John 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

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

CSB: After making a whip out of cords, he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers' coins and overturned the tables.

NLT: Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.

KJV: 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;

NKJV: When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.

Too often, Jesus is depicted as a soft, sappy, guru, instead of the powerhouse He truly was. Incidents such as this show that Jesus was capable of action, righteous anger, and confrontation when it was necessary. One critical point to note is that Jesus personally makes the whip which He used to drive these men from the temple. He didn't pick something up in a rage and start swinging. There was deliberate intent behind His actions, and no mistaking His justified anger.

The sad situation in the temple reflected Israel's spiritual state: stuck in a rut, wealth-obsessed, and uninterested in heavenly things. Jesus' disruption of the business there was certainly against local civil laws. So, it's to be expected that the local guards and priests would be upset with His actions. And yet, nothing in the Bible suggests that He harmed anyone, or any animals, or damaged any property. As verse 16 shows, Jesus doesn't just cause a commotion, He stays to explain His reasons. Another question the Bible does not answer is whether any of the scribes, priests, or merchants recognized Jesus. As a young boy He had amazed crowds—at this very temple—with His spiritual knowledge (Luke 2:46-47).

John 2:13–23 describes Jesus driving corrupt businessmen from the temple. Selling sacrifices to travelers was not a problem. The sin was in gouging the people, focusing on money, rather than serving God. Jesus is never depicted as out of control, but His anger is clear. It’s likely that this is an early temple cleansing, and the other gospels record a second, separate cleansing. Jesus’ authority is challenged by the authorities. In typical Hebrew style, they demand a miraculous sign. Jesus instead predicts His own death and resurrection. This passage is in contrast to the quiet, joyous miracle at the wedding.

Jesus attends a wedding where He performs His first miracle: turning water into wine. This is symbolic of His transformation of human rituals into divine sacrifice. Few people are even aware that a miracle has occurred. Jesus then drives crooked businessmen out of the temple, scolding them for turning a sacred place into a market place.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus’ “signs,” or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will grow more and more spectacular, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is very different from the loud public spectacle of clearing the temple. Jesus’ first miracle symbolizes His mission. During the temple clearing, He also predicts His death and resurrection.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.