The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
As the group reaches Jerusalem, Jesus permits one rare display of public celebration. Always before, he has hushed up his identity and shrunk back from the crowds that tried to coronate him. In the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, he lets people honor him as the true Messiah.
In some ways, this procession is a slapstick affair compared to the lavish processions of the Romans- Jesus rides into town on a donkey, after all, not in a gilded chariot. But the event, foretold by the prophets, has deep meaning for the Jews. Jesus is openly declaring himself the Messiah, and the Triumphal Entry sets all of Jerusalem astir. Religious leaders raise an alarm, and even the Romans take note of a man claiming to be a king. The next few chapters demonstrate how tragically short-lived public acceptance proves to be.
The last few weeks of Jesus' life show a mounting sense of urgency, as seen in several dramatic confrontations at the temple. In the spirit of the Old Testament prophets, Jesus brands greedy profiteers at the temple "robbers" and forcibly drives them out. Furthermore, Jesus does nothing to temper his harsh message. On the contrary, he parries the demand to explain what gives him the right to behave so aggressively, and he proceeds to tell a parable that seems deliberately provocative (12:1-12). He presents himself as the last resort, God's final attempt to break through humankind's' stubborn resistance.
Battle lines are drawn. One one side is Jesus, kept safe only by his widespread popularity. On the other side are leaders of the religious and political establishments. Threatened by Jesus' radical message of repentance and reform, they determine to find a way to trap Jesus and turn the crowd against him.
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