32 The men Yeshua sent found it as he had told them. 33 While they were untying the young donkey, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the donkey?"

34 The disciples answered, "The Lord needs it."

35 They brought the donkey to Yeshua, put their coats on it, and helped Yeshua onto it. 36 As he was riding along, people spread their coats on the road. 37 By this time he was coming near the place where the road went down the Mount of Olives. Then the whole crowd of disciples began to praise God for all the miracles they had seen. 38 They shouted joyfully, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven."

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Yeshua, "Teacher, tell your disciples to be quiet."

40 Yeshua replied, "I can guarantee that if they are quiet, the stones will cry out."

41 When he came closer and saw the city, he began to cry. 42 He said, "If you had only known today what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden, so you cannot see it. 43 The time will come when enemy armies will build a wall to surround you and close you in on every side. 44 They will level you to the ground and kill your people. One stone will not be left on top of another, because you didn't recognize the time when God came to help you."

Jesus Throws Out the Moneychangers-Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19 45 Yeshua went into the temple courtyard and began to throw out those who were selling things there. 46 He said to them, "Scripture says, 'My house will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a gathering place for thieves."

47 Yeshua taught in the temple courtyard every day. The chief priests, the experts in Moses' Teachings, and the leaders of the people looked for a way to kill him. 48 But they could not find a way to do it, because all the people were eager to hear him.

Jesus' Authority Challenged-Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33 20 1 One day Yeshua was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them the Good News. The chief priests, the experts in Moses' Teachings, and the leaders came up to him. 2 They asked him, "Tell us, what gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?"

3 Yeshua answered them, "I, too, have a question for you. Tell me, 4 did John's right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?"

5 They talked about this among themselves. They said, "If we say, 'from heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' 6 But if we say, 'from humans,' everyone will stone us to death. They're convinced that John was a prophet." 7 So they answered that they didn't know who gave John the right to baptize.

8 Yeshua told them, "Then I won't tell you why I have the right to do these things."

A Story about a Vineyard-Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12 9 Then, using this illustration, Yeshua spoke to the people: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip.

10 "At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing. 11 So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing. 12 Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out of the vineyard.

13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I'll send my son, whom I love. They'll probably respect him.'

14 "When the workers saw him, they talked it over among themselves. They said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.' 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

"What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will destroy these workers and give the vineyard to others."

Those who heard him said, "That's unthinkable!"

17 Then Yeshua looked straight at them and asked, "What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person."

19 The experts in Moses' Teachings and the chief priests wanted to arrest him right there, but they were afraid of the people. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them.

A Question about Taxes-Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17 20 So they watched for an opportunity to send out some spies. The spies were to act like sincere religious people. They wanted to catch him saying the wrong thing so that they could hand him over to the governor. 21 They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're right in what you say and teach. Besides, you don't play favorites. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to the emperor or not?"

23 He saw through their scheme, so he said to them, 24 "Show me a coin. Whose face and name is this?"

They answered, "The emperor's."

25 He said to them, "Well, then give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God."

26 They couldn't make him say anything wrong in front of the people. His answer surprised them, so they said no more.

The Dead Come Back to Life-Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27 27 Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Yeshua. They asked him, 28 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.' 29 There were seven brothers. The first got married and died without having children. 30 Then the second brother married the widow, 31 and so did the third. In the same way all seven brothers married the widow, died, and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died. 33 Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? The seven brothers had married her."

34 Yeshua said to them, "In this world people get married. 35 But people who are considered worthy to come back to life and live in the next world will neither marry 36 nor die anymore. They are the same as the angels. They are God's children who have come back to life.

37 "Even Moses showed in the passage about the bush that the dead come back to life. He says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 38 He's not the God of the dead but of the living. In God's sight all people are living."

39 Some experts in Moses' Teachings responded, "Teacher, that was well said." 40 From that time on, no one dared to ask him another question.

How Can David's Son Be David's Lord?-Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37a 41 Yeshua said to them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son? 42 David says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Take the highest position in heaven 43 until I make your enemies your footstool."'

44 David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?"

Jesus Disapproves of the Example Set by the Experts in Moses' Teachings-Matthew 23:1-12; Mark 12:37b-40 45 While all the people were listening, Yeshua said to the disciples, 46 "Beware of the experts in Moses' Teachings! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces, to have the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at dinners. 47 They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The experts in Moses' Teachings will receive the most severe punishment."

A Widow's Contribution-Mark 12:41-44 21 1 Looking up, Yeshua saw people, especially the rich, dropping their gifts into the temple offering box. 2 He noticed a poor widow drop in two small coins. 3 He said, "I can guarantee this truth: This poor widow has given more than all the others. 4 All of these people have given what they could spare. But she, in her poverty, has given everything she had to live on."

Jesus Teaches His Disciples-Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-31 5 Some of the disciples were talking about the temple complex. They noted that it was built with fine stones and decorated with beautiful gifts. So Yeshua said, 6 "About these buildings that you see-the time will come when not one of these stones will be left on top of another. Each one will be torn down."

