9th Nisan                                           

On the morning of the first day of the week, I feel restless. We say goodbye to our families, and the Twelve and I continue on to the temple alone. I still have a debt to repay to the Baptist. On the way, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, I see a fig tree by the side of the road. I know that fig tree; I dreamed about it again last night, just like I did once in Batanea. The fig tree of Israel in my master's vineyard, which bears no fruit. I would prune its roots and fertilize it. Otherwise, it would have to be cut down. Without saying anything to my friends, I walk toward this tree. I want to see if it has any buds. But this tree, too, appears to be barren, just like the one in my dream. "No one will ever pick fruit from you," I say aloud. My friends look at me strangely. "But master, it's not fig harvest time, is it?" I don't feel like explaining it to them.

       *      

It is extremely busy in and around the temple. Everywhere people are busy preparing for the feast. Some are bringing sacrifices for their sins or thank offerings for a first son born in the past year.

For the High Priest Caiaphas and his father-in-law, former High Priest Annas, Passover is also the most important holiday. Not only because it commemorates the liberation from Egypt, since such things have no more than symbolic meaning for the Rationalist priests. It is also the most important season for replenishing the treasury that keeps the system running. Many bring their temple tax to the offering box in person. The ritual baths are crowded. For the shops of the "Bazaar of Annas," it is a golden time. Everything is for sale, such as scrolls and jewelry. Materials and food for the pilgrims camping outside. And a commission is levied on every transaction.

Once again, I make a whip out of ropes, as I once did at the insistence of the Baptist. But I was not yet the one he expected, the one who would cleanse the threshing floor—on which this temple stands—of the corrupt priestly class with fire. How much more I understand now than I did then.

I take a deep breath and walk toward the merchants and sellers. I overturn the tables of the money changers and pull down the stalls of the pigeon sellers. "God's house is a house of prayer for all nations, not a marketplace!" I ask the people to stop carrying around their newly purchased goods. And the people do so, because they know who I am. They sit down around me and I tell them about the kingship of God. I see the priests and the temple guards standing at a distance. But they do not dare to intervene now that I am sitting here in the midst of all the people.

Some children shout what their parents whisper to them: "Hosanna to the son of David!" One of the priests asks me to put a stop to it. "But how can I? Didn't David once say that little children and infants sing God's praises?"

But there are also more vicious songs sung about the four high priestly families:

            Woe to the House of Boethos, woe to their staffs.

            Woe to the House of Annas, woe to their incantations.

            Woe to the House of Kathros, woe to their pens,

            Woe to the House of Ishmael Fiabi's son, woe to their fists.

            For they are High Priests, and their sons seek treasures,

            their sons-in-law administer estates and fortunes

            and their servants beat the people with sticks.                            Pesachim 57a

*       *

Andreas and Filip come to me. "Sir, there are some pagans here who worship the God of Israel. They ask to speak with you." In a flash, I see again what Moses and Elijah showed me on the mountain. They showed me my death, but also how the pagans poured into the temple of God. "The time has come," I say to Andrew and Philip, "the Father will glorify the Son of Man. And let me tell you this: unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever clings to his life will lose it, but whoever gives it up will keep it for eternity. If you want to serve me, follow me. And wherever I am, there will my servant be also, and the Father will glorify him.'

Tears well up in my eyes. "It's all too much for me. Father, save me from this! But this is precisely why I have come here and now. Father, your name is wonderful!"

Like an answer from heaven, there is a clap of thunder. I hear my father's voice: "I have glorified my name, and I will glorify it again."

The people talk excitedly among themselves about the meaning of the thunderclap, which David compares in a song to the voice of the Lord. I call out to them: "That voice was not for me, but for you. The judgment on this world has been passed. Its ruler will be thrown out. And when the Son of Man is lifted up from the earth, he will draw all people to himself.'

