Lent 3

John 2:18-19
The Way of the cross includes Cleansing of the Heart

Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:18-19

Almighty God, because You know that we of ourselves have no strength, keep us both outwardly and inwardly that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul;

The cross is the chief and central symbol of Christianity. Jesus gave the cross as the only sign give to men as to who He is and what His work entails. We often say that Christians live, worship, and work under the sign of the cross. What do we mean by these words? What that simply means is that the way of the cross includes cleansing the heart.

The sign of the cross is –

I. The sign of authority – to drive out the traders. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” John 2:16

A. Some inadvertently cheapen the Gospel through marketing – Bart Simpson, “take the latest hip teenage rage into the church just to make it relevant!”

B. Jesus calls it “My Father’s house”

II. The sign of cleansing – clean up the commercial interests. His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” John 2:17

A. Have we lost a sense of “awe”?

B. Zeal for the Divine consumed Jesus

III. The sign of healing – by the cross the broken relationship with God is healed. Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:18-19

A. “All we like sheep have gone astray”

B. The Savior reconciles us to the Father and to each other.

The solution to the problem of sin is the cross where the price of disobedience was paid and where perfect obedience to God was demonstrated. Since Christ has fulfilled the demands of the Law, believers in Christ are now free from the curse of the Law as a means of finding favor with God.


Artwork by Ed Riojas, © Higher Things; - Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld ©WELS;