7 The disciples asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? What will be the sign when all this will occur?"

8 Yeshua said, "Be careful that you are not deceived. Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am he!' and 'The time is near.' Don't follow them!

9 "When you hear of wars and revolutions, don't be terrified! These things must happen first, but the end will not come immediately."

10 Then Yeshua continued, "Nation will fight againstnation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and dreadful diseases in various places. Terrifying sights and miraculous signs will come from the sky.

12 "Before all these things happen, people will arrest and persecute you. They will hand you over to their synagogues and put you into their prisons. They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name. 13 It will be your opportunity to testify to them. 14 So make up your minds not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 I will give you words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to oppose or prove wrong.

16 "Even parents, brothers, relatives, and friends will betray you and kill some of you. 17 Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. 18 But not a hair on your head will be lost. 19 By your endurance you will save your life.

20 "When you see armies camped around Jerusalem, realize that the time is near for it to be destroyed. 21 Then those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. Those of you in Jerusalem should leave it. Those of you in the fields shouldn't go back into them. 22 This will be a time of vengeance. Everything that is written about it will come true.

23 "How horrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. Indeed, the land will suffer very hard times, and its people will be punished. 24 Swords will cut them down, and they will be carried off into all nations as prisoners. Nations will trample Jerusalem until the times allowed for the nations to do this are over.

25 "Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint as they fearfully wait for what will happen to the world. Indeed, the powers of the universe will be shaken.

27 "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 "When these things begin to happen, stand with confidence! The time when you will be set free is near."

29 Then Yeshua used this story as an illustration. "Look at the fig tree or any other tree. 30 As soon as leaves grow on them, you know without being told that summer is near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things happen, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 "I can guarantee this truth: This generation will not disappear until all this takes place. 33 The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

No One Knows When the Earth and the Heavens Will Disappear 34 "Make sure that you don't become drunk, hung over, and worried about life. Then that day could suddenly catch you by surprise 35 like a trap that catches a bird. That day will surprise all people who live on the earth. 36 Be alert at all times. Pray so that you have the power to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand in front of the Son of Man."

37 During the day Yeshua would teach in the temple courtyard. But at night he would go to the Mount of Olives (as it was called) and spend the night there. 38 All of the people would get up early to hear him speak in the temple courtyard.

CORNERSTONE, STONE.

In the ancient world, stones were used for building altars, homes, palaces, and temples. When "cornerstone" is mentioned in the Bible, it refers to a particularly important stone that held two rows of stones together in a corner, one that stabilized the structure at the foundation, or one that formed the keystone over an arch or at the top of a roof parapet. In order to hold the structure together, the cornerstone had to be perfectly fitted for the task, both strong and well shaped. A flawed or poorly cut stone would compromise the building's integrity. The Hebrew phrase for cornerstone is rosh pinnah (ROSHE pi-NAH).

In Luke 20:17, Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22. By referring to "the stone that the builders rejected," he was pointing to his own rejection by many in the Jewish nation and by its leaders. But despite this rejection, God's purposes could not be thwarted. In fact, the master builder would make Jesus, through his death and resurrection, the cornerstone on which his kingdom would be built. The Hebrew word for stone is Eben (eh-VEN).

The New Testament portrays the whole community of believers as a holy temple, a spiritual house in which God can dwell. Jesus is the Cornerstone to which we are joined as living stones. As the foundation stone, Jesus is strong enough to hold everything together. He is also the fitting conclusion to all of God's work. But to those who reject Jesus and his saving message, he will not be a cornerstone but a stone of stumbling, because rejection of God's chosen one inevitably brings judgment.

Praying to Our Cornerstone, Stone "Haiti's Agony," "Haiti in Shambles," "Fierce Earthquake Rocks Haiti"-these are just a few of the tragic headlines highlighting the worst disaster to hit this disaster-prone nation in history. In addition to the presidential palace, the Roman Catholic cathedral and all the major churches and seminaries in Port-au-Prince were leveled by the magnitude 7 earthquake that destroyed the city in January 2010. The damage in Haiti was extensive because the nation has no building codes. Even if it did, how could anyone afford to build structures capable of withstanding earthquakes in a country where people only make two dollars a day on average?

Contrast the vulnerability of the cathedral in Port-au-Prince to one of the world's greatest cathedrals, also located in an earthquakeprone area. Though now a mosque, Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul, was once a Byzantine cathedral. It has endured for fifteen centuries even though it has sometimes been damaged by seismic activity. To solve the mystery of why it has stood when so many other structures around it have collapsed, engineers analyzed its building materials and discovered that it is made out of earthquake-resistant cement, thereby minimizing its vulnerability and enabling it to withstand a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Clearly, the way you build anything makes a difference in how long it will endure.

