Some brief thoughts on Jesus' cleansing power - John 2:13-25

John 2:12-25 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house aplace of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. 23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.

Introduction

Today's post features Jesus' cleansing of the temple at the beginning of his earthly ministry. Why is this episode included in John's Gospel? When we look at the wider context, this action follows on the heels of Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine at Cana (John 2:1-12). In that miracle, Jesus reveals Himself as the Mediator of the New Covenant. By Jesus' actions and words, the indicator was that the New Covenant age had dawned through His Person and work. The cleansing of the temple adds onto this emphasis by underscoring how Jesus had come to be the "New Temple". By His incarnation, Jesus was and is God in human flesh. He had come to bring cleansing, which the Old Covenant system could not do with respect to the conscience and the human heart (see Hebrews 9:11-15). 

Today's post presents an outline of the key points we find in Jesus casting out of the money changers in John 2:13-25. This blogger takes the historic route of interpretation that suggests that Jesus' had cleansed the temple at the beginning of his ministry and then at the end. Such bookends details for us how Jesus saw His relationship to His people and the system which He came to replace and thus fulfill.

As we consider this text, we can note how Jesus’ cleansing power can cleanse three things:

1. Cleanses away barriers to God. John 2:12-17

a. Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple gave time for repentance. Both in this cleansing and the second one recorded in the other three Gospels, we find the timing to be "near the Passover". As the Lamb of God, Jesus' actions was intentional in both instances, since He came to fulfill every festival and prophecy made about His first coming.

b. Jesus second cleansing of temple indicated time was up (Mt 21:1-17; Mk 11:15-17; Lk 19:45-47). Jesus had presented Himself as King of Israel, only to be rejected. His indictment on the temple and the cursing of the fig tree signaled that, at least for the time being, Israel would be temporarily set aside. Other scriptures indicate that the day will come when Jesus returns to restore Israel. The Old Covenant and its way of doing things was coming to a close. The New Covenant age through Jesus Christ was getting under way. These are among the rich meanings behind Jesus' actions, as well as getting us ready for what would be His pending crucifixion.

c. The alphabetic barriers that get between us and God: Apathy, Busyness, Carelessness, Distraction. Sadly, not only were these four things present in the temple precincts of Jesus' day, but all too often we find such in our churches and individual Christian lives. Jesus is the believers holiness, righteousness and sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30).

2. Cleanses away sin. John 2:18-22

a. Jesus begins and ends His earthly ministry by pointing to His mission: the cross/resurrection.

b. As we noted earlier, the two times we see Jesus cleansing the temple in the four Gospels function as bookends for highlighting how He saw Himself in relationship to the temple. In this first cleansing of John's Gospel, Jesus comes as the Servant of the Lord, the Lamb of God, cleaning out His Father's house. In the latter cleansing of the other three Gospels, Jesus comes as King to clean out His house.

3. Cleanses the human heart. John 2:23-25

a. Jesus knew hearts & could cleanse hearts, as only God could (1 Sam 16:7; Isaiah 1:18; Lk 16:15).

b. Jesus' words, actions and miracles combine together to provide a full profile of Him as the Son of God, God in human flesh.

Applications:

1. Jesus’ cleansing away of barriers and sin makes way for a clean heart to know Him better.

2. Notice how many times Jesus predicted His death/resurrection (Mt 12:39-40; 16:21; 17:9; 20:17-19; 26:61; 27:40; Mk 8:31; 10:32-34; Lk 9:22; John 2:18-22). Take each day this week to think about what Jesus did for you on the cross.

How can you know that the God of Christianity is true and real

John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Introduction:

Author A.W Tozer has written books on the subject of knowing and experiencing God on a personal level. In his classic work “The pursuit of God”, he comments: “A spiritual kingdom lies all about us, enclosing us, embracing us, altogether within reach of our inner selves, waiting for us to recognize it. God Himself is here waiting our response to His presence. This eternal world will come alive to us the moment we begin to reckon upon this reality.”

Oftentimes in discussions with non-Christians throughout the years, the one question that would occasionally surface would be: "how do you know that what you believe is true?" I'm sure that if every Christian was honest, there have been those times in their life where such questions as "how do I know this is real" rise in the mind during times of great struggle. It is important for people to realize that the reality of the God of Christian theism counts as genuine knowledge. To put it another way: the God of the Bible, revealed in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth is both knowable and makes Himself known to those so touched and open to His grace. Today's post will aim to explain two ways you can know that the God of Christianity is true and real. 

