The Whip

I had never seen someone braid with such calm fury. But there He was, the one some called the Messiah, methodically twisting three leather cords into a whip. “About time,” I thought. “These Romans have been oppressing us for years! And if He’s supposed to be some kind of king, surely He would have overthrown them by now. Oh well, better late than never.” Eager to watch this Messiah turn His weapon against the Romans, I sat near the temple gate where I could get a good view of the action. “Wow, it’s going to be great to see those jerks finally get what they deserve!” I thought. “Maybe I can get behind this king after all. The crowds certainly seem to love Him.” I thought back to yesterday, when He entered the city. I could hear “Hosanna!” from across town. “I’ll give the guy this much: He knows how to stir people up.” I watched Him, intrigued. His hands, calloused from hard work, danced swiftly, weaving the cords together with beauty and grace. It was mesmerizing. Then I glanced up to His eyes, and my heart dropped. Equal parts rage and sorrow filled His face—a dangerous combination. A shiver ran down my spine. His eyes declared that something holy had been desecrated. Something beloved had been violated. But His glare wasn’t directed at the Romans patrolling the streets. His wrath was focused on those in the temple. I scrambled to my feet, suddenly desperate to leave. He looked up to fix His eyes on me, and I froze, held in place by the intensity of anger, sorrow, and love emanating from His face. This was the face of a king. And He was going to reclaim His kingdom. • Taylor Eising • Jesus is angry at sin—which can actually be comforting! Sin hurts us and those around us, so knowing that Jesus is passionate about removing sin from the world and from our lives can bring us hope. After all, sin gets in the way of us living in union with God, who is the source of all good things. That’s why Jesus came to die and be raised from the dead—to defeat sin, brokenness, and death on our behalf and restore us to true friendship with God. When we are hurt by our own sin or the sins of others, how is it comforting to know that Jesus will one day return to get rid of all sin? So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. John 2:15 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Matthew 21:7-16