The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-01-23
Jesus Cleanses
the Temple
Sunday School Lesson for jan. Is. 1908
Specially Prepared Tor This Paper


ory verses l5 l6
GOLDEN TEXT T-"Holiness becometh
thine house. o Lord forever. Psalm
935.
TIME.-The spring OF A. D. q. Pass
over was April I1-17.
PLACE.-In the temple at 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
deeper foundation for their faith and
fuller knowledge Of his work.
Everything about this miracle must
have been strange and wondrous rev.
elation of Jesus to them. as a light
from within. or as the sunlight shin.
ing through dull stained glass windows
reveals the true nature of the picture
wrought I'm them. and they are ablaze
with royal colors such as are the ex.
Qusite lamp shades of Favrile glass,
that require the electric bulb within
to bring out their lovely hues. Jesus
was a prince in disguise, and he threw
of his outward guise and appeared in
his own royal glory.
/ What Did This Miracle Reveal to
the Disciples Concerning the True Ma.
ture Of Jesus?-OD 1t revealed the
miraculous powers residing I'm him
which would enable him TO do the
work the Messiah was to do.
t2) II made known to them that he
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 dscordant, note was heard in
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" was as
Illuminating and marvellous and I'M
expected as was the first. II was the
act OF a hero. a patriot, q reformer.
and king.
G3 And the Jews passover" the
great annual religious feast OF the
Jews to which all good Jews were ex.
pected to come Sometimes, according
TO Josephus, as many as 100000 Wis.
tors were present. Jesus went up
rom Capernaum ". 12) ito Jerusa.
en-" Jesus was particular to attend
!hese great feasts, for however much
hey were often perverted and mis-
ised by some, they were divinely ap
pointed services.
Jesus Heroic Act OF Patriotic Re
orm.-When Jesus entered the TEN
Die. and saw this desecration 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, Jew.
sh. Roman and Divine. and what he
lid was patriotic toward all three
dngdoms under which he lived
15) He alone. unaided, unknown
made a scourge Of small cords" ropes
made of rushes like a Roman fla
,ellum or scourge with several lashes
md drove them all out of the tenn
de-" the court "the sheep and the
,xen." and those who trafficked In
hem. 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
heir cattle without the gates. Poured
)ut the changers money" Upon the
marble pavement, thus stopping theiI
!raffic.
(16) "And said unto them that sold
'oves." The doves. being In cages
could not be driven out:
Take these things hence"
The boldness of the act may vel
have given hush to the noisy crowd
and the voice of Jesus rang out:
Make not my Fathers house a house
Of merchandise"
How Was 1t Possible for Jesus &c
Succeed In This?-Why did this great
burly crowd of drovers, and soldiers
and elders In authority yield to the sin
gle voice of an unknown young man
Because they knew that they were
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 Of
the nation. "All the true friends ol
law. who must have been long grieved
by this disorder, would defend the
Righteousness Of his action. thus rem
dering resistance impossible"
What This Sign" Revealed as tc
the Nature of Jesus and His King
dom.-Let no mistake be made con
cerning what is meant by a Christian
spirit Let us not. as is too often done
take one side of the character Of
Christ in forming an estimate OF the
whole