Dinner at Simon's house

• John has Jesus staying in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Matthew and Mark have him dining at the house of Simon the Leper. Edersheim bridges this difference by suggesting that Simon may have possibly been Martha's husband or the father of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Hence, Edersheim suggests that they were all in the same house.

Mary anoints Jesus

• The ointment Mary used on Jesus' head and feet cost about 300 dinars, a year's salary of a laborer.
  
  
  • Two hundred dinars is the amount Philip told Jesus they would need to buy bread for the 5,000 men, women, and children.

Nothing recorded, but where else would Jesus be on the Sabbath?

• On the way to Jerusalem - Jesus asks Peter and John to go to Bethphage and bring him a colt of a donkey that had never been ridden.
  • Bethphage means house of figs. It also refers to a species of late season figs that never appear ripe, even when they are edible. ¹

• Riding on a colt was a statement of meekness. The people expected the Messiah to arrive more majestically. In short, it was the meekness of majesty, which was manifested, entering the city with royal authority.
  
  
  • Think of the thoughtfulness of Jesus in having the mother accompany the colt - no separation anxiety for mother or colt. The Master doesn't overlook any details.
    
    
• The date of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem corresponds with the tenth day of Nisan - the day on which the paschal lamb was chosen for sacrifice and separated from the flock for the Passover meal later in the week. ² Look for the pattern of reasons why Jesus waited until the week of the Passover. Note the symbolism alludes to the Lamb of God being set aside for sacrifice.
  
  
• The palm branches were used not only to wave in praise and jubilation, but also to keep the dust settled by placing them on the ground since people were out in force to sing "Hosanna in the highest…peace in heaven and glory in the highest."
  
  
• There is an interesting contrast between the multitude of the heavenly host at Jesus' birth singing "Peace on earth" and this earthly group singing "Peace in heaven."
  
  
• The people were singing the Passover Psalm, which they would sing in a few days, that refers to the Messiah. ³
  
  
• Jesus planned his entry as a counter procession to the Roman entry on the West side of the city. Jesus entered from the East.

Returned to Bethany

• The guilty fled, but the blind and lame stepped forward to be healed.

Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany.

• Barclay shows us where Jesus got his strength. "Before he joined battle with men he sought the presence of God. It was only because each day he faced God that he could face men with such courage." ⁴

• The fig tree represented the barrenness of Jerusalem.
• Peter points out the fig tree is withered. Jesus responds with, “Have faith in God.” Jesus gives his disciple a lesson on prayer that includes instructions on forgiveness. The disciples are going to have to rely on prayer and forgiveness to get through the next few days.

• The chief priest, the scribes, and elders were waiting for Jesus. They wanted to find out by what authority he could whip the money changers out of the Temple. This was a trick question. If Jesus responded by saying that he had the authority to do it, they would just arrest him for megalomania. If he responded that his orders were from God, they would arrest him for blasphemy. Jesus read their motive as if it were posted on a billboard. He agreed to answer their question if they would answer his first. He asked them whether John the Baptist's work, in their opinion, was human or divine. If they replied divine, then they would have to accept Jesus as the Messiah, because that was the basis of John's preaching. If they said human, then the people who followed John would undoubtedly riot. They had to admit they didn't know. It was the responsibility of the Sanhedrin to know the difference between true and false prophets and they had to shamefully admit they didn't know. Thus, Jesus didn't need to answer their question.

   Of two sons

   Vineyard of the    wicked
   husbandmen

• All three of these parables indict the Jewish leaders. In the parable of the two sons, the Jewish leaders represent the unsatisfactory son, who did not do his father's will. They are the wicked husbandmen in the next parable. And lastly, they are the condemned guests at the king's feast.

• The Jewish leaders take aim at Jesus, expecting to discredit him in front of the same audience.

• The Pharisees asked if it was lawful to pay tribute to Rome. If Jesus said it wasn't lawful, they would just report him to the Roman authorities and wipe their hands clean of the matter. If he said it was lawful, the Jews would reject him because God was their only King. His questioners knew he was in a no-win situation. Jesus asked whose image was on the coin. When they replied Caesar, he told them to give back to Caesar the things that were Caesar's, but give to God what belongs to Him.

• The Sadducees, who don't believe in resurrection, asked him who this woman who was widowed and remarried seven times would belong to in the resurrection. Jesus points out how clueless they are in understanding the scriptures. You can't think of heaven in the same way you think of life on earth. Heaven is not a continuation of this world. So their question is irrelevant.

• Matthew tells the story as though the lawyer is continuing the tirade against Jesus. Mark sees it differently. He describes the lawyer showing appreciation for Jesus' routing of the questioners. Jesus simply states the two commandments as they are listed in Deut. 6:5 - loving God with all your heart, soul, and might, and Lev. 19:18 - loving your neighbor as yourself.

• The whole thrust behind the "woes" was to point out to the Scribes and Pharisees the fact that life wasn't about them, but about God. Our lives should direct people to God, not to us personally.

• The Gentiles asked Jesus to be their teacher.⁶ This was an opportunity to escape death. Jesus replied: John 12:27,28 (to .) Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.

• These parables highlight the importance of watchfulness and action: household and porter; the ten virgins; and the talents. To read the signs of the times, you need to be alert. A thief doesn't send you an announcement of his arrival: his weapon is surprise. All the virgins had lamps. The foolish just had a different expectation of when they would buy or borrow oil. When Jesus speaks of talents, he is letting his disciples know they had better use the knowledge the Master has given them.

• In Moses' Passover in Egypt, death was merely avoided. In the Passover Jesus celebrated, death wasn't avoided: it was confronted and conquered for all mankind.

• A lesson in true greatness. Love is always willing to serve. Jesus was purifying their footsteps. He let them know they didn't need to be afraid to take the first step in loving. To follow in Jesus' footsteps means to walk with love, act with love, talk with love. The service of love is a constant cleansing of one's walk and life.

The order of the last supper is in 13 steps [some books show more steps, others fewer steps, so this is a general guideline]

1. The head of the company, Jesus in this case, opens with a prayer and
2. Gives the 1st cup of wine for everyone in the company to drink.
3. The head of the company washes his hands. This is where, it is believed, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet.
4. The head of the company dips some of the bitter herbs into the salt water or vinegar and speaks a blessing, eats some of the herbs and hands them to the others.
5. The unleavened bread is broken into pieces, reserving half to be eaten after the supper, called the after dish.
6. The 2nd cup is filled and the youngest in the company (John) is instructed to ask questions about the significance of the Passover.
7. Psalms 113 and 114 are sung.
8. The 3rd cup of wine is filled, followed by prayer, and they all drink the cup.
9. Everyone washes his hands.
10. Supper begins by eating the unleavened bread and bitter herbs and the lamb. Everyone in the group must eat at least an olive size portion of the lamb. All of the lamb is to be consumed or destroyed. No bones of the lamb are to be broken.
11. The after dish of the bread broken earlier is eaten. It is believed this is where Jesus said, “Take eat, this is my body.”
12. The 4th cup of wine is the point when Jesus told them to all drink of it, this was his blood.
13. Conclude with hymns and prayers. Psalms 115-118 and the Great Hallel – Psalm 136.

• Jesus is brought before an ex-high priest who has no authority.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?