From that time on, Jesus began telling his followers that he must go to Jerusalem for the Passover.

"But, Teacher," they said, "the last time, you went to Jerusalem, the people there tried to kill you with stones. Now you want to go back?"

Jesus said to them, "Listen, we are going to Jerusalem. Everything that God told the prophets to write about me will happen. I will be turned over to the Romans. They will laugh at me, insult me and spit on me. They will beat me with whips and then kill me. But on the third day after my death, I will rise to life again."

Peter took Jesus aside and began to criticize him. Peter said, "God save you from those things, Lord! Those things will never happen to you!" Then Jesus said to Peter, "Get away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don't care about the things of God. You care only about things that men think are important."

Determined, Jesus set out for Jerusalem. Then Thomas said to the other followers, "Let us go, too. We will die with him."

It was almost time for the Passover. Many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Passover to prepare themselves. The people looked for Jesus. They stood in the Temple and asked each other, "Is he coming to the Feast? What do you think?"

But the leading priests and Pharisees had given orders about Jesus. They said that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must tell them. Then they could arrest Jesus.

The next day a great crowd in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was coming there. These were the people who had come for the Passover. They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted: "Praise God! God bless the King of Israel!"

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his followers. He told his followers. "You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. That is the day God has chosen for me to be given over to my enemies and to be crucified."