But Jesus called them to himself [and] said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them.

As they [i.e., the twelve apostles and Jesus] were leaving Jericho [Note: This was a town about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem], a huge crowd followed them.

And behold, [there were] two blind men sitting beside the road. [When they] heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, saying, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"

And Jesus stopped, called them, and said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

And having compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received [their] sight and followed him.

And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying to them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her; loose and bring them to me.

So the disciples went and did just as Jesus directed them,

They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their coats upon them, and Jesus took His seat on them.

Then Jesus seated himself upon them, and most of the crowd kept spreading their cloaks on the road, and others began cutting branches off the trees, and spreading them in the road.

And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee!"

And Jesus entered the temple [courts] and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those who were selling doves.

But when the leading priests and the experts in the law of Moses saw the wonderful things [i.e., miracles] He was performing and [heard] the children shouting in the Temple, "Hosanna to the son of David," [See note at verse 9], they were filled with anger [i.e., over the acclaim being given to Jesus].

And they said to him, "Do you hear what these [children] are saying?" So Jesus said to them, "Yes, have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing babies you have prepared for yourself praise'?"

Jesus told them, "Yes! Haven't you ever read, "From the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have created praise'?" Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

Now in the morning, as Jesus returned to the city [of Jerusalem], He became hungry.

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will do not only [what was done to] the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea," it will happen!

Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "I also will ask you one question. If you tell [the answer] to me, I also will tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

And they answered [and] said to Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these [things].

Which of the two did the will of [his] father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God!

Jesus told them, "I tell all of you with certainty, tax collectors and prostitutes will get into God's kingdom ahead of you! John came to you living a righteous life, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. But even when you saw that, you didn't change your minds at last and believe him."

Jesus says to them, Did you never see in the Writings, The stone which the builders put on one side, the same has been made the chief stone of the building: this was the Lord's doing, and it is a wonder in our eyes?

And when the leading priests and Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they realized He was speaking about them.

When they attempted to arrest Him, [they hesitated because] they feared [what] the crowds [might do], since they considered Jesus a prophet.

And Jesus, talking to them again in stories, said:

Then the Pharisees conspired as to how they could trap Jesus by what He said.

But Jesus saw their trick and said, Oh false ones, why are you attempting to put me in the wrong?

Jesus said to them, "Whose image is this, and whose inscription?"

Some Sadducees [Note: These were the Jewish party that denied there was a resurrection] came to Jesus that day and asked Him,

For they all had her. Jesus answering said to them, Ye err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

But Jesus said to them in answer, You are in error, not having knowledge of the Writings, or of the power of God.

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced [the objections of] the Sadducees, they gathered together [i.e., to continue plotting against Jesus. See verse 15].

Jesus said unto him, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'

Now while the Pharisees were together, Jesus put a question to them, saying,

"How is it, then," Jesus replied, "that David, speaking under inspiration, calls him 'lord,' in the passage-

[Psa. 110:1] 'The Lord [i.e., God] said to my [i.e., David's] Lord [i.e., Jesus], sit at my right side until I put your enemies [in full subjection] beneath your feet.'

If David then could call Him [i.e., Jesus] Lord, how could He be his son?"

No one was able to answer [Jesus' reasoning] with [so much as] a word, and no one dared to ask Him any more questions from that day onward.

Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:

But you should not assume the title 'Rabbi,' for [only] one is your teacher [i.e., Jesus Himself] and all of you are [simply] brothers.

And Jesus went out of the Temple, and on the way his disciples came to him, pointing out the buildings of the Temple.

Jesus said unto them, "See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be here left one stone upon another, that shall not be cast down."

So, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately and said: "Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your Coming, and of the close of the age."

And Jesus said to them in answer, Take care that you are not tricked.

And you will hear of wars [going on] and rumors of [other] wars [pending]. Do not worry, for such things must necessarily happen. But the end has not yet come. [Note: By "the end" here Jesus probably alludes to the downfall of Jerusalem, in AD 70, with its attending destruction of the Temple buildings].

