176.  The second of these tasks must not be held to be perfunctory, even though each new effort for Jerusalem proved that genuine acceptance of its saviour was increasingly improbable.  As the denunciations of the older prophets ever left open a way of escape if Israel would return and seek the Lord, so the anticipation of rejection and death which filled the heart of Jesus does not banish a like if from his own thought of Jerusalem in his repeated efforts to “gather her children.”  The combination of the new popular enthusiasm and the fresh proofs of the hopelessness of winning Jerusalem made more important the third task,—­the founding of the faith of the disciples on the rock of personal certainty, from which the rising floods of hatred and seeming ruin for the Master’s cause could not sweep it.  It was for them that much of his instruction of the multitudes was doubtless primarily intended; they needed above all others to count the cost of discipleship (Luke xiv. 25-35), and the warnings against the spirit of Pharisaism (Luke xii.) were addressed principally to them, even as it was to them that Jesus confessed the “straitening” of his own soul in view of the “fire which he had come to cast upon the earth” (Luke xii. 49-53),—­a confession which had another expression when he found it needful to rebuke the personal ambition of the sons of Zebedee (Mark x. 35-45).  As for Jesus himself, the popular enthusiasm had not deceived him, nor the obdurate unbelief of Jerusalem daunted him, nor his disciples’ misconception of his kingdom disheartened him; he still steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.

   Outline of Events in the Last Week of Jesus’ Life

   Saturday (?).  The anointing in Bethany six days before the
   Passover—­Matt. xxvi. 6-13; Mark xiv. 3-9; John xi. 55 to xii. 11.

   Sunday (?).  The Messianic entry—­Matt. xxi. 1-11; Mark xi. 1-11; Luke
   six. 29-44; John xii. 12-19.

   Monday (?).  Visit to the temple:  the cursing of the barren
   fig-tree—­Matt. xxi. 18-19, 12-17; Mark xi. 12-14, 15-18; Luke xix. 45,
   47, 48.

   Return to Bethany for the night—­Matt. xxi. 17; Mark xi. 19; Luke xxi.
   37, 38.

   Tuesday (?).  Visit to the temple:  the fig-tree found withered—­Matt,
   xxi 20-23; Mark xi. 20-27; Luke xx. 1.

   Challenge of Jesus’ authority—­Matt. xxi. 23-27; Mark xi. 27-33; Luke
   xx. 1-8.

   Three parables against the religious leaders—­Matt. xxi. 28 to xxii.
   14; Mark xii. 1-12; Luke xx. 9-19.

   The question about tribute—­Matt. xxii. 15-22; Mark xii. 13-17; Luke
   xx. 20-26.

   The question of the Sadducees about the resurrection—­Matt. xxii.
   23-33; Mark xii. 18-27; Luke xx. 27-40.

   The question of the Pharisees about the great commandment—­Matt. xxii.
   34-40; Mark xii. 28-34.

   Jesus’ counter-question about David’s son and Lord—­Matt. xxii. 41-46;
   Mark xii. 35-37; Luke xx. 41-44.