WEBVTT - Flipping Tables 0:00:00.420 --> 0:00:05.910 Give counsel. Execute justice. Make your shade like the night 0:00:06.190 --> 0:00:10.470 in the middle of the noonday. Hide the outcasts. Don't 0:00:10.530 --> 0:00:17.910 betray the fugitive. Isaiah 16, 3-5 Dear Lord, You are 0:00:17.950 --> 0:00:23.230 my source of strength, comfort, and joy. When I think 0:00:23.290 --> 0:00:27.290 about Your life, death, and resurrection, I am filled with hope, 0:00:27.990 --> 0:00:32.750 for You proved Yourself as my Deliverer. Because of your goodness, 0:00:33.190 --> 0:00:37.199 I cannot help but shout for joy. Because of your faithfulness, 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:41.040 I will raise my hands in praise and proclaim your 0:00:41.200 --> 0:00:45.699 name from the rooftops. My hope in you will never 0:00:45.840 --> 0:00:51.540 end because your love endures forever. Empower me today to 0:00:51.659 --> 0:00:56.950 march forward with lighthearted joy, even when life gets heavy. 0:00:58.370 --> 0:01:04.360 In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for praying with me today. 0:01:05.260 --> 0:01:09.580 You're listening to the Jesus Podcast, sagas from the gospel 0:01:10.060 --> 0:01:15.209 told like never before. Remain here to immerse yourself in 0:01:15.250 --> 0:01:19.170 the drama and wonder of Christ's road to the cross 0:01:19.630 --> 0:01:23.530 and out of the grave. Follow this podcast on whatever 0:01:23.590 --> 0:01:27.420 platform you're listening to. Doing so will keep you updated, 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:31.780 but also help us get discovered by more people. We 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:35.260 want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world. 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:41.319 Thanks for making that possible. The gentle touch of the 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:46.200 sun softened the morning's cool bite. Rays of light paved 0:01:46.240 --> 0:01:50.780 the road between Bethany and Jerusalem. Splashes of orange and 0:01:50.900 --> 0:01:56.770 hues of muted pink arrayed the countryside. The pathway Jesus 0:01:56.870 --> 0:02:01.110 and his companions traveled ascended and descended with the hills. 0:02:02.670 --> 0:02:05.650 The tall grass beside them bent toward the city as 0:02:05.750 --> 0:02:11.169 if pointing the way forward. Standing proudly atop a cliff 0:02:11.250 --> 0:02:15.549 to their left was a solitary fig tree. Its leaves 0:02:15.710 --> 0:02:20.359 were a deep shade of green. Jesus paused and peered 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:25.040 at the fig tree with an intense gaze. He climbed 0:02:25.060 --> 0:02:27.260 the slight slope to the tree and scanned it up 0:02:27.320 --> 0:02:31.580 and down. He surveyed its branches for fruit, but it 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:35.700 had none. It was not the season for figs, yet 0:02:35.780 --> 0:02:40.490 this tree, with its vibrant leaves and colorful complexion, touted 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:46.650 itself differently. The disciples watched Jesus place a hand on 0:02:46.669 --> 0:02:50.970 the tree's trunk. They looked at his hand. It was 0:02:50.990 --> 0:02:54.580 the hand of a craftsman, calloused from decades of labor. 0:02:56.180 --> 0:02:59.040 For the entire time they knew him, they had watched 0:02:59.080 --> 0:03:03.900 those hands heal lepers, give sight to the blind, comfort 0:03:03.940 --> 0:03:11.810 the outcast. They were the hands of restoration, blessing, and providence. However, 0:03:11.930 --> 0:03:14.950 as Jesus extended his right hand and placed it upon 0:03:14.990 --> 0:03:18.549 the tree, they felt a different power emanating from him. 0:03:20.090 --> 0:03:24.180 He grasped it firmly and spoke a curse that sent 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:25.500 chills down their spines. 0:03:26.500 --> 0:03:29.260 May no one eat fruit from you ever again. 0:03:29.880 --> 0:03:34.160 He growled. Everyone looked at the tree and back at him, 0:03:34.760 --> 0:03:39.710 then at the tree again. The fig tree stood unperturbed, 0:03:40.230 --> 0:03:42.210 leaves rustling only slightly in the breeze. 