Scripture

Our verse for today comes from John 2:15, “When He had made a whip of chords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.”

Background

I am fascinated by the accounts of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple, whether at the beginning of His ministry as John records here, or just days before His death as recorded in the other gospels. In both instances, our meek, humble Savior is moved to behave in such a way that shocks many of us if we don’t understand how gross and vile the business of the merchants is. How they are treating the Passover in the presence of the Passover Lamb is blasphemous and indefensible. And as amazing as these encounters are, they also make me think of something that we hear a lot about these days, and that is a term called lifestyle evangelism. This type of evangelism is based on the thought that the unsaved that we encounter and cross paths with on a regular basis will eventually be led to seek a relationship with Jesus because of our Christ-like lifestyle. Our actions and attitudes will be such that they will draw others to Jesus. Now, if your lifestyle is, in fact, like Christ’s, and you are looking for relationships with unbelievers, then I have no doubt that people are lining up to follow Jesus.

Application

But what was His lifestyle? Throwing tables and running off merchants. Owning nothing and hanging out with His eventual murderer. Partying with sinners and healing the Roman enemies’ sick and dying. Walking on water and sleeping while His friends panic. If you are living this way, then I agree that your lifestyle is Christ-like, and undoubtedly life-changing. But even for Jesus, He never wasted an opportunity to speak to those who were nearby, to proclaim what He was about. In fact, the only times He wouldn’t speak up were when the sinful accusers wanted Him to defend or explain Himself. It was then and only then that His actions did all the talking. And why not, since the Old Testament scriptures had already spoken of those moments for Him? No, even on the cross He speaks forgiveness. And back in the temple, who’s going to follow a lunatic unless He rightfully points everyone back to the Holy God who can fully cleanse them? Live for God, yes, and then tell everyone about the One you are living for.

Charge

As we seek Him today, live the gospel, speak the gospel, be the gospel. Simply do what you can to point the lost to the Savior. Don’t choose one over the other.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words