How Do You Respond to God's Word?

If you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 19:45.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “How Do You Respond to God’s Word?”

 

That may seem like an innocent enough question.  However, this morning, I am going to ask you to be painfully honest with yourself and the Lord in answering it.

 

Think back to last Sunday, and we saw the beginning of Passion Week.  That is the last week of Jesus life on earth before His crucifixion.

 

It was Palm Sunday, and we saw Jesus demonstrate His deity with His omniscient regarding colt.  We also saw Jesus accomplish victory, but through peace and not war, and we see Him weep over the city of Jerusalem.

 

In today’s text, it is Monday.  Remember that Jesus had come to Jerusalem to die, but He and His disciples had come to Jerusalem for the Passover.

 

 

Exposition

In verse 45, we see what is commonly known as Jesus cleansing the temple.  However, it is important for us to understand some of the back story.

 

Commentators tell us that Jerusalem could have ballon in population for this week to in excess of two million people.  Why were all these folks here? 

 

They were there for Passover Week.  That meant that these Jews would be in need of doves and other animals to sacrifice. 

 

However, the money changers required a certain Temple Currency that was different from Roman or Greek Currency.  Therefore, when the Jews would exchange their money to buy these animals, the money changers would charge significant fees or transaction costs.

 

So, they were making money on the money being exchanged for taxes and sacrifices.  However, there was also large profits being made the animals to be sacrificed were bought.

 

After all, would you rather travel multiple miles with your animals?  Or, would just rather purchase one when you got there?  This was a convenience purchase for sure.

 

So why did Jesus do this?  Because He was one with God the Father and God the Spriit, Jesus knew what the Temple was for.  See 2 Chronicles 7:1-3.

 

2 Chronicles 7:1-3, When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”

 

In addition to being the presence of God, the temple should have also been a house prayer.  Jesus said that in verse 46 quoting Isaiah 56:7.

 

Instead, the money changers and animal sellers had made it a den of thieves by charging exorbitant amounts of money for their services and products.  In His rebuke, Jesus also quoted Jeremiah 7:11.

 

Verses 47-48 are summary verses for what also happened Monday through Thursday of Passion Week with Jesus in the Temple.  He went daily to teach God’s Word to God’s people.

 

However, notice the responses to God’s Word as we return to our sermon title and question for the day.  Verse 47 speaks of the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people.

 

These were Jewish religious leaders.  When they heard God’s Word, they rejected it, and consequently, they wanted to destroy Jesus.

 

However, look at verse 48.  Their efforts were momentarily thwarted by all the people who were attentive to Jesus.

 

The implication is that they not only were attentive, but they were listening.  However, they were not only attentive and listening, but they were also receiving.

 

 

Conclusion

So now, I want you to answer the question that began our time together this morning.  How do you respond to God’s Word?

 

When God’s Word says you are sinner and the only way to be saved is to call on Jesus to save you, how do you respond?  Do you deny your need or do you repent and believe?

 

When God’s Word says you are sinning and you need to repent, do you repent or do you say it isn’t applicable to you and you ignore it?

 

Today, I invite you to receive God’s Word and obey rather than reject it.  Today, I invite you to be saved and or to repent.