The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem
(Mark 11.1-11Luke 19.28-40John 12.12-19)1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of the disciples on ahead 2 with these instructions: “Go to the village there ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied up with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 And if anyone says anything, tell him, ‘The Master needs them’; and then he will let them go at once.”
4 This happened in order to make come true what the prophet had said:
5 “Tell the city of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you!
He is humble and rides on a donkey
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6 So the disciples went and did what Jesus had told them to do: 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, threw their cloaks over them, and Jesus got on. 8 A large crowd of people spread their cloaks on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds walking in front of Jesus and those walking behind began to shout, “Praise to David's Son! God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise be to God!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was thrown into an uproar. “Who is he?” the people asked.
11 “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds answered.
Jesus Goes to the Temple
(Mark 11.15-19Luke 19.45-48John 2.13-22)12 Jesus went into the Temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons, 13 and said to them, “It is written in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it a hideout for thieves!”
14 The blind and the crippled came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law became angry when they saw the wonderful things he was doing and the children shouting in the Temple, “Praise to David's Son!” 16 So they asked Jesus, “Do you hear what they are saying?”
“Indeed I do,” answered Jesus. “Haven't you ever read this scripture? ‘You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.’”
17 Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Mark 11.12-14Mark 20-24)18 On his way back to the city early next morning, Jesus was hungry. 19 He saw a fig tree by the side of the road and went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. So he said to the tree, “You will never again bear fruit!” At once the fig tree dried up.
20 The disciples saw this and were astounded. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.
21 Jesus answered, “I assure you that if you believe and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I have done to this fig tree. And not only this, but you will even be able to say to this hill, ‘Get up and throw yourself in the sea,’ and it will. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
The Question about Jesus' Authority
(Mark 11.27-33Luke 20.1-8)23 Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”
24 Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. 25 Where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?”
They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ we are afraid of what the people might do, because they are all convinced that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.”
And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “Now, what do you think? There was once a man who had two sons. He went to the older one and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 ‘I don't want to,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. ‘Yes, sir,’ he answered, but he did not go. 31 Which one of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The older one,” they answered.
So Jesus said to them, “I tell you: the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John the Baptist came to you showing you the right path to take, and you would not believe him; but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. Even when you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.
The Parable of the Tenants in the Vineyard
(Mark 12.1-12Luke 20.9-19)33 “Listen to another parable,” Jesus said. “There was once a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip. 34 When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent his slaves to the tenants to receive his share of the harvest. 35 The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again the man sent other slaves, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all he sent his son to them. ‘Surely they will respect my son,’ he said. 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and we will get his property!’ 39 So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 “Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” Jesus asked.
41 “He will certainly kill those evil men,” they answered, “and rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Haven't you ever read what the Scriptures say?
‘The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
turned out to be the most important of all.
This was done by the Lord;
what a wonderful sight it is!’
43 “And so I tell you,” added Jesus, “the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the proper fruits.”
45 The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables and knew that he was talking about them, 46 so they tried to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be 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.