What Angers and Saddens God | Righteous Indignation

Everybody you're listening to a new beginning, which is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. If this program is impacted you love to hear from you. So just send an email to me at greg@harvest.org again it's greg@harvest.org you can learn more about becoming harvest partner by going to harvest.org in the Gospel of John we read that Jesus entered the temple and drove out the money changers today. Pastor Greg Loring sheds light on this one. Any drive the moneychangers out of the temple because people were being taken advantage of and instead of praying for the people they were praying on the people. So Jesus walks in you've taken my father's house, which is a house of prayer and you've turned into a den of thieves would turn certain tables over the think of Jesus is getting a we have mental snapshots of them healing lover sight to the blind leading the multitudes with a few loaves and for his kindness and compassion were on display.

On rare occasion, his righteous indignation came to the surface today and a new beginning.

Pastor Greg Laurie brings is one of those is a message called what angers and sat popular series called my face let our Bibles that were going to turn you John chapter 12 of the gospel of John together. John chapter 12 in the title of my messages. What angers and saddens God. We must not forget that Jesus walked among us as a man, he he had the human experience that you and I have no course he was not sinful he was perfect but he felt the pressure and resins of sin, though he did not have the inward vulnerability to it, but he knows what it's like to walk in your shoes he really knows what it's like to feel your pain if he experienced the full gamut of human emotion from joy. This sadness you loneliness. I don't think there's ever been a lonelier man on the face of the earth and Jesus, when he hung on the cross and bore the sin of all the world cried out the words, my God, my God, why have you taken me so yes, Jesus experienced anger and Jesus experienced sorrow that were told in Hebrews 515 we don't have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. He was in all points tested as we are yet without so that brings us to our text before us. John chapter 12. It's a description of the final week in the life and ministry of Christ and Jesus ministry there was a sense among everyone that something big was about to happen. There was an air of expectancy and excitement and Mary had already understood it. Remember we looked at how Jesus was in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and and she broke out that beautiful perfume that was worth $25-$30,000 and reported on the feet of Jesus, and wiped it with her hair. Mary understood that Jesus had come to die. Mary saw something all the other apostles admit she saw that Jesus had been saying what he meant and he had been meaning what he said he was literally going to be betrayed, nailed to a Roman cross, and rise from the dead. That's what he had been talking about it so she wanted to bring some tribute is some way that shows she loved him and appreciated him, and so she brought the most valuable thing she own which was that expensive perfume so there was this excitement building in the air and there was a perception that the kingdom of God was about to appear back over and look 1911. It says that during this time, as Jesus was getting close to Jerusalem. They thought the kingdom of God would appear, and here's what they were thinking because they misunderstood the role of Christ, they thought the Messiah was coming to deliver Israel in a sense it was true in another sense it was. It was true that he was coming to deliver Israel from their sin and to the point.

It's also true. It was coming to deliver all of humanity from their sin, but he was not coming to be a militant Messiah, and he was not coming to overthrow the power of Rome, which was occupying a Jerusalem and the nation of Israel at this particular time because the supreme issue for Jesus was not Rome's army, but God's temple because at first he was headed. He was headed in this what we call the triumphal entry to go into the temple of God. So let's read about what happened. A John chapter 12 starting in verse 12.

The next day the news that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem swept the city a large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches out went down the road to meet them and they shouted praise God's blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord paled of the king of Israel. Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it fulfilling the prophecy that said don't be afraid people of Jerusalem look your King is coming riding on a donkey's colt's disciples didn't understand at the time. This is a fulfillment of prophecy, but after Jesus entered his glory.

They remembered what happened and realize these things have been written about him. Many in the crowd. He had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising them from the dead and they were telling others about it.

This was the reason so many went out to meet him because they heard about that miraculous sign, then the Pharisees verse 19 said to each other. There's nothing we can do look everyone's gone after.) So, the resurrection of Lazarus that was a really big deal.

The news spread like wildfire. This is before social media. Everybody knew about it. All the eyewitnesses were telling all of their friends and all their family. Jesus raised the guy from the dead and there was no question. Lazarus was was dead because he had been in the tomb for days. The process of decomposition and already said in, and yet he was alive again. Verse 18 says that was the reason so many went out to meet them because it occurred about this miraculous sign, but there was a gross misunderstanding here is a people are laying out these palm branches they were missing the point is, I said they thought he was coming to establish his kingdom then and there that they cried out the word hosanna you know Dort hosanna means means save now so effectively there saying save now Lord deliver us now overthrow Rome now do it now though. There's no question that Jesus was doing something very unusual and very deliberate for a good part of his ministry. You could see Jesus in effect flew under the radar a little bit.

He would heal people and he would say, tell no man he would say things like my hour has not yet come. But now he's playing his hand, if you will not always doing something very public, very noticeable, very significant in this what he was doing writing in the city and the donkey was a message being sent to both Rome and to Israel for the Romans they would know that when a Roman general would come back from a war that he had one he would write back in the donkey and the people would welcome him with palm branches sewn away. He was saying I'm coming back to you now as a conqueror and to the Jewish people. It was a fulfillment of prophecy because the Jews according to Matthew 31 knew that the Messiah would come suddenly into the temple and then Zechariah 99 says the king would come to them and he would be on the call the fall of an ass, and so they knew Messiah would come riding a donkey and would go into the temple so the Jews at all. He's declaring himself as Messiah and the Romans are saying oh he's declaring himself as a conqueror. So the disciples there still there excitement there thinking.

Finally, everybody is saying how wonderful Jesus is.

We've known it all along but now everyone's becoming a part of this night crying out hosanna and no, Jesus does something very unusual.

He comes in he stops it. He begins to weep. Luke's version of the story. Luke 1941, we read that Jesus wept. So here is a crowd whipped into a frenzy and Jesus is weeping. The crowd is rejoicing. But Jesus is crying. The people were dumped on and I wonder if the celebration stop everything in a dancing and all of a sudden Jesus is crying that's like Jesus. What happens why are you so sad you don't, why are you weeping like this.

Why was he weeping. We can only guess but maybe it's because his ministry was almost over time was short and yet by large he had been rejected, he healed their sick. He fed the hungry he raise her dad became the greatest messages ever heard in all of human history deeper gave their sins and now he is left mostly alone and rejected. He knew the one of his own would soon betray him to this he knew.

Another would deny him.

Peter he knew Caiaphas and Pilate would conspire against him, and he knew that many of these people crying hosanna would soon be crying crucify and let his blood be upon us and upon our children. Not only that he knew their future and it wasn't pretty. Jesus being God being omniscient knowing all things knew that the structure was coming upon Jerusalem in 40 years because we look back now, historically, we know in 70 A.D. Titus in the Roman legions came into Jerusalem after a siege of 143 days and killed 600,000 Jews that took thousands Of the Jewish historian Josephus talked about blood flowing through the streets of Jerusalem and the beloved Temple was burned to the ground and you know the thing for Jesus was it broke his heart.

Listen, God takes no delight. We face the ramifications of our sent some people like to portray God as is taking some fiendish pleasure in judging people think you be further from the truth that that were the case, why would Christ himself. Take the judgment of the father upon himself. He's doing everything just Paris.

From this, but he knows that we reject this offer of forgiveness and we reject his atonement on the cross we bring this upon ourselves of this broke his heart caused him to. We it's sad minds, you have destroyed me a mile. By the way, Nehemiah is an amazing book about a man that was put in the position of great influence in the use that to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem, and in Nehemiah was doing something that was very important in the wall had great symbolism and that's what needed to be rebuilt and before Nehemiah rebuilt that wall we read that he wrote around the circumference of the city of Jerusalem and he wept. But after his weeping came working after his pain came a plan now Jesus is weeping because he's going out to do the ultimate work he's going to die on the cross for the sin of the world. Mr. Greg Moore will have the second half of this message in just a moment. It's such a blessing to hear the pastor Greg's messages are touching lives.

