21As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead.G2532G3753G1448G1519G2414G2532G2064G1519G967G4314G3735G1636G5119G649G2424G1417G31012"Go into the village over there," he said. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me.G3004G846G4198G1519G2968G561G5216G2532G2112G2147G3688G1210G2532G4454G3326G846G3089G71G34273If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will immediately let you take them."G2532G1437G5100G2036G5100G5213G2046G3754G2962G2192G5532G846G1161G2112G649G8464This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,G1161G3650G5124G1096G2443G4137G3588G4483G1223G4396G30045"Tell the people of Israel, 'Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey's colt.'"G2036G2364G4622G2400G4675G935G2064G4671G4239G2532G1910G1909G3688G2532G4454G5207G52686The two disciples did as Jesus commanded.G1161G3101G4198G2532G4160G2531G2424G4367G8467They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.G71G3688G2532G4454G2532G2007G1883G846G846G2440G2532G1940G1940G1883G8468Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.G1161G4118G3793G4766G1438G2440G1722G3598G1161G243G2875G2798G575G1186G2532G4766G1722G35989Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!"G1161G3793G4254G2532G190G2896G3004G5614G5207G1138G2127G2064G1722G3686G2962G5614G1722G531010The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked.G2532G846G1525G1519G2414G3956G4172G4579G3004G5101G2076G377811And the crowds replied, "It's Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."G1161G3793G3004G3778G2076G2424G4396G575G3478G105612Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.G2532G2424G1525G1519G2411G2316G2532G1544G3956G4453G2532G59G1722G2411G2532G2690G5132G2855G2532G2515G4453G405813He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!"G2532G3004G846G1125G3450G3624G2564G3624G4335G1161G5210G4160G846G4693G302714The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them.G2532G5185G2532G5560G4334G846G1722G2411G2532G2323G84615The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." But the leaders were indignant.G1161G749G2532G1122G1492G2297G3739G4160G2532G3816G2896G1722G2411G2532G3004G5614G5207G1138G2316They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, 'You have taught children and infants to give you praise.'G2532G2036G846G191G5101G3778G3004G1161G2424G3004G846G3483G3763G314G3754G1537G4750G3516G2532G2337G2675G13617Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.G2532G2641G846G1831G1854G4172G1519G963G2532G835G156318In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,G1161G4405G1877G1519G4172G398319and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" And immediately the fig tree withered up.G2532G1492G3391G4808G1909G3598G2064G1909G846G2532G2147G3762G1722G846G1508G5444G3440G2532G3004G846G1096G2590G1096G1537G4675G3371G1519G165G2532G3916G4808G358320The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"G2532G3101G1492G2296G3004G4459G3916G4808G358321Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen.G2424G611G1161G2036G846G281G3004G5213G1437G2192G4102G2532G1252G3361G4160G3756G3440G4160G3440G4808G235G2579G2036G5129G3735G142G2532G906G1519G2281G109622You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."G2532G3956G302G3745G154G1722G4335G4100G298323When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?"G2532G846G2064G1519G2411G749G2532G4245G2992G4334G846G1321G3004G1722G4169G1849G4160G5023G2532G5101G1325G4671G5026G184924"I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.G1161G2424G611G2036G846G2504G2065G5209G1520G3056G3739G1437G2036G3427G2504G2046G5213G1722G4169G1849G4160G502325"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?" They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn't believe John.G908G2491G4159G2258G1537G3772G2228G1537G444G1161G1260G3844G1438G3004G1437G2036G1537G3772G2046G2254G1302G4100G3756G3767G4100G84626But if we say it was merely human, we'll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet."G1161G1437G2036G1537G444G5399G3793G1063G3956G2192G2491G5613G439627So they finally replied, "We don't know." And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things.G2532G611G2424G2036G3756G1492G2532G846G5346G846G3761G3004G1473G5213G1722G4169G1849G4160G502328"But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'G1161G5101G1380G5213G444G2192G1417G5043G2532G4334G4413G2036G5043G5217G2038G4594G1722G3450G29029The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway.G1161G611G2036G2309G3756G1161G5305G3338G56530Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go.G2532G4334G1208G2036G5615G1161G611G2036G1473G2962G2532G565G375631"Which of the two obeyed his father?" They replied, "The first." Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do.G5101G1537G1417G4160G2307G3962G3004G846G4413G2424G3004G846G281G3004G5213G3754G5057G2532G4204G4254G1519G932G2316G4254G520932For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.G1063G2491G2064G4314G5209G1722G3598G1343G2532G4100G846G3756G1161G5057G2532G4204G4100G846G1161G5210G1492G3338G3756G5305G4100G84633"Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.G191G243G3850G2258G444G5100G3617G3748G5452G290G2532G5418G846G4060G2532G3736G3025G1722G846G2532G3618G4444G2532G1554G846G1554G1092G2532G58934At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.G1161G3753G2540G2590G1448G649G846G1401G4314G1092G2983G2590G84635But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.G2532G1092G2983G846G1401G1194G3739G3303G1161G615G3739G1161G3036G373936So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.G3825G649G243G1401G4119G4413G2532G4160G846G561537"Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'G1161G5305G649G4314G846G846G5207G3004G1788G3450G520738"But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!'G1161G1092G1492G5207G2036G1722G1438G3778G2076G2818G1205G615G846G2532G2722G846G281739So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.G2532G2983G846G1544G1854G290G2532G61540"When the owner of the vineyard returns," Jesus asked, "what do you think he will do to those farmers?"G3752G2962G3767G290G2064G5101G4160G1565G109241The religious leaders replied, "He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest."G3004G846G2560G622G846G2556G2532G1554G290G243G1092G3748G591G846G2590G1722G846G254042Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing, and it is wonderful to see.'G2424G3004G846G314G3763G314G1722G1124G3037G3739G3618G593G3778G1096G1519G2776G1137G3778G3844G2962G1096G2532G2076G2298G1722G2257G378843I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.G1223G5124G3004G5213G3754G932G2316G142G575G5216G2532G1325G1484G4160G2590G84644Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on."G2532G4098G1909G5126G3037G4917G1161G1909G3739G302G4098G3039G846G303945When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers.G2532G749G2532G5330G191G846G3850G1097G3754G3004G4012G84646They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.G2532G2212G2902G846G5399G3793G1894G2192G846G5613G4396
22Jesus also told them other parables. He said,G2532G2424G611G2036G846G3825G1722G3850G3004 2"The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.G932G3772G3666G444G935G3748G4160G1062G846G5207 3When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!G2532G649G846G1401G2564G2564G1519G1062G2532G2309G3756G2064 4"So he sent other servants to tell them, 'The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!'G3825G649G243G1401G3004G2036G2564G2400G2090G3450G712G3450G5022G2532G4619G2380G2532G3956G2092G1205G1519G1062 5But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.G1161G272G565G3303G1519G2398G68G1161G1519G846G1711 6Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.G1161G3062G2902G846G1401G5195G2532G615 7"The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town.G1161G935G191G3710G2532G3992G846G4753G622G1565G5406G2532G1714G846G4172 8And he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor.G5119G3004G846G1401G3303G1062G2076G2092G1161G2564G2258G3756G514 9Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.'G4198G3767G1909G1327G3598G2532G3745G302G2147G2564G1519G1062 10So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.G2532G1565G1401G1831G1519G3598G4863G3956G3745G2147G5037G4190G2532G18G2532G1062G4130G345 11"But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.G1161G1525G935G1525G2300G345G1492G1563G444G1746G3756G1746G1062G1742 12'Friend,' he asked, 'how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?' But the man had no reply.G2532G3004G846G2083G4459G1525G5602G3361G2192G1062G1742G1161G5392 13Then the king said to his aides, 'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'G5119G2036G935G1249G1210G846G5495G2532G4228G142G846G142G2532G1544G1519G1857G4655G1563G2071G2805G2532G1030G3599 