead, his disciples recalledwhat he
had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had
spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalemat the PassoverFeast, many people saw the
miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would
not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's
testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. (John 2:13-25)

Intent upon trying to "fire up" a group, preachers speak abouthow
"incredibly zealous" Jesus wasand how all Christ-followers today ought to be
the same. However, this teaching is completely off-base.
Like most wrong interpretations, this ignores both the context and the
intended message ofthe text. In addition, there are three other problems with
this interpretation. The first is the confusion associatedwith the word
"consume." The secondis the misunderstanding of the biblical nature of zeal,
and the third is the relevance of the temple for the Christian. We will look at
these, considerwhat this passageis really saying in its context, and discuss
how it might truly apply to Christians today.
Confusion About Being "Consumed"
The English word "consumed" has severaldefinitions; Webster's on-line
dictionary gives the following definitions for consumed:
1 : to do awaywith completely: DESTROY<fire consumedseveral
buildings>
2 a : to spend wastefully: SQUANDER b : USE UP <writing consumed much
of his time>
3 a : to eat or drink especiallyin greatquantity <consumedseveralbags of
pretzels> b : to enjoy avidly : DEVOUR <mysteries, which she consumes for
fun -- E. R. Lipson>
4 : to engage fully : ENGROSS<consumedwith curiosity>
5 : to utilize as a customer<consume goods and services>
Out of convenience, this interpretation uses definition 4) above to mean
consume = engross. However, whena word has multiple possible meanings,

the contextdictates the meaning. So we must considerthe context of this
saying to determine what is meant by "consumed."
The "it is written" reference in 2:17 points us to Psalm69; a look at this
psalm show us what usage of"consume" the author had in mind.
Psalm69
1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
3 I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,

those who seek to destroy me.
I am forcedto restore
what I did not steal.
5 You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.
6 May those who hope in you
not be disgracedbecauseofme,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because ofme,
O God of Israel.
7 For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.
8 I am a strangerto my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;
9 for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10 When I weepand fast,
I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,
people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.
13 But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your greatlove, O God,
answerme with your sure salvation.
This zeal brought the author scorn, insults and destruction. This points to
definitions 1 or possibly 2 above, not definition 4.
When the apostles associatedthis text (Psalm 69)with the behavior of Jesus at
the temple, it had Messianic overtones. This Messiahshipwas not based upon
the controlor domination many assumedthe Messiahwouldhave, but rather
his commitment towards God in the face of opposition, even to the point of his
own destruction. As F.F. Bruce has said,

The zeal for the house of God which Jesus manifestedwould yet be the death
of him. (F.F. Bruce, The GospelofJohn, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1983,
p. 75).
Even the Jews askedfor a miracle to prove Jesus'authority to take this action.
They knew that no mere zealotcould take this action; asking for a miraculous
sign was tantamount to asking if this was the Messiah(ref. John 6:14). Indeed,
John's presentationof this incident ends with Jesus performing some signs at
the Passoverand some believing in him (John 2:23).
Another way to get to the bottom of what the English "consume" means here
is to considerthe Greek text. The Greek wordhere translated "consume" is
kataphagetai(katafa/getai/), aninflected form of katesthio, meaning literally
"to eat" or figuratively, "to destroy" (ref. Bauer, Walter, Translatedby
Gingrich, F. W. and Danker, Frederick. A Greek-EnglishLexiconof the New
Testamentand Other Early Christian Literature, 2nd Edition, University of
Chicago Press,1979, p. 422).
Elsewhere, the word is used literally in Mark 4:4 (birds eating seedplanted on
the path). It is used figuratively in Mark 12:40 (teachers oflaw devouring
widow's houses), Luke 15:30 (lost sonsquandering wealth), Galatians 5:15
(biting and devouring one another). Used figuratively in the passive voice in
John 2:17, it means something is being done to the object that works to "eat"
or destroy him. It does not mean the objectis engrossedwith that which
"consumes" him.
In short, John 2:17 does not sayJesus was consumedwith zeal, but rather
would be consumedby (that is, destroyedby) zeal.

Biblical, Righteous Zeal
This text says nothing about how much zeal Jesus had, nor does it command
Christ-followers to have any amount of zeal. These text is not about zeal; it is
about the Messianic identity of Jesus. Butbecause ofthe wrong ideas some
may have about zeal, it is worthwhile to discuss biblical, righteous zeal.
The Greek wordfor zeal, "zelos" (zh>lov), carries both a positive and
negative connotationdepending upon its usage. It can mean zeal for
something good, but can also mean jealousyas in Acts 7:9, James 3:16, 1
Corinthians 3:3 and others. It is partisanship, for goodor bad.
Goodzeal must be founded on knowledge, lestit lead to people establishing
their owns ways instead of following God's ways:
For I cantestify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not
basedon knowledge.3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes
from God and soughtto establishtheir own, they did not submit to God's
righteousness. (Romans 10:2-3)
Zeal must also be directed to God and goodness,not towards a side in partisan
spiritual divisions:
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is
to alienate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them. 18 It is fine to be
zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I
am with you. (Galatians 4:17-18)

Even zeal for the Law (Galatians 1:14, Acts 22:3) can be bad, because this
very zeal is what blinded Paul to truth and led to him persecuting the church
(Philippians 3:6). Religious zealmay be desired by many, but it can be a
terrible thing if misdirected.
Interestingly, those who would twist John 2:17 into a command to be zealous
usually want to have people be zealous for their particular aspectof
Christianity-- a sect, denomination, a pet doctrine or practice. Such "zeal"
runs the high risk of becoming zeal without knowledge (ormore precisely,
with limited knowledge), partisanzeal(which is simple jealousy), or zeal
leading to persecutionof others-- and all are spokenagainstin the scriptures.
In unhealthy or cultic churches, this twisting of John 2:17 for "zeal" may
arise from a manipulative expectationthat everyone be outwardly enthusiastic
and extroverted (sometimes even to the point of trying to alter the personality
type from introverted to extroverted). This makes the group look more "fired
up" to outsiders (though it is artificially induced), and people in such a
revved-up state are more easily directed to various actions and activities
without exercising criticalor cognitive thought beforehand. In my experience,
this seems to be the real reasonwhy this passageis twisted into a command to
be "zealous."
Scriptural zealdoes not consistof artificially-induced, mindless or peppy
enthusiasm, but by a deliberate lifestyle and actions at criticaltimes based
upon truth. In fact, the zeal of Jesus here placed him in defiance of those in
authority who erroneouslythought they knew God's ways (ref. Psalm 69:8). In
this regard, zeal is more likely to be in opposition to the status quo than in
submission to it.

