Cleansing

In the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, the temple had become quite a place of commerce. According to the Law, sacrifices were required. Depending on the sacrifice, various animals and birds were offered, yet it was difficult for people to transport them from the distant parts of Judea. And so, there sprang up in Jerusalem a lucrative business of selling the animals and birds needed for sacrifice. And the sellers gouged the faithful by charging them exorbitant prices.

Also, Judea was under the rule of the Roman Empire, and the money in use was Roman coin. However, the Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of “half a shekel”, a Jewish coin. And so, it became a matter of convenience to have in the temple a place where the Roman coin could be exchanged for the Jewish half-shekel. The money-changers provided this convenience but would demand a small sum for the exchange. And because so many came up to Jerusalem for the great feasts, changing money was a very profitable business and one that resulted in fraud and oppression of the poor.

Now, when the Jewish Feast of the Passover was near, Jesus and His disciples went up from Galilee to Jerusalem. In the temple courts, Jesus found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifice. And He found there money-changers seated at their tables. So, Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove all the animals from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money-changers and He overturned their tables. And to those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

His disciples remembered that it is written in the Psalms: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

Because Jesus did this, the Jewish leaders demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jewish leaders replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”

But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all. He did not need anyone to testify about people, for He knew what was in every person.

(See Exodus 30:11–16; Leviticus 1-16; Psalm 69:9; Luke 3:1; John 2:13-25)

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