Sequence of events in Holy Week
Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph. He goes to the Temple, and in the evening retires to Bethania.
Monday.
He returns to Jerusalem, and curses the barren fig-tree by the wayside. He turns the buyers and sellers out of the Temple for the second time, and retires to Bethania in the evening.
Tuesday.
He goes to the Temple and is questioned by —
(a) the Sanhedrin.[ late Hebrew sanhedrīn, < Greek συνέδριον council, lit. ‘sitting together’, < σύν together + ἕδρα seat. OED ](b) the Herodians and Pharisees.(c) the Sadducees.(d) a scribe.
On this day Jesus relates the following Parables —
(a) The Two Sons.(b) The Wicked Husbandmen.(c) The Ten Virgins.(d) The Talents.
Christ also —
(a) Denounces the Pharisees.(b) Prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem.(c) Prophesies the end of the world.
In the evening He again returns to Bethania.
Wednesday.
He remains at Bethania.
Thursday.
He goes to Jerusalem towards evening for the Paschal Supper. He institutes the Holy Eucharist.
Then follow —
The Agony in the Garden.The Betrayal.The Trials before Annas and Caiphas.
Good Friday.
Christ is tried before —
The Crucifixion, Death and Burial.The Sanhedrin.Herod.Pilate.
Holy Saturday.
Jesus lies in the tomb.
Easter Sunday.
He rises from the dead.
St Mark Chapter XI : Verses 1-11
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| The foal of Bethphage. J-J Tissot. |
[2] And saith to them: Go into the village that is over against you, and immediately at your coming in thither, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man yet hath sat: loose him, and bring him.
[3] And if any man shall say to you, What are you doing? say ye that the Lord hath need of him: and immediately he will let him come hither.
[4] And going their way, they found the colt tied before the gate without, in the meeting of two ways: and they loose him.
[5] And some of them that stood there, said to them: What do you loosing the colt?
[6] Who said to them as Jesus had commanded them; and they let him go with them.
[7] And they brought the colt to Jesus; and they lay their garments on him, and he sat upon him.
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| Hosanna in excelsis! David. J-J Tissot. |
[9] And they that went before and they that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
[10] Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh: Hosanna in the highest.
[11] And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple: and having viewed all things round about, when now the eventide was come, he went out to Bethania with the twelve.
[1] Et cum appropinquarent Jerosolymae et Bethaniae ad montem Olivarum, mittit duos ex discipulis suis, [2] et ait illis : Ite in castellum, quod contra vos est, et statim introeuntes illuc, invenietis pullum ligatum, super quem nemo adhuc hominum sedit : solvite illum, et adducite. [3] Et si quis vobis dixerit : Quid facitis? dicite, quia Domino necessarius est : et continuo illum dimittet huc. [4] Et abeuntes invenerunt pullum ligatum ante januam foris in bivio : et solvunt eum. [5] Et quidam de illic stantibus dicebant illis : Quid facitis solventes pullum? [6] Qui dixerunt eis sicut praeceperat illis Jesus, et dimiserunt eis. [7] Et duxerunt pullum ad Jesum : et imponunt illi vestimenta sua, et sedit super eum. [8] Multi autem vestimenta sua straverunt in via : alii autem frondes caedebant de arboribus, et sternebant in via. [9] Et qui praeibant, et qui sequebantur, clamabant, dicentes : Hosanna : benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini : [10] benedictum quod venit regnum patris nostri David : hosanna in excelsis. [11] Et introivit Jerosolymam in templum : et circumspectis omnibus, cum jam vespera esset hora, exiit in Bethaniam cum duodecim
Notes
1. And when. Between the cure of Bartimeus and the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem we must note the following events —
(а) Jesus reaches Bethania on the evening of Friday (Nisan 6).
(b) He passes the Sabbath there, and in the evening sups with Simon, who had been a leper.
(c) At this supper, Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus’ feet.
