What Did The Christ Do Before Passover?

After leaving the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany, a few days before the ultimate Passover Sacrifice (see Six Days Before The Passover), the Lamb of God entered Jerusalem in what has become known as "the triumphal entry." Many who received Him with joy and reverence did so because they had heard of His miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.

"^12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead [see Why Were Their Deaths Interrupted?]. ^12:2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. ^12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

^12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him [see The Long Shadow Of Judas], ^12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? ^12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

^12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. ^12:8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

^12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. ^12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death [see The High Priest's Deal With The Devil]; ^12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

^12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, ^12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried,

Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

^12:14 And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, ^12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

^12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

^12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave [see also Through The Gates Of Hell], and raised him from the dead, bare record. ^12:18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle." (John 12:1-18 KJV)

"And He taught daily in the Temple"

Upon His arrival in Jerusalem from nearby Bethany, the first place that The Prophet Of Galilee went was the Temple - where He drove the merchants (who were selling animals to be sacrificed) and bankers (who were exchanging foreign currency for the visitors to Jerusalem) out.

"^19:45 And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; ^19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves." (Luke 19:45-46 KJV)

The Messiah (see also The By-The-Book Messiah and 'Before Abraham Was, I AM') then spent the remaining days of His human lifetime teaching in the Temple area - all the while being watched by those who were conspiring to kill Him.

"^19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, ^19:48 And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him." (Luke 19:47-48 KJV)

Some of the most well-known teachings of Jesus Christ were recorded from His teaching, or reiterating them to larger crowds, in those few days before Passover - from Matthew 21:1-11, when He entered Jerusalem, all through to Matthew chapter 26 which records His observing "the Last Supper" on the evening of Nisan 14 (the Preparation Day for the First Day of Passover/Unleavened Bread which begins at sunset on Nisan 15).

The parables of the two sons (see Parables Of Jesus Christ: True Obedience), the tenants (see Parables Of Jesus Christ: The Husbandmen), the wedding banquet (see Parables Of Jesus Christ: The Son's Wedding), paying taxes to Caesar (see The Politics of Religion), marriage at the resurrection (see From Husbands and Wives To Brothers and Sisters), the Two Great Commandments (see The Two Great Commandments), and the Seven Woes (see The Woes Of Revelation), and much more, were included in His teachings during those days.

Also among those teachings was the famous "Olivet Prophecy," named after the nearly Mount of Olives.

"^24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of The End Of The World?"

^24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. ^24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. ^24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ^24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes [see Earthquake!], in divers places. ^24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows." (Matthew 24:3-8 KJV)

The Great Tribulation upon Christ's true people will be the result of the world coming under the spell of "many false prophets" who will cause hate for the Truth to abound (even more than it already does by those who are "offended" by Christ's truth, and all too often, any truth, while claiming to be Christian - see Is Your Religion Your Religion? and Toy Bibles).

"^24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. ^24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. ^24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. ^24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. ^24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. ^24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom [see The Gospel of The Kingdom of God] shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:9-14 KJV)

The "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet," will be fulfilled at that time. Christ's "two witnesses" (see The Prophets: The Two Witnesses) will be martyred at that time as well i.e. both of those events are described as happening just prior to Christ's return (see How Long Will 'The End Time' Last?).

"^24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand [see Abomination of Desolation - Where?]: ^24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: ^24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: ^24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. ^24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! ^24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: ^24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ^24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." (Matthew 24:15-22 KJV)

Even the return of Christ itself will be counterfeited by Satan-empowered "false Christs and false prophets" - who will fool, and make a fool of, those who ignore what is written in the Holy Bible (see What's Your Angle?). The written Word of God is the key to not being deceived ("whoso readeth, let him understand") because the deceivers will deny and contradict what is actually written in the Bible, while claiming to be teaching it (see Holy Bible Reading Plan With Study Notes).

"^24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. ^24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ^24:25 Behold, I have told you before.

^24:26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. ^24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ^24:28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." (Matthew 24:23-28 KJV)

The "signs in the heavens" will then occur to get people to look up, away from the false Christs on this earth, to the genuine Christ arriving from heaven.

"^24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ^24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in The Clouds of Heaven [see also Are We In Heaven Now?] with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:29-30 KJV)

The day of Christ's return will be salvation day for the people of Christ who have lived through all of the ages right up to that day (see When Will You Be Judged?).

"^24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31 KJV)

The Messiah finished the teaching with a warning not to set dates because "of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

"^24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: ^24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. ^24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. ^24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

^24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. ^24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ^24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, ^24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ^24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. ^24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left [see The Raptures].

^24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. ^24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. ^24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 24:32-44 KJV)

Fact Finder: Why did the Messiah complete the teachings with "ye know not what hour your Lord doth come"?
See Could Christ Return Tonight?

This Day In History, April 14

73: According to the historian Josephus, 967 Jewish zealots committed mass suicide within the fortress of Masada on the last night before the walls were breached by the Roman Tenth Legion. Two women and 5 children survived by hiding in a cistern, and were later released unharmed by the Romans.

1028: Henry III was elected king of the Germans.

1118: Baldwin II, crusade leader, was crowned king of Jerusalem.

1471: The Battle of Barnet. In the English Wars of The Roses, a momentous victory for the Yorkist king Edward IV over his Lancastrian opponents under the Earl of Warwick, the adherents of Henry VI. Warwick was killed and Edward IV resumed the throne.

1543: Bartoleme Ferrelo returned to Spain after discovering a large bay in the New World - known today as San Francisco Bay.

1611: The first known use of the word "telescope."

1828: Noah Webster obtained a copyright for the first edition of his dictionary.

1849: Hungary declared itself independent of Austria with Louis Kossuth as its leader.

1865: Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at the Ford Theater. Lincoln died the next day.

Ronald Reagan broke the so-called "year zero curse" in 1989 when he became the first U.S. President since 1840, who won a Presidential election in a year ending in a zero, to leave office alive (although not without incident - Reagan was also seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in March of 1981):

1980: Ronald Reagan
1960: John F. Kennedy, assassinated
1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt, natural causes
1920: Warren Harding, natural causes
1900: William McKinley, assassinated
1880: James Garfield, assassinated
1860: Abraham Lincoln, assassinated
1840: William Harrison, natural causes

1912: The British ocean liner Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland. The collision tore a 91 meter (300 foot) hole in the hull during the British ocean liner's maiden voyage to New York City. It sank the next day with a loss of 1,500 lives.

1931: In Spain, under pressure by Republican forces for his abdication, King Alfonso XIII left the country while refusing to abdicate; he never returned. General Francisco Franco later reinstated him as a Spanish citizen and restored his confiscated property, but he eventually abdicated his rights to his third son, Don Juan.

1945: During the Second World War, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo was damaged by B-29 bombers.

1948: A flash of light was observed in the crater named Plato on the moon.

1958: The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 left orbit after 162 days.

1986: Ronald Reagan ordered a U.S. bombing of Libya; 62 people were killed, including an infant daughter of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

1986: Hailstones, some weighing a kilogram (over 2 pounds), killed 92 people in Bangladesh.

2003: The Human Genome Project was completed, with 99% of the human genome (the full DNA sequence of an organism) sequenced.