DOWN TO CAPERNAUM
Friday – October 12, 2018, Cheshvan 3, 5779
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderfully powerful Bible Study from the Book of John. God is so good to us, giving His Word which is the only way of lasting, eternal, and incorruptible victory in the earth and Heaven. The picture today featuring yours truly is not from Mount Desert Island (Bar Harbor) but from Boothbay Maine. Now, let’s prepare to dive into our Bible study by reading the primary text aloud.
John 2:12-17 (KJV)
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Where would you and I most likely go when we left a wedding and marriage feast? We would most likely go home and that is exactly what Jesus, His family, and His disciples did. At least four people in Scripture had homes in Capernaum and those are Jesus, Peter, Jairus, and the woman with an issue of blood. I suppose they went home to rest like you and I might do. We know this is in the spring when He goes into ministry for it is the time of Passover, this is also the time of year His ministry ends, at Passover. By the way it is also likely that He was born in this same time of year. He is our Passover Lamb. Jesus observed the Feasts of the Lord. Not just because before the Cross we are dealing with Old Testament rules but because God said to observe these forever (yes, that includes you and me). We, Gentiles, are grafted into the same root as the Jew, we have the same Savior as the Jew, and we are to celebrate the Lords faithfulness which was foretold in the Feasts of the Lord. After all, what is communion all about?
Now, when Jesus got to the Temple He was not the least bit pleased. Apparently, the Temple had all of the sacrificial animals and monies that needed to change hands for the Feast of Passover to conducted. They were not observing Passover at home as in the first one recorded in the Exodus. They were going to the Temple to buy these animals, and not outside, but inside. They were selling sundry other animals and birds for other sin sacrifices (offerings) as well. As we can see from the text Jesus made quite a commotion in the process of clearing the Temple. Do we have this same zeal in keeping our houses of worship clean for the intended purpose? Jesus, the Father, was not upset about the sale of these animals or that money changes were present but that they had no place in the house of God. There is an appropriate place for these things but not in the area beyond the gate or door to the Courtyard. The Courtyard is the area outside the Tent of Meeting where the sacrifice occurs. Perhaps we could paraphrase the seventeenth verse to say that Jesus was feed up with how the people were treating the Fathers house. This brings us to an interesting exchange with the gathered Jews.
John 2:18-22 (KJV)
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
The Jews response is along the lines of by what authority do you drive these folks out of the Temple, this is the way we have been doing business. Jesus response must have been baffling to them. To them Jesus’ answer probably did not make sense. The physical Temple (Tabernacle) in which the Spirit of God dwelt at that time was symbolic or prophetic of the Spirit of God living in our physical bodies, this tabernacle in which our spirit man lives. With few exceptions since Adam, the physical body of Jesus was the only body in which the Spirit of God resided. They were tearing that body down symbolically by the desecration brought by the animals just as they would destroy His body in another three years.
Isaiah 52:14 (KJV)
14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Sure enough, they did destroy His temple and after three days He raised it up.
John 10:17-18 (KJV)
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (KJV)
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
PRAYERS AND QUESTIONS – please, anytime you have an issue that you want me, this ministry to pray for you, a person you love or a situation contact me. Accordingly, if you should have a question about the Bible, please do not hesitate to ask it.
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PastorDavidWood
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
