Steiner Sunrise Bible Study
Tacara Steiner Ranch
Week #5, Thursday, June 29, 6:30 AM
John 2
“Destroy this Temple and I will raise it again in 3 days.” - Jesus (Cue biggest mic drop in history to that point) John 2:19
BRET’S QUESTION UPDATE
So once again Bret asked another challenging question! It’s basically about why God required animal sacrifice.
Don’t have the answer yet, but we made some progress in our dinner conversation last night at Bret’s home. Btw, you might not know this, but in addition to his work with his company - Austin’s Paint Service - Bret is also a phenomenal guitarist with the Street Kingz - a long running popular 6th Street Band.
Anyway, after some discussion it dawned on me that perhaps we’re not thinking about it correctly, vis-a-vis the way we think in linear time, so we think animal sacrifice and then Jesus sacrifice, when it might be more accurate to think in the first order of Jesus sacrifice with His blood - which is the mechanism/means by which/transaction that is the saving act for all who believe. The greatest rescue mission in history!
So, in thinking through this difficult question, it might be interesting to consider that the animal sacrifice is much more about the symbolic, the anticipating, the forerunning … ? More later.
THIS WEEK’S STUDY
You might have noticed how passionate we are about studying God’s Word! Adam mentioned last week how you can encounter the same passage you’ve read many times, and then … BOOM! You’ll discover some breathtakingly AMAZING passage that will forever change your mind and life. That was my experience this week as I was preparing our lesson.
I’m pretty sure most of you are familiar with the story of Jesus clearing the Temple - how he made a whip and physically drove out the money changers in his “zeal for his Father’s house.” Psalm 69: 7-12
The story is often used to explain righteous anger. But there is another fascinating part of the story! So, after Jesus drove them out, the indignant, offended Jews demand that Jesus explain where his authority came from?
HIs answer was not understood at the time he said it. It was only AFTER his death and resurrection that the Disciples REMEMBERED and understood what he said and what it meant:
“Destroy this Temple and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19
I look forward to our discussion Thursday morning — Blessings!
Rob
p.s. The reading for this week includes the end of Chapter 1 (v 40 -51) and all of Chapter 2 (text below)
p.s.s. I think several of us are going to attend the important movie “The Sound of Freedom” featuring Jim Caviezel, the actor who portrayed Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. The movie is about the world-wide scourge of human and sex trafficking, including children. Here’s a link to the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfn2oy9bYdM Becca is coordinating this if you are interested in joining us!
John 2 NIV
2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
