This Easter season, I’ve made a series of posts addressing skeptics’ criticism surrounding the Resurrection. As we close in on Easter, I want to do a day-by-day detail discussing the events happening during the Passion Week.
Please keep checking back!
On the way back to Jerusalem Monday morning, an interesting thing occurred. Mark mentions it, almost in passing.
Mark 11:12-14, And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
The cursing of the fig tree might have made the apostles curious, but their interest at the moment was likely short lived and perhaps forgotten upon their arrival at the Temple courtyard. However, the full scope of Jesus’ words would be realized the next day.
When they entered the Temple courtyard, they found it crowded with vendors and money changers. All of the gospels describe a time when Jesus drove the money changers out of the Temple. However, many people aren’t aware Jesus did this on 2 different occasions - once at the beginning of His public ministry, then again now. The descriptions given in the gospels sound similar but there are some key differences.
John 2:13-16 records the first time this had happened, about 3 years earlier. John describes a much more intense confrontation where Jesus made a scourge of cords and drove out the vendors violently. The religious leaders confronted Him immediately and demanded a sign to prove He had the authority to do these things. It was then that Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). This prophecy isn’t mentioned in any of the synoptic gospels. John suggests that the disciples likely forgot He’d said this but remembered it after His Resurrection.
The synoptic gospels do attest that, on this Passover, Jesus once again overturned the tables and ordered the vendors out. Here’s the account recorded in Mark’s gospel.
Mark 11:15-17, 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; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 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.
Notice that there’s no mention of a scourge here - nor in Matthew or Luke. Mark further says, “He taught them, saying unto them…” which suggests that Jesus, while being forceful and stern, was also instructing them.
After driving out the money changers, Jesus remained at the Temple, healing the blind and the lame. The Pharisees watched Him disapprovingly but didn’t confront Him immediately, They looked on angrily as children continued crying out, “Hosanna to the son of David.” When they finally confronted Jesus about it, He replied, “Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mathew 21:16).
I’ve always found it amusing how Jesus would chide the religious leaders by asking them, “Haven’t you read…” followed by a passage relevant to the situation. His rebuke must have been especially stinging because the Pharisees prided themselves on their knowledge and adherence to the Law. To ask them, “Haven't you read?” would be like someone saying to Donald Trump, “Haven't you ever run a business before?” Being the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees believed it was they who most correctly interpreted Scripture. Jesus confirmed that the authority of Scripture trumped the opinions of Pharisees.
After all this, Jesus left the city to spend the night in Bethany.
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