Chronological

The Triumphant Entry Into Jerusalem^(A)

11 When they drew near Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent out two of His disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

⁴ They went their way and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street. And they untied it. ⁵ Some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing untying the colt?” ⁶ They answered just as Jesus had commanded. And they let them go. ⁷ They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments on it. And He sat upon it. ⁸ Many spread their garments on the street. And others cut down branches off the trees and scattered them on the street. ⁹ Those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. When He had looked around at everything, as the hour was now late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree^(B)

¹² On the next day when they had returned from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³ Seeing from afar a fig tree with leaves, He went to see if perhaps He might find anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing except leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Jesus said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And His disciples heard it.

The Cleansing of the Temple^(C)

¹⁵ And they came to Jerusalem. Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹⁶ And He would not allow anyone to carry any vessel through the temple. ¹⁷ And He taught them, and said, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’^[b]? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’^[c] ”

¹⁸ The scribes and chief priests heard it and looked for a way to kill Him. For they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

¹⁹ When evening came, He went out of the city.

The Lesson From the Fig Tree^(D)

²⁰ In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter, calling to remembrance, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

²² Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you will have them. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your sins. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

The Question of Jesus’ Authority^(E)

²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem, and as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, ²⁸ and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority to do them?”

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “I will also ask of you one question. Answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ They debated among themselves, saying, “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 everyone held John to be a real prophet.

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

Jesus answered them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Anointing at Bethany^(A)

12 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. ² They prepared a supper for Him there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pint^[a] of very costly ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

⁴ But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii^[b] and given to the poor?” ⁶ He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. And having the money box, he used to steal what was put in it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”

The Plot Against Lazarus

⁹ When many of the Jews learned that He was there, they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

The Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem^(B)

¹² On the next day a great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ They took branches of palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

¹⁴ Then Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written:

¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first. But when Jesus was glorified, they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. ¹⁸ The crowd went and met Him for this reason: They heard that He had performed this sign. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said among themselves, “See, you are gaining nothing! Look, the world has followed Him!”

Some Greeks Seek Jesus

²⁰ Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast. ²¹ They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²² Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

²³ Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it. And he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

²⁷ “Now My soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? Instead, for this reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice came not for My sake, but for your sakes. ³¹ Now judgment is upon this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.” ³³ He said this to signify by what kind of death He would die.

³⁴ The crowd answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. Why do You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. He who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have light, believe in the light that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said these things, and departed and hid Himself from them.

The Unbelief of the Jews

³⁷ Though He had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in Him. ³⁸ This fulfilled the word spoken by Isaiah the prophet:

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah said again:

⁴¹ Isaiah said this when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

⁴² Yet many of the rulers also believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they be put out of the synagogue. ⁴³ For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Judgment by Jesus’ Word

⁴⁴ Jesus cried out, “He who believes in Me believes not only in Me, but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not remain in darkness.

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him. The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ I know that His command is eternal life. Therefore what I say, I say as the Father tells me.”