Matthew 21
21
The Triumphal Entry
1Now #Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–38when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at #(Zech. 14:4)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”
4All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
5“Tell#Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9; John 12:15 the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your King is coming to you,
Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,
A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
6#Mark 11:4So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, #2 Kin. 9:13laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; #Lev. 23:40; John 12:13others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
#Ps. 118:26; Matt. 23:39‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Hosanna in the highest!”
10#John 2:13, 15And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
11So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, #(Deut. 18:15, 18); Matt. 2:23; 16:14; Luke 4:16–29; John 6:14; 7:40; 9:17; (Acts 3:22, 23)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12#Mal. 3:1; Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–47; John 2:13–16Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the #Deut. 14:25money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13And He said to them, “It is written, #Is. 56:7‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a #Jer. 7:11‘den of thieves.’ ”
14Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the #Matt. 1:1; John 7:42Son of David!” they were indignant 16and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”
And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,
#Ps. 8:2; Matt. 11:25‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have perfected praise’?”
17Then He left them and #Matt. 26:6; Mark 11:1, 11, 12; 14:3; Luke 19:29; 24:50; John 11:1, 18; 12:1went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.
The Fig Tree Withered
18#Mark 11:12–14, 20–24Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19#Mark 11:13And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
20#Mark 11:20And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
21So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, #Matt. 17:20if you have faith and #James 1:6do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, #1 Cor. 13:2but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 22And #Matt. 7:7–11; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; (John 15:7; James 5:16; 1 John 3:22; 5:14)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
23#Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and #Ex. 2:14; Acts 4:7; 7:27said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25The #(John 1:29–34)baptism of #John 1:15–28John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we #Matt. 14:5; 21:46; Luke 20:6fear the multitude, #Matt. 14:5; Mark 6:20for all count John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my #Matt. 20:1; 21:33vineyard.’ 29He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, #Luke 7:29, 37–50“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32For #Luke 3:1–12; 7:29John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; #Luke 3:12, 13but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers
33“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner #Ps. 80:9; Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and #Matt. 25:14went into a far country. 34Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35#2 Chr. 24:21; 36:16; (Matt. 23:34, 37; Acts 7:52; 1 Thess. 2:15); Heb. 11:36, 37And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37Then last of all he sent his #(John 3:16)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, #(Ps. 2:8; Heb. 1:2)‘This is the heir. #(Ps. 2:2); John 11:53; Acts 4:27Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39#(Matt. 26:50); Mark 14:46; Luke 22:54; John 18:12; (Acts 2:23)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41#Luke 20:16They said to Him, #(Luke 21:24)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, #(Matt. 8:11; Acts 13:46; Rom. 9; 10)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
#Ps. 118:22, 23; Is. 28:16; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; (Rom. 9:33); Eph. 2:20; (1 Pet. 2:6, 7)‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43“Therefore I say to you, #(Matt. 8:12); Acts 13:46the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44And #Is. 8:14, 15; Zech. 12:3; Luke 20:18; (Rom. 9:33); 1 Pet. 2:8whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, #(Is. 60:12; Dan. 2:44)it will grind him to powder.”
45Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they #Matt. 21:26; Mark 11:18, 32feared the multitudes, because #Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 7:40they took Him for a prophet.
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Matthew 21: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 21
21
Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
1When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.#21.3 Or ‘The Lord needs them and will send them back immediately.’ ” 4This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying,
5“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Look, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8A very large crowd#21.8 Or Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” 11The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12Then Jesus entered the temple#21.12 Other ancient authorities add of God and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13He said to them, “It is written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’;
but you are making it a den of robbers.”
14The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. 15But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard#21.15 Gk lacks heard the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry 16and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies
you have prepared praise for yourself’?”
17He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18In the morning, when he returned to the city, he was hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20When the disciples saw it, they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. 22Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
28“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father#21.30 Gk He went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;#21.42 Or keystone
this was the Lord's doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.#21.43 Gk the fruits of it 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”#21.44 Other ancient authorities lack verse 44
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.