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 money-changers, 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. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. (Matthew 21:12-17 KJV)
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
When Christ entered Jerusalem, he did not go to the court or palace, though he came as a King, but to the temple, for his kingdom is spiritual and not of this world. It is in holy things that he rules, exercising authority in the temple of God (Matthew 21:12-17).
He drove out the buyers and sellers, for abuses must first be purged before righteousness can be established. The great Redeemer appeared as a great Reformer, turning away ungodliness (Romans 11:26). He cast out all who sold and bought in the temple, as he had done before (John 2:14-15). Buyers and sellers will return unless there is continual oversight. Even lawful activities, if ill-placed, may become sinful. Though selling sacrificial animals and exchanging money had a religious pretense, Christ would not allow it. Great corruptions enter the church when godliness is used as a means for worldly gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
Christ purged the temple, casting them out with a look, a frown, and a word of command. This was an instance of his power over men’s consciences. It was the only act of royal authority and coercive power he exercised in his earthly ministry, beginning with it (John 2) and ending with it. He overthrew the tables of the money changers, scattering their money to the ground (Esther 9:10).
To justify himself, he said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’” (Isaiah 56:7). Reformation is right when corrupted ordinances are restored to their original intent. He rebuked them, saying, “You have made it a den of thieves” (Jeremiah 7:11). When piety becomes a cloak for iniquity, God’s house is profaned. The priests, not content with their portion from the altar, found ways to extort money from the people, robbing God of his honor (Malachi 3:8).
In the temple, he healed the blind and lame (Matthew 21:14). Those whom David barred from his palace (2 Samuel 5:8) were welcomed into God’s house. The temple was dishonored when made a marketplace but honored when made a place of healing. Christ’s miracles testified of him more than the hosannas; his healing in the temple fulfilled the promise that the glory of the latter house would be greater than the former.
The chief priests and scribes were indignant at the wonderful things he did and at the children’s praises (Matthew 21:15-16). They could not deny his miracles, yet they envied him (Acts 4:16; (Acts 5:33).
They quarreled about the children shouting “Hosanna” to Jesus, as they saw it as an undeserved honor and a display of pride. Envy and arrogance led them to dislike Jesus being praised. Just as Saul envied David for his victories, proud people don’t like it when others get praise and feel uncomfortable when worthy people are recognized.
Earlier, Jesus showed that he valued the blind and the lame more than the buyers and sellers. Now, we see him (Mt 21:16) supporting the children against the priests and teachers. The children were in the temple, and some may have been playing, as the adults had turned it into a marketplace. However, many were likely worshipping. Bringing children to prayer early in life helps guide them to true faith.
The children were shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David,” learning from the adults. Kids often copy what they see and hear, so it’s important to set good examples for them. If we want them to pray and praise, we need to show them how. The Jews taught their kids to celebrate and shout “Hosanna,” and here, they learned to do it for Jesus. It’s fitting for children to say “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Jesus appreciated their praise and cited Psalm 8:2, which speaks of God perfecting praise through children. Praise from children is special and important for honoring God. Their involvement makes the praise complete, encouraging them to be good and guiding parents to teach them well.
The psalm says God gives strength through the voices of young ones. When weak things bring about great results, it shows God’s power. The last part of the psalm, about stopping enemies, fits the priests and teachers, but Jesus did not apply it directly to them.
Finally, Christ left them and went to Bethany (Matthew 21:17). He withdrew in prudence to avoid premature arrest and injustice because they had rejected him. By resenting his praises, they drove him away. He returned to a humble and toilsome way of life, undisturbed by the momentary acclaim.