The Passover is not something most Christians give much thought to, unless they come across it in their bible readings. It was however the most important feast the Jews celebrated. It would be like our thanksgiving. It was a festive time and also a time of reflection. Like our communion tables where God’s deliverance and perfect sacrifice are remembered. All Jews had to be present in Israel for this and two other feasts. And so we read
John 2:13-16 (NASB)
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
Some clarification is in order as to the Passover and these money changers. We are all familiar with the Passover. We celebrate it each year here with all of its more modern additions. God commanded Israel to select a lamb to be killed on Nisan 14. It was to be a year old and without blemish. But without blemish according to who? Much of the attitudes and teachings at the time of Christ, was a knee jerk reaction to past sins.
The staunch and legalistic teachings of the Pharisees was a reaction to the laxness of the priests during the time of the dispersion and exile and the Macabean period. The overbearing love for the temple building was a reaction to having had it destroyed by the Babylonians and having it defiled by Antiochus.
So too the strict inspection of the offerings was a reaction to the accusation of Malachi
Malachi 1:6-8 (NASB)
6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ’How have we despised Your name?’
7 "You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, ’How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ’The table of the Lord is to be despised.’
8 "But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Why not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the Lord of hosts.
The priests had tried to slip in blind and lame sheep to offer to God. The Lord says try offering these to your rulers and see the result. Do I as God not deserve better than they? So a sect of priests was formed for the inspection of the sheep to be offered. They often went and lived on farms and observed sheep for a period of two years. They would inquire of the farm owner or shepherds what blemishes were temporary and which ones were permanent. But the sinful heart of man seldom changes and so abuses entered in. money was to be made, and a lot of it.
One could buy an approved blemish free lamb directly from the priests at an exorbitant markup or he could bring his own sheep for inspection. Most were rejected and so the family had to buy an approved one any way
As a side bar, the rejected lambs were usually recycled and sold to another pilgrim later in the day, miraculously now approved. This was an abomination and targeted the poor
At this same time, the annual temple tax was collected of a half shekel. Problem was that only the approved temple shekel was allowed as the offering. With so many pilgrims coming in from the Roman and Greek world their money was certainly of the Greek or Roman dinar or shekel and so it had to be exchanged again at an exorbitant rate. The tax rate of exchange was about 10%. But not only that, if you gave too much and change had to be made you were taxed on the exchange as well as the change made so being taxed twice
For the month leading up to Passover these sellers and money changers were in every surrounding village, but this last week with everyone having arrived for the feast, everything was moved into the temple confines. There were also four stores set up on the mount of Olives to sell pigeons to the poor for their offering. But the price and exchange rate was so high the poor could not afford them The Jews would repair roads and bridges to accommodate all the visitors who came to Jerusalem in any year. They also white-washed all the tombs or seplicars so no stranger would accidentally enter them for shelter and become defiled. So they protect men from defilement of tombs but it was okay to cheat and steal from the poor within the temple area? Again this was an abomination and when Jesus saw this we can only imagine what He thought and felt
15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business."
Some have tried to make this cleansing of the temple so early in Jesus’s ministry the same one repeated in Mark 11 and Matthew 21. They say either John copied from Matthew and Mark or the other way around. However the one recorded in Matthew and Mark occurred during the last Passover Jesus celebrated and the day before he was killed. This one occurs about a week after the wedding feast of Cana and the first year of His ministry. There are quite a few differences between the two
Mark 11 and Matthew 21
Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves
In John however we read
John 2:14-15 (NASB)
14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.
15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;
In John Jesus makes a scourge or cords and physically drives out the buyers and sellers.
While in Matthew and Mark it says Jesus overturned the tables. John tells us he poured out the coins and overturned their tables. He literally took their coin boxes and emptied them on the ground and then overturned their tables. These are definitely two distinct incidents and tells us this thievery and cheating was done every year If you have even been to an eastern market, you would observe the frantic exchange between buyers and sellers. It almost sounds like a riot but it is the normal course of business and it has no place in Gods temple.
John 2:16 (NASB)
16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business."
The gospel writers as well as Jesus seem to single out the sellers of doves because they were sold primarily to the poorest of Israel who could afford nothing more. In John he condemns them for making Gods, His fathers house, a place of business or merchandise
When he repeats this cleansing later in His life he condemns them for making his Fathers house a robbers den or den of thieves. As He faithfully states in Is it not written, ’My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?
How close the resemblance of these remarkable words to Luke 2:49; the same consciousness of intrinsic relation to the temple as the seat of His Father’s most august worship, and so the symbol of all that is due to Him on earth. Only, when but a youth, with no authority, He was simply "a SON IN His FATHERS house" now He was "a SON OVER His FATHERS house" The proper Representative, and in flesh "the Heir," of his Father’s rights.
But why would Jesus take such drastic action on only His first week of ministry?????
By carefully reading the scriptures we see that this a two days before the Passover, Nisan 13. A day in which the leaven was removed from all houses in Israel, in preparation for the Seder. God's house was at this time filled with mans greed and sin and so because leaven often is a metaphor for sin. Jesus cleanses His fathers house.
It is only fitting that He be the one, since only He had that authority and responsibility.
John 2:17-18 (NASB)
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house will consume Me." 18 The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"
While the temple was simply a building from human perspective. It was the place of Gods presence from a biblical perspective. God commanded its construction. God dwelt within its most holy place and from within that Holy of Holies, covered man’s sin. This was not just any building, it was Gods house on earth.
The scene and deed was so unusual that the religious leaders, those who profited from all this merchandise demanded a sign of authority for such actions.
Who do you think you are?
John 2:19-21 (NASB)
19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
The forty six years the Jews mention here are not referring to the time Solomon built the temple the first time. Nor is it talking of the time of rebuilding under Ezra and Nehemiah. They are talking of the great rebuilding project begun by Herod the great in 19 BC
It was still undergoing construction at this time and was still not finished when it was completely destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans. But this was not what Jesus was talking about. The difficulty comes with the word "this". What "this" was Jesus referring to. Similar problems exist in Matthew 16 when Jesus said I will build my church upon "this" rock. Many think the rock was Peter himself rather than the confession Peter had just made. Similarly here, Jesus refers to "this" as His own body or temple.
John 2:21-22 (NASB)
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
This confused understanding of the difference between the literal and the spiritual has plagued man’s understanding of scripture and Gods desires for centuries. This statement was also used to condemn and convict Jesus at His trials accusing Him of wanting to destroy Israel’s worship system. The Pharisees asked for a sign of His authority and He gave the strongest sign He could. He read their hearts and intentions. That they would seek to kill Him and one day succeed but that He would rise again. What better sign, even if they do not yet see it
We will, in the months to come, see similar confusion between literal and spiritual. We as the church cannot claim our building as the house of God although many have tried.
Be respectful, you’re in Gods house
Men take off your hats, you’re in Gods house
Women cover your heads, you’re in Gods house
And while this is not literally Gods house, it is where Gods people meet, as Jesus said for prayer and worship and many today have made their assembling a place of merchandise and at times perhaps even a den of thieves
Within the church building we see today: ATM machines for offerings and collections;
Starbucks coffee houses and Dunkin Doughnuts: Book and religious stores
Souvenir and trinket shops: And even raffles and lotteries to draw in more people
People should be coming to hear the truth of Gods word, pray and worship and give glory and leave the merchandising out in the world where it belongs This first conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders will certainly lead to many more as we will see in future messages. But even this is all in God’s plan to lead Jesus to the cross, the place of our redemption and our reconciliation.
