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Day 5 John 2:12-22 John 2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. 13 And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. 18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign show thou unto us, seeing that thou do these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Signs. Many people look for signs to prove they are on the right track, the end of the world is here or near, or they are supposed to do something. Jesus went up to Jerusalem for Passover. This wasn’t his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but the first time he took a scourge to the money changers in the temple. And those whose tables he overturned asked for a sign of his authority to do so, and he told them they would destroy the temple and he would rebuild it in three days. He didn’t refer to the physical temple, but his body, which the disciples realized after he rose from the dead. As Christians, Paul showed you are the temple of the Holy Spirit when Jesus lives in you. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. (KJV) The money changers defiled the temple by selling merchandise when God’s temple was to be a place of prayer. Have you defiled your temple with worldly lusts? Do you spend time doing other things but not doing the work God called you to do? How do you know you are doing what you want and not what God wants? 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. (KJV) The only way to know if you are doing God’s will is to examine yourself. Ask yourself who benefits from your actions. Is it you, or does God get the glory? When Jesus scourged the money changers and overturned their tables, he did not benefit from what he did, but God received the glory because he told the money changers it was God’s house and a house of prayer, not merchandise. When you examine yourselves against the Word of God, you will know who receives the glory, you or God. Let’s pray: Father, help me give you glory in everything I do. I don’t want my actions to reflect my wants and desires, but only yours. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 6 December 2018 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay