Memorial Bible Reading Schedule 2025 and Invitation

Tuesday, April 8. Sunrise

[Image:] Guards taking Jesus into custody in the garden of Gethsemane.

Matthew 21:1 through 11, and 14 through 17

[Click to read scripture]|[Matthew 21:1 through 11:] When they got close to Jerusalem and arrived at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: “Go into the village that is within sight, and you will at once find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If someone says anything to you, you must say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ At that he will immediately send them.” This actually took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, who said: “Tell the daughter of Zion: ‘Look! Your king is coming to you, mild-tempered and mounted on a donkey, yes, on a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden.’” So the disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and its colt, and they put their outer garments on them, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their outer garments on the road, while others were cutting down branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. Moreover, the crowds going ahead of him and those following him kept shouting: “Save, we pray, the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in Jehovah’s name! Save him, we pray, in the heights above!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying: “Who is this?” The crowds kept saying: “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee!"

[Matthew 21:14 through 17] Also, blind and lame people came to him in the temple, and he cured them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the marvelous things he did and the boys who were shouting in the temple, “Save, we pray, the Son of David!” they became indignant and said to him: “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them: “Yes. Did you never read this, ‘Out of the mouth of children and infants, you have brought forth praise’?” And leaving them behind, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there. [Click to close]

Mark 11:1 through 11

[Click to read scripture]|[Mark 11:1 through 11:] Now when they were getting near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and told them: “Go into the village that is within sight, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied on which no man has sat until now. Untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.’” So they went away and found the colt tied at a door, outside on the side street, and they untied it. But some of those standing there said to them: “What are you doing untying the colt?” They told them just what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and they put their outer garments on it, and he sat on it. Also, many spread their outer garments on the road, but others cut down foliage from the fields. And those going in front and those coming behind kept shouting: “Save, we pray! Blessed is the one who comes in Jehovah’s name! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David! Save, we pray, in the heights above!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple, and he looked around at everything, but since the hour was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. [Click to close]

Luke 19:29 through 44

[Click to read scripture]|[Luke 19:29 through 44:] And when he got near to Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying: “Go into the village that is within sight, and after you enter it, you will find a colt tied, on which no man has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. But if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you must say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had said to them. But as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them: “Why are you untying the colt?” They said: “The Lord needs it.” And they led it to Jesus, and they threw their outer garments on the colt and seated Jesus on it. As he moved along, they were spreading their outer garments on the road. As soon as he got near the road down the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and to praise God with a loud voice because of all the powerful works they had seen, saying: “Blessed is the one coming as the King in Jehovah’s name! Peace in heaven, and glory in the heights above!” However, some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him: “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” But in reply he said: “I tell you, if these remained silent, the stones would cry out.” And when he got nearby, he viewed the city and wept over it, saying: “If you, even you, had discerned on this day the things having to do with peace, but now they have been hidden from your eyes. Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification of pointed stakes and will encircle you and besiege you from every side. They will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected.” [Click to close]

John 12:12 through 19

[Click to read scripture]|[John 12:12 through 19:] The next day the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and they began to shout: “Save, we pray you! Blessed is the one who comes in Jehovah’s name, the King of Israel!” When Jesus found a young donkey, he sat on it, just as it is written: “Have no fear, daughter of Zion. Look! Your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” These things his disciples did not understand at first, but when Jesus was glorified, they recalled that these things were written about him and that they did these things to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him up from the dead kept bearing witness. This is also why the crowd went to meet him, because they heard he had performed this sign. So the Pharisees said among themselves: “You see that you are not getting anywhere. Look! The whole world has gone after him.” [Click to close]

Jesus The Way, the Truth, the Life, chapter 102

[Click to read Jesus The Way]|[Chapter 102. The King Enters Jerusalem on a Colt]
Matthew 21:1 through 11, 14 through 17; Mark 11:1 through 11; Luke 19:29 through 44; John 12:12 through 19

Chapter Overview. Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph. Jerusalem’s destruction is foretold.

The next day, Sunday, Nisan 9, Jesus leaves Bethany with his disciples and heads to Jerusalem. As they approach Bethphage, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells two of his disciples: “Go into the village that is within sight, and you will at once find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If someone says anything to you, you must say, ‘The Lord needs them.’ At that he will immediately send them.” (Matthew 21:2 and 3) The disciples fail to see that Jesus’ instructions involve Bible prophecy. Later, however, they grasp the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. He foretold that God’s promised King would come into Jerusalem “humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a female donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9) When the disciples come to Bethphage and take the male colt and its mother, people standing nearby ask: “What are you doing untying the colt?” (Mark 11:5) But when they hear that the animals are for the Lord, they let the disciples bring them to Jesus. The disciples place their outer garments on the donkey and on its offspring, but Jesus mounts the colt. The crowd increases as Jesus rides toward Jerusalem. Many spread their garments on the road. Others cut branches from the trees or “foliage from the fields” and spread them out. They cry: “Save, we pray! Blessed is the one who comes in Jehovah’s name! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!” (Mark 11:8 through 10) Pharisees in the crowd are upset over these proclamations. They tell Jesus: “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus replies: “I tell you, if these remained silent, the stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:39 and 40) As Jesus views Jerusalem, he begins to weep and says: “If you, even you, had discerned on this day the things having to do with peace, but now they have been hidden from your eyes.” Jerusalem will pay the price for willful disobedience. Jesus foretells: “Your enemies will build around you a fortification of pointed stakes and will encircle you and besiege you from every side. They will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you.” (Luke 19:42 through 44) True to Jesus’ words, Jerusalem’s destruction comes in the year 70 C.E. When Jesus enters Jerusalem, ‘the whole city is in an uproar, saying: “Who is this?”’ And the crowds keep saying: “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee!” (Matthew 21:10 and 11) Those in the crowd who had seen Jesus resurrect Lazarus tell others about that miracle. The Pharisees lament that they are getting absolutely nowhere. They say to one another: “The whole world has gone after him.” (John 12:18 and 19) As is his custom when visiting Jerusalem, Jesus goes to the temple to teach. There he cures the blind and the lame. When the chief priests and the scribes see what he is doing and hear the boys in the temple cry out, “Save, we pray, the Son of David!” they become angry. The religious leaders ask Jesus: “Do you hear what these are saying?” He replies: “Did you never read this, ‘Out of the mouth of children and infants, you have brought forth praise’?” (Matthew 21:15 and 16) Jesus looks around upon the things in the temple. It is now late, so he leaves with the apostles. Before Nisan 10 begins, he travels back to Bethany, where he spends Sunday night.

[Box, Questions for review]
When and in what manner does Jesus enter Jerusalem as King?
How does Jesus feel when he views Jerusalem, and what prophecy does he utter?
What happens when Jesus goes to the temple? [End of Box] [Click to close]