Cleansing the Temple
Jesus drives out the money changers and merchants from the Temple courts, declaring it a house of prayer rather than a den of thieves. John places a similar cleansing early in his Gospel, which some read as a second, earlier occurrence.
Matthew
Matthew 21:12-13
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mark
Mark 11:15-17
15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Luke
Luke 19:45-46
45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;
46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
John
John 2:13-16
13 And the Jewsโ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changersโ money, and overthrew the tables;
16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Fatherโs house an house of merchandise.
Other Harmonized Events
Browse every harmonized Gospel event, or read any of these chapters in full on the reading pages.