John 2:13 -17 13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John next gives an account of Jesus clearing the temple of money changers. This account comes early in Jesus’ ministry in John’s Gospel, whereas it comes late in his ministry in the Synoptic record. There are two major reasons for this. One is that Jesus cleared the temple twice, once at the beginning and once at the end. Although this is possible, it seems unlikely because of the commotion it would cause. However, clearing the temple in both John and the Synoptics created controversy and opposition to Jesus. Another option is that John intentionally put this event at the beginning, either because it happened that way, with John being present as an eye witness, or he put the event here for his literary purpose of showing the challenge to Jesus and how many people rejected him. The contrast between the obedient servants in the previous passage and the Jews who ask for a sign in this story is quite significant and clearly shows the two choices the readers have: to accept Jesus as the Son of God or to reject him out of disbelief, even when all the evidence is clear.
John records this event as having taken place as the Jewish Passover. If his readers were Gentiles, the note about this being a feast of the Jews would have been helpful. Everyone went up to Jerusalem because it was located on Mount Zion. Jesus was an observant Jew and kept the various religious practices, like going to Jerusalem for the Passover. Passover was celebrated on the fourteenth day of the lunar month Nisan, which would make it the full moon at the end of March or beginning of April. The first Passover is recorded in Exodus 12 when the angel of death passed over the houses of those who put blood on their doorposts. The Israelites then celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread in remembrance of how God freed them from Egyptian bondage.
In Jesus’ time, many pilgrims flocked to Jerusalem. In their sincereity, they were also easily deceived into thinking that religion and faith in God were dependent upon following certain rituals, one of which required special sacrifices at the temple. The foreigners needed to exchange their currency and buy the sacrifices, and the most convenient place was close to where it all took place–in the temple. Jesus came showing them a new way. Just like turning water into wine, he wanted the people to experience new life through faith in him.
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