The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9-13; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)
1And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:12-25)
12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. 15And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
The Barren Fig Tree
(Mark 11:12-14; Mark 11:20-26)
18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. 19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! 21Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Jesus' Authority Challenged
(Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8)
23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18)
33Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.” 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 The disciples went, and did just as Jesus commanded them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them. 8 A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees, and spread them on the road.
9 The multitudes who went before him, and who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
10 When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’” 17 He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
The Barren Fig Tree
(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18 Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?” 21 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. 22 All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23 When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” 27 They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. 30 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33 “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. 34 When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit. 35 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way. 37 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41 They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’
43 “Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. 46 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9–13; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your King comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” a
6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
8 A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9 The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!” b
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” c
“Hosanna in the highest!” d
10 When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
12 Then Jesus entered the temple courts e and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 13 And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ f But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ g”
14 The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. 15 But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
16 “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked.
“Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read:
‘From the mouths of children and infants
You have ordained praise’ h?”
17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
The Barren Fig Tree
(Mark 11:12–14; Mark 11:20–25)
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
(Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8)
23 When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
24 “I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?”
They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered, “We do not know.”
And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 ‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. i
30 Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing.
‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
“The first, j” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)
33 Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. 35 But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
36 Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.
37 Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is from the Lord,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’ k?
43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. l”
45 When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them. 46 Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.
Footnotes:
5 a Zechariah 9:9
9 b 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; also in verse 15.
9 c Psalm 118:26
9 d Or “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” See Psalm 118:25 and Psalm 148:1.
12 e Literally the temple ; also in verses 15 and 23; BYZ and TR the temple of God
13 f Isaiah 56:7
13 g Jeremiah 7:11
16 h Psalm 8:2 (see also LXX)
29 i NE and WH But he went.
31 j NE and WH The latter
42 k Psalm 118:22–23
44 l Tischendorf and some early manuscripts do not include verse 44; see also Luke 20:18.
The Triumphal Entry
(Zechariah 9:9-13; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19)
1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, unto the mount of the Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, 'Go on to the village over-against you, and immediately ye shall find an ass bound, and a colt with her -- having loosed, bring ye to me; 3and if any one may say anything to you, ye shall say, that the lord hath need of them, and immediately he will send them.' 4And all this came to pass, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken through the prophet, saying,
5'Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo, thy king doth come to thee, meek, and mounted on an ass, and a colt, a foal of a beast of burden.'
6And the disciples having gone and having done as Jesus commanded them, 7brought the ass and the colt, and did put on them their garments, and set him upon them; 8and the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way,
9and the multitudes who were going before, and who were following, were crying, saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.'
10And he having entered into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, 'Who is this?' 11And the multitudes said, 'This is Jesus the prophet, who is from Nazareth of Galilee.'
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:12-25)
12And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and did cast forth all those selling and buying in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers he overturned, and the seats of those selling the doves, 13and he saith to them, 'It hath been written, My house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did make it a den of robbers.'
14And there came to him blind and lame men in the temple, and he healed them, 15and the chief priests and the scribes having seen the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David,' were much displeased; 16and they said to him, 'Hearest thou what these say?' And Jesus saith to them, 'Yes, did ye never read, that, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou didst prepare praise?' 17And having left them, he went forth out of the city to Bethany, and did lodge there,
The Barren Fig Tree
(Mark 11:12-14; Mark 11:20-26)
18and in the morning turning back to the city, he hungered, 19and having seen a certain fig-tree on the way, he came to it, and found nothing in it except leaves only, and he saith to it, 'No more from thee may fruit be -- to the age;' and forthwith the fig-tree withered.
20And the disciples having seen, did wonder, saying, 'How did the fig-tree forthwith wither?' 21And Jesus answering said to them, 'Verily I say to you, If ye may have faith, and may not doubt, not only this of the fig-tree shall ye do, but even if to this mount ye may say, Be lifted up and be cast into the sea, it shall come to pass; 22and all -- as much as ye may ask in the prayer, believing, ye shall receive.'
Jesus' Authority Challenged
(Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8)
23And he having come to the temple, there came to him when teaching the chief priests and the elders of the people, saying, 'By what authority dost thou do these things? and who gave thee this authority?' 24And Jesus answering said to them, 'I will ask you -- I also -- one word, which if ye may tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things; 25the baptism of John, whence was it? -- from heaven, or from men?' And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, 'If we should say, From heaven; he will say to us, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him? 26and if we should say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.' 27And answering Jesus they said, 'We have not known.' He said to them -- he also -- 'Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28'And what think ye? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my vineyard.' 29And he answering said, 'I will not,' but at last, having repented, he went. 30And having come to the second, he said in the same manner, and he answering said, I go, sir, and went not; 31which of the two did the will of the father?' They say to him, 'The first.' Jesus saith to them, 'Verily I say to you, that the tax-gatherers and the harlots do go before you into the reign of God, 32for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last -- to believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18)
33'Hear ye another simile: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and did put a hedge round it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad. 34'And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it, 35and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned. 36'Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them in the same manner. 37'And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son; 38and the husbandmen having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess his inheritance; 39and having taken him, they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him; 40whenever therefore the lord of the vineyard may come, what will he do to these husbandmen?' 41They say to him, 'Evil men -- he will evilly destroy them, and the vineyard will give out to other husbandmen, who will give back to him the fruits in their seasons.'
42Jesus saith to them, 'Did ye never read in the Writings, A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner; from the Lord hath this come to pass, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
43'Because of this I say to you, that the reign of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit; 44and he who is falling on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.'
45And the chief priests and the Pharisees having heard his similes, knew that of them he speaketh, 46and seeking to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, seeing they were holding him as a prophet.
The Favor of God Message paraphrase
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
¹ As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and they will send them right away.”
⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”*
⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
⁹ The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
¹¹ The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
¹² Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
¹³ “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers!”*
¹⁴ The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
¹⁵ But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things He did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
¹⁶ “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked Him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants You, Lord, have called forth Your praise’?”
¹⁷ And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on His way back to the city, He was hungry.
¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then He said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.*
²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done.
²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
²³ Jesus entered the temple courts, and while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”
²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then He said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Two Sons
²⁸ “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
²⁹ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
³⁰ “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
³¹ “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.
³² For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
The Parable of the Tenants
³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.
³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
³⁵ “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
³⁶ Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.
³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
³⁸ “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’
³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
⁴¹ “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?*
⁴³ “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
⁴⁴ Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”*
⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew He was talking about them.
⁴⁶ They looked for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that He was a prophet.
Footnotes:
21:5: This prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 highlights the humble yet royal nature of Jesus as Israel’s King, entering Jerusalem in peace on a donkey.
21:13: Jesus quotes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11, showing how the temple, intended as a house of prayer, had been corrupted into a place of exploitation.
21:19: The fig tree often symbolizes Israel in Scripture. Jesus’ curse of the barren fig tree serves as a symbol of judgment on fruitlessness and hypocrisy.
21:42: Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23, applying it to Himself as the rejected cornerstone—the foundation of God’s kingdom that religious leaders had overlooked.
21:44: The “stone” refers to Jesus as the Messiah. Those who reject Him will be broken, and those who oppose Him will be judged and crushed by His coming reign.
21:9: “Hosanna” is a Hebrew expression meaning “Save, please!” The people’s cry recognizes Jesus as the Messiah, the one to bring salvation.
21:43: The kingdom of God will be given to those who bear spiritual fruit, reflecting God’s desire for faithful stewardship and a fruitful life in His service.
