Jesus Goes to the Temple^(A)

¹⁵ When Jesus and his followers came to Jerusalem, they entered the Temple area. Jesus began driving out the people who were buying and selling things there. He turned over the tables that belonged to those who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹⁶ He refused to allow anyone to carry things through the Temple area. ¹⁷ Then Jesus began teaching the people and said, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.’^[a] But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’^[b]”

¹⁸ When the leading priests and the teachers of the law heard what Jesus said, they began trying to find a way to kill him. They were afraid of him because all the people were amazed at his teaching. ¹⁹ That night Jesus and his followers left the city.

Jesus Goes to the Temple^(A)

⁴⁵ Jesus went into the Temple area. He began to throw out the people who were selling things there. ⁴⁶ He said, “The Scriptures say, ‘My Temple will be a house of prayer.’^[a] But you have changed it into a ‘hiding place for thieves.’^[b]”

⁴⁷ Jesus taught the people in the Temple area every day. The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and some of the leaders of the people wanted to kill him. ⁴⁸ But they did not know how they could do it, because everyone was listening to him. The people were very interested in what Jesus said.

Jesus at the Temple^(A)

¹³ It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ There in the Temple area he saw men selling cattle, sheep, and doves. He saw others sitting at tables, exchanging and trading people’s money. ¹⁵ Jesus made a whip with some pieces of rope. Then he forced all these men and the sheep and cattle to leave the Temple area. He turned over the tables of the money traders and scattered their money. ¹⁶ Then he said to those who were selling pigeons, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place for buying and selling!”

¹⁷ When this happened, his followers remembered what was written in the Scriptures:

¹⁸ Some Jews said to Jesus, “Show us a miracle as a sign from God. Prove that you have the right to do these things.”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and I will build it again in three days.”

²⁰ They answered, “People worked 46 years to build this Temple! Do you really believe you can build it again in three days?”

²¹ But the temple Jesus meant was his own body. ²² After he was raised from death, his followers remembered that he had said this. So they believed the Scriptures, and they believed the words Jesus said.