The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Part 12

 The Harmonized Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Part 12

Chapter 12

When they drew near Jerusalem to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He said to two of His disciples, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The LORD has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” So they went their way and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street and they loosed it. Some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing loosening the colt?” They spoke to them just as JESUS had commanded so they let them go. Then they brought the colt to JESUS and threw their clothes on it and He sat on it. All this was done to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah said, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold your King is coming to you lowly and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

 

A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road others cut down branches from the palm trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out saying,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher rebuke Your disciples.” JESUS answered them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent the stones would immediately cry out.”

 

As He drew near He saw the city and wept over it saying, “If you had known, even you especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! They are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground and they will not leave in you one stone upon another because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

 

When He had come into Jerusalem all the city was moved saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes said, “This is JESUS the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

 

Then JESUS went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? You have made it a ‘den of thieves!’” The scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him. They feared Him because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

 

Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple and He healed them. When the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” JESUS said, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”

 

While JESUS was teaching daily in the temple the chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him and were unable to do anything for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany and He lodged there. His disciples did not understand these things at first but when JESUS was glorified then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. For this reason the people met Him because they heard that He had done this sign. The Pharisees said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!”

 

The next day, when they had come from Bethany, He was hungry and seeing a fig tree having leaves in the distance, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response JESUS said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” and His disciples heard it.

 

There were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and said to him “Sir we wish to see JESUS.” Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told JESUS. JESUS said, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most Truly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone, if it dies it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me let him follow Me and where I am there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. My soul is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father save Me from this hour’? For this purpose I came to this hour rather Father glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” The people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” JESUS answered, “This voice did not come because of Me but for your sake. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said signifying by what death He would die.

 

The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the CHRIST remains forever and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’, who is this Son of Man?” JESUS said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light lest darkness overtake you, he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light that you may become sons of light.”

 

Then JESUS cried out, “He who believes in Me believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. If anyone hears My words and does not believe I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My words has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His command is everlasting life. I speak whatever the Father has told Me.”

 

Although He had done so many signs before them they did not believe in Him that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, “LORD, who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” So they could not believe because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn so that I should heal them.” These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of GOD. These things JESUS spoke then departed and was hidden from them.

 

In the morning as they passed by they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Peter remembering said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” So JESUS said, “Have faith in GOD. For truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done he will have whatever he says. So I say to you whatever things you ask when you pray believe that you receive them and you will have them. Whenever you stand praying if you have anything against anyone forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. If you do not forgive neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses.”

 

When He came into the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?” JESUS answered, “I also will ask you one thing which if you tell Me I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was it from Heaven or from men?” They reasoned among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ If we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered JESUS, “We do not know.” So He said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

 

“What do you think? A man had two sons and he came to the first and said, ‘Son go work today in my vineyard.’ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. Then he came to the second and said likewise. He answered, ‘I go sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” JESUS said to them, “Truly I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the Kingdom of GOD before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it you did not afterward relent and believe him.”

 

“Hear another parable, There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. He leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. When vintage-time drew near he sent his servants to the vinedressers that they might receive its fruit. The vinedressers took his servants beat one, killed one, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first and they did likewise to them. Then last of all he sent his son to them saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ When the vinedressers saw the son they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir come let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. So when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vinedressers?” They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” JESUS said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I say to you the Kingdom of GOD will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken but on whom-ever it falls it will grind him to powder.” When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables they perceived that He was speaking of them. When they sought to lay hands on Him they feared the multitudes because they took Him for a prophet.

 

JESUS spoke to them again by parables and said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come. Again he sent out other servants saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See I have prepared my dinner my oxen and fatted cattle are killed and all things are ready come to the wedding.”’  They made light of it and went their ways one to his own farm, another to his business and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them. So when the king heard about it he was furious he sent out his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready but those who were invited were not worthy therefore go into the highways and as many as you find invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found both bad and good. Then the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to see the guests he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called but few are chosen.”

 

So the Pharisees watched Him and sent spies who pretended to be righteous that they might seize on His words in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. Then they asked Him, “Teacher we know that You say and teach rightly and You do not show personal favoritism but teach the way of GOD in truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” JESUS perceived their craftiness and said to them, “Why do you test Me? Show Me a denarius whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to GOD the things that are GOD’s.” They could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people and they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

 

Then some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection came to Him and they asked Him, “Teacher Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves his wife behind and leaves no children his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers the first took a wife and dying he left no offspring. The second took her and he died and did not leave any offspring. Then the third likewise, so the seven had her and left no offspring. Lastly the woman died, so in the resurrection when they rise whose wife will she be for all seven had her as wife?” JESUS said to them, “Are you not mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of GOD? The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. Those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage nor can they die anymore. They are equal to the angels and are sons of GOD being sons of the resurrection. Even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised when he called the LORD ‘the GOD of Abraham, the GOD of Isaac and the GOD of Jacob.’ He is not the GOD of the dead but of the living for all live to Him.” Then they said, “Teacher You have spoken well.” after that they dared not question Him anymore.

 

Then one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving that He had answered them well asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” JESUS answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our GOD, the LORD is one and you shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. The second like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” So the scribe said to Him, “Well said Teacher, You have spoken the truth for there is one GOD, and there is no other but Him and to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul and with all the strength and to love one’s neighbor as oneself is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When JESUS saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of GOD.” After that no one dared question Him.

 

While the Pharisees were gathered together JESUS asked them saying, “What do you think about the CHRIST? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘LORD,’ saying, ‘The LORD said to my LORD, “Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’? If David then calls Him ‘LORD,’ how is He his Son?” and no one was able to answer Him a word and from that day on no one dared question Him.

 

Then JESUS spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat so that whatever they tell you to observe that observe and do but do not do according to their works for they say and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on men’s shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ Do not be called ‘Rabbi’, for One is your Teacher, the CHRIST and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. He who is greatest among you shall be your servant, whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men. You neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers so you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte and when he is won you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple it is nothing but whoever swears by the gold of the temple he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! Which is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? You say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar it is nothing but whoever swears by the gift that is on it he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! Which is greater the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? So that he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. He who swears by Heaven swears by the throne of GOD and by Him who sits on it. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. Blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you outwardly appear righteous to men but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ So you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets, fill up then the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Indeed I send you prophets wise men and scribes some of them you will kill and crucify and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous bloodshed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Most Truly I say to you all these things will come upon this generation.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

 

One day as JESUS sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury, many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said, “Truthfully I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury. They all put in out of their abundance but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”