The Zeal of Your House - John 2:17

John the apostle shared how Jesus turned water into wine, and he wrote how Jesus, “went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things from here; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise”, and in chapter two and verse seventeen of his book, John shared how Jesus', “disciples remembered … the zeal of your house has eaten me up” where we read:

And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of your house has eaten me up.

The verse reads, “And his disciples remembered that it was written, ...” John began with the words, “And his disciples” which means “and Jesus' students, pupils and attendants” “remembered” which means “recalled to their minds and recollected” “that it was written” or “that the following words were delineated or formed in letters on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material”. John shared how Jesus' “disciples” recollected how the following words were “written” in the scriptures.

The verse continues, “... The zeal of your house has eaten me up.” John added the words, “the zeal” which means “the excitement of mind, ardor, fervor of spirit in embracing, pursuing or defending anything” “of your house” or “pertaining to your, God's, dwelling place and abode” “has eaten me up” which means “has utterly consumed me of the strength of body and mind by strong emotions”. John shared how Jesus' disciples “recalled” the scripture that describes the passionate emotion that “consumed” the Messiah concerning the “house of God”. (See Psalm 69:9 and Psalm 119:139)

When we consider John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus' passion and anger over the merchandising that was being transacted within the temple was prophesied by the Psalmist David. In Psalm 69:9 David wrote, “For the zeal of your house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me”, and Jesus fulfilled this scripture when He drove the animals and merchants out of the “temple in Jerusalem”. God's desire is to “save” every person from their sins through His Son Jesus so they may have a personal relationship with Him. Anything that would impede that opportunity brings out His “zeal”, and He will remove any obstacle that prevents a person from being able to choose to receive Him or not. Let all who read these words know the “zeal” that “consumes” Almighty God and submit to His Son Jesus to enjoy a personal relationship with Him.

Next time John shares, “then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign do you show unto us?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".