Paper 172
Going into Jerusalem 예루살렘에 들어감
1. Sabbath at Bethany 베다니의 안식일
Mary anoints Jesus’ feet 마리아가 예수의 발에 기름을 바르다
Jesus rebukes Judas 예수께서 유다를 나무라다
2. Sunday Morning with the Apostles 사도들과 함께 한 일요일 아침
3. The Start for Jerusalem 예루살렘을 향한 출발
4. Visiting About the Temple
The widow’s mite
5. The Apostles’ Attitude
240407 예수 평온의 비결 요12:9 유대인의 큰 무리가 예수께서 여기 계신 줄을 알고 오니 이는 예수만 보기 위함이 아니요 죽은 자 가운데서 살리신 나사로도 보려 함이러라
172:0.1 (1878.1) JESUS and the apostles arrived at Bethany shortly after four o’clock on Friday afternoon, March 31, A.D. 30. Lazarus, his sisters, and their friends were expecting them; and since so many people came every day to talk with Lazarus about his resurrection, Jesus was informed that arrangements had been made for him to stay with a neighboring believer, one Simon, the leading citizen of the little village since the death of Lazarus’s father. 예수와 사도들은 AD30년 3월 31일 금요일 오후 4시 직후에 베다니에 도착했습니다. 나사로와 그의 자매들 및 친구들이 그들을 기다리고 있었습니다. 너무 많은 사람이 나사로의 부활에 대해 그와 이야기하려고 매일 왔기 때문에, 예수는 나사로의 부친 별세 후 작은 마을을 이끄는 시민, 이웃집 신자 시몬의 집에 머물도록 준비되었다고 보고 받았습니다.
172:0.2 (1878.2) That evening, Jesus received many visitors, and the common folks of Bethany and Bethpage did their best to make him feel welcome. Although many thought Jesus was now going into Jerusalem, in utter defiance of the Sanhedrin’s decree of death, to proclaim himself king of the Jews, the Bethany family — Lazarus, Martha, and Mary — more fully realized that the Master was not that kind of a king; they dimly felt that this might be his last visit to Jerusalem and Bethany. 그날 저녁, 예수께서 여러 방문자를 맞이했고, 베다니와 벳바게의 서민들은 그를 환영하기 위해 최선을 다했습니다. 많은 사람은 예수께서 산헤드린의 사형 선고를 철저히 무시하고, 자신을 유대인의 왕으로 선포하려고, 지금 예루살렘에 들어간다고 생각했지만, 베다니 가족 – 나사로, 마르다 그리고 마리아는 주님이 그런 종류의 왕이 아님을 더 온전히 깨달았습니다. 그들은 이것이 그가 예루살렘과 베다니를 방문하는 마지막이 될 수도 있다고 어렴풋이 느꼈습니다.
172:0.3 (1878.3) The chief priests were informed that Jesus lodged at Bethany, but they thought best not to attempt to seize him among his friends; they decided to await his coming on into Jerusalem. Jesus knew about all this, but he was majestically calm; his friends had never seen him more composed and congenial; even the apostles were astounded that he should be so unconcerned when the Sanhedrin had called upon all Jewry to deliver him into their hands. While the Master slept that night, the apostles watched over him by twos, and many of them were girded with swords. Early the next morning they were awakened by hundreds of pilgrims who came out from Jerusalem, even on the Sabbath day, to see Jesus and Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 대제사장들은 예수께서 베다니에서 머문다고 보고받았지만, 그들은 그의 친구를 사이에서 그를 체포하지 않는 것이 최선이라고 생각했습니다. 그들은 그가 예루살렘에 들어올 때까지 기다리기로 정했습니다. 예수는 이런 모두를 알고 계셨지만, 그는 점잖고 의젓하게 침착했습니다. 그의 친구들은 그토록 차분하고 유쾌한 그를 본 적이 없었습니다. 산헤드린이 모든 유대인에게 자기들 수중에 그를 넘기라고 요구했을 때(요11:57) 그가 그렇게 태연하셔서 사도들조차 깜짝 놀랐습니다. 주께서 그날 밤 주무시는 동안 사도들은 둘씩 짝지어 그를 지켰고, 그들 대부분 칼을 차고 있었습니다. 다음 날 안식일이었지만 수백 명의 순례자들이 아침 일찍 예수와 그가 죽은 자로부터 되살린 나사로를 보려고 예루살렘에서 나와서 그들은 잠에서 깼습니다(요12:9).
