On the Way to Calvary
  Don O. Thorpe, "On the Way to Calvary," New Era Magazine
The events of the Savior’s last week of mortality were both glorious and terrible. We often read the words that describe the joy and sorrow of that final week, but the words alone sometimes fail to reach down into the depths of our feelings.

These photographic impressions of Israel may help provide an emotional background for the spiritual account of the events that took place in the life of the Savior. In Israel’s topography you can see delicacy and harshness—dust and weeds lie side by side with flowers and cultivated fields. All were a part of the Savior’s life and were common sights to him. There is still a feeling that sings from this land—Jesus walked here; he is the Son of God.

The impressions of light and color represent the feelings that those who walked with Jesus may have felt. I have tried to put you in the Jerusalem of 2,000 years ago. Here is the Holy City as it might have appeared during that fateful week on the way to Calvary.

From Bethany to the Last Supper

"And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

"Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

"And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

"And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way.

"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." Looking from Bethphage toward Jericho

"And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

"[Saying] For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

"And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

"And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

"And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them." 

"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

"For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet,

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

"And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

"Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

"He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

"After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

"[He said unto them] For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."

 


















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Photography © Don O. Thorpe 2009