**The Triumphal Entry and the Cleansing of the Temple**
The morning sun cast golden rays over the Mount of Olives, painting the dusty path that wound down toward Jerusalem in hues of amber and bronze. The air was thick with anticipation, for the city was bustling with pilgrims who had come to celebrate the Passover. Among the crowds, whispers spread like wildfire—Jesus of Nazareth was coming.
Jesus stood at the crest of the hill, His gaze fixed upon the holy city. His disciples gathered close, sensing the weight of the moment. Turning to two of them, He said, *”Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”*
The disciples obeyed, and soon they returned, leading a gentle donkey and her young colt. The people watching murmured in awe, for they recognized the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy: *”Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”* (Zechariah 9:9).
As Jesus mounted the colt, a great wave of excitement swept through the crowd. Some spread their cloaks on the road before Him, while others cut branches from nearby palm trees and laid them down, creating a royal path fit for a king. The air rang with shouts of *”Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”*
The children danced alongside Him, their voices pure and unrestrained, crying out praises. The Pharisees, scowling from the edges of the crowd, muttered among themselves, *”Teacher, rebuke Your disciples!”* But Jesus answered, *”I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”*
As He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred. Some asked, *”Who is this?”* And the crowds answered, *”This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”*
### **The Cleansing of the Temple**
The next morning, Jesus returned to Jerusalem. The Temple, meant to be a house of prayer, had become a den of thieves. Merchants haggled over the price of sacrificial doves, moneychangers clinked coins loudly, and the sacred courts echoed with the noise of commerce rather than worship.
A righteous fire burned in Jesus’ eyes as He strode into the chaos. Without hesitation, He overturned the tables of the money changers, sending coins scattering across the stone floor. The benches of those selling doves crashed to the ground as He declared, *”It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers!’”*
The blind and the lame, who had been pushed aside by the greedy merchants, now came to Him in the Temple courts, and He healed them all. The children, still filled with joy from the day before, cried out again, *”Hosanna to the Son of David!”*
The chief priests and scribes, furious at both His actions and the adoration of the people, demanded, *”Do You hear what these children are saying?”* Jesus replied, *”Yes. Have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants You, Lord, have called forth Your praise’?”*
### **The Withered Fig Tree**
Leaving the city that evening, Jesus and His disciples passed a fig tree by the roadside. Hungry, He approached it, but found only leaves—no fruit. Though it was not the season for figs, Jesus saw in it a symbol of Israel’s spiritual barrenness. He said to the tree, *”May you never bear fruit again!”* Immediately, the tree withered.
The disciples marveled, *”How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”* Jesus answered, *”Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”*
### **The Authority of Jesus Questioned**
When He returned to the Temple, the chief priests and elders confronted Him. *”By what authority are You doing these things?”* they demanded. *”And who gave You this authority?”*
Jesus, knowing their hearts were set on trapping Him, replied, *”I will also ask you one question. If you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”*
The leaders whispered among themselves. If they said *”from heaven,”* Jesus would ask why they did not believe John. But if they said *”of human origin,”* they feared the people, who held John as a prophet. At last, they muttered, *”We do not know.”*
Jesus said, *”Then neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”*
And with that, He turned away, leaving them in their pride and unbelief, while the crowds hung on His every word, sensing that the Kingdom of God was near.