0:03:44.850 --> 0:03:48.470 What makes God angry? And what would it take for 0:03:48.490 --> 0:03:51.560 the Prince of Peace, Jesus, to act out in rage? 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:55.100 Micah 6.8 says this, He has shown you, O man, 0:03:55.140 --> 0:03:57.800 what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:00.620 To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk 0:04:00.660 --> 0:04:03.740 humbly with your God. God has told us what he's required. 0:04:04.090 --> 0:04:07.400 He wants justice and mercy to be balanced with humility. 0:04:08.020 --> 0:04:12.600 What happens when an entire religious system forgets justice, ignores mercy, 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:17.000 and puffs themselves up with pride? Welcome to the Jesus Podcast, 0:04:17.380 --> 0:04:21.180 stories about triumph, love, and the passion of Jesus. I'm 0:04:21.200 --> 0:04:23.860 Pastor Zach with Pray.com, and I want to invite you 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.300 to follow this podcast. We're going to be going through 0:04:26.480 --> 0:04:29.470 hundreds of gospel stories all throughout the year, told in 0:04:29.510 --> 0:04:32.390 a way to awaken your imagination and challenge your faith. 0:04:32.930 --> 0:04:35.510 It's Holy Week, the time between the triumphal entry and 0:04:35.529 --> 0:04:39.510 the resurrection from the grave. Jesus' last few days before 0:04:39.550 --> 0:04:43.150 his crucifixion were filled with tense moments that inspire both 0:04:43.210 --> 0:04:47.659 reflection and praise. Today, we focus on the intensity of Jesus. 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:50.620 We just listened to him curse a fig tree, and 0:04:50.700 --> 0:04:53.100 now we're going to hear him proclaim woes over the 0:04:53.140 --> 0:04:56.620 city of Jerusalem and storm the temple courtyards, picking a fight. 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.180 While you listen to this story, I want you to 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.339 look closely for parallels between the fig tree and the 0:05:02.380 --> 0:05:05.780 religious leaders Jesus is about to challenge. There are many 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:11.969 parallels between them. Jesus despises vapid and empty religion. Jesus 0:05:12.029 --> 0:05:14.350 knows the end is near, and he's turning up the 0:05:14.390 --> 0:05:17.510 temperature here. He's not running away from conflict, and he's 0:05:17.550 --> 0:05:20.600 not running away from the trials that await him. Each 0:05:20.740 --> 0:05:24.140 act is deliberate and purposeful. His feet are pointed like 0:05:24.300 --> 0:05:28.190 arrows towards the destination, the place called Calvary, the place 0:05:28.230 --> 0:05:32.550 of the skull, Golgotha, the cross. Jesus isn't going to 0:05:32.589 --> 0:05:36.880 do anything by accident. Everything right now is purposeful. Do 0:05:36.900 --> 0:05:39.520 you think Jesus is tame? Do you think Jesus is 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:42.619 a passive spectator of corruption? Think again. 0:05:45.900 --> 0:05:48.990 Jesus' shoulders relaxed as he released his grip on the tree. 0:05:50.310 --> 0:05:53.210 He turned back and saw the city of Jerusalem shining 0:05:53.330 --> 0:05:58.150 brilliantly in the light. Its glory was vibrant and beautiful, 0:05:58.870 --> 0:06:04.010 like the tree's leaves. His jaw clenched and his bottom 0:06:04.060 --> 0:06:09.520 lip began to quiver. Jesus looked at Jerusalem with disappointment 0:06:09.580 --> 0:06:14.640 in his eyes. The disciples drew back and gave him space. 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:19.360 There was tension in the atmosphere, like a shifting wind. 0:06:19.820 --> 0:06:25.580 before a storm. The dam in Jesus' soul broke, and 0:06:25.600 --> 0:06:28.820 a flood of rushing emotions poured out of him. A 0:06:28.860 --> 0:06:34.070 mixture of anger, sorrow, and love poured out of him 0:06:34.510 --> 0:06:39.930 as he bellowed. His cries echoed down the hills. He 0:06:39.990 --> 0:06:43.370 fell to his knees and wept with a ferocity like 0:06:43.430 --> 0:06:46.250 a mother bear roaring over her lost cubs. 