Miraculous Signs

Scripture: John 2:13-25    (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” 17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” 18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.” 19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. 23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart. (John 2:13–25 NLT)

When Jesus got to the Temple and saw the sheep and cattle stalls where out-of-town worshipers were charged an arm and a leg for animals to sacrifice, and the money changers who were ripping off visitors exchanging foreign currency for temple coin to pay the Temple Tax, he lost it! He grabbed some ropes, made a whip, and soon cattle, sheep, and crooks were running for their lives! Tables were crashing to the floor, coins rolling everywhere, and frightened doves were pooping on everything in sight!

The Jewish leaders confronted him, but they couldn’t fault the truth in what he was saying. After some yelling, they backed off and things gradually quieted down. Within an hour or so, the cattle and sheep were collected, the birds were nowhere to be found, and daily profits definitely took a hit for the sellers, the money changers, and Temple, Inc. That week, Jesus did miraculous signs of healing and many began to trust in him. But he didn’t trust them because he knew their hearts.

Prayer:

Father, You know my heart! Please change and grow my heart so it becomes a heart that trusts Jesus and a heart that Jesus can trust! Amen.