11As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.G2532G3753G1448G1519G2419G1519G967G2532G963G4314G3735G1636G649G1417G846G31012"Go into that village over there," he told them. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.G2532G3004G846G5217G1519G2968G2713G5216G2532G2112G1531G1519G846G2147G4454G1210G1909G3739G3762G444G2523G3089G846G713If anyone asks, `What are you doing?' just say, `The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'"G2532G1437G5100G2036G5213G5101G4160G5124G2036G3754G2962G2192G5532G846G2532G2112G649G846G56024The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door.G1161G565G2532G2147G4454G1210G4314G2374G1854G1909G296G2532G3089G8465As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"G2532G5100G2476G1563G3004G846G5101G4160G3089G44546They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it.G1161G2036G846G2531G2424G1781G2532G863G846G8637Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.G2532G71G4454G4314G2424G2532G1911G846G2440G1911G846G2532G2523G1909G8468Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields.G1161G4183G4766G846G2440G1519G3598G1161G243G2875G4746G1537G1186G2532G4766G1519G35989Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!G2532G4254G2532G190G2896G3004G5614G2127G2064G1722G3686G296210Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!"G2127G932G2257G3962G1138G2064G1722G3686G2962G5614G1722G531011So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.G2532G2424G1525G1519G2414G2532G1519G2411G2532G4017G3956G2235G3798G5610G5607G1831G1519G963G3326G1427
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.G2532G1887G846G1831G575G963G398313He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit.G2532G1492G4808G3113G2192G5444G2064G1487G686G2147G5100G1722G846G2532G2064G1909G846G2147G3762G1508G5444G1063G2540G4810G2258G375614Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" And the disciples heard him say it.G2532G2424G611G2036G846G3367G5315G2590G1537G4675G3371G1519G165G2532G846G3101G191
Jesus Clears the Temple
15When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,G2532G2064G1519G2414G2532G2424G1525G1519G2411G756G1544G4453G2532G59G1722G2411G2532G2690G5132G2855G2532G2515G846G4453G405816and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.G2532G863G3756G863G2443G5100G1308G4632G1223G241117He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, `My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."G2532G1321G3004G846G1125G3756G1125G3754G3450G3624G2564G3956G1484G3624G4335G1161G5210G4160G846G4693G302718When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.G2532G1122G2532G749G191G2532G2212G4459G622G846G1063G5399G846G3754G3956G3793G1605G1909G846G132219That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.G2532G3753G3796G1096G1607G1854G417220The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.G2532G4404G3899G1492G4808G3583G1537G449121Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!"G2532G4074G363G3004G846G4461G2396G4808G3739G2672G358322Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.G2532G2424G611G3004G846G2192G4102G231623I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, `May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.G1063G281G3004G5213G3754G3739G302G2036G5129G3735G142G2532G906G1519G2281G2532G1252G3361G1252G1722G846G2588G235G4100G3754G3739G3004G1096G846G2071G3739G1437G203624I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.G1223G5124G3004G5213G3745G3956G302G154G4336G4100G3754G2983G2532G5213G207125But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."G2532G3752G4739G4336G863G1536G2192G1536G2596G5100G2443G5216G3962G2532G3588G1722G3772G863G5213G5216G390026G1161G1487G5210G863G3756G863G3761G863G5216G3962G3588G1722G3772G863G5216G3900
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.G2532G2064G3825G1519G2414G2532G846G4043G1722G2411G2064G4314G846G749G2532G1122G2532G424528They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?"G2532G3004G846G1722G4169G1849G4160G5023G2532G5101G1325G4671G5026G1849G2443G4160G502329"I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.G1161G2424G611G2036G846G1905G2504G1905G5209G1520G3056G2532G611G3427G2532G2046G5213G1722G4169G1849G4160G502330"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!"G908G2491G2258G1537G3772G2228G1537G444G611G342731They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John.G2532G3049G4314G1438G3004G1437G2036G1537G3772G2046G1302G3767G4100G3756G4100G84632But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet.G235G1437G2036G1537G444G5399G2992G1063G537G2192G2491G3754G2258G4396G368933So they finally replied, "We don't know." And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."G2532G611G3004G2424G1492G3756G1492G2532G2424G611G3004G846G3761G1473G3004G5213G1722G4169G1849G4160G5023
Ashburn, VA
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!G2532
