Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

(Outlined with Plot Sequence tags)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Also recorded in: Matthew 21:12–17;
Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48)

^<13>

^{START_SETTING} When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ^<14>In the temple courts¹ He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.

^<15>

^INCIDENT So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ^<16>To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”

^<17>His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”²

^<18>

^COMPLICATION On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

^<19>

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

^<20>“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”

^<21>

^CLIMAX But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.

^<22>

^EPILOGUE After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

^{PLOT ENDS}

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

Jesus explodes with righteous anger

^<13>When it was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

^<14>In the temple courts he found merchants selling cattle, sheep and doves for the sacrifices. There were also currency dealers sitting at their tables and exchanging foreign money for the temple tax. Jesus exploded with righteous anger at all this. What should have been a place for prayer and worship had been turned into a commercial market.

^<15>He made a whip out of rope and drove everyone and everything out of the temple courts, overturning the dealers’ money tables and scattering their coins in all directions.

^<16>He told the merchants selling doves, ‘Get these things out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!’

^<17>His actions made his apprentices recall the Scripture, ‘I am filled with an all-consuming passion for the honour of your house.’²

^<18>Seeing all this happen, the Jewish leaders demanded, ‘Give us a clear sign that proves your authority to perform these actions.’

^<19>Jesus answered them, ‘If you demolish this temple, I will restore it three days later.’

^<20>They laughed at him, ‘Up till now it’s taken 46 years to build this temple, so how can you say you will restore it in three days?’ ^<21>But they didn’t realise that the temple Jesus was talking about was his own body. ^<22>After his resurrection, Jesus’ apprentices remembered what he had said and were convinced by both the Scripture and Jesus’ words.

Study Guide

► Did you find the Plot Sequence outline helpful in your study of this passage? Explain.

► In this passage, which phase of Plot Sequence caught your attention more than the others Why?

► Jesus alluded to His own crucifixion once and His resurrection twice. Where are these found in this passage?

► How did Jesus’ resurrection affect His disciples?

► How does this passage relate to the purpose of the Gospel of John (John 20:31)?

► Based on this passage, what does or doesn’t God want us to know, feel, think, say, and/or do?

Study Resources