John 2:13-25

content/bible_journal/john/2:13-25.md

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+title = "John 2:13–25"
+date = "2026-01-05"
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+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/John2.13-25)
+
+We get the idea that Jesus's ministry was about 3 years long from the Gospel of John.
+He records Jesus taking several trips to and from Jerusalem while the Synoptic Gospels only talk about the last one before His crucifixion.
+Similarly, all four accounts tell us that Jesus drove out the money changers and merchants from the temple court, but John records slightly different details.
+This should indicate that there were two different occasions where this happened.
+Only in John's Gospel does Jesus make a whip of cords, the disciples remember [Psalm 69:9](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Psalms69.9), or Jesus claim to be able to rebuild the temple in three days if it is destroyed.
+
+While it is natural for us believers to expect Jesus to exercise authority over His own temple, absolutely no one present at the time saw it that way.
+So why didn't anyone try to stop Him from making a huge mess or whipping the sacrificial animals so that they would run away?
+"And he poured out the coins of the money changers" (_v. 15_) gives me anxiety just thinking about it.
+I would expect this kind of violence against the _status quo_ to cause the instigator to be arrested.
+Instead, we get a weak protest: "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" (_v. 18_)
+This tells us that the Jews 1) knew on some level that God did not approve of how they had been using the temple court, and 2) that Jesus was claiming to speak for God about it.
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+Jesus's answer is characteristically ambiguous and easily misunderstood.
+He says He will raise up "this temple" three days after it is destroyed, but everyone at the time thought He was talking about Herod's temple, which was actually still being worked on.
+Often we will see Jesus making a statement that is confusing to people until He or the Holy Spirit explains it to those who believe in Him.
+Even still, Jesus was performing other signs (miracles) in Jerusalem at this time, likely healing people, because "many believed in His name". (_v. 23_)
+This belief was only superficial, though, because Jesus "did not entrust Himself to them". (_v. 24_)
+They were believing in Him, but not completely or correctly.
+If they thought He was the Messiah, they would have wanted Him to take political power and drive out the Romans the way He did the money changers.
+If they thought He was a prophet, they were more concerned about the signs than the message that the signs validated.
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+Help us understand all that You have spoken in Your Word, that we may believe in You and trust Your promises.