We can know that the God of Christianity is real by way of the authenticating witness of the Holy Spirit

Apologist Dr. William Lane Craig distinguishes between "knowing" Christianity to be true and "showing" Christianity to be true. Today's post has to do with the first of these: namely "knowing". It has been suggested by great Christian thinkers like Alvin Platinga that knowing God counts as a form of what he calls "properly-basic" knowledge. Such knowledge is genuine knowledge of certain facts that has justification and good reasons behind it apart from argument and evidence. For example, one cannot "prove" that the external world exists outside of one's mind apart from appealing to the external world. 

Such knowledge is "properly basic" and thus, for the one who has healthy-functioning mental faculties, they are warranted in their belief that the external world is real. Other examples such as "knowledge of other minds" or knowledge that the food in my stomach and all reality around me had not popped into being five minutes ago with the appearance of age cannot be "proven" by science. Nevertheless, to say one would not be warranted in holding to such beliefs would be at best unreasonable. 

This blogger would suggest that personal knowledge of God counts among what would be a form of "properly basic knowledge". In other words, many Christians know God personally without and apart from the many theistic arguments and evidences for His existence.  Indeed, such a fact doesn't lessen the value of such arguments. Instead, we must realize that that the capability of knowing God personally functions as a first-line of warrant or "true knowledge" of God. All of ways of arriving at knowledge about God, such as arguments and evidences, function as secondary forms of warrant or grounds for knowing that we know that the God of Christianity is real. 

Scriptures that testify to the Holy Spirit's delivery of first-hand knowledge of God

Certain Biblical passages reveal how a Christian possesses true knowledge of God by the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Spirit, bearing witness to the Gospel’s great truths (John 14:16-17; 16:8-12; Col 2:2; 1 Thess 1:5; 1 Cor 2:10-13; 1 John 2:20,27) and the Christian's own personal identity in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:5; 8:14-16; Galatians 4:6) delivers first-hand knowledge of God. The proper basicality of God’s existence is witnessed in both general revelation and special revelation.

Explaining what the self-authenticating witness of the Holy Spirit looks like in a person's life

So, what does this self-authenticating work of the Spirit look-like and act-like? How can it be described or compared to what often-times could be fraudulent experiences that claim to experience God in other religions (i.e the Mormon's "warming in the bosom")? Dr. William Lane Craig has described this self-authenticating work of the Holy Spirit in delivering true knowledge of God in the following manner:

1. The experience of the Holy Spirit is unmistakable or verifiable to the one who has it. Sin can quench such an experience, and continual exercise in spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible reading serve to heighten this awareness.

2. This authenticating witness of the Spirit occurs apart from arguments & evidence

3. This authenticating work does not function as a premise in a religious argument, since it is an immediate experience of God in the Christian's life.

4. In certain contexts (like church services), responses to certain truths indicate that the person is genuinely experiencing God by the Holy Spirit.

5. Such an experience of the Spirit's authenticating work provides personal assurance and genuine knowledge that the God of Christianity exists

6. Arguments and objections that attempt to overthrow the Christian's faith are overwhelmed by this authenticating witness of the Spirit for the Christian who gives themselves regularly to fellowship, prayer and the scriptures. 

Closing thoughts

We have considered today how you can know that the God of Christianity is true and real. Theistic arguments and evidences for God's existence, though valuable and useful in making the case for the Christian worldview, function in a secondary role for providing warrant or reasonable foundations for why we believe Christianity to be true. Such arguments serve to "show Christianity to be true". Today's post aimed to answer the question as to how one can know that the God of Christianity is real. We considered the self-authenticating ministry of the Holy Spirit to provide the first-line of warrant or justification for demonstrating how we "know-that-we-know" that God is real. Relevant scriptures and a six-point description of what such an experience looks like were provided. It is hoped that this post has sharpened our thinking and deepened our hearts in understanding how you and I can know God on a personal level. 

P2 - Why knowing God is the most important thing - further and final reflections

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Introduction:
In yesterday's post we began considering why knowing God is the most important thing. We zeroed in on how knowing God answers the common purposes for both salvation and life in general. In reading the first three questions contained in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, each answer given highlights the priority of knowing God:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.


This series of questions and answers represent what truly lies at the heart of Christianity: namely the need to know God. As author J.I. Packer notes: "The question is not whether we are good at theology, or 'balanced' (horrible, self-conscious word!) in our approach to problems in Christian living; the question is....that we have known God; and because we have known God the unpleasantness we have had, or the pleasantness we have not had, though being Christians does not matter to us? If we really knew God, this is what we would be saying, and if we are not saying it, that is a sign we need to face ourselves more sharply with the difference between knowing God and merely knowing about Him."