Christians must make sure their zeal is basedupon knowledge and is well-
directed. Zeal about something ought to be proportionate to its certainty, lest
it blind them to truth they do not yet perceive. True godly zeal may place
them in opposition to those who think they know God's ways, and it could lead
to hardships and even some form of destruction as it did Jesus.
The Temple and the Christian
For Jews, the temple was regardedas "God's house" (1 Chronicle 6:48, 9:13,
Matthew 12:4, etc.). When Psalm 69 speaks of"zealfor God's house," it
specificallyrelates to the temple as well as the Mosaic priesthoodand the
system of sacrificesthat were associatedwith it.
But in Christ, the law is put away:
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness foreveryone
who believes. (Romans 10:4)
Now that faith has come, we are no longerunder the supervision of the law.
(Galatians 3:25)
With the law put away, the priesthood and the temple lose their significance.
The temple itself was eventually destroyedin 70 AD by the Romans. For
Christians, the idea of "zealfor your house" (meaning the temple) is utterly
anachronistic.
Now the New Testamentuses the "temple" metaphor to describe the physical
body of a Christian (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)and the church (not a church
building, but the people, Ephesians 2:21). But one cannot be zealous towards

these and rightly claim to be following Psalm69:8 or John 2:17; one cannot be
zealous for a metaphor.
There is no Christian equivalent to the temple. In fact, in this passageJesus
likens himself to the temple (John 2:19), and elsewhere claimedto be greater
than the temple (Matthew 12:6). The one-time sacrifice of Christ is the
fulfillment of all the temple stood for:
8 First he said, "Sacrificesand offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you
did not desire, nor were you pleasedwith them" (although the law required
them to be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will."
He sets aside the first to establishthe second. 10 And by that will, we have
been made holy through the sacrifice ofthe body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again
and againhe offers the same sacrifices, whichcannever take awaysins. 12
But when this priest had offeredfor all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down
at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be
made his footstool, 14 becauseby one sacrifice he has made perfect forever
those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:8-14)
A Right Understanding of John 2:17
More could be said of this passage, but it seems that at leastthe following
observations are true about this passagewith respectto its context and
application.
Under the Law of Moses, the temple was considered"God's dwelling place"
or "God's house" (ref. Deuteronomy 12:11, 1 Chronicles 5:48, Ezra 1:5).

Further, the Law allowedtravelers to purchases animals for sacrifice at the
temple:
Be sure to setaside a tenth of all that your fields produce eachyear. 23 Eat the
tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and
flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a
dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God
always. 24 But if that place is too distant and you have been blessedby the
LORD your God and cannot carry your tithe (because the place where the
LORD will choose to put his Name is so far away), 25 then exchange your
tithe for silver, and take the silver with you and go to the place the LORD
your God will choose.26 Use the silver to buy whateveryou like: cattle, sheep,
wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish. Then you and your
household shall eatthere in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice.
(Deuteronomy 14:22-26)
It is evident that this practice had been corrupted in the time of Christ. It is
unclear exactly what the problem was. Does this mean it had turned into a
place where other (non-temple) business was also transacted? Doesit mean
that those selling were making an exorbitant profit, taking advantage of their
physical locationto rip off travelers from out of town who had no other
options? Or had the whole enterprise become secularizedor unspiritual to the
point where those involved didn't honor God anymore? Matthew 21:12 (the
"den of robbers" reference in a subsequent temple cleansing)suggests that
ripping off worshipers was in view.
By chasing these merchants out of the temple, he sought to restore the
practice to what was intended. But he also incurred the wrath of those who
benefited or profited from a corrupted system-- something he would
experience time and time again during his earthly ministry. In time this wrath

would lead to his crucifixion (compare John 2:19-20 with Mark 14:58 and
Mark 15:29). Thus, his zeal for the Lord's house consumedhim, leading to his
destruction.
This whole event is about Jesus being the Messiah. The apostles associatedthis
event with Psalm 69, pointing to them understanding Jesus as the Messiahas
well as refining contemporary ideas concerning the Messiah. In the time of
Christ, most Messianic expectationshad to do with conquering Rome and
ruling the nation. But the Messiahsuffering and being destroyedare in view
here.
Christians today ought to take note of Jesus objecting to man-made additions
to and corruptions of the commands and intentions of God as expressedin the
Law. To the extent that the New Testamentcontains commands and God's
intentions for Christians, Christians today also ought to objectwhen additions
and corruptions are introduced.
Contemporary church culture today often seems to care more about "what
works," whatis trendy or what appeals to the target demographic instead of
what God has actually saidin the scriptures. As Jesus'hearers were angry
about him confronting them, those invested in these additions and corruptions
might also be angry when confronted today.
It also follows that Christians ought to hold very looselyand humbly to all of
our own traditions and preferences. We should always examine them lestwe
corrupt and/or wrongly add to God's statedwill. We should also be wary that
these might damage the weakestmembers of the body or betray our own
worldly inclinations.

How tragic and ironic for Jesus to come to earth once and be destroyed by his
zeal for God's ways--expressedin his confronting corruptions of those ways--
only to have his followers corrupt his ways with their traditions and then
deserve the same sortof confrontation!
But this passage oughtnot be about getting wrapped up in questions about
zeal or traditions. Rather, it is about how Jesus is the Messiah, how his actions
were describedin a Psalmwritten a thousand years before he walkedthe
earth. It is about how his body became the new temple, how that temple was
destroyedand raised in three days as part of his plan for our redemption.
Like the restof the gospels:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)
Copyright © 2007 JohnEngler. All rights reserved.
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Barnabas Ministry Home
Can you saythat you are zealous for the Lord?
Zeal is not a common word these days. However, it is a necessityfor a
Christian in the world that we are living in!
Written by ActiveChristianity

(Click here to hear a recording of this article: “Canyou saythat you are
zealous for the Lord?”)
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am zealous for Jerusalemand for Zion with a
greatzeal.’” Zechariah 1:13-14.
God is a zealous God, and all of His true sons and daughters should be able to
say the same. It is written about Jesus – our forerunner and example: “Zeal
for Your house has eatenMe up.” John 2:17. All true followers ofJesus can
say: “Come, follow me, and see my zealfor the Lord.” 2 Kings 10:16.
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Zeal is a requirement
We need to see something as extraordinarily great and precious to be very
zealous for it. Paul said that when he saw the glory he could gain in Christ
Jesus, he counted everything in the world as loss and rubbish. (Philippians
3:7-11) That is zeal! Christ and the church

