The crowds of Jerusalem hearing of His approach, and moved by curiosity to witness His triumphant entry into the City, flocked around the suburbs through which He would approach.  At last the cry went up, “Here He comes!” and to their amazement and disgust the crowd saw Him riding quietly info the City mounted on an ass, without display, pretense or pose.  The crowd scattered, sneering and reviling Him.  But the pilgrims were becoming more and more enthusiastic, and they strewed His way with palms, shouting, “Blessed be our Messiah!  The King of Israel approacheth.”

The Master proceeded directly to the Temple and performed the customary rites.  So amazed were the authorities by His fearless demeanor, that they deferred laying violent hands upon Him.  They feared a trap, and moved cautiously.  They even allowed Him to retire to Bethany and spend the night.  The next morning He returned to the city and dwelt among His friends there.  He attended the Temple regularly, and pursued His work of teaching and healing in its very shadows.

Meanwhile the clouds of the persecuting forces gathered closely around His head.  One of the Twelve, Judas Iscariot, who was sorely disappointed at the Master having refused to take advantage of the support of the crowd to assist His claim as the Messiah and King of the Jews, and also fearing that he would become involved in His inevitable downfall, began a series of bargainings and dickerings with the authorities, which had for their object the betrayal of the Master into the hands of the authorities, the reward to be immunity from persecution for himself and a few pieces of silver for his pocket in addition.

And so the time passed on, the nights being spent at Bethany and the days at the Temple in the capital.  Finally the priests made an important move.  They confronted Him in their official capacity and demanded that He prove His ordination as a Jewish Rabbi and consequent right to preach to the orthodox members of the church.  Jesus answered them by asking questions that they feared to answer.  Then they began to question Him, hoping to involve Him in ecclesiastical heresies which would give them their excuse to arrest Him.  But He evaded them skilfully.  They sought also to compel Him to state opinions contrary to the Roman authority, but He likewise escaped this net.

Finally, however, they drew from Him a savage attack upon authority, and He cried out in indignation: 

“Woe unto you, ye generation of vipers!  Ye serpents!  Ye hypocrites!  Ye oppressors of the poor!  Ye professed shepherds, who are but as wolves in disguise, seeking but to devour the sheep whom ye have in charge!  Woe unto you, ye Scribes, Hypocrites, Pharisees!”

Then He left the Temple and returned to Bethany to spend the night, after foretelling the destruction of the Temple, when there should not be left one of its stones upon another.