Pastor Greg Agrippa going to church.

When I turned 18, mainly rebelling against my mom always forced to go 50s. He now and I'm back going to church after all these years I attended my very religious girlfriend and it does so for the past year. I've also been doing a lot of reading and talking to people eliciting different things. One of them was a radio program, a new beginning. As you are talking faster. Greg gave a prayer and asked if anyone would like to follow Christ have their sins forgiven well felt like the right thing to do and I pray the prayer to follow Christ.

Thank you Pastor Greg. If you have a story to share.

Why not call us and give us all the details. Here's the number 1-866-871-1144 special number for this purpose, 866-871-1144 now. Pastor Greg picks up his message called what angers and saddens God.

Let's listen now. Jesus enters into the temple, but � 12 but it's in the other Gospels. He goes into the temple. He walks around he assesses the situation. Checks it out and he leaves so this is preparing us for the moment when he is about to do something quite dramatic. Mark picks up the narrative.

It says and Jesus arrived back in Jerusalem. Mark 11 the end of the double began to drive up the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers in the stalls of those selling.so let's put it all together here comes Jesus riding in Jerusalem of the back of the donkey fulfilling prophecy. He stops and looks at the city and he weeps over it. Knowing what their future is knowing that these people were going to turn against them. Now he walks into the temple, and he drives the money changers out. He turns her tables over, by the way, it's a violent act to overturn a table want to get someone's attention. Turn the table over you don't like your order in a restaurant to turn the table over, don't tell them I told you do that, I think it's a really bad idea actually got to everyone. In the attention you it's like in 100 Westerns and see and it's always in the saloon right and so there playing another party away and the guys are all gambling around the tables and there's always a piano player and he always has a little bowler hat he always has like a little garter on his sleeve and he's always plain thinking didn't didn't didn't didn't didn't didn't sound like that. And then one cowboy says to another cowboy your cheating and that guy says I'm not Chetan and then the one cowboy says gator.no that's Larry the cable got so so they get into an altercation and one stands up and poses God. And maybe there's a gunfight. Or maybe there's a fistfight in the piano player stops and runs for cover and people are thrown over the bar. They always break the plate glass window behind the bar there hanging up the chandelier in August right so when Jesus overturns the table. Everyone stops and says what is going on here but see Jesus was wanting to get their attention. Now I know this doesn't fit with the image.

Some people have of Jesus because some people think of Jesus is sort of the original hippie right.

The original flower child. Kind of like a piece of love do okay piece out.

No, that was not Jesus.

Jesus was a man's man, Jesus was a tough guy, but he had a tender heart symbol to be a tough guy you think you could carry across of the streets of Jerusalem, after being whipped for 39 times you have to be pretty tough to do that even Pontius Pilate said of Christ, behold, the man, because that's exactly who Christ was, but you see, Jesus was also meek, in fact, Jesus said in Matthew 1129 take my yoke upon you alerted me I meek and humble in heart, and you find rest for your souls.

So we think of Jesus you know in a breath and a lamb around his neck and walk around with this little staff and and he's kind of a wimpy anemic little guy. That's all religious art portrays them.

It's wrong. It's inaccurate. Can we be blonde hair.

You know, highlights, and no good course dark hair. He was tan from the sun's skin would've actually been darker. His muscles would've been strong. He was a strong man but he was a meek man and I think it's because we don't know what meekness is we think of meekness as weakness, but a literal definition of meekness is strength under control. Meekness has a strength to not defend oneself as an Jesus going to the cross, meekness boldly defends other UC were the opposite someone offends me, I rise up in anger. How dare you say that about me.

Don't be disrespecting me. I have my rights all defend myself. That's not meekness.

