Jesus Christ is said to have visited the temple in Jerusalem on many occasions, cleaning it of its uncleanness. This is one of the most important events in Jesus’ life, as it shows his devotion to God and his willingness to clean up the messes that others have made.
How many times did Jesus cleanse the temple?
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is recorded in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. In the Gospel of John, Jesus enters Jerusalem and drives out those buying and selling animals for sacrifice and overturns the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus expels the merchants and the money changers from the temple, accusing them of turning the temple into a den of thieves through their commercial activities.
The first cleansing of the temple
It is recorded in all four canonical gospels that Jesus cleansed the temple in Jerusalem during his ministry. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 21:12–17, Mark 11:15–19, and Luke 19:45–48) state that Jesus cleansed the temple after driving out the money changers and overturning their tables. John’s Gospel (John 2:13–17) records that Jesus cleansed the temple at the beginning of his ministry and again at the end.
The first cleansing of the temple took place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, as recorded in John 2:13–17. Jesus entered the temple and found that the money changers were doing business there. He drove them out, overturned their tables, and said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”
The second cleansing of the temple took place near the end of Jesus’ ministry, as recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he went to the temple and found the money changers there again. He drove them out and said, “It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it a den of robbers.”
The cleansing of the temple was a sign that Jesus was the Messiah, the one who had been prophesied to come and cleanse the temple. It was also a sign that Jesus was bringing in a new era, one in which the old system of worship would be replaced by a new one.
The second cleansing of the temple
The second cleansing of the temple is an event that is recorded in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament. It happened near the end of Jesus’ ministry, after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and just a few days before he was crucified.
The Gospel of John records that Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem and found people selling animals and birds, and the money changers were doing business there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple, along with the sheep and the cattle. He overturned the tables of the money changers and scattered their coins. He then told the people that they had turned his father’s house into a den of thieves.
The other gospels record a similar event, though with some differences in the details. For example, in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is said to have overturned the tables of the money changers only and not the tables of those who were selling the animals.
This event is significant because it was one of the things that led to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. The authorities were looking for an excuse to arrest him, and this gave them the perfect opportunity. Jesus was against the temple being used for business, which was a direct challenge to their power.
The second cleansing of the temple is an important event in the life of Jesus and one that has a lot of meaning for Christians today. It reminds us that Jesus was not afraid to stand up for what he believed in, even if it meant risking his own life.
Why did Jesus cleanse the temple?
Why did Jesus cleanse the temple?
The temple was the center of religious life in ancient Israel. It was where the people went to offer sacrifices and worship God. But over time, the temple had become corrupted. The priests had become more interested in making money than in serving God. They had turned the temple into a marketplace, where they were selling animals for sacrifice and charging exorbitant prices for ceremonial items.
When Jesus came to the temple, he was outraged by what he saw. He drove out the animals and overturned the tables of the money changers. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers” (Matthew 21:13).
Jesus cleansed the temple because he wanted to purify it. He wanted to restore it to its rightful purpose as a place of worship.
The temple cleansing was a turning point in Jesus’ ministry. It was the beginning of his public opposition to the religious leaders of his day. It was also a sign that Jesus’ mission was not just to teach but to act. He was not content to let things stay the way they were. He was going to bring about change.
The meaning of Jesus cleansing the temple
The Meaning of Jesus Cleaning the Temple
The act of Jesus cleansing the temple is a significant event in the New Testament. It takes place in the Gospel of John, during the final week of Jesus’ life. The event is also mentioned in the other gospels, but with different details. In John’s Gospel, Jesus is said to have overturned the money changers’ tables and made a whip out of cords to drive them out of the temple. He then declared that the temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations, but that it had become a den of robbers.
The event is significant because it demonstrates Jesus’ authority over the temple, which was a sacred space for the Jewish people. It also foreshadows Jesus’ death, which would take place on the temple grounds.
Some scholars believe that the event was a historical occurrence, while others believe that it was a symbolic act. Regardless of its interpretation, the event is significant in the story of Jesus.

Joseph Bates is a teacher at the University of Holy Cross. He has served on the staff of Northern Baptist and United Methodist churches in Tampa, Ohio, and Florida.