Lent 3

The Way of the cross Includes Cleansing of the Heart

O Lord, You who cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene, cast out of my heart all corrupt affections. You who raised Lazarus from the dead, raise me from the death of sin. You who cleansed the lepers, healed the sick, and gave sight to the blind, heal the diseases of my soul; open my eyes, and fix them singly on the prize, and cleanse my heart from every desire but that of advancing your glory. –A prayer attributed to John Wesley

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

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 demands. 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

Some unintentionally can cheapen the Gospel replacing evangelism with advertising – Bart Simpson one of the main characters from the American animated sitcom series once remarked, “Take the latest hip teenage rage into the church - just to make it relative!” Some think if we’re going to get a crowd, we need to market it more.

More marketing doesn’t make for more people. When life change happens. People talk. When people talk. More people show up. The main reason why new people visit our church is because a friend invited them to attend. People invite their friends because they have a reason to invite their friends. That’s a little simplistic. But, honestly, that’s how the church will grow. One person at a time. 

It takes a genuine person to come along someone to sit with another. To listen them. And to care. If we only treat people only as customers and consumers they will see through it. Every single time!  

Jesus calls the temple “My Father’s house.” Jesus predicted the cleansing death and resurrection of the temple of His body. The disciples would only believe these words after the resurrection. It is only the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which makes the passion, and death of Jesus makes any sense. Without the empty tomb -the cross makes no sense. Without the empty tomb - the suffering of Jesus appear to be failure. Without the empty tomb - the entire earthly ministry of Jesus becomes only an exercise in futility.

Yet it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gives meaning to our lives. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life.” (John 10:10) By Jesus’ passion death and resurrection we are cleansed and made whole by Jesus our Lord and our redeemer.

 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

“Who are you…to say these things?”  This question is the same as the demand- asking Jesus for a sign. The temple with its activities, services, and programs is in the charge of the priests who were authorized to take care of the temple.

 “Who is this itinerant peasant preacher?” They ask. “To say what is right to do in the temple?”  

This question is certainly in order. Jesus gives them the sign of the cross. He is the one whose temple will be destroyed and rebuilt on the third day. This proves who Jesus is – the Messiah; the coming one – and He has the right and the authority to cleanse the temple.  

Some question Jesus’ authority to challenge us and to clean us. When Jesus began to wash the feet of the disciples Peter exclaimed: “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Then you will never have any part of Me.” 

Do we question Jesus’ authority to challenge us? And to clean us? Are we in need of redemption? Or, do we smugly believe that we are good enough, or wise enough, or smart enough to enter into the kingdom by our own merits? In this season of Lent we are challenged to abandon all traces of self-righteousness and false piety but to humbly submit to Him who bore our sins in His own body.

We may fail to understand Jesus’ word. Daily we need to search the Scripture, to submit ourselves to His authority and walk humbly before Him.

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

Jesus is speaking of the temple of His own body. Yet the disciples fail to understand this reference to the temple of His body. In a sense they were clueless – in another, they were faithless.

The disciples of Jesus, in fact, many in Israel, were looking for a heaven on earth. They were seeking an earthly kingdom, a kingdom of power, a kingdom of glory. They wanted their best life lived now.  

They were seeking a political king. Who would break the yoke of Roman. And religious domination. They were seeking pleasure and security; freedom from want and freedom from worry. And why blame them? Who doesn’t want freedom?  Who doesn’t want liberty, autonomy, independence? But at what cost? 

And at what price? In this American culture there are many who desire, “rigor without submission. They gave confession without execution. Orthodoxy without obedience”. 1 They make promises to obey. But do nothing.

When Jesus said to His disciples that they must head toward Jerusalem so that He could be arrested, tried and killed Peter attempted to persuade Jesus otherwise.

“And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid {it,} Lord! This shall never happen to You." But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." - Matthew 16:22-23 It was only after the resurrection would these events make any sense to the disciples.

Jesus predicted the cleansing death and resurrection of the temple of His body. The disciples would only believe these words after the resurrection. It is only the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which makes the passion, and death of Jesus makes any sense. Without the empty tomb the cross makes no sense. Without the empty tomb the suffering of Jesus appear to be failure. Without the empty tomb the entire earthly ministry of Jesus becomes only an exercise in futility.

The solution to the problem of sin is the cross. Where the price of disobedience was paid. Where perfect obedience to God was demonstrated. That great exchange – God’s mercy and forgiveness purchased at the cost of His own Son! “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

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.  The Way of the cross includes a cleansing of the Heart. 

1. BOBO’s in Paradise © David Brooks

Words-1,305

Passive Sentences-7%
Readability-74.2%
Reading Level -5.7