Jesus Goes to the Temple

¹⁵Jesus went to Jerusalem. He went into the temple* area. Jesus began to throw out the people that were selling and buying things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to the people that were exchanging different kinds of money. And Jesus turned over the benches of those people that were selling doves. ¹⁶Jesus refused to allow any person to carry things through the temple area. ¹⁷Then Jesus taught the people. He said, "It is written in the Scriptures,* 'My house will be called a house for prayer for all people.'* But you are changing God's house into a 'hiding place for thieves.'*" ¹⁸The leading priests and the teachers of the law heard these things. They began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of Jesus because all the people were amazed at his teaching. ¹⁹That night, Jesus and his followers left the city.

Jesus Shows the Power of Faith

²⁰The next morning, Jesus was walking with his followers. They saw the fig tree [that Jesus spoke to the day before]. The fig tree was dry and dead, even the roots. ²¹Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, "Teacher, look! Yesterday, you told that fig tree to die. Now it is dry and dead!" ²²Jesus answered, "Have faith in God. ²³I tell you the truth. You can say to this mountain, 'Go, mountain, fall into the sea.' And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that the thing you say will happen, then God will do it for you. ²⁴So I tell you to ask for things in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours. ²⁵When you are praying, and you remember that you are angry with another person about something, then forgive that person. If you do this, then your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins." ²⁶*

Jewish Leaders Doubt Jesus' Authority

²⁷Jesus and his followers went again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking in the temple* area. The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the older Jewish leaders came to Jesus. ²⁸They said to Jesus, "Tell us! What authority (power) do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?" ²⁹Jesus answered, "I will ask you a question. You answer my question. Then I will tell you whose authority I use to do these things. ³⁰Tell me: When John baptized* people, did that come from God or from man? Answer me!" ³¹These 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?' ³²But if we say, 'John's baptism was from man,' [then the people will be angry with us]." (These leaders were afraid of the people. All the people believed that John was a prophet.*) ³³So the leaders answered Jesus, "We don't know the answer." Jesus said, "Then I will not tell you what authority I use to do these things."

temple The special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship. Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament. 'My house ... people' Quote from Isa. 56:7. 'hiding place for thieves' Quote from Jer. 7:11. Verse 26 Some early Greek copies add verse 26: "But if you don't forgive other people, then your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins." baptized A Greek word meaning to immerse, dip, or bury a person or thing briefly under water. prophet A person that spoke for God.