Passion – strong and barely controllable emotion.
SUNDAY
“When Jesus caught sight of the city, he burst into tears with uncontrollable weeping over Jerusalem, saying, “If only you could recognize that this day peace is within your reach! But you cannot see it. For the day is soon coming when your enemies will surround you, pressing you in on every side, and laying siege to you. They will crush you to pieces, and your children too! And when they leave, your city will be totally destroyed. Since you would not recognize God’s day of visitation, your day of devastation is coming!”” Luke 19:41-44 TPT
“Jesus rode through the gates of Jerusalem and up to the temple. After looking around at everything, he left for Bethany with the Twelve to spend the night, for it was already late in the day.”
Mark 11:11 TPT
Bethany lies 1.5 miles to the east of Jerusalem on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was the home of Jesus’ friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They were siblings. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead just a few months before Passover week.
MONDAY
“When they came into Jerusalem, Jesus went directly into the temple area and overturned all the tables and benches of the merchants who were doing business there. One by one he drove them all out of the temple courts, and they scattered away, including the money changers and those selling doves. And he would not allow them to use the temple courts as a thoroughfare for carrying their merchandise and their furniture. Then he began to teach the people, saying, “Does not the Scripture say, ‘My house will be a house of prayer for all the world to share’? But you have made it a thieves’ hangout!””
Mark 11:15-17 TPT
Jesus had seen the commercialism going on in His Father’s House the day before and what He saw sickened Him. God’s Peace, His Shalom complete wholeness, was within their reach, but instead, they chose His wrath which brought chaos into the Temple. He did nothing about the commercialism the day before because it was getting late. So He climbed back across the Mount of Olives and went to stay with friends in Bethany.
Did He stew over the state of His Father’s House all night? It wasn’t the first time He would have seen all the buying and the trading and the cheating going on over Temple sacrifices. This happened every Passover.
Early Monday morning, Jesus and His disciples walked west 1.5 miles. He had one assignment on His mind, cleanse His Father’s House. It was suppose to be a House of Prayer and Worship but it had become a den of thieves. Read the passion in His soul. He was jealous for His Father. ABBA’s name will not be defamed.
Be glad you weren’t a merchant on that day and in the Temple. Try to become one of the poor pilgrims who had traveled far to worship during Passover that year. The trip would have been too hard to bring your own sacrifice. The poor animal would have never made it. You know they dreaded dealing with the money changers and the merchants who sold the lambs and the doves for sacrifice.
Only Temple coin could be used to buy sacrifices, but you lived in Roman territory. Every other day of the year, you had to have Roman coin to buy merchandise. The Temple worshipers would first go to the money changers and exchange Roman coin for Temple coin at an exorbitant exchange ratio. Then they would go to the merchants to buy their animal sacrifice. And all you wanted to do was come and worship Yahweh.
Then in walks your Hero. Now reread this verses. Cheer as you watch Jesus turn over tables and the carts of the merchants. You might have to duck behind the columns as the bawling lambs come stampeding out of the courts.
Rise up your Hero is your Champion.
“Then the blind and the crippled came into the temple courts, and Jesus healed them all. And the children circled around him shouting out, “Blessings and praises to the Son of David!””
Matthew 21:14 TPT
Hosanna – save us we pray!
“But when the chief priests and religious scholars heard the children shouting and saw all the wonderful miracles of healing, they were furious. They said to Jesus, “Don’t you hear what these children are saying? This is not right!” Jesus answered, “Yes, I hear them. But have you never heard the words ‘You have fashioned the lips of children and little ones to compose your praises’?””
Matthew 21:15-16 TPT
“When the chief priests and religious scholars heard this, they began to hatch a plot as to how they could eliminate Jesus. But they feared him and his influence, because the entire crowd was carried away with astonishment by his teaching.”
Mark 11:18 TPT
“From then on Jesus continued teaching in the temple area, but all the while, the high priests, the experts of the law, and the prominent men of the city kept trying to find a way to accuse Jesus, for they wanted him dead. They could find no reason to accuse him, for he was a hero to the people and the crowds were awestruck by every word he spoke.”
Luke 19:47-48 TPT
Passion – strong and barely controllable emotion.
Which emotion is stirred in you this day?