Final Thoughts on Mark 11:15
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. NKJV
The Holy Scripture records Jesus cleansing the temple twice during His time on Earth. The first time was during His first visit to Jerusalem after He had begun His public ministry (John 2:13-17). The second cleansing, which is recorded in our text as well as in Matthew’s and Luke’s gospels, took place during His final visit to the city of Jerusalem.
As Christians, we are the temple of God (I Cor. 3:16-17). Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19-20). We are bought with a price—the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ—and as such are to glorify God in our body and spirit. When we recognize and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we need to remember that what we do in our body affects the entire body of Christ. Our actions and words do make a difference to others. Our neglect and abuse of our body hinders our effectiveness in serving the Lord. Many Christians have neglected their health for years and are paying the price for it today.
After we are saved, we often give up a lot of unhealthy habits, but still there are still things which cling stubbornly within our hearts and interfere with the work of the Holy Spirit in transforming our lives. Sometimes we focus self-righteously on what others need to change or give up and we are blind to our own faults. Sometimes our prideful self-reliance upon our own learning and knowledge overload our minds and leave no room for the wisdom of God. These things should make us so spiritually uncomfortable that the cloak of humility would squeeze the pride right out of our minds and hearts. Then truly our own temples would be cleansed.
Bethel Bible Church Hawaii 