(d) During that night the Jews met in council to plot against our Lord, and also they thought to kill Lazarus (St John xii. 10).
to Jerusalem and to Bethania. St Mark inverts the order. Bethania, which lay on the south-eastern slope of Mount Olivet, about a mile from the summit, must have been reached first. Jerusalem, however, is mentioned first, as being their destination. The Triumphal Entry took place, Nisan 8, on the first day of the week ; hence in commemorating this event, we refer to it as “ Palm Sunday.”
at the Mount of Olives. Literally towards the Mount of Olives, so called from its rich olive groves. (See Geog. Notes, p. 86.) The sides of the mountain still bear a few olive trees.
two of his disciples. From the minute details given by St Mark, it has been surmised that these two were St Peter (from whom this Evangelist received so much information) and St John.
2. the village. Most likely Bethphage (i.e. house of figs). This village has been located differently by eminent writers ; some place it north-east or south-east of Bethania, others are of opinion that it was north-west or south-west of that village. In any case it was close both to Bethania and Jerusalem. Modern research seems to prove that it stood about half a mile from the summit of Olivet, while Bethania was about the same distance lower down. Hence a person coming from Jericho would first come upon Bethphage. From our Lord’s words, go into the village that is over against you, it seems to have lain back from the high road.
a colt. St Luke tells us it was the colt of an ass. In the East, the horse is used chiefly in war ; asses there are held in high esteem, and are far superior to the European ass. The ass was ordinarily used on peaceful occasions.
no man yet hath sat. Such an animal was proper for a sacred use. St Matthew and St John point out how, on this occasion, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Zacharias, Tell ye the daughter of Sion : Behold thy king cometh to thee , meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke (St Matt. xxi. 5).
3. the Lord hath need. The owner of the ass was probably a secret disciple ; knowing that Jesus required the animals, he would have lent them gladly.
immediately he will let him come hither. Two meanings have been assigned to these apparently simple words. They may mean “ the Lord will immediately ( i.e . soon) send back the colt hither,” or they may signify that the owner would lend his colt immediately when requested to do so. The difficulty arises from the fact that in some MSS. the text runs, “he will send them hither again.” Most commentators agree in taking the words to signify the owner’s willingness to lend his colt. St Mark and St Luke mention only the colt. St Matthew says that they brought the ass and the colt (xxi. 7).
4. before the gate without, etc. Outside the courtyard, ready for the owner’s use. The original signifies that they found the colt tied at the gate, in a back lane which skirted the dwelling.
5. some of them that stood there said, etc. The bystanders questioned the disciples’ right to loose the colt, likewise the owners thereof said to them, Why loose you the colt ? (St Luke xix. 33).
7. they lay their garments on him, “ upon them ” (St Matt, xxi.) The disciples took their “ abbas,” and folding them, placed them as a saddle both on the ass and the colt.
He sat upon him. Christ rode on the colt, as three Evangelists relate. A few commentators are of opinion that Jesus rode on the ass and the colt in turn, but it is more probable that an ass and a colt are in apposition and refer to the same animal, while the ass walked riderless beside the colt.
8. many spread their garments, etc. The multitude spread their “ abbas ” in the way. It was customary to spread garments in the path of kings, conquerors, and rabbis renowned for their holiness and learning. Thus a royal procession was improvised for Jehu when he was anointed king of Israel. Then they made haste , and taking every man his garment, laid it under his feet, after the manner of a judgment-seat, etc. (4 Kings ix. 13).
others cut down boughs, etc. St John mentions that they took branches of palm trees (xii. 13). These could readily be had in the neighbourhood of Bethania (i.e. house of dates). In St Matthew the original word stands for branches of any description. Olive and palm trees abounded in the locality. Branches of these were used for waving on festal occasions, as on the Feast of Tabernacles. The palm leaves, which measured from twelve to sixteen feet, were roughly twisted together to make a leafy carpet.
