Zeal For God’s House

His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." (John 2:17 NIV)

Jesus, the Son of God, the very Person for which the temple system was to reveal, walks into His Father’s house. He confronts the selling and money exchanging in the temple and indicts the people for turning His Father’s “house of prayer” into a market and a den of thieves. This is not some rash expression of anger, but a carefully planned confrontation. Jesus “fashioned” a whip made of cords. He took the time, probably sitting in the corner, watching the market business in His Father’s house while He fashioned an instrument to drive them all out, turning over the money tables as they went. After this action, the disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Our God is a consuming fire!

It is clear that Jesus was “consumed” with something. He was driven by zeal, a burning passion and enthusiasm. But, for what? His Father’s house! Jesus said, upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Jesus came to build His church, His house. The church is the new temple, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. What is Jesus passionate about? We should know, so that we can be passionate about the same thing. In Exodus 35, after the exodus and deliverance of God’s people out of Egypt, Moses called all the people to give free will offerings for the building of the tabernacle, a sanctuary for God. He promised God’s blessing if the tabernacle was built. The people caught the zeal of God, their hearts being moved to please the Lord. So they brought offerings morning after morning until Moses had to tell them to stop bringing supplies, as there was already an abundance to complete the work! Imagine, people were actually zealous for the house of God! So the tabernacle was built and God’s glory dwelt among the people!

However, when we get to the book of Haggai the prophet, things had drastically changed. Although the people reached their zenith during the age of Solomon’s Temple, they began to rebel and turn away from the Lord. God finally brought His “whip” upon them as punishment as the Assyrians and Babylonians were sent to destroy Israel and Judah, and the magnificent Solomon’s Temple was leveled to the ground. Now, nearly seventy years later, Haggai is calling the people to rebuild the temple. But, now the people make excuses, saying it is not time to build the temple. They were too busy building their own houses, their own lives. So God asks, is it time for you to live in your paneled houses while the house of God lies in ruin? God is saying, “I see, it is always time for you to make sure your life and living space is well provided for, but a house for the Spirit and Truth of God is currently unimportant?” Does God only need a thriving church whenever we decide to get to it? Or, does God believe it is always time to build His church?! Their apathy was quite a change from the abundant devotion to building God’s house in Exodus 35!

In the New Testament, the church is not a physical building; it is a spiritual and relational building of living stones built upon the Rock, the foundation of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is zealous about building this “church”, what would His enemy try to do? Certainly the devil understands the passionate desires and plans of Jesus. Therefore, he tries to destroy the very thing that Jesus is trying to build. This is why the church has troubles, the people are imperfect, and the leaders fail us at times. All of this is nothing new. The house of God, His people, has been in ruins at many times throughout the ages. But, Jesus is still passionate about His church and He is still zealous to purge out corruption and keep on building that which He is consumed with, His church!

Where does our present generation stand in regard to building God’s house? Are we consumed with the zeal of Jesus to build and grow His church? Are we consumed with the same passion that Jesus has? Or, have we given up? Has the church let you down, hurt you, have leaders failed you? Have you seen corruption in His church? How many have chosen to leave God’s church, preferring to sit on the sidelines because of past hurts and disappointments saying “It isn’t time to build God’s house.” What would Jesus do? He has never given up on His church and neither shall we. I have a question: “Is it time to build the house of God?” No matter what has happened, past, present, or the potential future, it is ALWAYS time to build His church.

Jesus is still consumed with a zeal to build His church. What is consuming you?