Jesus Clears The Temple

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a foal of a donkey He went immediately to the Temple. What did Jesus do? Well Mark says that he looked carefully around but because it was getting late He left to go back to Bethany (Mark 11:11). What He saw must have upset Him. When Jesus left in the morning from Bethany He arrived back into the temple. Luke wrote this: 

“Then Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves." After that, He taught daily in the Temple, but the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill Him. But they could think of nothing, because all the people hung on every word He said” (Luke 19:45-48 NLT).

The full deity of Jesus is evident during this Holy Week. I appreciate that the deity of Christ is hard to understand however we do see both Christ’s human and God side. Jesus knew that being Monday His death was now only days away. Full of emotion from this, plus being so angry at what was happening in God’s Temple, led Jesus to drive out the sellers.

Moneychangers and merchants did big business during Passover with crowds of people arriving. They both charge over above what was standard. Their stalls were set up in the Temple's Court of the Gentiles, making it all but impossible for non-Jews to spend any time in worship.

It was God’s desire for Gentiles to pray in the Temple (Isaiah 56:6-7).  Jesus became angry because God's house of worship had become a place of extortion and a barrier to Gentiles who wanted to worship. Similarly, Christians are right to be upset about sin and injustice, and should take a stand against them.

Today, as we journey together to the death and resurrection of Jesus, ponder upon these questions: 1) What thing or things really upset you that is stopping people from hearing the gospel and receiving justice? 2) What steps can you take to remove these barriers? 3) Reflect on this incident in the Temple and how it relates to the cross?

David Moyes