Jesus Stops Trading in the Temple

Yesterday Jesus’ authority was challenged; today He acts with that authority inside the temple itself.

Jesus enters the temple and begins driving out those buying and selling there. He overturns the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling pigeons, and He will not allow merchandise to be carried through the temple.

My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer.

Jesus explains His action with Scripture. He quotes Isaiah’s vision of God’s house as “a house of prayer for all the nations.” Worship is meant to turn people toward God, not become a system that obscures Him.

A Den of Robbers.

Jesus then invokes Jeremiah: “But you have made it a den of robbers.” He is not merely objecting to noise or inconvenience. He condemns a religious environment in which sacred activity has become compatible with corruption.

Authority in the Temple.

Jesus does not ask permission from the chief priests before acting. His intervention provokes their hostility because He behaves as One with authority to judge what is happening in God’s house.

The Crowd Is Astonished.

The leaders seek a way to destroy Him, while the crowd is astonished at His teaching. The road to the cross now passes directly through Jesus’ confrontation with corrupted worship.

Tomorrow, listen carefully to the Scriptures Jesus uses to explain why this worship has become intolerable.