Lent Day 35 [4.14.2025] / Restoration

Scripture: Matthew 21:12-17 / 마태복음 21:12-17

Exodus 12:23 - When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Overview:

Today marks the first day of Passion week, the grand finale of lent where we celebrate and deeply meditate on Jesus’ moments before His crucifixion. We begin this week with a heart of repentance and a desire for restoration. Jesus would enter Jerusalem with robes to adorn His path and palm branches to honor His arrival. The crowds had shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest Heaven!” There was even a great commotion and the account in Matthew reveals bewilderment amongst some who asked, “Who is this?” Mistakenly, others would respond by saying, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus’ Purpose in Jerusalem:

Jesus’ purpose in Jerusalem would not have been to please the people, but rather to save its people. Jerusalem had been and still is today a city of great value, historical significance, religious authority, and cultural influence. It was established as the capital of Israel by King David and home to the great temple dedicated to God by King Solomon. Specifically, Jesus had arrived during one of the three great religious traditions that the Jews celebrated annually called the Passover. The Passover commemorated the final plague that God had sent over the Egyptians to set His people (the Israelites) free after over 400 years of slavery. In remembering Pharaoh’s crime of ordering the death of all male newborns, God would send an angel of death over all the land. However, before doing so, God told Moses to order the Israelites to paint the blood of a lamb on their doorpost. In doing so, God promised that the angel of death would “pass-over” any household that was covered in this blood. According to the decree of God, the Israelites are to remember this day forever. So every year, people from all over the religious world would make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to commemorate this day.

The Meaning of the Passover:

The meaning of the Passover points to a desperation for long-awaited and promised Messiah. The blood of the lamb refers to the lifeblood of the one who would give up His life to pay the price of our sins and cover us with His identity. He became sin for us, so that we could become the righteousness of God. By His blood we are set free from the bondage of sin and saved from death itself. Unbeknownst to many who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate this day, the long-awaited Savior had arrived through its gates.

Jesus Clears the Temple:

Our scripture today appropriately portrays Jesus’ week of passion culminating with His crucifixion. Upon seeing those who were tired and weary after traveling a great distance to commemorate this day, Jesus had a great compassion for them. They had faithfully come to remember the day that God had set His people free from slavery by the blood of the lamb. However, when Jesus had visited the temple courts, He found merchants exploiting this day to sell all kinds of animals that were traditionally used as sacrifices and money changers that would force foreigners to exchange their currency for the Jewish coin at an exorbitant fee. Instead of a house of prayer, the temple had become a place of exploitation where many had taken advantage of the Passover tradition to make money even at the cost of weary travelers and poor families. This deeply angered Jesus and in this great act of Passion, Jesus began to flip their tables and drive them out of the temple courts with a whip. After doing so, He welcomed in the sick and healed them, effectively restoring His temple and the meaning of Passover.

Reflection:

1 Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that our bodies are not our own, but rather the temple of the Holy Spirit. Often, we allow our bodies to be used for and consumed by our busy schedules and by sinful habits; however, just like Jesus cleared the temple, by His blood and cross He is driving out that which is impure, unholy, and unnecessary from our lives. In doing so, He is restoring the full meaning of the Passover in us, that we are marked as “saved by grace” by the blood of Jesus Christ. The start of passion week begins with our commemoration of the Passover through prayer and repentance. The long-awaiting Savior has come and we ought to turn from our sinful ways and our busyness to make room in our lives for the lamb of God that has come to save us.

Prayer:

1. God, thank you for teaching me about the Passover and its true meaning.

2. Jesus, help me to deeply understand how your lifeblood clears me of my sins and impurities.

3. Holy Spirit, help me to live out my repentance and walk with Jesus through this Passion week.

   
   

개요:

오늘은 사순절의 대미이자, 예수님께서 십자가에 달리시기 전의 순간들을 기념하고 깊이 묵상하는 고난주간의 첫날입니다. 우리는 회개의 마음과 회복에 대한 소망으로 이 주간을 시작합니다. 예수님께서는 예루살렘에 입성하실 때, 사람들이 겉옷을 길에 펴고 종려나무 가지를 흔들며 그분을 환영했습니다. 무리는 외쳤습니다.“호산나 다윗의 자손이여! 주의 이름으로 오시는 이여 찬송하리로다! 가장 높은 곳에서 호산나!”마태복음의 기록에 따르면, 이로 인해 큰 소동이 일어났고, 어떤 이들은 놀라며 “이 사람이 누구냐?”라고 물었습니다. 그러나 일부는 오해하며 이렇게 대답했습니다.“나사렛 갈릴리에서 온 선지자 예수라 하더라.”

