Day 41: Jesus acts like He owns the temple
We only have one story in the Bible from when Jesus was about your age. When Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph took Him to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, just as they did every year. When the festival was over, His family headed home to Nazareth. But after the first day’s journey, they realized Jesus wasn’t with them. So, they went back to Jerusalem to search for Him. Three days later, they found Him in the temple courts, listening to the teachers and asking them questions. When His mother asked Him why He’d treated His parents like that, Jesus replied, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Today, we’ll see Jesus going into His Father’s house and acting like He owns the place—because He does!
How did Jesus feel on His way from Bethany to Jerusalem (v. 12)?
What did Jesus do when He found there were no figs on the fig tree yet (v. 14)?
The prophets sometimes used fig trees as pictures when they warned about God’s judgment on Israel. Like Israel, this literal fig tree isn’t ready for Jesus when He comes, so He speaks judgment on it. Likewise, when Jesus comes to the temple, the people there aren’t ready for Him.
What did Jesus do when He entered the temple courts (vv. 15–16)?
One of the things God’s people were commanded to do at the temple was make sacrifices. So, it was important that people could buy animals for sacrifice near the temple. But the people selling animals and birds for sacrifice have set up shop in the temple itself, very likely in the part known as the Court of the Gentiles, which was the only place where non-Jews could worship.
How does Jesus explain why He is doing this in verse 17?
Jesus quotes from two Old Testament prophets. The first quotation is from Isaiah, when God is talking about how He will include Gentiles who put their trust in Him. God says:
“These I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.” (Isaiah 56:7)
The second quotation is from Jeremiah, where God says about His temple, “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you?” (Jeremiah 7:11).
What did Jesus want His Father’s house to be used for instead of trading (v. 17)?
How do the chief priests and teachers of the law react to Jesus driving traders out of the temple and speaking these words of judgment (v. 18)?
How does the reaction of the chief priests and teachers of the law show that Jesus’ prediction in Mark 10:33 was going to come true?
When Jesus and His disciples were heading back to Jerusalem the next morning, what did they see had happened (v. 20)?
How does the withering of this fig tree show the power of Jesus’ judgment?
Praise God that He has opened up His kingdom to anyone who comes to Him, whether they are Jewish or not. Pray for a friend or family member who does not yet trust in Jesus, that they would turn and trust in Him and be ready for when Jesus comes again.