The Triumphant Entry Into Jerusalem^(A)

11 When they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever 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,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

⁴ They went their way and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street. And they untied it. ⁵ Some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing untying the colt?” ⁶ They answered just as Jesus had commanded. And they let them go. ⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments on it. And He sat upon it. ⁸ Many spread their garments on the street. And others cut down branches off the trees and scattered them on the street. ⁹ Those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. When He had looked around at everything, as the hour was now late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree^(B)

¹² On the next day when they had returned from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³ Seeing from afar a fig tree with leaves, He went to see if perhaps He might find anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing except leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Jesus said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And His disciples heard it.

The Cleansing of the Temple^(C)

¹⁵ And they came to Jerusalem. Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹⁶ And He would not allow anyone to carry any vessel through the temple. ¹⁷ And He taught them, and said, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[b]? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’^[c] ”

¹⁸ The scribes and chief priests heard it and looked for a way to kill Him. For they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

¹⁹ When evening came, He went out of the city.

The Lesson From the Fig Tree^(D)

²⁰ In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter, calling to remembrance, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²² Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your sins. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

The Question of Jesus’ Authority^(E)

²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem, and as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, ²⁸ and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority to do them?”

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “I will also ask of you one question. Answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ They debated among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for everyone held John to be a real prophet.

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

Jesus answered them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”