The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1908-01-24
Jesus Cleanses
the Temple
Sunday sehssI Lss..ni Tor J.n- 7s. 1893
sp.sl.Iy PI.p...d .. n. P.p.r

over was April Il-17.
PLACE. in the temple al jerusalem
PLACE IN THE HISTORY.-Early in
the first year OF Jesus ministry. The sec
ond OF his first two signs illustrating
his work as Redeemer-
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The first sign which Jesus gave was
the revelation OF his glory at Cana OF
Galilee related In the first part OF the
chapter in which our lesson Is found.
At the close OF our last lesson we left
Jesus and his five or six disciples on
the way from Bethabara to Galilee.
The disciples had as yet but slight
Acquaintance with Jesus. his charac.
ter. his powers and his mission. They
believed in him. but they needed a
deeper foundation for their faith and a
fuller knowledge OF his work.
Everything about this miracle must
have been n strange and wondrous rev.
citation OF Jesus TO them. a. = light
from within. CT a. the sunlight shin
ing through dull stained glass windows
reveals the true nature OF the picture
wrought In them. and they are ablaIe
with royal colors such as are the az
quisite lamp shades OF Favriie glass.
that require the electric bulb within
TO bring out their lovely hues. Jesus
was a prince in disguise. and he threw
on his outward guise and appeared In
his own royal glory.
What Did This Miracle Reveal TO
the Disciples Concerning the True Ma.
ture OF Jesus7-D II revealed the
miraculous powers residing IN him
which would enable him TO do the
work the Messiah was 10 do.
(2l II made known 10 them that he
was sent from God as his son with
divine credentials worthy Of his or
igin and his mission.
The Second sign The Cleansing
OF the Temple-NOt long after the
sign" at the wedding, a strange. al.
most discordant. note was heard 10
that anthem Of love and joy and hope
That experience did not express the
whole Of life. nor the whole Of the mis-.
sion OF Jesus The new sign vas as
Illuminating and marvellous and un.
expected as was the first Il was the
act Of a hero. a patriot. a reformer.
aud a king.
Obj And the Ievs' passover the
great annual religious feast OF the
Jews to which all good Jews were eK-
pected to come. Sometimes. according
TO Josephus. as many as 1000. 900 Wis
itOrs were present -Jesus went up
from Capernaum ". ~ ito Jerusa.
lem" Jesus was particular to attend
these great feasts. for however much
they were often perverted and mis-
used by some. they were divinely ap-
pointed services.
Jesus Heroic Act u Patriotic Re
form--When Jesus entered the tenn
pie. and saw this Dissertation Of his
Fathers house-which he had seen
many a time during his youth-hIs
soul famed with Indignation. What
he saw was contrary to all Law. lew
ish. Roman and Divine. and what he
did was patriotic toward all three
kingdoms under which he lived.
Cl5l He alone. unAided. unknown.
I made a scourge OF small cords" ropes
made OF rushes like a Roman ia
gellum or scourge with seyera' lashes.
and drove them all out OF the tenn
Pile" the court. -the sheep and the
oxen.- and those who traficked In
them. He did not strike the men. most
probably not even the animals. and
such a scourge would not hurt them
The owners would naturally follow
4 their cattle without the gates Poured
out the changers money Upon the
marble pavement thus stopping their
trafic
(I6) And said unto them that sold
doves The doves. being in cages.
could not be driven out:
Take these things hence
The bOldness OF the act may well
have given a hush to the noisy crowd,
and the voice OF Jesus rang out:
Make not my Fathers house house
Of merchandise
How Was II Possible for Jesus 10
Succeed In Thisi-why did this great
burly crowd OF drovers. and soldiers
and elders In authority yield 10 the sin
gle voice Of an unknown young man
Because they knew that they wers
in the wrong. Conscience makes
towards Of US all Because they knew
that God was on his side. and zone
with God Is a majority
Because Jesus embodied In himself
as a prophet. the moral sentiment o.
the nation. "An The true friends o.
law. who must have been long grieveS
by this disorder. would defend th'
righteousness Of his action. thus rem
dering resistance impossible
What This sign Revealed as d
the Nature OF Jesus and His King
dom-Let no mistake DO made con
corning what is meant b. a Christian
spirit. Let us not. as Is too often done
take one side Of the character o
Christ in forming an estimate OF IN
whole
Note how Jesus acted for the reforr
Of the world Tie did not spend III
time in denunciations OF the Roma
or Jewish authorities before hi
disciples lie sometimes uttere
Woes but II was to tho face Of evl
doors. When he could reform wronl