NOTES for Joh 2:13-25
13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, |
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: |
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; |
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. |
17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. |
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? |
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. |
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? |
21 But he spake of the temple of his body. |
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. |
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. |
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, |
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. |
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Supporters of the use of violence like to appeal to the driving of the merchants out of the Temple in order to justify their claims about the "need to restore order by force." But let us note that Christ did not go to the Temple with instruments of punishment. He made the whip on the spot from ropes, from material at hand there, since a whip is used to drive livestock. There is not a single mention that He struck even one of the people whose tables He overturned.
His restoration of order in the Temple courtyard was neither a pogrom nor violence that led to disorder and physical injuries. Incidentally, let us also remember to note that accusations of violence in the Temple were never brought against Jesus; they were not charged to Him even at the trial before the Sanhedrin. He had the right to restore order from above, something no apologist for the "strong hand" can say about himself.
It is also hardly accidental that immediately after the account of this event the evangelist says that Jesus Himself knew what was in man, and He saw for what purpose a person was in the Temple. After all, a place of prayer can be turned into a place for extracting practical gain even without trade in the literal sense...
He did not need human testimony. We are the ones who need His testimony about the purity of our intentions.
Readings for 22 November 2025
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