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As Jesus was walking out of the Temple, a disciple said, "Rabbi, look at these big stones and this remarkable building!"
But Jesus replied, "Do you see these great buildings? Not a single stone will be left on top of another. All will be thrown down."
Outside the city, Jesus sat on the slope of Olive Hill, which was just outside Jerusalem's wall overlooking the Temple.
As he sat, Peter, James, John and Andrew gathered around him and asked him about the things to come and what sign they would see that would indicate that scriptural prophecies were about to be accomplished.
Jesus answered, "Be careful not to let anyone lead you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, I AM, and will lead many astray. And when you hear of war nearby or far away, don't worry. These things must happen, but the end does not follow immediately. Peoples will rise against peoples and kingdoms against kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in many places. There will be famines."
"But this is what you should think about: You will be delivered up to councils. You will be beaten in the assemblies. You will stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them."
"Before the end comes, the good news must first be declared to all peoples.
"And when you are led to the court, don't worry about what you will say, but whatever is given you when the time comes, say that. For it isn't you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
"Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rebel against parents and cause them to be put to death.
"And everyone will hate you, for my name's sake.
"But he who endures to the end will be saved.
"When you see the Vile Creature standing where he ought not, then those in Judaea should flee to the mountains. If you're on the rooftop, don't even go downstairs to get anything. If you're out in the field, don't go back to your house to get a cloak."
"For these are the days of vengeance, that all things that have been written may be fulfilled.
"Oh how terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who have babies to care for. There will be great distress on the land and wrath on this people.
"And they will fall by the blade of the sword and will be led away captive and dispersed among other peoples. Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled."
"After that Time of Trouble, the sun will go dark, the moon won't shine and stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then, the sign of the son of man will appear. All the tribes of the earth will mourn. And they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven, with great power and glory. With a the blast of a trumpet, he will send out his angels who will gather his chosen ones from all over heaven and earth."
"Learn something from the fig tree. When you see new branches and leaves growing, you know that summer is near. You also know when you see those things happening that the son of man is near, even at the gates. I mean it when I tell you that this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.
"Though heaven and earth pass away, my word will not pass away.
"But of that day and of that hour, no one knows – not even the angels, nor the son. Only the Father knows.
"Stay focused. Watch and pray. You don't know when the time is.
"It is like a man on a trip to a distant place. Before he leaves, he gives his servants instructions and tells the doorman to be on the lookout for his return. Keep an eye out, then. Because you don't know when the lord of the house comes. It could be evening, or midnight, or dawn, or in the morning. Watch out, in case he finds you sleeping.
"And what I say to you I say to everybody: Watch!"
[Note how Jesus came back three times in Gethsemane and found them sleeping. Refer this back.]
On that theme, Jesus told this story:
What might this mean, watch? Jesus explained what God expects of his people:
During the day, Jesus would teach in the Temple and at night join the other pilgrims on Olive Hill, resting under the olive trees, though sometimes he would lodge in Bethany, which was near the foot of that hill.
Addressing his disciples, Jesus said, "The Passover is two days away. And the son of man will be handed over to be hanged on a cross."
And in fact the religious authorities were meeting in the chamber of the high priest, Caiaphas, and trying to come up with a way to arrest Jesus by guile so that he could be put to death.
They decided against such a move during the Passover time, fearing they might set off a riot.
While Jesus was in Bethany having supper at the house of Lazarus, his sister Mary approached with an alabaster container of very expensive pure nard oil. Breaking the seal, she poured it onto his head as he reclined at dinner.
When the disciples saw this, they were upset. What's the point of wasting that ointment? they grumbled. It might have been sold for a great deal of money and been used to help the poor, they muttered accusingly.
Jesus noticed their grumbling and said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed on me. You always have the poor, and you can help them anytime, but me you don't always have. She has done what she could. She has anointed by body in advance for burial."
He added, "I mean it when I tell you that wherever the news of the kingdom is declared – anywhere in the world – talk of her deed will honor this woman."
