houting, and they
understood the words. They knew that that was what people would sing
when the Messiah came.

Some of the crowds began to shout with the disciples. A great cry of
"Hosanna!" went ringing down the street. Everyone seemed to be saying
it. "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Some cut
branches from the trees, and waved them before the Messiah. It was a
royal welcome.

Only the priests and the rulers and the Pharisees were sorry to see
Jesus come.

"What is there we can do?" they said to one another. "Look, the whole
world has gone after him!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

The excitement spread through the city. There were strangers there who
had never heard of Jesus.

"Who is this?" they asked.

Others who knew him answered, "Why, this is Jesus, the prophet from
Nazareth in Galilee."

Jesus went into the Temple and looked about at the crowds which
thronged it. This was his Father's house and his house. These were his
Father's people and his people.

The king for whom the Jews had been waiting had come at last to reign.

In the evening, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany to sleep.

[Illustration]

The next day Jesus returned to Jerusalem and again went to the Temple.
This time he carried a whip.

In the Court of the Gentiles the money was clinking as it had done
when Jesus was a boy. At tables sat the men who grew rich by
exchanging the money of visitors for coins used in Jerusalem. Others
were selling doves for sacrifice. The poor had to pay heavily to
worship God in his own house.

Jesus strode down the room with the whip in his hand, and upset the
tables where the money was. When the men jumped up from their chairs,
he drove them out of the Temple. Then he drove the sheep and the
cattle out after the men.

"It is written in the Scriptures: God's house shall be a house of
prayer. But you have made it into a den of thieves and robbers!" he
cried.

This was too much for the priests of the temple, and all the important
men who ruled Jerusalem. The next day some of the rulers came to Jesus
and said:

"What right have you to do these things? Who told you that you could
act like this?"

So far, Jesus had never said that he was the Messiah. He had only
acted as if he was the Messiah. The rulers hoped that he would say
something they could punish him for. But Jesus was too quick for them.
He said:

"I'll answer your question if you answer a question of mi