BEN F. VICK, JR.
Having been tempted in the wilderness for forty days, Jesus is seen by John the Baptist. He then introduced Jesus to a couple of his disciples. They, in turn, tell two others about Jesus. They all begin to follow him. Jesus then went to Capernaum and then to Jerusalem for the first Passover during his ministry. We read:
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.”(John 2:12-16)
The Passover was also called the feast of unleavened bread. It was one of the three feasts to be observed each year by Israel (Deut. 16:16). Passover was celebrated by each family, having selected a lamb a year old without a blemish on the 10th day of the month, Abib or Nisan, which corresponds to our March-April. On the 14th day of the same month, the lamb was to be slain in the evening (literally between the two evenings). It was to be roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The blood was to be sprinkled on the doorposts and lintels so that when the Lord saw the blood, he would pass over. This feast reminded them of the Lord’s passing over their houses and sparing the firstborn ones in the house.
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, individuals sold oxen, sheep, and doves and changed money in the temple. McGarvey and Pendleton’s The Fourfold Gospel says,
Our English word “temple” includes two Greek words; namely, 1. The naos or sanctuary – the small structure which contained the holy and most holy places, and which answered to the tabernacle used in the wilderness. 2. The hieron, or entire court spaces which surrounded the naos, and which included some nineteen acres. This hieron was divided into four courts, and as one entered toward the naos from the east, he passed successively through them, as follows: 1. Court of the Gentiles; 2. of the women; 3. of Israel; 4. of the priests. It was in this outer or Gentiles’ court that the markets described in this section were held. -pp. 121-122.
Israel was commanded, “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread [Passover], and in the feast of weeks [Pentecost], and in the feast of tabernacles [or booths]: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.” (Deut. 16:16-17.)
People who traveled great distances instead of bringing their animals with them would buy them when they arrived in Jerusalem. There was nothing wrong with this; however, the temple was not the place to get money exchanged and purchase the animals needed for the Passover. So, Jesus made a scourge of small cords and drove them out of the temple. Jesus said, “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:16.)
Jesus was the Lamb of God, but he was also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). After Jesus had cast out the animals and the moneychangers, “…his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” (John 2:17.) This quote is from Psalm 69. It is a Messianic psalm. “Zeal,” as translated from a Greek word (ζῆλος), is defined as “intense positive interest in something.” Some may think this action of our Lord was out of character because Peter said that Jesus went about doing good. This action was bold and very harmful in the minds of some.
The Jews questioned him, “What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?” They wanted proof that he had the authority to cast the animals and moneychangers out of the temple. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19.) The Jews did not understand him. Later, as John was writing his account, he explained that Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body. John also wrote, “When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:22.)
To oppose what is wrong is always right. The Lord’s zeal is associated with cleaning his house, the temple. Sometimes today, the Lord’s house, his church, must be cleansed (1 Tim. 3:15). The moneychangers were making money at the temple. If they were not taking advantage of people, they were certainly taking advantage of being at the temple.
After Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, he went into the temple and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple. He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them who sold doves. Then he said, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matt. 21: 12-13.) In the second cleansing, they were not only in the wrong place doing business, but they were guilty of robbing the people.
This was the second recording of Jesus’ having cleansed the temple. Matthew was not copying from John or vice-versa. Jesus cleansed the temple twice, once at the beginning of his ministry and the second time toward the end. Error put down once may lift its ugly head again. The battles fought against the use of mechanical instruments of music in worship, which raged a 100 years ago, are having to be fought again. The division brought about by the instrument, and the missionary society is happening again. When Jesus saw error, he did not sweep it under the rug. He dealt with it swiftly. Paul told Timothy, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (2 Tim. 4:1-4)
Let us be zealous for the truth and oppose error as Jesus did.