This is a continuation of our serialization of Dr. Howard Rand’s treatise on the titular topic. Since Dr. Rand has used boldface type to set apart Scripture verses, we use only underlining and italics for our emphasis—unless otherwise noted. All comments in [brackets] are ours. For easier readability, we have also broken large paragraphs into smaller ones. QUOTE:
MONDAY, MARCH 14TH, NISAN 11Th
Early in the morning as He returned to the city, He hungered:
"And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away." (Matt. 21: 19.)
When Jesus and His disciples arrived at Jerusalem, Jesus went immediately to the temple and again cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves. He enforced His move against those who were using the Temple as a place of merchandise, for He:
"Would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves." (Mark 11: 16-17.)
This was the third and last time that Jesus cleansed the Temple. John alone gives the details of the first cleansing when at the beginning of His ministry Jesus went up to the Passover.
Matthew details the second cleansing on Palm Sunday and Mark records the third cleansing of the Temple on the day following Palm Sunday and after he had cursed the fig tree. The account as given by John of the first cleansing of the temple follows the account of His first miracle when he turned the water into wine:
"After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these thing hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2: 12-16.)
With the third cleansing of the Temple on Monday the Jews were no doubt determined to carry out their plans to destroy Him. As evening drew on, our Lord went either back to Bethany or spent the night in Gethsemane where he often met with His disciples.
TUESDAY, MARCH 15TH, NISAN 12TH
As Jesus and His disciples ascended the Mount of Olives early that morning on His way to Jerusalem the disciples noticed the fig tree was dried up even to the roots:
"And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away." (Mark 11: 21.)
Jesus used this occasion to teach the disciples a lesson that their faith might be increased. Arriving in the Temple, and as He was teaching the people, a deputation from the Sanhedrin came to Him and demanded by what authority He acted. He met their crafty wiliness with the perplexing question:
"I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men?
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people, for all hold John as a prophet.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, neither tell I you by what authority I do these things." (Matt. 21: 24-27.)
Jesus then related two parables: 1) the man with two sons, and 2) the husbandman and his servants. He followed these by pronouncing judgment upon the Jewish nation:
"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matt. 21: 43.)
Then follows the statement:
"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet."
A coalition now took place between the Pharisees and the Herodians for the purpose of ensnaring Jesus in His talks. Political questions concerning tribute money were asked so that, if possible, they might destroy His favor among the people, or render Him obnoxious to the Roman Government:
"And they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth:
Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it.
And he saith unto them, whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." (Mark 12: 13-17.)
When this trap failed to ensnare Him, the Sadducees put forth a question concerning the laws governing marriage and the future state of a man who had been the husband of a number of wives. In their turn Jesus silenced the Sadducees.
Next came the lawyer who asked concerning the greatest commandment of the law. After answering his question the statement is made, "And no man after that durst ask him any question" (Mark 12: 34).
It was Jesus' turn to now ask a few questions of His own, and so He said:
"How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son?" (Mark 12: 35-37.)
No one was able to reply nor to again argue with Him. Turning now to the multitudes and His disciples, Jesus preached His final sermon in the Temple. It was a scathing denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees who had rejected Him and who were now to be abandoned to their fate.
The Temple was to become desolate and its glory would depart while the Jewish nation was to be destroyed. Never was a nation and its leaders more severely condemned than in this last sermon by Jesus as He was about to leave the Temple (see Matt. 23: 1-39).
As Jesus was departing from the Temple, some of His disciples called His attention to its splendor and its treasures. He then predicted the complete destruction of the Temple. It now being eventide:
"And at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives." (Luke 21: 37.)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH, NISAN 13TH
This was called the 1st day of, or the beginning of, unleavened cakes, because on it at eventide they began to cast out leaven. The night was spent by Jesus and His disciples on the Mount of Olives, probably in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Here He continued the discourse regarding the destruction of the Temple and the events leading to His Second Advent (Matt. 24). It was at this time that He also gave the parables of the ten Virgins, the five Talents, and the sheep and goat Nations:
"And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified." (Matt. 26: 1-2.)
At this time, probably at this very moment, the Chief Priests, Scribes and Elders were meeting:
"Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him." (Matt. 26: 3-4.)
Luke describes the part Judas Iscariot had in this betrayal:
"Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed." (Luke 22: 3-7.)
Now it was on this 13th of Nisan and in view of the 14th beginning with sundown, the day on which the Passover Lamb must be slain, that the disciples asked our Lord, regarding the preparation that should be made for the Passover Feast, they not knowing that He could not be with them.
Contrary to the accepted belief of the Christian Church today, Jesus Christ never partook of the actual Passover but He did eat with His disciples what we now call the Lord's Supper.
It was the evening meal following the end of the day and was eaten by Jesus and His disciples after the sunset, beginning of the 14th of Nisan: the actual Passover Feast would be eaten the following evening at the beginning of the Feast day, Nisan 15th. END QUOTE
(To be continued.)
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