1. Sabbath at Bethany 베다니의 안식일
240414 마리아의 봉헌 요11:55-56, 12:1-5, 7-8, 10 55 유대인의 유월절이 가까우매 많은 사람이 자기를 성결하게 하기 위하여 유월절 전에 시골에서 예루살렘으로 올라갔더니 56 그들이 예수를 찾으며 성전에 서서 서로 말하되 너희 생각에는 어떠하냐 그가 명절에 오지 아니하겠느냐 하니 ~ 1 유월절 엿새 전에 예수께서 베다니에 이르시니 이 곳은 예수께서 죽은 자 가운데서 살리신 나사로가 있는 곳이라 2 거기서 예수를 위하여 잔치할새 마르다는 일을 하고 나사로는 예수와 함께 앉은 자 중에 있더라 3 마리아는 지극히 비싼 향유 곧 순전한 나드 한 근을 가져다가 예수의 발에 붓고 자기 머리털로 그의 발을 닦으니 향유 냄새가 집에 가득하더라 4 제자 중 하나로서 예수를 잡아 줄 가룟 유다가 말하되 5 이 향유를 어찌하여 삼백 데나리온에 팔아 가난한 자들에게 주지 아니하였느냐 하니 ~ 7 예수께서 이르시되 그를 가만 두어 나의 장례할 날을 위하여 그것을 간직하게 하라 8 가난한 자들은 항상 너희와 함께 있거니와 나는 항상 있지 아니하리라 하시니라 ~ 10 대제사장들이 나사로까지 죽이려고 모의하니
172:1.1 (1878.4) Pilgrims from outside of Judea, as well as the Jewish authorities, had all been asking: “What do you think? will Jesus come up to the feast?” Therefore, when the people heard that Jesus was at Bethany, they were glad, but the chief priests and Pharisees were somewhat perplexed. They were pleased to have him under their jurisdiction, but they were a trifle disconcerted by his boldness; they remembered that on his previous visit to Bethany, Lazarus had been raised from the dead, and Lazarus was becoming a big problem to the enemies of Jesus. 유대 당국자들뿐만 아니라 유대 밖에서 온 순례자들도 모두 묻고 있었습니다. “어떻게 생각합니까? 예수께서 잔치에 나타날까요?” 그런 까닭에 예수께서 베다니에 계신다는 소식을 사람들이 듣고 기뻐했지만, 대제사장들과 바리새인들은 약간 헷갈렸습니다. 그들은 그가 자신들의 관할 구역에 있어서 좋았지만, 그의 대담함으로 인해 약간 당황했습니다. 그들은 예수께서 이전에 베다니를 방문했을 때 나사로가 죽은 자 가운데서 살아났고, 나사로가 예수의 대적들에게 큰 골칫거리가 되고 있었다는 것을 그들이 기억했습니다(요11:55-56).
172:1.2 (1878.5) Six days before the Passover, on the evening after the Sabbath, all Bethany and Bethpage joined in celebrating the arrival of Jesus by a public banquet at the home of Simon. This supper was in honor of both Jesus and Lazarus; it was tendered in defiance of the Sanhedrin. Martha directed the serving of the food; her sister Mary was among the women onlookers as it was against the custom of the Jews for a woman to sit at a public banquet. The agents of the Sanhedrin were present, but they feared to apprehend Jesus in the midst of his friends. 유월절 6일 전, 안식일 다음 날 저녁에 모든 베다니와 벳바게 주민들이 시몬의 집에서 공개 연회(宴會)로 함께 예수의 도착을 축하했습니다. 이 만찬은 산헤드린에도 불구하고 예수와 나사로를 축하하여 열렸습니다. 마르다는 음식 접대를 관리했고, 공중 연회에 여성이 앉아있는 것은 유대 관습에 맞지 않기 때문에, 그의 동생 마리아는 여성 구경꾼들 사이에 있었습니다. 산헤드린의 첩보원(諜報員)들이 있었지만, 그들은 예수를 그의 친구들 사이에서 체포하기를 두려워했습니다(요12:1-2a).
172:1.3 (1879.1) Jesus talked with Simon about Joshua of old, whose namesake he was, and recited how Joshua and the Israelites had come up to Jerusalem through Jericho. In commenting on the legend of the walls of Jericho falling down, Jesus said: “I am not concerned with such walls of brick and stone; but I would cause the walls of prejudice, self-righteousness, and hate to crumble before this preaching of the Father’s love for all men.” 예수는 자신과 이름이 같은 옛날의 여호수아에 대해 시몬과 얘기하면서, 여호수아와 이스라엘인(人)들이 어떻게 여리고를 통해 예루살렘에 이르렀는지 자세히 말했습니다. 여리고 성벽이 무너져 내린 구전(口傳)을 언급하면서, 예수께서 말했습니다. “나는 벽돌과 돌로 만든 그런 성벽에 관심이 없지만, 모든 사람을 위한 아버지의 사랑을 이렇게 설교하기에 앞서 편견(偏見), 독선(獨善)과 증오의 성벽을 허물어 버릴 것이라(수6:20).”
172:1.4 (1879.2) The banquet went along in a very cheerful and normal manner except that all the apostles were unusually sober. Jesus was exceptionally cheerful and had been playing with the children up to the time of coming to the table. 모든 사도가 평소와 달리 진지한 것 외에, 연회는 매우 즐겁고 자연스러운 방식으로 진행되었습니다. 예수는 대단히 기분이 좋으셨고, 식탁에 올 때까지 아이들과 놀고 계셨습니다.
172:1.5 (1879.3) Nothing out of the ordinary happened until near the close of the feasting when Mary the sister of Lazarus stepped forward from among the group of women onlookers and, going up to where Jesus reclined as the guest of honor, proceeded to open a large alabaster cruse of very rare and costly ointment; and after anointing the Master’s head, she began to pour it upon his feet as she took down her hair and wiped them with it. The whole house became filled with the odor of the ointment, and everybody present was amazed at what Mary had done. Lazarus said nothing, but when some of the people murmured, showing indignation that so costly an ointment should be thus used, Judas Iscariot stepped over to where Andrew reclined and said: “Why was this ointment not sold and the money bestowed to feed the poor? You should speak to the Master that he rebuke such waste.” 잔치를 마칠 무렵, 나사로의 누이 마리아가 여성 구경꾼 무리 중에서 앞으로 걸어 나와, 예수께서 주빈(主賓)으로 기대어 있는 곳으로 올라가, 매우 진기하고 값비싼 연고(軟膏)가 들어있는 커다란 방해석 단지를 열어서, 주님의 머리에 바른 다음에, 그녀가 자기 머리카락을 끌어내려 그것으로 그의 발을 닦으면서, 연고(軟膏)를 그의 발에 붓기 시작할 때까지는 특별한 일이 벌어지지 않았습니다. 온 집이 연고(軟膏)의 향기로 충만하게 되었고, 참석한 모두가 마리아의 행위에 깜짝 놀랐습니다. 나사로는 아무 말이 없었지만, 몇 사람이 그렇게 값비싼 연고가 이렇게 소비되어야 하는지 분개하며 속삭이자, 가롯 유다가 안드레가 기댄 곳으로 가서 말했습니다. “왜 이 연고를 팔아 그 돈으로 가난한 자들을 먹이는데 주지 않았습니까? 당신이 주님께 말씀드려서 그가 그런 낭비를 꾸짖어야 합니다(요12:3-5).”
172:1.6 (1879.4) Jesus, knowing what they thought and hearing what they said, put his hand upon Mary’s head as she knelt by his side and, with a kindly expression upon his face, said: “Let her alone, every one of you. Why do you trouble her about this, seeing that she has done a good thing in her heart? To you who murmur and say that this ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor, let me say that you have the poor always with you so that you may minister to them at any time it seems good to you; but I shall not always be with you; I go soon to my Father. This woman has long saved this ointment for my body at its burial, and now that it has seemed good to her to make this anointing in anticipation of my death, she shall not be denied such satisfaction. In the doing of this, Mary has reproved all of you in that by this act she evinces faith in what I have said about my death and ascension to my Father in heaven. This woman shall not be reproved for that which she has this night done; rather do I say to you that in the ages to come, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her.” 그들의 생각을 알고 그들의 말을 들으신, 예수는 자기 옆에 무릎을 꿇은 마리아의 머리에 그의 손을 얹고 친절한 표정으로 말했습니다. “너희 모두 그녀를 가만히 두라. 그녀가 자기 심정으로 선한 일을 했는데, 왜 이 일로 그녀를 괴롭히느냐? 이 연고(軟膏)를 팔아 그 돈으로 가난한 자들에게 주었어야 한다고 중얼거리며 말하는 너희에게 말하노니, 너희는 가난한 자들과 언제나 같이 있으니 언제든지 너희에게 좋다고 여길 때 그들을 돌볼 수 있겠지만, 나는 곧 내 아버지께 가기 때문에 나는 너희와 항상 함께 있지 못할 것이라. 이 여인은 내 시신의 장례를 위해 이 연고를 오랫동안 모았고, 이제 내 죽음을 내다보고 이렇게 연고를 바르는 것을 좋게 여겼으니, 그녀에게 그런 만족이 있을 것이라. 이렇게 하여 마리아가 내 죽음과 하늘에 계신 내 아버지께 승천하는 것에 관해 내가 말한 것에 대한 신앙을 그녀가 이 행위로 증명한다는 점에서, 그녀는 너희 모두를 타일렀느니라. 이 여인은 그녀가 오늘 밤에 행한 일로 비난을 받지 않으리라. 오히려 내가 너희에게 이르노니, 다가올 세대에 이 복음이 전파되는 곳마다 전 세계에 널리, 그녀가 행한 일이 사람의 입에 자주 오르내려 그녀를 기념할 것이니라(마26:10-13, 막14:6-9, 요12:7-8).”
172:1.7 (1879.5) It was because of this rebuke, which he took as a personal reproof, that Judas Iscariot finally made up his mind to seek revenge for his hurt feelings. Many times had he entertained such ideas subconsciously, but now he dared to think such wicked thoughts in his open and conscious mind. And many others encouraged him in this attitude since the cost of this ointment was a sum equal to the earnings of one man for one year — enough to provide bread for five thousand persons. But Mary loved Jesus; she had provided this precious ointment with which to embalm his body in death, for she believed his words when he forewarned them that he must die, and it was not to be denied her if she changed her mind and chose to bestow this offering upon the Master while he yet lived. 가롯 유다는 이런 꾸지람을 개인적 책망으로 여겼기 때문에, 그는 결국 자기 상한 감정에 대해 복수하기로 결심했습니다. 그는 여러 번 잠재의식으로 그런 생각을 품었지만, 이제 그는 자신이 노골적으로 의식하는 마음으로 뻔뻔하게 그토록 사악한 생각을 품었습니다. 그리고 이 연고(軟膏)의 가격이 한 사람의 연간 수입과 맞먹는 금액으로 충분히 오천 명에게 빵을 제공할 수 있었기 때문에, 다른 여러 사람이 그에게 이런 태도를 부추겼습니다. 그러나 마리아는 예수를 사랑했습니다. 그녀는 그가 자신들에게 그가 죽어야 한다고 예고했을 때 그의 말씀을 믿었기 때문에 그의 시신을 방부 처리하는 이 귀한 연고(軟膏)를 내놓았고, 그녀가 자기 마음을 바꾸어 주께서 아직 살아계실 때 이런 봉헌에 사용하려 했다면 그녀를 물리치지 말아야 했습니다(요12:3).
172:1.8 (1879.6) Both Lazarus and Martha knew that Mary had long saved the money wherewith to buy this cruse of spikenard, and they heartily approved of her doing as her heart desired in such a matter, for they were well-to-do and could easily afford to make such an offering. 나사로와 마르다는 마리아가 이 감송(甘松) 단지를 살 돈을 오랫동안 저축한 것을 알고 있었고, 자신들은 부유하여 그런 봉헌을 쉽게 할 수 있어서, 그들은 그런 문제에 대해 그녀가 원하는 대로 진심으로 그녀의 행위를 지지했습니다.
172:1.9 (1880.1) When the chief priests heard of this dinner in Bethany for Jesus and Lazarus, they began to take counsel among themselves as to what should be done with Lazarus. And presently they decided that Lazarus must also die. They rightly concluded that it would be useless to put Jesus to death if they permitted Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead, to live. 대제사장들은 예수와 나사로를 위해 베다니의 이런 만찬 소식을 듣자, 그들은 나사로를 어떻게 해야 할지 저희끼리 의논하기 시작했습니다. 그리고 그들은 곧 나사로도 죽어야 한다고 결정했습니다. 그들은 예수가 죽은 자 가운데서 되살린 나사로를 살려 두면 예수를 죽이는 것이 소용없다고 당연하게 결론을 내렸습니다(요12:10).
2. Sunday Morning with the Apostles 사도들과 함께 한 일요일 아침
240421 예수 옆에 머물러 깨어 기도하라 마26:38b 마 26:38b 너희는 여기 머물러 나와 함께 깨어 있으라 하시고
172:2.1 (1880.2) On this Sunday morning, in Simon’s beautiful garden, the Master called his twelve apostles around him and gave them their final instructions preparatory to entering Jerusalem. He told them that he would probably deliver many addresses and teach many lessons before returning to the Father but advised the apostles to refrain from doing any public work during this Passover sojourn in Jerusalem. He instructed them to remain near him and to “watch and pray.” Jesus knew that many of his apostles and immediate followers even then carried swords concealed on their persons, but he made no reference to this fact. 이 일요일(AD30. 4. 2.) 아침 시몬의 아름다운 정원에서, 주님은 열두 사도를 자기 측근으로 불러서 예루살렘에 들어가기에 앞서 마지막 지시를 내렸습니다. 그는 그들에게 자신이 아버지께 돌아가기 전에 아마 많이 연설하고 여러 교훈을 가르칠 것이지만 예루살렘에 머무는 이 유월절에 공적 업무를 그만두라고 사도들에게 충고하며 말했습니다. 그는 그들에게 자기 옆에 머물러 “깨어 기도하라”고 지시했습니다. 예수는 자기 여러 사도와 직계 추종자들이 그때까지도 몸에 칼을 숨겨 휴대한 것 알았지만 이 사실에 대해 언급하지 않았습니다.
172:2.2 (1880.3) This morning’s instructions embraced a brief review of their ministry from the day of their ordination near Capernaum down to this day when they were preparing to enter Jerusalem. The apostles listened in silence; they asked no questions. 이 아침의 지시에는 가버나움 근처에서 임직(任職)한 날부터 예루살렘에 들어가기로 준비하는 이날까지 자신들의 사역을 간략하게 검토하는 내용이 포함되어 있었습니다. 사도들은 아무 질문도 없이 조용히 경청했습니다.
172:2.3 (1880.4) Early that morning David Zebedee had turned over to Judas the funds realized from the sale of the equipment of the Pella encampment, and Judas, in turn, had placed the greater part of this money in the hands of Simon, their host, for safekeeping in anticipation of the exigencies of their entry into Jerusalem. 그날 아침 일찍 다윗 세베대는 펠라 야영지의 장비를 판매해 얻은 자금을 유다에게 넘겨줬고, 유다는 그들이 예루살렘으로 들어가는 급한 상황을 내다보고 보관하려고 결국 이 돈의 대부분을 주최자 시몬의 손에 맡겼습니다.
172:2.4 (1880.5) After the conference with the apostles Jesus held converse with Lazarus and instructed him to avoid the sacrifice of his life to the vengefulness of the Sanhedrin. It was in obedience to this admonition that Lazarus, a few days later, fled to Philadelphia when the officers of the Sanhedrin sent men to arrest him. 사도들과 회의한 후, 예수는 나사로와 서로 이야기하면서 산헤드린의 복수에 그의 목숨을 희생하지 말라고 지시했습니다. 이 권고에 순종하여 나사로는, 며칠 후 산헤드린의 관리들이 자신을 체포하려고 사람들을 보냈을 때, 필라델피아로 도피했습니다.
172:2.5 (1880.6) In a way, all of Jesus’ followers sensed the impending crisis, but they were prevented from fully realizing its seriousness by the unusual cheerfulness and exceptional good humor of the Master. 어느 정도, 예수의 추종자 모두 임박한 위기를 감지했지만, 주님의 여느 때와 다른 쾌활함과 드물게 좋은 기분으로 인해 그 심각성을 완전히 깨닫지 못했습니다.
3. The Start for Jerusalem 예루살렘을 향한 출발
172:3.1 (1880.7) Bethany was about two miles from the temple, and it was half past one that Sunday afternoon when Jesus made ready to start for Jerusalem. He had feelings of profound affection for Bethany and its simple people. Nazareth, Capernaum, and Jerusalem had rejected him, but Bethany had accepted him, had believed in him. And it was in this small village, where almost every man, woman, and child were believers, that he chose to perform the mightiest work of his earth bestowal, the resurrection of Lazarus. He did not raise Lazarus that the villagers might believe, but rather because they already believed.
172:3.2 (1880.8) All morning Jesus had thought about his entry into Jerusalem. Heretofore he had always endeavored to suppress all public acclaim of him as the Messiah, but it was different now; he was nearing the end of his career in the flesh, his death had been decreed by the Sanhedrin, and no harm could come from allowing his disciples to give free expression to their feelings, just as might occur if he elected to make a formal and public entry into the city.
172:3.3 (1881.1) Jesus did not decide to make this public entrance into Jerusalem as a last bid for popular favor nor as a final grasp for power. Neither did he do it altogether to satisfy the human longings of his disciples and apostles. Jesus entertained none of the illusions of a fantastic dreamer; he well knew what was to be the outcome of this visit.
172:3.4 (1881.2) Having decided upon making a public entrance into Jerusalem, the Master was confronted with the necessity of choosing a proper method of executing such a resolve. Jesus thought over all of the many more or less contradictory so-called Messianic prophesies, but there seemed to be only one which was at all appropriate for him to follow. Most of these prophetic utterances depicted a king, the son and successor of David, a bold and aggressive temporal deliverer of all Israel from the yoke of foreign domination. But there was one Scripture that had sometimes been associated with the Messiah by those who held more to the spiritual concept of his mission, which Jesus thought might consistently be taken as a guide for his projected entry into Jerusalem. This Scripture was found in Zechariah, and it said: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes to you. He is just and he brings salvation. He comes as the lowly one, riding upon an ass, upon a colt, the foal of an ass.”
172:3.5 (1881.3) A warrior king always entered a city riding upon a horse; a king on a mission of peace and friendship always entered riding upon an ass. Jesus would not enter Jerusalem as a man on horseback, but he was willing to enter peacefully and with good will as the Son of Man on a donkey.
172:3.6 (1881.4) Jesus had long tried by direct teaching to impress upon his apostles and his disciples that his kingdom was not of this world, that it was a purely spiritual matter; but he had not succeeded in this effort. Now, what he had failed to do by plain and personal teaching, he would attempt to accomplish by a symbolic appeal. Accordingly, right after the noon lunch, Jesus called Peter and John, and after directing them to go over to Bethpage, a neighboring village a little off the main road and a short distance northwest of Bethany, he further said: “Go to Bethpage, and when you come to the junction of the roads, you will find the colt of an ass tied there. Loose the colt and bring it back with you. If anyone asks you why you do this, merely say, ‘The Master has need of him.’” And when the two apostles had gone into Bethpage as the Master had directed, they found the colt tied near his mother in the open street and close to a house on the corner. As Peter began to untie the colt, the owner came over and asked why they did this, and when Peter answered him as Jesus had directed, the man said: “If your Master is Jesus from Galilee, let him have the colt.” And so they returned bringing the colt with them.
172:3.7 (1881.5) By this time several hundred pilgrims had gathered around Jesus and his apostles. Since midforenoon the visitors passing by on their way to the Passover had tarried. Meanwhile, David Zebedee and some of his former messenger associates took it upon themselves to hasten on down to Jerusalem, where they effectively spread the report among the throngs of visiting pilgrims about the temple that Jesus of Nazareth was making a triumphal entry into the city. Accordingly, several thousand of these visitors flocked forth to greet this much-talked-of prophet and wonder-worker, whom some believed to be the Messiah. This multitude, coming out from Jerusalem, met Jesus and the crowd going into the city just after they had passed over the brow of Olivet and had begun the descent into the city.
172:3.8 (1882.1) As the procession started out from Bethany, there was great enthusiasm among the festive crowd of disciples, believers, and visiting pilgrims, many hailing from Galilee and Perea. Just before they started, the twelve women of the original women’s corps, accompanied by some of their associates, arrived on the scene and joined this unique procession as it moved on joyously toward the city.
172:3.9 (1882.2) Before they started, the Alpheus twins put their cloaks on the donkey and held him while the Master got on. As the procession moved toward the summit of Olivet, the festive crowd threw their garments on the ground and brought branches from the near-by trees in order to make a carpet of honor for the donkey bearing the royal Son, the promised Messiah. As the merry crowd moved on toward Jerusalem, they began to sing, or rather to shout in unison, the Psalm, “Hosanna to the son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed be the kingdom that comes down from heaven.”
172:3.10 (1882.3) Jesus was lighthearted and cheerful as they moved along until he came to the brow of Olivet, where the city and the temple towers came into full view; there the Master stopped the procession, and a great silence came upon all as they beheld him weeping. Looking down upon the vast multitude coming forth from the city to greet him, the Master, with much emotion and with tearful voice, said: “O Jerusalem, if you had only known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong to your peace, and which you could so freely have had! But now are these glories about to be hid from your eyes. You are about to reject the Son of Peace and turn your backs upon the gospel of salvation. The days will soon come upon you wherein your enemies will cast a trench around about you and lay siege to you on every side; they shall utterly destroy you, insomuch that not one stone shall be left upon another. And all this shall befall you because you knew not the time of your divine visitation. You are about to reject the gift of God, and all men will reject you.”
172:3.11 (1882.4) When he had finished speaking, they began the descent of Olivet and presently were joined by the multitude of visitors who had come from Jerusalem waving palm branches, shouting hosannas, and otherwise expressing gleefulness and good fellowship. The Master had not planned that these crowds should come out from Jerusalem to meet them; that was the work of others. He never premeditated anything which was dramatic.
172:3.12 (1882.5) Along with the multitude which poured out to welcome the Master, there came also many of the Pharisees and his other enemies. They were so much perturbed by this sudden and unexpected outburst of popular acclaim that they feared to arrest him lest such action precipitate an open revolt of the populace. They greatly feared the attitude of the large numbers of visitors, who had heard much of Jesus, and who, many of them, believed in him.
172:3.13 (1882.6) As they neared Jerusalem, the crowd became more demonstrative, so much so that some of the Pharisees made their way up alongside Jesus and said: “Teacher, you should rebuke your disciples and exhort them to behave more seemly.” Jesus answered: “It is only fitting that these children should welcome the Son of Peace, whom the chief priests have rejected. It would be useless to stop them lest in their stead these stones by the roadside cry out.”
172:3.14 (1882.7) The Pharisees hastened on ahead of the procession to rejoin the Sanhedrin, which was then in session at the temple, and they reported to their associates: “Behold, all that we do is of no avail; we are confounded by this Galilean. The people have gone mad over him; if we do not stop these ignorant ones, all the world will go after him.”
172:3.15 (1883.1) There really was no deep significance to be attached to this superficial and spontaneous outburst of popular enthusiasm. This welcome, although it was joyous and sincere, did not betoken any real or deep-seated conviction in the hearts of this festive multitude. These same crowds were equally as willing quickly to reject Jesus later on this week when the Sanhedrin once took a firm and decided stand against him, and when they became disillusioned — when they realized that Jesus was not going to establish the kingdom in accordance with their long-cherished expectations.
172:3.16 (1883.2) But the whole city was mightily stirred up, insomuch that everyone asked, “Who is this man?” And the multitude answered, “This is the prophet of Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth.”
4. Visiting About the Temple
172:4.1 (1883.3) While the Alpheus twins returned the donkey to its owner, Jesus and the ten apostles detached themselves from their immediate associates and strolled about the temple, viewing the preparations for the Passover. No attempt was made to molest Jesus as the Sanhedrin greatly feared the people, and that was, after all, one of the reasons Jesus had for allowing the multitude thus to acclaim him. The apostles little understood that this was the only human procedure which could have been effective in preventing Jesus’ immediate arrest upon entering the city. The Master desired to give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, high and low, as well as the tens of thousands of Passover visitors, this one more and last chance to hear the gospel and receive, if they would, the Son of Peace.
172:4.2 (1883.4) And now, as the evening drew on and the crowds went in quest of nourishment, Jesus and his immediate followers were left alone. What a strange day it had been! The apostles were thoughtful, but speechless. Never, in their years of association with Jesus, had they seen such a day. For a moment they sat down by the treasury, watching the people drop in their contributions: the rich putting much in the receiving box and all giving something in accordance with the extent of their possessions. At last there came along a poor widow, scantily attired, and they observed as she cast two mites (small coppers) into the trumpet. And then said Jesus, calling the attention of the apostles to the widow: “Heed well what you have just seen. This poor widow cast in more than all the others, for all these others, from their superfluity, cast in some trifle as a gift, but this poor woman, even though she is in want, gave all that she had, even her living.”
172:4.3 (1883.5) As the evening drew on, they walked about the temple courts in silence, and after Jesus had surveyed these familiar scenes once more, recalling his emotions in connection with previous visits, not excepting the earlier ones, he said, “Let us go up to Bethany for our rest.” Jesus, with Peter and John, went to the home of Simon, while the other apostles lodged among their friends in Bethany and Bethpage.
5. The Apostles’ Attitude
172:5.1 (1883.6) This Sunday evening as they returned to Bethany, Jesus walked in front of the apostles. Not a word was spoken until they separated after arriving at Simon’s house. No twelve human beings ever experienced such diverse and inexplicable emotions as now surged through the minds and souls of these ambassadors of the kingdom. These sturdy Galileans were confused and disconcerted; they did not know what to expect next; they were too surprised to be much afraid. They knew nothing of the Master’s plans for the next day, and they asked no questions. They went to their lodgings, though they did not sleep much, save the twins. But they did not keep armed watch over Jesus at Simon’s house.
