After I raised Lazarus from the dead, I visited their village Bethsaida again. This time, Mary his sister, anointed my feet with a pound of very costly ointment of spikenard, and wiped my feet with her hair, as a mark of my burial post my death; fragrance filled the house. (Are you broken inside for the sweet aroma to spreads around you?). Judas remarked it was a waste of money which could have been spent on the poor; no, he was not concerned about the poor; he was my purse bearer and a thief.

Earlier, the Council, perplexed by the miracles I did, came to discuss how they could put me to death. God put words in the mouth of Caiaphas, the Chief priest; he said, “One man should die for the people”. I would die not just for the Jews but that I should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Even my servant Isaiah prophesied regarding these – my death and ‘Salvation of the nations’.

I had set my face towards Jerusalem anticipating the moment for which I had come exclusively. A week before my crucifixion, I rode into Jerusalem on a colt that none had ridden before. The owner of the donkey and the colt was kind enough to allow me to use it. A huge throng welcomed me by waving palm leaves and shouting ‘Hosanna’, meaning ‘Save us O Lord’. This would sound like SOS of your day. The Jewish public might have thought, I was on my way to assume kingship over them, defying Roman authority. But they should have been disappointed when I turned towards the Temple instead of the King’s Palace. I had come to cleanse the ‘temple’, not to capture power. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit of God!

Among the many who had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover were some non-Jewish worshippers. They desired to see me. I knew that the appointed time had arrived. I submitted to my Father again as it was for this moment that I had come at all. Immediately, my Father, with a voice from heaven, acknowledged: “I have glorified my name and I will glorify it again”. I said to the people around me, “It is now time for the world to be judged and the prince of the world to be cast out”. He will be cast out into the bottomless pit soon after I usurp the keys of death and hell from him post my death; enough of him deceiving the nations. He will be there for a long time; then he will be let out for a short season.

I asked my disciples to prepare supper for us for the Thursday night that week. The place on the first floor of a house was offered to us by another kind man. I washed my disciples’ feet that night to demonstrate what humility is. All the twelve were with me. I told them that would be my last supper with them here on earth. I asked them to do this as often as they can after my departure. I took bread and gave it to them. I passed on the cup of wine to every one of them. Every time my believers partake of the bread, they would remember that I gave my body as a sacrifice for the remission of their sins. Likewise, as they partake of the wine, they would remember that I shed my blood for their sake, taking upon myself the punishment for their sin. They would draw life and nourishment from me as long as they ‘eat’ my ‘body’ and ‘drink’ my ‘blood’ in faith. This will continue until the day I come for them. It is an act of remembrance of my death as well as anticipation of my return.

While we supped, I told my disciples that one of them would betray me and hand me over to the authorities that night. Judas of Iscariot was also present there when I made that statement. Everyone was curious to know who it would be. Even Judas joined in, “Am I?”. Hypocrite! I whispered to them close by me that it would be the one to whom I would offer the bread dipped in wine. And, I offered it to Judas, but none understood it. I sent him away to carry out his activity quickly. He had earlier presented his ‘expression of interest’ to the chief priest to betray me for an exchange of thirty pieces of silver. Was he disappointed that I did not set up my kingdom here on earthly terms and so, thought he would settle for at least this remuneration? Did he not know that my kingdom is not from here? I would reign from heaven, and that, in the kingdom of light and over the children and citizens of light.

After supper, I took Peter, James and John to a garden to pray. What went wrong at the Garden of Eden had to be set right at the Garden of Gethsemane. And I conquered!