Many people use the word to denote the entire body of Christians, and others
to describe a certain denomination or group or even the physical building that
Christians gatherin. The Bible makes it clearthat the true ...
were his only interests in life. He had receivedenlightened and anointed eyes,
which meant that he could see and understand how great the life of a disciple
of Christ is. He was fully absorbedby his love for Christ, so he always knew
what he was working for, and he pursued it zealously. He also prayed
sincerelyfor others, that they could also getenlightened eyes of the heart, so
they could both see and understand their true calling. (Ephesians 1:18)
Now it is vital for us to understand our calling, and then to live it zealously.
We are surrounded by all kinds of evil spirit powers that want to enslave us
and hold us back. The spirits of indifference, laziness, immorality and
impurity want to gettheir hands on us. If we do not watchand fight with
sufficient zeal, we will soonfeel at home in this world and desire earthly
things. Then we will not view sin as serious as it actually is, and we will not be
too concernedabout a little bit of impurity, bitterness, unthankfulness,
bearing a grudge againstsomeone,etc. Jesus saidit would be better to tear
out your eye and cut off your hand than to sin. (Matthew 5:27-30)He had a
clearvision.
Our entire interest must be Christ and the preparation of the church for His
coming. This is where we need to use all our resources. Withoutzeal we will
not partake of the wisdom that will rule for all eternity. The Lord is very
zealous for you and me, to help us in all kinds of situations—ifwe are among
the wholehearted. He makes sure that not a single temptation is too hard for
us; He gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness.
Time is short
The darkness ofnight is quickly advancing over the earth. The time we have
left is short, and we have to be ready when Christ comes to collectthose who
belong to Him. He is purifying for Himself His ownspecialpeople, zealous for
goodworks. (Titus 2:14)

Mostpeople are zealous to defend their own honor and to earn money so they
can buy everything they desire. If you speak to them about how glorious it is
to deny yourself and suffer unjustly with joy, they usually cannot see any
glory in it at all.
However, if we love Christ more than our lusts, we have a zealous love. It does
not give in one millimeter to any kind of sin because ofweakness.It loves what
God loves, it hates what God hates, and it will always dwell where God dwells.
“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you
out of My mouth.” Revelation3:16. If we are in Christ and do not see
anything sufficiently glorious there, so that it keeps us from becoming
lukewarm and drawn awayby outward things, then we are not worthy of
being there either.
Time is getting short, so we need to encourage eachother evenmore to zealous
love and goodworks. (Hebrews 10:24-25)We have to test ourselves and make
sure we always possessanenthusiastic love for Jesus. How could we allow
even the leastsin to have power in our life, when we know that every sin
separates us from Christ?
Zeal will lead us to victory, growth and progress, and we will have fellowship
with the Father, the Son, and with eachother in the light. We canjoyfully
look for “the blessedhope and glorious appearing of our great God and
Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)
This article is basedon an article called “A greatzeal” written by Aksel J.
Smith, which was first published in BCC’s periodicalSkjulte Skatter(Hidden
Treasures)in July 1961.
"Zealfor Your House" Sermon: John 2:13-17

“Zealfor your House”
[John 2:13-17]
June 30, 2011 Old First Presbyterian
What does it mean to saythat Jesus had “zealfor [His] Father’s
house”? And what does it mean for us today?
The FeastofPassoverwas athand, so Jesus wentto Jerusalemto the
Temple to worship. We will remember that the Temple was the House of
God. It contained the “holy of holies” where on the high priest could only go
once a year, and then it had courtyards around it – for the Jewishmen, then
for the Gentile believers and women. It was a place of holiness and purity.
When Jesus enteredthe Temple, He found that people were selling
oxen and sheepand pigeons, and there were tables with money changers.
When Jesus saw them, He was filled with righteous anger – an “inflexible
righteousness”(Pink, 97). Why?
We might think that Jesus gotangry because people were selling things
in the Temple, but that is not the case. Itwas standard practice for the sake of
the worshipers that the animal sellers and the moneychangers were in the
Temple. Remember, the major things that were offered – sacrificed– in the
Temple were animals – and people were coming from all over Israel – and the
known world. Many of them would not have been able to bring animals with
them – they animals could well have died, been killed, or stolenon the way.
Also, the Temple had its own currency for monetary gifts. The Temple did
not acceptmoney other than its own, so people had to trade their foreign
money in for Temple currency. So Jesus was not angry about the selling of

animals ro the changing of money – those were goodand useful and approved
practices in the Temple.
So what was Jesus angryabout?
Jesus said, “Take these things away;do not make my Father’s house a
house of trade.” And. “It is written, ‘My house shall be calleda house of
prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13b, ESV).
Jesus was angrybecause the sellers of animals were selling dishonestly,
and the money changers were changing money dishonestly. The animal
sellers may have been selling animals that were sick rather than pure and
healthy animals, which God required. They may have been overcharging for
the animals, knowing that the people had nowhere else to go to getthe animals
they needed for sacrifice. And the money changers were likelypurposefully
giving the wrong change – using inaccurate weights and measures. Jesus was
angry because they were lying to make a profit off of the people trying to
worship. What they were doing is committing idolatry in the Temple of the
God of Israel.
Paul wrote, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual
immorality, impunity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, whichis
idolatry” (Colossians 3:5, ESV). Paul tells his readers that they are to put
awaythe earthly, sinful behaviors in which they once lived – one of which is
covetousness. Whatis covetousness? It’s desiring something that another
person has, believing that you deserve it more.
Covetousnesswouldbe like my saying, “I should have Donald Trump’s
money, because I would use it better.” Or, “My neighbor has a lawn service

take care of her yard, while I have to take care of my own yard. That’s not
fair – I should have the lawn service, not her, because I’m more deserving of
it.” Covetousness is more than just greed, which says, “Ideserve this.”
Covetousnesssays,“Ideserve this more than you.”
Why is covetousnessidolatry? Forthe same reasongreedis idolatry: it
replaces Godas our supreme delight with things. We put things – and
specificallyother people’s things – in the place of God. Things become more
dear to us than God.
That is what happened in the Temple: the animal sellers and money
changers had a legitimate role to play in helping people to worship, but they
had perverted their place with idolatry, with covetousness,with robbery.
They were not giving the people the animal or the change that their money
was worth, so they were stealing from them. They were saying, “I deserve
your money more than you do.” They were desecrating the Temple and
profaning the Name of God and His Worship. That is why Jesus was angry.
So, let us understand that the things that are right to do in worship
may be done sinfully. For example, it is goodand right to sing to the Lord,
but if we sing – and sing loudly – to make sure everyone hears how wonderful
our voice is – how much better our voice is from everyone else’s – that is sin.
Now, we might ask if Jesus had a right to be angry – and especiallya
right to reactas severelyas He did – overthrowing the tables, casting the sales
people out, and driving them out with a whip.
The answeris “yes,” fortwo reasons:

