When the history of this world is finally written up with an eternal perspective, many events will vie as being worthy to be included. However, because of their significance to every person who has ever lived on this earth or who will ever live on it, the events of the last week of the Savior’s life—from the Sunday morning of his triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem to the Sunday morning of the resurrection—will undoubtedly be acclaimed as the greatest week in history. Without the events of that week, particularly those which took place in the Garden of Gethsemane and at the time of the resurrection, everything else is virtually meaningless.
Obviously an article such as this could barely list, let alone discuss, all the week’s events that are recorded in the scriptures. Thus, the article will discuss in some detail only one or two events from each day, and it will mention only briefly some of the others.
“Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
“And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward, for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
“And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!” (Matt. 21:18–20.)
This incident of the blighting of the fig tree has been difficult for many people to understand because it is so different from the other miracles of the Savior. Before, he had brought relief to the suffering and had largely used his powers for beneficial purposes and blessings; indeed, he had brought the dead back to life again. But here, he appears to have rendered a final judgment and caused death. However, the disciples undoubtedly learned a great lesson from this incident. Among other things, they surely recognized now that the Savior had power to cause death as well as to give life; thus, they realized it would be possible for him to voluntarily give his life as he had said. They had cause to remember this lesson before the week was out.
Another possible lesson learned by the disciples from this incident is that neither they nor anyone else should pretend to be something they really are not. The leafy fig tree pretended to have fruit, for the leaf and the fruit of the fig normally develop together. However, this leafy fig tree was deceptively barren.
Elder James E. Talmage has suggested that the tree was blighted not because it was fruitless (so were the other fig trees at this time of the year, late March or early April), but because it was deceptively barren and represented “a type of human hypocrisy.”
Another event that possibly happened on this second day of the week was the cleansing of the temple. Some students of the gospels have placed this incident on Sunday, the first day, because of the context of Matt. 21:12 and Luke 19:45. However, others have interpreted Mark 11:11 and Mark 15 as meaning that the event took place on Monday.
Regardless of the exact day, it was three years to the week from the time the Savior had driven the money changers from the temple. On that occasion, he had accused them of making his “Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:16. Italics added.) On this occasion, now that he has openly avowed himself to be the Messiah, the Savior refers to the temple as “my house” when he quotes the scripture: “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matt. 21:13.) Before the week is over, the Savior will say to the rebellious residents of Jerusalem concerning the temple, “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Matt. 23:38. Italics added.) The shift in the words showing possession is both interesting and significant.
The apostate religious leaders were incensed at this treatment by the Savior, and “the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him.”
However, the common people “were very attentive to hear him.” (Luke 19:47–48.)
The chief priests and the scribes were further displeased when they saw the Savior healing the blind and the lame who came to him in the temple; and they were incensed when they heard the children crying in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David.”
Matthew records the end of the incident as follows: And the chief priests and the scribes “said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes arid sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
“And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.” (Matt. 21: 6–17.)
Daniel H. Ludlow, “The Greatest Week in History,” Ensign, Apr 1972, 34
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