Many Jews came from all over Israel to Jerusalem during the holy festivals, including Jesus and his family, during the Passover holiday. The temple in Jerusalem was a sign of God's dwelling place and was the most holy place for the Jewish people. When Jesus saw people buying and selling in the temple courts, he became very upset and passionately cleared them all out. God's dwelling should not be a place of greed or selfish ambition. Likewise, it may take drastic measures to nurture our own life so God's grace and love can grow and flourish. Sometimes, it is the things that we have always done that are the most difficult to notice we need to repent of.

When asked for a sign of his authority, Jesus made a reference to his own body as a temple. Jesus alluded to his own death and resurrection as God's sign. In Jesus, we have God dwelling among us. We have Jesus' power to give us new life that overcomes our sin, suffering, and even death. We can put our faith in his authority.


Application: Lord, you have come to purify our hearts so that you may dwell there. You have the power to give new life and cleanse us of all our sins.
One Word: Purify my heart