The thought of so much money "going to waste" prompted Judah, the one from Kerioth, to come up with a way to obtain a substantial sum.
He sneaked off to the Temple authorities and asked them, "How much will you pay me if I show you where and when you can safely arrest Jesus?"
The priests were overjoyed, and a deal was made. Thirty pieces of silver in exchange for Judah tipping them off when the time was right.
Judah then kept an eye out for the best time to make the arrest.
Having heard of the astonishing revival of Lazarus, quite a few people had crowded round the house of Lazarus and his sisters, hoping for a glimpse of the fortunate fellow. So when Jesus went outside after dinner, he had plenty of company.
Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover rites approached Philip, the disciple from Bethsaida in Galilee.
"Sir," one said. "We would like to see Jesus."
These men were probably Gentile "God-fearers" who thought well of the Jewish religion and who participated in Jewish religious activities. In Jesus' day, Judaism attracted many such Gentiles. It was not until after imperial Rome forbade Jews from striving to convert Gentiles that Judaism turned inward and eschewed that practice.
Philip relayed the message to Andrew, another Bethsaida man. The two went to Jesus with the request.
"The hour is here," said Jesus, "for the son of man to be glorified. I really mean it when I tell you that if an ear of wheat doesn't fall to the ground and die, it does nothing. But, if it dies, it yields big results."
Jesus repeated an important teaching.
"Anyone who loves his life will lose it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will hold onto life in eternity."
"If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, that is where my servant is. If anyone follows me, my Father will honor him.
"Now my soul is troubled. But what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But the reason I'm here is this hour. Then he said, "Father, glorify your name."
After those words, most people heard thunder. Someone said, "An angel must have spoken to him."
But, according to one or two witnesses, the deep, unearthly voice had said, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
Jesus told his hearers, "That voice wasn't for me, but for you.
"Now judgment comes to the world. Now is the prince of this world cast out.
"And if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me."
Jesus was indicating the manner of his impending death.
Some of those versed in Scripture noted, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah lasts forever, and yet you say that the son of man must be lifted up. Who is this son of man?"
Jesus replied, "There's only a short time left to see by the light. Walk while you have the light and don't let darkness creep up on you. He who walks in darkness doesn't know where he's going.
"While you have light, believe in the light, so that you may be children of the light."
After saying these things, Jesus slipped away.
Despite the many miracles that had been reported, the skeptics refused to accept that Jesus was the Messiah.
That hardened attitude fulfills the words of the prophet Isaiah:
There were a number of powerful people who actually did think that this Jesus who everyone was excited about must be a true wonder worker and probably the Messiah. But the Pharisee leadership was adamant that no one should declare Jesus as Messiah. Anyone who did so was to be excommunicated.
The Pharisees were more interested in the praises of men than in praise from God.
NEXT PAGE:
Seeing with Jesus
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/seeing-with-jesus.html
The expansion and renovation of the Temple and its various buildings had begun under King Herod and was still under construction at this point in time. The historian Josephus tells us that some of the stones were 45 feet long, though most were 37.5 feet long by 12 feet high by 18 feet wide.[TAb2]
But Jesus replied, "Do you see these great buildings? Not a single stone will be left on top of another. All will be thrown down."
In fact, some 40 years later, the Temple was destroyed by a Roman army, which had suppressed a Jewish rebellion.
Some scholars assume these words must have been put into Jesus' mouth by the gospel authors, who apparently wrote their books after the sack of Jerusalem. Yet, even if they did write after the fact, there is nothing to have prevented Jesus from making such a prediction.
Some scholars assume these words must have been put into Jesus' mouth by the gospel authors, who apparently wrote their books after the sack of Jerusalem. Yet, even if they did write after the fact, there is nothing to have prevented Jesus from making such a prediction.
Outside the city, Jesus sat on the slope of Olive Hill, which was just outside Jerusalem's wall overlooking the Temple.
