The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9-13; Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)
1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26)
12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: 13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. 14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:12-25)
15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19And when even was come, he went out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14)
20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Jesus' Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23-27; Luke 20:1-8)
27And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 29And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. 31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2 and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.” 4 They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him. 5 Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?” 6 They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. 8 Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road.
9 Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried 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 Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:20–25)
12 The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
15 They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves. 16 He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple. 17 He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers!” 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
19 When evening came, he went out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–14)
20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. 21 Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.” 22 Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. 25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8)
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 they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.” 31 They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet. 33 They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two of His disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.’ ”
4 So they went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it, 5 and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”
6 The disciples answered as Jesus had instructed them, and the people gave them permission. 7 Then they led the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it.
8 Many in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields. 9 The ones who went ahead and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!” a
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” b
10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest!” c
11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. d He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:20–25)
12 The next day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. 14 Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
15 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’ e? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ f”
18 When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
19 And when evening came, Jesus and His disciples went g out of the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–14)
20 As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots. 21 Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. 23 “Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
25 And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well. h”
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8)
27 After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him. 28 “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”
29 “I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”
31 They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet. 33 So they answered, “We do not know.”
And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Footnotes:
9 a Hosanna is a transliteration of the Hebrew Hosia-na , meaning Save, we pray or Save now , which became a shout of praise; see Psalm 118:25.
9 b Psalm 118:26
10 c Or “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” See Psalm 118:25 and Psalm 148:1.
11 d Literally the temple ; also in verses 15, 16, and 27
17 e Isaiah 56:7
17 f Jeremiah 7:11
19 g Literally they went ; BYZ and TR He went
25 h BYZ and TR include 26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses ; see Matthew 6:15.
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9-13; Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)
1And when they come nigh to Jerusalem, to Bethphage, and Bethany, unto the mount of the Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, 2and saith to them, 'Go away to the village that is over-against you, and immediately, entering into it, ye shall find a colt tied, on which no one of men hath sat, having loosed it, bring it: 3and if any one may say to you, Why do ye this? say ye that the lord hath need of it, and immediately he will send it hither.' 4And they went away, and found the colt tied at the door without, by the two ways, and they loose it, 5and certain of those standing there said to them, 'What do ye -- loosing the colt?' 6and they said to them as Jesus commanded, and they suffered them. 7And they brought the colt unto Jesus, and did cast upon it their garments, and he sat upon it, 8and many did spread their garments in the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way.
9And those going before and those following were crying out, saying, 'Hosanna! blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord;
10blessed is the coming reign, in the name of the Lord, of our father David; Hosanna in the highest.'
11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple, and having looked round on all things, it being now evening, he went forth to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:20-26)
12And on the morrow, they having come forth from Bethany, he hungered, 13and having seen a fig-tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he shall find anything in it, and having come to it, he found nothing except leaves, for it was not a time of figs, 14and Jesus answering said to it, 'No more from thee -- to the age -- may any eat fruit;' and his disciples were hearing.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:12-25)
15And they come to Jerusalem, and Jesus having gone into the temple, began to cast forth those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those selling the doves, he overthrew, 16and he did not suffer that any might bear a vessel through the temple, 17and he was teaching, saying to them, 'Hath it not been written -- My house a house of prayer shall be called for all the nations, and ye did make it a den of robbers?' 18And the scribes and the chief priests heard, and they were seeking how they shall destroy him, for they were afraid of him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching;
19and when evening came, he was going forth without the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14)
20And in the morning, passing by, they saw the fig-tree having been dried up from the roots, 21and Peter having remembered saith to him, 'Rabbi, lo, the fig-tree that thou didst curse is dried up.' 22And Jesus answering saith to them, 'Have faith of God; 23for verily I say to you, that whoever may say to this mount, Be taken up, and be cast into the sea, and may not doubt in his heart, but may believe that the things that he saith do come to pass, it shall be to him whatever he may say. 24Because of this I say to you, all whatever -- praying -- ye do ask, believe that ye receive, and it shall be to you. 25'And whenever ye may stand praying, forgive, if ye have anything against any one, that your Father also who is in the heavens may forgive you your trespasses; 26and, if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in the heavens forgive your trespasses.'
Jesus' Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23-27; Luke 20:1-8)
27And they come again to Jerusalem, and in the temple, as he is walking, there come unto him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28and they say to him, 'By what authority dost thou these things? and who gave thee this authority that these things thou mayest do?' 29And Jesus answering said to them, 'I will question you -- I also -- one word; and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things; 30the baptism of John -- from heaven was it? or from men? answer me.' 31And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, 'If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him? 32But if we may say, From men,' -- they were fearing the people, for all were holding John that he was indeed a prophet; 33and answering they say to Jesus, 'We have not known;' and Jesus answering saith to them, 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.'
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
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 the Fig Tree
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.
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
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.
The Withered Fig Tree
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 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.”
Footnotes:
11:8: The laying of cloaks and branches was a sign of honor and recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, echoing the welcome given to kings.
11:17: Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 to show how the temple, meant to be a place of worship for all nations, had become corrupted by greed and dishonesty.
11:14: The cursing of the fig tree symbolizes judgment on Israel’s spiritual fruitlessness. Though outwardly religious, it lacked the true fruit of faith and repentance.
11:23: Jesus uses hyperbole about the mountain to teach the power of faith. Mountains represent seemingly impossible obstacles, but with faith in God, even these can be moved.
11:25: Forgiveness is a crucial part of prayer. Jesus teaches that our relationship with God is intertwined with our relationship with others, emphasizing forgiveness as a reflection of God’s grace.
11:30: Jesus’ question about John’s baptism puts the religious leaders in a dilemma, exposing their refusal to accept divine authority when it doesn’t align with their expectations.
11:33: By not answering their question, Jesus reveals their unwillingness to embrace truth. Their fear of the people and lack of integrity left them unable to challenge His authority directly.
