April 4, 30 A.D. or 783 A.U.C.

¹⁹Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!”

Immediately the fig tree withered away. ²⁰When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”

²⁰As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots. ²¹Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

²¹Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done. ²²All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

²²Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. ²⁴Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them. ²⁵Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. ²⁶But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.” ^c

²³When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”

²⁴Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.” ²⁷They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.”

He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁷They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him, ²⁸and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

²⁹Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”

³¹They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³²If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet. ³³They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

¹It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, that the [1]priests and scribes came to him with the elders. ²They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”

³He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me: ⁴the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

⁵They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” ⁷They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.

⁸Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

[1]20:1 TR adds “chief”

²⁸But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ ²⁹He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went. ³⁰He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he didn’t go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you. ³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

³³“Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country. ³⁴When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.

¹He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. ²When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. ³They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. ⁴Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. ⁵Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some. ⁶Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. ⁹What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰Haven’t you even read this Scripture:

[1]12:11 Psalm 118:22-23

⁹He began to tell the people this parable. “A [1]man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time. ¹⁰At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty. ¹¹He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. ¹²He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out. ¹³The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’

¹⁴“But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ ¹⁵They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!”

¹⁷But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written,

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

the same was made the chief cornerstone?’[2]

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces,

but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”

[1]20:9 NU (in brackets) and TR add “certain”

[2]20:17 Psalm 118:22

⁴⁵When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them. ⁴⁶When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

¹²They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.

¹⁹The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

¹Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying, ²“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, ³and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come. ⁴Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have made ready my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast!”’ ⁵But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise, ⁶and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

⁸“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.’ ¹⁰Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests. ¹¹But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, ¹²and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless. ¹³Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’ ^{d 14}For many are called, but few chosen.” ^e

¹⁵Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk. ¹⁶They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. ¹⁷Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

¹⁸But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the tax money.”

They brought to him a denarius.

²⁰He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”

²¹They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

²²When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.

¹³They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words. ¹⁴When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give?”

But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”

¹⁶They brought it.

He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”

They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

¹⁷Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

They marveled greatly at him.

²⁰They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. ²¹They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. ²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

²³But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me? ²⁴Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”

They answered, “Caesar’s.”

²⁵He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

²⁶They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.

²³On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him, ²⁴saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.’ ²⁵Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no seed left his wife to his brother. ²⁶In like manner the second also, and the third, to the seventh. ²⁷After them all, the woman died. ²⁸In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”

²⁹But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven. ³¹But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, ³²‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’[1] God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

³³When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

[1]22:32 Exodus 3:6

¹⁸There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying, ¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.’ ²⁰There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring. ²¹The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise; ²²and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died. ²³In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”

²⁴Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God? ²⁵For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶But about the dead, that they are raised; haven’t you read in the book of Moses, about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[1]? ²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”

[1]12:26 Exodus 3:6

²⁷Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection. ²⁸They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. ²⁹There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless. ³⁰The second took her as wife, and he died childless. ³¹The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died. ³²Afterward the woman also died. ³³Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”

³⁴Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage. ³⁵But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. ³⁶For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. ³⁷But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[1] ³⁸Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”

³⁹Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.” ⁴⁰They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.

[1]20:37 Exodus 3:6

³⁴But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. ³⁵One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. ³⁶“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

³⁷Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[1] ³⁸This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[2] ⁴⁰The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

[1]22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5

[2]22:39 Leviticus 19:18

²⁸One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”

²⁹Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: ³⁰you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[1] This is the first commandment. ³¹The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[2] There is no other commandment greater than these.”

³²The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, ³³and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

No one dared ask him any question after that.

[1]12:30 Deuteronomy 6:4-5

[2]12:31 Leviticus 19:18

⁴¹Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, ⁴²saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?”

They said to him, “Of David.”

⁴³He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,

⁴⁶No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forth.

[1]22:44 Psalm 110:1

³⁵Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶For David himself said in the Holy Spirit,

³⁷Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?”

The common people heard him gladly.

[1]12:36 Psalm 110:1

⁴¹He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son? ⁴²David himself says in the book of Psalms,

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

[1]20:43 Psalm 110:1

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! ³⁸Behold, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[1]

[1]23:39 Psalm 118:26

⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. ⁴²A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins,[1] which equal a quadrans coin.[2] ⁴³He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, ⁴⁴for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”

[1]12:42 literally, lepta (or widow’s mites). Lepta are very small brass coins worth half a quadrans each, which is a quarter of the copper assarion. Lepta are worth less than 1% of an agricultural worker’s daily wages.

[2]12:42 A quadrans is a coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius. A denarius is about one day’s wages for an agricultural laborer.

¹He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. ²He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.[1] ³He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, ⁴for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”

[1]21:2 literally, “two lepta.” 2 lepta was about 1% of a day’s wages for an agricultural laborer.

²⁰Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast. ²¹These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” ²²Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus. ²³Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this time. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!”

Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

²⁹The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”

³⁰Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. ³²And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die. ³⁴The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever.[1] How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

[1]12:34 Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 2:44 (but see also Isaiah 53:8)

³⁷But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, ³⁸that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke,

⁴¹Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.[3] ⁴²Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, ⁴³for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. ⁴⁵He who sees me sees him who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. ⁴⁷If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. ⁵⁰I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

[1]12:38 Isaiah 53:1

[2]12:40 Isaiah 6:10

[3]12:41 Isaiah 6:1

a) See No. 216.

b) See Matt. 17:20; No. 121. Luke 17:6; No. 186. .

c) See Matt. 6:14, 15; No. 72: 12.

d) See Matt. 8:11, 12; 13:42, 50; 24:51. Luke 13: 28, 29. Nos. 73; 82, 11, 14; 240, 3; 171.

e) See Matt. 20:16; No. 204.

f) Compare Luke 10:25-28; No. 148.

g) Compare also Luke 11:37-54; No. 154.

h) Compare Luke 11:49-51; No. 154.

i) Compare Luke 13:34.35; No. 173.

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.