He and his disciples were among the many Passover pilgrims who rested under the olive trees in the evening.
As he sat, Peter, James, John and Andrew gathered around him and asked him about the things to come and what sign they would see that would indicate that scriptural prophecies were about to be accomplished.
Jesus answered, "Be careful not to let anyone lead you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, I AM, and will lead many astray. And when you hear of war nearby or far away, don't worry. These things must happen, but the end does not follow immediately. Peoples will rise against peoples and kingdoms against kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in many places. There will be famines."
In fact, after Jesus' crucifixion, several rebel leaders posing as messiahs brought terrible consequences onto the Jewish people.
"But this is what you should think about: You will be delivered up to councils. You will be beaten in the assemblies. You will stand before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them."
The emperor Nero launched persecution of Christians in Rome and other emperors from time to time inflicted terrible atrocities against Christians. Also, before the collapse of the Jewish region, non-Christian Jews frequently attacked Jewish Christians as heretics, as we know from the experience of Paul before his conversion and after, when he endured much brutal treatment at the hands of fanatics.
"Before the end comes, the good news must first be declared to all peoples.
Some would say that that mission has already been accomplished, but there are still regions where awareness of Jesus is very dim.
"And when you are led to the court, don't worry about what you will say, but whatever is given you when the time comes, say that. For it isn't you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
"Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rebel against parents and cause them to be put to death.
"And everyone will hate you, for my name's sake.
"But he who endures to the end will be saved.
"When you see the Vile Creature standing where he ought not, then those in Judaea should flee to the mountains. If you're on the rooftop, don't even go downstairs to get anything. If you're out in the field, don't go back to your house to get a cloak."
Mark adds a note: "Let the reader understand." The note was alerting readers that a Roman was meant, as it would have been dangerous for Christians to specifically name any high Roman official in a charge of bad conduct.
"For these are the days of vengeance, that all things that have been written may be fulfilled.
"Oh how terrible it will be for women who are pregnant or who have babies to care for. There will be great distress on the land and wrath on this people.
"And they will fall by the blade of the sword and will be led away captive and dispersed among other peoples. Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled."
As often happens with prophecy, this one may well forecast more than one event. The sack of Jerusalem followed in a.d. 70, preceded by civil war and mass starvation.
The revolt was triggered by the Roman governor, Gessius Florus, who "stood where he ought not" in the Temple and seized Temple funds, designating them for the emperor, Nero. No Gentile was permitted past the Court of the Gentiles and death was decreed for any Gentile who defied that prohibition.
In about a.d. 135, the Romans ended the second great Jewish revolt by dispersing the Jewish population around the empire and renaming the Jewish region with the old name Palestine (=Phoenicia).
We may also puzzle as to whether the "times of the Gentiles" are finished. After all, Gentiles are no longer in control of Jerusalem. Some see this as a sign that the return of Jesus is quite close.
In any case, many Christians are convinced that in these words Jesus was also pointing to the final judgment, as the following indicates:
In about a.d. 135, the Romans ended the second great Jewish revolt by dispersing the Jewish population around the empire and renaming the Jewish region with the old name Palestine (=Phoenicia).
We may also puzzle as to whether the "times of the Gentiles" are finished. After all, Gentiles are no longer in control of Jerusalem. Some see this as a sign that the return of Jesus is quite close.
In any case, many Christians are convinced that in these words Jesus was also pointing to the final judgment, as the following indicates:
"After that Time of Trouble, the sun will go dark, the moon won't shine and stars will fall from the sky. And the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then, the sign of the son of man will appear. All the tribes of the earth will mourn. And they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven, with great power and glory. With a the blast of a trumpet, he will send out his angels who will gather his chosen ones from all over heaven and earth."
See Ecclesiastes 12:2; Joel 2:1-11; Daniel 7:13.
"Learn something from the fig tree. When you see new branches and leaves growing, you know that summer is near. You also know when you see those things happening that the son of man is near, even at the gates. I mean it when I tell you that this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished.
