Jesus cleansed the Temple on two occasions - at the beginning and end of His ministry. When He cleansed the Temple, He drove out those buying and selling animals and overturned the money changers' tables. The Court of Gentiles, meant to be a place of prayer, had instead become filled with animal stalls, refuse, noise and commerce. Jesus cleansed the large 10-acre area alone, showing His power and fulfilling prophecy about zeal for God's house. The cleansing reveals the holiness of God and the irreverence of the Jewish rulers while demonstrating Jesus' authority and strength.

1. Why did Jesus Cleanse the Temple – 2nd
October 2016
“It iswritten,” he saidto them, “‘Myhouse will be a house of prayer’[a]
; but youhave made it ‘a den of
robbers” (Luke 19:45).
At a bible studyareaderasked,"DidJesuscleanse the Temple?DidHe actuallygointothe Temple todo
this,or wasit someplace nearby?"The Bible tellsusthatJesusdidthisnotonce,but twice.Andbecause
of the area involvedandthe purpose forwhichitwasbeingused,whatHe didwas the work thatno one
diduntil Jesuscame there.
The better-knownaccountof Jesus'cleansingthe Temple isrecordedin Luke19:45-46, “WhenJesus
entered the temple courts, he beganto driveout those who were selling. 46
“Itiswritten,” he saidto
them, “‘Myhouse will be a house ofprayer’; but you have made it ‘aden ofrobbers”. We can read this
incidentagainin parallel accountsin Matthew21: 12-13, “Jesusentered the temple courts and drove
out all who were buyingandsellingthere. He overturned the tables of the money changersand the
benches ofthose sellingdoves. 13
“Itis written,” he saidto them, “‘My housewill be called a houseof
prayer,’ but youare makingit ‘a den ofrobbers”. We can read thisincidentagainin Mark11:15-17.
Whenwe continue toread the account foundfrom Luke 19: 47 onwards,we can learnthat Jesus was
teachingdailyinthe Temple.Butthe chief priests,the scribes,andthe leadersof the people soughtto
destroyHim,andwere unable todo anything;forall the people were veryattentivetohearHim.
However,we canread of a identical occurrence foundin John2:13-16, “Whenit wasalmosttime for
the Jewish Passover,Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14
In the temple courts he foundpeople sellingcattle,
sheep and doves,and others sittingat tablesexchangingmoney. 15
So he made a whipout of cords,
and drove all from the temple courts, bothsheep and cattle; he scattered the coinsof the money
changersand overturned their tables. 16
Tothose who solddoves he said, “Getthese out ofhere! Stop
turningmy Father’s houseinto a market!” Whenwe read thiswe can surmise that thiswas not the first
time Jesushadcleansedthe Temple.JohnrecordsthatHe also diditat the beginningof Hispublic
ministry. Three yearslater,He is reportedly doingitagainat the endof Hisministry. Inthe incident
reportedinthe gospelsof Matthew, Mark and Luke,ittellsus that He comesto the Temple areaonthe
Monday afterHisPalmSundayentryintoJerusalem.
To understandbothaccounts,we needtounderstandwhatwentonin the Temple area.The areato
whichLuke 19:45 referswasthe Court of the Gentiles.Thiswasa large outercourt where devout
Gentiles,whocouldnot orwere notallowedcoming intothe Temple proper.They couldcome topray
and to worshipata distance.Buttheywere forbidden,onpainof death,tocome any closer. The Court
of the Gentileswasactuallyfarlargerthanthe Temple buildingitself,anditsInnerCourt,whichwere
restrictedtothe Jews.Historical writingsatthe time of Christtell usthatthe area occupiedbyHerod's
Temple anditscourts wasover35 acres,and the Court of the Gentilesoccupiedabout10 acresof that
space.Modernarchaeological excavationshave confirmedthis.Sothe area thatJesuscleansedwasno
small place.
What was the intendedpurposeof thisarea?Itwas supposedsobe a quietarea,an area devotedto
prayerand the worshipof God. But whatwas goingonin thisarea of the Temple inJesus'day?The
Leviteshadturneditintoan animal market.Jewswhocame fromoutlyingpartsof Israel or fromforeign
lands,whocame to worshipandoffersacrificesatthe Temple,wouldwaituntiltheygottoJerusalemto
buysacrificial animalstooffer.Theywere doingthisasamatter of convenience.Itwastoomuch trouble

2. to bringanimalsonthe trip withthem. Sothe Temple areaitself,particularlythe Courtof the Gentiles,
had become the animal market.Keepinmindthattensof thousandsof Jewscame toJerusalemfor
Passoverandthe feaststhat followed(UnleavenedBreadandPentecost).Andbecause manyof these
people were Jewscomingfromforeigncountries,theyhadtochange theirforeignmoneyintolocal
currencyin orderto buyan animal.Sothere were money-changersatthe Temple - people who
exchangedforeigncurrency.
We're toldin contemporaryrecords,byJosephusandothers,thatthe familyof the highpriestranthis
commercial operation.Theyhadgone intothe cattle and finance businesses.Theysoldsacrificial
animalsinthe Court of the Gentilesatpremiumprices.Andjustlike yourlocal banktoday,theycharged
heavytransactionfeesforexchangingmoney. Sopicture this:The Temple area,aten-acre space thatis
supposedtobe a quietplace of prayerand worship,isfilledwithstallsof bayinganimalsandtheir
refuse,possiblythousandsof shoutingpeople,andnodoubtargumentsaboutprices.Insteadof quiet,
prayer,and worship,there isnoise andchaos…asJesusstated: “…butyouhave made it ‘a den of
robbers”
Althoughwe mayreadthisin a fewwords,giventhe backgroundasstatedabove,we canunderstandit
isno small Task.The Gospel accountstell usthat Jesusthrew outthose whoboughtandsold,and
overturnedthe tablesof the moneychangers.The force of the original languageisthatHe did it
violently,andwithanger. Nowthiswasnosmall task.Thinkof the size of the area.Thinkof the amount
of buyingandsellingthatwasgoingon.Thinkof thisone man, the Sonof God, drivingoutthese
merchants,andtheiranimals,andturningoverthe bankers'tables.AndasHe diditHe saidto them, "It
is written, 'Myhouse shall be calleda house ofprayer for all nations',butyouhave made it a 'denof
thieves.' " JesuswasquotingfromIsaiahandJeremiah.
These accountstell usof the holinessof God,the reverence He isdue inworship,the irreverent
perversionof thatworshipbythe Jewishrulers,andthe fulfillmentof prophecyconcerningthe
Messiah'szeal forthe house of God. But the Temple cleansingaccountsalsotell ussomethingelse
importantaboutour Lord himself.SometimesJesusisdepictedinpaintings - andtodayinmotion
picturesandon television- asa weakcharacter.But these accounts are stoppedthose ideascold. Jesus
Christistrulythe Sonof David.He was a mightyman of valor.Our God isthe mightyGod.