Father's House

John 2:12-25

I went away from home for college when I was 21 years old. In those days, I drove a 1978 model Chevy Chevette. An awful car! But it ran. On weekends, Beth, Laura, some other friends, and I would pile into the little car, leave Asbury College, and head toward Vancleve, Kentucky. We were going home. When I pulled onto the Bible college campus where I had grown up, I drove straight to mom and dad’s house. I was going to my Father’s house.  Once there, mom and dad loved us with food, time, love, and clean clothes. We always anticipated coming home.

A year later, Beth and I were married. We continued the practice of coming home, although not always as frequently as in the first year away of college.  We loved coming back to mom and dad’s house. My Father’s house. Christmas, Thanksgiving, special gatherings, they all happened at “My Father’s house.”  In 2000, Mom and Dad moved from the home they had lived in for 24 years. My Father’s house became “my house.” The furniture, interior decorating, and occupants have changed as it became “my house,” but the memories of my Father’s house linger. 

Mom and Dad moved again in 2003 to the log home where they now reside. We wondered what it would be like to go to a different house. We wondered if Christmas and Thanksgiving would seem strange, but they really weren’t, because, although the address had changed, the residents had not. Mom and Dad were still living there. It was still “My Father’s House.”

At the onset of Jesus’ earthly ministry, we discover that Jesus’ Father had a house, too. And Jesus had some very strong sentiments about his Father’s house. At the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem, His Father’s house. Jesus was disturbed and enraged over the abuses of the temple, and He cleansed His Father’s house, the temple, from these abuses. Jesus first cleansing of the temple early in His ministry reveals His Sonship through His response to “My Father’s House.”

The Synoptic Gospels tell of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple during his last week on earth.  Only John puts this incident at the beginning of His ministry, leading me to conclude that there must have been two incidences of Jesus’ cleansing the temple.

The temple was very important to the Hebrew people.  It was central to politics, religion, and Hebrew culture.  Worshipers from all over the known world came to Jerusalem to worship and sacrifice.  It was holy.

But the Hebrew view of temple was filled with superstition. They thought that as long as they retained the visible symbol of God’s Presence, the temple, that their nation would be safe from destruction. They took pride in the temple, abused the temple, compromised the temple, restored the temple, and rebuilt the temple.

I believe that Jesus cared so passionately and zealously about Father’s house, that He bookended His earthly ministry by cleansing it once at the onset and a second time as He faced the cross.

“Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.’” (John 2:17).

Jesus was passionate about preserving the holiness of His Father’s Name.  He was passionate about preserving the holiness of the temple.  He was passionate about guarding the interest of the Father.  It was His Father’s house.

Are you passionate about worship? Do you gather habitually with other believers to pray, read the Bible aloud, study God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to examine you? Has your church attendance been reduced to a social obligation, or is it a demonstration of spiritual hunger and vitality in your life? How do you feel about Father’s house?