Category Archives: New Testament

The women who came to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week found the stone rolled away from the tomb. When they entered the tomb the body was not there (Luke 24:1-3).

The angel said to the women,

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.  (Matthew 28:6a ESV)

Several tombs of the type in which Jesus was buried have survived the centuries. This one was discovered during road construction a few years ago near Mount Carmel.

A Roman Period tomb with a rolling stone. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Paul says that Jesus was “delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:25 ESV).

Last year I wrote about “The empty tomb” here, and “The Tomb of Jesus” here. Use the search box to locate other posts about tomb.

The Gospel accounts indicate no activity  for Jesus on Wednesday of the final week. After all of the conflict on Tuesday, one can imagine He needed a time for seclusion. We should consider another possibility. Had He continued the intense conflict with the religious leaders it might have affected the time of His death.

Jesus carefully orchestrated His death. From the beginning He spoke of His hour. After the raising of Lazarus he withdrew to a place northwest of Jerusalem on the edge of the wilderness at Ephraim.

Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. (John 11:54 ESV)

Jesus would offer Himself as the sacrificial lamb at the time of the Passover meal. This took intricate planning.

The crowds of pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for Passover overloaded the system. Many of them likely slept in the open on the Mount of Olives and other places near the city. On Monday evening,

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. (Mark 11:11 ESV)

Luke tells us that it was His custom to do so.

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. (Luke 22:39 ESV)

Bethany, the village of Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11:1), was located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:1, 18). The photo below of the eastern slope of Olivet was made from near the traditional tomb of Lazarus at Bethany. In the time of Jesus the mountain was likely filled with olive trees. Today we see modern housing. Jerusalem may be seen only after one reaches the crest of the mountain.

Eastern slope of Mount of Olives near Bethany. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

On two separate occasions, perhaps separated by at least three years, Jesus cast out the money changers and merchants from the temple precinct. The first account, early in His ministry, is recorded in John 2:13-17. The second cleansing took place during the final week of His earthly ministry on Monday (Matthew 21:12-16; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-47).

Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!” (Matthew 21:12-13 NET)

The photo below shows the Temple as it is envisioned from the time of Jesus. This wonderful model was displayed for many years on the grounds of the Holyland Hotel, but is now displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Money changing and selling of sacrificial animals was an appropriate function. Then why did Jesus react as He did? The merchants were in the wrong place. They were in the temple precinct (hieros), the large area surrounding the temple proper (the sanctuary where the priests were allowed; naos).

Second Temple Model at the Israel Museum. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.