예수님의 예루살렘 방문 목적:예수님께서 예루살렘에 오신 목적은 사람들의 인기를 얻기 위함이 아니라, 그들을 구원하시기 위함이었습니다. 예루살렘은 오랜 세월 동안 역사적, 종교적, 문화적으로 매우 중요한 도시였습니다. 다윗 왕이 이스라엘의 수도로 삼았고, 솔로몬 왕이 하나님께 성전을 지은 장소이기도 합니다.예수님은 특히 유대인들이 매년 지키는 세 가지 중요한 절기 중 하나인 유월절 기간에 예루살렘에 오셨습니다. 유월절은 하나님께서 애굽에 마지막 재앙을 내리시며 이스라엘 백성을 400년의 노예 생활에서 해방시키신 날을 기념하는 절기입니다.애굽 왕 바로가 이스라엘의 남자 아이들을 모두 죽이라는 명령을 내린 것에 대한 심판으로, 하나님은 모든 처음 난 것을 죽이는 사자를 보내셨습니다. 그러나 하나님은 모세를 통해 이스라엘 백성에게 어린 양의 피를 문설주에 바르라 명하셨고, 그 피가 있는 집은 죽음이 넘어가리라 하셨습니다. 하나님은 이 날을 영원히 기억하고 지키라 명령하셨습니다. 그래서 매년 전 세계의 유대인들이 예루살렘에 모여 이 날을 기념한 것입니다.

유월절의 의미:유월절은 오랫동안 기다려온 메시아에 대한 갈망을 상징합니다. 어린 양의 피는 우리 죄를 대신해 죽으실 이의 생명을 상징하며, 그분의 피로 우리는 죄에서 자유롭게 되고, 죽음에서 구원받게 됩니다. 많은 사람들이 유월절을 기념하러 예루살렘에 왔지만, 정작 진정한 메시아께서 그 문으로 들어오신 것을 알아보지 못했습니다.

예수님이 성전을 깨끗하게 하심:오늘의 본문은 예수님의 고난주간과 결국 십자가에 달리시는 사건을 적절히 보여줍니다. 먼 거리를 여행하며 이 날을 기억하러 온 자들을 보시고 예수님은 깊은 긍휼을 가지셨습니다.하지만 성전에서 예수님이 본 것은 유월절을 상업화하여 이용하는 상인들과 환전상들이었습니다. 이들은 제사에 사용될 동물들을 비싸게 팔고, 외국에서 온 자들에게 환전을 강요하며 폭리를 취하고 있었습니다.이처럼 기도하는 집이 되어야 할 성전이 탐욕과 착취의 장소로 변질된 것을 보고, 예수님은 분노하셨고, 상을 뒤엎고 채찍으로 그들을 내쫓으셨습니다. 이후, 병든 자들을 초청하여 치유하시고 회복시키심으로 참된 유월절의 의미를 회복하셨습니다.

묵상:

고린도전서 6장 19절은 우리의 몸이 우리 것이 아니라 성령의 전이라고 말씀합니다. 우리는 종종 우리 몸과 삶을 바쁜 일정과 죄된 습관에 내어줍니다. 그러나 예수님은 성전을 정결케 하신 것처럼, 자신의 피와 십자가를 통해 우리의 삶에서도 불순하고 불필요한 것들을 내쫓고 계십니다.그리하여 유월절의 참된 의미를 우리 안에 회복하시고, 우리가 예수 그리스도의 피로 은혜로 구원받은 자임을 다시금 새기게 하십니다.고난주간의 시작은 회개와 기도로 유월절을 기념하는 시간입니다. 오랫동안 기다리던 구세주께서 오셨습니다. 이제 우리는 죄악된 길과 바쁜 삶에서 돌이켜, 우리의 삶 속에 오신 하나님의 어린 양을 위한 자리를 마련해야 합니다.

기도:

1. 하나님, 유월절의 참된 의미를 가르쳐주셔서 감사합니다.

2. 예수님, 당신의 보혈이 저의 죄와 불순함을 정결케 하심을 깊이 깨닫게 하소서.

3. 성령님, 저의 회개가 삶으로 이어지고, 이 고난주간 동안 예수님과 동행하게 하소서.