The Life of Jesus Christ - Chapter 9 - Jesus' last week in Jerusalem - Part 1
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An online Bible Study course by Barrie Wetherill about the life of Jesus. This book is in EasyEnglish Level B. Use the links below for other online Bible Study books and commentaries that will help you. Or go to the Word List, which explains words with a *star.
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It was nearly time for the *Feast of the Passover. The *Feast of
the Passover was a holy day for the Jews. They remembered the time when God
freed them from being slaves in Egypt. This event happened at the time of Moses.
They met in the *temple at Passover. Each family had a special meal together.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany. Bethany
was near Jerusalem. His friends there, Mary, Martha, and their brother
Lazarus,
asked him to come for a special dinner. At the dinner, Mary put special oil,
which had a sweet smell, on Jesus. It was very expensive oil (John 12:1-11).
Judas Iscariot said that this wasted the oil. The *disciples could have sold the
oil and given the money to poor people. But Jesus said that Mary had done a
beautiful thing. She prepared his body for his death.
There was a large crowd there, not only because of Jesus, but
also because of Lazarus. Jesus made Lazarus alive again after Lazarus had died.
The Jewish rulers were plotting to kill them both. The next day, Jesus told two
*disciples to bring a particular donkey [small horse]. They would find this
donkey, with a young donkey, in a particular village. The *disciples put their
clothes on the young animal. Jesus sat on it and rode into Jerusalem on it.
By this time, everybody was very excited. The *disciples thought
that the *Kingdom of God would appear immediately. There was a large crowd of
people with Jesus. Many other people, who were coming to the *feast, heard about
him. Then they too came to give him a welcome. Jesus had done many wonderful
*miracles. He even made Lazarus alive after Lazarus died. People talked about
these things. They asked if Jesus was the Son of David. (Son of David was a name
for the *Messiah.) The Jewish rulers believed that Jesus was not the Son of
David. The crowd thought that he was. But they thought that the *Messiah would
come like a soldier. And they thought that he would force the Romans to leave.
But Jesus came in to Jerusalem on a young animal. This was a sign of peace, and
not of war. Later the *disciples realised how important this was. Jesus made the
*prophecy about the *Messiah come true. (Zechariah 9:9).
The crowd shouted out ‘*Hosanna to the Son of David’,
(Matthew 21:15). These are words from Psalm 118:26. The crowd repeated these
words because they are about the *Messiah. The *Pharisees knew what these words
meant. They asked Jesus to tell the people not to say such words. But Jesus
replied with words from Psalm 8:2. He said this: ‘God can make even little
babies able to praise him with songs’.
There was excitement everywhere in the city. People had
travelled long distances to be in Jerusalem for the *feast. Because Jesus and
the 12 *disciples arrived late in Jerusalem, they returned to Bethany for the
night.
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2002-2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)