Many people have worried that that generation passed away before all the prophetic words were fulfilled. I suggest that Jesus did indeed return on the clouds of heaven in power at Pentecost, which is not to say that he won't return again. Another point is that Jesus may have been making one of his divine puns with the word generation. Though that word could be taken the way we normally take it, designating a span of 25 or 30 years, he may have been referring to all those generated in the natural sense as opposed to the new, supernatural generation of born-again believers. And, the Hebrew/Aramaic word could also mean an epoch or cycle of time,[TAb1] or this world. This latter meaning dovetails with the next sentence:
"Though heaven and earth pass away, my word will not pass away.
"But of that day and of that hour, no one knows – not even the angels, nor the son. Only the Father knows.
"Stay focused. Watch and pray. You don't know when the time is.
"It is like a man on a trip to a distant place. Before he leaves, he gives his servants instructions and tells the doorman to be on the lookout for his return. Keep an eye out, then. Because you don't know when the lord of the house comes. It could be evening, or midnight, or dawn, or in the morning. Watch out, in case he finds you sleeping.
"And what I say to you I say to everybody: Watch!"
[Note how Jesus came back three times in Gethsemane and found them sleeping. Refer this back.]
On that theme, Jesus told this story:
The kingdom is like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of these girls were silly and five were smart. The silly ones took no extra oil for their lamps, but the smart ones took along containers of extra oil."Watch," Jesus admonished, "because you don't know the day or the hour."
The groom bided his time and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight someone shouts: "The groom is coming! Go and meet him!"
Then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
The silly girls asked the smart ones: "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out."
But the smart girls replied, "You'll have to go buy your own, because we don't want to run out."
And while the silly girls were away seeking oil, the groom showed up. Those who were ready joined him in the wedding party, and the door was shut.
Later, the other girls arrived, pleading, "Sir, Good Sir, please open the door."
But the groom answered, "I mean it when I tell you: I don't know you."
What might this mean, watch? Jesus explained what God expects of his people:
When the son of man comes in his glory, with all the angels, then he will sit on his throne of glory, and before him will be gathered all peoples. He will separate one from the other, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand: "Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you when the world was founded. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was in prison, and you visited me. Naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me."
The righteous will then say, "When did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in or naked and clothed you, or saw you sick or in jail and visited you?
The king will answer, "Sincerely I tell you, whatever you did for my brothers, including the least of them, you did for me."
Then, to those on the left, he will say, "Depart from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, but you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, but you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger, but you didn't give me a place to stay. You let me go naked rather than give me something to wear. When I was sick or in jail, I never saw your face."
They will say, "Sir, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?"
The king will answer, "Sincerely I tell you: Whatever you did not do for one of these least, you did not do for me."
And those will go to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life.
In this parable, as told by Matthew, Jesus invokes the imagery of the Jewish messiah as foretold in Daniel. The son of man will come in power and be a king over all peoples. That is, a human king, anointed for the task by God, will rule over all peoples. But, rather than acting as a national liberator for the politico-ethnic structure named Israel, he instead focuses on the individual. His task is not to rescue an ethno-religious system, but to save souls.
We may also note that by using the third person, Jesus was not declaring himself openly to be the messiah. A reason for that modesty is that God wanted to assure that all accusations against Jesus were baseless. It was imperative that a completely innocent man be put to death.
We should also caution that this parable contains various mysteries. That is, we should not make rash assumptions about any theology implied. On the other hand, the reality of hell is emphasized and we have been given fair warning.
We may also note that by using the third person, Jesus was not declaring himself openly to be the messiah. A reason for that modesty is that God wanted to assure that all accusations against Jesus were baseless. It was imperative that a completely innocent man be put to death.
We should also caution that this parable contains various mysteries. That is, we should not make rash assumptions about any theology implied. On the other hand, the reality of hell is emphasized and we have been given fair warning.
