Jesus’ Cleansing the Temple

I have found it interesting how many years ago (45) the Lord brought to my attention the two events of Jesus’ cleansing the temple. Professors, at the time, pointed out that though John places the event at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and Matthew, Mark, and Luke place it at the last week of Jesus life it was a single event. Thus it becomes necessary to make excuses for the difference in time periods. At the time I firmly believed that there were two event but resisted the temptation to argue the matter.

Over the years I have discovered the Lord bringing me back to several event and revealing insights that substantiated multiple events in Jesus life. Like the former article on how knowledge of the motivation gifts revels the different characteristics of the women who anointed Jesus thus showing actually three women at different times anointing Jesus.

So now he brings me back to the events describing the cleansing of the temple. Again unbelievers and even some conservative scholars deny a double event. However, details exist within the text that indeed confirm the event took place at the beginning of Jesus ministry and at the end of his ministry. May I share why there are two events?

For comparison sake we will use the passage in Mark since it is longer and the other two Gospels compress the event.

Mark 11:15-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

John 2:14-22 English Standard Version (ESV)

In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 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. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 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.

On superficial examination one might conclude the events are the same. However on closer examination notices these differences.

In John’s Gospel Jesus is found in the temple, in Mark he enters the temple. In Marks account Jesus drives out the buyers and the sellers, yet in John we find Jesus making a whip and driving out the animals. In Mark Jesus over turns the money changers and the dove seller’s tables. In John Jesus tells the dove sellers to get rid of these things.

Further in Mark Jesus summaries the purpose as being this place is a place of prayer not a place to steal. In John the disciples remember that it is the zeal of Jesus which is the focus of attention.

Finally, understanding the two evens helps us decipher Mark 14:57-59. Here the witnesses against Jesus could not agree as to what Jesus had done when referring to the statement “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree.

The event took place two different times so the witness were confusing the words of Jesus. Instead of the words being spoken 3 days before it was 3 years.

Moreover, the John 2 passages is actually dated! The little phrase by the Jews “46 years to build the temple.” We know the date that Herod began work on the temple and the date it ended. The occurrence of its ending was prior to the beginning of Jesus ministry.

Further we know the Triumphal entry occurs on Sunday of the final week. Jesus enters the temple looks around and leaves. Matthew, Mark and Luke are referring to Monday, the week Jesus dies.( Mk. 11:11-12,Mt. 21:12, Lk. 19:45).

Two separate events just as Scripture indicates.