Jesus and the Moneychangers

Jesus had been teaching, healing, and doing many wonderful works. It was time for the Passover feast, an annual feast of the Jews. Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The people put their coats on the ground and cut branches from the trees and waved them as they cried out, "Hosanna in the highest!" It was a joyful triumphant occasion.
Jesus went into the temple and looked around at everything that was going on, but it was late and he didn't stay. He and his twelve disciples went back to Bethany and spent the night.
The next day they went back to Jerusalem and again Jesus went to the temple, but this time he took action. Men were selling the animals for sacrifices right there in the area of the temple! He knew this was not right and he did something about it. He made a whip out of cords, or small ropes and he drove the money changers out along with the sheep, oxen, and doves. He turned the tables over and poured out the money on the floor of the temple.
He said, "Take these things away! My Father's house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
The Jewish religious leaders were very upset by all this and they began looking for a way to destroy Jesus.