Cleansing The Temple

Note this is notes from a message about Jesus cleansing the temple. I believe some great insight into the story.

Open with leading up to the story of Cleansing the Temple

Jesus enter Jerusalem

Mat 21:1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'" 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"

11 So the multitudes said, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee."

This all ended at the temple.

There was a joy that went forth on this day. There was great euphoria for the Lord.

Jesus enters the temple Matthew 21:12 - (also found in Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48John 2:13-16,

Enters the First time and then goes home

"And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve" (Mark 11:11).

Enters the Second time and cleanses the temple

(12) Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

Twice in Jesus ministry did Jesus enter the temple and cleanse it. Around three years earlier we find in John 2 that Jesus entered the temple at the beginning of His ministry.

Mark 11:16 and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.

Money Changers – What did the moneychangers do?

The moneychangers served an important function within the temple. They exchanged a person's foreign coins for a fee into coins that were acceptable within the temple. In many ways they were similar to a currency translation in foreign countries where foreigners have to translate their currency for a fee into the currency of the country they are visiting.

Only the half-shekel coin of the temple was allowed as atonement money, which the priests in the temple used. Those Jews coming from foreign lands with foreign currency or those that had Roman coins had to have these coins changed by the moneychangers. This was one of the largest revenues for the temple.

Why did Yahshua confront the moneychangers?

The moneychangers were one the most powerful sects in Israel, for they raised a great deal of money for the Temple. The Pharisees sect was a lover money (Lk. 16:13) The moneychangers had a monopoly on the half shekel and buying and selling in the sanctuary. Thus, they could charge what they wanted for those coins.

The moneychangers were much like the modern day bankers, especially the Federal Reserve Bank, today, who has a monopoly on creating money out of nothing and charging interest on it.

When Yahshua the Messiah entered the Courts of the Gentiles in the Temple, He saw that the moneychangers had setup a commercial operation of buying and selling within the temple. This contradicts the purpose of the temple as a house of worship, prayer and praise to Elohim (Mt. 21:13).

Problem – They set up in the Gentile market. So what they were saying was that Gentiles were second citizens. There was a place for them to worship yet they also used it for business. Gentiles could not come into the inner temple.

Gal 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.