It’s hard to fully grasp the events that took place that morning that Jesus walked into the temple grounds in Jerusalem and started throwing people out. But that’s what we’ll be tackling this Sunday as we explore John 2:13-25.
It’s easy for us to immediately assign the guilt in this scene to the people who are crassly selling the accouterments of worship at the temple. How dare they sell sacrificial animals like a commercial enterprise…and yet…there was a legitimate purpose that these vendors served. Imagine living a long ways from Jerusalem and hauling the required sacrifice with you. Imagine that a dog nips at it’s heel along the way, or worse, a wolf takes a bite out of it’s ear. The sacrifice won’t be accepted and the expenditure of time and food for the trip would be for naught. It actually makes sense to provide a place right at the temple to buy a pre-approved animal to sacrifice.
There was actually something else going on that morning. A disruption and a replacement was being made.
If Jesus was replacing the temple – what are the implications of that as you read it? What can it mean to us today, as his followers in 21st century America?
This should prove to be a compelling study – hope you can make it!
WONDERWHAT 
You know…I NEVER thought of the replacement scenario before!
I never thought of the replacement scenario either but how beautiful! I can not imagine living under the old covenant. That system of sin offerings was Way worse than the few hail Mary’s and Our Father’s I remember growing up in the catholic church.. I feel sorry for both of them.. Any way, clearly Jesus came to show us a better better way. He seemed pretty angry at the religious system and didn’t mind showing His righteous indignation. He reveals through His outburst that there’s more to God than this…I’m reminded of Hebrews and Psalms where He points to this saying sacrifice and offering You did not desire, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require..behold I come..I delight to do your will O my God, your law is written in my heart. His own body replaced these religious rituals. His sacrifice means that His law can be written in our hearts as well. That is what He is after our heart. He is not moved by a few bucks thrown in an offering or religious duties done out of obligation, tokens we hope will earn us favor or placate Him. No, he wants our devotion, our allegiance, our whole heart in love with His. He gave His son to replace our outward offerings with an inward awakening.. Oh, how lucky we are, how fortunate to be right here, right now, with His love, His deep, rich, full, passionate, life giving, love, beconning us to come to Him so that He can indeed show us a better way!
I always thought it was because they were selling inside the temple. Mark 11:17 Jesus said “my house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.
The replacement was of an outmoded system that had become corrupt.