What does God’s jealousy, his zeal for his glory mean for you? Let’s consider two scenes, one from everyday life and one from the life of Christ in John 2.
Scene One
We’re all familiar with the first scene. Two young siblings are playing with blocks. You watch as one of the children constructs what might be considered a mighty tower if not for its inherent structural instability. The child sits back and beholds his monolith of wavering blocks. It is beautiful in his eyes, and he beams with pride. Then you notice the other sibling. He sees this tower and his face instantly turns to one of jealousy and disgust because he doesn’t have a block tower for himself. In fact, he has failed at all his attempts to build one. Moreover, it looks like his sibling used some of his blocks to pull off this engineering feat. As he stares at what may as well be 8th Wonder of the World in his brother’s smug but joyful eyes, a plan begins to form and starts hatch. You know the mischievous look. And you know exactly what is going to happen next. The jealous sibling, with one swipe of his tiny toddler hand reduces the monument to a pile of Lego rubble. Cue the fit-throwing fallout. What’s the point of this illustration? Human jealousy often leads to destruction. Namely, we destroy whatever or whoever triggers our jealousy. If we can’t have it, no one can. Is this what is happening in our second scene in John 2:13–22?
Scene Two
In John 2:13–22, we see the famous scene of Jesus clearing the temple. He makes a whip of cords, drives out the people and money-changers, flips over tables and dumps out all the coinage. Why does he do this? Jealousy. That’s what John attributes it to. After doing these things, John tells us that he and his fellow disciples recall Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Both the Greek and Hebrew word we render zeal convey the idea of jealousy. What was Jesus jealous for? The house of his Father. God’s glory. The people had taken an area of the temple that was intended for the nations to come in to see and seek the glory of God and converted it into “a house of trade” (John 2:16). This is what drove his actions. Zeal for God’s glory to be displayed to all peoples. So here in this scene we can see two ways in which Jesus’ zeal is different than our sinful human jealousy.
Jesus’ Zeal Restores
First, Jesus’ actions weren’t destructive they were restorative. Were his actions destructive like the jealous child in the above example? No. Actually, Jesus actions were constructive. In doing what he did, Jesus actually restored the temple back to what it was meant to be. Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for his Father’s glory, is different than the sinful zeal and jealousy that often manifests in our lives. Our jealousy and zeal that would lead us to destroy springs from idolatry. Jesus’ jealousy and zeal that leads him to restore springs from worship.
Jesus’ Zeal Leads Him Not to Destroy but to Be Destroyed
Second, Jesus’ zeal doesn’t lead him to destroy but to be destroyed. How far would Jesus’ zeal for his Father’s house, his Father’s glory, and his own rightful glory drive him? All the way to the cross. Notice, this is the ultimate end in view in our present scene. When the Jews ask him what sign he would show them to validate his actions Jesus says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And John makes clear to us, “he was speaking about the temple of his body” (John 2:21). So Jesus’ zeal doesn’t lead him to destroy his sinful people, it leads him to be destroyed for them. This is the fuller picture that Psalm 69, the very passage that came to the disciples’ minds, paints for us.
Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God would lead him to willingly be forsaken by his Father,
Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God (Psalm 69:1–3).
Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God would lead him to willingly be persecuted and rejected by men,
More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies… For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s sons (Psalm 69:4, 7–8).
Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God would lead him to willingly become sin and a curse,
You know my reproach, and my shame and my dishonor; my foes are all known to you. Reproaches have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none (Psalm 69:19–20).
Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God would lead him to willingly be tortured and abused,
They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink…I am afflicted and in pain (Psalm 69:21, 29).
It was Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God that would lead him to die on the cross all while trusting his Father for deliverance,
let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving (Psalm 69:29–30).
It was Jesus’ jealousy, his zeal for the glory of God that would lead him to be destroyed in order to save and restore,
For God will save Zion and build up the cities of Judah, and people shall dwell there and possess it; the offspring of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell in it (Psalm 69:35–36).
Jesus’ Zeal Saves
What does God’s jealousy, his zeal for his glory mean for you? It means your salvation. In his zeal, Jesus the Son of God rather than destroy you, gave himself to be destroyed in order to save and restore you to his kingdom forever. And,
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:7).
