Walk With Jesus During Holy Week: Monday Morning

According to Mark 11:15-19 (also Matthew 21:12-17 and Luke 19:47-48) Jesus returns to Jerusalem today and as He enters the Temple He finds the money-changers extorting money from those who had come to the temple for the Passover. Here is the context- it was easier for those who came to offer a sacrifice to purchase an animal (to sacrifice) at the temple than to bring one with them and then have to get it inspected to see if it met the kosher laws. The pilgrim’s money first had to be exchanged into the local currency, since law required the temple tax to be paid in that local form of currency. The money changers were charging exorbitant prices for the exchange of “pagan” money into Jewish coins. This infuriated Jesus and the text tells us that He cleared the temple and overturned their tables. (This was a direct challenge to the high priest, because the money-changers were there by his authorization.)

Matthew’s gospel tells us that Jesus returned once again to Bethany that evening.

Look at your own life and see where you might be defiling the temple (yourself; see 1 Corinthians 6:19) and pray with Jesus as He is desires to purify you.

Now read Malachi 3:1-4. The cleansing of the temple (both the building in this story and now you, the living temple) fulfills the prophecy found in these Malachi verses.

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