Matthew 21
The triumphal entry
Discussion Questions
- Why did Jesus seem to judge the fig tree so harshly? Was it because he was hungry?
- Why do you think Jesus did not give a straight answer regarding his authority?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag.
Going Deeper – from 'Words of Life'
After his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and noticed that it had become a place of business. People were making huge profits at the expense of the poor. The Temple had lost its purpose and its use was not as intended. This made Jesus angry and caused him to purge the Temple. He ‘drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves’ (v 12).
Jesus purged what was amiss. He expects that all who come to him should reform their hearts and lives, as taught by his cleansing of the Temple. What does the Temple represent here? It is our body, soul and spirit altogether. Listen to what Paul says:
'Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple' (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Christian churches are temples of God – he dwells within them through his Holy Spirit. Every Christian is a living temple of the living God and Christ, by his Spirit, dwells in all true believers. The Temple was set apart from every common use to a holy purpose, to the immediate service of God.
So all Christians are separated from common use and set apart for God and his service. They are sacred to him. Christians are holy by their declaration of belief, and should be pure and clean in both heart and conversation.
Ponder
Since I am a temple of the holy and living God, how do I treat my body, soul and spirit?
Beverly Ivany
'Money changers' courtesy of freebibleimages.org