14"For many are called, but few are chosen."G1063G4183G1526G2822G1161G3641G1588 15Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.G5119G4198G5330G2983G4824G3704G3802G846G1722G3056 16They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. "Teacher," they said, "we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don't play favorites.G2532G649G846G846G3101G3326G2265G3004G1320G1492G3754G1488G227G2532G1321G3598G2316G1722G225G2532G3756G3199G4671G4012G3762G1063G991G1519G3756G4383G444 17Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"G2036G2254G3767G5101G1380G4671G1832G1325G2778G2541G2228G3756 18But Jesus knew their evil motives. "You hypocrites!" he said. "Why are you trying to trap me?G1161G2424G1097G846G4189G2036G5101G3985G3165G5273 19Here, show me the coin used for the tax." When they handed him a Roman coin,G1925G3427G2778G3546G1161G4374G846G1220 20he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?"G2532G3004G846G5101G3778G1504G2532G1923 21"Caesar's," they replied. "Well, then," he said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."G3004G846G2541G5119G3004G846G591G3767G2541G3588G2541G2532G2316G3588G2316 22His reply amazed them, and they went away.G2532G191G2296G2532G863G846G565 23That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question.G1722G1565G2250G4334G846G4523G3588G3004G1511G3361G386G2532G1905G846 24"Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name.'G3004G1320G3475G2036G1437G5100G599G2192G3361G5043G846G80G1918G846G1135G2532G450G4690G846G80 25Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow.G1161G2258G3844G2254G2033G80G2532G4413G1060G5053G2532G2192G3361G4690G863G846G1135G846G80 26But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them.G3668G1208G2532G2532G5154G2193G2033 27Last of all, the woman also died.G1161G5305G3956G1135G599G2532 28So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her."G3767G1722G386G5101G1135G2071G2033G1063G3956G2192G846 29Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God.G2424G611G1161G2036G846G4105G3361G1492G1124G3366G1411G2316 30For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.G1063G1722G386G3777G1060G3777G1547G235G1526G5613G32G2316G1722G3772 31"But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven't you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said,G1161G4012G386G3498G314G3756G314G3588G4483G5213G5259G2316G3004 32'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead."G1473G1510G2316G11G2532G2316G2464G2532G2316G2384G2316G2076G3756G2316G3498G235G2198 33When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.G2532G3793G191G1605G1909G846G1322 34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.G1161G5330G191G3754G5392G4523G5392G4863G1909G846 35One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question.G2532G1520G1537G846G3544G1905G3985G846G2532G3004 36"Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"G1320G4169G3173G1785G1722G3551 37Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'G1161G2424G2036G846G25G2962G4675G2316G1722G3650G4675G2588G2532G1722G3650G4675G5590G2532G1722G3650G4675G1271 38This is the first and greatest commandment.G3778G2076G4413G2532G3173G1785 39A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'G1161G1208G3664G846G3778G25G4675G4139G5613G4572 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."G1722G5025G1417G1785G2910G3650G3551G2532G4396 41Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question.G1161G5330G4863G2424G1905G846 42"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "He is the son of David."G3004G5101G1380G5213G4012G5547G5101G5207G2076G3004G846G1138 43Jesus responded, "Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah 'my Lord'? For David said,G3004G846G4459G3767G1138G1722G4151G2564G846G2962G3004 44'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'G2962G2036G3450G2962G2521G1537G3450G1188G2193G302G5087G4675G2190G4675G5286G4228 45Since David called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?"G1487G1138G3767G2564G846G2962G4459G2076G846G5207 46No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.G2532G3762G1410G611G846G3056G3761G5111G5100G575G1565G2250G1905G846G3765
Dublin, OH
, 'Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey's colt.'"G2036
