Luke 19:45–46; Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 7:1-11

Written By Jodi Figgins

Read Luke 19:45–46; Isaiah 56:6-7; Jeremiah 7:1-11

Helpful Background Information: 

  • If you knew you only had one week left to live, what would you do with it? In this week’s devotionals, we’ll be taking a closer look at how Jesus spent his last days during (what we now call) Holy Week. If you follow along with us, each day you’ll get to see and appreciate the different events and conversations that contributed to the climax of the Gospel story. 

  • Today’s reading is from Luke chapter 19, and it tells us what exactly Jesus was up to the Monday before His death and resurrection. It’s here that we find Jesus back in the city of Jerusalem and headed for the Temple. Luke tells us that as soon as Jesus steps in, he starts throwing out all the people who were buying and selling there (v.45). Now, if you hear that and you think it seems a little bit odd or out of character for Jesus, pay close attention to what he says next. In verse 46 of Luke 19, Jesus explains his actions by referencing two passages of Scripture from the Old Testament that the people would have known. 

  • The first reference is to the prophet Isaiah, who made it clear that God had always intended for the Temple to become a place where all kinds of people from all over the world could come to pray and know the One True God. The problem, though, is that Jesus says they had turned that Temple into, “a den of thieves” (v.46). He borrows that phrase from the prophet Jeremiah to explain how the people in his day were misusing the Temple and using its system to abuse the very people they were supposed to be a blessing to. There’s a lot more that could be said about all of this, but as you read the passages, I’d encourage you to ask yourself a couple of questions:

Reflection Questions: 

  • What does Jesus’ response reveal about God’s priorities—not just for a place of worship, but for the people who come to it?

  • How does this scene in Luke’s Gospel shape the way we understand what Jesus came to do—and why it mattered that He went to the cross?

Jodi Figgins
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Romans 6:1-4