First, Jesus was right to act in angerthe wayHe did, because Jesus was
defending the holiness – the hallowednessofthe Name of His Father. Jesus
was making it clearthat the Temple was to be kept holy – set apart for God –
God is very protective of how He will be worshiped.
Second, Jesus was right to actin anger the way he did, because, if
Jesus’Fatheris the Almighty God – the God of Israel, then Jesus is also the
same One God – the God for Whom the Temple was built. So, what they were
doing was profaning His Name as Deity.
Then the disciples remembered what David had prophesied in Psalm
69:9, “Zealfor your house will consume me.”
What is “zeal”? Zealis intense enthusiasm or devotion. Zealis being
totally committed, sold-out, totally obsessedwith something or someone.
Jesus was intenselyenthusiastic about the Temple and it’s holiness.
Jesus was intenselydevoted to the Temple and it’s holiness. Jesus was totally
committed to the Temple and it’s holiness. Jesus wascompletelysold-out to
the Temple and it’s holiness. Jesus wastotally obsessedwith the Temple and
it’s holiness. BecauseHe was whole-heartedlydevoted to His Father and the
holiness of His Father’s Name.
What are you zealous about? Forwhat or whom would you cross an
ocean, a desert, climb a mountain, risk everything you have and everything
you are? Is there anything or anyone?

Jesus said, “Forthe sake of the purity and holiness of the Temple, for
the sake ofMy Father’s Name – and My Name, I am willing to throw all of
you out of the Temple.” The holy reverence of God’s Temple and God’s
Name was so great for Jesus, He was willing to cause a huge, public scene.
What are you zealous about?
The Temple was destroyedin 70 A.D., but our Triune God – the
Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit still live and reign, Sovereignover
all Creation. And Jesus taught us to pray, beginning this way, “Our Fatherin
heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:6b, ESV).
What do we mean when we petition God, “Hallowedbe your name”?
We are asking that God would be zealous for His Name – that God would see
that His Name is known and used rightly and not wrongly. We also petition
God to make us zealous for His Name – that we would use it rightly and not
wrongly.
Christians, Jesus was zealous to preserve and draw attention to the
holiness of His Father’s Name. We have been called to preserve and draw
attention to the holiness of God, our Father’s, Name. Do we love God enough
to zealous for His Name? Are we devoted enough?
Let us strive to be zealous for the holiness of God’s Name, doing all we
can to show God for Who He is, speaking the Truth of the Gospel – that God
came to earth in the Personof Jesus, lived under the Law, suffered, died, rose,
and ascendedback to His Throne at the Right Hand of the Father – saying
and doing those things that hallow the Name of God.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for being zealous for You Name. Help us
to be zealous for it that we might be joyful as Your children. For it is in Jesus’
Name we pray, Amen.
Postedby Rev. Dr. PeterA. Butler, Jr. at 7:47 PM
Jesus:The Zealous House-Cleaner
Sermon (Lectionary) by Martin Manuel from John 2:13-22
Today is the third Sunday of Lent. In church history, Lent was a time when
people prepared to be baptized on EasterSunday. It was also a time when
believers who had drifted awayfrom God were encouragedto examine their
lives and be restoredto genuine discipleship. For many Christians today, Lent
is a time of introspection that includes fasting—giving up something to seek
after God. It’s a time of cleansing and renewal, looking forwardto Easter.
Our Church Administration team in Glendora has prepared a Lenten sermon
series for pastor’s to draw from this spring.
John Wesleymade this statementin one of his sermons:“Cleanliness is next to
godliness.” Thoughnot in the Bible his statement has been embracedby many
as a principle for godly living. Spring cleaning hasn’t quite begun in the
snowyNorth, but our Spring has Sprung, so I have a question for you today:
Is your house clean? Eventhe most scrupulous among us will admit that our
homes getdirty quickly and are not easyto clean. Some may be able to hire a
house-cleaner, but the responsibility for a home’s cleanliness still lies with its
owner! Sometimes we become so accustomedto the clutter that we don’t see
it as a problem.
#2- Hoarders Vid Clip- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_6Wm4tbWRc

Today we will see that spiritual cleanliness is, indeed, next to godliness. The
Bible doesn’t have much to say about the dust and dirt that accumulates in
our homes, it does saya lot about sin and its effecton us, and thus the
necessityfor spiritual cleansing.
Our Gospelreading today in John 2:13-22 is about cleansing—specifically, the
time Jesus cleansedthe temple in Jerusalem, casting outthe money changers
and others defiling God’s house. A few weeks ago Iaddressedsome of the
ways in which Jesus was acting out of who He is in this bold and disruptive
confrontation that day in the temple, and the severalways in which his act
was symbolic of His person. How should we view Jesus’passionfora clean
temple today? Jesus was and is a zealous house-cleaner! Todaywe will see
that spiritual cleansing is a key focus of his ongoing ministry through the
Spirit, and we will be reminded of the spiritual disciplines that help us
participate in our Lord’s house-cleansing work.
The events of John 2 occurduring Jesus’first visit to Jerusalem after his
public ministry began. Matthew, Mark and Luke mention a similar event late
in Jesus’ministry, so perhaps there were two such events. Jerusalemmeets
the anointed visitor
At the time of the PassoverJesustraveledto Jerusalemfor the festival was
common practice and probably an annual trip for Jesus. While consideredby
some to be a rabbi, this time he traveled in his newly identified role, much
more than a rabbi, He is the Messiah—God’s anointed. Note John’s account:
#3- When it was almosttime for the JewishPassover, Jesuswentup to
Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheepand
doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. (John 2:13-14)
Crowds swelledaround the temple at Passover. Jewishpilgrims, coming from
near and far to participate through animal sacrifices atthe temple, found it
convenient to purchase their sacrifices nearby. Entrepreneurial merchants
took advantage, selling in the temple courts live animals and birds ready for
the altar. Others found business opportunities in currency exchange. This
marketplace in the temple courts not only reduced the space there for people
to assemble in worship, but fostereda secularatmosphere that was

