Chaque soir, Le Messie Jésus et ses disciples retournaient à Béthanie pour y passer la nuit, accueillis dans le village de Marthe, Marie et Lazare (Lazare ayant été ramené à la vie par le Messie Jésus). Le récit de la résurrection de Lazare et de la fréquentation de Béthanie par le Messie Jésus se trouve en particulier en Jean (John 11.1-44). Les épisodes où le Messie Jésus visite la maison de et partage leur intimité sont rapportés en Luc (Luke 10.38-42).
It is likely that Martha, Mary and Lazarus alone could not house the whole group. The Gospels show that the Messiah Jesus travelled with a large entourage (disciples, and sometimes relatives or people attached to them), and it is therefore probable that some camped outside the village, probably in tents, while other inhabitants offered hospitality. This presence scattered between houses and camps agrees with the descriptions of itinerant groups and pilgrimages in the Jewish world of the first century. The women of the group, notably those whose names have been handed down to us, often took charge of logistics, meals and care, as the service rendered to the Messiah Jesus and the disciples illustrates (John 12.1-8).
The nearness of Bethany to Jerusalem (a few kilometers to the east) made daily round trips possible: the Messiah Jesus and his apostles went to the Temple to teach and take part in the services, then returned to Bethany in the evening. The accounts of the entry into Jerusalem and of the activities in the week before the Passion bear witness to these frequent journeys (Luke 19.28-44).
When the Feast of Passover drew near, it is likely that the whole group travelled to celebrate in Jerusalem, following the practice of the Passover pilgrimage prescribed by the law. The preparations for and the celebration of the Passover by Jesus and his own are described in the accounts of the last meal and of the preparations for the Passover evening (Luke 22.7-13). Despite the Messiah Jesus' repeated announcements of his suffering and death, the disciples did not fully grasp the significance of the events that were about to unfold during this Passover, a theme taken up by several evangelists when the Messiah Jesus foretells his Passion and his disciples remain unable to grasp its meaning (Mark 9.31, Luke 18.34).
We can anchor these observations in the Scriptures:
- The residence and welcome in Bethany and the resurrection of Lazarus: John 11.1-44;
- La visite chez et leur service : Luke 10.38-42 ;
- The anointing and the presence of women who serve Jesus: John 12.1-8;
- The entry into Jerusalem and the round trips between Bethany and the city: Luke 19.28-44;
- The preparations for the Passover and the last meal: Luke 22.7-13;
- The disciples' failure to understand the announcements of the Passion: Mark 9.31 Luke 18.34.