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Anger

John 2:12-25

As Christians seek to live a life that emulates their Lord, Jesus Christ, a seeming contradiction arises over the subject of anger. Christians view anger as sinful—an emotional choice or impulse to be avoided. At the same time they read in Scripture that Christ lived a sinless life (Matthews 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15), yet see Him as angry when He cleared the temple of merchants and money changers in Jerusalem.

A good case could definitely be made for Jesus being angry that day in the temple. And it seemed premeditated, not impulsive. He took time to fashion a "whip of cords" and used it to drive all the commercial agents out of the temple, along with their animals, "and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables" (John 2:15). Anybody seen doing something similar today would likely be described as angry. So was Jesus angry? And if so, did He sin in His anger? And do we sin if we become similarly angry?

First, the apostle Paul draws a distinction between anger and sinful anger in Ephesians 4:26: "Be angry, and yet do not sin" (NASB). Anger becomes sinful when it is self-focused and long-term, causing Paul to continue, ". . . do not let the sun go down on your wrath." So it is possible to be indignant and offended by unrighteousness without it becoming sinful. It's a fine line—but a line nonetheless.

Second, the apostle John tells us the source of Jesus' "anger": zeal for the house of God. John sees Jesus' actions as a fulfillment of Psalm 69:9: "Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up" (John 2:17). Jesus was not defending Himself; He was not angry at a personal attack. He was defending the honor of God and God's temple. He was indignant that God's holy dwelling place was being desecrated.

If you feel indignant or zealous or angry, make sure it is for a righteous reason.

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