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.500 Oh, my children, how I wish today you would understand 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:51.900 the path to peace. 0:06:52.620 --> 0:06:55.320 He gripped his chest as if pleading with the city 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:59.420 and his own soul. But it's too late. It's too late. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:04.080 Peace is hidden from your eyes. There was a momentary pause, 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:07.640 a break in the tears as he closed his eyes. 0:07:09.020 --> 0:07:12.580 The wind continued its descent toward the city, carrying his 0:07:12.640 --> 0:07:13.930 heartfelt message with it. 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:17.950 It won't be long now. Before your enemies build ramparts 0:07:18.010 --> 0:07:22.350 against your walls and surround you from every side. They 0:07:22.390 --> 0:07:26.050 will crush you, Jerusalem. They will bury you into the ground. 0:07:26.790 --> 0:07:29.750 You and your children with you. Your enemies won't leave 0:07:29.800 --> 0:07:33.100 a single stone in place. And all of it could 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:36.040 have been saved if you had just seen God in 0:07:36.060 --> 0:07:36.640 your midst. 0:07:37.300 --> 0:07:41.120 His followers remained at a healthy distance, allowing space for 0:07:41.180 --> 0:07:45.080 his prophetic weepings. They had assumed their journey with their 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:50.560 master would ultimately end with a provisional rise to power. However, 0:07:50.620 --> 0:07:53.860 at this moment, on the hill overlooking the holy city, 0:07:54.640 --> 0:07:59.210 they sensed something else was in store for them. The 0:07:59.250 --> 0:08:05.350 passion of the prophet king was awakened, and Jerusalem was 0:08:05.430 --> 0:08:10.950 about to be shaken. Jesus' disciples stayed a few paces 0:08:11.030 --> 0:08:16.300 behind him. trying to discern what would happen next. Their 0:08:16.340 --> 0:08:20.760 teacher's demeanor had shifted since his triumphal entry. He wasn't 0:08:20.860 --> 0:08:25.040 anxious or hurried, but there was an urgency in his 0:08:25.100 --> 0:08:31.420 stride they hadn't seen before. Jesus entered the city with intention. 0:08:32.540 --> 0:08:36.130 Every step was aimed at the temple like an arrow. 0:08:37.830 --> 0:08:41.040 They arrived at the temple courtyard. a space set aside 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:45.570 for Gentiles and foreigners to worship God. The intentions for 0:08:45.610 --> 0:08:49.370 the outer yard were explicit in God's word. The outer 0:08:49.410 --> 0:08:52.630 squares were designed to be a refuge for the alien 0:08:52.670 --> 0:08:57.860 and onlooker to experience the love of God. However, what 0:08:57.900 --> 0:09:02.800 the group stepped into was something else entirely. Money changers 0:09:02.980 --> 0:09:08.020 and merchants occupied the courtyard, peddling animals for sacrifice and 0:09:08.059 --> 0:09:14.060 exchanging foreign currency at an unfair rate. The outer courtyard 0:09:14.120 --> 0:09:17.000 had ceased being a place for outcasts to worship God 0:09:17.660 --> 0:09:20.660 and had become a place to milk the foreigners for 0:09:20.860 --> 0:09:25.319 all they were worth. The poor were now unable to 0:09:25.380 --> 0:09:29.900 make sacrifices at the temple. The middle class was forced 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:33.890 to exchange their modest sacrifice for a more expensive and 0:09:33.990 --> 0:09:41.010 temple-approved sacrifice. Tables arrayed the courtyard, holding weights and scales 0:09:41.270 --> 0:09:45.100 to balance silver and gold. Yet for all the scales, 0:09:45.900 --> 0:09:49.960 there was no fairness. For all the guards, there was 0:09:50.000 --> 0:09:54.990 no justice. Jesus peered up at the temple's leaders and snarled. 