inconsistentwith the purpose of those sacredcourts. It dishonored the God of
Israelfor whom the temple had been built. Jesus probably bristled every time
he saw this going on, but this time, he decided to do something about it:
#4- So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts,
both sheepand cattle;he scatteredthe coins of the money changers and
overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of
here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:15-16)
#5 – “I don’t always clearthe temple, but When I do, I make my own chord”
Jesus’bold act caught the attention of everyone nearby—perhaps the more
pious among temple attendees, feeling powerless to overrule the permissions
of the religious leaders, likedwhat he did. Others may have felt intimidated by
these forceful actions.
Jesus was indeed forceful, but not violent. No one, selleror buyer, was hurt
and even the doves were not releasedfrom their protective cages.
Nevertheless,Jesus’ acts drew attention, instantly affecting the attitudes of the
people in the courts. Even more alarming was Jesus’assertionthat the temple
belongednot to the marketers but to his Father!Two strong but radically
different reactions were expressed:
#6- His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zealfor your house will
consume me.” The Jews then respondedto him, “What signcan you show us
to prove your authority to do all this?” (John 2:17-18)
Jesus’followers saw in Jesus’acts and words King David’s reverent approach
to worship expressedin Psalm69—a reverence not sharedby the average
Israelite. The other group, irreverent and arrogant, challengedJesus to prove
that he had authority to take suchradical action. Jesus’reply to them was
cryptic:
“Destroythis temple, and I will raise it againin three days” (John 2:19).
This confrontation occurredin one of the courts that surrounded the temple.
This magnificent temple, originally constructedby King Solomon, rebuilt
after the Jews returned from their exile to Babylon, and recently restoredby

King Herod, was in full view. Jesus’commentconfounded his detractors who
replied, “It has takenforty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to
raise it in three days?” (John 2:20). They viewed what Jesus saidas
blasphemy. Later, when Jesus was ontrial before the JewishSanhedrin, one
person calledto witness againsthim recalledthese words of Jesus, prompting
the high priest to make a demand that led to Jesus’condemnation(Matt.
26:61-64).
Although the disciples may not have understood Jesus’remarks, they believed
in him, and that belief stirred them to listen to and considerhis words. They
did not forget them either, recalling them after Jesus’resurrection:
But the temple he had spokenof was his body. After he was raisedfrom the
dead, his disciples recalledwhat he had said. Then they believed the scripture
and the words that Jesus had spoken. (John2:21-22)
This later reflectionresulted in deeperunderstanding of the Scriptures and
strongerfaith in Jesus. Theyrealized that Jesus’prophetic statementwas part
of a large collectionof evidence that confirmed their Lord’s true identity.
#7- What does cleansing the temple mean to us?
The temple in Jerusalemwas destroyedin AD 70. Besides serving as a meeting
place for Jesus’followers in Jerusalemshortly after the beginning of the
church, the temple had no lasting relevance to them. Within a few years they
were forced to find places to meet far beyond Jerusalem. So whatsignificance
is this temple episode to Jesus’followers then, and to us today?
The Passoverwas traditionally precededby a time of personalceremonial
cleansing of Jewishpilgrims. That cleansing is mentioned in John 11:
#8 – John 11:55 When it was almost time for the JewishPassover, many went
up from the country to Jerusalemfor their ceremonialcleansing before the
Passover.
Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this about this cleansing:This was either,
first, a necessarypurification of those who had contractedany ceremonial
pollution; they came to be sprinkled with the waterof purification, and to

perform the other rites of cleansing according to the law, for they might not
eat the passoverin their uncleanness… Or, secondly, [it was]a voluntary
purification, or self-sequestration, by fasting and prayer, and other religious
exercises,whichmany that were more devout than their neighbors spent some
time in before the Passover, and chose to do it at Jerusalem, because ofthe
advantage of the temple-service.
Given this tradition of individual pre-Passovercleansing Jesus cleansing of
the temple makes a lot of sense. In doing so, Jesus showedthe importance of
community spiritual house-cleaning.
But more importantly, Jesus’actat the temple demonstrated who he was and
is—the Sonof God the Father. He reinforced this fact by reminding those who
witnessedthe house-cleaning that the temple belongedto his Father.
Jesus spoke ofthe temple as being a symbol of his human body. That body
was crucified in Jerusalemthree years later, fulfilling this prophetic
statement. After Jesus was raisedto life and ascendedinto heaven, his body
came to be understood as the church. Note what Paul said in his letter to the
church in Corinth:
Now you [Christians] are the body of Christ, and eachone of you is a part of
it. And God has placed in the church… (1 Cor. 12:27-28)
#9- What does cleansing the temple mean to us?
Cleansedby the word
At times, the new covenanttemple of God, the church, just like the ancient
temple in Jerusalem, is in need of a house-cleaning. Providing that cleansing is
one of Jesus’jobs. Note what Paul says in Ephesians 5: Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the
washing with waterthrough the word, and to present her to himself as a
radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and
blameless. (Eph. 5:25)
Paul uses three metaphors to speak of the church: body, temple and bride. All
three help explain Jesus’cleansing work—firstthrough his blood at the cross,

then through the Holy Spirit working in the lives of Jesus’followers through
the word.
The church consists of “saints”—thosewho have receivedthe forgiveness
Jesus has purchased for them, and thus are set apart as God’s dearly beloved
children, his “holy ones.” Butwe are saints who sometimes sin, and so Jesus
works within the church, through the Spirit, to cleanse us both individually
and corporately. Examples:The ProtestantReformationthat occurred500
years ago. Another is the reformation that came to our fellowship, starting
about 30 years ago. In both cases, the written word of God played a central
role in that cleansing.
As Jesus visited the temple in Jerusalem, the living Christ in heaven
spiritually visits the Church through the indwelling presence ofthe Holy
Spirit. What does the living Jesus encounterin his visits today? Does he, from
time to time, need to address abuses by individuals who persistin making
themselves wealthy at the expense of those they are called to serve? Does he
have to confront leaders who use political alliances to exercise powerat the
pulpit and in their communities? Billy Graham tried to distance himself from
politics while remaining available and serving any national leader’s needs.
Time: ‘I Loved ‘Em All.’ Inside Billy Graham’s PowerfulRelationship With
U.S. Presidents “As the years went by and the Presidents came to realize that
he wasn’t quoting them and that they could talk about their personal
problems in private, they could pray togetherwithout them reading about it
in the papers, he became the indispensable man and their unofficial pastor. “I
loved ’em all,” he said. “I admired them all. I knew they had burdens beyond
anything I could know or understand.”
#10
We can be sure that the church, the temple of God in the world today,
belongs to the Father, Son and Spirit, and whatever cleansing it needs, it will
receive from the zealous living Christ,
by the Spirit. How are we to participate in this cleansing? Simple: continue