That's true in the spiritual world as well. Jesus says that everyone who hears his words and puts them into practice is like a wise person who builds his house on a rock. Conversely, anyone who hears his words and fails to put them into practice is like a person who builds his house on sand. It will only be a matter of time until his house comes crashing down.

Wherever we live, we will encounter pressures that will shake us, sometimes to the core. But if our lives are connected to Christ, we will not be destroyed. Jesus is the Cornerstone, the strong foundation on which we can base our lives. Anything else won't last.

Lord, I have learned how flimsy the things I depend on really are. They can be destroyed in an instant. But the kingdom you are building will endure forever. Thank you for being the perfect Cornerstone and for calling me to be a living stone, part of the house that you are building, a house that will last forever.

Promises Associated with the Name CORNERSTONE, STONE.

This is what Adonay Yahweh says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes in him will not worry. (Isaiah 28:16)

The Plot to Kill Jesus-Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16; Mark 14:1-2, 10-11; John 11:45-57 22 1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the experts in Moses' Teachings were looking for some way to kill Yeshua. However, they were afraid of the people.

3 Then Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles. 4 Judas went to the chief priests and the temple guards and discussed with them how he could betray Yeshua. 5 They were pleased and agreed to give him some money. 6 So Judas promised to do it. He kept looking for an opportunity to betray Yeshua to them when there was no crowd.

The Passover-Matthew 26:17-20; Mark 14:12-17 7 The day came during the Festival of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb had to be killed. 8 Yeshua sent Peter and John and told them, "Go, prepare the Passover lamb for us to eat."

9 They asked him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?"

10 He told them, "Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him into the house he enters. 11 Tell the owner of the house that the teacher asks, 'Where is the room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' 12 He will take you upstairs and show you a large furnished room. Get things ready there."

13 The disciples left. They found everything as Yeshua had told them and prepared the Passover.

14 When it was time to eat the Passover meal, Yeshua and the apostles were at the table. 15 Yeshua said to them, "I've had a deep desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 I can guarantee that I won't eat it again until it finds its fulfillment in the kingdom of God." 17 Then he took a cup and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He said, "Take this, and share it. 18 I can guarantee that from now on I won't drink this wine until the kingdom of God comes."

The Lord's Supper-Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26 19 Then Yeshua took bread and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread, gave it to them, and said, "This is my body, which is given up for you. Do this to remember me."

20 When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new promisea made with my blood."

Jesus Knows Who Will Betray Him-Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; John 13:21-30 21 "The hand of the one who will betray me is with me on the table. 22 The Son of Man is going to die the way it has been planned for him. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays him."

23 So they began to discuss with each other who could do such a thing.

An Argument about Greatness 24 Then a quarrel broke out among the disciples. They argued about who should be considered the greatest.

25 Yeshua said to them, "The kings of nations have power over their people, and those in authority call themselves friends of the people. 26 But you're not going to be that way! Rather, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and your leader must be like a servant. 27 Who's the greatest, the person who sits at the table or the servant? Isn't it really the person who sits at the table? But I'm among you as a servant.

28 "You have stood by me in the troubles that have tested me. 29 So as my Father has given me a kingdom, I'm giving it to you. 30 You will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. You will also sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel."

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial-Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; John 13:36-38 31 Then the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you apostles for himself. He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. So when you recover, strengthen the other disciples."

33 But Peter said to him, "Lord, I'm ready to go to prison with you and to die with you."

34 Yeshua replied, "Peter, I can guarantee that the rooster won't crow tonight until you say three times that you don't know me."

35 Then Yeshua said to them, "When I sent you out without a wallet, traveling bag, or sandals, you didn't lack anything, did you?"

"Not a thing!" they answered.

36 Then he said to them, "But now, the person who has a wallet and a traveling bag should take them along. The person who doesn't have a sword should sell his coat and buy one. 37 I can guarantee that the Scripture passage which says, 'He was counted with criminals,' must find its fulfillment in me. Indeed, whatever is written about me will come true."

38 The disciples said, "Lord, look! Here are two swords!"

Then Yeshua said to them, "That's enough!"

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane-Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42 39 Yeshua went out of the city to the Mount of Olives as he usually did. His disciples followed him. 40 When he arrived, he said to them, "Pray that you won't be tempted."

41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 "Father, if it is your will, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, your will must be done, not mine."

43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 So he prayed very hard in anguish. His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.a 45 When Yeshua ended his prayer, he got up and went to the disciples. He found them asleep and overcome with sadness. 46 He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up, and pray that you won't be tempted."

Jesus Is Arrested-Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; John 18:1-14 47 While he was still speaking to the disciples, a crowd arrived. The man called Judas, one of the twelve apostles, was leading them. He came close to Yeshua to kiss him.

48 Yeshua said to him, "Judas, do you intend to betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"

49 The men who were with Yeshua saw what was going to happen. So they asked him, "Lord, should we use our swords to fight?" 50 One of the disciples cut off the right ear of the chief priest's servant.