Topical Bible: the Second Temple: Christ: Purified, and the Commencement of his Ministry

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The Second Temple, reconstructed under the leadership of Zerubbabel and later expanded by Herod the Great, served as the central place of worship for the Jewish people during the time of Jesus Christ. It was in this sacred space that significant events in the life and ministry of Jesus unfolded, marking the commencement of His public ministry and His role in purifying the spiritual understanding of worship.

Purification of the Temple

One of the pivotal moments in Jesus' ministry was His act of purifying the Temple. This event is recorded in all four Gospels, highlighting its importance. In the Gospel of John, it is described early in Jesus' ministry: "In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those selling doves He said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!'" (John 2:14-16).

This act was not merely a protest against commercial activities but a profound declaration of the sanctity of God's house. Jesus' actions fulfilled the prophetic zeal for the purity of worship, as He declared, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers'" (Matthew 21:13). By cleansing the Temple, Jesus emphasized the need for genuine worship and the rejection of practices that hindered true devotion.

Commencement of His Ministry

The purification of the Temple was closely linked to the commencement of Jesus' public ministry. Following His baptism by John the Baptist, where the heavens opened and the Spirit of God descended upon Him like a dove (Matthew 3:16), Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Emerging victorious, He began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17).

Jesus' ministry was characterized by teaching, healing, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. His first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana, demonstrated His divine authority and compassion (John 2:1-11). As He traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues and healing every disease and sickness among the people, His fame spread, drawing multitudes to hear His message and witness His works (Matthew 4:23-25).

The Second Temple served as a backdrop for many of Jesus' teachings and miracles. It was here that He engaged with religious leaders, taught His disciples, and revealed profound truths about the nature of God's kingdom. His presence in the Temple underscored His role as the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, bringing a new understanding of worship that transcended the physical structure and pointed to a spiritual reality.

In summary, the Second Temple was not only a physical location but a significant symbol in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. His purification of the Temple and the commencement of His ministry marked the beginning of a transformative era in which the true nature of worship and the kingdom of God were revealed through His life, death, and resurrection.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 2:15-17
And when he had made a whip of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Paschal Supper - the Institution of the Lord's Supper.
... lengthily, the cup being raised a second time and ... the poor, who gathered around the
Temple, might then ... betrayal which was the cause of Christ's suffering of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the paschal supper.htm

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius C??sar and under the Pontificate ...
... of David, and the building of the Temple, according to ... hindrances; [1360] is triumphant
at the second coming of ... was but preparing work, the Christ's that of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi in the fifteenth.htm

The Day of Pentecost.
... and the glory had departed from the temple of Jerusalem ... We read, in the second verse,
that "suddenly there ... and to bring every thought into captivity to Christ.". ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture ii the day of.htm

Testimonies of the Ancients in Favor of Eusebius.
... From Jerome's second book against Rufinus (chap.16 ... his Jerusalem, also, and his Plan
of the Temple, with a ... and this, if, therefore, any one be in Christ, he is ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/testimonies of the ancients in.htm

The Divine Liturgy of James the Holy Apostle and Brother of the ...
... of Thee, our God and Father, and His second glorious and ... all the divine service in
Thy temple, even now ... us worthy of the heavenly kingdom, in Christ Jesus our ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/various/early liturgies/the divine liturgy of james.htm

And ii.
... of Israel, at the time when Christ appeared in His ... spoken of; and then, in the second
clause, Jerusalem ... in its highest quality as the temple-mountain."[Hebrew ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i and ii.htm

The Prophet Amos.
... in the New Testament, and that to Christ all is ... Corresponding to the shaking of the
temple from the ... time, the signification "to escape,""the second time, "to ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet amos.htm

Penitence, as Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen ...
... captivity, the destruction of the temple, and suppression ... 13. Of the second form
of confession, our Savior ... privilege of binding and loosing Christ has bestowed ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 penitence as explained.htm

Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties.
... of the object of faith, sec.1. Second, of Implicit ... that Christ is not external to
us, but dwells in us ... his Fifth Homily on the Dedication of the Temple: "By the ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 2 of faith the.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... of God, and were principal in the holy temple, to do ... as I was about to strike it
the second time, a ... in Mr. Gifford's opinion, was"'UNION WITH CHRIST; this is ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm