Bethel Lutheran Church Sermons

Readings

Exodus 20:1-17 (The basic terms of the covenant.)
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (The power and wisdom of the cross.)
John 2:13-25 (Cleansing of the temple.)

Sermon

Listen to the full sermon (by clicking on the play button above) for an amusing antidote from pastor’s childhood and hear how his childhood “tire business” relates to our gospel lesson!

In our gospel lesson today, people were being ripped off.  People who were coming to bring their offering to the Lord were being robbed.  Faithful people who were coming to Jerusalem to worship their God were being stolen from.  And this angered Jesus.  Especially since it was going on in the area that gentile converts had to worship God.

We come to the church as pure receivers.  We are undeserving.  Jesus wants to make sure we come to church to do one thing, to praise the true God.  To worship him in truth and honesty and to come to him with our sins and know that we are forgiven.

When Jesus disrupted business at the temple, the Jews came running.  They were upset that Jesus had disrupted their commerce.  But when they hear Jesus condemning the actions, they cannot argue with it.  So the Jews try to attack jesus instead.  They question his authority.