Jews from many countries are arriving in Jerusalem to purify themselves.

Visiting the temple, they look for Jesus and speculate with their acquaintances.

What do you think, that he won’t show himself?

The chief priests and Pharisees give word that they should be told if Jesus is seen, they will have him arrested.

They don’t know that he is near Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives and is about to enter the city.

Go to Bethphage.

You see a tethered donkey and her colt.

Untie them and bring them here.

If anyone talks to you, say, The Lord needs them and will return them soon.

The two go into the village and find a donkey and her colt tied to a door near a street corner.

They begin to untie them.

Some people standing in the street ask them, What are you doing untying these animals?

They answer as Jesus told them and take the animals.

They bring them to Jesus and put on the colt’s back blankets for him to sit on.

Then they head towards Jerusalem, the donkey leading, the colt following her, Jesus riding on the colt, as in Zechariah’s prophecy, Near Jerusalem a large crowd comes out to see him.

They want to see Jesus and also Lazarus.

Some spread clothes along the path.

Others cut down palm branches and lay them down.

The crowd shouting, Long live the son of David.

Hail to him who comes in the Lord’s name.

Long live our father David’s kingdom that comes in the Lord’s name.

Hail to the highest.

Master, stop these people.

If they stopped, the stones would cry out.

He comes to the eastern gate.

From the walls people ask, Who’s coming?

And are told, Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.

The Pharisees complain among themselves.

Now what can we do?

The world’s mad for him.

Jesus enters the city and weeps.

If only you could see that this is your hour of freedom.

But freedom is hidden from your eyes.

The time is coming when your enemies will surround your walls.

They will encircle you and hem you in everywhere.

They will lay you and your children flat and break you and grind you to powder because you did not know when God came to you.

He sees a fig tree in the distance and goes to it.

It is covered with leaves but has no fruit since it is not the season.

Let no one ever eat fruit from you.

He goes to the temple and sees money changers and sellers of sheep, oxen and doves.

Making a knot of cords, he drives the money changers and sellers out of the temple and overturns their tables and chairs.

Take these things away.

Don’t make my father’s house a house of trade.

It’s written, my house is a house of prayer for all people.

You’ve made it the home of robbers.

What right have you to do what you’re doing?

Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.

The temple took 46 years to build and you’d rebuild it in three days?

But others recall the psalm, zeal for your house eats me up and the scorn of them that scorn you is fallen on me.

Cripples come to him, he makes them whole.

Children are chanting, long live the son of David.

Do you hear what they’re saying?

I hear.

Haven’t you read?

To the tongues of babes and sucklings you have given strength because of your enemies.