S5, E4

The upper room scene in the previous episodes was clearly an attempt to harmonize the four gospel records. Since it is quite difficult to be certain of how those perfectly harmonize, I will not be focusing on too much of the order of events. I will, however, be seeking to identify what is in the biblical accounts and what is not.

Biblical- What We Find in Scripture

Jesus did tell Judas to go and do what he was going to do quickly. Judas also left during the meal. ( Jn. 13:27-30)
Jesus did predict his death, telling the disciples that he would not be with them longer. And he did give them the new commandment to love one another. ( Jn. 13:31-35)
While the meeting of the Sanhedrin is fiction, the resurrection of Lazarus was a large part of why the religious leaders were seeking to kill Jesus. John also records that the Chief Priests sought to kill Lazarus. ( Jn. 12:10-11)
Jesus did curse the fig tree. ( Mt. 21:18-19; Mk. 11:12-14.) This would have happened, as I understand the timeline of Passion Week, on Tuesday morning. Some people think that Jesus entered into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, others on Palm Monday. The former believe that there are no recorded events of Jesus on Wednesday of that week. The latter don’t have to account for a missing day. I am of the latter persuasion.

Unbiblical- What Contradicts Scripture

I think the portrayal of the fig tree is quite inaccurate. Yes, Jesus cursed a fig tree. But he did so at a time when figs were not in season. I don’t think Jesus would have actually expected figs. I think he was using the fig tree to illustrate his coming judgment upon Jerusalem.

Extra-biblical: What Is Made Up but Doesn’t Contradict Scripture

We do not know what the traditions of the Jews were regarding Passover meal, also called a Seder. We do not know if the current traditions were used at that time, or if they were not.
We’re not really given any indication that Jesus whispered to any of the disciples about who would betray him. Yes, Jesus predicted his betrayal, and the disciples did ask who it was. But Jesus announced that the one who had dipped his hand with Jesus would be his betrayer. Here Jesus dips bitter herbs with charoset and hands it to Judas. I’m inclined to put this discrepancy in the unbiblical category, but I think this might be the type of pickiness that I said I would avoid.
Mary Magdalene’s interaction with the Pharisees in the city is not found in Scripture.
Peter and Judas’ conversation about what Jesus could have done by making swords appear in people’s hands to defend Jesus.
Caiaphas’ conversation with the fictional character Rabbi Gedera is not found anywhere in Scripture.
Jesus’ conversation with John about Jephthah and the painting on the wall.
No conversation of the Sanhedrin is recorded in Scripture. Small details of Jesus’ trial before the council, his third trial, are the only record of anything in Scripture that took place in a meeting of the council. Therefore, the delay of allowing Caiaphas to enter into the temple is also speculation.
Ananus, the son of Annas, is not a biblical character. It is true that the high priest had been Annas, and that Caiaphas was his son-in-law. But this whole scene has been added to the biblical story.
Jesus’ conversation in the courtyard of the home where they are staying.
The women’s conversation about leaving Jerusalem for a couple of days.
There is no biblical record of Jesus sharing a meal in Bethany with only the women who followed him.
Eden and Tamar are fictitious characters. We do know that Peter was married, and we know that Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, but she is never named in Scripture.
While Joanna did provide for the ministry of Jesus, there is still no biblical record of this meal with the women, nor of Jesus asking them to keep their distance from him during Passion Week.

Helpful: What We Might Be Helpful To the Watcher

While the interactions with the Pharisees are fictional, they reveal what was no doubt going on during Passion Week. Jesus’ teachings, healings, driving people out of the temple, etc., were upsetting the religious leaders. They were forming a plot to kill him. Mt. 26:3-5; Mk. 14:1-2; Lk. 22:1-2
In Caiaphas’ conversation with Rabbi Gedera, Caiaphas indicates that Pilate is close to losing his job. This is true. Pilate was placed at the post he had in the Bible because Caesar was unhappy with him.
Though the conversation about the painting on the wall with John is fiction, the scene does show an affection between Jesus and John that is indicated by Scripture. 5 times John refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John is also resting on Jesus when they reclined at the table for the Last Supper. Clearly they were the closest of all of the disciples. Jn. 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20
While many of the events in this episode are fictional, they are helpful in getting a sense of how that week may have felt to his followers. Confusion, unrest, change…it must have been a hard week for his followers to understand.

Dangerous: Things That Have Been Added That Might Be Dangerous to Accept as Fact

Nothing

Anachronisms and Errors: Things that are out of place regarding the time, etc.

Jesus and the disciples would not have been seated on chairs for the last supper. They would have been on cushions on the floor. This is why John records that he was reclining on Jesus at the table. It was very common to lay on one another for comfort, especially at a long meal like this one.
Bethany would have been a relatively short walk (2 miles) up and over a short hill (the Mt. of Olives). The fig tree would have likely been in view of the city of Jerusalem, which because of the geography there, would have been quite close. The cursing of the fig tree was used to illustrate the impending judgment coming upon Israel. Additionally, there would have been no snow-capped mountains in view anywhere from Jerusalem.