to trust in the blood of Jesus that removes the stain of sin; be willing to confess
sin that manages to reappearlike dirt in our lives; and consistentlyand
persistently receive the word of God that through the Holy Spirit cleanses us
within.
#11 – Our participation
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
The conceptof Lent as merely a time to give up something fails to see that
corrupting things must be replacedby holy things. Jesus oustedthose who
illicitly occupiedthe temple courts so that his people could make use of them
for prayer. If you’ve chosento fast this Lent (and that’s good!), I also
recommend you fill the space createdwith something better. What about
replacing time wasters, sin-enticing entertainment, and temptations to
overindulge with hunger and thirst for God’s word?
Today’s Gospellessonis an invitation for eachof us, through prayer, to ask
Jesus to visit us and our congregationfor the spiritual cleansing that will help
us conform more fully to him—to share more actively in his holiness. The
spiritual disciplines can be daily stimulants to such spiritual growth, and Lent
can serve as an opportunity to establishor strengthen the habit of practicing
these spiritual disciplines daily. At the conclusionof the sermon this
afternoonI’ll lead us in a corporate prayer of confessionbefore the invitation
to the Lord’s table.
Conclusion
Given that we have indoor plumbing, it strikes us as odd to learn that royalty
long ago would say, “I take a bath once a month, whether I need it or not.”
Just as we appreciate whata bath or showerdoes to cleanse ourhuman
bodies, we also appreciate the spiritual cleansing Jesus brings to his body, the
church (whether it realizes its need for cleansing ornot).

Jesus’blood cleansesus from the guilt of sin. Jesus’word, through the work
of the Holy Spirit, cleansesus within from the practice of sin. Lent is a
reminder to us eachyear of our need for both corporate and personal
cleansing that comes not by us, but by Jesus Christthe zealous house-cleaner.
Of and by itself, fasting does not cleanse us spiritually. However, it does focus
our attention on our walk with the Lord. It helps us to be willing participants
in the cleansing the Holy Spirit is doing by the word of God. May we all be
willing participants. Amen.
Prayer of Confession:
Loving and compassionate God, Triune God of infinite goodnessand mercy,
God of perfect justice, we praise you as the one who brings true and lasting
victory over sin! We thank you that your word lights our path, and that you
grant us wisdomand courage for the living of every day. You disciple us with
your love, you sanctify us by your Spirit, conforming us to Christ, establishing
in us our true identity, who we are meant to be. Lord you facedthe cross on
our behalf, and you move us to surrender our selfish interests to your greater
purpose for us in the world. Everfaithful God, we confess corporatelythat
we are not. In Jesus Christ you serve us freely, but too often we withhold that
service from others. In your greatmercy, forgive us and cleanse us. Maywe
sense your presence this afternoon even as we pause now for personalsilent
confession… Leadus once againto your table and unite us to Christ, the
bread of life and the true vine who nourishes our growth in your grace and
truth.
What does John 2:17 mean?
Jesus was certainlyhumble, gentle, friendly, and loving. And yet, He was not
the soft-skinned, passive sageseenso oftenin works ofart. Reading what He
endured at the cross vouches forHis physical fitness. But the gospels also
describe Jesus as passionate,direct, quick-minded, and brave. A fragile
pushover could never have single-handedly cleareda courtyard full of

merchants, or stoodHis ground againstthe commotion that came after. The
disciples are reminded of Psalm 69:9, which refers to the Messiah. "Zeal" is
defined as "passion, energy, and devotion." Jesus'passionfor the purity of the
temple is clear.
At the same time, His anger is controlled. Recall that Jesus didn't pick up a
whip, or pull one out of his belt. According to verse 15, He made the whip,
which requires a purposeful, intentional act. There is no biblical reasonto
think Jesus harmed anyone, or any animal, or damaged any property. And
yet, He single-handedly drove out all of the vendors and moneylenders,
without being arrestedor mobbed. This says a lot about the powerful presence
Christ must have had. Even so, this kind of incident generatedhatred from
the localreligious leaders, who would eventually "consume" and kill Jesus.
https://www.bibleref.com/John/2/John-2-17.html
John 2:13-22
Zeal for Thy House
Check out these helpful resources
Biblical Commentary
Childern’s Sermons
Hymn Lists
John 2:13-22
Zeal for Thy House
By Dr. Philip W. McLarty
Have you ever gottenhookedon something? There used to be an early
childhood reading program called, “HookedonPhonics.” The idea was, once

children get the hang of sounding out words, they can read almost anything.
So, you help the child sound out the first syllable of a word – ka – then the
second– ta – then the third – la – then the consonant – k – you put them
together, and – Voila!, you have the word: Cadillac!Baby wants a Cadillac!
Well, that may not be a goodexample, but you getthe point – once kids figure
out the system, they get hookedon phonics and they start sounding out every
word, every sign, everything they see. It opens up a whole new world of
discoveryto them, to the point they can’tget enough of it. They’re hooked.
So, let me ask again, have you ever gotten hookedon something? Have you
ever takenan interestin something and, the more you delved into it, the more
you wanted to know and do, to the point that it consumedyour every waking
moment?
I have a friend who got interestedin World War II wartime advertisements.
Don’task me why. We were in seminary at the time, and, betweenclasses, he’d
traipse off to Half-Price Books andbrowse through old copies ofLife
Magazine. When he found one of particular interest, he’d buy the magazine
and take it home. They sold for fifty cents a piece back then. In time, his
interest in Life Magazine exceededhis interest in wartime advertisements. He
started collecting allthe back issues he could find. He was hooked. I don’t
know how long it took him, but he managedto acquire at leastone copy of
every issue of Life from 1936 through 1946. You should see it. It’s quite a
collection.
So, what’s all this gotto do with the scripture lessons fortoday? First, let’s
look at the Old Testament. The Psalmistcries out,
“Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold.
I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me…
Becausefor your sake,I have borne reproach.
Shame has coveredmy face.

I have become a strangerto my brothers,
an alien to my mother’s children.
For the zeal of your house consumes me…” (Psalms 69:1-2, 7-9)
Let’s assume the Psalmistwas a devout Jew. Perhaps he was a cantor or
scribe. He’s kept the kosherfood laws, strictly observedthe Sabbath and
studied the Torah day in and day out. I picture him with a long beard, his
sideburns curled into ringlets, with a phylactery on his foreheadso as to keep
God’s Word on his mind at all times. He stands out because ofhis zeal.
And because ofhis zealfor God, he has become the objectof ridicule. And so
he cries out, “Becauseforyour sake, I have borne reproach…Forthe zealof
your house consumes me…”
Still he keeps the faith. He can live with the scorn. All that matters to him is to
be faithful and sing God’s praise. And so, he says, “But as for me, my prayer is
to you, Yahweh…”
This is where the gospellessonfortoday ties in. Jesus went to the Temple in
Jerusalem. It was Passover. The city was crowdedwith faithful pilgrims from
all over the Mediterraneanwho’dcome to make a sacrifice to Yahweh and
pay their yearly Temple tax.
When he gotto the Temple it was a beehive of activity. Merchants were
everywhere selling animals without blemish. I suppose you could fault them
for making a profit, but then, they were providing a service. Pilgrims couldn’t
be expected to haul a bull or a ram or even a baby lamb severalhundred
miles. Besides, the animals had to be spotless. WaryTemple inspectors were
sure to find fault.
And what about the coins required for the Temple tax? Every country had its
own currency. Moneychangerswere a necessaryevil, even if their rates were
high.

