Zion’s Lord
For the Lord’s Day:  the 27^th of June 2004 

John 2: 12-22

Introduction:  In the time of King Herod the Great, much time and treasure had been spent on enlarging and remodeling the Temple complex.  And because of the Mediterranean wide Pax Romana, many Jews were able to travel and trade widely, returning home for the Passover from all over the Middle East.  These Jewish travelers came to offer sacrifices and to worship their God.  All well and good if the appropriate animals were available at reasonable cost.  However, there were several very serious scams being run by the Temple Traders in connivance with the priestly class.

Even, if an animal or bird that met the biblical standards of purity, it was likely to be rejected so that the worshipper would be forced to purchase from the Temple Precincts.  Given the fact that as many as two million people might be in Jerusalem for the Passover, we can well appreciate that lamb was indeed a precious commodity during the Passover season.  Yet, the ordinary economic principles were not the guiding force in this regard.  William Barclay, whose history is about all we can trust, tells us that the Temple prices were exorbitant beyond reason.

In addition – the pilgrim was obligated to pay an annual Temple Tax of one half-shekel (or two day’s wages).  Unfortunately, this tax could only be paid in the local coin, because all foreign currencies were considered unclean.  Therefore the weary travelers had to exchange their money before paying their annual dues.  In all these transactions – the Old Covenant Church leaders fleeced their flock indeed.  In point of fact, the Temple profits in these exchanges were grossly enormous.  The monetary exchange fee alone, was equal to a day’s pay for the average person. 

I am reminded of the “Silver Eagles” that our own government sells for collectors.  The one ounce silver content is worth about five or six dollars ordinarily.  The ordinary person must purchase these, not directly from the government but from a trader in coins.  This is where the consumer must be careful, because in any given year a “Silver Eagle” can be purchased for as little as seven dollars or for as much as thirteen if they are not wise and careful.  You can easily guess what the Temple silver in Jesus’ day was equivalent to!  Now, let us be certain to observe that an ordinary charge for monetary exchange was allowed by Jewish and Roman law.  But, a whole day’s pay for such an exchange was unconscionable!  This and all the other spiritual corruption evident in the Temple Precincts roused the righteous wrath of God in Christ, as it rightfully should.

Development:  John Calvin notes that there are two reasons why Christ should be zealous about His house.  The first we have already noted, the priests obviously misused the necessary obligations of the people to line their own pockets.  The second reason that Jesus tackles the priests head on is to establish His divine authority and by means of the crisis to call attention to the abuses of the Old Covenant Church in order that the New Covenant reformation might be accomplished.

As the proper heir of the Father and therefore the rightful owner of the Temple, Jesus thunders indignantly:  “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”  The Disciples we should note here are more astute than ordinary.  While they may remain theologically ignorant for many more months, they do indeed comprehend the incredible bravery of the Savior in challenging the ordinary practices of relieving the Pilgrims of their treasure!  Immediately “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’”  Calvin notes that there is more to that verse which remained unquoted:  “and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.”

David writes anxiously, in defense of God’s glory, so that we understand he would willingly accept the reproaches of the wicked, rather than they reproach God Himself.  Some years ago, when Bob Stump intercepted the email from the Tulip pages, he sent on the good stuff to me.  When I asked him, if we always got good emails, he answered: that we did not, he noted that it was his practice not to worry me with any unworthy complaints - a faithful service indeed!  But, the really important point in this extended passage is this:  how willing are we in our day to accept the insults of the world which are aimed at Jesus Christ.  After all, as the psalmists and gospel writers understand it: God is almightily beyond their ability to damage, but we are all too often within their sights.  A young man I know told me that a lady he knew had grown up within a coven.  One night under the influence of who knows what, she and two friends were commissioned to burn the house of a Christian family.  Providentially they did not accomplish their devilish task and eventually she repented of her pagan activities and involvement.

Do we consider the receiving of insults against our Lord as an honor or do we simply wish that we might live a quiet life without enduring a small portion of the worldly disgust for our risen Lord?  Some years ago, I came home from school one cold winter day.  I went to the barn to check on the animals and noticed that the water warmer for the sheep had gotten out of their trough.  I walked over and seeing that it was still plugged in, I gasped as I noticed the red coals where the straw was almost ready to ignite.  I put the fire out and replaced the heater.  Looking around suspiciously, I found a crumpled beer can – which could not have come from anyone in the family.  I just knew that arson was intended, because the last I knew – the sheep had not learned to untie the twine which kept the heater safely in the tank and neither did they know how to climb the ladder for fresh straw!  I never got to the bottom of the problem, but at that time there was more than the usual devilment ongoing in the public sector?  These of course as small things in the grand scheme of things and as the Glorious Gospel of John unfolds we will see how prophetic the words of David would become.

The Temple authorities confront the Lord, even as the disciples probably anticipated.  They demanded to know by what authority Jesus had run out the merchants?  “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”  And Jesus quickly announced “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”  As they basked in their worldly ignorance – they presumed wrongly that He was talking about their Temple instead of Himself.  As we quickly see in the text, even the disciples had to wait many months to put this announcement in the proper perspective.

