17“His disciples remembered that it
was written, ‘Zeal for Your house will consume me’…23Now when He was in Jerusalem at the
Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing the signs
which He was doing. 24But
Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25and because He did not need anyone
to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.” John 2:17
& 23-35 [NASB]
In John 2, Jesus made
water into wine in Cana of Galilee. His first sign had His disciples believing in
Him. Next Jesus cleansed the temple of the sellers of ox, sheep, and doves, and the money changers. From this, people believed in His name. Jesus knew
the hearts of the people. They followed the wonder and awe-factor, first one
wonder-maker then another. They were fickle, yet Jesus loved His Father and them
enough to cleanse and purify the temple with His overturning the tables and His
death on the cross.
Jesus did not do these
things to impress and gain followers who were looking for the fantastic, but to
draw people to God, save them from their sins and death, and give God the
glory. Jesus did these signs and wonders even when He people would persecute
Him. Even though people called Him names, turned their backs on Him, judged
Him, and would crucify Him, His zeal for the Father and His house, and the
salvation of people overcame any human self-preservation instinct.
Is my zeal for the Lord this
strong?
In Psalm 69, David
begged God to save him from his enemies. He explained he bore the reproach for
God’s sake. David then explained why he willingly bore reproach for God with
verse nine. He said, “For zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the
reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.” David endured
reproaching from people for God’s sake. He was zealous for God’s house (God’s
house is a metaphor for heaven) so that God’s servants could live there and
possess it, and so their children and descendants could inherit it.
Am I zealous for God
when I know people will persecute,
despise, and reject
me?
Am
I zealous so I can have a home with God, and so others and their descendants
can have a home with God?
Jesus knew the stakes.
He willingly endured them all so all people would be saved.
Being zealous
benefits more people than me.
When I am not
zealous, it affects the salvation of other people.
Knowing
the hearts of people, will I be zealous anyway so that people will be saved?
Phineas, son of Aaron, was
zealous for the Lord despite the Israelites’ sinning and God wanting to avenge
His wrath on them (Numbers 25:10:13). Because of Phineas’ zealousness, God
turned back His wrath against the Israelites. For Phineas’ zealousness, God
rewarded him.
There is a reward for being zealous!
What reward did God
give Phineas? God gave His covenant of peace to Him. He
said, “It shall be for him and his descendants after him, a covenant of
perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for
the sons of Israel.” (Numbers 25:12-13 [NASB])
For Christians who
stand for the Lord, fears arise from the animosity and evil coming from people.
Yet, the benefit is great.
·
Christians zealous for the Lord will
affect the salvation of people and their descendants.
·
God rewards zealous Christians by giving
a covenant of peace, a home in His presence for the zealous Christian and his
or her descendants.
Lord,
forgive me for the times I was too afraid to be bold and courageous to stand for
You. Please help me remember You are all-powerful God and You will make me
strong, bold, and courageous when I call on and rest in You. Lord, You alone
deserve all honor,
glory, and praise, for You alone are God. Help me to stand for You despite my
fear.
