Mar 11 | Comm | STEP | And when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

‏ Mark 11

1 And when they drew near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2 and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’" 4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those who stood there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!" 11 Jesus entered Jerusalem, and went into the temple. And when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12 On the next day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. 15 So they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?But you have made it a den of robbers." 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea, ‘and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him. 28 And they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?" 29 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me." 31 And they reasoned among themselves, "If we say, ‘From heaven, ‘He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’"—they feared the people, for all held that John was a real prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."