The Road to Jerusalem

(At this point in our Harmony of the Gospels reading, we came to the resurrection season of 2014. The following 18 passages follow Jesus' final days and hours before His crucifixion. There will be no commentary, just the passages. If you would like to skip this portion and continue in the Harmony reading, you may click here.)

When I read through the gospels chronologically (in harmony) for the first time, it affected me in unexpected ways. I had read each of the gospels through individually, and of course, various passages separately numerous times. But putting them together in one continuous narrative was profoundly impacting.  So when I came to the heading, “Jesus final week”, I was surprised at my response. My heart pounded, and I froze. I literally could not read. It was silly, I know, but nonetheless real. In my heart, I found myself saying, “No, stop! Don’t go there, Jesus!” It was the first time I had been drawn into the events of Jesus’ life in such an intense way.

After a few days, I did indeed return to my reading with a renewed love and devotion to my Lord. The timing of my reading had nothing to do with the Resurrection season, but since we are now here, just a few weeks away (April 20), I thought that it would be appropriate to stop where we are currently and jump ahead to the events immediately before Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

I will not be writing any commentary; that will come when we continue in the normal course of the harmony reading.  Instead, I will post just the Scriptures in chronological order of the events of Jesus’ last days here on earth from the time that the Sanhedrin conspired to kill Him through to Resurrection Sunday. Since I am not commenting, I will be posting daily; read as you can. I hope that my readers will not mind this short departure from our course of reading, but that it will enrich your love for the Lord Jesus as it has done mine.

The Sanhedrin

Previously, just a few weeks before:

John 11:45-55

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

(...Between John 11:45-55, Jesus spent some amount of time[1] with His disciples in Ephraim. Then He went to Bethany[2] five days before Passover. During that time Jesus had His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He took daily trips into the city and then returned to Bethany in the evening. Also during that time He taught the disciples to watch regarding signs of the last days’ through parables. Just before the Passover, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet.)

Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1, 2; Luke 22:1, 2

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, “You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

And the chief priests and the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

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[1]The exact amount of time is not clear, but it is clearly within just a few weeks before the Passover.

[2] Bethany is about 2 miles from Jerusalem. (John 11:18)