Matthew 21:12-22

Grab your Bible and turn to Matthew 21.  You can also view the text online HERE!  Read through the whole passage before beginning the devotion.  I really want to stress the importance of this.  I know it is so much easier to just read through a short devotion, but we need to study the Word of God for ourselves. The Holy Spirit will "guide you into all truth." (Jn.16:13) 

Something that keeps going though my mind as I read this is that JESUS, THE KING, KNEW HIS PURPOSE IN THE KINGDOM!  His face was set like flint.  We have a lot of Christians wondering through life living without Kingdom purpose or seeking out unfounded purposes because they don't know the Word.  I encourage us, as the church, to get in the Word, and find our purpose so our nation can be turned around.  Revival will not start in some planned meetings because we have the right speakers and evangelist.  It will start in the home with individuals rising up to seek God and leading their families.  Strong families are made up of Kingdom minded men, women, and children.  We need to raise our kids with Kingdom mentality because strong families make strong churches.  Strong churches make for a strong nation.  Look back in history and you will see this to be evident!

In verses 12-17, we read the account of Jesus cleansing the temple.  Here, Jesus is fulfilling yet another prophecy.  It is found in Malachi 3:1-3.

“Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me.  And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight.  Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.  ² “But who can endure the day of His coming?  And who can stand when He appears?  For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap.  ³ He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness."

These money changers were deceitful.  When people would come to the temple to make a sacrifice,  there were bulls, sheep, goats, and doves for them to purchase.  (So much for bringing YOUR OWN sacrifice before the Lord!)  The catch was that these merchants were changing foreign money for the current coin and cheating the people.  I can just imagine the scene as Jesus overturned tables and people scattered.  Can you imagine the astonished look on the money changers faces as He said (I imagine rather loudly and passionately), "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, BUT YOU HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF THIEVES!" Because of the authority that Jesus carried, I imagine there was not much objection to his commands in the temple that day.  What about you?

Jesus is working to cleanse the temple now from the current money changers.  I could preach on this all day!  This blasphemous prosperity, don't-worry-how-you-live-because-everything-you-do-is-covered-under-grace gospel will only last so long.  Rest assured that God's house will not be mocked!  When Jesus shows up in the House, lies are overturned and truth is revealed!  The King of the Kingdom will drive out the worshipers of money and lovers of selfish gain.  Everything that is contrary to the Word and every false, worldly teacher will be cast out.  He will restore the church to the glorious temple it was created to be.   AMEN and AMEN!  

Next, we read about the fig tree.  What we need to know about a fig tree is that they grow the fruit first and then the leaves.  Here was a fig tree with leaves and no fruit.  This is symbolic of the church.  We have a lot of churches that look like a productive church, just like this tree, BUT BARE NO FRUIT! 

The fig tree in this passage was specifically the Jewish church.  It was going to be destroyed, the temple burned, and daily sacrifices to be taken away.  The tree withered to the ground and so did the church.  What was to come of withered trees?  Those massive churches in Ephesus and Carthage are gone.  As Daniel said in chapter 4, these trees were "Hewn down".

We must pray for the church!  We must be the church that God envisioned from the beginning.  We must live and breath our purpose in the Kingdom of God.....that purpose: TO BRING HIM GLORY AND TO CONTINUE IN THE WORD!

Verse 21-22 "So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”