7. They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus. They laid their coats on the donkeys, and Jesus sat on them.
8. Many people spread their coats on the road before Jesus. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
9. Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Others were walking behind him. All the people were shouting,“Praise to the Son of David!God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord! Psalm 118:26Praise to God in heaven!”
10. Then Jesus went into Jerusalem. The city was filled with excitement. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11. The crowd answered, “This man is Jesus. He is the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
12. Jesus went into the Temple. He threw out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables that belonged to the men who were exchanging different kinds of money. And he upset the benches of those who were selling doves.
13. Jesus said to all the people there, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be a house where people will pray.’ But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.’”
14. The blind and crippled people came to Jesus in the Temple, and Jesus healed them.
15. The leading priests and the teachers of the law saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things. They saw the children praising him in the Temple. The children were saying, “Praise to the Son of David.” All these things made the priests and the teachers of the law very angry.
16. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’?”
17. Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
18. Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. He was very hungry.
19. He saw a fig tree beside the road. Jesus went to it, but there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus said to the tree, “You will never again have fruit!” The tree immediately dried up.
20. His followers saw this and were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?”
21. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth. If you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will happen.
22. If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
23. Jesus went to the Temple. While he was teaching there, the leading priests and the elders of the people came to Jesus. They said to him, “Tell us! What authority do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24. Jesus answered, “I will ask you a question, too. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things.