28.1 Sometime in the early Spring of 27 AD, Jesus returned to Jerusalem. Like all good Jews, he was going there to celebrate the Feast of Passover. He took his new disciples with him. What they found in Jerusalem was disturbing...
And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: John 2:13-14
28.2 God had told Moses to exact a tax of half a shekel from the people whenever they were counted, (in a census), so that a plague would not break out among them. (Exodus 30:11-16) A shekel was about 32 ½ cents. This tax was meant for the upkeep of the tabernacle. After the temple was built this tax was collected when people came to offer their sacrifices. Evidently the temple made its own coins for this purpose. In Jesus' day there was a "sacred" temple shekel that had no image on it. The Jews strictly obeyed the first commandment which forbids anyone to make graven images of God. It was therefore strictly forbidden to take an image onto the temple grounds. But the Roman coins had the image of Caesar, whom the Romans believed to be a god. That's why the Roman coins of Jesus' day had to be exchanged for sacred temple shekels. But the money changers were cheating the people.
Oxen, sheep, and doves were the three main animals used for sacrifices in the temple. The animals had to be perfect. Nothing could be wrong with them. If the priests found anything wrong with an animal they could reject it. Then the unhappy family would have no choice but to go back and buy another one, from the priests at a high price. Then, in order to buy it, they had to exchange their Roman coins for temple shekels. By this means the priests, (all from the tribe of Levi) were cheating the people and making themselves rich. It was crass commercialism and thievery on the temple grounds.
28.3 All of this upset Jesus very much.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen: and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said to them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. John 2:15-16
28.4 Jesus was angry... but his actions were careful and deliberate. There was no violence to any human being. He made a whip out of small cords and used it on the animals' thick hides and fleeces to drive them out of the temple. He turned over the money changers' tables, but he did not harm any person. It is written, "Be angry, but do not sin." Jesus did not sin. His anger was the righteous anger of God.
28.5 There is a very interesting message in the book of Malachi...
...the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, says the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, Malachi 1:1-2
28.6 Jesus was acting as the Messiah. The temple was the heart of the nation. He had to cleanse it.
And his disciples remembered that it was written
The zeal of your house has eaten me up. John 2:17
This quote from Psalm 69:9 shows us that Psalm 69 is a prophetic Psalm..
28.7 The religious leaders were outraged at Jesus for cleansing the temple.
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign can you show us, seeing that you do these things? John 2:18
28.8 Jesus gave them a sign.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
John 2:19
28.9 Of course the religious leaders could not understand what he was talking about.
Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and will you rear it up in three days? John 2:20
The "Jews" in this case refers to the religious leaders.
28.10 But he was talking about the temple of his own body. John 2:21
28.11 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. John 2:22
28.10 Besides cleansing the temple Jesus did some miracles during his time in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast.
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. John 2:23
The people believed in him, the religious leaders did not.
28.12 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. John 2:24-25
Jesus knew the crowds were fickle. If they believed on him only because of the miracles he did, their faith was shallow. He would return to Galilee. But first he had an important meeting with Nicodemus.
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