Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem for the final week of his life. He walked from Jericho to Jerusalem on a thirty mile, winding dirt path that skirted cliffs and descended into and out of deep ravines. The last part of the path was steep climb up the heights to Jerusalem.

Jesus and his friends stopped at the Mount of Olives, a mile or two from the city and had dinner at the home of Simon the Leper in Bethany. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were there. While Lazarus reclined at the table and Martha served the meal, Mary brought out an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, broke its seal and quietly poured some of the perfume over Jesus’ head. She knelt and poured more on his feet, then wiped them with her hair.

Mary was already grieving Jesus’ death and burial so instead of saving this perfume to anoint his body after he was dead, she made it a love offering while he was still alive.

Some of the people who saw this act protested that it was wasteful to use expensive perfume that way. Judas Iscariot argued that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But perhaps he really wanted it to be added to the money pouch he kept for Jesus and his disciples. He was accustomed to dipping into it for his own use from time to time.

Jesus replied that the disciples wouldn’t always have him with them, but they would always have the poor. Now was the time to follow Mary’s example and show Jesus how much he was loved, while he was still alive. They could still care for the poor after he was gone.

The Triumphal Entry

Jesus was not just another visitor to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. He was the Son of David, the king of Israel. People were looking for his arrival and they wanted to acclaim him. Some would have been happy to see him on the back of a mighty warhorse, but Jesus remembered what Zechariah 9:9 said:

“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

He sent two disciples into Jerusalem where he knew they would find a donkey and her colt. They brought the colt to Jesus, made saddle blanket with their cloaks and helped him onto its back. As he rode down from the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem, people threw down more cloaks and palm branches on the path before him and they welcomed Jesus with cries of,

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Matthew 21:9, John 12:13

Things were happening fast and the disciples had a hard time understanding it all. They had come to Jerusalem expecting opposition and death for Jesus, but the crowds seemed to love him.

“At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.” John 12:16

Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem

Jesus gazed upon Jerusalem as he approached on the donkey and he wept over the city. He said,

“‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.’” Luke 19:42

The leaders of Jerusalem had hardened their hearts against Jesus and could no longer see who he really was. With a prophet’s vision Jesus foresaw that Jerusalem would soon be surrounded and torn down until not one stone was left on top of another. He lamented with the prophets of old who wept for the city where God had once put his Name.

Jesus Predicts His Death

Some Greeks who came to Jerusalem to worship asked the Apostle Philip if they could meet with Jesus. Philip and Andrew went to talk with Jesus about it, and found him thinking about something else entirely.

He was contemplating his death. He compared himself to a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies so a stalk can grow up from it and produce many more seeds of grain. When he died Jesus was going to give life to uncounted numbers of people who would receive salvation from him.

His mind and his flesh recoiled from what lay ahead of him. He didn’t look forward to death but he was going to obey his Father and die so people could have eternal life.

“‘Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!’” John 12:27-28

“Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” John 12:28

People heard God’s voice and thought it was thunder, but it was the sound of the loving Father affirming his Son. Jesus didn’t need a vocal response from heaven because he heard from his Father constantly, but it was good for people to hear God speak.

“Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine.’” John 12:30

The Death Jesus Faced

“‘Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.” John 12:31-33

The crowd who heard Jesus was confused about who he was talking about. They didn’t believe the Messiah could be killed — because from the time of Moses they had looked for a king who would live forever. What did Jesus mean when he said the Son of Man must be lifted up?

Jesus encouraged them to keep watching and listening to him and eventually their questions would be answered.

“Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of the light.” John 12:36

The first day of the last week of Jesus’ life was over and he slipped away from the crowds and returned to Bethany. He needed to rest because five more very intense days of ministry and teaching lay ahead of him in Jerusalem.