Mark says
that "they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid." He
told them all about the trial and the death that lay before Him, but so
unwilling were they to believe it, and so sure were they that He would
be made king of the Jews, that two of them brought their mother to
Jesus to ask that her two sons might sit next to Him when He should
come to the throne.

"Ye know not what ye ask," He said, "can ye drink of the cup that I
drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
and they said,

"We can," not knowing that He spoke of suffering and death.

He told them that though they would indeed drink of His cup, He had no
honors to give them.

Then, when the others were vexed with James and John for their foolish
request, He talked to them all tenderly about the grace of humility.

"Whosoever of you who will be chiefest," He said, "shall be servant of
all. For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."

It was the time of the Passover Feast at Jerusalem, and as they crossed
at the Fords of Jordan and went over the Jericho plain they must have
joined some of the groups of joyful people who were going up to the
Feast, some on camels and asses, and some walking beside the beasts
bearing tents or merchandise. The valley of the Jordan was bright with
the freshness of spring, and as they came near Jericho with its
rose-gardens, and orchards, and feathery palms, it looked like the
gardens of Paradise. It was sometimes called Jericho "the perfumed"
because of its great gardens of roses, and its balsam plantations from
which they made perfumes that were sold in all the East. It was warm
even in winter there, and no frosts destroyed its tropical fruits and
flowers. The rich plain was made fertile by two springs that sent
their waters through trenches all through these gardens and orchards.
One is called the "Elisha Spring," because the prophet made its
poisonous waters pure by casting salt into them.

And so the Passover pilgrims entered Jericho.

There was in Jericho a man named Zaccheus, who, like Matthew of
Capernaum, was a rich tax-gatherer. He wanted to see Jesus as He
passed, but the crowd was great, and he was a small man, so he ran
before the people and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him.

As Jesus passed the tree He looked up and said,

"Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide