From the Triumphal Entry Until the Agony in the Garden

I. General View of the Period.

1. Our studies have now reached the close of the Saviour's ministry and have brought us to his last visit to Jerusalem. This period presents the last appeal of Jesus to the Jewish people and his final conversations with his disciples before his death.

2. Strictly speaking, "the week of the passion" or suffering of Jesus should include all the events from his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on Sunday until his burial on Friday evening. But the events of the day of his crucifixion were so many and so important as to make that day a period by itself, and we therefore consider at present only five days, from the Sunday morning to the Thursday night of the Jewish Passover, the night before the Saviour's crucifixion.

3. All its events took place in or near Jerusalem. On each morning Jesus went from Bethany, where he remained at night with his friends, the household of Mary and Martha; and on each evening except the last he returned to Bethany. The days were mostly spent in Jerusalem.

II. In the study of this period we note the following Places:

1. Bethany, a small village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. It was the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11. 1). Its distance from Jerusalem (John 11. 18). The lodging place of Jesus at this time (Matt. 21. 17).

2. The Temple in Jerusalem. Here Jesus passed most of the time during the first three days of this week in discussion with the Jews (Luke 21. 37). The part of the temple in which Jesus taught (John 8. 20; Mark 12. 41). This was the Court of the Women, called "the treasury" because of boxes for contributions upon its walls. It was inside the larger Court of the Gentiles, and was about two hundred and thirty feet square, open above to the sky, but with galleries around.

3. The Supper room. See Mark 14. 13-17. The place is unknown; but there is on Mount Zion a locality pointed out by tradition which may or may not be correct. This was probably the "upper room" used as a meeting place after the Resurrection and Ascension (John 20. 19; Acts 1. 13; 2. 1).

4. The Mount of Olives. This is a range of hills east of Jerusalem and separated from the Temple by the Valley of the Kedron (John 18. 1). Its distance from the city (Acts 1. 12). Here began the Triumphal Entry (Luke 19. 37). From this height Jesus gave his prophecy of the destruction of the city (Mark 13. 3, 4).

5. The Garden of Gethsemane. The word means "oil-press," and suggests that it was an olive orchard on the western slope of the Mount of Olives (Mark 14. 26, 32). A garden is still shown which may be the true locality of the Agony.

Let the student draw a map of Jerusalem and its surroundings and locate upon it the above places, not failing to search out the references and associate the events with their localities.

III. We draw on our map and fix in our memory the following Journeys:

1. On Sunday, the First Journey; from Bethany to the Temple and Return. On the first day of the week Jesus left Bethany, entered in triumphal procession into Jerusalem, looked around on the Temple, and at evening returned to Bethany.

2. On Monday, the Second Journey; from Bethany to the Temple and Return. Early in the morning, without waiting for breakfast, Jesus left Bethany (Mark 11. 12), and crossed the ridge of the Mount of Olives, on the way cursing the barren fig tree. He cleansed the Temple of its traders, and at evening returned again to Bethany (Mark 11. 19).

3. On Tuesday, the Third Journey; from Bethany to the Temple and Return. This was the last day of Christ's public teaching, closing with a terrible denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees. Toward evening he went out of the Temple for the last time, sat upon the Mount of Olives with his disciples, and gave to them his prediction of the destruction of the city (Mark 13. 1-4).

4. On Thursday afternoon, the Fourth Journey; from Bethany to the Supper room. Take notice that no journey or event is named by any evangelist as taking place on Wednesday. Probably the day was passed in seclusion and meditation, for no conversations with disciples are recorded. On Thursday afternoon Jesus with his disciples left Bethany and walked over the mountain and the valley to Jerusalem (Mark 14. 16, 17), where they celebrated the passover and partook of the Last Supper together. Afterward came the long conversations recorded in John 13 to 17.

5. On Thursday, at about midnight, the Fifth Journey; from the Supper room to Gethsemane. The Saviour and his eleven disciples went from the supper room into the silent streets of Jerusalem, through the gate, and into the valley of Kedron. They crossed the brook and entered the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Agony took place, and immediately after it the Arrest (John 18. 1).

IV. We now pass in order the Events of these five days:

1. The Triumphal Entry. (Sunday.) (Mark 11. 1-10.) Compare the accounts and note the additions made by John. (John 12. 12-16.)

2. The Barren Fig tree. (Monday.) (Mark 11. 12-14.) This was not a wanton or petulant act of cursing. The tree was a vivid picture of the Jewish state, bearing leaves but no fruit, and the miracle was wrought as a warning of impending doom.

3. Cleansing the Temple. (Monday.) (Mark 11. 15-17.) Once before, in the beginning of his ministry, Jesus had purged the Temple (John 2. 13-16). But the former abuses had crept in again, and Christ again proclaimed his authority in his Father's house.

4. The Last Discourses. (Tuesday.) (Mark 11. 27; 12. 44.) On this day Jesus met and vanquished in debate successively the rulers (Mark 11. 27-33); the Pharisees (Mark 12. 1-12; Matt. 21. 45); the Herodians (Mark 12. 13-17); the Sadducees (Mark 12. 18-27); and the scribes (Mark 12. 28-37). He closed his ministry with a rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23. 1-39); and after commending the gift of the widow (Mark 12. 41-44) went out of the Temple, never to return (Mark 13. 1, 2.)

5. The Prophecy of the Last Things. (Tuesday.) In the afternoon of that day Jesus sat with his disciples on the Mount of Olives, and looking down upon the city gave a prophecy to his disciples, mingling the predictions of the city's overthrow and of the end of the world (Mark 13. 1-37). In Matthew are added two parables—the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25. 1-13), and the Talents (Matt. 25. 14-30), and also the description of the Last Judgment (Matt. 25. 31-46).

6. The Retirement at Bethany. (Wednesday.) Inasmuch as none of the gospels mention any event of Wednesday we assume that the day was passed in retirement.

7. The Last Supper. (Thursday.) On the afternoon of Thursday Jesus went to Jerusalem with the Twelve, partook of the Passover, and at its close instituted the Lord's Supper (Mark 14. 12-31).

8. The Last Conversation. (Thursday evening.) (John 14 to 18.) After the Supper the long conversation took place recorded in full by John, and scarcely mentioned in the other gospels.

9. The Agony in the Garden. (Thursday, midnight.) Late at night Jesus crossed the brook Kedron and entered the Garden of Gethsemane, where the Agony came upon him (Mark 14. 32-42).