The people understand that I am speaking of the Anointed One, but they do not understand what the cross has to do with it. 'We have heard that the Anointed One lives forever, so how can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up on the cross? Are you the Anointed Son of Man, or are you talking about someone else?'

It is getting late, and I am leaving.

"The light is with you for a little while longer. So go now, while it is still light. Do not let darkness overtake you, for in the darkness you will not see where you are going. Trust in the light while you have it, and be children of the light."

Then we say goodbye and walk back to the Mount of Olives.

The eve of the 10th of Nisan                                     

When we are in the safety of the walled Gethsemane, a messenger from Simon arrives. He has reserved a room for our Passover meal. I call my disciples to me. "In two days we will celebrate the Passover meal. After that, the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

They are surprised, because it is the first time we are celebrating it on the day the Seculars celebrate it. They ask me if I want to go back to Bethany, but I tell them that Simon will find another place.

Judah stands up and walks into the garden. I follow him and ask him how he is. He is angry, confused, and sad. "That anointing in Bethany was wrong, Yeshua. You are allowing the people to idolize you. And today in the temple, how close did it come to ending in a bloodbath? What possesses you to think that you must die? Why are you putting everyone in Jerusalem in danger? You must turn yourself in, Yeshua, make it stop. If you turn yourself in now, they will not kill you; you have never truly broken the law yourself. For those healings on the Sabbath, you will have to admit that it was out of ignorance, an overly broad interpretation of the law. You will have to bring a guilt offering and perhaps they will give you the 39 lashes. But after that it will be over. Back home. Build something again, maybe a family. I can see what Mary feels for you. Do it for her, Yeshua, do it for us, do it for our people.

"And if not?"

"Then I'll do it."

"You must do what you must do, Judah. But think about it some more, at least until the feast the day after tomorrow. Then we'll see."

10th of Nisan 

The next morning, the second day of the week, we walk back to the city. Suddenly we see it again, the fig tree. Completely withered. My friends and I are shocked. Peter says quietly, "Master, look: the fig tree you cursed has withered."

In my ears I hear the words of the prophet Jeremiah, warning the people of the impending disaster:

'There will be no figs on the tree, and its leaves will wither.

What I have given them will be taken away from them.'                    Jeremiah 8:13b

I understand what my father means. Time is up, Jerusalem is like a tree being cut down and burned. But I will not give up my people. And I call my friends to me: 'When the nations have surrounded Jerusalem and are slaughtering our people in the streets, trust in God. Keep praying. The day will come when those who say to this Mount of Olives, 'Lift up, and let it go down into the sea,' will see it happen. For these are the words of the prophet Zechariah:

            The Lord will fight for them as in days of old.

            The Mount of Olives will be split in two,

            and there will be a way for you to escape through that valley.

            It will be one day, known to the Lord;

            night and day will not be divided,

            even at evening time there will be light.

            On that day living waters will flow from Jerusalem

            and the Lord will be king over all the earth.

            On that day the Lord will be one, and his name one.                Zechariah 14:3-9, selection

       *      

When we enter the temple, a delegation from the Sanhedrin quickly approaches us. A few sons of Annas, brothers-in-law of the high priest, scribes, and elders of the people.

They are troubled by yesterday's events. They clearly realize that an arrest now could lead to an uprising among the pilgrims from Galilee. The Romans would then certainly intervene with bloodshed. Therefore, they offer a compromise, a kind of truce until the end of the feast. I do not accept it. Meanwhile, a growing crowd surrounds us.

"But who or what gives you the right to endanger the temple of God in this way?"

"I will answer you. But first I want an answer from you to a question I have for you. Who gave John the Baptist the command to baptize the people? Was it God or was it a human idea?"

They deliberate at length over the answer. Then they come to a decision. Someone steps forward and says, "We don't know." The people around us begin to jeer, because everyone knows that John was a prophet of God who denounced the corruption in the temple.

"If you don't dare to give the people answers, what right do you have to ask me questions? But I will answer both questions anyway.

