Matthew:21

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* Now when they drew near Jerusalem , and came to Bethphage , at the Mount of Olives , then Jesus sent two disciples , * saying to them , "Go into the village opposite you , and immediately you will find a donkey tied , and a colt with her . Loose them and bring them to Me . * And if anyone says anything to you , you shall say , "The Lord has need of them ,' and immediately he will send them ." * All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet , saying : * "Tell the daughter of Zion , "Behold , your King is coming to you , Lowly , and sitting on a donkey , A colt , the foal of a donkey ."' * So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them . * They brought the donkey and the colt , laid their clothes on them , and set Him on them . * And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road ; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road . * Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out , saying : "Hosanna to the Son of David ! "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD !' Hosanna in the highest !" * And when He had come into Jerusalem , all the city was moved , saying , "Who is this ?" * So the multitudes said , "This is Jesus , the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee ." * Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple , and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves . * And He said to them , "It is written , "My house shall be called a house of prayer ,' but you have made it a "den of thieves ."' * Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple , and He healed them . * But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did , and the children crying out in the temple and saying , "Hosanna to the Son of David !" they were indignant * and said to Him , "Do You hear what these are saying ?" And Jesus said to them , "Yes . Have you never read , "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise '?" * Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany , and He lodged there . * Now in the morning , as He returned to the city , He was hungry . * 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 . * And when the disciples saw it , they marveled , saying , "How did the fig tree wither away so soon ?" * So Jesus answered and said to them , "Assuredly , I say to you , if you have faith and do not doubt , you will not only do what was done to the fig tree , but also if you say to this mountain , "Be removed and be cast into the sea ,' it will be done . * And whatever things you ask in prayer , believing , you will receive ." * Now when He came into the temple , the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching , and said , "By what authority are You doing these things ? And who gave You this authority ?" * 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 : * The baptism of 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 ?' * But if we say , "From men ,' we fear the multitude , for all count John as a prophet ." * So they answered Jesus and said , "We do not know ." And He said to them , "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things . * "But what do you think ? A man had two sons , and he came to the first and said , "Son , go , work today in my vineyard .' * He answered and said , "I will not ,' but afterward he regretted it and went . * Then he came to the second and said likewise . And he answered and said , "I go , sir ,' but he did not go . * Which of the two did the will of his father ?" They said to Him , "The first ." Jesus said to them , "Assuredly , I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you . * For John came to you in the way of righteousness , and you did not believe him ; but tax collectors and harlots believed him ; and when you saw it , you did not afterward relent and believe him . * "Hear another parable : There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it , dug a winepress in it and built a tower . And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country . * Now when vintage-time drew near , he sent his servants to the vinedressers , that they might receive its fruit . * And the vinedressers took his servants , beat one , killed one , and stoned another . * Again he sent other servants , more than the first , and they did likewise to them . * Then last of all he sent his son to them , saying , "They will respect my son .' * But when the vinedressers saw the son , they said among themselves , "This is the heir . Come , let us kill him and seize his inheritance .' * So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him . * "Therefore , when the owner of the vineyard comes , what will he do to those vinedressers ?" * They said to Him , "He will destroy those wicked men miserably , and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons ." * Jesus said to them , "Have you never read in the Scriptures : "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone . This was the LORD 's doing , And it is marvelous in our eyes '? * "Therefore I say to you , the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it . * And whoever falls on this stone will be broken ; but on whomever it falls , it will grind him to powder ." * Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables , they perceived that He was speaking of them . * But when they sought to lay hands on Him , they feared the multitudes , because they took Him for a prophet .

---