Daily Bread

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts^(A)

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(B) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^{(C) 14} In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,^(D) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.^{(E) 15} 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. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house^(F) into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”^[a](G)

¹⁸ The Jews^(H) then responded to him, “What sign^(I) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(J)

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(K)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(L) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(M) Then they believed the scripture^(N) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(O) many people saw the signs^(P) he was performing and believed^(Q) in his name.^{[b] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(R) for he knew what was in each person.^(S)