Cleanse the Temple
A Sermon on the Cleansing of the Temple
Originally preached Nov. 14, 1965
Scripture
13¶ And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all …
Sermon Description
Christians have the job to live among the world, but not of the world. In this sermon on the cleansing of the temple, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks from John 2:13–17 about what it looks like to live a life that stands apart from the world. He begins by stating that Christians must know that Jesus is the answer to everything. This means they must choose to listen to Him over anything else. Rather than twisting His words to fit into what they want them to mean, they need to clearly understand and live out the truths He gives through His holy word. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that that the most important thing in the Christian walk is their relationship with God. However, the greatest danger is to misuse that relationship. He relates this to the Israelites of the Old Testament, and reminds that God is the true judge and knows the heart. While He is the judge, He has also come to cleanse and restore. He has come to give hearts that love Him and desire to honor Him. He has come to restore and shine through His people so that all the world can see Him.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon begins by establishing that the passage being discussed is John 2:13-17 which describes Jesus cleansing the temple.
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The first point is that the Christian message is practical and engages with the real world, not a "fairy tale."
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The second point is that the Bible alone provides an understanding of why the world is the way it is. No other philosophy or worldview adequately explains the human condition.
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The third point is that Jesus is the answer and solution to everything. His arrival and work is the turning point of history.
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The fourth point is that Jesus has many sides and aspects to his person and work. We must consider him in his totality, not focus on certain attributes to the exclusion of others.
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The fifth point is that the passage shows Jesus' zeal for God's house and righteousness. He pronounces and executes judgment on the misuse and corruption of the temple.
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The sixth point is that the greatest need is for Jesus to come in power into the church. We must pray for revival and reformation in the church.
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The seventh point is that when Jesus comes in power, he manifests his glory, authority, zeal and reinstitutes reform. He drives out corruption and restores simplicity and purity.
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The eighth point is that when the church is reformed and revived, it impacts the whole nation and culture. Righteousness is exalted in society.
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The ninth point is that we must pray for Jesus to come into his temple and manifest his glory and power. This should be our first and primary prayer.
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The sermon ends with a benediction praying for God's grace, love and fellowship to continue with them.
Sermon Q&A
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Christ Cleansing the Temple: Key Questions and Insights
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the main message of Christ cleansing the temple?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main message is that "the first and the supreme matter in the life of an individual or a nation is our relationship to God." He explains that the temple was the center of Jewish national life, and whenever things were right in the temple and the Israelites were loyal to God, everything else went well for them. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "When things go wrong in the temple, they'll go wrong everywhere. The key to everything is our relationship to God."
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast the world's approach to problems with Christ's approach?
Lloyd-Jones points out that many people offer mere sentimental comfort, vague advice about sacrifice and duty, or political opinions about what statesmen should do. In contrast, Christ's approach is far more radical - He goes directly to the heart of the problem by addressing the spiritual condition of the temple (representing our relationship with God). Lloyd-Jones states: "This is why I'm not preaching about Southern Rhodesia. That's why I'm not preaching about the United Nations. That's why I'm not telling statesmen what to do this morning. It's a waste of breath. It's a waste of time. The supreme need of the hour is not something to happen in the state, it's something to happen in the church."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the greatest danger to the church?
The greatest danger is "to misunderstand, abuse, and misuse [the church] to suit our own ends and our own purposes." He elaborates that this misappropriation happens when: - Religion becomes merely formal and external - The state uses the church for political purposes - The church becomes identified with colonial policy - The church is used as a platform for human theories and political ideologies - People use the church for personal ambition or cultural pursuits - The church sells religious privileges (like indulgences)
Lloyd-Jones says: "This is the danger. The state using the church and the church being ready to be used, the abuse of what God has given."
What does Lloyd-Jones believe is the greatest need of the hour?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically states that "the greatest need of this hour is the presence of the Lord in power in the church." He argues that if Christians are genuinely concerned about the state of the world, "our first duty is to pray for revival in the church. Not to say things to the world, but to seek this power which will enable us to speak to the world in such a manner that it will tremble as it listens to us." He concludes: "The first prayer is to plead with him to come into his temple, to manifest his glory, to show us something of the might of his power and to fill us with it."
How does Lloyd-Jones connect spiritual revival with national prosperity?
Lloyd-Jones points to historical examples of how spiritual renewal led to national blessing:
- The Protestant Reformation led to the Elizabethan period
- The Puritan era under Cromwell was "one of the greatest periods in the whole history of this country"
- The Evangelical Awakening of the 18th century saved Britain from experiencing something like the French Revolution
He quotes the biblical principle: "Righteousness exalteth a nation," and adds that "the basis of this country's greatness was laid down then when there was a moral tone in the nation, when men and women put God first, then I say the whole nation was elevated."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.