Matthew 21
21
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
1As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. 2He said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away.”
4This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,
5“Say to the city of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is riding on a donkey’s colt.’ ” (Zechariah 9:9)
6The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. 7They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118:26)
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, “Who is this?”
11The crowds answered, “This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Clears Out the Temple
12Jesus entered the temple courtyard. He began to drive out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. 13He said to them, “It is written that the Lord said, ‘My house will be called a house where people can pray.’ (Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it ‘a den for robbers.’ ” (Jeremiah 7:11)
14Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them. 15The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple courtyard shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” But when they saw all this, they became angry.
16“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus. “Haven’t you ever read about it in Scripture? It says,
“ ‘Lord, you have made sure that children and infants
praise you.’ ” (Psalm 8:2)
17Then Jesus left the people and went out of the city to Bethany. He spent the night there.
Jesus Makes a Fig Tree Dry Up
18Early in the morning, Jesus was on his way back to Jerusalem. He was hungry. 19He saw 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!” Right away the tree dried up.
20When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?” they asked.
21Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You must have faith and not doubt. Then you can do what was done to the fig tree. And you can say to this mountain, ‘Go and throw yourself into the sea.’ It will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray.”
The Authority of Jesus Is Questioned
23Jesus entered the temple courtyard. While he was teaching there, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “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. 25Where did John’s baptism come from? Was it from heaven? Or did it come from human authority?”
They talked to one another about it. They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But what if we say, ‘From human authority’? We are afraid of the people. Everyone believes that John was a prophet.”
27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.
The Story of the Two Sons
28“What do you think about this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29“ ‘I will not,’ the son answered. But later he changed his mind and went.
30“Then the father went to the other son. He said the same thing. The son answered, ‘I will, sir.’ But he did not go.
31“Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.
The Story of the Renters
33“Listen to another story. A man who owned some land planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it. He dug a pit for a winepress in it. He also built a lookout tower. He rented the vineyard out to some farmers. Then he moved to another place. 34When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.
35“But the renters grabbed his slaves. They beat one of them. They killed another. They threw stones at the third to kill him. 36Then the man sent other slaves to the renters. He sent more than he did the first time. The renters treated them the same way. 37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38“But the renters saw the son coming. They said to one another, ‘This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday. Come, let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’ 39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then they killed him.
40“When the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those renters?”
41“He will destroy those evil people,” they replied. “Then he will rent the vineyard out to other renters. They will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say,
“ ‘The stone the builders didn’t accept
has become the most important stone of all.
The Lord has done it.
It is wonderful in our eyes’? (Psalm 118:22,23)
43“So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit. 44Anyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”
45The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ stories. They knew he was talking about them. 46So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
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Matthew 21: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Matthew 21
21
1Jesus and his disciples went to Jerusalem. As they were getting close, they came to the village of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples on ahead, 2telling them, “Go into the village. Right there you'll find a donkey tied up with a colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks you what you're doing, just tell them, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and they will send them right away.”
4This was to fulfill what the prophet said: 5“Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, and rides a donkey, and a colt, the offspring of a donkey.’”#21:5. Referencing Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9.
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed. 7They brought back the donkey and the colt. They placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8Many people in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and laid them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed were all shouting, “Hosanna#21:9. An Aramaic word meaning “please save us,” used as an exclamation of praise. to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!#21:9. Quoting Psalms 118:26. Hosanna in the highest!”
10When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar. “Who is this?” they were asking.
11“This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee,” the crowds replied.
12Jesus went into the Temple, and threw out all the people buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the chairs of the dove-sellers. 13He told them, “Scripture says, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’#21:13. Quoting Isaiah 56:7. but you've turned it into a den of thieves.”
14The blind and the lame came to Jesus in the Temple, and he healed them. 15But when the chief priests and religious teachers saw the wonderful miracles he did, and the children shouting in the Temple, “Hosanna to the son of David,” they were offended.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
16“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven't you ever read the Scripture that says, ‘You arranged for children and infants to give you perfect praise’?”#21:16. Quoting Psalms 8:2. 17Jesus left them and went out of the city to stay at Bethany.
18The next morning as he walked back into the city, he was hungry. 19He saw a fig tree at the side of the road, so he went over to it but didn't find any fruit, only leaves.
He told the fig tree, “May you never ever produce fruit again!” Immediately the fig tree withered.
20The disciples were amazed to see this. “How did the fig tree wither so suddenly?” they asked.
21“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “If you really trust in God, and don't doubt him, you could not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even more. If you said to this mountain, ‘Get up and throw yourself into the sea,’ it would happen! 22You will receive everything you ask for in prayer, as long as you trust in God.”
23Jesus went into the Temple. The chief priests and the ruling elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24“I too will ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “If you give me the answer, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Where did the baptism of John come from? Was it from heaven, or was it from human beings?”
They argued with each other. “If we say ‘It was from heaven,’ then he'll ask us why we didn't believe him. 26But if we say, ‘It was from human beings,’ then the crowd will turn against us,#21:26. Literally, “we fear the crowd.” because they all consider John to be a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We don't know.”
“Then I won't tell you by what authority I'm doing these things,” Jesus replied. 28“But what do you think about this illustration? Once there was a man who had two sons. He went to the first son, and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29The son answered, ‘I won't,’ but afterwards he was sorry for what he said and he did go. 30The man went to the second son, and told him the same thing. He replied, ‘I'll go,’ but he didn't. 31Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
“I tell you the truth: tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you,” Jesus told them. 32“John came to show you the way to live right with God, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him. Later, when you saw what happened, you still didn't repent and believe him.
33Here's another illustration. There once was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, made a winepress, and built a watchtower. He rented it to some tenant farmers, and then left to go to a different country. 34At harvest-time, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect the fruit that belonged to him. 35But the farmers attacked his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36So he sent more servants, but the farmers did the same things to them. 37So then he sent his son. ‘They will respect my son,’ he told himself. 38But the farmers, when they saw the son, said to each other, ‘Here's the heir! Come on! Let's kill him so we can take his inheritance!’ 39They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40When the vineyard owner returns, what will he do to those farmers?”
41The chief priests and elders said to Jesus, “He will put to death those wicked men in the most awful way, and rent out the vineyard to other farmers who will be sure to give him his fruit at harvest-time.”
42“So haven't you read this in the Scriptures?” Jesus asked them. “‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it is wonderful in our eyes.’#21:42. Quoting Psalms 118:22-23 43That's why I'm telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to a people who produce the right kind of fruit. 44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken, but it will completely crush anyone it falls upon.”
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his illustrations, they realized he was speaking about them. 46They wanted him arrested, but they were afraid of what the people would do because the people believed he was a prophet.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com