Meekness is when you attack me and I let it go within you attack someone I care about. Now I rise up, you'll be messing with them.

You don't say that about them, especially if they're weaker and they need help. I stand up for someone else that for Christ shows his real strength.

No, I won't stand up for myself right now. I'll give up my right to say but you mess with these people and that ticks me off and that's what makes God mad. What makes God bed.

What makes God mad is when religious layers and religious people try to keep people from knowing God, why did he drive the moneychangers out of the temple because basically you have the Jewish Temple. First, it was a tabernacle or attempt later to become a building built by King Solomon rebuilt later by King Herod and I was a temple known as the second Temple that was ultimately dismantled stone by stone by Titus in the Roman legion. So you have the outer court of the Gentiles in the temple now is you getting closer. There is a special area called the holy of holy and that is where the high priest would walk in once a year to offer a sacrifice of the sins of the people inside of the holy of holies in the original Temple with the ark of the covenant know it's not in a warehouse like Indiana Jones movies tell us it was there in the inner sanctum of the temple and inside of the ark of the covenant was that Aaron's rod that butted in a jar of manna, right Maisie so that's the tables on this outer court. The court of the Gentiles, that would be the non-Jews.

This is for these guys set up their tables and goals. So what of the cell and a few souvenirs and ogres that they were doing. People were coming in with the rentals a sacrifice in these men out there, said excuse me only see that animal all that animal squad. You can't bring that animal in but he were having to close a deal on special approved glands that you can bind the jack up the price and rip the people off so the people were being taken advantage of and instead of praying for the people they were praying on the people. So Jesus walks in, and this angers him. Why, because God welcomes all people into his house. Even though the Jews are God's covenant people.

Even though the Jews are God's chosen people. It is also true that God desires a relationship with all people, and even at this point. Historically, before the death of Christ that opens the door to all of humanity and to approach God. I even at this point God welcomed in the Gentiles are the non-Jews like Isaiah 56 says God we can all blessed Gentiles and commit themselves of the Lord and serve him and love his name, and worship him. Well, except their burnt offerings and sacrifices because my temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations, and that would Jesus irritate you. Taken my father thousand which is a house of prayer and you turn it into a den of thieves. We drove me the main could see why Pastor Greg Laurie titled today's what angers and saddens God is part of a series called life. Based in John's Gospel. Now, if you enjoy these teachings in God's word, one a drop Pastor Greg an email and let them know his email address is greg@harvest.org affect that when I put Pastor Greg on your prayer list.

Pray that God continues to use him to touch lives through these daily studies and if you can invest in this outreach that would be wonderful were completely listener supported.

These studies couldn't come your way without the generosity of our listeners yesterday were so thankful for that investment. No matter the amount yeah that's right what is that mean that means give whatever you can give some can give just a little bit and that's okay. Some can give more some frankly can give a lot. Give what you can give and this will help us to continue this radio broadcast in your area and also look into some new areas in the future. So do what you can do, do it quickly as possible, and in advance.

I want to say thanks for whatever you can do yet is right and you can make that donation securely@ourwebsiteharvest.org and why you're there. Get the details on the resource would like to send you to thank you for your generosity.

It's a book called don't give the enemy a seat at your table written by Pastor Louis Giglio. He points out where in the battle for the control of our minds and our enemy is trying to push a narrative that will lead to defeat the subtitle is it's time to win the battle of your mind and will send you this book to thank you for your investment and we won't be mentioning this much longer. So contact us soon go to harvest.org and get all the details or you can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300 reaches anytime 24 seven, 1-800-821-3300 are you receiving Pastor Greg's daily devotions there a great way to start your day with extra insight and inspiration sign up for his devotions today@harvest.org Pastor Greg brings the final part of his message angers and saddens God look at the importance of being appropriate representatives for Christ is the world is watching. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg Laurie and I knew beginning of the podcast, made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God if this show has impacted your life. Share your story leverage you on your favorite podcast and help others find help