(Zechariah 9:9–13; Matthew 21:1–11; Luke 19:28–40; John 12:12–19)
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And as they were approaching Jerusalem and Bethania, toward the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,
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and he said to them: “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately upon entering there, you will find a colt tied, on which no man has yet sat. Release him and bring him.
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And if anyone will say to you: ‘What are you doing?’ Say that the Lord has need of him. And he will immediately send him here.”
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And going out, they found the colt tied before the outer gate, at the meeting of two ways. And they untied him.
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And some of those who were standing there said to them, “What are you doing by releasing the colt?”
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And they spoke to them just as Jesus had instructed them. And they permitted them.
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And they led the colt to Jesus. And they placed their garments on it; and he sat upon it.
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Then many spread their garments along the way; but others cut down leafy branches from trees and scattered them on the way.
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And those who went ahead, and those who followed, cried out saying: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who has arrived in the name of the Lord.
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Blessed is the advent of the kingdom of our father David. Hosanna in the highest!”
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And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple. And having looked around at everything, since it was now the evening hour, he went out to Bethania with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:20–25)
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And the next day, as they were departing from Bethania, he was hungry.
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And when he had seen a fig tree with leaves in the distance, he went to it, in case he might find something on it. And when he had gone to it, he found nothing but leaves. For it was not the season for figs.
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And in response, he said to it, “From now on and forever, may no one eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard this.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matthew 21:12–17; Luke 19:45–48; John 2:12–25)
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And they went to Jerusalem. And when he had entered into the temple, he began to cast out the sellers and the buyers in the temple. And he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the chairs of the vendors of doves.
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And he would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple.
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And he taught them, saying: “Is it not written: ‘For my house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it into a den of robbers.”
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And when the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, had heard this, they sought a means by which they might destroy him. For they feared him, because the entire multitude was in admiration over his doctrine.
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And when evening had arrived, he departed from the city.
The Withered Fig Tree
(Matthew 21:18–22; Mark 11:12–14)
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And when they passed by in the morning, they saw that the fig tree had dried up from the roots.
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And Peter, remembering, said to him, “Master, behold, the fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
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And in response, Jesus said to them: “Have the faith of God.
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Amen I say to you, that whoever will say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and who will not have hesitated in his heart, but will have believed: then whatever he has said be done, it shall be done for him.
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For this reason, I say to you, all things whatsoever that you ask for when praying: believe that you will receive them, and they will happen for you.
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And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your sins.
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8)
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But if you will not forgive, neither will your Father, who is in heaven, forgive you your sins.”
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And they went again to Jerusalem. And when he was walking in the temple, the leaders of the priests, and the scribes, and the elders approached him.
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And they said to him: “By what authority do you do these things? And who has given you this authority, so that you would do these things?”
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But in response, Jesus said to them: “I also will ask you one word, and if you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
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The baptism of John: was it from heaven or from men? Answer me.”
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But they discussed it among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
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If we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people. For they all hold that John was a true prophet.”
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And answering, they said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And in response, Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”