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⌂ ← MAT 21:1–21:46 → ║ ═ ©

The Gospel of Matthew 21

21 After that, Jesus and his apprentices continued to walk toward the city of Jerusalem, and they were getting closer. They were near the Mount of Olives, just outside the village of Bethphage. Then, Jesus told two of his apprentices to go ahead of them. 2 He commanded them, “Enter the village of Bethphage, which you see ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a female donkey that someone has tethered. Her colt will be next to her. Remove the tether from the female donkey, and lead her and her colt to me here. 3 People might ask you about what you are doing. In that case, tell them, ‘The Lord needs this donkey and colt.’ As soon as you say that, those people will let you have the donkey and colt.” 4 When he said those things, what God said by speaking through one of the prophets came true: 5 “Say to the people who live in the city of Jerusalem, ‘Your king will soon be with you! He is gentle. He sits on a donkey, on a colt, which is a donkey’s offspring.’ ”

6 The two apprentices went to the village and did what Jesus had told them to do. 7 They led the donkey and her colt to Jesus. They spread their coats on the animals, and Jesus sat on the coats. 8 Then, to honor Jesus, a very large group of people laid their coats down on the path in front of Jesus. Other people cut small branches down from trees and laid them down on the path too. 9 Large groups of people walked in front of Jesus and behind him. They were shouting,

“Praise this descendant of King David!

May God bless him who is here to represent the Lord!

May everything in heaven praise him!”

10 How people welcomed Jesus when he went into the city of Jerusalem unsettled many people who lived there. They asked, “Who is this man?” 11 The large groups of people answered, “He is Jesus, from the town of Nazareth, which is in Galilee. He is a man who speaks for God.”

12 Later, Jesus visited the temple area. Some people were selling and buying things there. He forced them to leave. Other people were exchanging regular money for special temple money, and other people were selling small birds for people to sacrifice. Jesus flipped over their tables and chairs. 13 Then Jesus told those people, “The prophets wrote in the Scriptures, ‘People should say that my temple is a place where people pray.’ However, you have turned it into ‘a hideout for thieves’!”

14 Later, people who could not see and people who could not walk came to Jesus while he was in the temple area. Jesus cured them. 15 The ruling priests and the teachers of the Jewish law saw the amazing things that Jesus did. They heard young children in the temple area shouting, “Praise this descendant of King David!” When they saw and heard those things, they were very upset. 16 They asked him, “Do you realize what those young children are saying about you?” Jesus replied, “Yes, I realize it! What they are doing fits with what you have read in the Scriptures: ‘You have appointed young children and little babies to honor you.’ ”

17 Then Jesus and his apprentices went away from the ruling priests and the teachers of the Jewish law. They left the city of Jerusalem and stayed overnight in the village of Bethany.

18 Early the next morning, when Jesus and his apprentices were going back to the city of Jerusalem, Jesus became hungry. 19 He noticed a fig tree near the path. So, he went over to it to pick some figs to eat. However, the tree only had leaves. Then Jesus spoke to the fig tree, “May you never again produce figs!” As soon as he said that, the fig tree died. 20 What the apprentices had just seen impressed them. They asked, “How did the fig tree die as soon as you spoke to it?” 21 Jesus replied, “Suppose that you trusted God and were not unsure about what he can do. Then, you could do what I did to the fig tree. Even more, you could tell the hill we are near to leave this place and fall into the ocean, and it would happen. What I have said is true. 22 Further, suppose that you trust God to do whatever you ask when you are praying. Then, he will do it for you.”

23 Then Jesus visited the temple area, and he was instructing people there. The ruling priests and the Jewish leaders came to him. They asked, “In what way did someone authorize you to do what you have done? Who was it that authorized you to do these things?” 24 Jesus replied, “I too will ask you a question. When you answer it, I too will answer your question about the way in which someone authorized me to do what I have done. 25 Who authorized John the Baptizer to baptize people? Did God authorize him from heaven, or did people authorize him?” Then the ruling priests and the Jewish leaders told each other, “Suppose that we answer that God authorized John from heaven. Then, he will tell us that we should have listened to John. 26 On the other hand, suppose that we answer that people authorized John. Then, since the large group of people believe that John spoke for God, we are afraid of how they would react.” 27 So, they answered Jesus, “We do not know who authorized John.” Jesus responded, “Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you the way in which someone authorized me to do what I have done.

28 Think about this situation: There was a man with two children. He went to the older one and told him, ‘My child, go to where my grape vines are and take care of them today.’ 29 His child replied, ‘I will not do that!’ However, later he regretted what he had said. He took care of the grape vines after all. 30 After speaking with the older child, the man went to the younger child and told him to take care of his grape vines. His child replied, ‘I will do that, my father!’ However, he did not take care of the grape vines. 31 Which of these two children did what their father wanted?” The ruling priests and the Jewish leaders answered, “The older one.” Jesus replied, “Prostitutes and people who collect taxes are participating in God’s kingdom before you are. What I have said is true. 32 I say that because, when John the Baptizer was with you, he did what was right. However, you did not trust him. In contrast, prostitutes and people who collect taxes did trust him. When you realized that even they trusted John, you did not regret how you were acting and trust him after all.

33 I will tell you another story. A man who managed a household planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it in order to protect it. He made a stone tank to collect the grape juice that they would press out of the grapes. He also built a tower for someone to sit in to guard his vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some people who would take care of it, and he left to travel to a different country. 34 When it was almost time to harvest the grapes, the man told some of his servants to go to the people who were taking care of the vineyard. He wanted them to give him his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. 35 However, the people who were taking care of the vineyard grabbed the man’s servants. They beat up some servants. They executed other servants. They killed other servants by throwing stones at them. 36 After that, the man told an even greater number of his servants to go to the people who were taking care of the vineyard. However, those people treated these servants just as they had treated the other servants. 37 Finally, the man told his own son to go to them. He thought that they would treat his son well and give him his share of the grapes. 38 However, when the people who were taking care of the vineyard saw the man’s son arriving, they told each other, ‘This man is the one who will inherit the vineyard. We should kill him, and then we can take the vineyard for ourselves.’ 39 So, they grabbed the man’s son and dragged him outside the vineyard. Then, they killed him. 40 After that, the man who owned the vineyard came back. How do you think he treated the people who were taking care of the vineyard? 41 The ruling priests and the Jewish leaders replied, “He would kill those evil people! Then, he would rent the vineyard to other people who would give him his share of the grapes when it was time to harvest them.” 42 Jesus responded, “What I have said fits with what you have read in the Scriptures:

‘The people who were constructing a building refused to use a certain stone.

However, that stone is now the most important one in the building.

The Lord God did that,

and we think it is amazing.’

43 So then, here is what I want to tell you: God will stop you from participating in his kingdom. He will have a different group of people participate in his kingdom. They will do what he wants those in his kingdom to do. 44 Any people who trip over the stone that is now the most important one will injure themselves. Further, that stone will squash anyone on whom it drops.”

45 The ruling priests and the Pharisees listened to the stories that Jesus told. They realized that Jesus was telling the stories about them. 46 They wanted to arrest Jesus. However, since the large groups of people believed that Jesus spoke for God, they were afraid of how those people would react. So, they did not arrest Jesus at that time.

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