Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts - John 2:12-22

 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 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. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

During Chanukah, the rededication of the Temple is celebrated. The Temple was the dwelling place of God. It is where the people met with Him and offered sacrifices to him. The Temple needed to be a pure and holy place. After the victory of Judah Maccabee, the people cleansed the Temple.

1 Maccabees 4: 36-51
Judas and his brothers said, "Now that our enemies have been defeated, let's go to Jerusalem to purify the Temple and rededicate it. So the whole army was assembled and went up to Mount Zion. There they found the Temple abandoned, the altar profaned, the gates burned down, the courtyards grown up in a forest of weeds, and the priests' rooms torn down. In their sorrow, they tore their clothes, cried loudly, threw ashes on their heads,⁴⁰ and fell face down on the ground. When the signal was given on the trumpets, everyone cried out to the Lord.
 Then Judas ordered some of his soldiers to attack the men in the fort, while he purified the Temple. He chose some priests who were qualified and who were devoted to the Law. They purified the Temple and took the stones that had been defiled and put them in an unclean place.They discussed what should be done with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been desecrated by the Gentiles, and decided to tear it down, so that it would not stand there as a monument to their shame. So they tore down the altar and put the stones in a suitable place on the Temple hill, where they were to be kept until a prophet should appear and decide what to do with them. Then they took uncut stones, as the Law of Moses required, and built a new altar like the old one.They repaired the Temple, inside and out, and dedicated its courtyards. They made new utensils for worship and brought the lamp stand, the altar of incense, and the table for the bread into the Temple. They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp stand, and there was light in the Temple! They placed the loaves of bread on the table, hung the curtains, and completed all the work.

During this season of Chanukkah and Christmas, I am asking my self these questions - Does my temple need to be cleansed? Is there anything in my life which needs to be removed because it hinders my relationship with God?

I found the following link online - http://executableoutlines.com/matt/mt21_12.htm. It is an study outline of the importance of having a cleansed temple. I am going to print it out and look up this Scriptures so I can examine my relationship with God.*

 *This is not a complete endorsement of all the studies on this website.