In the same way also, when you see all these things happening, you [should] know that He [i.e., Jesus] is as near as your [front] door.

And when Jesus had come to the end of all these words, he said to his disciples,

And they made designs together to take Jesus by some trick, and put him to death.

Now [while] Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,

But Jesus, knowing [this], said to them, "Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a good deed for me.

and said, "What would you give me if I turned Jesus over to you?" And they weighed out thirty silver coins [Note: This amount was equivalent to about five months of a farm laborer's wages, or approximately $7,000 in 1994], and promised [See Mark 14:11] to give him that much money.

So, from then on Judas looked for a [good] opportunity to turn Jesus over [to the Jewish leaders].

Now on the first [day] of the feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came up to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"

And He said, Go into the city, to such a man, and tell him, The master saith, my time is near, I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples: and the disciples did as Jesus ordered them,

And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the dinner table with His twelve apostles.

and the meal was proceeding, when Jesus said, "In solemn truth I tell you that one of you will betray me."

"The one who dipped his bread beside me in the dish," replied Jesus, "is the one who will betray me.

Then Judas, who afterward betrayed Him, answered by asking, "It cannot be I, can it, Rabbi?" Jesus answered him, "Yes, you are the man."

Now [while] they were eating Jesus took bread and, [after] giving thanks, he broke [it], and giving [it] to the disciples, he said, "Take, eat, this is my body."

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!"

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there [and] pray."

Then said Jesus unto them, "My soul is heavy even unto the death. Tarry ye here: and watch with me."

Just then, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A large crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests and elders of the people.

And he came up to Jesus immediately [and] said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed him.

And Jesus said to him, "Friend, [do that] for which you have come." Then they came up [and] laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

And behold, one of those with Jesus extended his hand [and] drew his sword, and striking the slave of the high priest, cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword.

Or, do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father and He will immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels [i.e., Jesus could have called about 72,000 angels to minister to Him. See Matt. 4:11]?

At that time Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a robber, to arrest me? Every day in the temple [courts] I sat teaching, and you did not arrest me!

But all of this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and ran away.

Now those who had arrested Jesus led [him] away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered.

But Peter followed Him from a distance [as they were going] to the courtyard of the head priest. He went inside [i.e., eventually. See John 18:15-16] and sat down with the [Jewish] officers to see how things would turn out [i.e., with Jesus' trial].

Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death.

and said, "This man [i.e., Jesus] said, 'I can destroy the Temple of God, and [then] rebuild it within three days.'"

Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?"

But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, "I put you under oath by the living God, that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!"

Jesus said to him, "You have said [it]. But I tell you, from now [on] you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven."

saying, "Prophesy to us, you 'Christ.' Tell us who hit you?" [Note: By this time Jesus had been blindfolded. See Mark 14:65].

Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a female slave came up to him [and] said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean."

And [when he] went out to the gateway, another [female slave] saw him and said to those [who were] there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

And a little later, those standing nearby came to Peter and said, "[We know] for sure, you also are one of them [i.e., Jesus' disciples], because your accent gives you away."

And Peter remembered the statement Jesus had said, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times," and he went outside [and] wept bitterly.

Now [when it] was early morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus in order to put him to death.

Then Judas, who betrayed him, when he saw that Jesus was condemned, felt remorse, and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

So Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" And Jesus said, "You say [so]."

While charges were being brought against him by the Chief Priests and Councillors, Jesus made no reply.

Yet Jesus made no reply--not even a single word; at which the Governor was greatly astonished.

And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.

So [after] they had assembled, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you--Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?"

For he knew that the reason they had turned Jesus over to him was out of envy.

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds that they should ask for Barabbas and put Jesus to death.

Pilate said to them, "What then should I do [with] Jesus, the one who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified!"

Then he released Barabbas for them, but [after] he had Jesus flogged, he handed [him] over so that he could be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's residence [and] gathered the whole cohort to him.

As they were going out of the city, they found a Cyrenian named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.

and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink. But after tasting it, he would not drink it.

And they put above his head the charge against him {in writing}: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."