About six months before Jesus was to be crucified, he began to intensify his teaching of the Apostles. It was an effort to prepare them for the coming shock of his death and the disappointment and hopelessness it was sure to bring.
He took Peter, James and John upon a mountain and was transfigured before them. His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light, and Moses and Elijah stood by Him, talking to Him. Peter became excited and said unto Jesus, "Lord it is good to be here: if Thou wilt, let us build three tabernacles (booths); one for Thee; one for Moses, and one for Thee." He wanted them to stay there. While he was speaking a bright cloud over-shadowed them, and a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him." Matthew 17:5. Which was to say, "You are no longer to look to Moses as your law-giver, not the prophets for God's message; rather look to my son, for he has the final message pertaining to your salvation."
About a month before His death, we find Jesus in Bethany in the hone of his close friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Lazarus had died and Jesus raised him from death after having been dead four days. This created strong opposition to him from the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They feared he would attract so many followers they would lose their places of leadership, and from that time they began to plan how they could dispose of him.
On Saturday night before his crucifixion, Jesus and his Apostles were invited to the home of Simon the leper, whom Jesus had healed some time before. Mary, Martha and Lazarus were there. It had not been planned as such, but it became a farewell supper for Jesus. They did not know that within a week Jesus would be crucified. Let us try to visualize the scene-Martha was in a "stew" serving-the way she had of showing her love for her Lord. Lazarus was talking to Simon and, perhaps, other guests that had been invited. Mary wanted to show him how much she loved and appreciated him, so she took an alabaster box of precious ointment and anointed his head and feet (Matthew 26:7, John 12:3). An impulsive and lavish act of love. Judas exclaimed, "What waste!" It could have been sold for 300 pence and given to the poor." Jesus came to her rescue, and said, "Leave her alone; against the day of My burying she has done this." Poor Judas, the only values he knew were "dollars and cents." We show our love for out Lord by worshipping him, witnessing for him and serving him. Our faith in and love for him would be deepened if we were persecuted, or even threatened, for being Christian.
Time was running out for Jesus, but he would have to go through a mockery of a trial before the Jews Sanhedrin court, then to Pilate, then Herod, and back to Pilate who had the unenviable responsibility of consenting to the crucifixion of the son of God to appease the murderous mob of the Jewish religious authorities. It was all part of the eternal plan, for Jesus was the "lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Revelation 13:8.