Now, with what was Jesus really upset that caused Him to challenge the Old Covenant Church leaders?  One commentator, R.V.G. Tasker suggests that “Jesus’ concern here is for the purity of worship.  And this purity of worship will be one of the factors leading to His death.”  Is it really the merchandising that is the object here, or as part of the divine plan is this event a step leading to the eventual overthrow of the entire sacrificial system so that men my learn to worship God “in Spirit and in truth?”  Given the differences between the various Gospel accounts, Calvin observes that there must have been at least two different cleansings to firmly establish the claims of Christ to His own worship.  But the Jews interpret His words in a materialistic sense and ridicule His absurd claim to be able to achieve an architectural impossibility.  Yet within a generation, the Temple and its system of sacrifices will cease for all time, just as Jesus will prophecy before the Jews take His life on the cross.

Tasker observes that one reason the Temple had to be destroyed was because of the unspiritual nature of the worship offered there.  Too easily the, given the corruption of the elders – the worshippers missed the point of the sacrifices as a sin offering.  Like the worldly imitations of the pagan religions, people often thought that the sacrifices could buy attention and a future.  The very system that was to point the way to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus was all too often abused and misunderstood.

Application:  Is this why so many, many times in history both Covenant Churches must be reformed and redefined.  If we take just the area of New Covenant music, twice or even thrice in the history of the Christian Church, the music of the Church has become the focus of enjoyment and entertainment rather than purely pointed worship.  Once in the ancient church and again in the Reformation, the polyphonic entertainment aspect of the church’s music was simplified.  Both Calvin and Luther replaced the large and ornate choirs of the Roman ritual with hymns and the original psalms in tunes that even the common worshippers could sing 

For three hundred of those years since the Reformation at least a portion of the church continued the ancient practice of singing only from the Psalms.  But finally, in the second decade of the last century – the last holdouts among the American denominations adopted a Psalter Hymnbook.  Not even a whole century has passed yet and even those new hymns are become passé – as the greater majority of today’s churches have moved on to another medium of contemporary significance.  We have even examined elders in our Presbytery who did not know what a hymn was!

Now, please understand, I am only using the music of the church as a sample of many, many problems in out time and day – and no, I do not advocate exclusive Psalmdry.  When we first took up the spiritual songs at least ten years ago, all I simply asked was that if we took that step forward, the next year we would begin to use the ancient Psalms as well – since the Trinity Psalter was then in preparation.

My real concern in this particular matter is that culturally, music makes a great difference.  Until the last century, most music was ethnic, religious or regional.  It was the common denominator of music and the epic stories of tribe, nation and God passed down over the generations that kept families and congregations together, and on the same page – so to speak!  In the modern era, about every seven to twelve years, a new fad comes along musically to set youngsters apart from their parents.  In this purposeful way, cultural, ethnic, national and religious cohesion is thereby destroyed.

One author observed a decade ago, that it was one thing that kept the common people orthodox so late into the twentieth century:  the continued use of the older orthodox hymnals which once taught the truth through every verse that was sung.  On one occasion a Charismatic preacher emailed me seeking advice about winning a liberal Presbyterian congregation away from their old red hymnals of my youth.  I advised him to be very careful – since in that denomination it was only the hymnal that regularly reminded them of the historic truths of Christianity and if that was taken away – who could tell, what they might begin to think and believe?

For reasons like these the Reformed churches at least have always been concerned that the words of a hymn were more important than the tunes and musical arrangements.  This week I drove with a young man into contemporary Christian music.  Since he and his father were writing their own material I reminded him of the absolutely vital responsibility that he had in making certain every sung word spoke the truth in love.

One last example in this regard, my father grew up with the very first Psalter Hymnal of the early twenties.  By the time I came along, the denomination was at least three editions away from the original and along the way, the professional musicians had dressed up the old tunes with better and more contemporary music.  Dad never quite appreciated their labor, since so many of their tunes were almost unsingable by the average ordinary worshipper.  One of the interesting things about the development of the Trinity Psalter that we use is that the ornate, professional tunes acquired even by the Covenanters – have given way to the simplicity that my father once enjoyed.

As we move towards a conclusion this morning, please understand that I am only using this musical interlude for the soul purpose of highlighting what men can and will do with the worship systems established by our Father in heaven.  We have to remember always, that He earnestly desires that we bring Him our heartfelt adoration and that in all places and all times we may learn what Christ’s zeal for His own house finally cost Him!  Because sinful men in every century have changed, used and abused His worship for their own purposes, Christ allowed Himself to be sacrificed on the cross

Music is not the only area of His worship and service that men have meddled with.  There is theology, morality, organizational purpose, economic relationships and methodologies for teaching, leading and healing that have in our own day been turned upside down so that the professionals may profit at the cost of every person being served.  How much we know the need for a good Christian thrashing of so many vendors of service in our own time!  At the very least may we unite in our support of keeping our congregation biblical in its orientation, worship, education and service?  This is the only valid means of pleasing the Creator God who has saved us in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.  May we worship Him in spirit and in truth even as the Reformation of the Old Covenant Church was finally accomplished in and through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Himself.  Amen.

_{Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)  03 July 1994}
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PREACHING RESOURCES

 Parker, T.H.L.  Calvin’s Commentaries: The Gospel According to St John.
Tasker, R.V.G.  Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: The Gospel According to St John.
The Holy Bible:  English Standard Version.

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