The One We've Been Waiting For

Thursday - April 9 - Read Matthew 21:12-13

Matthew 21:12-13

12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”

The center of the Jewish religion was the temple in Jerusalem. Jewish people would travel from all over the world to worship in the temple. They needed someone to exchange their currencies, so “money changers” were necessary. People would also come to offer special animal or grain sacrifices to God, so worshipers were able to purchase animals at the temple for this purpose. So why does Jesus condemn all of this necessary stuff and drive the people out? Because what we do (keeping “the law”) does not make us righteous. Just like the Jewish people in the temple, we are tempted to trust in what we do for God, rather than what God does for us. Now that Jesus has arrived there is no need for sacrifices. He IS the sacrifice. He IS our salvation. So what do we do? Come to God in prayer! We cry out “Hosanna! Save us!”