Matthew 21
21
Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a King
1Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem. But first they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his followers into the town. 2He said to them, “Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks you why you are taking the donkeys, tell him, ‘The Master needs them. He will send them back soon.’” 4This was to make clear the full meaning of what the prophet said:
5“Tell the people of Jerusalem,
‘Your king is coming to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is on the colt of a donkey.’” Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9
6The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus. They laid their coats on the donkeys, and Jesus sat on them. 8Many people spread their coats on the road before Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. All the people were shouting,
“Praise# Literally, “Hosanna,” a Hebrew word used at first in praying to God for help. At this time it was probably a shout of joy used in praising God or his Messiah. to the Son of David!
God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Psalm 118:26
Praise to God in heaven!”
10Then Jesus went into Jerusalem. The city was filled with excitement. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11The crowd answered, “This man is Jesus. He is the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple
12Jesus went into the Temple. He threw out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables that belonged to the men who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he upset the benches of those who were selling doves. 13Jesus said to all the people there, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be a house where people will pray.’# Quotation from Isaiah 56:7. But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.’”# Quotation from Jeremiah 7:11.
14The blind and crippled people came to Jesus in the Temple, and Jesus healed them. 15The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things. They saw the children praising him in the Temple. The children were saying, “Praise# Literally, “Hosanna,” a Hebrew word used at first in praying to God for help. At this time it was probably a shout of joy used in praising God or his Messiah. to the Son of David.” All these things made the priests and the teachers of the law very angry.
16They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”
Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’?”# Quotation from the Septuagint (Greek) version of Psalm 8:2.
17Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Power of Faith
18Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. He was very hungry. 19He saw a fig tree beside the road. Jesus went to it, but there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus said to the tree, “You will never again have fruit!” The tree immediately dried up.
20His followers saw this and were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”
21Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will happen. 22If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority
23Jesus went to the Temple. While he was teaching there, the leading priests and the elders of the people came to Jesus. They said to him, “Tell us! What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24Jesus answered, “I will ask you a question, too. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. 25Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from God or from man?”
The priests and the leaders argued about Jesus’ question. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from God,’ then Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe John?’ 26But if we say, ‘It was from man,’ we are afraid of what the people will do because they all believe that John was a prophet.”
27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you what authority I have to do these things!
A Story About Two Sons
28“Tell me what you think about this: There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ 29The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son decided he should go, and he went. 30Then the father went to the other son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will go and work.’ But he did not go. 31Which of the two sons obeyed his father?”
The priests and leaders answered, “The first son.”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth. The tax collectors and the prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before you do. 32John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. You saw this, but you still refused to change and believe him.
God Sends His Son
33“Listen to this story: There was a man who owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the vineyard and dug a hole for a winepress. Then he built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers and left for a trip. 34Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. 35But the farmers grabbed the servants, beat one, killed another, and then killed a third servant with stones. 36So the man sent some other servants to the farmers. He sent more servants than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to the servants that they had done before. 37So the man decided to send his son to the farmers. He said, ‘The farmers will respect my son.’ 38But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the owner’s son. This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, then his vineyard will be ours!’ 39So the farmers grabbed the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40So what will the owner of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?”
41The priests and leaders said, “He will surely kill those evil men. Then he will lease the vineyard to some other farmers. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Surely you have read this in the Scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders did not want
became the cornerstone.
The Lord did this,
and it is wonderful to us.’ Psalm 118:22-23
43“So I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who do the things God wants in his kingdom. 44The person who falls on this stone will be broken. But if the stone falls on him, he will be crushed.”# Some Greek copies do not have verse 44.
45The leading priests and the Pharisees heard these stories that Jesus told. They knew he was talking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him. But they were afraid of the people, because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
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Matthew 21: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Matthew 21
21
Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king
1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’
4This took place to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet:
5‘Say to Daughter Zion,
“See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ’#21:5 Zech. 9:9
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
‘Hosanna#21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning ‘Save!’ which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15 to the Son of David!’
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’#21:9 Psalm 118:25,26
‘Hosanna#21:9 A Hebrew expression meaning ‘Save!’ which became an exclamation of praise; also in verse 15 in the highest heaven!’
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’
11The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’
Jesus at the temple
12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘ “My house will be called a house of prayer,”#21:13 Isaiah 56:7 but you are making it “a den of robbers.”#21:13 Jer. 7:11’
14The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.
16‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ they asked him.
‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read,
‘ “From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise” # 21:16
Psalm 8:2
(see Septuagint) ?’
17And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
Jesus curses a fig-tree
18Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19Seeing a fig-tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. ‘How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?’ they asked.
21Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig-tree, but also you can say to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.’
The authority of Jesus questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And who gave you this authority?’
24Jesus replied, ‘I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25John’s baptism – where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?’
They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Then why didn’t you believe him?” 26But if we say, “Of human origin” – we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’
27So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’
Then he said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The parable of the two sons
28 ‘What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, “Son, go and work today in the vineyard.”
29 ‘ “I will not,” he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 ‘Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, “I will, sir,” but he did not go.
31 ‘Which of the two did what his father wanted?’
‘The first,’ they answered.
Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
The parable of the tenants
33 ‘Listen to another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall round it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 ‘The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them in the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.
38 ‘But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.” 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 ‘Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’
41‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,’ they replied, ‘and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.’
42Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘ “The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvellous in our eyes” # 21:42
Psalm 118:22,23 ?
43 ‘Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.’#21:44 Some manuscripts do not have verse 44.
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
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