THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION

John: Believing On The Christ, The Son Of God, For Eternal Life

Part XI: Believing On Christ Due To The Earliest Works Of His Public Ministry

(John 2:12-25)

I. Introduction

A. If we must trust in Jesus as Messiah and Son of God for eternal life (John 20:31), then from the very start of His public ministry, there needs to be evidence that Jesus was THEN already the Messiah and Son of God.

B. John 2:12-25 clearly reveals that Jesus was Messiah and Son of God at the beginning of His public ministry:

II. Believing On Christ Due To The Earliest Works Of His Public Ministry, John 2:12-25.

A. In contrast to His privately performed miracle at Cana, Jesus began to serve God in public in John 2:12ff.

B. It all began at the Jewish Passover when the Law required all of Israel's adult men meet at Jerusalem (John 2:13a with Exodus 23:14-17), so Jesus went up to this national, public celebration, John 2:13.

C. In this public setting, three key evidences of Jesus' identity as Messiah and God were seen, John 2:14-25:

1. First, Jesus' divine righteousness was seen regardless of great opposing human peer pressure, Jn. 2:14-17:

a. Jesus found money changers with their sacrificial animals sitting at tables of commerce in the temple (John 2:14), a gross violation of the spirit of worship God had intended for Israel: (1) as a convenience for pilgrims traveling a great distance to the feast, money changers would exchange their money from other lands so they could pay temple dues in the local coinage, and they charged high fees for this service, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 279. (2) Also, sacrificial animals were for sale for those from distant nations, so great profit was made on selling the animals, irritating worshipers and countering a spirit of worship, Ibid.

b. Infuriated at this evil, regardless of the peer pressure of the entire watching nation and the Sanhedrin and priests, Jesus made a scourge and drove all the money changers out of the temple grounds along with the sacrificial animals, pouring out their money and overthrowing their business tables, telling those who sold the doves, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise," John 2:15-16.

c. The Apostle John reports that Jesus' disciples remembered David's Psalm 69:9 claim that his zeal for the Lord's house had created a backlash persecution for him, something that was going to occur for Jesus, John 2:17; Ibid, p. 279-280. Indeed, when Jesus performed this "temple cleansing" again at the end of His public ministry (Matthew 21:12-13), it led to His crucifixion, persecution for his zeal for God's temple!

2. Second, Jesus gave an astounding prediction of His death and resurrection, revealing that He had intimate knowledge not only of His death, but of the specific circumstances that would lead to it, John 2:18-22:

a. When Jesus drove out the money changers, Israel's religious leaders asked Him for a sign for His authority to do what He had just done, John 2:18. They did not fault His action, just His authority!

b. Jesus responded with the proverb, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," John 2:19. After His resurrection, the disciples realized this proverb predicted His death and resurrection (John 2:21-22), but, even more astounding is the fact that this claim of Jesus' foes destroying the temple and His raising it up in three days was later used against Jesus to put Him to death (Matt. 26:60-61)! Thus, at the start of His public work, Jesus intentionally set in motion events that led to His death, aiming for the cross!

3. Third, Jesus' supernatural knowledge of the hearts of mortal men was clearly revealed, John 2:23-25:

a. Christ performed many miracles at this public feast, so many there "believed" on Him, John 2:23.

b. However, their faith was spurious -- it was not a faith in Jesus as the Biblical Messiah and Son of God, so He did not "entrust" (pisteuo, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 66-667) Himself unto them: He knew all men, John 2:24, so He knew that their faith in this case was a false one.

c. Indeed, John concludes that at this start of His public ministry, Jesus did not need anyone to testify to Him about men, for He knew what was in man, John 2:25. Even then, Jesus could read all men's hearts!

Lesson: At the start of His public ministry, Jesus expressed intense righteousness as God regardless of great human peer pressure to the contrary (in fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3), He predicted His death and resurrection with such intimate knowledge and forethought that the prediction itself set circumstances in motion to achieve it and He exhibited supernatural insight of the hearts of all men He met in the nation's public Feast of Passover.

Application: (1) May we believe on Christ as Messiah and Son of God by these earliest of evidences of that identity. (2) May we like His early disciples come to RELY on Jesus' OVERSIGHT of us as the infinitely righteous, infinitely sovereign and infinitely omniscient God Incarnate for success and blessing in our lives and ministries.