Matthew 21:17-25

New King James Version

¹⁷ Then He left them and ^(A)went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered^(B)

^18 (C)Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ^19 (D)And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree^(E)

^20 (F)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(G)if you have faith and ^(H)do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, ^(I)but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And ^(J)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(K)

^23 (L)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and ^(M)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: ²⁵ The ^(N)baptism of ^(O)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’