Matthew and St. .Mark, who signalize its closing scenes with a similar act ?
In the week itself there are three difficult notes of time. (1) ' Then Jesus six days before the Pass- over came to Bethany' (Jn 12' tt/jo fj jiiiipav toO Trdffxo. cf- Am 1' LXX xp6 ivo iruv tov aei.aii.ov [STI'? 'i-h c'03r']> 'two years before the earthquake'). Six days before Friday, Nisan 15, that is, according to Jewish reckoning, six evenings before the even- ing that followed the sunset of Nisan 14, would give the evening that directly followed the sunset of the Sabbath of Nisan 9, in which case the Supper would take place in the evening that was the close of the Sabbath. Or if, as Westcott held, the Passion fell on Thursday, the arrival at Bethany took place on a Friday, in which case the Sabbath would be kept as a day of rest, and would be followed by a feast on the next evening. (2) ' After two days is the Passover' (Mt 26'), or 'After two days was the Passover and the unleavened bread' (Mk 14'). This date, including the day on Avhich the words were spoken, but excluding that of the Passover, points to Wednesday, Nisan 13, the Crucifixion fall- ing on Friday, Nisan 15. Bengel allows an interval of one day only, ' biduum a feria quarta ad quintam qu^ Paschatos et azymorum dies erat ' ; cf. ^Ik 8", where ^tri t/jcis TjiJ-cpas = rj TpiTTj rififpa. (3) ' On the first day of the unleavened bread the disciples of Jesus came to him, saying, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover ? ' (Mt 26"). Strictly speaking, that day would be Nisan 16, this feast commencing on the evening after the close of Nisan 15, the Passover, and lasting seven days. But this note of time refers probably to the legal be- ginning of the 14th day, the evening following the sunset of Nisan 13, or may be due to a confusion with the day Nisan 14 on which leaven was removed.
With regard to the method our Lord followed in His mission, see Luke 213' i .^nj during the days he was teaching in the temple ; but during the nights going forth to the mount that is called the Mount of Olives, he used to abide (iji'XiftT-o) there : and all the people came to him at early dawn (wpSpife) in the temple to hear him ' ; cf. Lk 22» ' And he came out and Avent Kara to Iffos to the Jloimt of Olives ; and his disciples followed. And when he was at the place' {i-rrl toO t6tou, evidently some familiar locality [see Jn 18'" 'Jesus went forth with his disciples beyond the brook l^idron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knewT6>'T(S7roi'']). It would seem then that the night was generally spent in prayer on the mountain side during this mission. But the evening after the Triumphal Entry was spent in Bethany (Mk jjii. 12). yet evidently the greater part of night and morn was spent in prayer in the open air rjvMadri (K(i (Mt 21"). This fact would explain His hunger on the morrow from missing the morning meal. For His practice of going out to pray 'a great Avhile before day ' see Mk l^^.
The following is a provisional arrangement of the days and occurrences of the Last Mission :
Sabbath, Nisan 9, f Arrival in Bethany (Jn 121). tith Day before ■{ Supper in the evening (122-»). Passover. I The Anointing of His feet.
First Day of Week /"Triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mk I ll'ii, Mt aii-i;, Lk 19»-", Jnl2H-i9).
(Palm Sunday,
«!,pi««i tSy ^«.«>).S Works of Nisan 10, Sth Day Eetu before Passover l
Second Day of Week, Monday, Nisan 11 : day of selection of J Paschal lamb (Ex ) 123), 4th Day before
in Temple (Mt 21 ' evening to Bethany (Mk nil, Mt 2117). Returns on the morrow (rr, tTaCpie*) from Bethany (Mk 1112); hungry after mid- night vigil or early morning prayer (l*). Blasting of the Fig-tree ; sign of an unfruitful nature (1112-"). Purifica- tion of the Temple, more drastic an^i thorough in Mk llis-is than in Lk 1915 « or Mt 2112- 13.
Third Day of Week,
Tuesday, Nisan li,
3rd Day before
Passover.
DATES
Returns earh' (t^™) past the withered fif- tree (Mli il-"j. Combination of foes, chief priests, Sadducees, Pharisees, Scribes, Herodians.
Day of Questions and Answers touching the authority of Jesus, the baptism of John, the tribute money, the brother's wife, the first commandment of all. ' What think ye of Christ? Whose son ishe?'(Mt21. 22). ' From that day forth no man dared ask him any more ques- tions' (22J0). Woes on Pharisees (23' ■*!).
Jfsus in Treasury, the widow's mite (Mk 1241-44). The visit of Greeks, and parable of Seed-corn (Jn 12'.!»W). Final
vj fretpxfff.iuy, Ton
^i,rx, (Jn 19"),
Thursday, Nisan 14,
Fifth Day of "Week
(Mt26l'), ' the first , day of unleavened { bread * evidently being identified with 'the first day' on which leaven was removed (Ex 1215), the bread of Passover being un- leavened (Dt 163).
of the Temple, and final scenes of the coming of the Son of Man (24. 25).
\ Counsel of Caiaphas (Mt 263-5).