Mark 11

The Triumphal Entry

1 As they got close to Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany by the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead.

2 He told them, “Go into the village in front of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a colt tied up that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it,’ and they will send it right away.”

4 They went and found the colt tied outside in the street by a doorway, and they untied it.

5 Some people standing there said, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”

6 They answered just like Jesus told them, and the people let them go.

7 They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and He sat on it.

8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, others spread branches they cut from the fields.

9 The ones going ahead and the ones following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree

12 The next day, as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.

13 Seeing a fig tree in the distance with leaves on it, He went to see if it had any fruit. But when He got there, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.

14 Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Clears the Temple

15 They came into Jerusalem, and Jesus went into the temple and started driving out the people buying and selling. He flipped over the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.

16 He would not let anyone carry merchandise through the temple.

17 Then He started teaching them, saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’, But you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this and started looking for a way to kill Him, because they were afraid of Him, the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.

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

The Lesson from the Fig Tree

20 In the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 Peter remembered and said, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree You cursed has withered.”

22 Jesus said, “Have faith in God.

23 I am telling you the truth, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

24 That is why I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours.

25 And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so your Father in heaven can forgive your sins too.”

26 But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your wrongs either.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

27 They came again to Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.

28 They said, “By what authority are You doing these things, Who gave You the authority to do them?”

29 Jesus said, “I will ask you one question. Answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30 John’s baptism, was it from heaven or from men, Answer Me.”

31 They started discussing it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him,’

32 But if we say, ‘From men’…” They were afraid of the crowd, because everyone believed John was truly a prophet.

33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” Jesus said, “Then I am not telling you by what authority I do these things.”