Today's post will continue and conclude our reflections upon why knowing God is the most important thing in salvation and in life by noting this theme in both the Old and New Testament scriptures.

The emphasis of knowing God in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament, knowing God represented the center and circumference of spiritual life. Take Moses for example. It wasn't enough for him to just know about God or to observe Him from a distance. Natural knowledge can at best know about God. Morally religious people can marvel at the trappings of religion without marveling at the God which they represent. Do you and I want to know God? Or are we just satisfied to stand as it were from a distance? We see these contrasting stances in Exodus 33:10-15 "Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp,his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. 12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here."


The emphasis of knowing God in the New Testament
The New Testament speaks to this same fundamental truth. The Apostle Paul expresses the need to know God in Jesus Christ in Philippians 3:8-11 "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Conclusion: May we ever make it our aim to know God
As a Christian, I know my main aim is to know God. Yet there are times I waver in that conviction. Why? A.W Tozer notes in his book, The Pursuit of God , page 52: "But the very ransomed children of God themselves; why do they know so little of that habitual conscious communion with God which the scriptures seem to offer? The answer is our chronic unbelief. Faith enables our spiritual sense to function." Knowing God is all at once a growing reality for the Christian who at the same time must grow in his attendance to it by prayer, Bible reading and fellowship with God's people. May we make it our aim to know God and desire to know how we can desire more to know Him. God, and the knowledge of Him, defines the purpose of life and spiritual life found in Jesus Christ.

P1 Why Knowing God is the most important thing

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Introduction:
Why is knowing God the most important matter of salvation and life? Knowing God is the common purpose to both. All other purposes fall short. One comes to know God in the gift of eternal life. One knows about God in natural life . Natural life's purpose is found in the gift of eternal life, whereby we go from knowing about God to knowing God. Today’s post will explore the priority of knowing God in both natural life and in the New life that is found in Jesus Christ.

Knowing God - The chief purpose of natural life
The purpose of life itself is to know God. Jeremiah the prophet records in Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord." Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 12:13 "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person".

Fallen man is born with the innate knowledge about God and yet spurns such knowledge on favor of created things (Romans 1:18-31). Moral men and religious adherents can at best know about God. Yet to them, God is but a principle. God, for the naturally-minded unbeliever, is often-times not viewed as truly Personal. The delivery of personal acquaintance with this God through saving trust in Jesus Christ is required to transition from merely knowing "about God" to "knowing God".

The question remains: what kind of God are we talking about that is worth knowing? God is described in the opening verses of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as: "God is one and only one true and living God". Why this statement? The stress of the words lies not only in the fact of God's existence, but also in the uniqueness of this God. No other God can save (Isaiah 43:10). No other God can be known (Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 10:10). God alone occupies His own category of being (1 Corinthians 8:4-7).

Ultimate reality is not material. Neither the universe nor even spiritual realm in the sense of the angels constitutes what would be ultimate, ultimate reality. Such realms - whether they be visible or invisible - are created realms. God is indeed spiritual in nature (John 4:24), yet He is uncreated, eternal and necessarily exists - meaning that He must exist in order for the invisible and visible realms to be. These insights explain why life's purpose resides in not just knowing about God, but truly knowing Him.

Knowing God - The purpose of salvation
What is the essence of the meaning of salvation in Jesus Christ? to know God. Knowing this God is most remarkable. Knowing God, who is the only God, the one and only God, is salvation's chief end. Jesus defines eternal life (salvation) in John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Salvation's beginning and duration revolves about knowing God. Author J.I. Packer makes the following statement in his book "Knowing God": "What we're we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the 'eternal life' that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God (John 17:3). What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God."

It is very clear from observing the purposes of salvation and life that "knowing God" ends up being the same purpose for both. Tomorrow we will reflect further on this point by considering further scriptural passages in the Old and New Testaments. 

An overview of the greatness of God

1 Chronicles 29:10-11 "So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all."

Introduction: 

The great 19th century Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, preached a Sunday Morning Message in 1855 that he had entitled: "The Immutability of God". In his introduction, Spurgeon began with the following thoughts about God with respect to the Christian life: "The proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity." 

As Spurgeon waxed eloquently about the greatness and glory of God, he then closed his introductory remarks with this observation: "Would you lose your sorrows? Would you drown your cares? Then go, plunge yourself in the Godhead’s deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated. I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead."

