CHAPTER 21
As
they drew near
to
Jerusalem
and
came
to
Bethphage
on
the
Mount
of Olives,
Jesus
sent out
two
disciples.
“Go
to
the
village
ahead
of you,”
He told
them,
“and
at once
you will find
a donkey
tied there,
with
her colt
beside
her.
Untie them
and bring them
to Me.
“Say
to the
daughter
of Zion,
‘See,
your
King
comes
to you,
gentle
and
riding
on
a donkey,
on
a colt,
the foal
of a beast of burden.’”
A massive
crowd
spread
their
cloaks
on
the
road,
while
others
cut
branches
from
the
trees
and
spread them
on
the
road.
The
crowds
that
went ahead
of Him
and
those that
followed
were shouting:
“Hosanna
to the
Son
of David!”
“Blessed is
He
who comes
in
the name
of the Lord!”
“Hosanna
in
the
highest!”
Then
Jesus
went
into
the
temple courts
and
drove out
all
who were
buying
and
selling
there.
He overturned
the
tables
of the
money changers
and
the
seats
of those
selling
doves.
And
He declared
to them,
“It is written:
‘My
house
will be called
a house
of prayer.’
But
you
are making
it
‘a den
of robbers.’”
But
the
chief priests
and
scribes
were indignant
when they saw
the
wonders
He did
and
the
children
shouting
in
the
temple courts,
“Hosanna
to the
Son
of David!"
“Do you hear
what
these children
are saying?”
they asked.
“Yes,”
Jesus
answered,
“have you never read:
‘From
the mouths
of children
and
infants
You have ordained
praise’?”
Seeing
a
fig tree
along
the
road,
He went up
to
it
but
found
nothing
on
it
except
leaves.
“May you never bear
fruit
again!”
He said.
And
immediately
the
tree
withered.
“Truly
I tell
you,”
Jesus
replied,
“if
you have
faith
and
do not
doubt,
not
only
will you do
what was done
to the
fig tree,
but
even if
you say
to this
mountain,
'Be lifted up
and
thrown
into
the
sea,'
it will happen.
When
Jesus
returned
to
the
temple courts
and began to teach,
the
chief priests
and
elders
of the
people
came
to Him.
“By
what
authority
are You doing
these things?”
they asked.
“And
who
gave
You
this
authority?”
“I will also ask
you
one
question,”
Jesus
replied,
“and if
you answer
Me,
I
will tell
you
by
what
authority
I am doing
these things.
What was the source
of
John’s
baptism?
Was it from
heaven
or
from
men?”
They deliberated
among
themselves
and said,
“If
we say,
‘From
heaven,’
He will ask,
‘Why
then
did you not believe
him?’
So
they said
to Jesus,
“We do not know.”
“Neither
will I
tell
you
by
what
authority
I am doing
these things,”
He
replied.
“But
what
do you
think?
There was a man
who had
two
sons.
He went
to the
first
and said,
‘Son,
go
and work
today
in
the
vineyard.’
Then
the man went
to the
second son
and told him
the same thing.
‘I will,
sir,’
he said.
But
he did not go.
Which
of
the
two
did
the
will
of his
father?”
“The
first,”
they answered.
Jesus
said
to them,
“Truly
I tell
you,
the
tax collectors
and
prostitutes
are entering
the
kingdom
of God
before you.
For
John
came
to
you
in
a righteous
way
and
you did not believe
him,
but
the
tax collectors
and
prostitutes
did.
And
even
after
you saw this,
you
did not repent
and believe
him.
Listen to
another
parable:
There was
a landowner
who
planted
a vineyard.
He put
a wall
around it,
dug
a winepress
in
it,
and
built
a tower.
Then
he rented it out
to some tenants
and
went away on a journey.
When
the
harvest time
drew near,
he sent
his
servants
to
the
tenants
to collect
his
share of the crop.
But when
the
tenants
saw
the
son,
they said
to
themselves,
‘This
is
the
heir;
come,
let us kill
him,
and
take
his
inheritance!'
“He will bring
those
wretches
to a wretched end,”
they declared,
“and
will rent out
the
vineyard
to other
tenants
who
will give
him
his
share of the crop
at
harvest time”.
Jesus
said
to them,
“Have you never read
in
the
Scriptures:
‘The stone
the
builders
rejected
has become
the
cornerstone.
This
is
from
the Lord,
and
it is
marvelous
in
our
eyes'
Therefore
I tell
you
that
the
kingdom
of God
will be taken away
from
you
and
given
to a people
who will produce
its
fruit.
When
the
chief priests
and
Pharisees
heard
Jesus’
parables,
they knew
He was speaking
about
them.
Although
they wanted
to arrest
Him,
they feared
the
crowds,
because
they considered
Jesus
a prophet.