Jesus Enters Jerusalem

Title Ideas:Jesus Enters Jerusalem.Jesus chases cheaters from God’s temple .

One week before Jesus died, he and some disciples went to Jerusalem. Before they entered the city [Jerusalem], Jesus told two disciples to go to a [certain] nearby village. He said,

“There you will see two donkeys tethered [tied to a stake]. Bring the younger one to me. If anyone asks why you are taking it, say, ‘The Lord needs it,’ [and they will allow you to take it]!”

When the two disciples entered into the [certain] village, they saw two donkeys tethered. As they untied the younger one [donkey], some men asked them, “Why are you untying that donkey?”

The disciples replied, “The Lord needs it,” and the men allowed them to take the donkey.

They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and they laid some garments [coats / clothing] on the donkey’s back. Jesus then mounted the donkey and rode it towards the city [Jerusalem].

As Jesus rode towards the city, crowds of people honored him by laying their garments [clothing] and [palm] tree branches on the road before him.

The crowds were shouting. “We praise God!”“May God honor the King [Jesus]!”“The Lord has sent us his Messiah [King]!”

However, Jesus knew that the Jewish priests and most people there and the Roman soldiers were going to reject him, beat him and kill him. And so, as Jesus came near to the city [wall], he began to weep for the many people who did not realize that God himself was visiting them in human form.

Jesus felt sad, because he knew that, one day, enemy [Roman] armies would destroy the temple and the city, and lead many people away and make them slaves.

Jesus rode the donkey into the city, dismounted it, and entered into the temple. There he found people buying and selling animals, and exchanging money [doing business / to gain more money].

Jesus became so angry at their greedy actions [businesses], he pushed over their money tables and animal cages.

He stopped everyone who was selling or buying animals to make sacrifices.

Jesus shouted, “God says, ‘In my temple, you must pray for me to do good for all people [tribes] in every country!’ But you have come here to cheat others [by selling animals and exchanging money for high prices]!”

[After that day] Jesus went back to the temple each day, teaching the crowds [many people] about God and healing all who were sick.

This made the chief priests and other religious leaders so angry, that they wanted to kill him [Jesus]. But they did not do so, because they feared the crowds [many common people]. Common people liked to see Jesus’ do miracles and hear him teach [about God].

The chief priests and other religious leaders listened carefully to every word Jesus said, so they could trap him and accuse him of lying about God, and then kill him [Jesus].