9. they that went before. There were two processions, one coming out from Jerusalem to greet Jesus, the other following Him ; those from Jerusalem carried palm branches. On meeting Him the people turned round and headed the procession. When they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet him, etc. (St John xii. 12, 13). The palm was a symbol of joy and of victory. The resurrection of Lazarus, the cure of blind Bartimeus, and the proximity of the paschal season account for the vast concourse of people that thronged our Lord. By a census taken in the time of Nero, it was ascertained that 2,700,000 Jews were present at the “ Pasch.” St John lays special stress on the fact that the people came to meet him , because they heard that he had done this miracle (St John xii. 18), that is, raised Lazarus. St Matthew adds, And when he was come into Jerusalem , the whole city was moved, saying , Who is this ? And the people said : This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee (xxi. 10-11).
Hosanna, — i.e. save now. [Etymology: < late Latin osanna, hosanna (Vulgate), < Greek ὠσαννά, ὡσαννά, representing the Hebrew hōshaʿ-nā, abbreviated form of hōshīʿāh-nnā save, pray! Compare Psalms 118:25, 86:2. In Rabbinical literature the phrase occurs as a word in yōm-hōshaʿnā, ‘hosanna-day’, the seventh day of the Feast of Booths, also as a name for the palm (or willow) branches carried in procession. OED]
he that cometh. This was a title of the Messiah. Thus the disciples of St John the Baptist ask our Lord, Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another ? (St Matt. xi. 3).
10. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh : the words “ that cometh ” refer to kingdom.
Note. — At a turn in the road, the city of Jerusalem would stand before them in all its beauty ; and “ seeing the city,” Jesus wept over it, because it was doomed to destruction for having rejected Him.
11. into the temple : better “ into the courts of the Temple.” The Temple covered a vast area, and was surrounded by various courts for the men, for women, for Gentiles, etc. (see notes on the Temple, Part IV.).
having viewed all things, etc. Doubtless Jesus noted how the sacred precincts were being profaned by the vendors of sacrificial objects and by the money-changers.
St Luke’s account differs in the refrain from the other Evangelists. He gives the spirit and meaning of the words rather than the text, and his words are like an echo of the angels’ song at Bethlehem. The shouts of triumph would have re-echoed from the mountain glens and gorges and have been heard distinctly in Jerusalem. Additional details are given by the other Evangelists.
The following are peculiar to St Mark —
(a) The colt was “ tied before the gate without.”
(b) Some “stood there” looking on.
(c) The owner gave his consent when they delivered Christ’s message.
The Triumphal Entry as given by the four Evangelists.
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| From The Gospel according to St Mark, by Madame Cecilia (1904) |
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| From The Gospel according to St Mark, by Madame Cecilia (1904) |
Site of Bethphage.
This village, through which our Lord passed in His triumphal procession to Jerusalem, seems, according to modern research, to have been located about midway between the summit of Mount Olivet and Bethania. Local tradition points out a spot so situated as the site of this village, and recent excavations prove that the locality was once a hamlet, if nothing more, for foundations of houses and of a church have been discovered there (Gallwey, S.J.). If this opinion be correct, then Bethphage lay on the eastern slope of Mount Olivet, about half a mile south-east of the summit, about the same distance from Bethania. The caravan road led from Jericho to Jerusalem on the road to Bethania, and would therefore pass Bethphage (according to recent writers). At Bethania the road sloped southward and two other paths opened out leading to Jerusalem, a winding path on the north, a rugged bridle-path over the summit, while the wide and most frequented road wound due south. Local tradition prefers the path over the summit as the one taken by our Lord, but it is scarcely probable that a vast multitude accompanying Him would have chosen a narrow rugged path in preference to the caravan road. “ The view that Jesus passed over the southern or main road, accords better with the various accounts of the procession and its incidents. The hill, about seven hundred feet high, is entirely separated from Jerusalem by the Kedron valley. Gethsemani is located on the side that overlooks Jerusalem, that is, on its western descent” (Maas, S.J.).
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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