Jesus Comes to
Jerusalem
as King
1 As they approached
Jerusalem
and came
to
Bethphage
and
Bethany at
the Mount
of Olives,
Jesus sent
two of his
disciples,
2 saying
to them,
“Go to the
village
ahead of
you, and
just as
you enter
it, you
will find
a colt
tied
there,
which no
one has
ever
ridden.
Untie it
and bring
it here.
3 If
anyone
asks you,
‘Why are
you doing
this?’
say, ‘The
Lord needs
it and
will send
it back
here
shortly.’”
4 They went and found a
colt
outside in
the
street,
tied at a
doorway.
As they
untied it,
5 some
people
standing
there
asked,
“What are
you doing,
untying
that
colt?”
6 They
answered
as Jesus
had told
them to,
and the
people let
them go.
7 When
they
brought
the colt
to Jesus
and threw
their
cloaks
over it,
he sat on
it.
8 Many
people
spread
their
cloaks on
the road,
while
others
spread
branches
they had
cut in the
fields.
9 Those
who went
ahead and
those who
followed
shouted,
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
10 “Blessed is the coming
kingdom of
our father
David!”
“Hosanna in the highest
heaven!”
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem
and went
into the
temple
courts. He
looked
around at
everything,
but since
it was
already
late, he
went out
to Bethany
with the
Twelve.
Jesus Curses a Fig
Tree and
Clears the
Temple
Courts
12 The next day as they
were
leaving
Bethany,
Jesus was
hungry.
13 Seeing
in the
distance a
fig tree
in leaf,
he went to
find out
if it had
any fruit.
When he
reached
it, he
found
nothing
but
leaves,
because it
was not
the season
for figs.
14 Then he
said to
the tree,
“May no
one ever
eat fruit
from you
again.”
And his
disciples
heard him
say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem,
Jesus
entered
the temple
courts and
began
driving
out those
who were
buying and
selling
there. He
overturned
the tables
of the
money
changers
and the
benches of
those
selling
doves,
16 and
would not
allow
anyone to
carry
merchandise
through
the temple
courts.
17 And as
he taught
them, he
said, “Is
it not
written:
‘My house
will be
called a
house of
prayer for
all
nations’?
But you
have made
it ‘a den
of
robbers.’”
18 The chief priests and
the
teachers
of the law
heard this
and began
looking
for a way
to kill
him, for
they
feared
him,
because
the whole
crowd was
amazed at
his
teaching.
19 When evening came,
Jesus and
his
disciples
went out
of the
city.
20 In the morning, as they
went
along,
they saw
the fig
tree
withered
from the
roots.
21 Peter
remembered
and said
to Jesus,
“Rabbi,
look! The
fig tree
you cursed
has
withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,”
Jesus
answered.
23 “Truly
I tell
you, if
anyone
says to
this
mountain,
‘Go, throw
yourself
into the
sea,’ and
does not
doubt in
their
heart but
believes
that what
they say
will
happen, it
will be
done for
them.
24 Therefore
I tell
you,
whatever
you ask
for in
prayer,
believe
that you
have
received
it, and it
will be
yours.
25>26
And
when you
stand
praying,
if you
hold
anything
against
anyone,
forgive
them, so
that your
Father in
heaven may
forgive
you your
sins.”
The Authority of
Jesus
Questioned
27 They arrived again in
Jerusalem,
and while
Jesus was
walking in
the temple
courts,
the chief
priests,
the
teachers
of the law
and the
elders
came to
him.
28 “By
what
authority
are you
doing
these
things?”
they
asked.
“And who
gave you
authority
to do
this?”
29 Jesus replied, “I will
ask you
one
question.
Answer me,
and I will
tell you
by what
authority
I am doing
these
things.
30 John’s
baptism—was
it from
heaven, or
of human
origin?
Tell me!”
31 They discussed it among
themselves
and said,
“If we
say, ‘From
heaven,’
he will
ask, ‘Then
why didn’t
you
believe
him?’
32 But
if we say,
‘Of human
origin’ …”
(They
feared the
people,
for
everyone
held that
John
really was
a
prophet.)
33 So they answered Jesus,
“We don’t
know.”
Jesus said, “Neither will
I tell you
by what
authority
I am doing
these
things.”