Jesus Cleanses the Temple John 2:13-24

There are three Passovers mentioned by name in the gospel of John. These three passovers tell us that Jesus’ ministry took place over the course of three years.

The first John 2:13, 23 (In Jerusalem)

The second John 6:4 (In Galilee)

The third John 11:55 (In Jerusalem, just before the crucifixion)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

The Passover of the Jews - The Passover which includes the “Feast of Unleavened Bread” celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from their slavery in Egypt. The Passover is a time of remembering when the angel of death passed over the Israelite families who had covered their doorposts in the blood of a spotless lamb and went on to kill every first born son in every home of Egypt. Exodus 12:23-27 , Deut 16:16 The Jews celebrated this based on the lunar calendar of the month of Nisan (the full moon at the end of March or beginning of April). The lamb was chosen on the tenth day of the lunar month and they celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day. This places the celebration of Passover in Spring, early to mid April, around the time of Easter.

The Passover symbolizes the redemption of Jesus Christ in that those who spiritually apply the blood of Jesus Christ to their lives through faith are saved from eternal death. The Scriptures teach that Jesus is our Passover lamb. John 1:29 , 1 Cor 5:7 , Rev 5:12 Jesus was killed at Passover time and the Last Supper was a Passover meal Luke 22:7-8. It was not the Israelites good standing with God that saved them but rather it was the blood of the Lamb. Rev 5:9-10

The Passover is one of two feasts that will continue into the Millennial Kingdom. Ezek 45:21 There are two feasts continued in the Millennium (a Spring Festival [Passover], and a Fall Festival [The Festival of Booths]). Zech 14:16-18 , Eze 45:21-25 The Sabbath and the New Moon celebrations of rest and worship will also be recognized. Eze 46:1-3 There will also be worship of the lamb though the sacrificial system being reinstituted and Christ himself prepares the offerings.

Jesus went up to Jerusalem - Going to Jerusalem for the Passover feast was expected of every Jewish male over 12 years of age according to the law of Moses. Ex 23:14-17. The Passover was one of three feasts in which all able bodied Jewish men were expected to attend in Jerusalem. We also see that Jesus’ parents made that journey every year. Luke 2:41-42

English Standard Version Chapter 2

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.

In the temple - This occured in the temple in Jerusalem. The Greek word for temple used here is (hieron) and the use of this word designates that this included the entire temple courtyard (the Courts of the Gentiles) where money changers and animal dealers were seated. The irony of this is that the Courts of the Gentiles is the place where the Jew’s should have been evangelizing and ministering to the Gentiles but instead they turned it into a marketplace for financial gain.

those who were selling… and the money-changers - The money changers charged a large fee for exchanging the people’s currency for Jewish coinage (which had a high purity of silver), which was required to purchase animals for sacrifice and pay the temple tax. Because people traveled such a distance to come to the temple it was not practical to bring along animals for sacrifice so they would purchase them from animal dealers. The seasonal nature of the Passover created what we might consider a tourism industry and it had infected the temple. Both the money changers and the people that sold animals took monetary advantage of those coming to sacrifice at the temple and pay their temple tax Ex 30:13-14 . The Passover had become a materialistic, religious ritual not unlike many pagan traditions.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

making a whip of chords - This shows the planning and intentionality of Jesus Christ to cleanse the temple. This was not an act of rage nor was Jesus quick to anger but rather this was an intentional message given to God’s people in a forceful way.

he drove them all out of the temple with sheep and oxen - Jesus makes a small stampede here as he drives out all of the money changers along with the animal dealers and their animals. This gives quite a picture of the use of force and righteous indignation that Christ had toward those abusing the temple. The cleansing of the temple was particularly significant during Passover which was when the Jews were to purify their homes from leaven. While the actions of Jesus were furious and forceful they were not cruel or we would expect the large number of Roman troops stationed in Jerusalem for the Passover to have intervened. Jesus’ actions here are also symbolic and point toward what he will do in the Millennial Kingdom Mal 3:1-3 , Zech 14:20-21

he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables - This further shows the intentionality of the message as Jesus pours out the money on the floor symbolizing the worthlessness of the money in relation to using the temple for ministry.

Note: John describes Jesus cleansing the temple at the beginning of his ministry. During this first cleansing Christ cited Psalm 69:9

The synoptic gospels describe Jesus cleansing the temple at the end of his ministry during passion week. Matt 21:12-17 , Mark 11:15-18 , Luke 19:45-46 During the second cleansing Christ cited Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The differences in these two time periods are significant and cannot be reconciled as being the same, therefore Jesus must have cleansed the temple on two separate occurrences.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

do not make - This would better be translated “Stop making”. Jesus was demanding that they stop their current practice.

my Fathers house - is a declaration of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus seeing taking ownership of this as His temple is undeniable.

a house of trade - describing a mercantile or place full of items for sale. Jesus is describing their practice as a materialistic shopping center. The leaders of the temple had put a price on that which cannot be for sale. Access to God through his sacrifice is not something we can purchase but it is something God has purchased for us.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

Zeal for your house will consume me - Quoted from Psalm 69:9 and showing that Jesus would not tolerate an irreverence toward God. His incredible zeal for God and purity of worship threatened the religious establishment and eventually led to his death.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?”

