13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
John 2:13-25
All able-bodied adult male Jews were required to go to Jerusalem each year for Passover (Deuteronomy 16:6). This was Jesus’ first Passover after beginning His ministry. When Jesus got to the temple He found the common area filled with merchants and money changers. While this was a convenience for travelers from out of town, the selling of animals for sacrifice and changing of Roman coins for Jewish temple coins disrupted proper temple worship. It was also done in the Court of the Gentiles - the only place non-Jewish people could come and worship and pray to God. This caused righteous anger to rise up in Jesus...they were cheating people out of their money and preventing others from encountering His Father in His Father's house.
So Jesus made a whip and chased out the animals and animal sellers and overthrew the tables of the money changers. He then approached the dove sellers and ordered them to take away their doves so that His Father’s house would not be a place of business and chaos.
Many think of Jesus as meek and mild – and He can be. But here He gives us a vision of the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16). His disciples were puzzled until they recalled Psalm 69:9 which says, “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
The Jews challenged His authority to do these things, but He replied only with a prophecy of His death and resurrection. Jesus’ words about the destruction of the temple were about His body. Later, after He was raised from the dead, Jesus’ disciples remembered this prophecy and they believed the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken here.
During the Passover, Jesus performed many signs. John chose not to detail them in his gospel but they were probably healings. Many believed on His name when they saw the signs. Jesus, however, did not trust Himself to them for He knew what was in their hearts. He needed nobody to testify what was in man for He knew all men.
*Dig deeper: How do the following verses explain what happened in this chapter:
Isaiah 64:6
John 6:66
Romans 3:23
Hebrews 4:12
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