“How Clean=
Is
Your Temple?”
LG Questions for the Week of Marc=
h 04,
2008
Getting Started
1. It has
been said: “You can tell what matters most to a person by what makes
him/her angry? Do you think that is true? To test the validity of your opin=
ion,
ask yourself what sorts of things make you the angriest and what this indic=
ates
about you.
Getting Into the=
Bible
2. Read
Mark 11:15-18. What shocking action did Jesus take in Jerusalem during the last week of His l=
ife? What
did this reveal about His values and what mattered to Him most? How did oth=
ers
react to Him and to what world-shaking event did their reactions eventually
lead? Explain. See Mark 14:55-60 for help.
3. Read
John 2:11-17. In contrast to Mark and the other Gospel writers, John places=
the
cleansing of God’s Templ=
e
at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Do you think John made a mistake=
in
his chronology of events? If not, what does this underscore about JesusR=
17;
love for the Temple
of God? See Psalm 6=
9:9
for help.
4. Read
John 2:18-25. Why were the enemies of Jesus confused by His statement about=
the
destruction and resurrection of the Temple?
Why shouldn’t they have been surprised by His appearance and actions =
in
the Temple? See
Malachi 3:1-2. In spite of the
opposition He faced, some responded favorably to His ministry in Jerusalem. Why do=
you
think Jesus was cautious about receiving their praise?
Getting Personal=
and
Practical
5. Read 1
Corinthians 6:14-20. Today there is no Temple in
Jerusalem
because the Romans destroyed it in 70 A.D. However, this was a providential
part of God’s plan, for where has His Spirit chosen to dwell today
instead? Given what we have learned about Jesus’ love for His Temple,
what implications does this have for how you and I live and act? As an
incentive to be holy, begin to memorize 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.