During the day, Jesus would teach in the Temple and at night join the other pilgrims on Olive Hill, resting under the olive trees, though sometimes he would lodge in Bethany, which was near the foot of that hill.
Addressing his disciples, Jesus said, "The Passover is two days away. And the son of man will be handed over to be hanged on a cross."
And in fact the religious authorities were meeting in the chamber of the high priest, Caiaphas, and trying to come up with a way to arrest Jesus by guile so that he could be put to death.
They decided against such a move during the Passover time, fearing they might set off a riot.
The Romans generally left this group to handle governance. The Romans had named Caiaphas chief priest, but the other priests in that group had a great deal of power. Scribes were also important players. They were the (overly rigorous) interpreters of religious law, and were usually associated with the Pharisees. The Pharisees had the support of the people because they used religious law as a means of resisting Romans and their Hellenic culture. The average person, however, could only look up to the supposed religious excellence of the Pharisees, much as many people in recent times looked up to members of the Christian clergy without being able to attain to the supposed moral heights of the "professional Christians."
While Jesus was in Bethany having supper at the house of Lazarus, his sister Mary approached with an alabaster container of very expensive pure nard oil. Breaking the seal, she poured it onto his head as he reclined at dinner.
When the disciples saw this, they were upset. What's the point of wasting that ointment? they grumbled. It might have been sold for a great deal of money and been used to help the poor, they muttered accusingly.
Jesus noticed their grumbling and said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed on me. You always have the poor, and you can help them anytime, but me you don't always have. She has done what she could. She has anointed by body in advance for burial."
He added, "I mean it when I tell you that wherever the news of the kingdom is declared – anywhere in the world – talk of her deed will honor this woman."
We may recall that a group of well-to-do women followed Jesus around and helped meet the needs of Jesus and the male disciples. The students thought this woman was out of line, flaunting her wealth rather than doing things in a suitable way.
The woman was following the custom of anointing the guest's head and face with oil as a means of soothing the skin in the fierce heat of the Palestinian climate.
John relates that it was Judah who complained, because he was a thief and coveted the money. Perhaps Judah led the others in their distaste for the extravagance.
The disciples were probably perplexed at Jesus' "joke" in which he likens the anointing to the balms put on a corpse before burial. We should not take this joke to imply anything one way or the other about the embalming of Jesus' body a short while in the future.
The anointing also served to assure that Jesus had indeed been anointed as the messiah king of the Jews, specially chosen for a great task: the conquest of death. He had previously been anointed by the Holy Spirit when he was baptized, or dunked, in the Jordan. But this anointing shows that God is able to fulfill his word "literally."
The woman was following the custom of anointing the guest's head and face with oil as a means of soothing the skin in the fierce heat of the Palestinian climate.
John relates that it was Judah who complained, because he was a thief and coveted the money. Perhaps Judah led the others in their distaste for the extravagance.
The disciples were probably perplexed at Jesus' "joke" in which he likens the anointing to the balms put on a corpse before burial. We should not take this joke to imply anything one way or the other about the embalming of Jesus' body a short while in the future.
The anointing also served to assure that Jesus had indeed been anointed as the messiah king of the Jews, specially chosen for a great task: the conquest of death. He had previously been anointed by the Holy Spirit when he was baptized, or dunked, in the Jordan. But this anointing shows that God is able to fulfill his word "literally."
The thought of so much money "going to waste" prompted Judah, the one from Kerioth, to come up with a way to obtain a substantial sum.
He sneaked off to the Temple authorities and asked them, "How much will you pay me if I show you where and when you can safely arrest Jesus?"
The priests were overjoyed, and a deal was made. Thirty pieces of silver in exchange for Judah tipping them off when the time was right.
Judah then kept an eye out for the best time to make the arrest.
It seems probable that Judah had been in touch with people with connections to the Temple authorities and had learned that they were eager to arrest Jesus.They feared to seize him at the Temple because of the crowds who eagerly listened to him. But finding Jesus amid the tens of thousands of pilgrims at nighttime, when most people were asleep, would have been a difficult task. No high candlepower searchlights were available for scanning the pilgrim-packed Olive Hill.