172:5.2 (1884.1) Andrew was thoroughly bewildered, well-nigh confused. He was the one apostle who did not seriously undertake to evaluate the popular outburst of acclaim. He was too preoccupied with the thought of his responsibility as chief of the apostolic corps to give serious consideration to the meaning or significance of the loud hosannas of the multitude. Andrew was busy watching some of his associates who he feared might be led away by their emotions during the excitement, particularly Peter, James, John, and Simon Zelotes. Throughout this day and those which immediately followed, Andrew was troubled with serious doubts, but he never expressed any of these misgivings to his apostolic associates. He was concerned about the attitude of some of the twelve who he knew were armed with swords; but he did not know that his own brother, Peter, was carrying such a weapon. And so the procession into Jerusalem made a comparatively superficial impression upon Andrew; he was too busy with the responsibilities of his office to be otherwise affected.
172:5.3 (1884.2) Simon Peter was at first almost swept off his feet by this popular manifestation of enthusiasm; but he was considerably sobered by the time they returned to Bethany that night. Peter simply could not figure out what the Master was about. He was terribly disappointed that Jesus did not follow up this wave of popular favor with some kind of a pronouncement. Peter could not understand why Jesus did not speak to the multitude when they arrived at the temple, or at least permit one of the apostles to address the crowd. Peter was a great preacher, and he disliked to see such a large, receptive, and enthusiastic audience go to waste. He would so much have liked to preach the gospel of the kingdom to that throng right there in the temple; but the Master had specifically charged them that they were to do no teaching or preaching while in Jerusalem this Passover week. The reaction from the spectacular procession into the city was disastrous to Simon Peter; by night he was sobered and inexpressibly saddened.
172:5.4 (1884.3) To James Zebedee, this Sunday was a day of perplexity and profound confusion; he could not grasp the purport of what was going on; he could not comprehend the Master’s purpose in permitting this wild acclaim and then in refusing to say a word to the people when they arrived at the temple. As the procession moved down Olivet toward Jerusalem, more especially when they were met by the thousands of pilgrims who poured forth to welcome the Master, James was cruelly torn by his conflicting emotions of elation and gratification at what he saw and by his profound feeling of fear as to what would happen when they reached the temple. And then was he downcast and overcome by disappointment when Jesus climbed off the donkey and proceeded to walk leisurely about the temple courts. James could not understand the reason for throwing away such a magnificent opportunity to proclaim the kingdom. By night, his mind was held firmly in the grip of a distressing and dreadful uncertainty.
172:5.5 (1884.4) John Zebedee came somewhere near understanding why Jesus did this; at least he grasped in part the spiritual significance of this so-called triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As the multitude moved on toward the temple, and as John beheld his Master sitting there astride the colt, he recalled hearing Jesus onetime quote the passage of Scripture, the utterance of Zechariah, which described the coming of the Messiah as a man of peace and riding into Jerusalem on an ass. As John turned this Scripture over in his mind, he began to comprehend the symbolic significance of this Sunday-afternoon pageant. At least, he grasped enough of the meaning of this Scripture to enable him somewhat to enjoy the episode and to prevent his becoming overmuch depressed by the apparent purposeless ending of the triumphal procession. John had a type of mind which naturally tended to think and feel in symbols.
172:5.6 (1885.1) Philip was entirely unsettled by the suddenness and spontaneity of the outburst. He could not collect his thoughts sufficiently while on the way down Olivet to arrive at any settled notion as to what all the demonstration was about. In a way, he enjoyed the performance because his Master was being honored. By the time they reached the temple, he was perturbed by the thought that Jesus might possibly ask him to feed the multitude, so that the conduct of Jesus in turning leisurely away from the crowds, which so sorely disappointed the majority of the apostles, was a great relief to Philip. Multitudes had sometimes been a great trial to the steward of the twelve. After he was relieved of these personal fears regarding the material needs of the crowds, Philip joined with Peter in the expression of disappointment that nothing was done to teach the multitude. That night Philip got to thinking over these experiences and was tempted to doubt the whole idea of the kingdom; he honestly wondered what all these things could mean, but he expressed his doubts to no one; he loved Jesus too much. He had great personal faith in the Master.
172:5.7 (1885.2) Nathaniel, aside from the symbolic and prophetic aspects, came the nearest to understanding the Master’s reason for enlisting the popular support of the Passover pilgrims. He reasoned it out, before they reached the temple, that without such a demonstrative entry into Jerusalem Jesus would have been arrested by the Sanhedrin officials and cast into prison the moment he presumed to enter the city. He was not, therefore, in the least surprised that the Master made no further use of the cheering crowds when he had once got inside the walls of the city and had thus so forcibly impressed the Jewish leaders that they would refrain from placing him under immediate arrest. Understanding the real reason for the Master’s entering the city in this manner, Nathaniel naturally followed along with more poise and was less perturbed and disappointed by Jesus’ subsequent conduct than were the other apostles. Nathaniel had great confidence in Jesus’ understanding of men as well as in his sagacity and cleverness in handling difficult situations.