There was a man who had two sons. He asked both of them to work in his vineyard that day. The first said 'Yes', but didn't do it, and the second said 'No', but later regretted it and went anyway. Which of the two obeyed his father's request more?

"The second."

"Yes, tax collectors and prostitutes have accepted God's kingdom more than you. For when John came and showed you the way of righteousness, you did not believe him. You were ashamed to be baptized. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. You just stood there watching.

Here is a parable from the prophet Isaiah:

            I will sing of my beloved;

            this is the song of my beloved and his vineyard.

            My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

            He dug it up and cleared it of stones,

            he planted it with choice vines.

            He built a tower in it and hewed a winepress out of the rock.

            He expected the vineyard to yield good grapes,

            but the grapes it produced were sour.

            Now the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel,

            and the men of Judah he planted with delight.

            He expected good governance, but behold, it was bloodshed.

            He expected justice, but behold, it was perversion.                                                                                                                      Isaiah 5:1,2

He leased the vineyard and went to a foreign country. When the harvest time came, he sent a servant to receive his share of the fruit. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant, but they also mistreated and insulted him. When he sent a third servant, they killed him.

Finally, he sent his son, whom he loved. "They will respect my son," he thought. But when the tenants saw him, they said, "This is the heir. If we kill him, the vineyard will be ours."

What will the owner do now? Won't he kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others who will bring in the fruit?

'This is not right, this is blasphemy. Where do you get the right to say such things here in the temple?'

'This temple will be torn down, but in three days I will raise it up again.'

"You are talking nonsense. Herod began building this, and it has been under construction for forty-six years. And it is still being built. What can you do in three days?"

"Can you explain the words of David and Isaiah?

            The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

            The Lord has done this; it is a miracle in our eyes.                 Psalm 118:22,23

            He will be a temple, but also a stone

            that causes people to stumble, a rock that makes them fall."                       Isaiah 8:14

They drip away and we continue our tour of the temple courtyard. I notice that I miss Judah. I had seen that he looked dissatisfied when I rejected their compromise. But surely he hasn't gone after the priests?

*

We choose a spot under the colonnade where, like the other masters, I engage in the question-and-answer game with the pilgrims. Judah is back with us, but he avoids my gaze.

Still, I sense that he has made an appointment with them. Council members are coming by more and more often to listen to the discussions. They even seem relaxed.

A group of Herodians, who advocate the reunification of Judea and Galilee within the Roman Empire, ask a question: "Master, we know that you always speak your mind and are independent of those who oppose you. Therefore, we ask you this question: Is a law-abiding Jew allowed to pay taxes to the Roman emperor or not?"

Clever guys. If I say no, they have something to accuse me of before the governor, and if I say yes, they will discredit me before the people of Galilee and the Golan who want independence from Rome. "Let me see one of those Roman coins you use to pay taxes, because I don't have any."

They bring one over. "No, I don't need it. Just tell me what image and inscription are on it."

"The emperor's."

"If it's the emperor's, give it back to him. Just as you must give back to God what belongs to Him, the people He created in His image." They had no answer to that.

A little later, a group of Rationalists comes forward with a question. "Teacher, Moses has prescribed the following to us:

            When brothers live together on the fields of their forefathers

            and one of them dies without leaving an heir,

            his wife must not marry outside the family

            and pass on the inheritance to a stranger.

            She may marry her brother-in-law

            and the firstborn son she bears shall

            shall be named after her deceased husband

            so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.                          Deuteronomy 25:5,6

Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died without leaving a child. So she married the second brother, but he also died before she had a child. This continued until finally the seventh brother died childless. If they ever rise from the dead, to which man will she belong? Don't all seven have equal rights to her?

These men are so sure of themselves that they do not even want to trap me. They only want to ridicule the faith of the pious. And they think they are strong because they accept only the law of Moses.

