# The Way of Faith: Jesus Cleanses the Temple
*2015-03-07*

> Bill reflects on the third Sunday of Lent reading from John 2, where Jesus drives the merchants from the temple and foretells his resurrection, drawing lessons for our Lenten journey.

## Scripture Reading

John 2:14‑16 tells us that Jesus went to the temple and found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. He made a whip of cords, drove them all out, poured out the coins, and overturned the tables. The Jews asked, “What sign do you show us for doing this?” Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” After He rose from the dead, the disciples remembered what He had said, and they believed.

## The Temple as God’s Presence

The temple was the visible sign of God’s presence in the world. When Jesus spoke of raising the temple in three days, He was referring to His own resurrection. The disciples did not understand this until after the Resurrection, when the “Easter language” became clear. This shows how God’s mystery often unfolds over time.

## Believing Like the Disciples

In John’s Gospel, belief is more than intellectual assent; it means giving oneself completely to Christ. The disciples needed time to grasp the mystery of the risen Lord, and we too are invited to grow in faith during Lent. The Greek word *anastasis* (raise up) underscores that Jesus brings new life.

## God’s Presence in Our Lenten Journey

Lent offers an opportunity to recognize God’s life in everyday places—not in stone altars, but in people, especially the outcasts, the sick, and those suffering mental anguish. By opening our eyes and hearts, we can see and believe that God’s life surrounds us.

*Lent invites us to discover the living presence of Christ in the world around us, just as He revealed Himself in the temple.*