11
The Triumphal Entry
1 When they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead
2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has sat. Untie it and bring it here.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ Then he will immediately send it here.”
4 So they went and found a colt outside in the street tied at a door, and they untied it.
5 But some of the people who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
6 They answered them just as Jesus had instructed, and the people let them go.
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and put their garments on it, and he sat on it.
8 Many people spread their garments on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and also spread them on the road.
9 Those who went ahead of him and those who followed were crying out,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”
11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. When he had looked around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve, since the hour was already late.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 On the next day, as they went out from Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14 In response Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from yoʋ again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15 Then they came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were selling and buying there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves,
16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple courts.
17 Then he began to teach the people, saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
18 When the scribes and the chief priests heard this, they began looking for a way to destroy him, for they were afraid of him, because the entire crowd was astonished at his teaching.
19 And when evening came, he went out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw that the fig tree had withered from its roots.
21 Then Peter remembered what had happened and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, behold, the fig tree that yoʋ cursed has withered!”
22 In response Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For truly I say to you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, whatever he says will be granted to him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
27 Again they came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came up to him
28 and said to him, “By what authority are yoʋ doing these things? And who gave yoʋ this authority to do them?”
29 Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things:
30 Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven or from men? Answer me.”
31 So they considered it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
32 But shall we say, ‘From men’?”—they were afraid of the people, for everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.
33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” In response Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”