Dual Panel1WHEN they were approaching Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, he sent off two of his disciples
2with these instructions, "Go into the village just ahead of you and as soon as you enter it you will find a tethered colt on which no one has yet ridden. Untie it, and bring it here.
3If anybody asks you, 'Why are you doing this?',just say, 'His master needs him, and will send him back immediately.'"
4So they went off and found the colt tethered by a doorway outside in the open street, and they untied it.
5Some of the bystanders did say, "What are you doing, untying this colt?",
6but they made the reply Jesus told them to make, and the man raised no objection.
7So they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their coats on its back, and he took his seat upon it.
8Many of the people spread out their coats in his path as he rode along, and others put down rushes which they had cut from the fields.
9The whole crowd, both those who were in front and those who were behind Jesus, shouted, "God save him!God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10God bless the coming kingdom of our father David! God save him from on high!"
11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple and looked round on all that was going on. And then, since it was already late in the day, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
12On the following day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus felt hungry.
13He noticed a figtree in the distance covered with leaves, and he walked up to it to see if he could find any fruit on it. But when he got to it, he could find nothing but leaves, for it was not yet the season for figs.
14Then Jesus spoke to the tree, "May nobody ever eat fruit from you!" And the disciples heard him say it.
15Then they came into Jerusalem and Jesus went into the Temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the dovesellers,
16and he would not allow anyone to make a short cut through the Temple when carrying such things as waterpots.
17And he began to teach them and said, "Doesn't the scripture say, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?But you have turned it into a thieves' kitchen!"
18The chief priests and scribes heard him say this and tried to find a way of getting rid of him. But they were in fact afraid of him, for his teaching had captured the imagination of the people.
19And every evening they left the city.
20One morning as they were walking along, they noticed that the figtree had withered away from the roots.
21Peter remembered it, and said, "Master, look, the figtree that you cursed is all shriveled up!"
22"Have faith in God," replied Jesus to them.
23"I tell you that if, anyone should say to this hill, 'Get up and throw yourself into the sea',and without any doubt in his heart believe that what he says will happen, then it [will] happen!
24That is why I tell you, whatever you pray about and ask for, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.
25And whenever you stand praying, you must forgive any grudge that you are holding against anyone else, and your Heavenly Father will forgive you [your] sins."
27So they came once more to Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests, scribes and elders approached him,
28and asked, "What authority have you for what you're doing? And who gave you permission to do these things?"
29"I am going to ask you a question," replied Jesus, "and if you answer me, I will tell you what authority I have for what I do.
30The baptism of John, nowdid it come from Heaven or was it purely human? Tell me that."
31At this they argued with each other, "If we say from Heaven, he will say, 'then why didn't you believe in him?'
32but if we say it was purely human, well..."For they were frightened of the people, since all of them believed that John was a real prophet.
33So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Then I cannot tell you by what authority I do these things," returned Jesus.