1As they neared Jerusalem, arriving at Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead,
2and told them, "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell them, ‘The Lord needs it;’ and he will send it back here right away.”
4So they went and found a young donkey tied outside a door in the street, and they untied it.
5Some people standing there asked them, “What are you doing, untying that young donkey?”
6They replied just as Jesus had told them, and the people let them go.
7They brought the young donkey to Jesus, put their coats on it, and Jesus sat on it.
8Many people spread their coats on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9Those who walked ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10God bless the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
11Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After looking around at everything, since it was already evening, he left with the twelve disciples for Bethany.
12The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13From a distance, he saw a fig tree with leaves and went to see if it had any figs. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And his disciples heard him.
15They arrived in Jerusalem, and Jesus went into the temple. He began to throw out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
16He would not let anyone carry items through the temple area.
17He taught them, saying, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have turned it into a hideout for robbers!”
18The chief priests and the religious scholars heard this and started looking for a way to kill him. They were afraid of him because all the crowds were amazed by his teaching.
19When evening came, Jesus and his disciples left the city.
20As they walked by the next morning, they saw the fig tree withered completely from its roots.
21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered away!”
22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23I tell you the truth, if anyone tells this mountain, 'Move from here into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24So I tell you, when you pray for something, believe that you have already received it, and it will be yours.
25And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins.
26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your sins.
27They came back to Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the religious scholars, and the elders came to him.
28They began to ask him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you the authority to do them?"
29Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30John's baptism—was it from God or from human beings? Tell me."
31They discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From God,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?'
32But if we say, 'From human beings'"—they were afraid of the people, because everyone believed that John was truly a prophet.
33So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Jesus then said to them, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."