Passover and Cleansing the Temple

On 13 Nisan, spring time on the Jewish calendar and days before Passover each family spent a day cleaning their house. Israelite families were to remove all the leaven from their homes, including all crumbs. This idea is probably where we got the idea to do “spring cleaning.” It was a deep thorough cleaning of the whole house.

On the Monday before His death, Jesus “went into the house of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves…” (Matthew 21:12-16) and then proceeded to heal the blind and the lame. He cleaned the evil out of “his” house just as the Israelites cleaned out the leaven in their homes. They were purifying and beautifying their temples.

White Easter lilies remind us of the purity and beauty of the temple. The lily’s six pedals are two sets of three, creating David’s Star, a symbol of the Jews, or the hexagram. The lily flower is mentioned many times in the scriptures (see Matthew 6:28). They were a common symbol for the Israelites found in ancient and modern literature.

This year when you are preparing for the Easter Feast, visualize the Israelites preparing for Passover. Consider putting Lilies in your home to help remind you of keeping temple, including your home and body, clean and pure, ready for the coming of the Savior.

• What are you doing to keep your temple (body) pure and beautiful for the Savior? 
• What are you willing to “cast out” of your life to make it more pure? 
• Where have you seen lilies (literature, gardens)? What messages do the lilies speak to you?
• Describe a moment in the temple when you have felt the presence of God.
• Listen to the words of the song, “Consider the Lilies”?

While watching the “Lion King Passover”, here are a couple fun things to notice. 1) They sing about finding every crumb and 2) find the joke that made me roar laughing. Comment below to tell me your favorite part. ~Thom