'You are greatly mistaken. For you do not know the words of the law, let alone God's power over life and death. When people rise from the dead, they will not resume their present life. They will be God's heavenly children. And if you could read better, you would also find in the law of Moses that death is not the end. Does God not say to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are truly lost.'

The proud rationalists dare not ask any more questions. Amid the snickering of the bystanders, they slink away.

A lawyer from the Pharisees compliments me. "That was a good answer, teacher. Perhaps you can answer me too. Which commandment of the law do you think is the most important?"

"A lawyer from this city once answered me with the prayer we pray every day: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength,' and also with your mind. And besides this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' I know of no commandment that weighs more heavily than this.'

"Very good, teacher. You are right in saying that he is our Lord; there is no other. And to love him with all your heart, your mind, and your strength, and your neighbor as yourself, is worth more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices put together."

How wonderful to find a kindred spirit among the Council members. It reminds me of Joseph and Nicodemus. "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

Then I ask the Pharisees standing around us, "What do you think of the Anointed One, whose son is he?"

'The son of David.'

'But how can David say that he is his Lord?

            'Thus says the Lord God to my Lord:

            'Sit at my right hand,

            until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."'     Psalm 110:1

No one has an answer.

I stand up and cry out: 'Whoever trusts in me trusts in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as a light so that everyone who trusts in me may no longer live in darkness.

If anyone hears my words but does not accept them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge, but to save. Whoever rejects me rejects me, but whoever rejects my words rejects the one who sent me. For I did not speak on my own, but my Father taught me what to say. And what I say is not mine, but his.

*

We make another round of the temple square. I walk beside Judah. "So you've already made your decision?"

"You said it, Yeshua."

"But you'll still be at the Passover meal, won't you?"

He nods. Thank goodness.

I sit down in the gate and look out over the people. Not far from me is an offering box where people can give money for the temple. Sometimes a rich person throws in so much money that the clinking can be heard meters away. Among the many givers, a woman in rags approaches. She has no one to care for her. She approaches cautiously, as if ashamed among the clinking of the rich. Two small coins fall silently from her hand onto the offering box. I point them out to my friends. "Do you see that poor widow there? In her own way, she has given more than all the others put together. For the rich give from what they have left over, but she gave what she lacked."

At the exit of the temple complex, one of us speaks admiringly of the beautiful temple buildings and the awe-inspiring size of the stones. I feel sick at the thought that Herod built this temple on the backs of poor people like the widow just now . Supported by our priests and lawyers. And now they are looking for arguments for the trial against me. I will give them to them.

I stand up and call out to the people around me.

"Beware of the scribes and the judges, who love to walk around in long robes and be greeted with respect, who want places of honor in the synagogues and at religious feasts. For they sell the houses of widows who cannot pay their taxes. Their prayers are played. But as they judge, they will be judged. And this temple here, these beautiful, expensive buildings... Not one stone will be left upon another; everything will be torn down!"

The people are shocked by my words. We quickly walk to the Mount of Olives.

The eve of the 11th of Nisan                         

When we return to Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, Peter, Andrew, James, and John come to me. "Tell us when Jerusalem will be destroyed. By what signs will we know that the end of the world is near and the Son of Man is coming from heaven?"

"Be careful that no one deceives you, for it will not be easy. Many will rise up in my name and say that they are the Son of Man and that the end of the world is near. Do not listen to them, for they deceive the people. Do not be alarmed by stories of wars or rumors of wars. Such things are inevitable, but they have nothing to do with the end of the world. Nations will rise against each other and rulers will wage war. There will always be earthquakes and famines. But this is only a foretaste of the pain that awaits us when the world comes to an end.

You have been warned about the years to come. Because of me, you will be brought before courts, mistreated in assemblies, and dragged before governors and kings. But there you will bear witness to me. Before the end comes, all nations must hear the good news of God's kingship. Do not worry about the testimony you will have to give. The Holy Spirit will tell you what to say at that time. Brothers will betray brothers, and fathers will betray their children. Children will rise up against their parents and send them to certain death. You will be hated by all because of my name. Yet not a hair of your head will be lost, for whoever endures to the end will be saved.

