Palm Sunday was full of activity for Jesus. After throwing out the moneychangers from the temple, he set down to teach those who would listen. This is the pattern that he followed Monday through Wednesday. Each day Jesus went into Jerusalem so that he might teach in the temple. At the end of the day on Sunday Jesus went to spend the night at his friends’ house in Bethany. It was the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. While the plot was thickening to murder Jesus, there was a second plot to kill Lazarus because he had been brought back to life by the miracle of Jesus.
It is difficult to coordinate the activities of Jesus those three days according to the four Gospels. There was a swarm of enemies constantly badgering Jesus, challenging his authority, and proposing scenarios to trick him. He began to tell parables as part of his teachings which at times only the disciples understood.
The second day (Monday) of the Passion week of Jesus he left Bethany to begin his grueling schedule. Our text tells us that Jesus left his friend’s home without having breakfast. He was pleased to spot a fig tree on his journey to Jerusalem. The nature of the fig tree is to put forth fruit and then leaves. He was pleased that he could find something to eat, but as a tree it lied because there was no fig for Jesus to eat. How symbolic this was of the false leaders of his own religion who had no ability to feed the public spiritually.
After teaching in the temple, Jesus went back to Bethany to spend the night. There were times he avoided the traps of his enemies by hiding himself from them. Though he did miracles right in front of them, they were determined not to believe on him.(John 12:37). To prepare his disciples for what would happen in the next few days, Jesus took the disciples apart and talked with him privately. He explained clearly that he would be betrayed and murdered, but he would rise again on the third day. They heard the words. They could not comprehend the meaning of what he was trying to explain.
How often we may do our best to follow Jesus like the disciples did. Still, we are at times left confused or wondering what a particular Scripture means. The lesson here is not to be bogged down by our own thinking or lack of understanding. We must continue on so that some time in the near or distant future the Holy Spirit will teach what God wants us to know.
Christian Writer 