Jesus Enters Jerusalem
(Mark 11.1-11Luke 19.28-38John 12.12-19)1 When Jesus and his disciples came near Jerusalem, he went to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and sent two of them on ahead. 2 He told them, “Go into the next village, where you will at once find a donkey and her colt. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks why you are doing this, just say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ He will at once let you have the donkeys.”
4 So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said,
5 “Announce to the people
of Jerusalem:
‘Your king is coming to you!
He is humble
and rides on a donkey.
He comes on the colt
of a donkey.’ ”
6 The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on.
8 Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches which they had cut from trees. 9 Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,
“Hooray for the Son of David!
God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hooray for God
in heaven above!”
10 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus in the Temple
(Mark 11.15-19Luke 19.45-48John 2.13-22)12 Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves. 13 He told them, “The Scriptures say, ‘My house should be called a place of worship.’ But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide.”
14 Blind and lame people came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses were angry when they saw his miracles and heard the children shouting praises to the Son of David. 16 The men said to Jesus, “Don't you hear what those children are saying?”
“Yes, I do!” Jesus answered. “Don't you know that the Scriptures say, ‘Children and infants will sing praises’?” 17 Then Jesus left the city and went out to the village of Bethany, where he spent the night.
Jesus Puts a Curse on a Fig Tree
(Mark 11.12-14Mark 20-24)18 When Jesus got up the next morning, he was hungry. He started out for the city, 19 and along the way he saw a fig tree. But when he came to it, he found only leaves and no figs. So he told the tree, “You will never again grow any fruit!” Right then the fig tree dried up.
20 The disciples were shocked when they saw how quickly the tree had dried up. 21 But Jesus said to them, “If you have faith and don't doubt, I promise you can do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do even more. You can tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it will. 22 If you have faith when you pray, you will be given whatever you ask for.”
A Question about Jesus' Authority
(Mark 11.27-33Luke 20.1-8)23 Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. 25 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
They thought it over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. 26 On the other hand, these people think John was a prophet, and we are afraid of what they might do to us. That's why we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.” 27 So they told Jesus, “We don't know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”
A Story about Two Sons
28 Jesus said:
I will tell you a story about a man who had two sons. Then you can tell me what you think. The father went to the older son and said, “Go work in the vineyard today!” 29 His son told him he would not do it, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 The man then told his younger son to go work in the vineyard. The boy said he would, but he didn't go. 31 Which one of the sons obeyed his father?
“The older one,” the chief priests and leaders answered.
Then Jesus told them:
You can be sure tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you ever will! 32 When John the Baptist showed you how to do right, you would not believe him. But these evil people did believe. And even when you saw what they did, you still would not change your minds and believe.
Renters of a Vineyard
(Mark 12.1-12Luke 20.9-19)33 Jesus told the chief priests and leaders to listen to this story:
A land owner once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.
34 When it was harvest time, the owner sent some servants to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the renters grabbed those servants. They beat up one, killed one, and stoned one of them to death. 36 He then sent more servants than he did the first time. But the renters treated them in the same way.
37 Finally, the owner sent his own son to the renters, because he thought they would respect him. 38 But when they saw the man's son, they said, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” 39 So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Jesus asked, “When the owner of that vineyard comes, what do you suppose he will do to those renters?”
41 The chief priests and leaders answered, “He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.”
42 Jesus replied, “You surely know that the Scriptures say,
‘The stone the builders
tossed aside
is now the most important
stone of all.
This is something
the Lord has done,
and it is amazing to us.’
43 I tell you God's kingdom will be taken from you and given to people who will do what he demands. 44 Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard these stories, they knew Jesus was talking about them. 46 So they looked for a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid to, because the people thought he was a prophet.
