Welcome back to our series on Holy Week. Today is Holy Monday. Yesterday we talked about Passion Week, or Holy Week, and significance of Palm Sunday (read it here if you missed it). Today we are going to look at what happened Monday.
Do you know how sometimes you live in a moment and don’t quite understand everything that happened right away. Sometimes we go to bed wondering and wake up thinking, “What in the world?” The disciples had to be processing everything they saw and experienced the day before. I wonder if they were looking at each other and saying, “Dude. What just happened? Coats and palm branches on the road? Hosanna! What in the world?”
Did they talk amongst themselves? At that moment, did they remember Zechariah 9:9 in that moment? Did they even have time to process it? Because according to Mark 11, they were up and at it again early on Monday morning, and then they had a pretty full day that started with Jesus being hungry.
12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.
Mark 11:12-14 nlt
This is how their Monday morning started, and I want to put a pin in this until tomorrow, because this part of the story continues to unfold a little bit on Tuesday. The main thing we see happening on Holy Monday is Jesus clearing and cleansing the temple.
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
Mark 11:15-17 nlt
The people were using the temple inappropriately and it was unholy. The purpose of the temple was to worship God, yet they were using it to fulfill their own need, and they worshipping their own greed. And Jesus said, “Enough!”
Again, this wasn’t their first Passover. This wasn’t the first time Jesus saw money changers in the temple, but it was the first time He made a whip and drove them out. This is the last week of Jesus’ life, and He knows it. Jesus always lived on mission. He always lived focused and intentional, but now we see a greater urgency to everything He did and said.
Jesus cleansed the temple and drove out of it everything that did not belong. What does this mean for us?
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 nlt
There’s an urgency to this hour in the church. Do you sense it? Jesus is coming back, and He is coming soon. It’s time for us to do a temple checkup. Is there anything in my temple that doesn’t belong? I’m not talking about the building where we attend church. I’m talking about us. Our bodies. Our souls. I am, you are, the temple of the living God.
Let’s ask ourselves some questions on this Holy Monday as we live in a season of preparation in Holy Week.
Is there anything in my temple I need to drive out that doesn’t belong? Thoughts? Desires? Cravings? Addictions? Actions? Unforgiveness or offense? Bitterness or selfishness? Is there anything in my temple that doesn’t belong that I need to drive out?
Am I using my temple to serve my own needs and greed or to worship God?
Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer.” Does that define my life and my use of my temple?
Am I focused and intentional and living on mission? Do I sense the urgency of the hour?
These are all questions we need to be asking ourselves today in regard to our temple. Does it need to be cleared and cleansed?
Let’s pray:
Lord, may we, Your church, sense the urgency of the moment in time we are living in. May we be focused and intentional as we live on mission for the kingdom. Father, reveal to us what needs cleansed and cleared from our temple. May we live continually about your business, making our temple a house of prayer that serves and worships only You.
In Jesus’ Name.
Amen.