Matthew 21:1-46

Illustration of Matthew 21:23-27 NLT -- Jesus went into the temple area. While Jesus was teaching there, the leading priests and the older leaders of the people came to Jesus. They said to Jesus, "Tell us! What authority (power) do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?" Jesus answered, "I will ask you a question too. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from God or was it only from other people?" The priests and the Jewish leaders talked about Jesus' question. They said to each other, "If we answer, 'John's baptism was from God,' then Jesus will say, 'Then why didn't you believe John?' But we can't say John's baptism was from someone else. We are afraid of the people, because they all believe that John was a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We don't know {where John's authority came from}." Then Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you what authority I have to do these things!"

Illustration of Matthew 21:28-32 NLT -- "Tell me what you think about this: There was a man that had two sons. The man went to the first son and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' "The son answered, 'I will not go.' But later the son decided he should go, and the son went. "Then the father went to the other son and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' The son answered, 'Yes, sir, I will go and work.' But the son did not go. "Which of the two sons obeyed his father?" The Jewish leaders answered, "The first son." Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth. {You think} the tax collectors and the prostitutes {are bad people. But they} will enter the kingdom of God before you enter. John came showing you the right way to live. And you did not believe John. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed John. And you saw that the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. But you still refused to change and believe him."

Illustration of Matthew 21:18-22 NLT -- Early the next morning, Jesus was going back to the city. Jesus was very hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree beside the road. Jesus went to the fig tree {to get a fig to eat}. But there were no figs on the tree. There were only leaves. So Jesus said to the tree, "You will never again have fruit!" And then the tree dried up and died. The followers saw this. They were very surprised. They asked, "How did the fig tree dry up and die so quickly?" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth. If you have faith and no doubts, you will be able to do the same as I did to this tree. And you will be able to do more. You will be able to say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have faith, it will happen. If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer."

Illustration of Matthew 21:4-7 NLT -- This happened to make clear the full meaning of what the prophet said: "Tell the city of Zion, 'Now your king is coming to you. He is humble and he is riding on a donkey. He is riding on a young donkey, born from a work animal.'" The followers went and did what Jesus told them to do. The followers brought the mother donkey and the young donkey to Jesus. They put their coats on the donkeys, and Jesus sat on the coats.

Illustration of Matthew 21:33-36 NLT -- "Listen to this story: There was a man that owned a vineyard. He put a wall around the field and dug a hole for a wine press. Then the man built a tower. He leased the land to some farmers. Then he left for a trip. Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent his servants to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. "But the farmers grabbed the servants and beat one. They killed another one and then killed a third servant with rocks. So the man sent some other servants to the farmers. The man sent more servants than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to the servants that they did the first time."

Illustration of Matthew 21:8-11 NLT -- {Jesus rode along the road to Jerusalem.} Many people spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Other people cut branches from the trees and spread the branches on the road. Some of the people were walking ahead of Jesus. Other people were walking behind Jesus. The people shouted, "Praise to the Son of David! 'Welcome! God bless the One that comes in the name of the Lord!' Praise to God in heaven!" Then Jesus went into Jerusalem. All the people in the city were confused. They asked, "Who is this man?" The many people following Jesus answered, "This man is Jesus. He is the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee."

Illustration of Matthew 21:14-17 NLT -- The blind and the lame came to [Jesus] 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.'" Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.

Illustration of Matthew 21:37-39 NLT -- "So the man decided to send his son to the farmers. The man said, 'The farmers will respect my son.' "But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the owner's son. This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, then it will be ours!' So the farmers took the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him."

Illustration of Matthew 21:42-44 NLT -- Jesus said to them, "Surely you have read this in the Scriptures: 'The stone that the builders did not want became the cornerstone. The Lord did this, and it is wonderful to us.' So I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you. God's kingdom will be given to people that do the things God wants in his kingdom. The person that falls on this stone will be broken. And if the stone falls on a person, then it will crush that person."

Illustration of Matthew 21:1-3 NLT -- Jesus and his followers were coming closer to Jerusalem. But first they stopped at Bethphage at the hill called the Mount of Olives. There Jesus sent two of his followers into the town. Jesus said to the followers, "Go to the town you can see there. When you enter it, you will find a donkey tied there. With the donkey you will find a young donkey. Untie the two donkeys and bring them to me. If any person asks you why you are taking the donkeys, tell that person, 'The Master needs these donkeys. He will send them back soon.'"

Illustration of Matthew 21:14-15 NLT -- 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."

Illustration of Matthew 21:40-41 NLT -- "So what will the owner of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?" The Jewish priests and leaders said, "He will surely kill those evil men. Then he will lease the land to some other farmers. He will lease it to farmers that will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

Illustration of Matthew 21:45-46 NLT -- The leading priests and the Pharisees heard these stories that Jesus told. They knew that Jesus was talking about them. They wanted to find a way to arrest Jesus. But they were afraid of the people, because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.

Illustration of Matthew 21:12-13 NLT -- Jesus went into the temple area. He threw out all the people that were selling and buying things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to the men that were exchanging different kinds of money. And Jesus turned over the benches of those men that were selling doves. Jesus said to all the people there, "It is written {in the Scriptures}, 'My house will be called a house for prayer.' But you are changing God's house into a 'hiding place for thieves.'"

Illustration of Matthew 21:9 NLT -- "Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD! Praise God in highest heaven!"