You can read about the sign of Jerusalem's destruction in Daniel. After my death, the armies of the Gentiles will surround Jerusalem and destroy the temple and the city. When you see the devastating horrors coming upon the temple, do not wait for disaster to strike. The inhabitants of the whole of Judea should flee to the mountains. Those who are in the city should leave it. Those who are in the fields should not seek protection within the city walls. Woe to the women who are pregnant or nursing in those days, for they will not live to see their children. Pray that you will not have to flee in the winter cold. For the tribulation of those days will be very severe for those who want to keep God's covenant. If the Lord did not keep this time in check, no one would survive. For the sake of his chosen ones, he has shortened this time ( ). If anyone says, "Here is the Anointed One," or "There he is," do not believe it. They are deceivers of the people. You have been warned.

But that other day, that great and dreadful Day of the Lord, will come suddenly and with very different signs. The prophet Isaiah says that the sun will be darkened when it rises, and the moon will not shine. The stars and their constellations in the sky will not shine. Then the Son of Man will come with the clouds of heaven, as the prophet Daniel says. He will gather his scattered people from the four corners of the earth and the heavens, as Isaiah says.

It is good that you ask about the signs of these days. Compare it to the fig tree this morning. When its branches become full of sap and the buds of the leaves appear, you know that summer is near. But when it withers and bears no more fruit, it will be cut down and burned. Believe me, this generation will see the end of Jerusalem and the temple.

But as for that other day, no one knows the day, let alone the hour. Not even I. The prophet Zechariah says that day is known only to the Lord. So always be on your guard, because you cannot wait until you receive a warning sign. Compare it to the man who went on a journey, as I told you. He entrusted his house to his servants, but they did not know when he would return. So be careful that you are not found drunk or intoxicated when he returns. Do not become entangled in the cares of everyday life, lest that day surprise you. For it will come suddenly upon all who dwell on the earth. Watch and pray without ceasing, so that you may escape and enter into the Son of Man in his glory.

       *      

That night I sleep poorly. I wake up sweating with images of Jerusalem burning. Then I fall back asleep. I see myself telling people parables again. The parable of the banquet that was prepared, but to which the guests did not want to come. The parable of the tenants who mistreated the servants and the son of the owner. The people no longer want to listen to me. Now they want to kill me. Someone throws a stone. But it is not real; I am awake again.

Once again, I fall asleep. It is a wonderful sleep. I see the light that I saw on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. A garden like the one Lazarus spoke of. In the hall of light, a wedding feast is being prepared. Not a supper as in my parable, but rather a meal in the middle of the day. I know that it is my wedding. The king is standing next to me. He sends his servants to fetch the guests. They return alone; the guests did not want to come. Again he sends them away with the message: "My meal is ready, the oxen and the cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is prepared. Come to the wedding." But once again, the servants return alone. They look terrible. Some have been beaten and others stabbed to death.

Then the king says, "Everything is ready for the wedding, but the guests are not worthy. Go to the crossroads and invite everyone you meet." Now the slaves return with guests. With the pious and the rebels, with tax collectors and , prostitutes. They all receive a robe of light like Lazarus. The hall is white with people lying at the tables of the meal.

But the king does something else. He leaves the hall and calls his armies. He sends them to the murderers of his servants. "Destroy them and set their city on fire." Once again, I see Jerusalem burning. I tear my clothes in grief.

When the king comes back in, he looks around and sees how all the guests are shining with light. Then he sees me and asks, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding suit?" I'm speechless. How can the guy who burned my city call me his friend?

But the king does not recognize me without my cloak of light. He calls his servants: "Bind him hand and foot and throw him out." They grab me and I fall deeper and deeper. The light fades and it becomes dark. Thick darkness. Around me I hear wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then I open my eyes and see the morning light. I am awake again.