New Testament in a Year

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples^[a] would leave the city.

The Lesson from the Dried Fig Tree^(A)

²⁰ While they were walking along early the next morning, they saw the fig tree dried up to its roots. ²¹ Remembering what Jesus had said,^[b] Peter pointed out to him, “Rabbi,^[c] look! The fig tree you cursed has dried up!”

²² Jesus told his disciples,^[d] “Have faith in God! ²³ I tell all of you^[e] with certainty, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ if he doesn’t doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. ²⁴ That is why I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received^[f] it and it will be yours.

²⁵ “Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. ²⁶ But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”^[g]

Jesus’ Authority is Challenged^(B)

²⁷ Then they went into Jerusalem again. While Jesus^[h] was walking in the Temple, the high priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him ²⁸ and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority to do them?”

²⁹ Jesus told them, “I’ll ask you one question.^[i] Answer me, and then I’ll tell you by what authority I’m doing these things. ³⁰ Was John’s authority to baptize^[j] from heaven or from humans? Answer me.”

³¹ They began discussing this among themselves. “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he’ll say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From humans’…?” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone really thought John was a prophet.

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I’m doing these things.”