(The following excerpt is from The Crimson Line book by Kolby King – Find more print books by Kolby King HERE.)
As Jesus descended from the Mount of Olives, He entered Jerusalem through the East Gate, also known as the Golden Gate. This entrance, about 60 feet wide, was significant as a place of worship during the morning and evening sacrifices. The gate opened near the Court of the Gentiles, where merchants sold animals for sacrifice and money changers were stationed.9
When Jesus saw this scene, He was filled with righteous indignation. Some people misunderstand His anger, assuming it was solely about the selling of animals or the exchange of money. However, the problem wasn’t with these activities in themselves, but with how they were being abused by the religious leaders. Those who should have been providing spiritual leadership were instead taking advantage of sincere worshippers. For the second time in His ministry, Jesus confronted the corruption in the temple, driving out both the merchants and the money changers.
Interestingly, while the practice of selling animals and exchanging money in the temple was set up by the Sadducees, the Pharisees actually opposed how these practices were carried out. Despite their disagreement with Jesus’ method of confronting it, the Pharisees would have supported His challenge to the exploitation of worshippers.
Jesus overturned the money changers’ tables and the seats of those selling doves. He drove out those who were buying and selling, and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts (Mark 11:16). After clearing the temple, He began to teach, declaring:
“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17)
But why did Jesus act so strongly? What was wrong with the practices that were taking place and what can we learn from it? To answer these questions, we need to understand the context of what was happening in the temple.
The Temple Tax and Its Implications
According to the religious leaders’ interpretation of Scripture in Exodus 30:12-13 and 38:25, every Jewish male over the age of 20 was required to pay a half-shekel as a temple tax. In Jesus’ day, this half-shekel was worth about two days’ wages for the average worker.
There were three major festivals during which the temple tax was collected: Passover, Pentecost (Shavuot), and the Feast of Tabernacles. During these times, tax booths were set up not only at the temple but in various cities across Israel. For example, when Jesus and Peter were in Capernaum, the tax collectors asked Peter whether Jesus would pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27). It’s possible this was a genuine inquiry, as certain individuals, including the high priest and the elite, were exempt from the tax. To avoid causing offense, Jesus instructed Peter to catch a fish, from which He retrieved a coin that was sufficient to pay the tax for both of them.
The temple tax was originally intended to fund the upkeep of the temple, and after the return from Babylonian exile under Nehemiah, even Jews living outside of Israel continued to pay it. Josephus, the Jewish historian, recorded that during the late 30s B.C., many Jews from Babylon accompanied the tax to Jerusalem for safekeeping.10
The Problem with the Tyrian Shekel
The Talmud, which contains Jewish rabbinical teachings, stipulated that the temple tax had to be paid with a coin of the highest silver purity. This was a man-made regulation, not explicitly stated in Scripture. The coin most commonly accepted for the temple tax was the Tyrian shekel, minted by the Phoenician city of Tyre. This coin, produced between 126 B.C. and 57 A.D., was composed of 94% or more silver, compared to Roman coins, which were made of only 80% silver.11
On one side of the Tyrian shekel was the image of Melqart, the god of Tyre, also identified with Baal or Heracles. On the reverse side was an eagle, along with the inscription: “Tyre, the Holy and Inviolable“—essentially declaring Tyre as a “holy city” that could not be broken or dishonored.
This coin was offensive to devout Jews for several reasons. First, it violated the Second Commandment, which prohibited graven images (Exodus 20:4). The Tyrian shekel depicted a pagan god and an eagle, both of which were considered idolatrous. Second, the inscription claiming Tyre as the “holy city” contradicted the Jewish understanding of Jerusalem as the only true holy city.
Because of these concerns, many Jews refused to carry the Tyrian shekel. However, it was the only coin accepted for paying the temple tax, so money changers were set up in the temple courtyard to exchange the money. But these money changers took advantage of the worshippers, charging outrageous fees for the exchange. This exploitative practice was one of the reasons Jesus was so angered, and He condemned it by turning over their tables and rebuking them for turning His Father’s house into a “den of robbers” (Mark 11:17).
The Corruption of the Animal Sacrifice System
There was also a second reason for Jesus’ anger. People were required to bring animals for sacrifice to the temple. These animals had to be inspected by the priests to ensure they met the scriptural standards. However, under the leadership of Annas (the high priest) and Caiaphas (his son-in-law), the system had become corrupt.
