Saturday, Sunday, Monday

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY

Saturday
On Saturday evening, for the Sabbath was over at sunset, friends at Bethany made a feast for Jesus. Martha was doing the work, and Mary and Lazarus were both there.

A large number of the Children of Israel had come to this feast for two reasons: They wanted to see Lazarus, who had been brought back to life; and they wanted to see Jesus, who could do such a great miracle.

As the guests sat at the table, a wonderful smelling perfume began to fill the air, and looking at Jesus they saw what had made it. Mary had taken a beautiful box which held a pound of very costly ointment, and she had broken this box open and poured the ointment on the head and feet of Jesus, and was then wiping His feet with her long hair.

Ever since Jesus’ disciples had gone about with Him they had lived like one family. All the money was kept in one bag, and was used to pay the bills for any or all of them. Judas was the disciple who took care of the money bag, and he was now the one who spoke first.

Judas felt angry, and said, “Why is this ointment being wasted? Why was it not sold and the money given to the poor?”

Judas said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and if the money had gone into the bag, he could have had part of it for himself.

Jesus said to Judas, “Let her alone; why do you trouble this woman? You will have the poor with you always, but you will not always have me. She has done well. What she has done will be told in memory of her wherever people learn about me.”

Sunday
Early on the morning of our Sunday a company of people took palm branches in their hands and went out of the city to meet Jesus. At Bethany, too, a crowd had gathered to see Jesus, one whose name was on every one’s lips. For all those Children of Israel who were at the grave of Lazarus when Jesus brought him back to life had often told the story of what they had seen.

Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead to another village, saying, “When you get to a certain place you will find a colt tied by the door in a place where two roads meet; a colt on which no man has ever sat. Untie him and bring him to me. If any man asks you why you are doing this, you must say, “The Lord needs him,” and then the man will let him go.”

The disciples went as Jesus told them, found the colt tied by the door, and untied him. A man who stood by said, “Why are you letting the colt loose?” The disciples answered, “The Lord needs him.” The owner said no more, and the friends of Jesus took the colt to Him. After they had thrown their coats on its back to make the softest saddle they could for Him, Jesus sat on the colt and rode toward Jerusalem.

Jesus was followed by the people who had been waiting for Him at Bethany and by the large company who had come from all the towns of Galilee and Judea to the Passover feast. It seemed as if Jesus’ followers were enough to protect Him from the wicked plan of the rulers of the Children of Israel. Once again there were thousands of people who were ready to make Jesus their earthly king and give Him a crown.

How proud these men were to be in this company. One tried to do more than another to honor Jesus. Some threw down their clothing to make a soft carpet on which Jesus might ride; others cut down branches of palm trees and carpeted the road with them.

When the great company of people came to the foot of the Mount of Olives both those that went before and those who followed after waved their branches, and with a loud voice sang praise to God for all the mighty works they had seen. And this was their song, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

The procession soon reached the top of the mountain and Jerusalem was in full view. All Children of Israel loved Jerusalem, and Jesus loved it dearly, even though He had never been well treated there.

Now, as Jesus looked at the city, and thought what He could have done to save it, He felt so sad that He cried, “O Jerusalem, if you had only known what was best for you! But it is too late. The day is coming when you and your children shall be destroyed, and there will not be one stone left upon another.”

This really came true in less than fifty years after the death of Jesus. The Romans marched against the city, tore down the walls, killed men, women and children, and left nothing but ruins behind them.

The procession moved on through the gates into the city. Though the people of Jerusalem expected to see a great many strangers during the Passover week, they wondered what it meant to have this great procession march through the city, doing honor to Jesus, a man poorly dressed, sitting on a little untrained colt.

The whole city was interested, and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds with Jesus answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth in Galilee.”

The rulers of the Children of Israel were troubled when they saw and heard all these things. They were afraid it would be impossible for them to carry out their plans, if so many people had become friends of Jesus. Some of the rulers called out, “Master, tell your disciples to stop their shouting.”

But Jesus answered, “If these should keep quiet, the very stones of the city would cry out.”

When the crowd arrived at the temple they separated, for not all were clean and ready to go into the temple. Jesus went in, and stayed there until evening, when, with His disciples, He went back to Bethany to spend the night.

Monday
Monday morning, on the way back to Jerusalem, Jesus noticed a fig tree a little way from the roadside. It seemed to be a strong, healthy tree, and Jesus hoped to find some fruit on it, because He was hungry. But when Jesus came to it He found nothing but leaves. Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”

He then moved on to Jerusalem.

Jesus’ heart was sad as He entered the temple, because there in the court of the Gentiles He saw the same sights that had troubled Him three years before. Money-changers were doing their work, and men were buying and selling cattle. Jesus would not allow them to carry on their business while He was there, and He drove them out again as He had before. The scribes and Pharisees looked on in wonder and hatred, as they saw how quickly Jesus was obeyed. But they did not dare touch Jesus, because so many of the people had become His friends.

All day long Jesus worked in the temple. The lame and the blind came to Him and were healed; hundreds of people crowded about Jesus to hear His words. When the children who had seen the procession the day before, and had learned the song of the crowds, saw Jesus in the temple, they began to shout the same words, “Hosanna to the son of David.”

The priests and scribes did not like this, and said to Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

Jesus answered, “Yes; have you not read that from little children often comes the most perfect praise?”