Jesus: The Outraged
Bible Study
The Critical Questions... And More
Three Pre-Easter Bible Studies
Object:
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."
Lesson Objective: At the end of this lesson, each of the participants will have a greater understanding of what made Jesus angry and when it is appropriate to demonstrate "righteous anger."
Prayer Focus: Pray that each member of the group might begin to see, feel, and think as Jesus does and that each would have the response Jesus would have in certain situations in their lives.
Lesson
The man in the barbershop spoke to the man next to him. "Hey, I hear your son is on the high school football team. That's great. What position does he play?" The other fellow shrugged and then knowingly said, "I'm not sure, but I think he's a drawback." If there's a drawback in our walk with Christ, for many it is controlling anger. The organist once told the preacher that one of the hymns was going to be "This Is My Father's Mad, Mad World." The world we live in can be an angry place at times and we are not strangers to it. Did Jesus ever get mad? What did he do about it? This morning we will look at what outraged Jesus and how he handled it.
We now enter the final week of Jesus' life as we consider this text. He has entered Jerusalem on the donkey. The Palm Sunday crowds have shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus entered the temple, but because it was late, he returned to Bethany. The next morning he went back to the temple. On the way, Jesus notes the barren fig tree and says, "May you never bear fruit again." Then he enters the temple to find men selling doves and the money changers. Why are they there? Pilgrims came from a great distance to Jerusalem. Often they would not have an animal for sacrifice. The high priest determined that he could serve the people and make money by selling animals that were already declared "pure." People also had to exchange foreign currency to the local to pay the temple tax.
Are there appropriate times for anger?
When Jesus saw all that was going on in the temple, he was reminded of the barren fig tree. It should have had fruit, but didn't. This place of worship should've reflected God, but it didn't. It was given over to crass materialism and a shallow facade of worship. This stirred Jesus. He became angry. Jesus saw people buying and selling in the temple area. His Father's house had become nothing more than a market. Jesus felt indignation and anger.
Are there times when it is right to get angry? I can hear some now. "You bet!" "Amen, brother, preach it!" Hold on for a minute. Why was Jesus angry? It had nothing to do with him, personally. He was angry because his Father's house had been violated. Those who claimed to be spiritual were faking it and that made Jesus boil. A survey of the New Testament reveals that the people who angered Jesus were those who were religious hypocrites. He never demonstrated anger to "sinners." The woman at the well? No. The woman caught in adultery? No. The leprous man? No. Even the Roman soldiers who mocked him and spit on him? No. Jesus' anger was focused and consistent. He never allowed a personal slight to be the cause of his anger. What about you? Ask yourself, "With whom am I angry and why?" More often than not, we're mad because someone has done something to us or hasn't done something we thought they should do. This is a far cry from what angered Jesus. Would that the things that angered him, angered us.
Are there times when action must be taken?
What did Jesus do when he was angered? This might be a hard picture for you to visualize, but Jesus went ballistic. He turned over the money changers' tables; he scattered the animals; he drove out the people who were making a mockery of the whole thing. He acted. You might say he went "Bobby Knight." Jesus refused to allow his father's house to be compromised. His actions fulfilled prophecy. They were extreme, but not out of control.
Are there times when action must be taken? "Amen" you say? I agree, but be careful. Again, notice how Jesus acted. He was extreme, even violent, but not out of control. He knew what he was doing and even quoted Old Testament scripture as support. There are times when action must be taken, but it must be with careful thought.
In a small town, there were two merchants who were fierce competitors. Each schemed and worked hard to outdo the other and make more money. They would taunt each other when one made a sale and the other didn't. God noticed this in heaven and it saddened him. One day, he sent an angel to speak to one of the merchants. The angel spoke to the merchant: "God has given you a great gift. He will give you what you wish, anything, but there is one condition. Whatever you ask, the other merchant gets double. This is his way of teaching you something." The merchant thought for a moment and then said, darkly, "Make me blind in one eye."
It is a humorous story, but it hits home. Many times our actions of anger come from revenge. They are not for any noble purpose. They are simply to make us feel better. How foolish.
What is the proper source for anger?
Jesus' anger was different than mine and perhaps yours. He was angry because something significant had been violated in one of the worst ways possible. People were being misled and mistreated. Jesus couldn't stand it. The source of his anger was an abuse of people.
What is the source of your anger? We get angry when we feel wronged or cheated in the smallest most insignificant of ways and then we allow the big things that hurt people to go by without a nod. Why do we get mad when our idea for wall color isn't chosen and yet don't care when children are neglected or abused? Why do we get enraged when our idea isn't selected and must stifle a yawn when sin has a stranglehold on the people closest to us? Why do we get riled up over matters that have no real eternal significance and not notice when God is mocked? It is okay to get angry, but we must get angry about the right things! Is there any real reason to get angry with another brother or sister in Christ? You might disagree. You might not see eye to eye. You may not even be buddies. But you are on the same team. You are part of the same family. There is no reason for Christians to get angry with other Christians. Our anger must be directed to the devil and his evil work in the lives of many we know. We don't have time to get mad at each other. Jesus never got mad at his disciples. We can't do it, either.
Conclusion
Jesus got angry. His anger, though, was directed. He hates sin and what happens to people when they get caught in it. He wants you to be free today. Will you come to him?
Suggested Songs And Hymns
"Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me"
"Jesus" (the chorus)
"Ivory Palaces"
Thought/Discussion Questions
1. What angers you more than anything else right now? Is it something that is "justified" or only in your mind?
2. In what ways is Jesus' anger like yours? In what ways is it different?
3. What things ought to anger you as a Christian? How many of those things have you acted upon?
4. Why do Christians get angry with other Christians in church? Is there any justification for it? Why or why not?
Lesson Objective: At the end of this lesson, each of the participants will have a greater understanding of what made Jesus angry and when it is appropriate to demonstrate "righteous anger."
