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The Catechism in Questions & Answers

161. What events followed Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem?

Jesus cleansed the temple by driving out the merchants and money changers. Thereby He made it clear that the temple, the house of God, is holy, and not a place for conducting business. In Bethany Jesus was anointed with costly oil of spikenard. This transpired in accordance with His own words foreshadowing His impending death, as the dead were often anointed with precious oils in those days (cf. Mark 14: 8).
Jesus had many enemies among the Pharisees and Sadducees, which included the chief priests. They plotted to kill Him, and so His situation became more and more menacing.

Oil of spikenard: spikenard is a plant that grows in the area of the Himalayas (e.g. India, Bhutan, and Nepal). A fragrant juice was extracted from its roots, which was mixed with anointing oil. Spikenard was already exported to the Mediterranean region in ancient times. Because it came from so far away, it was also very expensive. Pharisees and Sadducees were representatives of the best known religious groups in Judaism at the time of Jesus’ activity on earth.
The Pharisees strove to observe the prescriptions of the Mosaic Law very strictly in order to thereby gain merit before God through works. This kind of devotion to God is often criticised in the gospels since it can lead to self-righteousness and hypocrisy. It was from the Pharisees that modern Judaism developed.

The Sadducees rejected any belief in angels or the resurrection of the dead. Their ranks primarily included the affluent levels of the population, as well as the priests of the temple in Jerusalem. After the destruction of the temple, the Sadducean school of Judaism was dissolved.
In addition to the Pharisees and Sadducees, there were also the Essenes, a third group within ancient Judaism.