Often, animals brought by worshippers would be rejected by the priests, who claimed they were unfit for sacrifice. This forced the worshippers to buy “approved” animals from the sellers in the temple courtyard. These animals were sold at inflated prices, and the priests shared in the profits. This practice of exploiting the worshippers further fueled Jesus’ anger. For this reason, He drove both the money changers and the merchants out of the temple, confronting the systemic corruption in the house of God.
Jesus’ first cleansing of the temple is described in John 2:13-22 and occurred just after Jesus’ first miracle, turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana.
John 2:13-17 says,
“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” He drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and oxen and poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables.”
The second time Jesus cleansed the temple occurred shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This event is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke but not in the Gospel of John. In John’s record, there is no mention of Jesus using a whip, as in the first cleansing. Furthermore, the religious leaders confronted Him the following day, while during the first event, the temple officials immediately challenged Him.
In the first cleansing, Jesus exclaimed, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” (John 2:16). But during the second cleansing, He said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a den of robbers!” (Mark 11:17). There is a distinct difference in the way He addresses the situation, but both times His actions and words were a righteous rebuke of the corruption that had overtaken the temple.
Is It Wrong to Get Angry?
Before we go further, let’s address a common question that often accompanies this story: Is it wrong to get angry?
In the Old Testament, we see multiple occasions where God’s anger “burned” against Israel. Anger in itself is not sinful. Jesus, being perfect, became angry, which shows that anger itself is not inherently wrong. In fact, godly anger is a natural response to sin and injustice. Righteous anger is rooted in a desire to protect what is holy and right. Sin angers God and if we share His heart, the same things that anger Him will anger us.
So, anger in itself is not the issue. The issue is the reason for our anger and how we handle it. Jesus’ anger in the temple was righteous. He was indignant about the hypocrisy and exploitation of sincere worshippers. His anger was holy indignation, and He responded to the situation with perfect justice.
Righteous Anger: What Does It Look Like?
When you feel anger rising within you, ask yourself: Am I angry for the right reason? Is my anger in line with what angers God? Does it reflect His heart in this situation?
Even in righteous anger, there are proper ways to respond. Notice how Jesus responded when He cleansed the temple. He turned over the money changers’ tables and drove out the sellers, but He didn’t release the birds. Why? Because birds would have flown away, and their owners would have lost them. Even in His anger, Jesus demonstrated control and mercy. He wasn’t out of control or throwing a tantrum. He acted intentionally and purposefully.
In John 2:15, we read that Jesus made a whip before driving the merchants out of the temple. This was not a spontaneous outburst. His anger was righteous and carefully measured, a reflection of His divine authority and holiness. He was not reacting impulsively, but instead acting with perfect control.
So, if your anger is righteous, there are key principles to consider:
- Are you angry for the right reason? Jesus was angry because the temple—a place of worship and prayer—was being turned into a place of exploitation and greed. Righteous anger is always aligned with God’s heart for justice and holiness.
- Are you having the right response? It is possible to be angry for the right reason but to respond incorrectly. For example, if you witness a child being bullied, your anger at the injustice is right. However, if you respond by hitting the bully with a baseball bat, your response is wrong. Anger must be met with a righteous and measured response, just as Jesus’ actions in the temple were.
- Are you taking care of your anger in the right time? Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be angry, and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” This doesn’t mean that we need to deal with our anger before sunset each day, but rather that we should not let our anger fester. If we hold on to anger, it can lead to bitterness. We must address our anger in a timely manner, ensuring it doesn’t grow into something sinful and destructive.
The Next Events
The Gospel of Matthew continues telling us what happened next:
And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there (Matthew 21:14–17).
After Jesus cleansed the temple, He began to teach the people, saying,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13).
His words echoed the prophecy of Isaiah 56:7, where the Lord had declared that His house would be a house of prayer for all nations. Jesus was not just rebuking the money changers and merchants but calling the people back to the true purpose of the temple—worship, prayer, and a place where God’s presence could be experienced.
But in the midst of all this, something remarkable happened. The blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them (Matthew 21:14). This was a powerful sign of the kingdom of God breaking into the world. The very place that had become a den of corruption and exploitation was now becoming a place of mercy and healing. The healing of the blind and the lame was also a symbolic act, showing that Jesus had come to open the eyes of the spiritually blind and to heal those who were broken and oppressed.
While this was happening, the religious leaders were enraged. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they became indignant. They said to Jesus, “Do you hear what these are saying?” (Matthew 21:15).
