Did You Know?

Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, an event celebrated as Palm Sunday.

This entry, recorded in Matthew 21:1-9, fulfilled an earlier prophecy from Zechariah 9:9 describing a king coming 'lowly, and riding upon an ass.' Crowds greeted Jesus by laying palm branches and garments on the road.

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Jesus overturned tables in the Temple, condemning the buying and selling taking place there.

This event, sometimes called the 'cleansing of the Temple,' is recorded in Matthew 21:12-13, with Jesus declaring the Temple should be 'called the house of prayer' rather than 'a den of thieves.' This act significantly increased tension between Jesus and Jewish religious authorities.

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Jesus washed his disciples' feet at the Last Supper as an example of humble service.

This act, recorded in John 13:3-15, was a task typically reserved for lowly servants, making Jesus' willingness to perform it a powerful lesson in humility. Jesus explicitly instructs his disciples afterward to follow his example of service toward one another.

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At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted what became known as Holy Communion, or the Eucharist.

This event, recorded in Matthew 26:26-28, involved Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples, symbolically representing his body and blood. This practice remains a central ritual observance across most Christian traditions.

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Jesus predicted that Peter would deny knowing him three times before the rooster crowed.

This prediction, made during the Last Supper, is recorded in Matthew 26:34, and its fulfillment occurs shortly afterward in Matthew 26:69-75. Peter's subsequent remorse, weeping bitterly, highlights themes of failure and eventual restoration in his discipleship.

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Jesus prayed intensely in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.

This prayer, recorded in Matthew 26:36-44, includes his request that 'this cup' of suffering might pass, followed by submission to God's will. Luke's account additionally describes Jesus' sweat becoming 'as it were great drops of blood' (Luke 22:44).

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Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of his own twelve apostles, for thirty pieces of silver.

This betrayal is recorded in Matthew 26:14-16, with Judas identifying Jesus to arresting soldiers via a kiss (Matthew 26:47-49). Judas later returned the money and, overcome with remorse, took his own life (Matthew 27:3-5).

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Jesus stood trial before both Jewish religious authorities and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

These trials are described across Matthew 26:57-68 and Matthew 27:11-26, with Pilate ultimately yielding to public pressure despite finding no formal fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4, 13-24). Pilate is described as symbolically washing his hands to disclaim responsibility for Jesus' death (Matthew 27:24).

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Jesus healed people from a wide range of illnesses, including blindness, leprosy, and paralysis, throughout his ministry.

Examples include healing a paralyzed man lowered through a roof (Mark 2:1-12) and restoring sight to blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). These healing miracles are recorded as demonstrating both compassion and divine authority throughout the Gospels.

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Jesus taught primarily using parables, short illustrative stories with moral or spiritual lessons.

Matthew 13:34-35 notes that Jesus 'spake unto them without a parable spake he not unto them,' reflecting this consistent teaching style, at least in public settings. These parables often used everyday agricultural or domestic imagery familiar to his audience.

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