The ‘triumphal’ entry—Sunday, 03/31/30 AD

1Now when they were drawing near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

2saying to them: “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you enter it you will find a foal tied, on which no man has sat. Untie and bring it.

3And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and thereupon he will send it here.” ²²³

4So they went and found the foal tied at the door, out in the street, and they loosed it.

5Some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the foal?”

6So they answered them just as Jesus had instructed, and they let them go.

7Then they brought the foal to Jesus, and they placed their clothes on it, and He sat on it.

8And many spread their clothes on the road, while others were cutting leafy branches from the trees ²²⁴and spreading them on the road.

9Both those who went in front and those who followed started calling out, saying: “Hosanna!”
“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” ²²⁵

10“Blessed is the Kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord!” ²²⁶“Hosanna in the highest!”

11So Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when He had looked around at everything, ²²⁷the hour being late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

A barren fig tree

12Now the next day, as they were leaving Bethany, He was hungry.

13And seeing from a distance a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it He found nothing but leaves, because it was not fig season. ²²⁸

14So Jesus reacted by saying to it, “Let no one ever eat fruit from you again!” ²²⁹And His disciples were listening.

Jesus ‘purifies’ the temple (2nd time)—Monday, 04/01/30 AD

15So they came to Jerusalem, and entering the temple Jesus began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of the dove sellers.

16And He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.

17And He kept teaching them by saying: “Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? ²³⁰but you have made it ‘a den of robbers’!” ²³¹

18Well the scribes and the chief priests heard it, and kept on looking for a way to destroy Him; ²³²because they were afraid of Him, in that all the people were astonished at His teaching.

19When evening came, He went out of the city.

How to drown a mountain

20Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21And Peter, remembering, said to Him: “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!”

22So in answer Jesus said to them: “Have faith in God. ²³³

23Because I tell you assuredly, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be picked up and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that the things he says will happen, he will have whatever he says. ²³⁴

24That is why I say to you, whatever things you ask for in prayer, believe that you receive, and you will have them.

25“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your trespasses.

26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” ²³⁵

Jesus' authority questioned—Tuesday, 04/02/30 AD

27Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders came to Him.

28And they said to Him, “By what authority are you doing these things?” and “Who gave you this authority to do these things?”

29So in answer Jesus said to them: “I also will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

30The baptism of John: was it from heaven or from men?” ²³⁶

31They considered among themselves, saying: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘So why did you not believe him?’

32But if we say, ‘From men’…”—they feared the people, for everyone held John to really be a prophet.

33So they answered Jesus by saying, “We don't know.” ²³⁷And in answer Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”