“Fromthattime，“saysthefirstevangelist，“JesusbegantoshowtohisdisciplesthathemustgotoJerusalem，andsuffermanythingsfromtheeldersandchiefpriestsandscribes，andbeputtodeath，andriseagainonthethirdday。“Herewehave，obviously，theknowledgeofthewriter，aftertheevent，reflectedbackandattributedtoJesus。ItisofcourseimpossiblethatJesusshouldhavepredictedwithsuchdefinitenesshisapproachingdeath；norisitverylikelythatheentertainedanyhopeofbeingraisedfromthegrave“onthethirdday。“Toamaninthatageandcountry，theconceptionofareturnfromthelowerworldofshadeswasnotadifficultonetoframe；anditmaywellbethatJesus’senseofhisownexaltedpositionwassufficientlygreattoinspirehimwiththeconfidencethat，evenincaseoftemporaryfailure，Jehovahwouldrescuehimfromthegraveandsendhimbackwithlargerpowerstocarryoutthepurposeofhismission。Butthedifficultyofdistinguishingbetweenhisownwordsandtheinterpretationputuponthembyhisdisciplesbecomeshereinsuperable；andtherewillalwaysberoomforthehypothesisthatJesushadinviewnoposthumouscareerofhisown，butonlyexpressedhisunshakenconfidenceinthesuccessofhisenterprise，evenafterandinspiteofhisdeath。
Atallevents，thepossibilityofhisdeathmustnowhavebeenofteninhismind。Hewasundertakingawellnighdesperatetask，——tooverthrowthePhariseesinJerusalemitself。Nootheralternativewaslefthim。AndherewebelieveMr。F。W。NewmantobesingularlyatfaultinpronouncingthisattemptofJesusuponJerusalemafoolhardyattempt。AccordingtoMr。Newman，nomanhasanybusinesstorushuponcertaindeath，anditisonlyacrazyfanaticwhowilldoso。[21]Butsuch“glitteringgeneralizations“willherehelpusbutlittle。ThehistoricdatashowthattogotoJerusalem，evenattheriskofdeath，wasabsolutelynecessarytotherealizationofJesus’Messianicproject。Mr。NewmancertainlywouldnothavehadhimdragoutaningloriousandbaffledexistenceinSyro-Phoenicia。IftheMessianickingdomwastobefairlyinaugurated，therewasworktobedoneinJerusalem，andJesusmustgothereasoneinauthority，costwhatitmight。Webelievehimtohavegonethereinaspiritofgrandandcarelessbravery，yetseriouslyandsoberly，andundertheinfluenceofnofanaticaldelusion。Heknewtherisks，butdeliberatelychosetoincurthem，thatthewillofJehovahmightbeaccomplished。
WenexthearofJesustravellingdowntoJerusalembywayofJericho，andenteringthesacredcityinhischaracterofMessiah，attendedbyagreatmultitude。ItwasnearthetimeofthePassover，whenpeoplefromallpartsofGalileeandJudaeaweresuretobeatJerusalem，andthenatureofhisreceptionseemstoindicatethathehadalreadysecuredaconsiderablenumberoffollowersuponwhoseassistancehemighthopetorely，thoughitnowhereappearsthatheintendedtouseotherthanpurelymoralweaponstoinsureafavourablereception。WemustrememberthatforhalfacenturymanyoftheJewishpeoplehadbeenconstantlylookingforthearrivaloftheMessiah，andtherecanbelittledoubtthattheentryofJesusridinguponanassinliteralfulfilmentofprophecymusthavewroughtpowerfullyupontheimaginationofthemultitude。Thatthebelieversinhimwereverynumerousmustbeinferredfromthecautious，nottosaytimid，behaviouroftherulersatJerusalem，whoarerepresentedasdesiringtoarresthim，butasdeterredfromtakingactivestepsthroughfearofthepeople。Weareledtothesameconclusionbyhisdrivingthemoney-changersoutoftheTemple；
anactuponwhichhecouldhardlyhaveventured，hadnotthepopularenthusiasminhisfavourbeenforthemomentoverwhelming。Buttheenthusiasmofamobisshort-lived，andneedstobefedupontheexcitementofbrilliantanddramaticallyarrangedevents。Thecalmpreacherofrighteousness，oreventhefierydenouncerofthescribesandPharisees，couldnothopetoretainundiminishedauthoritysavebythedisplayofextraordinarypowerstowhich，sofarasweknow，JesuslikeMohammedmadenopresenceMatt。xvi。1-4。TheignorantandmaterialisticpopulacecouldnotunderstandtheexaltedconceptionofMessiahshipwhichhadbeenformedbyJesus，andasdayafterdayelapsedwithouttheappearanceofanymarvelloussignfromJehovah，theirenthusiasmmustnaturallyhavecooleddown。ThenthePhariseesappearcautiouslyendeavouringtoentraphimintoadmissionswhichmightrenderhimobnoxioustotheRomangovernor。Hesawthroughtheirdesign，however，andfoiledthembythemagnificentrepartee，“RenderuntoCaesarthethingsthatareCaesar’s，anduntoGodthethingsthatareGod’s。“Nothingcouldmoreforciblyillustratethecompletelynon-politicalcharacterofhisMessianicdoctrines。Nevertheless，wearetoldthat，failinginthisattempt，thechiefpriestssubornedfalsewitnessestotestifyagainsthim:thisSabbath-breaker，thisderiderofMosaicformalism，whowithhisMessianicpretensionsexcitedthepeopleagainsttheirhereditaryteachers，mustatalleventsbeputoutoftheway。Jesusmustsufferthefatewhichsocietyhastoooftenhadinstoreforthereformer；thefatewhichSokratesandSavonarola，VaniniandBruno，havesufferedforbeingwiserthantheirowngeneration。MessianicadventurershadalreadygivenmuchtroubletotheRomanauthorities，whowerenotlikelytoscrutinizecriticallythepeculiarclaimsofJesus。
AndwhenthechiefpriestsaccusedhimbeforePilateofprofessingtobe“KingoftheJews，“thisclaimcouldinRomanapprehensionbearbutoneinterpretation。Theoffencewastreason，punishable，saveinthecaseofRomancitizens，bycrucifixion。