Spurgeon's sentiments capture the simultaneous awe and comfort this blogger has discovered when approaching the greatness of God. In today's post I want to offer what is admittedly a faint outline of this most important doctrine. Many historic doctrinal statements and creeds have aided Christians throughout the centuries in verbalizing and summarizing the greatness of God. For today's post I will use the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 and its opening article on the doctrine of God. The reader can check out the article, which contains many Biblical references underlying its statements at: http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp

For our purposes today, I will lay out the BFM 2000's article on "God" and note four main headings under which the statement seems to fall. The reader than then take these suggested headings and click on the above link and search the appropriate scriptures contained at the site. 

Baptist Faith & Message 2000 article on "God" and four suggested headings for studying the greatness of God

1. The Existence of God

"There is one and only one living and true God. 

2. The Active Attributes of God

a. God's actions

He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. 

b. God's goodness (moral attributes)

God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. 

c.  God's infinite attributes

God is all powerful and all knowing; and His perfect knowledge extends to all things, past, present, and future, including the future decisions of His free creatures. 

3. Maximal Greatness of God (worthiness of worship)

To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. 

4. Identity of God

The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being."

A quick summary of the major areas covered by Christian apologetics

Acts 17:22-23  "So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore whatyou worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you."

Introduction:

What areas are addressed in the task of Christian apologetics? Below I will list out several key points that express the sub-disciplines and areas covered in the broad effort of Christian apologetics. The aim of today's post is to briefly overview this important subject.

Major areas covered by Christian apologetics

Dr. William Lane Craig notes the following major areas entailed in the broader subject of Christian apologetics:

1. Offensive apologetics or making a positive case for Christianity. 

A. Natural theology, that is, arguments for theism independent of Divine revelation.  

B. Christian evidences, chiefly fulfilled prophecy; Christ’s resurrection; reliability of the Bible. 

2. Defensive apologetics, which addresses objections to theism. 

A). Dealing with opposing arguments about the incoherence between theism and evil 

B). Contemporary science’s attacks on the Bible.

Whenever one considers these major areas, the apologetical task becomes much clearer. Either the Christian will be explaining why they believe what they believe or they will be answering objections to the Christian worldview. May readers be encouraged, since the Person and work of the Holy Spirit brings about the results, while the Christian is to put forth the effort. 

In Brief - Four purposes for doing Christian apologetics

Matthew 22:37 "And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Introduction:

Yesterday I gave a very quick introduction to Christian apologetics by both defining the discipline itself and its role in the Christian life. Today we will keep the post brief so that readers can be introduced to this vital tool for communicating and defending the Christian worldview. Today we will briefly list four purposes for doing Christian apologetics. 

The four purposes served by Christian apologetics
Dr. William Lane Craig's book: "Reasonable Faith" spells out four main purposes for Christian apologetics. I will list what they are and then offer a brief exposition of each:

a). Express our cognitive love to God (Mt 22:37).

We should not only love Jesus with all our heart, but also our minds. In as much as the spirit of a man is instantly converted at saving faith, the mind ought to be the subject of progressive, ongoing transformation as the Christian grows in their faith. Both heart and mind are essential in the cultivation of Christian spirituality.

b). Explain/defend Christianity to unbelievers

This second purpose reveals how apologetics functions as a form of "pre-evangelism". Apologetics ought to lead us to a deeper burden for sharing the Gospel. Often we must knock down the intellectual barriers and opposing arguments to get to the root of a person's rejection of Jesus Christ. The Bible uniformly describes mankind's rebellion against God as moral and spiritual. Apologetics aims to eventually expose this root while also addressing the intellectual branches that issue forth from the trunk of unbelief. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 that we aim to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

c). Confirm our faith to Christians

I have found that Christian apologetics can strengthen the Christian's faith. There are those seasons where all Christians have doubts or struggle in the midst of great difficulties. Christian apologetics can function alongside the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit in verifying to the Christian that following Jesus is worth it all.

d). Explore connections to Christian doctrines and other truths

As one engages in Christian apologetics, growth in understanding how the Christian worldview fits together comes as an added bonus. Key doctrines that typically comprise any Christian apologetic includes: the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of sin, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation and the doctrine of last things. When you think about it, these five classical "key points of Christian doctrine" provide a broad outline of the Bible. Throughout every age, these five key areas have been attacked and have needed to be repeated and communicated. Other doctrines are appealed to along the way as one grows in their understanding of the Christian worldview. 

Closing thoughts

Today we looked at four main purposes for doing Christian apologetics. My hope is that the reader has been inclined to increase their knowledge of what they believe, why they believe and how to defend what they believe.