Prayer Focus: Pray that each member of the group might begin to see, feel, and think as Jesus does and that each would have the response Jesus would have in certain situations in their lives.
Lesson
The man in the barbershop spoke to the man next to him. "Hey, I hear your son is on the high school football team. That's great. What position does he play?" The other fellow shrugged and then knowingly said, "I'm not sure, but I think he's a drawback." If there's a drawback in our walk with Christ, for many it is controlling anger. The organist once told the preacher that one of the hymns was going to be "This Is My Father's Mad, Mad World." The world we live in can be an angry place at times and we are not strangers to it. Did Jesus ever get mad? What did he do about it? This morning we will look at what outraged Jesus and how he handled it.
We now enter the final week of Jesus' life as we consider this text. He has entered Jerusalem on the donkey. The Palm Sunday crowds have shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus entered the temple, but because it was late, he returned to Bethany. The next morning he went back to the temple. On the way, Jesus notes the barren fig tree and says, "May you never bear fruit again." Then he enters the temple to find men selling doves and the money changers. Why are they there? Pilgrims came from a great distance to Jerusalem. Often they would not have an animal for sacrifice. The high priest determined that he could serve the people and make money by selling animals that were already declared "pure." People also had to exchange foreign currency to the local to pay the temple tax.
Are there appropriate times for anger?
When Jesus saw all that was going on in the temple, he was reminded of the barren fig tree. It should have had fruit, but didn't. This place of worship should've reflected God, but it didn't. It was given over to crass materialism and a shallow facade of worship. This stirred Jesus. He became angry. Jesus saw people buying and selling in the temple area. His Father's house had become nothing more than a market. Jesus felt indignation and anger.
Are there times when it is right to get angry? I can hear some now. "You bet!" "Amen, brother, preach it!" Hold on for a minute. Why was Jesus angry? It had nothing to do with him, personally. He was angry because his Father's house had been violated. Those who claimed to be spiritual were faking it and that made Jesus boil. A survey of the New Testament reveals that the people who angered Jesus were those who were religious hypocrites. He never demonstrated anger to "sinners." The woman at the well? No. The woman caught in adultery? No. The leprous man? No. Even the Roman soldiers who mocked him and spit on him? No. Jesus' anger was focused and consistent. He never allowed a personal slight to be the cause of his anger. What about you? Ask yourself, "With whom am I angry and why?" More often than not, we're mad because someone has done something to us or hasn't done something we thought they should do. This is a far cry from what angered Jesus. Would that the things that angered him, angered us.
Are there times when action must be taken?
What did Jesus do when he was angered? This might be a hard picture for you to visualize, but Jesus went ballistic. He turned over the money changers' tables; he scattered the animals; he drove out the people who were making a mockery of the whole thing. He acted. You might say he went "Bobby Knight." Jesus refused to allow his father's house to be compromised. His actions fulfilled prophecy. They were extreme, but not out of control.
Are there times when action must be taken? "Amen" you say? I agree, but be careful. Again, notice how Jesus acted. He was extreme, even violent, but not out of control. He knew what he was doing and even quoted Old Testament scripture as support. There are times when action must be taken, but it must be with careful thought.
In a small town, there were two merchants who were fierce competitors. Each schemed and worked hard to outdo the other and make more money. They would taunt each other when one made a sale and the other didn't. God noticed this in heaven and it saddened him. One day, he sent an angel to speak to one of the merchants. The angel spoke to the merchant: "God has given you a great gift. He will give you what you wish, anything, but there is one condition. Whatever you ask, the other merchant gets double. This is his way of teaching you something." The merchant thought for a moment and then said, darkly, "Make me blind in one eye."
It is a humorous story, but it hits home. Many times our actions of anger come from revenge. They are not for any noble purpose. They are simply to make us feel better. How foolish.
What is the proper source for anger?
Jesus' anger was different than mine and perhaps yours. He was angry because something significant had been violated in one of the worst ways possible. People were being misled and mistreated. Jesus couldn't stand it. The source of his anger was an abuse of people.
What is the source of your anger? We get angry when we feel wronged or cheated in the smallest most insignificant of ways and then we allow the big things that hurt people to go by without a nod. Why do we get mad when our idea for wall color isn't chosen and yet don't care when children are neglected or abused? Why do we get enraged when our idea isn't selected and must stifle a yawn when sin has a stranglehold on the people closest to us? Why do we get riled up over matters that have no real eternal significance and not notice when God is mocked? It is okay to get angry, but we must get angry about the right things! Is there any real reason to get angry with another brother or sister in Christ? You might disagree. You might not see eye to eye. You may not even be buddies. But you are on the same team. You are part of the same family. There is no reason for Christians to get angry with other Christians. Our anger must be directed to the devil and his evil work in the lives of many we know. We don't have time to get mad at each other. Jesus never got mad at his disciples. We can't do it, either.
Conclusion
Jesus got angry. His anger, though, was directed. He hates sin and what happens to people when they get caught in it. He wants you to be free today. Will you come to him?
Suggested Songs And Hymns
"Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me"
"Jesus" (the chorus)
"Ivory Palaces"
Thought/Discussion Questions
1. What angers you more than anything else right now? Is it something that is "justified" or only in your mind?
2. In what ways is Jesus' anger like yours? In what ways is it different?
3. What things ought to anger you as a Christian? How many of those things have you acted upon?
4. Why do Christians get angry with other Christians in church? Is there any justification for it? Why or why not?
