What I learned about Jesus through writing a novel
Andrew Roland
Retired Vicar and writer of "Books for Spiritual Explorers", living in London
INTRODUCTION
I learnt more about Jesus during Holy Week through writing a fictional account than I had through thirty years of preaching about him.?Why did it have such a big impact and what did I learn?
LOCATION AND TIME
The most authentic gospel for me is the Gospel of Mark, in my view written about 50 AD by the young man almost caught by the soldiers in Gethsemane (Mark 14.51-52).?Luke for me is a reliable secondary source, written about 60 AD, while Paul was in prison in Caesarea (Acts 24.22-27)?But what you don’t get in the gospels is an explanation of the constraints of time and place which were the framework of what we now call Holy Week. ?
YESHUA AND THE TEMPLE
Mark tells us that:? ‘(Yeshua) 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)
Why was he late??Because he had just walked eighteen miles uphill from Jericho.?If he had started out at daybreak, 6.00 a.m., he would have reached Bethany at 3.00.?He then collected?the colt/young horse and arrived at the Temple about the time of the evening sacrifice.
Mark tells us,? ‘(Yeshua) entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.’?(Mark 11.15-16)
The last ten words hold the key to everything in Holy Week.?The Temple was a vital thoroughfare for Jerusalem.?The only gates leading directly to the east were through the Temple.?For Jesus to stop all that traffic meant not just overturning a few tables.?It meant having enough of his supporters, burly Galilean pilgrims, at each of the gates to outnumber the Temple guards.?It was a forceful, and because well-planned, peaceful occupation.
THE LAST SUPPER AND AFTER
For me the best contender for the site of the Last Supper is the Syrian Orthodox Church of St Mark in the Old City.?It means that when he walked to Gethsemane he would have gone north round the city walls, walking within a hundred years of Golgotha itself.
HOW MANY TRIALS?
John describes one trial under Annas and another under Pilate.?Mark has one under Caiaphas and one under Pilate.?Luke has one or two under Caiaphas, too under Pilate and one under Herod,?It all seems quite confusing.?But if you get the location right, it does make sense.?Here is my guess at the timing:
MORE READING
For a longer article, look at my website www.bibleinbrief.org.?You will find the full article on the home page.