12 After this He went down to Capernaum , He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples ; and they stayed there a few e days .
13 The Passover of the Jews was near , and Jesus went up to Jerusalem . 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves , and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords , and drove them all out of the temple , with the sheep and the oxen ; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables ; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said , "Take these things away ; stop making My Father's house a place of business ." 17 His disciples remembered that it was written , " ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 18 The Jews then said to Him, " What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things ?" 19 Jesus answered them, " Destroy this temple , and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said , "It took forty-six e e years to build this temple , and will You raise it up in three days ?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body . 22 So when He was raised from the dead , His disciples remembered that He said this ; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 2:12-22
Commentary on John 2:12-22
(Read John 2:12-22)
The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, was driving from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares about worldly business when attending religious exercises, or who perform Divine offices for love of gain. Christ, having thus cleansed the temple, gave a sign to those who demanded it, to prove his authority for so doing. He foretells his death by the Jews' malice, Destroy ye this temple; I will permit you to destroy it. He foretells his resurrection by his own power; In three days I will raise it up. Christ took again his own life. Men mistake by understanding that according to the letter, which the Scripture speaks by way of figure. When Jesus was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered he has said this. It helps much in understanding the Divine word, to observe the fulfilling of the Scriptures.