0:09:55.770 --> 0:09:59.740 He could smell their greed from a mile away. They 0:09:59.780 --> 0:10:04.260 had been fattening themselves off the exploitation of non-Jewish worshippers. 0:10:05.780 --> 0:10:08.920 He looked upon the sea of innocent faces, desperate to 0:10:09.059 --> 0:10:13.870 access God. He saw poor families walking away because they 0:10:13.890 --> 0:10:17.770 could not afford the temple's approved animals. They wanted to 0:10:17.809 --> 0:10:20.800 be near to God. They wanted God to redeem them. 0:10:21.660 --> 0:10:26.620 God was near, and he would redeem. The words of 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:32.440 Isaiah reverberated in his mind. Give wisdom. Grant them justice. 0:10:33.220 --> 0:10:36.800 Make your shadow like night at the height of noon. 0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:41.970 Shelter the outcasts. A large stone table was in the 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:46.089 center of the courtyard. Scales with gold and silver weights 0:10:46.150 --> 0:10:49.200 were placed on them. to measure against the foreigner's coin. 0:10:50.340 --> 0:10:55.579 God's passionate prophet took a decisive step forward. He was 0:10:55.679 --> 0:11:00.380 about to balance the scales. He placed his work-worn hands 0:11:00.470 --> 0:11:04.510 underneath the large stone table, gripped its edges tightly, and 0:11:04.630 --> 0:11:08.429 swung his whole body upward, flipping it into the air. 0:11:09.470 --> 0:11:13.010 The stone cracked as it hit the ground, and coins 0:11:13.150 --> 0:11:17.670 scattered along the cobbled floor. The same power that sent 0:11:17.850 --> 0:11:20.890 fire down from heaven and split the earth in days 0:11:20.950 --> 0:11:25.589 of old coursed through his soul. One by one, Jesus 0:11:25.710 --> 0:11:28.790 flipped every table in the courtyard that had been hewn 0:11:28.929 --> 0:11:32.729 as an altar of greed. He shattered the crates of 0:11:32.750 --> 0:11:36.429 the animals, sent sheep running from their owners, and halted 0:11:36.610 --> 0:11:41.390 anyone from carrying anything into the temple. His strong legs 0:11:41.550 --> 0:11:44.500 marched up the steps to where the temple leaders remained 0:11:44.580 --> 0:11:48.599 in shock. He stood inches from them and stared into 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:53.920 their very souls. Jesus saw past their ceremonial robes and 0:11:53.980 --> 0:12:00.400 religious medallions. Outwardly, they appeared to have life, but Jesus 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:04.460 could see the void within them. Jesus turned to the crowd. 0:12:05.340 --> 0:12:09.569 The chaos he had caused paused momentarily, and all were 0:12:09.710 --> 0:12:15.740 silent as he spoke. He spoke with glorious authority. His 0:12:15.820 --> 0:12:19.670 voice boomed and reverberated across the courtyard as he said. 0:12:20.660 --> 0:12:23.390 It is written, My house shall be called a house 0:12:23.450 --> 0:12:25.010 of prayer for all the nations. 0:12:25.929 --> 0:12:26.850 Look at what you've made it. 0:12:26.870 --> 0:12:30.870 You've turned this refuge for prayer into a den of thieves. 0:12:31.730 --> 0:12:35.290 Everyone in the courtyard heard him, but only his students 0:12:35.750 --> 0:12:40.630 truly listened. They watched his chest rise and fall with 0:12:40.830 --> 0:12:45.150 every emboldened breath. He was more than a passionate prophet, 0:12:45.470 --> 0:12:49.240 like Elijah or John the Baptist. He was the voice 0:12:49.300 --> 0:12:54.260 that once boomed from Mount Sinai. None could fathom the 0:12:54.340 --> 0:12:57.599 depth of what was happening at the moment. The tables 0:12:57.780 --> 0:13:02.350 and temple currency represented the walls of separation between God 0:13:02.690 --> 0:13:07.410 and humanity. The connection between them had been lost, but 0:13:07.450 --> 0:13:12.200 his chosen hero stood before them on the steps to 0:13:12.270 --> 0:13:17.380 restore what had been lost. The broken tables and spilled 0:13:17.480 --> 0:13:21.910 coins represented the toppling of a religious system that kept 0:13:22.010 --> 0:13:27.790 people far from their creator's heart. All would be restored soon, 0:13:29.050 --> 0:13:34.530 but not without a sacrifice. His battle was not ultimately 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:38.300 against the priests or the money changers, but against the 0:13:38.380 --> 0:13:41.500 sin that ensnared their souls. 