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The point is this was the acceptedpractice of the day. What right did Jesus, a
carpenter’s sonfrom Galilee, have upsetting the status quo? Well, he didn’t
have any right. And even if he did, he should’ve takenhis case before the
Sanhedrin, the JewishCouncil. But then, he wasn’tasking forpermission. He
was absolutelyand totally devoted to God, and nothing was going to stop him.
And so, John says,
“He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple…
he said, ‘Takethese things out of here!
Don’tmake my Father’s house a marketplace!'”
It was then, as the chaos erupted, that his disciples remembered the words of
the Psalmist, “Zealfor your house will eatme up.” (John 2:15-17)It was
prophetic: Jesus’zealfor God’s house would lead to the Cross.
So, what do you think? Is anything that important, that it would be worth
losing your life over?
Dietrich Bonhoefferthought so. He was a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany,
who joined the resistance effortin an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler. The
plot was discovered, and he was arrestedand imprisoned. In his letters from

prison, Bonhoefferexpressedno regret. He said he would rather die
courageouslydefending a noble cause than to be associatedwith Hitler’s great
atrocities. In the end, his zeal led to his death. Only his memory and his
writings survive.
Looking back on the history of this nation, you’ll find any number great
patriots who were willing to devote their lives and their fortunes to the cause
of freedom.
One of my most treasuredChristmas gifts this year was the book, 1776,by
David McCullough. It’s a brilliant historicalaccountof George Washington
and the key role he played in defeating the British and establishing the
DeclarationofIndependence. Month after month, Washington weatheredthe
harsh winters of New England and the criticism of British sympathizers, yet
he didn’t give up. Often, he longedto go back home to Mt. Vernon, instead, he
stayed the course because the cause of freedom was too great. In the end, his
zeal led to the sovereigntyof our nation and to his rightful place of honor as
the father of our country.
The more you’re committed to Christ and his kingdom, the less the things of
this world matter. The cause of peace and love and justice becomes all
consuming.
That’s just the opposite of what the early Christians in Laodicea experienced.
They weren’tzealous about anything. Consequently, they were the targetof
one of Jesus’ harshestjudgments. He said,
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold,
I will vomit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation3:15-16)
With all the building renovation and expansiongoing on around here, it’s not
hard to find folks who have a zeal for God’s house. I won’tcalltheir names,
but I’d like to recognize the members of the building committee who’ve spent
countless hours with the architect, the contractorand the various workers to

coordinate all the different aspects ofthe construction. We owe them a debt of
gratitude.
I’d also like to recognize our Business Manager, Andy Pate, and what has
become a new component of the Property Committee – a little subcommittee
that’s overseeing the sprucing up of the office area as you come in the Carter
Creek entrance. They’ve spenta lot of time and effort enhancing this area
where visitors often get their first impressions of the church.
Of course, the Property Committee and the Worship Committee have been
working behind the scenes foreverto keepthe church functional and
attractive. And individuals like Jack Curry are unsung heroes whenit comes
to everyday maintenance. We have a lot of people around here who share a
zeal for God’s house.
But it’s not simply God’s house – i.e., the church building and property – we’re
calledto be zealous about; more importantly, it’s the work of the church and
its outreach into the community.
As the little children’s song goes,
“The church is not a building,
the church is not a steeple;
The church is not a resting place,
the church is the people.”
In that regard, there are a lot of people in this congregationwhosezealfor the
gospelis nothing short of remarkable. Forexample, I know of one individual
whose passionin life is to see that every family in the Bryan-College Station
area has the opportunity to owna comfortable, affordable home. That’s a tall
order, but she’s notgoing to restuntil it becomes a reality.
I know of another individual who’s doing everything humanly possible to put
drunk drivers off the streets. And another who wants to make sure every child
who gets into the court system because ofabuse or neglector domestic
violence has a caring adult on his/her side.

Want to hearabout more? Let me tell you about a member of this
congregationwho spends one day a week distributing food at the Church
FoodPantry. Or another who devotes her day off to delivering Meals on
Wheels. Or another who volunteers during the week to work on Habitat
houses. There’sno telling how many hundreds of hours he’s donated.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. I find your footprints all over town. And
it makes me proud to know that members of this congregationare out there
putting their faith into action, sharing the GoodNews of God’s love, not only
in word, but in deeds of loving kindness.
And that leads to my closing comment. It comes in the form of a question:
What do you think?
When it comes to being zealous for God’s house – i.e., for Christ and his
kingdom – is there such a thing as too much zeal?
I think not. I think the more zealous you are for Christ and his kingdom and
the more you taste the fruits of eternal life, the more you want. You get
hooked, so that the more you do, the more you want to do, until it becomes
your burning passion– a fire within that can’tbe quenched.
In 1898, a salesmannamed John Nicholsonstayedat the Central Hotel in
Boscobel, Wisconsin. The hotel was full, and he was askedto share his room
with another man named Samuel Hill. Just before going to bed, Nicholson
beganreading his Bible. Hill askedif he could join in. The two men read the
Bible and prayed together. They became friends. Long story short, they
stayed in touch, and, in time, formed an associationfortraveling salesmen
with the goalof placing a Bible at the front desk of every hotel in the United
States. Thatsoongrew to placing a Bible in every room of every hotel in the
United States!And that grew also to placing a Bible in the hands of every man
and woman in the military, every child enrolled in public schooland every
patient in every hospital in the country.
Well, the names of John Nicholsonand Samuel Hill are long forgotten, but, to
this day, their passion, their zeal, lives on in the work of the group they
formed – the Gideons.