172:5.8 (1885.3) Matthew was at first nonplused by this pageant performance. He did not grasp the meaning of what his eyes were seeing until he also recalled the Scripture in Zechariah where the prophet had alluded to the rejoicing of Jerusalem because her king had come bringing salvation and riding upon the colt of an ass. As the procession moved in the direction of the city and then drew on toward the temple, Matthew became ecstatic; he was certain that something extraordinary would happen when the Master arrived at the temple at the head of this shouting multitude. When one of the Pharisees mocked Jesus, saying, “Look, everybody, see who comes here, the king of the Jews riding on an ass!” Matthew kept his hands off of him only by exercising great restraint. None of the twelve was more depressed on the way back to Bethany that evening. Next to Simon Peter and Simon Zelotes, he experienced the highest nervous tension and was in a state of exhaustion by night. But by morning Matthew was much cheered; he was, after all, a cheerful loser.
172:5.9 (1886.1) Thomas was the most bewildered and puzzled man of all the twelve. Most of the time he just followed along, gazing at the spectacle and honestly wondering what could be the Master’s motive for participating in such a peculiar demonstration. Down deep in his heart he regarded the whole performance as a little childish, if not downright foolish. He had never seen Jesus do anything like this and was at a loss to account for his strange conduct on this Sunday afternoon. By the time they reached the temple, Thomas had deduced that the purpose of this popular demonstration was so to frighten the Sanhedrin that they would not dare immediately to arrest the Master. On the way back to Bethany Thomas thought much but said nothing. By bedtime the Master’s cleverness in staging the tumultuous entry into Jerusalem had begun to make a somewhat humorous appeal, and he was much cheered up by this reaction.
172:5.10 (1886.2) This Sunday started off as a great day for Simon Zelotes. He saw visions of wonderful doings in Jerusalem the next few days, and in that he was right, but Simon dreamed of the establishment of the new national rule of the Jews, with Jesus on the throne of David. Simon saw the nationalists springing into action as soon as the kingdom was announced, and himself in supreme command of the assembling military forces of the new kingdom. On the way down Olivet he even envisaged the Sanhedrin and all of their sympathizers dead before sunset of that day. He really believed something great was going to happen. He was the noisiest man in the whole multitude. By five o’clock that afternoon he was a silent, crushed, and disillusioned apostle. He never fully recovered from the depression which settled down on him as a result of this day’s shock; at least not until long after the Master’s resurrection.
172:5.11 (1886.3) To the Alpheus twins this was a perfect day. They really enjoyed it all the way through, and not being present during the time of quiet visitation about the temple, they escaped much of the anticlimax of the popular upheaval. They could not possibly understand the downcast behavior of the apostles when they came back to Bethany that evening. In the memory of the twins this was always their day of being nearest heaven on earth. This day was the satisfying climax of their whole career as apostles. And the memory of the elation of this Sunday afternoon carried them on through all of the tragedy of this eventful week, right up to the hour of the crucifixion. It was the most befitting entry of the king the twins could conceive; they enjoyed every moment of the whole pageant. They fully approved of all they saw and long cherished the memory.
172:5.12 (1886.4) Of all the apostles, Judas Iscariot was the most adversely affected by this processional entry into Jerusalem. His mind was in a disagreeable ferment because of the Master’s rebuke the preceding day in connection with Mary’s anointing at the feast in Simon’s house. Judas was disgusted with the whole spectacle. To him it seemed childish, if not indeed ridiculous. As this vengeful apostle looked upon the proceedings of this Sunday afternoon, Jesus seemed to him more to resemble a clown than a king. He heartily resented the whole performance. He shared the views of the Greeks and Romans, who looked down upon anyone who would consent to ride upon an ass or the colt of an ass. By the time the triumphal procession had entered the city, Judas had about made up his mind to abandon the whole idea of such a kingdom; he was almost resolved to forsake all such farcical attempts to establish the kingdom of heaven. And then he thought of the resurrection of Lazarus, and many other things, and decided to stay on with the twelve, at least for another day. Besides, he carried the bag, and he would not desert with the apostolic funds in his possession. On the way back to Bethany that night his conduct did not seem strange since all of the apostles were equally downcast and silent.
172:5.13 (1887.1) Judas was tremendously influenced by the ridicule of his Sadducean friends. No other single factor exerted such a powerful influence on him, in his final determination to forsake Jesus and his fellow apostles, as a certain episode which occurred just as Jesus reached the gate of the city: A prominent Sadducee (a friend of Judas’s family) rushed up to him in a spirit of gleeful ridicule and, slapping him on the back, said: “Why so troubled of countenance, my good friend; cheer up and join us all while we acclaim this Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews as he rides through the gates of Jerusalem seated on an ass.” Judas had never shrunk from persecution, but he could not stand this sort of ridicule. With the long-nourished emotion of revenge there was now blended this fatal fear of ridicule, that terrible and fearful feeling of being ashamed of his Master and his fellow apostles. At heart, this ordained ambassador of the kingdom was already a deserter; it only remained for him to find some plausible excuse for an open break with the Master.