0:13:47.370 --> 0:13:50.950 What makes us angry often reveals what we cherish most. 0:13:51.490 --> 0:13:54.480 If someone ever disrespects my wife, I'm stirred to anger. 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.100 If my kids are threatened in any way, I begin 0:13:57.140 --> 0:14:00.020 to boil with fury. The same can be said for 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.260 not-so-righteous things in my life. I enjoy food probably more 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:06.350 than I should, so I get irritated when somebody interrupts 0:14:06.380 --> 0:14:09.810 me during a meal. What angers us most reveals what 0:14:09.830 --> 0:14:12.589 we love most, or at least reveals a crucial part 0:14:12.610 --> 0:14:16.589 of our character. So what angered Jesus the most? What 0:14:16.650 --> 0:14:19.750 stirred him to action? This episode showed us a few 0:14:19.850 --> 0:14:24.120 scenes of Jesus being moved to outrage. First, we saw 0:14:24.160 --> 0:14:26.860 him lash out at a fig tree that wasn't bearing fruit. 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.750 Does that reveal Jesus' deep and passionate hatred for figs? 0:14:31.510 --> 0:14:33.650 Of course not. In our next episode, we're going to 0:14:33.690 --> 0:14:36.070 get into more detail about the fig tree, but here's 0:14:36.110 --> 0:14:38.820 a teaser. The fig tree is a metaphor. It's a 0:14:38.870 --> 0:14:41.660 metaphor for the priests, the Pharisees, and the religious system. 0:14:41.900 --> 0:14:44.810 The tree showed vibrant leaves as if it was the 0:14:44.870 --> 0:14:48.170 season for figs, but upon further inspection, no fruit was 0:14:48.250 --> 0:14:54.210 found in the tree. Jesus hates spiritual false advertising. Next, 0:14:54.390 --> 0:14:57.690 Jesus turns his face to the city and laments. He 0:14:57.750 --> 0:15:01.070 talks about how they've missed it. They've missed this incredible 0:15:01.150 --> 0:15:03.630 work of the Messiah that they'd been pining after for 0:15:03.670 --> 0:15:06.660 so long. Peace with God was right in front of them, 0:15:06.940 --> 0:15:09.920 but they were blind to it all. Jesus is angry 0:15:09.980 --> 0:15:13.560 with their willing ignorance. He revealed himself to the Pharisees. 0:15:13.620 --> 0:15:17.210 He revealed himself to the religious leaders. They saw all 0:15:17.250 --> 0:15:20.310 the signs, they heard his preaching, and they beheld the 0:15:20.350 --> 0:15:24.190 glorious work of Jesus. But still, because of their pride, 0:15:24.630 --> 0:15:28.840 they ignored him. You see, pride blinds us. When he 0:15:28.900 --> 0:15:31.860 looked back at the city draped in splendor, he couldn't 0:15:31.900 --> 0:15:35.240 help but weep. For all its beauty, it was dead inside, 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:38.510 just like the fig tree. Why was it dead? Because 0:15:38.530 --> 0:15:40.650 they had strayed from the heart of God and were 0:15:40.750 --> 0:15:44.630 unprepared for the struggles ahead. Jesus was emotional at the 0:15:44.670 --> 0:15:47.750 thought of his people suffering as a parent mourns over 0:15:47.790 --> 0:15:51.070 a child who has strayed. God is passionate about you, 0:15:51.490 --> 0:15:54.220 and he mourns when you've strayed or when pride has 0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:57.810 blinded you. But Jesus' anger didn't stop there in this episode. 0:15:58.170 --> 0:16:02.010 What else stirs Jesus to indignation? Well, when God's people 0:16:02.210 --> 0:16:05.480 are being kept from intimacy with him. Remember how I 0:16:05.530 --> 0:16:08.400 said that what angers us most reveals what we love most? 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:10.600 If we look at the story of God in the Bible, 0:16:10.640 --> 0:16:13.240 it becomes very clear as to what God loves most. 