CHAPTER 11
As
they approached
Jerusalem
and came to
Bethphage
and
Bethany
at
the
Mount
of Olives,
Jesus sent
two
of
His
disciples
and
said
to them,
“Go
into
the
village
ahead of
you,
and
as soon
as you enter
it,
you will find
a colt
tied there,
on
which
no one
has ever sat.
Untie
it
and
bring it to Me.
If
anyone
asks,
‘Why
are you doing
this?’
tell him,
‘The
Lord
needs
it
and
will return
it
shortly.’”
Many in the crowd
spread
their
cloaks
on
the
road,
while
others spread
branches
they had cut
from
the
fields.
The ones who
went ahead
and
those who
followed
were shouting:
“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is
He who
comes
in
the name
of the Lord!”
Then
Jesus entered
Jerusalem
and went into
the
temple courts.
He looked around at
everything,
but since
it
was
already
late,
He went out
to
Bethany
with
the
Twelve.
Seeing
in
the distance
a fig tree
in
leaf,
He went
to see
if
there was
any fruit
on
it.
But when
He reached
it,
He found
nothing on it
except
leaves,
since
it was
not
the
season
for figs.
Then
He said
to the tree,
“May no one
ever
eat
of
your
fruit again.”
And
His
disciples
heard this statement.
When
they arrived
in
Jerusalem,
Jesus entered
the
temple courts
and began
to drive out
those who
were buying
and
selling
there.
He overturned
the
tables
of the
money changers
and
the
seats
of those
selling
doves.
Then
He began to teach
them
and
declare,
“Is it not written:
‘My
house
will be called
a house
of prayer
for all
the
nations’?
But
you
have made
it
‘a den
of robbers.’”
When
the
chief priests
and
scribes
heard this,
they looked for
a way
to kill
Him.
For
they were afraid
of Him,
because
the
whole
crowd
was astonished
at
His
teaching.
“Truly
I tell
you
that
if anyone
says
to this
mountain,
‘Be lifted up
and
thrown
into
the
sea,’
and
has no doubt
in
his
heart
but
believes
that
it
will happen,
it will be done
for him.
Therefore
I tell
you,
whatever
you ask
in prayer,
believe
that
you have received it,
and it
will be
yours.
And
when
you stand
to pray,
if
you hold
anything
against
another,
forgive it,
so that
your
Father
in
heaven
will forgive
your
trespasses
as well.”
After their return
to
Jerusalem,
Jesus
was walking
in
the
temple courts,
and the
chief priests,
scribes,
and
elders
came up
to
Him.
“By
what
authority
are You doing
these things?”
they asked.
“And
who
gave
You
the
authority
to
do
them?”
“I will ask
you
one
question,”
Jesus
replied,
“and if
you answer
Me,
I will tell
you
by
what
authority
I am doing
these things.
They deliberated
among
themselves
what
they should answer:
“If
we say,
‘From
heaven,’
He will ask,
‘Why
then
did you not believe
him?’
But
if we say,
‘From
men’...”
they were afraid of
the
people,
for
they all
held
that
John
truly
was
a prophet.
So
they answered
Him,
“We do not know.”
And
Jesus
replied,
“Neither
will I
tell
you
by
what
authority
I am doing
these things.”