Thirty pieces of silver. That is the sum given in Matthew. The writer's use of that sum evokes the messianic prophecies in the book Zechariah and we know the Matthean writer was very interested in relating the story of Jesus to Old Testament prophecies. So, the sum may be representative, or metaphorical, and not the actual amount received by Judah.
Thirty pieces of silver was considered a small amount of money, what one paid to the owner of a slave who was killed accidentally.
Thirty pieces of silver. That is the sum given in Matthew. The writer's use of that sum evokes the messianic prophecies in the book Zechariah and we know the Matthean writer was very interested in relating the story of Jesus to Old Testament prophecies. So, the sum may be representative, or metaphorical, and not the actual amount received by Judah.
Thirty pieces of silver was considered a small amount of money, what one paid to the owner of a slave who was killed accidentally.
Having heard of the astonishing revival of Lazarus, quite a few people had crowded round the house of Lazarus and his sisters, hoping for a glimpse of the fortunate fellow. So when Jesus went outside after dinner, he had plenty of company.
Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to participate in the Passover rites approached Philip, the disciple from Bethsaida in Galilee.
"Sir," one said. "We would like to see Jesus."
These men were probably Gentile "God-fearers" who thought well of the Jewish religion and who participated in Jewish religious activities. In Jesus' day, Judaism attracted many such Gentiles. It was not until after imperial Rome forbade Jews from striving to convert Gentiles that Judaism turned inward and eschewed that practice.
Philip relayed the message to Andrew, another Bethsaida man. The two went to Jesus with the request.
"The hour is here," said Jesus, "for the son of man to be glorified. I really mean it when I tell you that if an ear of wheat doesn't fall to the ground and die, it does nothing. But, if it dies, it yields big results."
Evidently Jesus saw the arrival of Gentiles as a sign that his death was close at hand. We may assume that Jesus did not heed their summons.
Jesus repeated an important teaching.
"Anyone who loves his life will lose it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will hold onto life in eternity."
"If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, that is where my servant is. If anyone follows me, my Father will honor him.
"Now my soul is troubled. But what should I say? Father, save me from this hour? But the reason I'm here is this hour. Then he said, "Father, glorify your name."
After those words, most people heard thunder. Someone said, "An angel must have spoken to him."
But, according to one or two witnesses, the deep, unearthly voice had said, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."
Jesus told his hearers, "That voice wasn't for me, but for you.
"Now judgment comes to the world. Now is the prince of this world cast out.
"And if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me."
Jesus was indicating the manner of his impending death.
Some of those versed in Scripture noted, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah lasts forever, and yet you say that the son of man must be lifted up. Who is this son of man?"
Jesus replied, "There's only a short time left to see by the light. Walk while you have the light and don't let darkness creep up on you. He who walks in darkness doesn't know where he's going.
"While you have light, believe in the light, so that you may be children of the light."
After saying these things, Jesus slipped away.
Despite the many miracles that had been reported, the skeptics refused to accept that Jesus was the Messiah.
That hardened attitude fulfills the words of the prophet Isaiah:
Lord, who has believed our report?Isaiah said these things after he had seen God's glory.
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart
so that they won't see with their eyes
nor understand with their heart, and be converted,
so that I would heal them.
There were a number of powerful people who actually did think that this Jesus who everyone was excited about must be a true wonder worker and probably the Messiah. But the Pharisee leadership was adamant that no one should declare Jesus as Messiah. Anyone who did so was to be excommunicated.
The Pharisees were more interested in the praises of men than in praise from God.
Yet, at this point in our story, the Temple authorities had no firm identification markers of Jesus because previously he had slipped in and out of Jerusalem quietly, and because he had stayed out of their reach either in Galilee or across the Jordan in Peraea.
NEXT PAGE:
Seeing with Jesus
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/seeing-with-jesus.html
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