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:16.220 He loves to dwell with his people and bless them. 0:16:16.660 --> 0:16:19.540 God loves to dwell with his people and bless them. 0:16:19.900 --> 0:16:22.270 We first see this in the Garden of Eden. In 0:16:22.290 --> 0:16:25.580 Genesis 1.27 it says this, So God created man in 0:16:25.620 --> 0:16:28.120 his own image. In the image of God he created him. 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:31.180 Male and female he created them. Then God blessed them. 0:16:31.840 --> 0:16:34.900 After the Garden of Eden, God chose a family to 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:39.580 dwell with. He chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In Genesis 0:16:39.580 --> 0:16:41.620 17 he makes a promise to Abraham and he says, 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:44.720 I will establish my covenant between me and you and 0:16:44.860 --> 0:16:47.600 all of your descendants and all the generations after them. 0:16:47.620 --> 0:16:50.160 I'm going to make an everlasting covenant to be God 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:53.960 to you and your descendants after you. In Genesis 22, 0:16:53.960 --> 0:16:55.990 it says, in your seed, all the nations of the 0:16:56.090 --> 0:16:59.870 earth shall be blessed. So God has this divine plan 0:16:59.930 --> 0:17:02.650 to bring all of the nations into intimacy and unity 0:17:02.710 --> 0:17:06.210 with him. It starts with him establishing a nation through 0:17:06.430 --> 0:17:10.040 Abraham's descendants, a people group, a nation whose history would 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.360 be centered around a holy God pursuing them at all costs. 0:17:13.980 --> 0:17:16.900 A God that would send plagues, part seas, and shatter 0:17:16.940 --> 0:17:20.030 the earth and demolish walls to get them and bless them. 0:17:20.590 --> 0:17:22.930 As a symbol of this unity, he established the Ark 0:17:22.970 --> 0:17:26.330 of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. God wanted to dwell 0:17:26.390 --> 0:17:29.669 with his traveling people. Then, once the nation of Israel 0:17:29.730 --> 0:17:33.540 was established, God dwelled in the temple, a place where 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.899 people could travel thousands of miles to visit and commune 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:41.020 with God. Here, they would pray and make sacrifices and 0:17:41.080 --> 0:17:44.960 seek intimacy with God. Sacrifices would be made and offered 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:47.859 up to God, and these sacrifices, the innocent blood of 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:50.869 animals shed, were a picture of the consequence of sin 0:17:51.050 --> 0:17:54.429 on humanity. And ultimately, they were pointing towards a greater 0:17:54.490 --> 0:17:57.900 sacrifice that Jesus would make just a week after this. 0:17:58.480 --> 0:18:01.340 This temple is where the people's sins would be brought 0:18:01.380 --> 0:18:04.720 before God. And to implore of God to forgive them, 0:18:04.900 --> 0:18:07.530 bless them, and embolden them. It was a place of 0:18:07.619 --> 0:18:11.190 worship and repentance. And this was not just a practice 0:18:11.210 --> 0:18:13.620 for the people of Israel. You know that, right? People 0:18:13.660 --> 0:18:16.479 from all nations would flock to the temple, not just Jews, 0:18:16.540 --> 0:18:20.140 but Gentiles too. In fact, there was an entire outer 0:18:20.180 --> 0:18:23.320 section of the temple dedicated for Gentiles to come and 0:18:23.480 --> 0:18:26.919 commune with God. This is so crazy because that was 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:30.190 God's desire all along. Remember the promise he made to Abraham? 0:18:30.609 --> 0:18:34.629 He wanted all the nations to be blessed. In Genesis 22, 0:18:34.630 --> 0:18:37.310 he made a promise that through the seed of Abraham, 0:18:37.530 --> 0:18:41.030 every single nation would be blessed. So that's why there 0:18:41.050 --> 0:18:44.450 was a special section of the temple dedicated to Gentiles. 