The disciples still expected Christ to reign as a temporal prince. Although He had so long concealed His design, they believed that He would not always remain in poverty and obscurity; the time was near when He would establish His kingdom. That the hatred of the priests and rabbis would never be overcome, that Christ would be rejected by His own nation, condemned as a deceiver, and crucified as a malefactor,--such a thought the disciples had never entertained. But the hour of the power of darkness was drawing on, and Jesus must open to His disciples the conflict before them. He was sad as He anticipated the trial.

Disciplene ventede stadig, at Kristus skulle regere som en jordisk fyrste. Skønt han så længe havde skjult for dem, hvad han var bestemt til, så troede de, at han ikke altid skulle leve i fattigdom og ubemærkethed; den tid var nær, hvor han ville oprette sit rige. At præsternes og de skriftkloges had aldrig ville lade sig overvinde, at Kristus skulle blive forkastet af sit eget folk dømt som en bedrager og korsfæstet som en forbryder, den slags tanker havde disciplene aldrig næret. Men mørkets time nærmede sig, og Jesus måtte åbenbare sine disciple, hvilken strid der ventede dem. Han var bedrøvet ved tanken om denne prøvelse.