Category: Scripture

Luke 22

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus¹ sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it² until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.³ 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,⁴ that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter⁵ said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus⁶ said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.⁷ 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant⁸ of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Footnotes

[1] 22:8 Greek he

[2] 22:16 Some manuscripts never eat it again

[3] 22:20 Some manuscripts omit, in whole or in part, verses 19b-20 (which is given . . . in my blood)

[4] 22:31 The Greek word for you (twice in this verse) is plural; in verse 32, all four instances are singular

[5] 22:33 Greek He

[6] 22:34 Greek He

[7] 22:44 Some manuscripts omit verses 43 and 44

[8] 22:50 Or bondservant

(ESV)

Luke 21

The Widow’s Offering

21:1 Jesus¹ looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.² 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers³ and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

37 And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. 38 And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.

Footnotes

[1] 21:1 Greek He

[2] 21:2 Greek two lepta; a lepton was a Jewish bronze or copper coin worth about 1/128 of a denarius (which was a day’s wage for a laborer)

[3] 21:16 Or parents and brothers and sisters

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Here comes the King (12-27-14)

Grab your Bible and let’s go deeper into Luke 19

It is awesome timing that we are reading about Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as we celebrate Jesus Triumphal Entry into our world at Christmas.   The fact is, while Herod was afraid of a King who would rise up to take over at the time of Jesus birth, by the time Jesus was in his thirties and doing ministry many had lost sight of his road to being King or still saw it only through a temporary lens.  Maybe this is something we still struggle with today.

In Luke’s account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, we see that Jesus had reserved this event to make it known that he was the Messiah; the King!    Jesus had not sought to be openly known as the Messiah until then.  He did not want the waters to be stirred too early.  Looking back now we can see why:  What the authorities did with Christ when they where convinced he was a threat was literally…deadly!

Read: Luke 19:28-38

The words the people shouted where not just random words.  The people where singing and chanting the words of a song…one that generations of Jews sang for almost 1000 years. It was a song that David wrote as a prayer for the people’s salvation.   A prayer of hope and deliverance!  It’s found in Psalm 118:25-27. 

Even though they were singing the songs of their ancestors, and even with more than a 1000 years of history and teaching, the people in this moment were looking for the wrong kind of Savior.  We’ll get back to this!

It’s important we understand the formal ENTRY of a KING into a city, in that day!  During Jesus’ day, Pilate ruled over Jerusalem as a Roman governor. Pilate’s superior would have been Caesar.  In those days, there were a few times a year that all Jewish people were supposed to go to Jerusalem to celebrate specific holidays together. The Romans were in charge and ruled over Jerusalem, but during these celebrations, the Jews would certainly have outnumbered the Romans who were present in the city.

Pilate (the Roman governor) would probably have felt pretty wary about these festivals. It would have been a stressful time in government and there was also the ever-present threat that if the Jews decided to all work together, they might be able to overtake him. Now, Pilate lived in a mansion in Caesarea, but during these festivals and specifically this week (the Festival of Unleavened Bread, or Passover), Pilate would march into Jerusalem to keep things in order during the festival.

His procession was designed to be authoritative and to show his power. It was designed to scare the people so that they would never even dream of uprising against Rome.

• The procession began with the Roman emblem, which was an eagle.
• Behind the eagle in the procession came the Roman soldiers carrying etchings of the Caesars with all kinds of things reminding the people of all the power they had and all the battles they had won. The etchings were all about power, strength, and domination.
• The soldiers marched with metal shields, which made a loud sound and brought about fear and terror to the people watching.
• Pilate entered next on a horse – a huge stallion – again a symbol of power, strength, and military conquests.

PILATE ENTERED JERUSALEM ON A HORSE FROM THE WEST!

Now, Luke 19 describes another event, which happened the same week.  Jesus went to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives (east of Jerusalem).  As you look west from the Mount of Olives you can see Jerusalem just past the Kiddron Valley. They brought the donkey to him and people spread their cloaks on the road as He went past them, chanting:  “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” This word “King” might not have been a good choice to use in light of Pilate who had just come in himself.

Read again:  Luke 19:39-44

Let’s set the scene:  there were a bunch of stones and graves on the Mount of Olives, because the Jews believed that the Messiah would raise from the dead all the good Jews who had died. From there they believed He would lead them all into Jerusalem where there would be peace and prosperity.   Therefore, they all wanted to be buried near Jerusalem.

The Pharisees told them to be quiet, but Jesus said basically, “I’m the Messiah who will raise these people from the dead!”   The Pharisees certainly knew what Jesus was talking about.

What about the fact that Jesus didn’t walk into the city, but rode a donkey?   In the Old Testament,  we read that Zechariah had said years ago in Zechariah 9:9:

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!

Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,                             

Righteous and having salvation,

Gentle and riding on a donkey,                       

On a colt, the foal of a donkey.

By riding in on a donkey Jesus is saying, “Hey, I’m the one you’ve been waiting for.”

