The Second Day of Passion Week 受難週第二天

The Second Day of  Passion Week (Author: JZ, Translator: YZ)

Introduction:
On the second day, Jesus and His disciples left Bethany and headed for the temple in Jerusalem. Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. The fig tree lost its value because it had no fruit. After that, Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were buying and selling there, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.  He wouldn’t allow them to turn the temple into a filthy trading place, and said to them:” My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’” Jesus cleared the temple so that people could truly honor God. However, the unbelieving chief priests and the teachers of the law not only did not obey the authority of Jesus, but instead sought to kill him.

Key Events:

Events/Facts	Location	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1 Jesus cursed the fig tree	On the way to Jerusalem	21:18‐19	11:12‐14
2 Jesus cleansed the temple for the second time	Jerusalem	21:12‐16	11:15‐17	19:45‐46
3 the chief priests wanted to kill Jesus	Jerusalem		11:18	19:47‐48
4 Jesus spent the night on the Mount of Olives	the Mount of Olives		11:19	21:37‐38

Key verses:
Matthew 21:12-13  My house shall be called a house of prayer
12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Meditation:
When Jesus was about to be crucified, His heart still remembered the temple of God. Jesus reminded us through Isaiah 56:7 that "The house of God must be called a house of prayer for all people." The temple of God was the dwelling place of God's glory. It was also where people met God and worshipped God. Now, the temple of God had become a den of robbers! Although bustling  there was no spiritual reality in the temple, like the fig tree who had luxuriant foliage but didn’t have the fruit it should have. In the same way, today we are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in us. We hope that today's verses will remind us to cleanse our hearts so that we can become God's joyful home.

Hymn ： Refiner's Fire

3/26  受難週第二天   (JZ)

簡介：
     第二天，耶穌和門徒從伯大尼出來，要往耶路撒冷的聖殿去。途中看見有一棵無花果樹，很遺憾除了葉子，主竟找不到什麼。這棵無花果樹因沒有結果子便失去它該有的價值。之後耶穌走進聖殿，祂趕出做買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢和賣鴿子之人的桌椅，不允許他們將聖殿變為藏污納垢的交易場所，怒責他們說：“我的殿必稱為禱告的殿，你們倒使它成為賊窩。”祂要潔淨聖殿,目的是要讓眾人真實的尊 神為 神。然而不信的祭司長和文士不但不服耶穌的權柄，反而是想法子要殺害祂。

主要事件：

事件/史實	地點	馬太	馬可	路加	約翰
1 耶穌詛咒無花果樹	去耶路撒冷路上	21:18‐19	11:12‐14
2 耶穌第二次潔淨聖殿	耶路撒冷	21:12‐16	11:15‐17	19:45‐46
3 祭司長等想滅耶穌	耶路撒冷		11:18	19:47‐48
4 耶穌夜宿橄欖山	橄欖山		11:19	21:37‐38

鑰節：
太21:12-13    
12 耶穌進了 神的殿，趕出殿裡一切做買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢之人的桌子和賣鴿子之人的凳子， 13 對他們說：「經上記著說：『我的殿必稱為禱告的殿』，你們倒使它成為賊窩了！」

默想：
       當耶穌即將走向十字架的時候，祂的心卻仍然惦記著 神的殿。耶穌藉著以賽亞書56:7來提醒我們『神的殿必稱為萬國禱告的殿』。 神的殿是 神榮耀的居所，也是人遇見 神、敬拜 神的地方。如今， 神的殿卻變成了賊窩！雖然熙攘熱鬧卻毫無屬靈的實際，就像那顆無花果樹一樣，徒有茂盛的枝葉，卻找不到應該有的果子。同樣，今天我們就是 神的殿， 神的靈也住在我們的裡面。盼望今天的經文能夠提醒我們潔淨自己的心，好讓我們能成為 神喜悅的居所。

詩歌 ： H254  我主 ，只有袮的聖靈