0:18:44.950 --> 0:18:47.770 But it was also dedicated to the outcasts, the poor, 0:18:48.270 --> 0:18:52.760 those who really desperately needed God can come and commune 0:18:52.780 --> 0:18:56.060 with him. And guess what section the priests and the 0:18:56.100 --> 0:19:00.459 temple leaders used to start making money? That's right. The 0:19:00.540 --> 0:19:03.399 place where the Gentiles and the outcasts were supposed to 0:19:03.440 --> 0:19:05.800 be able to come and commune with God was the 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:10.170 same place people were using to make a profit. So 0:19:10.230 --> 0:19:12.580 not only were all the Gentiles now not able to 0:19:12.619 --> 0:19:15.080 come and worship God, but the poor were unable to 0:19:15.100 --> 0:19:18.119 worship God too, because the temple currency had a super 0:19:18.200 --> 0:19:21.960 crazy exchange rate. These people were inhibiting the outcasts and 0:19:21.980 --> 0:19:25.969 the poor from worshiping God, and that's what stirred Jesus 0:19:26.010 --> 0:19:28.869 to anger. The temple was where God decided to make 0:19:28.910 --> 0:19:32.609 himself present, but greed was keeping the poor and needy 0:19:32.650 --> 0:19:35.810 from accessing him. The priests and the Pharisees were making 0:19:35.869 --> 0:19:39.879 the poor and dispossessed buy their atonement. But only the 0:19:39.920 --> 0:19:43.060 blood of Christ can do that. So Jesus got mad. 0:19:43.420 --> 0:19:46.270 He flipped the tables over because the heart of God 0:19:46.390 --> 0:19:48.750 is to be with his children and he'll do anything 0:19:48.830 --> 0:19:51.300 it takes to be with them. When we get angry, 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.939 it's always because we are supposed to protect something. So 0:19:54.960 --> 0:19:57.920 when it comes to God displaying anger, he is protecting 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:02.100 something too. His glory, his purpose for humanity. That is 0:20:02.140 --> 0:20:05.969 what made Jesus angry. It was undermining his plan for 0:20:05.990 --> 0:20:10.260 the gospel. Listen to these words from Isaiah 56 and 0:20:10.340 --> 0:20:13.359 let me know if they sound familiar. Do not let 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:15.800 the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:18.459 the Lord speak, saying, The Lord has utterly separated me 0:20:18.500 --> 0:20:21.820 from his people. Nor let the eunuch say, Here I am, 0:20:21.840 --> 0:20:24.619 a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the 0:20:24.740 --> 0:20:27.949 eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, And choose what pleases me, 0:20:28.230 --> 0:20:30.930 and hold fast my covenant. Even to them I will 0:20:30.970 --> 0:20:34.010 give my house, and within my walls a place and 0:20:34.030 --> 0:20:36.490 a name better than that of the sons and daughters. 0:20:36.970 --> 0:20:39.230 I will give them an everlasting name that shall not 0:20:39.280 --> 0:20:41.979 be cut off. Also the sons of the foreigner who 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:44.480 join themselves to the Lord to serve him and to 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:46.900 love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, 0:20:47.200 --> 0:20:50.280 everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath and holds fast 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:53.119 my covenant, even them I will bring to my holy 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:56.990 mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. 