Read again:  Luke 19:41-44

Jesus is talking about the demise of the city. Jerusalem would fall about 70 years later.  This is the result of the people all being focused on the wrong KINGDOM victory. Jesus is sad because many will miss the TRUTH he BRINGS… the PEACE HE BRINGS.

Now check this out:

• Pilate came from the west proclaiming his war abilities,
• Jesus came from the east so he could proclaim peace.
• Jesus’ kingdom is totally different from the kingdom of Rome. His kingdom is about peace, not war. It’s about LIFE, not oppression!

JESUS’ parade is for the humble who enjoy HIM rather than the parade for PILATE which is for the proud who enjoy THEMSELVES!

Now, Kings typically ride on Horses or Chariots, with the power proclamation of their officials, tools of war and weaponry, and many times they were followed by the people they had conquered.  But not Jesus!  Jesus’ entry was all about PEACE! It was about a POWER that was bigger than man’s weapons and trophies.   The real battle was about to go down but it would be fought by him on behalf of us!   “His” blood would poor out …not theirs.     

Peace is what JESUS brings to those who will trust in him.  But too often we long for a savior that only brings a momentary PEACE

Instead of looking for something deeper—something life changing—something eternal, a lasting PEACE! The people longed for Jesus to come into Jerusalem and be crowned into power and change the political and social scenery.

They had lost their passion for the restored relationship that the messiah would be for them spiritually.   They were looking for a King to change things, but the change they desired was about monetary fruit, political peace, safe borders. It was all about temporary stuff.

Even while many were missing the point of who Jesus was and would be, GOD WAS NOT SITTING IN HEAVEN FRUSTRATED.

GOD was carrying out a plan of deliverance, of HOPE, a plan that would set us free! 

When the people stood that day on the side of the road, they shouted “The Son of David is our salvation!  Hooray for the king! Salvation belongs to the king!  He is here!”  And when they shouted “Hosanna in the highest!” it meant, “Let all the angels in heaven join the song of praise. Salvation! Salvation! Let the highest heaven sing the song of Hope and Salvation!”  The kind of savior they thought they were shouting to, is often the kind of savior we cry out to.

They were so oppressed by abusive taxation and hieratical rule that they believed Jesus was showing up to take over the city and claim the throne and change the political and economical and social landscape.  But Jesus didn’t come to be the popular leader of the day who would change the political, social, and economical landscape; the kind of leader who would ride his fame to the top.   Jesus was an altogether different leader!  Jesus was coming not to bring temporary solutions or patches of policy remix.  He was coming to bring life to what was dead.

He was coming to find what was totally and utterly lost in the darkness.  And instead of climbing up on the throne, he let himself be caught, falsely accused, beaten, lied about and condemned to death.  So much so that many of those who, a week earlier screamed “Hosanna” with Palm branches, hoping for a temporary fix to their problems, now yelled “Crucify Him” when they saw he wouldn’t give them what they wanted right then.

Here is the thing:   Don’t you and I do this all the time?  We go to God or come to church hoping for God to simply make what we already have better.  Or to make what once worked the way we liked it work again.  Or that he would give us a little more of what we have.

And when he doesn’t deliver the way we want, we bail on him too.  Some leave the church or the club. Some stay but are not truly surrendered to him, trusting in him, enjoying him. We are guilty of crying out for a Prosperity Gospel.  A “fix my circumstances for me now and then I will praise you” kind of leader.

Thank God for Jesus Christ.

Thank God that we have a God that loves us despite our selfish ways and worldly idol worship.   We have a God who rode on the back of lowly donkey into the city that long ago Palm Sunday knowing he was bringing to his enemies a salvation that was far beyond politics, the economy and social stability. He was saving us from eternal death.

So, when we sing “Hosanna” now in these days after Jesus’ death and resurrection, which has saved us forever from our deserved punishment, we must see and sing, “Salvation has come!!!!”   “Salvation has come!!!!”

The Son of David has come.   He has saved us from guilt and fear and hopelessness.  Salvation!

Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son!   Hosanna!  Hosanna in the highest!  The King has Come!

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd / Soldiers for Jesus MC / Bakersfield CA

Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20:1 One day, as Jesus¹ was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant² to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

  “‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone’?³

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,⁴ but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius.⁵ Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man⁶ must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons⁷ of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

  “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
  “Sit at my right hand,
43     until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Footnotes

[1] 20:1 Greek he

[2] 20:10 Or bondservant; also verse 11

[3] 20:17 Greek the head of the corner

[4] 20:21 Greek and do not receive a face

[5] 20:24 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer

[6] 20:28 Greek his brother

[7] 20:36 Greek huioi; see Preface

(ESV)

Luke 19

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,¹ he gave them ten minas,² and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!³ Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

The Triumphal Entry

28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

Footnotes

[1] 19:13 Or bondservants; also verse 15

[2] 19:13 A mina was about three months’ wages for a laborer

[3] 19:17 Or bondservant; also verse 22

(ESV)