The Jews - Most likely temple priest and authorities possibly members of the Sanhedrin demanded a sign to validate his authority. They insisted that he show them a miraculous sign to validate the authority he had to do these subversive and aggressive acts against the current structure of the temple.

What sign do you show us - The demand for a miraculous sign speaks to the theology and religious tone of the day. Jesus said that this generation refused to believe unless they saw signs and wonders. John 4:48 , John 6:30 , Matt 12:38

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up - Jesus often spoke in parables and in word pictures to reveal the truth to people with ears to hear but hide his message from those who opposed him, and this is just such a word picture. The word for temple that Jesus uses here (naos , meaning sanctuary) refers to the Most Holy place where God resided in the temple, not the entire temple complex. Jesus is standing in the Jewish temple and knowing the hearts of the Jews are against him he describes his body as the temple where God resides and which they want to destroy.

His message is clear for us who know the whole story, Jesus is speaking of his crucifixion that will be demanded by these very Jewish leaders and his resurrection three days later.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”

forty six years to build this temple - Likely referring to how Herod the Great decided to replace (remodel) the temple that Zerubbabel and Joshua completed in 516 B.C. Ezra 1-4 , Ezra 5:1-6:18 The temple Joshua and Zerubbabel built temple was not in the same glory as Solomon's and Herod wanted to change that. Hag 2:3 Herod began the rebuilding in 19 B.C. and history records that the main reconstruction and expansion of the temple was completed in ten years, however it continued to be modified and expanded even up until 69 A.D. , just before the Roman’s destroyed it in 70 A.D.  Considering the Jew’s said it had taken forty-six years to build this temple that would place this at 28 A.D. The Jew’s are either saying that the sanctuary took 46 years to complete or they are speaking about how the temple has been continually undergoing construction for 46 years. Assuming the later, this would place the beginning of Jesus’s ministry at 28 A.D.. The “Wailing Wall” we see today is build on part of the Herodian temple foundation.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

the temple of his body -  The word for temple that Jesus uses in these verses (naos , meaning sanctuary) refers to the Most Holy place where God resided in the temple. As God once resided upon the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of holies, he now resides in the flesh of Jesus Christ.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.

the hour is coming and is now here -  indicating that something is coming but it is also taking place now. The worship of God outside of the temple begins with the ministry of Jesus as people can worship God our Messiah Jesus Christ in the flesh, God in the temple of human flesh. However something is coming that is different, where people will worship though the Holy Spirit living in them as the temple of God. see notes on John 4:21

English Standard Version Chapter 2

When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

his disciples remembered - Like many of us when something is being done right in front of us many times we do not understand it. The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying when he said he would raise up the temple three days after the Jew’s destroyed it however after the resurrection everything began to make sense. There were many other things that Jesus taught about his death, resurrection, and the kingdom of God that were not understood until after Jesus rose from the dead and continued to teach the disciples about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

they believed the Scripture - The Old Testament prophecy concerning the resurrection of the Messiah is based upon Psalm 16:10. This is confirmed in Acts 2:27 , Acts 13:34-35 and reinforced in Luke 24:46 , Acts 17:3 , 1 Cor 15:4

English Standard Version Chapter 2

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

many believed in his name - The Greek word used for believe here (pisteuo) implies genuine trust (faith). Some scholars think that this was not genuine faith because it was an emotional reaction to the miraculous signs that Jesus was doing and because Jesus did not entrust himself to them. Faith in Jesus as a healer is not faith in Jesus as a Savior. Yet the apostle John tells us at the end of his gospel that signs were meant so that people could believe that Jesus as the Christ. John 20:30-31 From the context and language used it would seem that genuine faith in Jesus as the Messiah came about during this Passover however there may very well have been a mixed bag of “believers”, some genuine and some out for their own agenda.

Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them - While many people may very well have trusted in Jesus as the Messiah; the trust was not mutual. While some of the converts were genuine others may have seen Jesus as a only a political Messiah or as a healer who could help them get ahead in this life. Jesus knew some would endure but others would fall away John 6:66. Following this in the gospel of John are three interviews with people as Jesus began to reach out to people that were ready to hear more about him; Nicodemus (needed more than an intellectual faith), the Samaritan woman (needed a moral transformation and acceptance) , the nobleman (needed healing and confirmation)

he knew all people… he knew what was in man - John again gives a testimony to the divinity of Jesus, for only God knows what is in the heart of a man. Jesus knew what was in the hearts of these people that believed on his name and why they were believing. He fully understood who was genuine and who believed in him for their own self interest.