CHAPTER 20

Early Monday morning, Jesus left Bethany and was walking along the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem.

As he was walking, he became hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance by the road. He went over to it, but it had no figs. Then the disciples heard Jesus say to the fig tree, “You will never produce figs again!” Immediately the tree dried up and died. The cursing of the unfruitful fig tree was a symbolic judgment upon Israel. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and asked each other, “How did the fig tree die so quickly?”

Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only be able to do what I did to this fig tree, but you can also tell this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will happen. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

When Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem, they went into an area of the temple. Then Jesus began driving out those who were buying and selling sacrifices there. He turned over the wooden tables of the money changers, and the chairs of those selling doves for sacrifices. He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise and other objects through the temple court. Jesus was teaching and said to them, “It is written in Isaiah 56:7, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. But as it is written in Jeremiah 7:11, ‘You are mak- ing it a den of robbers.’”

The religious leaders became furious when they heard what Jesus was saying and saw the wonderful things that he was doing. The children were shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The religious leaders asked Jesus, “Don’t you hear what these children are shouting?” Jesus said to them, “Yes, haven’t you ever read Psalm 8:2? It says, ‘From the lips of children, you Lord, have called forth your praise.’”

The religious leaders began looking for a a way to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of all the people who were listening intently to every word he spoke.

At that time there were some non-Jews among the people who went up to worship at the Passover Festival. They went to Philip and said to him, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew, and they went and told Jesus. Jesus said to them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the truth: Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

Jesus was greatly troubled and prayed, “Father, deliver me from this time of suffering. Yet I know it was for this very reason that I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven and said, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

A crowd of people that was there heard the voice and said it sounded like thunder. Others said, “An angel spoke to him!” Jesus said, “This voice was for your good, not mine. Now is the time for judgment to come on this world. And now, Satan—the ruler of this world—will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself!”

Jesus said this to tell the people about his crucifixion— the kind of death he was going to die.

The crowd of people were confused and said, “We have heard that the Messiah will stay in this world forever. So how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this ‘Son of Man?’” Then Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overcomes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Believe in the light while you have light, so that you will become children of light.”

When Jesus finished teaching, he left and hid from them.

Even after Jesus had performed many miracles in their presence, the religious leaders still refused to believe in him. This fulfilled the words of Isaiah 53:1, “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this is why they did not believe, because as it is written in Isaiah 6:10, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they cannot see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn to God and be healed.” The prophet Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

Although many people—even among the religious leaders—believed in Jesus, they did not tell anyone about their faith because they were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue. They loved to receive human praise more than praise from God.

Then Jesus shouted out in the temple, “Whoever believes in me also believes in the one who sent me into this world. Whoever sees me, sees the one who sent me. I came into this world as the light, so that whoever believes in me will not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my teaching, but does not practice it, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge this world, but to save this world. There is a judge for the person who rejects me and does not believe in my teaching; because the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I do not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his commandment leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is exactly what the Father told me to say.”

It was getting late on Monday evening, so Jesus and his disciples left the temple and walked back across the Kidron Valley and along the Mount of Olives to the village of Bethany where they spent the night.