Monday Of Holy Week, Jesus Cleaned Out The Temple

This is what is declared as Holy Week. So this week we will look at the scriptures that pertain to the actions of Jesus leading up to His death and resurrection.

Jesus gained much popularity prior to going into Jerusalem. It happened when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

Read about it in this related post called, The Story Of Lazarus Resulted In An Unusual Plot.

Before we talk about the Monday of that week, let’s recap the day prior, the day we call Palm Sunday. It’s when our Lord made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

He knew what the immediate future held for Him. For the average person, they would say it was the beginning of the end. Not for Jesus though, with Him, it was the beginning of the beginning – for us!

Listen to what Jesus said as He was walking toward the temple on that Monday.

But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.“ How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”  Luke 19:41-44

Holy Week began with an Prophecy from Jesus

His heart was heavy as He revealed the future of the city and the House of the Lord. Then when verses 45 and 46 reveal to us what happened when He walked into the temple.

Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Luke 19:45-46

Of course, the Jewish leaders were less than impressed with the display of authority. Verses 47 and 48 tell us the following.

After that, he taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word he said.  Luke 19:47-48

Passover was the feast of feasts. It was the celebration of the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt. The central point of the feast was for each family to offer a sacrificial lamb of their own. Not to purchase one from someone else. But, because it was “convenient,” that is what they did.

Even today, God expects us to offer our own sacrifice. Not a lamb. No, the Lamb has been slain. Our sacrifice must be a living sacrifice.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. Romans 12:1

Be A Living Sacrifice

In celebrating Holy Week, thank you Lord, for being our Sacrificial Lamb. Today we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable service.

Featured Image Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

All of the other related Holy Week Posts include the following. 

• Monday Of Holy Week, Jesus Cleaned Out The Temple. 
• Tuesday Of Holy Week, Opportunities Taken By Jesus. 
• Wednesday of Holy Week, Jesus Knows How To Be Our Savior. 
• Thursday of Holy Week – The Agreement Of The New Covenant.
• Good Friday, The Most Difficult Day Of Holy Week.
• Saturday Of Holy Week – Jesus’ Body Laid In A New Tomb
• Jesus’ Resurrection, The Most Important Event Of Christianity

Our text today is found in Luke 19.

To receive each new devotional post delivered to your inbox, subscribe below by giving us your first name and email address.