His Last Week.

by William E. Barton and Theodore G. Soares and Sydney Strong.

PREFACE.

ONE HUNDREDTH THOUSAND.

The evangelists have devoted one-third of the Gospel record to our Lord's Pa.s.sion and Resurrection. A comparison of the four narratives clearly indicates the order of events upon the several days of the Holy Week. The devotional reading of the story is a most natural and helpful observance of the Easter season. As an aid to such observance this booklet has been prepared. It is the story, day by day, of the last week in our Lord's earthly life in the words of the four evangelists, containing all that they record, but without repet.i.tion. Messrs. Thomas Nelson and Sons have generously co-operated in permitting the use of the best translation.

Originally planned for the churches of all denominations in a single community, the booklet has proved a blessing to many thousands of Christians. May this new edition help in the fulfillment of the great purpose which the Gospel epilogue expresses.

HIS LAST WEEK

GOING UP TO JERUSALEM.

And it came to pa.s.s when the days were well nigh come that Jesus should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he departed from Galilee, and pa.s.sed through the borders of Samaria and Galilee, and came into the borders of Judaea beyond the Jordan. And great mult.i.tudes followed him, and he healed them there.

And they were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid.

And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were to happen unto them, saying, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles; and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise again."

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

And he entered and pa.s.sed through Jericho and went on before, going up to Jerusalem.

Now the pa.s.sover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the pa.s.sover, to purify themselves. They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, "What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?"

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.

THE FEAST AT BETHANY.

Jesus therefore six days before the pa.s.sover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So they made him a supper there in the house of Simon the leper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, that should betray him, saith, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings, and given to the poor?"

Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein.

Jesus therefore said, "Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying. For the poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

The common people therefore of the Jews learned 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. But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

PALM SUNDAY--THE DAY OF TRIUMPH.

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY.

On the morrow when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, "Go your way into the village that is over against you: and straightway as ye enter into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any one say unto you, 'Why do ye this?' say ye, 'The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.'"

Now this is come to pa.s.s, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

"Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an a.s.s, And upon a colt the foal of an a.s.s."

And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door without in the open street: and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, "What do ye, loosing the colt?" And they said unto them even as Jesus had said: and they let them go. And they bring the colt unto Jesus, and cast on him their garments; and he sat upon him.

And the most part of the mult.i.tude spread their garments upon the way; and others branches, which they had cut from the fields. And as he was drawing nigh, even at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole mult.i.tude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise G.o.d with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the kingdom that cometh, the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest."

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.

The mult.i.tude, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, bare witness. For this cause also the mult.i.tude went and met him, for that they heard that he had done this sign.

And some of the Pharisees from the mult.i.tude said unto him, "Teacher, rebuke thy disciples."

And he answered and said, "I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out."

And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast up a bank about thee, and compa.s.s thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

And the mult.i.tude said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Behold, how ye prevail nothing; lo, the world is gone after him."

And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

MONDAY--THE DAY OF AUTHORITY.

THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE.

And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered.

And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. And he answered and said unto it, "No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever."

And his disciples heard it.