Welcome to Holy Week, the intense week of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. Yesterday was Palm Sunday, where Jesus triumphantly rode into Jerusalem with throngs of people rejoicing in Him as the Messiah Christ. Jesus of course knew that he was coming into Jerusalem not as a conquering king, but as a suffering servant who would died to redeem the mankind, the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Today is what I call Zealous Monday. On this day, Jesus directed His attention to what was going on in the temple, or should I say what should not have been going on. It was supposed to be a place of worship, but the religious leaders had brought in all sorts of stuff that shouldn’t have been there and had commercialized the worship of God. And they weren’t just helping folks out who had traveled a long way to the temple. No, they were taking advantage of people who had no other place to turn, changing them a crazy amount of money. They were more about the business than the worship, and it burned Jesus up.

Zeal for the Lord’s House consumed Him, and He entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. Jesus couldn’t stand it any longer. He just had to cleanse the temple of all wasn’t supposed to tbe there.

And He has the same desire for you and me. Jesus wants us to cleanse and rid ourselves of everything that shouldn’t be there. The pride, the lust, jealousy, the unrighteous anger, the unforgiveness, the idols we have constructed, the false notions we have taken on. Beloved, if you are Christian, you are a temple for the Lord, and nothing unholy should find a place to dwell inside your life.

So, it’s time to cleanse yourself of it. Pray that the zeal of the Lord will consume you like it did Jesus. May you clearly see what doesn’t belong, and may you overturn it and drive it out of your life.

Change begins in you!