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 Read about the Life of Jesus in Comic Form in the following languages: |
The Last Week - Palm SundayJerusalem was filled with pilgrims from all over Israel. The great festival of Passover was just a few days away. Many from towns in the north of the country, including Nazareth, were there. Jesus too, realising the momentous task that lay ahead of Him, prepared to enter Jerusalem on the first day of the week - our Sunday. Two of His disciples, following His instructions, had brought Him a donkey to ride. As the crowds saw Him approaching Jerusalem, looking just like a triumphant king, they began to cry out, "Hosannah, Son of David!" Perhaps they hoped he would be the Messiah, the Deliverer whom God had promised would come to save His people from their enemies (in this case, the Romans). Hosannah is Aramaic for "Save now!" and 'Son of David' was a title of the true King of the Jews.The Red Carpet TreatmentAs Jesus rode into Jerusalem the crowds were ecstatic. They threw their cloaks on the ground to make a royal pathway for Him. They waved palm branches, turning the event into a sort of victory procession. Many of them would have been aware of the ancient prophecy of Zechariah: "Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem! Look, your KIng is coming to you. He comes triumphant and riding on a donkey - on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' (Zechariah 9 v 9)OppositionHowever, not everyone was pleased. Jesus' popularity provoked in the priests and leaders of the Jews a very deep jealousy. They enjoyed a privileged position with the Romans and they did not want it threatened by any suggestion of a revolt or rebellion. The chief priests and elders met and agreed that Jesus must be silenced. They were all too aware of Jesus' popularity. In the days that followed attempts were made to incriminate Jesus by asking Him many devious questions such as, "Is it lawful to pay tribute to Caesar?"In the end they found an ally in one of the disciples - Judas Iscariot - who was willing, for thirty pieces of silver, to betray Jesus into their hands.
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