NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 25
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2:16
bLk 2:49
2:17
cPs 69:9
2:18
12:38
dMt
2:19
eMt 26:61; 27:40;
Mk 14:58; 15:29
2:21
f1Co 6:19
2:22
gLk 24:5-8; Jn 12:16;
14:26
2:23
hver
13
2:25
iMt 9:4; Jn 6:61,64;
13:11
3:1
jJn
kLk
7:50; 19:39
23:13
3:2
lJn 9:16,33
mAc 2:22; 10:38
3:3
nJn 1:13; 1Pe 1:23
•
J ohn
3:3
temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and
overturned their tables. 16To those who sold d
oves he said, “Get t hese out of here! Stop
turning my Father’s house b into a market!” 17His disciples remembered that it is written:
“Zeal for your house will consume me.” a c
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to p
rove your author
ity to do all this?” d
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” e
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to
raise it in t hree days?” 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. f 22After he was
raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. g Then they believed the
scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, h many people saw the signs
he was performing and believed in his name. b 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to
them, for he knew all people. 25He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he
knew what was in each person. i
Nicodemus Visits Jesus at Night (24 )
Now t here was a Pharisee, a man n
amed Nicodemus j who was a member of the
Jewish ruling council. k 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs l you are
doing if God were not with him.” m
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they
are born again. c ” n
3
a
17 Psalm 69:9 b 23 Or in him c 3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.
worshipers and as a way to make money for temple upkeep. But the
religious leaders did not seem to care that the Court of the Gentiles was
so full of merchants that foreigners found it difficult to worship. Worship
was the main purpose for visiting the temple. No wonder Jesus was angry!
2:14 The temple tax had to be paid in local currency, so foreigners had
to have their money changed. But the money changers often charged
exorbitant exchange rates. The people were also required to make
sacrifices for sins. Because of the long journey, many could not bring
their own animals. Some who brought animals had them rejected for
imperfections. So animal merchants conducted a flourishing business
in the temple courtyard. The price of sacrificial animals was much
higher in the temple area than elsewhere. Jesus was angry at the dishonest, greedy practices of the money changers and merchants, and he
particularly disliked their presence on the temple grounds. They were
making a mockery of God’s house of worship. Our attitude toward the
church is wrong if we see it as a place for personal contacts or business
advantage. Make sure you attend church to worship God and enjoy
spiritual fellowship with others.
2:15-16 Jesus was obviously angry at the merchants who were exploiting those who had come to God’s house to worship. There is a difference
between uncontrolled rage and righteous indignation—yet both are
called anger. We must be very careful how we use the powerful emotion
of anger. It is right to be angry about injustice and sin; it is wrong to be
angry over trivial personal offenses.
2:15-16 Jesus made a whip and chased out the money changers. Does
his example permit us to use violence against wrongdoers? Certain authority is granted to some, but not to all. For example, the authority to
use weapons and restrain people is granted to police officers, but not to
the general public. The authority to imprison people is granted to judges,
but not to individual citizens. Jesus had God’s authority, something we
cannot have. While we want to live like Jesus, we should never try to
claim his authority where it has not been given to us.
2:17 Jesus took the evil acts in the temple as an insult against God, and
thus, he did not deal with them halfheartedly. He was consumed with
righteous anger against such flagrant disrespect for God.
2:19-20 The Jews understood Jesus to mean the temple out of which
he had just driven the merchants and money changers. This was the
temple Zerubbabel had built over 500 years earlier, but Herod the Great
had begun remodeling it, making it much larger and far more beautiful.
It had been 46 years since this remodeling had started (20 BC), and it
still wasn’t completely finished. They understood Jesus’ words to mean
that this imposing building could be torn down and rebuilt in three days,
and they were astonished.
2:21-22 Jesus was not talking about the temple made of stones but
about his body. His listeners didn’t realize it, but Jesus was greater than
the temple (Matthew 12:6). His words would take on meaning for his disciples after his resurrection. That Jesus so perfectly fulfilled this prediction
became strong proof for his claim to be God.
2:23-25 The Son of God knows all about human nature. Jesus was well
aware of the truth of Jeremiah 17:9, which states, “The heart is deceitful
above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jesus was
discerning, and he knew that the faith of some followers was superficial.
Some of the same people claiming to believe in him at this time would
later yell, “Crucify him!” Believing comes easily when it is exciting and
everyone else agrees with you. But keep your faith firm even when following Jesus isn’t popular.
3:1-21 Nicodemus came to Jesus personally, although he could have
sent one of his assistants. He wanted to examine Jesus for himself to
separate fact from rumor. Perhaps Nicodemus was afraid of what his
peers, the Pharisees, would say about his visit, so he came after dark.
Later, when he understood that Jesus was truly the Messiah, he spoke up
boldly in his defense (7:50-51). Like Nicodemus, we must examine Jesus’
life and teachings for ourselves—others cannot do it for us. No one has
improved upon his teachings in 2,000 years. No one has lived out his
teachings better than he did. No one has predicted his or her death and
resurrection as he did. If we believe he is who he says, we will want to
follow him and speak up for him.
3:1 Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council
(called the high council, or the Sanhedrin). The Pharisees were a group
of religious leaders whom Jesus and John the Baptist often criticized for
being hypocrites (see the note on Matthew 3:7 for more on the Pharisees).
Most Pharisees were intensely jealous of Jesus because he undermined
their authority and challenged their views. But Nicodemus was searching, and he believed that Jesus had some answers. A learned teacher
himself, he came to Jesus to be taught. No matter how intelligent and
well educated you are, you must come to Jesus with an open mind and
heart so he can teach you the truth about God.
3:3 What did Nicodemus know about the kingdom? From the Bible,