Study Desk

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your sins." And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came up to him and said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority that you do these things?" So Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer me!" And they began to discuss this with one another, saying, "What should we say? If we say ‘From heaven,' he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, ‘From men'"—they were afraid of the crowd, because they all looked upon John as truly a prophet. And they replied to Jesus saying, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

The Triumphal Entry And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the village before you, and right away as you enter into it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?' say ‘The Lord has need of it, and will send it here again at once.'" And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those who were standing there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" So they told them, just as Jesus had said, and they allowed them to take it. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and he sat on it. And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches they had cut from the fields. And those who went ahead and those who were following were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" And he went into Jerusalem to the temple, and after looking around at everything, because the hour was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. And on the next day as they were departing from Bethany, he was hungry. And when he saw from a distance a fig tree that had leaves, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it. And when he came up to it he found nothing except leaves, because it was not the season for figs. And he responded and said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you any more forever!" And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered into the temple courts and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple courts, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves. And he did not permit anyone to carry objects through the temple courts. And he began to teach and was saying to them, "Is it not written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations,' but you have made it a cave of robbers!" And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and began considering how they could destroy him. For they were afraid of him because the whole crowd was astounded by his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city. And as they passed by early in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!" And Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God! Truly I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. For this reason I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be done for you. And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your sins."

But if we say, ‘From men'"—they were afraid of the crowd, because they all looked upon John as truly a prophet.

And they were seeking to arrest him, and they were afraid of the crowd, because they knew that he had told the parable with reference to them. And they left him and went away.

And when they came, they said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and you do not care what anyone thinks, because you do not regard the opinion of people but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?"

But because he knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at it!"

Jesus said to them, "Are you not deceived because of this, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God?

"But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them.

And you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.

Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is!

And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.'

But he denied it again. And after a little while, again the bystanders began to say to Peter, "You really are one of them, because you also are a Galilean, and your accent shows it!"

(For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

So Pilate, because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over so that he could be crucified.

Jesus Taken to Pilate And as soon as morning came, after formulating a plan, the chief priests, with the elders and scribes and the whole Sanhedrin, tied up Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" And he answered him and said, "You say so." And the chief priests began to accuse him of many things. So Pilate asked him again, saying, "Do you not answer anything? See how many charges they are bringing against you!" But Jesus did not answer anything further, so that Pilate was astonished. Now at each feast he customarily released for them one prisoner whom they requested. And the one named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the rebellion. And the crowd came up and began to ask him to do as he customarily did for them. So Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?" (For he realized that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) But the chief priests incited the crowd so that he would release for them Barabbas instead. So Pilate answered and said to them again, "Then what do you want me to do with the one whom you call the king of the Jews?" And they shouted again, "Crucify him!" And Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has he done?" But they shouted even louder, "Crucify him!" So Pilate, because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas. And after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over so that he could be crucified. So the soldiers led him away into the palace (that is, the governor's residence) and called together the whole cohort. And they put a purple cloak on him, and after weaving a crown of thorns they placed it on him. And they began to greet him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they repeatedly struck him on the head with a reed, and were spitting on him, and they knelt down and did obeisance to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him out so that they could crucify him. And they forced a certain man who was passing by, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), who was coming from the country, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place Golgotha (which is translated "Place of a Skull"). And they attempted to give him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots for them to see who should take what. Now it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him was written, "The king of the Jews." And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.

And they went out and fled from the tomb, because trembling and amazement had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. [[So they promptly reported all the things they had been commanded to those around Peter. And after these things, Jesus himself also sent out through them from the east even as far as the west the holy and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]]

And later, while they were reclining at table, he appeared to the eleven. And he reprimanded their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he had been raised.

it seemed best to me also—because I have followed all things carefully from the beginning—to write them down in orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus,

And they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both advanced in years.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John.