As His mission had opened to Jesus in the temple, He shrank from contact with the multitude. He wished to return from Jerusalem in quietness, with those who knew the secret of His life. By the paschal service, God was seeking to call His people away from their worldly cares, and to remind them of His wonderful work in their deliverance from Egypt. In this work He desired them to see a promise of deliverance from sin. As the blood of the slain lamb sheltered the homes of Israel, so the blood of Christ was to save their souls; but they could be saved through Christ only as by faith they should make His life their own. There was virtue in the symbolic service only as it directed the worshipers to Christ as their personal Saviour. God desired that they should be led to prayerful study and meditation in regard to Christ's mission. But as the multitudes left Jerusalem, the excitement of travel and social intercourse too often absorbed their attention, and the service they had witnessed was forgotten. The Saviour was not attracted to their company.

Da Jesu kald var blevet åbenbaret for ham i templet, veg han tilbage for samværet med mængden. Han ville gerne vende tilbage fra Jerusalem i al stilhed sammen med dem, der kendte hans livs hemmelighed. Ved påskehøjtiden søgte Gud at kalde sit folk bort fra deres verdslige bekymringer og minde dem om sin underfulde gerning ved at udfri dem af Ægypten. Han ville, at de i denne handling skulle se et løfte om udfrielse fra synden. Ligesom det slagtede lams blod beskyttede Israels folks hjem, sådan skulle Kristi blod frelse deres sjæle; men de kunne kun blive frelst ved Kristus, hvis de ved troen gjorde hans liv til deres eget. Den symbolske tjeneste gavnede kun, hvis den rettede menighedens tanker hen til Kristus som deres personlige Frelser. Det var Guds vilje, at de skulle ledes til under bøn at granske og gruble over, hvad der havde med Kristi sendelse at gøre. Men når skarerne forlod Jerusalem, optog rejseoplevelserne og det selskabelige samkvem alt for ofte hele deres interesse, og den højtidelige tjeneste, som de havde været vidne til, blev glemt. Frelseren følte sig ikke tiltrukket af tanken om at være sammen med dem.