First Passover—Cleansing the Temple

Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

And in the temple [enclosure] He found the people who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at their tables.

He made a whip of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Then the Jews replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and You will raise it up in three days?”

But He was speaking of the temple which was His body.

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place where one ought to worship is in Jerusalem [at the temple].”

Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [court] and began to teach.

Then Jesus called out as He taught in the temple, “You know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come on my own initiative [as self-appointed], but He who sent Me is true, and Him you do not know.

Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them.

Jesus said these things in the treasury, as He taught in the temple [courtyard]; and no one seized Him, because His time had not yet come.

So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus concealed Himself and left the temple.

It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple [area] in Solomon’s portico.

If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation.”

So they were looking for Jesus as they stood in the temple [area], and saying among themselves, “What do you think? Will He not come to the feast at all?”

Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in a synagogue and in the temple [area], where all the Jews habitually congregate; and I said nothing in secret.