This scene is truly electric when you try to imagine it in its full intensity and cultural context. The emotions of the people are running high as a prelude to the Passover celebration. The streets are packed as thousands are descending on the city. People hear that Jesus is coming. Crowds gather to the Mount of Olives. There is shouting and rejoicing. The Pharisees ask Jesus to rebuke His disciples. Jesus weeps as He nears the city because He knows the judgment that will follow because of their rejection of Him. He then enters the court of the temple and drives out those who are making a mockery by taking advantage of worshippers. He overturns tables. He runs out the merchants and all of this happens as people are coming and going, selecting their lambs for the Passover. And now people are bringing the sick to Him in the temple. He heals the blind and the lame. The temple court is now most likely filled with people gathering to watch the miracles. Imagine the celebration of those who are healed, the awe of those who are watching, and the anger of the religious leaders whom Jesus has constantly challenged. Among the crowd children are still repeating what was said as He entered, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” They are rejoicing and shouting it out. Imagine the anger of the religious leaders. Imagine how they must have viewed this disturbance of Jesus arriving for the Passover.
The Pharisees had already acknowledged that Jesus was becoming a force that was hard to ignore. In John 12:19 they said, “Behold, the world has gone after him.” They were desperate to stop Him and their authority was now being challenged on multiple fronts. Thus, the religious leaders confront the Lord: “Do You hear what these children are saying?”
Jesus’ response is both profound and subtle. When He says, “Yes, have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself?’” (Matthew 21:16), He’s not just confirming the praise that the children are giving Him. He is also using a well-known teaching technique of the day called remez.
“Remez” means “hint” or “clue” and was a teaching techniquewhen a rabbi would use part of a Scripture passage, expecting the hearers to know the rest of the story and thus to deduce a greater meaning of what was being said. It was like speaking in a kind of shorthand.12 For example, in English what if I said, “Don’t count your eggs.” Most people would understand what I mean: “Don’t count your eggs before they hatch.” I wouldn’t need to make the entire statement because the first part carries the entire meaning. Rabbis did this with Scripture. For example, they might say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” referring to Psalm 23 and then begin to teach on it because the hearers would be familiar and most likely have the psalm memorized. This is what Jesus was doing.
The phrase He quotes is the first part of Psalm 8:2, which in its fuller context speaks of how God, through the mouths of the most vulnerable (in this case, children), has silenced the adversaries and the enemy. The full verse reads:
“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2)
In quoting this, Jesus is implying a powerful truth. He is aligning the children’s praise with God’s ordained purpose: to silence the enemies of God. The religious leaders, who are questioning His authority and rejecting His messianic identity, are in fact the very enemies who will be silenced by this divine praise. Jesus is not just defending the children’s words; He is prophetically declaring that their opposition to Him will ultimately be silenced.
To the Pharisees and religious leaders, this would have been an extraordinary accusation. They would have known the rest of Psalm 8 and realized the deeper message. Jesus is saying, in essence: “You, who think yourselves to be the defenders of God’s law, are in fact opposing God’s purposes. The very ones you consider to be weak and insignificant—the children—are the ones who are in line with God’s will, and you will be silenced.”13
In a very real sense, the temple itself has become a symbol of Israel’s rejection of God’s true purpose. The temple was meant to be a place of worship, of prayer, and of healing for all nations. But it had become a den of robbers, a place where the system of religion had been corrupted. The religious leaders had turned it into something far from God’s original intent. The true temple—the true meeting place between God and humanity—was standing right before them in Jesus, but they were blind to it.
As we reflect on this, we can see how the tension of the moment, with the shouts of the children and the angry faces of the religious leaders, is actually a powerful moment of revelation. The true King has come to His temple, but the religious authorities, who should have been leading the people in worship, are actually the ones who are opposing God’s will. Jesus’ statement, “Have you never read?” is a subtle yet forceful rebuke. It’s as if He’s saying: “You should have known. You should have recognized this moment, this fulfillment of Scripture.”
The religious leaders didn’t just miss the moment; they were actively rejecting it. And in doing so, they were fulfilling the very prophecy that Jesus was quoting: that through the praise of children, God would silence His adversaries.
The scene reminds us that true worship is about recognizing Jesus for who He is and responding with hearts full of praise, while false worship is about maintaining a system that elevates tradition and ritual over the heart of God’s will.
Luke continues by saying,
And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him, and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said (Luke 19:45-48).
Mark records,
The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. When evening came, they would go out of the city.
The people were “hanging on to every word He said.” The “whole crowd was astonished.” People are celebrating Him. Others were healed. They were calling Him a prophet. No wonder the religious leaders feared taking Him by day and that His arrest might cause a riot (Matthew 26:5).
This continued “daily” in the temple and “when evening came, they [Jesus and His disciples] would go out of the city.”
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