Lord of the Temple: Worship Him Rightly
Youth (13-18) · member guide · Anchor: Matthew 21:12-17
From the sermon Lord of the Temple
# Lord of the Temple Small Group Guide: Matthew 21:12-17
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.' And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' they were indignant, and they said to him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?' And Jesus said to them, 'Yes; have you never read, Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise?' And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
— Matthew 21:12-17
1. The Lord Cleans His House
Jesus doesn't walk into the temple like a visitor. He walks in like the owner. When He explains His actions, He quotes two Old Testament prophets:
These I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
— Isaiah 56:7
Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.
— Jeremiah 7:11
And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD of hosts on that day.
— Zechariah 14:21
God calls the temple 'my house.' Jesus calls it 'my house' too. What does that tell you about who Jesus claims to be?
Why do you think it was so serious that people were making money off worship in the temple, of all places?
Your notes:
2. Worship Is About God, Not Us
The sermon pointed out that religion and money have a messy history, from the temple traders to the selling of indulgences that set Martin Luther off. The main point: worship is not about profit, crowds, or our preferences. It is about God, and pleasing Him.
Have you ever seen church or faith used to take advantage of people? How does that affect the way people outside the church see Christianity?
Be honest: what are some ways you can make worship about yourself (your preferences, your image, what you get out of it) instead of about God?
Your notes:
3. Jesus Welcomes the Weak
Right after clearing out the traders, Jesus heals the blind and the lame in the temple. Matthew is the only Gospel writer who includes this detail. In that culture, people like this were often pushed away from worship.
For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long.
— Leviticus 21:18
Therefore it is said, 'The blind and the lame shall not come into the house.'
— 2 Samuel 5:8
Many assumed these people were being punished for sin. Jesus answered that idea directly:
Jesus answered, 'It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.'
— John 9:3
The people others shut out are the very people Jesus welcomes and heals in His house. Who might feel unwelcome at church or in your youth group today? Why?
What weakness, struggle, or 'blemish' do you sometimes think keeps you from coming to Jesus? What does this passage say to that?
Your notes:
4. When Religious People Get Angry
The chief priests and scribes saw 'the wonderful things that he did' and they were indignant. These were the people who knew the Scriptures best.
I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
— Matthew 12:6
Why do you think the religious leaders were angry instead of amazed? What were they protecting?
Can someone know a lot about the Bible and still resist Jesus? What are some warning signs of that in your own life?
Your notes:
5. Praise That Belongs to God Alone
The leaders wanted Jesus to stop the children from shouting. Instead, Jesus quoted a psalm about praise to God:
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
— Psalm 8:2
Now compare it with this:
I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
— Isaiah 42:8
If God shares His praise with no one, what is Jesus claiming when He accepts the praise of Psalm 8 for Himself?
The people with the loudest, truest praise in this story were kids. Teens sometimes feel like their faith doesn't count as much as adults'. What does this passage say about that?
What (or who) in your life is tempting you to give it the praise and attention that belongs to God alone?
Your notes:
6. Discussion Springboard: Does Sincerity Make Worship Right?
The sermon's big idea: we must worship God as He has revealed Himself and give praise to Him alone. Consider this sobering story:
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
— Leviticus 10:1-2
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
— Deuteronomy 4:24
Debate it: 'As long as I'm sincere and my heart is in the right place, God accepts any way I choose to worship Him.'
Agree or disagree? Pick a side and defend it using the passages above and Matthew 21:12-17. Then consider: if God is this holy, how can anyone come to Him at all?
Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
— Titus 2:14
Jesus purified the temple, and He purifies a people for Himself through His death, which we proclaim at the Lord's Table 'until he comes' (1 Corinthians 11:26). What is one specific way you will worship God more rightly this week, in church and in everyday life?
Your notes: