John 2:13-17

CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE

Text 2:13-17

13

And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14

And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15

and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changer's money, and overthrew their tables;

16

and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

17

His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up.

Queries

a.

What is the passover of the Jews?

b.

Why were oxen, sheep and doves being sold in the Temple? Why were money changers there?

c.

How was Jesus able to cleanse the Temple unresisted?

Paraphrase

Now the time for the passover of the Jews was near and Jesus left Capernaum and went up to Jerusalem. There, in the temple courts, He found some who were selling, for sacrificial purposes, oxen, sheep and doves. He also found some who had set up their change-making enterprise in the temple and were sitting, conducting their business there. Jesus made a whip of ropes and drove the sheep and the oxen out of the temple courts. Then he scattered the money of the money-changers, turned over their tables, and said to the ones who were selling the doves, Carry these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a market place! His disciples then remembered what had been written in the Scriptures, Zeal for thy house will consume me.

Summary

Jesus goes up to the Passover to worship. He finds the Temple being desecrated, and he manifests His wrath at such hypocrisy. His disciples interpret it as a fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

Comment

The majority of commentators agree that this cleansing of the Temple is the first of two such incidents in the ministry of Jesus. The very nature of John's gospel would indicate this. (a) John writes to fill in what the other Gospel writers have omitted. He omits some events of greater significance than the cleansing of the Temple, i.e., the transfiguration, the birth of Jesus, etc. Would it fit John's pattern then to repeat what all three of the other writers record (cf. Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-46)? (b) John is the most chronological of the four. Why would he violate all of his chronology and insert here at the beginning of Jesus-' ministry an event which the other three definitely place at the last Passover of His ministry? (c) John gives the most detailed account of the last Passover of the four writers. If John is merely repeating the Synoptical cleansing, why did he not put it in his detailed account of the last Passover? (d) Again, in all three accounts of the second cleansing the Jewish rulers are represented as seeking to destroy Jesus. There is no mention of such an intensified animosity here in John's account of the first cleansing of the Temple.

Jesus left Capernaum, some 680 feet below normal sea level, and traveled up to Jerusalem, some 2500 feet above sea level, When people are said to be going up and down by the Gospel writers, it is meant that the people are going up and down in altitudenot in a north-south map-wise manner. The Lord's reason for going to Jerusalem was that the time for the Passover was near, We shall deal with the details of this feast in later Chapter s. Here it will be sufficient to notice only a few significant things connected with the Passover: (a) it was one of three feasts which every male Jew above the age of twelve must attendthe other two being the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Pentecost; (b) Passover was the most important of all the feasts; (c) it commemorated the Israelite deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and more specifically the passing over of the death angel (cf. Exodus 12:1-51; Exodus 13:1-22); (d) the feast was to be held on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan (corresponding to our April); and, (e) many sacrifices were required for those who worshipped at the feast (Numbers 28:16-25).

Great multitudes of Jews attended the Passover. Jews from all over the civilized world made pilgrimages to Jerusalem for this feast. Josephus, in his account of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., tells us that there were approximately 3 million Jews in the city when Titus the Roman general besieged it at Passover time. This Jewish historian adds that some 260,000 lambs were slain that year during the one week of the Passover celebration. Remember, also, that a great number of oxen would be sacrificed that week.
We begin now to get a picture of the magnitude of the scene which greeted Jesus as He entered the city of David, Some three million people there for the Independence Day celebration of the Jewsall crowded into Jerusalem until her very walls were groaning. People slept on the housetops and in the courtyardsanywhere they could find a place that was reasonably safe from robbers. The Law of Moses provided for the people to bring their own animals (if they had any) to the Passover. They were to present them to the priests for approval and subsequent sacrifice on the worshipper's behalf. Most of the worshippers preferred to purchase a suitable animal (one without spot or blemish) at the feast. This was much more convenient than bringing their own animal. Money-hungry priests had taken advantage of this attitude and they abused their authority to approve or disapprove the sacrificial animal until they had cornered the market! It is probable that had the worshippers gone to the trouble to present a lamb of his own flock the priests would have rejected it as unfit for sacrifice. The people's only recourse then was to purchase an animal from the vending stalls of these racketeers. Of course, with such a complete control of the market, the racketeers would be able to coerce exorbitant prices from the starving populace. One commentator says the Sadducees made a profit of about $300,000 each year from this market. It is also said that, at one time, the price of a pair of doves was about four dollars when they were really worth only about a nickle a pair. The people were being fleeced in the name of religion.

The changers of money also had a racket. Every male Jew above 20 was required to pay a Temple tax (cf. Exodus 30:11-16; Matthew 17:24-27) of a half-shekel. Only Jewish coinage was acceptable for the taxGentile money was polluted. Everyone who did not have Jewish money was obliged to get it changed. This afforded another means of extortion for the Jewish rulers.

There are two Greek words used in the New Testament which are translated temple. One word (hieron) signifies the entire building with its precincts, or some part thereof; the other word (naos) usually means the inner sanctuary of the Temple. John uses the former word (hieron) here. Most scholars think that the animal markets were in the court of the Gentiles. This was the outermost precinct of the Temple. The rulers would most likely set up their markets here, not wishing to desecrate the courts where only Jews were allowed. Jewish pride shows its haughty contempt for the Gentiles by bringing the stench and filth of the animals into the court of the Gentiles. One writer describes the scene thusly: And this was the entrance court of the Most High! The court which was a witness that that house should be a House of Prayer for all nations had been degraded into a place which for foulness was more like shambles and for bustling commerce more like a densly crowded bazaar; while the lowing of oxen, the bleating of sheep, the babel of many languages, the huckstering and wrangling, the clinking of money and of balances (perhaps not always just) might be heard in the adjoining courts, disturbing the chant of the Levites and the prayers of the priests! (Farrar, The Life of Christ, pp. 445ff). It was not merely the presence of the animals that was offensive to the Lord. His righteous ire was aroused because of the dishonest merchandizing and the desecration of the only place the Gentiles might seek the presence of God, Men seeking God (cf. John 12:20) were denied His presence! We would do well to search our own practices as the people of God today. Is there anything in our livespride, carelessness, irreverencethat keeps the seeking stranger from the presence of God? Remember the wrath of the Lord as he displays it here against such action, Compare also Matthew 23:13.

Zealous for His Father's house and His Father's children, Jesus deliberately fashioned a whip from some rope-like pieces of twisted reeds. Then He quickly and decisively drove the animals out as the traders were fleeing from His countenance. In almost the same motion He turned and began upsetting the tables of the money-changers. It was a scene of bedlam; the animal traders trying to control and protect their propertysheep and oxen running helter-skeltermen shouting and swearingbankers on their hands and knees greedily scurrying after the tinkling coins as Jesus went from table to table overturning them. The Lord then issued two thundering commands: Take these things out of here!. Stop making my Father's house a market place!-' The word translated house of merchandise is the Greek word emporiou, from which we have the English word emporium. The Jews were literally making God's holy Temple an animal emporium. It was a scene so suddenly violent that the disciples were fearing for the Lord's safety, and they remembered an appropriate prophecy of Scripture, Zeal for thy house will eat me up. Another interpretation is that the disciples saw further manifestation of the Deity of Jesus in this incident and remembered the Messianic prophecy of Psalms 69:9. Why not apply both interpretations to the utterance of the disciples? They recognized His fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy, but on the other hand they feared that His fanatic zeal would eventually bring about His death. The Greek word for zeal is zelos from which we also get the word jealous. Christ was very jealous for His Father's housethat it not be made a shelter for unrighteousness.

There are those who would have us believe that Jesus struck the men with His scourge of cords. It is true that the Lord revealed holy anger at the conduct of these men, but striking them with a whip would not be in keeping with the character of His teaching. His answer to Pilate would seem to preclude such physical combat on His part. if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight. but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36). Compare also His instruction to Peter concerning taking up the sword (Matthew 26:51-56). His only use for the whip was to drive out the dumb beasts, for they could not respond as He would have them to His spoken commands. In the second cleansing of the Temple the hucksters fled before His righteous countenanceHe brandished no scourge there. The awesome manifestation of His glory drove the men outjust as it was manifested to the officers who could not arrest Him because never man so spake (cf. John 7:45-46).

The public ministry of our Lord begins with explosive suddenness. No doubt the multitudes, along with the disciples, were electrified. Some of the multitude might even have recalled the prophecy, Behold I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple. But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?. and he will purify the sons of Levi. (Malachi 3:1-3). The rulers were probably so surprised and so shamed that they were not able to grasp immediately the significance of this manifestation. Nevertheless, they counterattacked at once, touching off a controversy that grew and increased in fierceness until they were satisfied with nothing less than His death. This was the beginning of a struggle that continued for three years. The rulers would hardly let it rest for a moment. They followed Jesus wherever they could, seeking ever to ensnare Him. to destroy Him. The world hated Him because He testified of it, that its works were evil (John 7:7).

Quiz

1.

Give three reasons for believing that this is the first of two recorded instances where Jesus cleansed the Temple.

2.

What was the Passover feast to commemorate?

3.

About how many people attended the feast in Christ's day?

4.

How were the animal traders taking advantage of the worshippers?

5.

Why were the money-changers there?

6.

Where was this merchandizing probably taking place?

7.

Do you think Jesus struck the men with His scourge? Explain.

8.

Give two Old Testament prophecies connected with this incident.