The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Study note
Jesus deliberately fulfills Zechariah's prophecy by entering Jerusalem on a donkey, presenting himself as Israel's humble King. The crowds spread cloaks and branches, shouting 'Hosanna to the Son of David,' using messianic language that recognizes Jesus as the promised Davidic ruler. The whole city is stirred by his arrival, but the enthusiasm of the crowd will prove tragically shallow in the days ahead.
1 They got close to Jerusalem. They reached Bethphage near the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two followers on ahead. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 He told them, "Go into the village before you. As soon as you get there, you will see a donkey tied up along with her young colt. Untie both of them and bring them back to me." Saying 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.
3 "If anyone questions you, say, 'The Lord needs them.' They will let you take them right away." And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
4 All of this happened to bring about what the prophet had spoken: All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 "Tell the people of Sion, 'Look! Your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey — on a young colt, the offspring of a donkey.'" Tell 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.
6 The two followers went and did exactly what Jesus asked them to do. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 They brought the donkey and the colt back, draped their cloaks on them, and Jesus climbed on. And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 A great crowd of people spread their cloaks out across the road for him. Others hacked branches off trees and carpeted the path ahead of him. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 The crowds marching in front of him and behind him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who arrives in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" And 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.
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was buzzing with excitement. People asked, "Who is this?" And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 The crowd answered, "This is the prophet Jesus, from the town of Nazareth in Galilee." And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Cleansing the Temple
Study note
Jesus drives out the merchants and money changers from the temple, declaring it should be a house of prayer rather than a den of thieves. This prophetic act of judgment recalls both Isaiah and Jeremiah and asserts Jesus' authority over the very center of Jewish worship. His healing of the blind and lame in the temple, while children cry 'Hosanna,' contrasts with the indignation of the chief priests and scribes.
12 Jesus marched into God's temple and threw out every person who was buying and selling inside it. He flipped over the tables of the money changers and knocked over the chairs of the people selling doves. And 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,
13 He declared to them, "The scriptures say, 'My house will be known as a place of prayer.' But you have turned it into a hideout for criminals." And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 Blind and crippled people came to him there in the temple, and he healed them. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 But the chief priests and scribes saw the amazing things he was doing, and they heard children running through the temple shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" This made them furious. And 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,
16 They confronted Jesus: "Do you hear what those kids are shouting?" Jesus answered, "I sure do. Haven't you ever read the scripture that says, 'You have drawn perfect praise from the mouths of babies and toddlers'?" And 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?
17 Then he turned around and walked out of the city to the village of Bethany, where he spent the night. And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
The Cursed Fig Tree and Faith
Study note
Jesus curses a fig tree that has leaves but no fruit, and it withers immediately. This acted parable symbolizes the judgment coming upon Israel -- and specifically the temple establishment -- for its outward show of religion without genuine spiritual fruit. When the amazed disciples ask how it happened, Jesus uses the occasion to teach about the power of faith in prayer.
18 Early the next morning on his way back to the city, Jesus was hungry. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 He noticed a fig tree by the side of the road and walked over to it, but there was nothing on it except leaves. He said to the tree, "You will never grow fruit again." Then and there, the fig tree dried up and died. And 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.
20 His followers saw it happen and were shocked. They asked, "How did that fig tree shrivel up so fast?" And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
21 Jesus told them, "I am telling you honestly — if you have genuine faith and push doubt away, you could do what I did to this fig tree and more. You could even say to this mountain, 'Lift yourself up and fall into the sea,' and it would obey." Jesus 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.
22 "Anything you ask for in prayer, if you truly believe, you will receive it." And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
The Question of Authority and Two Parables
Study note
The chief priests challenge Jesus' authority, and he silences them with a counter-question about John's baptism. He then tells two convicting parables. The parable of the Two Sons exposes the religious leaders as those who say the right things but do not follow through, while tax collectors and sinners who actually repented are entering the kingdom ahead of them. The parable of the Wicked Tenants is an unmistakable allegory of Israel's rejection of God's prophets and coming rejection of his Son. The leaders recognize Jesus is speaking about them but cannot act because of the crowds.
23 When Jesus entered the temple and began teaching, the chief priests and the elders confronted him. They demanded, "Who gave you the right to do these things? What is your authority?" And 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?
24 Jesus replied, "Let me ask you one question first. Answer mine, and I will answer yours." And 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.
25 "John's baptism — was it from God, or was it just a human idea?" They huddled together and debated: "If we say it came from God, he will ask us why we didn't believe John." The 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?
26 "But if we say it was just human, we are in trouble because all the people believe John was a true prophet." But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 So they told Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus replied, "Then I am not going to tell you who gave me the right to do these things, either." And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 "But let me ask you this — what is your opinion about the following story? A father had two sons. He went to the first one and said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.'" But 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.
29 "The son said, 'No, I don't want to.' But later he thought it over, changed his mind, and went." He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 "The father went to the second son and gave the same instructions. That son answered, 'Sure, Dad, I will go right away.' But he never went." And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 "So which son did what the father wanted?" They answered, "The first one." Jesus said, "I am telling you honestly — tax collectors and prostitutes are getting into God's kingdom ahead of you." Whether 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.
32 "John came and showed you the right way to live, and you refused to believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. And even after watching that, you still would not change your minds and believe." For 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.
33 "Now listen to one more story. A landowner planted a vineyard. He built a fence all the way around it, dug out a pit for crushing grapes, and put up a guard tower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and traveled far away." Hear 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:
34 "When it was time for the grape harvest, the owner sent his workers to collect his share of the crop." And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 "But the farmers grabbed his workers — they beat up one, killed another, and pelted a third one with rocks." And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 "So the owner sent an even larger group of workers. The farmers did the exact same thing to them." Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 "Finally, the owner sent his own son. He thought, 'Surely they will treat my son with respect.'" But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 "But when the farmers spotted the son coming, they said to each other, 'This is the one who will inherit everything! Let's kill him and take the inheritance for ourselves.'" But 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.
39 "So they grabbed him, threw him outside the vineyard, and murdered him." And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 "Now — when the vineyard owner comes back, what do you think he will do to those farmers?" When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They answered, "He will destroy those evil men without mercy. Then he will rent the vineyard to new farmers who will hand over his share of the crop when it is due." They 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.
42 Jesus said, "Have you never read this in the scriptures: 'The stone the builders threw away became the most important stone in the whole building. God made this happen, and it is an amazing thing to see'?" Jesus 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?
43 "Therefore I am telling you — God's kingdom is going to be taken away from you. It will be given to a people who will produce the results God is looking for." Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 "Anyone who trips over this stone will break apart. And anyone this stone lands on will be smashed to powder." And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
45 When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these stories, they realized Jesus was aiming directly at them. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
46 They wanted to grab him and arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus a prophet. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.