In ancient days, flocks were led to Jerusalem five days before the Passover. The lambs destined for sacrifice were bathed in the pool outside the sheep gate and then secured in pens for inspection. For the next five days, priests would come out daily to check each lamb for defects. They looked for any blemish, any irregularity, any miniscule imperfection to declare the lamb unoworthy as a sacrifice.

One one famous Tenth of Nissan, Jesus the Messiah came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. For the next five days, He sat teaching in the Temple. He was questioned and inspected, prodded and pressed by the same priests who daily inspected the sheep.

But, they found no imperfection in the Nazarene. No blemish. No scar. Those would all come later.

And so, the priests stood fuming in the courtyards, scheming about what to do next. The people waved palm branches and shouted hossanna. And, the Son of God, sat unbothered by it all, pouring out His last words for hungry hearts who would soon be tested beyond what many of them thought their newly-born faith could endure.

Thank goodness, they were wrong about that.