Jesus Cleansed the Temple
Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19
It was time for the Jewish people to celebrate Passover. Jesus, His friends, and many other people went to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples went to the temple. The temple was supposed to be a place where people went to worship God, but Jesus saw people doing things they were not supposed to do. Some people were buying and selling animals. Other people were trading money. The temple was not a store! Jesus also saw people carrying things through the temple to get from one side of the city to the other. This was not what God wanted the temple to be used for. How could people pray and worship God with all that noise? Jesus was right to be angry. He turned over the tables and knocked over the chairs of the people who were selling animals and trading money. He told all of those people to leave. “The Scriptures say, My house will be called a house of prayer for everyone. But you are making it a place for thieves!” He said. Every day, Jesus went to the temple to teach people about God. People who were blind came to Jesus, and He healed them. People who could not walk came to Jesus, and He healed them too. People were amazed at the things Jesus said and did. Children began shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The word hosanna means “Save now!” The religious leaders did not like what was happening. They did not like Jesus, and they did not like how everyone else liked Him. The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked Jesus. “Yes,” Jesus said. “Have you never read the Scripture that says, ‘You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and babies’?” Then Jesus left and went to the city of Bethany to spend the night.
Christ Connection: Jesus made the people in the temple leave. He was right to be angry. The people were keeping others from praying and worshiping God. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross to take away people’s sin so they could be friends with God.
**This is a Lifeway Lesson**
Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19
It was time for the Jewish people to celebrate Passover. Jesus, His friends, and many other people went to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples went to the temple. The temple was supposed to be a place where people went to worship God, but Jesus saw people doing things they were not supposed to do. Some people were buying and selling animals. Other people were trading money. The temple was not a store! Jesus also saw people carrying things through the temple to get from one side of the city to the other. This was not what God wanted the temple to be used for. How could people pray and worship God with all that noise? Jesus was right to be angry. He turned over the tables and knocked over the chairs of the people who were selling animals and trading money. He told all of those people to leave. “The Scriptures say, My house will be called a house of prayer for everyone. But you are making it a place for thieves!” He said. Every day, Jesus went to the temple to teach people about God. People who were blind came to Jesus, and He healed them. People who could not walk came to Jesus, and He healed them too. People were amazed at the things Jesus said and did. Children began shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The word hosanna means “Save now!” The religious leaders did not like what was happening. They did not like Jesus, and they did not like how everyone else liked Him. The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked Jesus. “Yes,” Jesus said. “Have you never read the Scripture that says, ‘You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and babies’?” Then Jesus left and went to the city of Bethany to spend the night.
Christ Connection: Jesus made the people in the temple leave. He was right to be angry. The people were keeping others from praying and worshiping God. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross to take away people’s sin so they could be friends with God.
**This is a Lifeway Lesson**