Upon the occasion of Christ riding into Jerusalem, the disciples had been raised to the highest pitch of expectation. They had pressed close about their Master, and had felt that they were highly honored to be connected with him. Now they followed him in his humiliation at a distance. They were filled with inexpressible grief, and disappointed hopes. How were the words of Jesus verified: “All ye will be offended because of me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.” Yet the disciples still had faint hope that their Master would manifest his power at the last moment, and deliver himself from his enemies. {3SP 152.2}

Blot nogle få dage før havde de ledsaget ham, med frydefulde hosianna råb og svinget palmegrene, idet han red ind i Jerusalem som en sejrherre. Men mange af dem, som den gang råbte til hans pris, fordi mængden gjorde det, hjalp nu til at råbe: "Korsfæst ham! Korsfæst ham!" Da Kristus red ind i Jerusalem, steg disciplenes forventninger til det højeste; de havde holdt sig nær til deres Mester og følt, at de blev ærede, fordi de havde samfund med ham. Nu fulgte de ham i hans fornedrelse i en afstand; de blev fyldt med en usigelig sorg over deres skuffede forventninger. Hvor nøjagtig Jesu (153) ord blev opfyldt: "I denne nat skal I alle forarges på mig; thi der står skrevet: "Jeg vil slå hyrden, og fårehjorden skal spredes." Men disciplene nærede endnu et svagt håb om, at deres Mester ville vise sin magt i det sidste øjeblik og frelse sig af deres fjenders vold.