True Worship

True Worship (Mark 11:1-9, 15-18) The Triumphant Procession This procession described in Matthew & John had been prophesied in Zech. 9:9 Hosanna (Gk.) comes from a Hebrew phrase hoshiya na. It was originally a prayer that meant “Save us now!” and was generally followed by the expression, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Ps. 118:25-26) (Jesus did indeed come to save us – Luke 19:10) It later became an expression that meant salvation is at hand and a hearty welcome for visiting dignitaries. True worship involves: Cleansing/Holiness (Lev.11:44, 1 Sam. 15:25) Cleansing of the temple tied to the cursing of the sterile fig tree. Neither was producing fruit. (Jer. 8:11-13) We should not confuse leaves with fruit, because as impressive as leaves are from a distance, they don’t mean anything if there’s no fruit. The Jewish temple looked impressive. It had all the appearances of something great, with its massive walls, it’s ornate architecture, it’s sheer size. The temple courts alone were five football fields long. During the Passover celebration well over 200,000 sacrificial lambs were sacrificed on the altar of this incredible temple. But the temple wasn’t producing the fruit of godly people, the fruit of joyful worship, the fruit of an Israel who was compassionate and righteous. The temple had become all leaves and no fruit (Matt. 15:9) Notice that Jesus drives out both those selling and those buying, which tells us that the issue isn’t just that the sellers were dishonest. Turned into a house of robbers (Jer. 7:4, 9-11, Matt. 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46) The Greek word translated "robber" here always means "someone who robs by force and violence". Jesus is talking about people who use violence and brutality to get what they want and then who hide in the temple, thinking that they’re secure from God’s judgment. Interestingly, just 37 years after Jesus said this, a group of Jewish terrorists called zealots took over the temple and moved their headquarters into the most Holy Place. The zealots thought they’d be safe from the Roman authorities there, and for two years they lived there, turning the temple’s most holy place into a literal den for terrorists. This is the second time Jesus cleansed the temple. John records an earlier cleansing, about 3 years before, that took place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See John 2:13.

Not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple (Mark 11:16) = reject sacrifices/worship Humility/Deep Respect/Sincere Praise/Awestruck Reverence (Ps. 5:7, 29:2, 95:6, 138:2) An understanding of who Jesus really is (John 4:22) Spirit & Truth (John 4:23-24) Genuine appreciation/Thankfulness (Heb.13:15) Example: Roberto Benigni, the little Italian man who won the "Oscar" for best actor for the film "Life Is Beautiful." Upon hearing his name called, Benigni leaped to his feet ... threw his arms in the air ... skipped across the tops of the seats ... bounded to the stage ... squeezed Sophia Loren so tightly that he nearly crushed her... and then rambled (in half-English, halfItalian) about "this being a moment of colossal joy," and wanting to "kiss everybody and die in this ocean of generosity." This by the way is the same guy who once bear-hugged the Pope, kissing him over and over, while calling him "Babbo" ... or "Daddy." Leading the Pope to say: "You are very Italian." Its not so much about what we are doing as it is about how we are doing it! The Church is not suppose to be an exclusive club A house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:17, Isaiah 2:2, 56:7, 66:23, Ps. 22:27, 66:4) Jesus will be returning How will you welcome him? (Matt. 23:29) What will he find in His house? (Luke 18:8)