Cleaning Out the Temple!

March 30, 2026, Monday Message:

Mark 11:15a NLT: “Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices.”

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm Sunday, when Jesus made his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. People waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna, save us, save us now!” Both the Pharisees and the Roman army ordered Jesus to silence his people, but Jesus told them that even rocks would cry out, celebrating the return of God’s Son to Jerusalem, celebrating sins being forgiven!

So today became the day to clean house at the Temple. It seems to me like Jesus had a list titled “Things to do before the crucifixion,” and this topped the list.

The Temple had three general areas. The innermost was the “Holy of Holies,” reserved for God. The Temple Sanctuary was for worship, sacrifices and Jewish traditions and rituals. The outer court was where all hell broke loose, and I mean that literally. Lies were uttered, scams took place and merchants took advantage of visitors.

Let me explain. Devout Jews would travel hundreds of miles, bringing their best animal to sacrifice to the Lord at the Temple. Upon arrival, they were told that their animal wasn’t suitable, and they would have to purchase a different animal, which was conveniently available right up the street at an inflated price. Of course, the visitors only had their native currency, so money-changers saw an opportunity to make another unfair shekel. This was the scam taking place in God’s house, and Jesus would have none of it. He drove the animals out of the Temple, and overturned the money-changer’s tables! Jesus stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He concluded: “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

Jesus’ opinion on this hasn’t changed. There will be times when we need to collect money at a church, but honesty should be the key: no scams and no over-inflated prices. You don’t want Jesus to have to overturn your money tables!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Palm Sunday!

For Sunday, March 29, 2026:

John 12:12b-13 NLT: “A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet Jesus. They shouted, ‘Praise God! [Hosanna!] Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’”

Today is Palm Sunday, when Christians everywhere celebrate Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had recently healed Lazarus and brought him back to life. A large crowd had been present for that event, and there was much anticipation when word got out that Jesus was coming back into town. They lined the streets as if a parade were about to take place.

Meanwhile, Jesus sent two disciples to borrow a donkey, who were told to say, “The Lord has need of it.” The donkey had never been ridden, and I look at this like asking to borrow a new Buick off the showroom floor. It fulfills the prophecy, “Look, your king is coming to you,... riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”

As Jesus entered the city, the crowd waved palm branches in the air and lined the streets with brightly colored cloth, shouting, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us; save us now!” I suspect that the crowd knew mankind had a sin problem, and the only solution was an alliance with the man who could raise someone from the dead. They wouldn’t have asked Jesus to save them, to rescue them, unless they believed it to be possible.

Shouts rang out, “Hail to the King of Israel!” Recall John (the baptist) saying, “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” as he introduced Jesus to the world. Only a King has a Kingdom, and Jesus is the one King! This upset the Roman Government, which thought Herod was their king. It also upset the Pharisees. “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

So this is all about money and power. Pharisees didn’t like worshipers leaving to follow Jesus, and they didn’t like tithes going to the Jesus team rather than the Temple. Furthermore, the Roman government already had a king and didn’t want another, and certainly not a Jew! Jesus’ demise seemed certain, and he predicted his own death.

People are fickle. In just a few days, they went from “Save us now!” to “Crucify him!” No one understood that Jesus would take the sins of the world to the place of the dead, and that mankind could be forgiven and have a shot at eternity! Those railing against Jesus were actually fulfilling God’s vast eternal plan!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church

Holy Spirit!

For Saturday, March 28, 2026:

John 14:15-17a NLT, Jesus speaking: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth.”

This expands on the original Old Covenant, wherein God-the-Father explained, “You will be my people, and I will be your God.” In the New Covenant, Jesus, being the Son of God, will be our Savior, and we will be his loyal followers. Then, as Jesus is leaving us, returning to the Father, he leaves another to fill the God-space in our lives. The Holy Spirit – Comforter, Encourager, or Counselor – the final one-third of the Trinity, will walk alongside us on our spiritual journey. The Holy Spirit (like Father and Son) can only give us truth, and truth is God’s opinion on everything!

We love Jesus because he died to pay the penalty for our sins so we could be forgiven. Note that Jesus didn’t send the Holy Spirit himself. He asked the Father to care for those who love the Son, so the Father sent our Counselor and Advocate, and we’re better off because of it.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for watching over all the believers!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

The Father’s House

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Truth & Freedom Church