Matthew 21
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (21:1–11)
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came into the village of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying 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. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them; and he will send them right away.” 4 This took place so that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, who said, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat upon them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna! Together with the highest ones!” 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city became agitated and asked, “Who is this?” 11 The crowds were answering, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Cleanses the Temple and Heals There (21:12–17)
12 Next, Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were transacting purchases in the temple. He knocked over the tables of those who were exchanging temple shekels for secular coins, and he pushed away the benches of those who were selling doves. 13 And he said to them, “It has been written, My house will be called ‘a house of prayer’ [Isa. 56:7], but you are making it ‘a den of bandits’” [Jer. 7:11]. 14 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 However, when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children shouting in the temple courts, and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 They said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read that ‘from the mouth of children and infants you have completely perfect praise’ [Ps. 8:2]?” 17 And after leaving them, Jesus left Jerusalem and went over into the village of Bethany, and he spent the night there.
Jesus Curses the Fruitless Fig Tree and Affirms the Power of Faith (21:18–22)
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus returned to the city, he became hungry; 19 and seeing one fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “May you never bear fruit ever again!” And the tree immediately withered. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed, and said, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” 21 Jesus responded thus to them, “Truly I tell you, if you trust and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you could say to this mountain, ‘Lift yourself up and, throw yourself into the sea, and it would be done.’ 22 After having trust, you will receive all such things you ask for in the place of prayer.”
Jesus Responds to the Chief Priests Who Ask Him About His Authority (21:23–27)
23 When Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people approached him while he was teaching, and asked, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question, which if you answer for me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 From whence did John’s baptism originate? Was it from heaven or from men?” They debated with each other and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why did you not trust him?’ 26 But we fear the crowd if we were to say ‘from men’ because they all think that John was a prophet.” 27 When they answered Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Jesus Tells the Chief Priests about How He Received His Authority from the Father (21:28–32)
28 “But tell me this,” Jesus continued, “A certain man had two sons, and he went to the first and said, ‘Child, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 And he answered, ‘It is not my will,’ but later, he reconciled himself to the task and went. 30 Then the man went to the second son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I, Lord,’ and he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They answered him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will go into the kingdom of God before you, 32 for John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not trust him, but the tax collectors and the harlots did trust him. Even after you saw this, you did not later repent and trust him.”
Jesus Tells Them the Parable of the Killing of the Lord’s Son
by the Tenants of the Vineyard (21:33–46)
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard. He placed a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to farmers, and he went abroad. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his fruit, 35 but the farmers seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants, more than the first ones, and the farmers treated them the same way. 37 At last, he sent his own son to them. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 And they caught him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41 They replied to him, “He will destroy those wicked men, and he will rent out the vineyard to other farmers who will deliver him his fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected, the same has become the cornerstone.
This is done by the Lord; and it is marvelous in our eyes’
[Ps. 118:22–23]?
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a different people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but it will crush whomever it falls upon. 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was speaking about them. 46 And they sought to arrest him, but they feared the crowd because the people considered Jesus to be a prophet.
