The commotion that Jesus caused in the Temple would have been seen by the Romans, because the Temple consisted of an outer court yard which could be seen by strategically placed soldiers. Remember the deal that the Romans had with the Jewish leaders: they could have their Temple (and their privileged jobs) -- as long as there was no funny business.
Jh. 11:47-53 "So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said `What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man [= Jesus] is performing! If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and out nation.' One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, `What fools you are! Don't you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?'...From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus."
Comment: Jesus creates a commotion in the Temple and the Jews are afraid that the Romans will close down the Temple. Naturally they are afraid of loosing their jobs, but they also have the fear that if the Temple goes, the nation of Israel would go as well. Of course, by the time the gospels are written (after 70 C.E.), the Jews had attempted to revolt, the Romans crushed the rebellion, destroyed the temple, and scattered the Jewish people (the "diasphora"). There is not another "Jewish nation" until the United Nations creates the current nation of Israel in 1947.