(1) Jesus Rides Donkey into Jerusalem
On their way to Jerusalem, as they passed through Bethphage and Bethany (near the Mount of Olives), Jesus sent two of His apprentices on an errand. He told them,
“Go to that village over there, and right when you walk in, you’ll see a young donkey tied up that has never been saddled before. I want you to untie it and bring it to Me. If anyone says, ‘What are you doing?’ just tell them, ‘The Ruler needs it.’ Then they’ll let you take it.”
So they went and found the donkey tied up in the street near the entrance. When they started untying it, some people asked,
“What are guys you doing?”
They responded exactly how Jesus told them to, and the people gave them permission. The apprentices brought the donkey to Jesus and put their coats over its back before He sat on it. Lots of people spread their coats out in the road while others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields. People walked in front of Jesus and behind Him, shouting,
“Save us! The man who comes on the Ruler’s behalf is blessed. The approaching empire of our patriarch David is blessed. Save us in the highest!”
When Jesus got to Jerusalem, He went to the temple. He took a look around, but it was getting late, so He left for Bethany with the twelve.
(12) Jesus Curses Fig Tree
The next day, they left Bethany. Jesus was hungry, so He saw a fig tree in the distance and went up to it. But it wasn’t fig season, so it didn’t have any figs on it. So Jesus told it,
“No one will ever eat fruit from you ever again.”
And His apprentices heard Him say that.
(15) Jesus Bans Commerce from Church
When they got back to Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple and started kicking out everyone who was buying and selling things in the temple. He flipped the tables where the cashiers were stationed and knocked over the chairs that the dove sellers were using. He banned everyone from bring merchandise into the temple and started teaching. He said,
“Didn’t God say, ‘My house will be referred to a house where people from every ethnicity pray,’? But you guys turned it into a cave of thieves!”
When the head priests and Bible scholars heard Him say that, they started looking for a way to do away with Him, because they were scared of Him—but the rest of the crowd was amazed by His teaching.
(20) Fig Tree Dies, Showing Anything is Possible when You Believe & Forgive
That evening, Jesus and his followers left Jerusalem. While they were on their way the next morning, they noticed that the fig tree had withered from the roots up. Peter remembered what happened before and said,
“Teacher, look! The fig tree You cursed withered away!”
Jesus said,
“Have confidence in God. I assure you that whoever tells this mountain to be lifted up and thrown into the sea—if he doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen—it will be granted to him. So whenever you pray and ask for something, believe that you already have it, and it will be granted to you. Whenever you persist in prayer, make sure you forgive anyone you feel resentment towards—that way, your Dad in heaven will forgive you for your own offenses. But if you don’t forgive other people, then your Dad in heaven won’t forgive you either.
(27) Church Leaders Confront Jesus
They went back to Jerusalem and as they were walking into church, the priests, Bible scholars, and church leaders approached him, saying,
“Who gave you the authority to do these things?”
Jesus told them,
“Let me ask you one thing—and I’ll answer your question after you answer Mine: Was John’s baptism from God or just another human baptism?”
They started talking amongst themselves, saying,
“If we say it was from God, then He’ll ask us why we didn’t believe John. But if we say it was just another human baptism, that won’t go over well, because everyone considers him to be a real prophet.”
So they told Jesus,
“We’re not sure.”
So Jesus told them,
“Then I won’t tell you where I get the authority to do these things.“
