Yesterday Jesus rode into Jerusalem. The crowds hailed Him as the Son of David and exalted Him with palms and shouts of joy.
Now Monday of Holy Week dawns. Where is He? What happened after the crowds dispersed?
The Gospels shed light on this. On the evening of Palm Sunday, Jesus went to spend the night in Bethany, where He would have stayed with friends (Matthew 21:17).
Monday morning, He returned to Jerusalem. According to the Synoptic Gospels, it is on this day that Jesus walked with firm purpose into the Temple and drove out the moneylenders, castigating them for making His Father’s house a “den of robbers” (Matthew 21:12–17, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48).
Jesus also began His final days of teaching, giving the people a holy torrent of parables and warnings. Many of His most famous teachings and parables—such as the widow who gave two pennies, the parable of the wicked tenants, and the dispute over paying taxes to Caesar—happened during Christ’s ministry in Jerusalem.
Then—as biblical clues suggest—He returned again to Bethany.
Note, here, the importance of Jesus’ friends: He spends time with them in these last days of His life on earth.
In these early days of Holy Week, we feel Christ’s Passion looming out before us. The weight of Good Friday seems to permeate into each moment. Yet, despite our growing awareness of Our Lord’s Passion, we also feel the reality of His Resurrection. Although we know the incoming darkness of Golgotha, we can walk towards it because we know the tomb will be empty next Sunday.
Embrace tradition and tranquility with the Jesus Beads, handcrafted from olive wood in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. These 100-bead strands honor Jesus and seek God's mercy. Find yours today at The Catholic Company!