0:20:57.530 --> 0:21:00.470 Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on 0:21:00.530 --> 0:21:03.590 my altar, for my house shall be called a house 0:21:03.630 --> 0:21:08.010 of prayer for all the nations. The words of Isaiah 0:21:08.250 --> 0:21:10.949 revealed the heart of God. He wanted his house to 0:21:10.990 --> 0:21:13.510 be a house of prayer, a house where the foreigner, 0:21:13.710 --> 0:21:17.010 the Gentile, and the poor could come and connect with God. 0:21:17.800 --> 0:21:20.480 It has always been God's desire to bring all the 0:21:20.540 --> 0:21:23.440 nations to himself, and it has always been his desire 0:21:23.500 --> 0:21:26.159 to create avenues for people to speak with him, to 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:28.380 worship him, and to be with him and to walk 0:21:28.420 --> 0:21:30.880 with him. Before the veil was torn, this is where 0:21:30.900 --> 0:21:34.369 people would go. Before the crucifixion of Jesus and the resurrection, 0:21:34.770 --> 0:21:37.740 this was the place for worship. What we see Jesus 0:21:37.859 --> 0:21:41.720 doing here in this episode is violently driving out that 0:21:41.800 --> 0:21:46.859 which is separating people from experiencing intimacy with God. It's 0:21:46.900 --> 0:21:49.580 a picture of what Jesus would eventually do on the cross. 0:21:50.180 --> 0:21:53.020 You see, the cross was the most violent upheaval of 0:21:53.200 --> 0:21:56.720 sin and separation this world has ever seen. And just 0:21:56.800 --> 0:22:00.260 as Jesus violently flipped the tables that were separating people 0:22:00.300 --> 0:22:04.550 from experiencing unity with God, he violently crucified the very 0:22:04.619 --> 0:22:08.560 sins keeping you from him. These Gentiles were hopeless to 0:22:08.600 --> 0:22:11.000 come before God and to ask forgiveness in the temple. 0:22:11.440 --> 0:22:14.199 So Jesus made a way. He flipped the tables. He 0:22:14.240 --> 0:22:17.560 does this with us. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul tells 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:20.540 us that those who are far from God, the Gentiles 0:22:20.580 --> 0:22:24.550 in the flesh, have now been brought in. We strangers 0:22:24.630 --> 0:22:28.130 to God have now been called his children. The entire 0:22:28.230 --> 0:22:31.670 narrative of scripture is that we have so many barriers 0:22:31.810 --> 0:22:34.750 keeping us from a life of peace with God. and 0:22:34.770 --> 0:22:37.250 that God will stop at nothing until all of those 0:22:37.310 --> 0:22:40.700 barriers are flipped over and done away with. Romans 8.38 0:22:40.700 --> 0:22:42.520 says this, Jesus removed all the barriers between us and 0:22:42.540 --> 0:22:45.040 God on the cross. He flipped our tables, if you 0:22:45.060 --> 0:23:01.450 want to use that metaphor. The temple was a place 0:23:01.490 --> 0:23:05.310 for reconciling, atoning, and the healing work of God. After 0:23:05.369 --> 0:23:08.209 Jesus flipped the tables, people flocked to him and he 0:23:08.310 --> 0:23:11.609 ministered to them. It says in Hebrews 4.16, Let us 0:23:11.690 --> 0:23:14.389 then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, 0:23:14.790 --> 0:23:17.710 that we may receive mercy and find grace to help 0:23:17.750 --> 0:23:20.629 in our time of need. I think having confidence that 0:23:20.650 --> 0:23:22.600 God wants to hear from us and speak to us 0:23:22.960 --> 0:23:26.040 changes our perspective on prayer, doesn't it? He bends his 0:23:26.119 --> 0:23:28.500 ear to hear us. He makes avenues for us to 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:31.790 pray to him. The grand table-flipping work Christ did on 0:23:31.830 --> 0:23:34.870 the cross and rising again from the grave allows for 0:23:34.970 --> 0:23:37.929 prayer to have a full and unhindered effect in our lives. 0:23:38.430 --> 0:23:42.109 We have access to God. Jesus said, Jeremiah says, Through Jesus, 0:23:42.150 --> 0:23:56.270 prayer is possible. There is no actual impact we are 0:23:56.290 --> 0:23:59.150 going to make as believers without stepping into unity with 0:23:59.210 --> 0:24:02.690 God in prayer. And Jesus made that all available. May 0:24:02.730 --> 0:24:06.870 we be people known for prayer. Because God has given 0:24:06.910 --> 0:24:09.600 us access to him through prayer. It is the source 0:24:09.630 --> 0:24:13.220 of our power and our intimacy with him. Join us 0:24:13.260 --> 0:24:16.540 for our next episode as we continue along this journey 0:24:16.720 --> 0:24:19.380 to the cross and out from the grave. For more 0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:23.070 inspiration to last a lifetime, download the Pray.com app. See 0:24:23.090 --> 0:24:23.550 you next time.