“Zealfor your house will eat me up,” the Psalmistcried. It consumed Jesus, as
well. It’ll consume you and me, if we let it. But then, can you think of a better
way to go?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Copyright 2003, Philip W. McLarty
Godly ZealAnd Ungodly Extremism
April 19, 2018
Save Article
"
Titus 2:11-15, 3:8-11
(RA-2227, Programs: 1618& 1718, Airdates: 04.22.18 & 04.29.18)
INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul told Titus to be zealous ofgoodworks.
This word “zealous” has the idea ofbeing on fire.
Titus 2:11-15
Godly zealdisplays the grace ofGod.
Almighty Godwants us to be on fire forHim.
Revelation3:15-16

But there is a misguided zeal, knownas fanaticismorungodlyextremism, that
is ugly.
Extremism distorts the grace ofGod.
GODLY ZEAL THAT DISPLAYS THE GRACE OF GOD (Titus 2:14)
What should we be zealous about?
Worship
John2:17
Jesus was movedto angerwhenthe house of Godwas takenoverby carnality.
Revelation2:4
The Lord did not rebuke the church atEphesus because theydidn’t love Him;
He rebukedthem for not loving Him with that first love.
This is that honeymoonlove.
Half-heartedworshipis an insult to Almighty God.
If He is worth anything, He is worth everything.
Truth
Titus 2:11, 15
We are to be zealous aboutthe Word ofGod.
Titus 2:11talks aboutthe grace ofGod.
Without grace, we have no Christianity.
Titus 2:13talks aboutthe deity of Christ.
Jesus is God.
Titus 2:13also talksaboutthe secondcoming ofJesus Christ.
The only hope for the worldis the secondcoming ofJesus.

Titus 2:14talks aboutredemption.
We should never letgo of these truths.
It is better to be divided by truth than be united in error.
Matthew 10:34
The most divisive force onEarth is Jesus Christ.
Holiness
Titus 2:12, 14
This passage doesnotsaythatwe are an “odd” people, buta “peculiar” people.
When we walk in holiness, we willbe different from the world.
Service
Titus 2:14
We should be zealous aboutserving the Lord.
When we have zeal, whenwe love Jesus as we ought, manyproblems around us
will be solved.
The attendance problem
We will desire to attend church.
When we love God, we love whatGodloves.
Matthew 18:20
The giving problem
When we love, we wantto give.
We cangive without loving, but we cannotlove without giving.
The service problem
When we are zealous forGod, we wantto serve Him.

We may serve Him by working in the nursery at church, by singing in the
choir, etc.
The evangelismproblem
John21:16-17
The disagreement problem
If we love God, we willlove one another.
Godly zealtakes us beyondlukewarmmoderation.
Revelation3:16
Revelation3:19
UNGODLYEXTREMISM THAT DISTORTSTHE GRACE OF GOD (Titus
3:8-11)
If the enemy cannotkeepus from being zealous, he willwant to make us
extremists.
This is a misguided zeal, a fanaticismthat is divisive.
We are to live by principles, but we cantake a principle and move it to an
extreme and distort it.
Philippians 4:5
There is a perfectbalance in the Word of Godbetweenbeing zealous andbeing
moderate.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
Those who are unreasonable have no flexibility nor balance, andtheydo
incalculable harm to the cause ofChrist.
Ungodly extremism is foolish.
Titus 3:9

There are those who pride themselves as being theologians, butthey have no
relationship to that which really matters in a church.
Ungodly extremism is fractious.
Titus 3:9
The words “contentions andstrivings” have the idea of bickering, judging and
criticizing.
Oftentimes, fanatics are self-centeredandself-willed.
Jude 19
People candivide in churches overincidentals.
Churches candivide overmusic.
Proverbs 25:20
There is music that is more fitting at certaintimes, but we should not become
extreme.
Some canbecome extremists overthe waywe worship.
1 Timothy 2:8
1 Corinthians 14:40
If we draw attention to ourselves ratherthan point attentionto Jesus, thenwe
are not worshipping.
Ungodly extremism is fruitless.
Titus 3:9
We cantake goodandright things and turn them into an unprofitable exercise
through fanaticism.
Quiet time
We canbecome legalistic withourquiet time with the Lord.

Bible study
We should study the Bible, but we shouldn’t become legalisticwithit.
Forinstance, it’s a sinto be reading the Bible when we should be praying or
playing with the grandchildren.
There is enoughtime in every day to do everything gracefullythat Godwants
us to do.
Bible study canbecome a burden rather than a blessing by extremism.
The matter of separation
Matthew 9:9-13
We are to be separate fromsinners but not isolatedfrom them.
Service
We canbe extreme in our service to the Lord.
We canbecome so extreme thatwe run ourselves into the ground and cause
harm to our health or to our family.
A fanatic is someone who losesdirectionanddoubles his speed.
Self-denial
We sometimes take the Biblical principle of self-denialto anextreme to mean
that Christians cannotexperience fun or joy.
Ecclesiastes5:18
1 Timothy 6:17
We do experience sacrifice, butthere is joy in the Lord Jesus.
Ungodly extremism is fatal.
Titus 3:10-11
We miss the grace ofGodthrough extremism.

Many people are not Christians due to the fanaticismthey see inothers.
Misguidedzealdoes not help the cause ofChristbut sets itback.
Luke 9:54-56
God’s plan was to bring a revival to Samaria, notdestruction.
Luke 22:47-51
Peterwas subjectto misguidedzeal.
What is wrong with extremism?
We fight the wrong enemy.
Ephesians 6:12
Malchus was notPeter’s enemyin Luke 22.
The people we oftenattack are slaves to Satan.
We fight with the wrong weapon.
2 Corinthians 10:4
In Acts 2, Peteruseda different sword, the Swordofthe Spirit, and many
trusted in Jesus Christ.
We fight with the wrong energy: the energyofthe flesh.
Mark 14:38
Every extremistor fanatic obeys the energyofthe flesh ratherthan walk in the
Spirit.
We fight with the wrong attitude.
James 1:20
In Peter’s caseinLuke 22, he was arguing whenhe should have been listening
to whatJesus hadbeenand was saying.

Peterwas also sleeping whenhe should have beenpraying.
CONCLUSION
Titus 3:1-3
We should let the beauty ofthe love of Jesus shine in and through us.
We are to be zealous ofgoodworks forthe Lord.
Neverlose yourpassion.
Neverlose yourfire.
Neverlose yourjoy.
We also shouldnot let the enemy turn us into an extremist.
There is a sweetreasonableness inserving the Lord.
Do you know Jesus personally? Ifnot, youcanpray to Him todayby asking
Him to come into your life.
Callupon Jesus today. Repent(turn) fromyour sins, andturn to Jesus. Ask
Him to forgive you of your sins, andacknowledgeHimas Lord of your life.
Romans 3:23
Romans 10:9-10
Romans 10:13
https://www.lwf.org/sermon-outlines/godly-zeal-and-ungodly-extremism
Can you explain what John 2:17 means? - AFTB
Posted on Jun 16, 2014

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