Hosanna in the Highest

Mark 10:32–52; John 12:1–11; Mark 11:1–33; John 12:12–19

On the road up to Jerusalem, Jesus tells his disciples plainly what awaits him there, while James and John are still angling for the best seats in his kingdom. Outside Jericho, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus refuses to be quieted and gets his sight back for his persistence. Six days before the Passover, Mary of Bethany empties a jar of costly perfume over Jesus' feet, filling the house with its fragrance while Judas objects. Then, at last, the crowds gather, palm branches wave, and Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt to shouts of "Hosanna" — a welcome that curdles by week's end. By Monday, he's overturned the money-changers' tables and cursed a fig tree that will be found withered by morning.

We are in a Mark-John Harmony. Today's episode covers: Mark 10:32–52, John 12:1–11, Mark 11:1–33, John 12:12–19 (Bartimaeus healed at Jericho, the anointing at Bethany, the Triumphal Entry, the cleansing of the temple, and the cursed fig tree).