Jesus' Final Visit to JerusalemSample

Jesus Returns to the Temple

The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. As Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off beside the road. He went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it, and immediately the fig tree withered up.

When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” 7

After that, he taught daily in the Temple. But when the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the other leaders of the people heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they could think of nothing because all the people hung on every word he said. They were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.

The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’ 8 ”

That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city. Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”

Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it. If you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Footnotes:

7 Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11.

8 Ps 8:2 (Greek version).