1 And when they drewe neere to Hierusalem, and were come to Bethphage, vnto the mount of the Oliues, then sent Iesus two disciples, 2 Saying to them, Goe into the towne that is ouer against you, and anon yee shall finde an asse bounde, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them vnto me. 3 And if any man say ought vnto you, say ye, that the Lord hath neede of them, and straightway he will let them goe. 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Beholde, thy King commeth vnto thee, meeke and sitting vpon an asse, and a colte, the foale of an asse vsed to the yoke. 6 So the disciples went, and did as Iesus had commanded them, 7 And brought the asse and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and set him thereon. 8 And a great multitude spred their garments in the way: and other cut downe branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 Moreouer, the people that went before, and they also that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid, Blessed be hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna thou which art in the highest heauens. 10 And when he was come into Hierusalem, all the citie was mooued, saying, Who is this? 11 And the people said, This is Iesus that Prophet of Nazareth in Galile. 12 And Iesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that solde and bought in the Temple, and ouerthrew the tables of the money chagers, and the seates of them that sold doues, 13 And said to them, it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer: but ye haue made it a denne of theeues. 14 Then the blinde, and the halt came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chiefe priestes and Scribes sawe the marueiles that hee did, and the children crying in the Temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Sonne of Dauid, they disdained, 16 And said vnto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Iesus said vnto them, Yea: read ye neuer, By the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast made perfite the praise? 17 So hee left them, and went out of the citie vnto Bethania, and lodged there. 18 And in the morning, as he returned into the citie, he was hungrie, 19 And seeing a figge tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaues onely, and said to it, Neuer fruite grow on thee henceforwards. And anon the figge tree withered. 20 And when his disciples saw it, they marueiled, saying, How soone is the figge tree withered! 21 And Iesus answered and said vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, if ye haue faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only doe that, which I haue done to the figge tree, but also if ye say vnto this mountaine, Take thy selfe away, and cast thy selfe into the sea, it shalbe done. 22 And whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer, if ye beleeue, ye shall receiue it. 23 And whe he was come into the Temple, the chiefe Priestes, and the Elders of the people came vnto him, as he was teaching, and saide, By what authoritie doest thou these things? and who gaue thee this authoritie? 24 Then Iesus answered and said vnto them, I also will aske of you a certaine thing, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authoritie I doe these things. 25 The baptisme of Iohn, whence was it? from heauen, or of men? Then they reasoned among themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say vnto vs, Why did ye not then beleeue him? 26 And if we say, Of men, we feare the multitude, for all holde Iohn as a Prophet. 27 Then they answered Iesus, and said, We can not tell. And he said vnto them, Neither tell I you by what authoritie I doe these things. 28 But what thinke ye? A certaine man had two sonnes, and came to the elder, and saide, Sonne, goe and worke to day in my vineyarde. 29 But he answered, and said, I will not: yet afterward he repented himselfe, and went. 30 Then came he to the second, and said likewise. And he answered, and said, I will, Syr: yet he went not. 31 Whether of them twaine did the will of the father? They saide vnto him, The first. Iesus saide vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, that the Publicanes and the harlots goe before you into the kingdome of God. 32 For Iohn came vnto you in the way of righteousnes, and yee beleeued him not: but the Publicanes, and the harlots beleeued him, and ye, though ye sawe it, were not mooued with repentance afterward, that ye might beleeue him. 33 Heare another parable, There was a certaine housholder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and made a winepresse therein, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a strange countrey. 34 And when the time of the fruite drewe neere, hee sent his seruants to the husbandmen to receiue the fruites thereof. 35 And ye husbandmen tooke his seruants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Againe hee sent other seruants, moe then the first: and they did the like vnto them. 37 But last of all he sent vnto them his owne sonne, saying, They will reuerence my sonne. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the sonne, they saide among themselues, This is the heire: come, let vs kill him, and let vs take his inheritance. 39 So they tooke him, and cast him out of the vineyarde, and slewe him. 40 When therefore the Lord of the vineyarde shall come, what will hee doe to those husbandmen? 41 They saide vnto him, Hee will cruelly destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard vnto other husbandmen, which shall deliuer him the fruites in their seasons. 42 Iesus saide vnto them, Read ye neuer in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders refused, the same is made the head of the corner? This was the Lordes doing, and it is marueilous in our eyes. 43 Therefore say I vnto you, The kingdome of God shalbe taken from you, and shalbe giuen to a nation, which shall bring foorth the fruites thereof. 44 And whosoeuer shall fall on this stone, he shalbe broken: but on whomsoeuer it shall fall, it will dash him a pieces. 45 And when the chiefe Priestes and Pharises had heard his parables, they perceiued that hee spake of them. 46 And they seeking to laye handes on him, feared the people, because they tooke him as a Prophet.