The Final Road - Week 2: The New Temple
Series: The Final Road
Key Passage: Matthew 12:6
Discuss why some people feel like God is approachable, and others don’t. What makes the difference?
Respond: Jesus both eliminates distance between us and God, and makes it safe to dwell in God’s presence.
Read Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-22. Jesus cleared out the temple because it had become corrupt. The Jews were using the Gentile courts to buy and sell, and the sellers were taking advantage of the poor. Why is this an important act of Jesus during the last week of his earthly life (before crucifixion)?
Discuss how Jesus is the new and better temple in the following areas:
Jesus is the substitute for the temple building
Jesus is the substitute for the sacrificial animals
Jesus is the substitute for the Old Testament priests
Read Hebrews 9:9-14. Discuss how Jesus’ sacrifice can even cleanse our consciences, whereas the sacrificial system couldn’t.
Read Matthew 27:50-51. What is the significance of the temple curtain being torn in two during Jesus’ death?