IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe /. ^, Ki f/- 1.0 I.I £ US IL25 III 1.4 6" 2.0 m 1.6 V] <^ a ^^A -» Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (7)6) 872-4503 4& iV w \\ ^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document es^ trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombie d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 22t 1 2 3 4 5 6 f". -l ml \ ' ■'I: ■ > \ ii ■f m i THE n STORY OF JESUS I I FOR tlTTtE Gy[&DI^E.J^f. BY MRS. G. E. MQRTON, AUTHOR OP 'FBIEND-IN-NEBD ?AP«bS," ' WEE DONALD, 'EiaHTI YEABS AQO,-' ETC. *S^*6-i-- FIFTH EDITION. ARCHER G. WATSON, Manager. TORONTO WILLARD TRACT DEPOSITORY, Cor. Yonge and Temperance Stbeets, TORONTO, ONT. •■' i H ■'! 'it . ;.i ( I K I i; ; ■. i V ! li. B7 30^- » M !)?''••£ O PI Op Sp€ of. litt oth bey I; vou in f read less. PREFACE TO THE FOUETH EDITION. ii f - I * • • • t t Of the many books which ; have been written • 1 1 I t specially for children, to tell the wonderful story of our Redeemer's Life on ijarth, those for the little ones are strangely incomplete ; whilst others, suited for more advanced intellects, are beyond the comprehension of, the very young. In the following pages, therefore, my endea- vour has been to give the Gospel Story almost in full; yet in such simple language as to be readily understood by a child of foui*— or even less. ; i ' I,-! ■ I i( I, I ?! PREFACE. This little work is not didactic. It has been my aim rather to let the Story of Jesus tell its own exquisite tale ; believing that it possesses, in this, its simplest form, a peculiar fascination for the young mind. I would wish to acknowledge the great assist- ance I have derived. '-in' my work from that most • • ■^ useful and suggesti>?jid; book (invaluable to the * • • Sunday-school teaqh^dt), Lessons on the Life of • • • • our Lordy by Eugenie' Stock. Farrar's Life of'Qhrist has also helped me much in telling my story to the little ones. H. M. CONTENTS. < ■ CRAP. I. Wnr Jesus oamb . . , II. Tab Viroik Mary . Matt. i. 20, 21. Luke, i, 2tJ-I>8. III. The Birth op Jbbus Lake, ii. 1—20. IV. The Presentation in thb. Tebiplb Luke, ii. 21—38. V. The Wise Men Matt. ii. 1-12. VI. What Kino Herod did . Matt. ii. 13—23. VII. The Boyhood op Jesus . Lnke, ii. 40—52. VIIL Thb Baptism op Jesus Matt. iii. 1-17. John, i. 32-34. IX. Thb Temptation . , , 31att. iT. i— 11. PAOB 18 17 20 25 28 31 36 42 47 ' . 1 ! via CONTENTS. CHAP. X. The Disciples of Jesus Luke, iv. 14, 15. John, i. 35—51 XI. The First Miracle . John, ii. 1—11. XII. Jesus at the Passover John, ii. 13—25. XIII. NiCODEMUS John, iii. 1—21. XIV. The "Woman op Samaria . John, iv. 1—42. XV. The Nobleman's Son . John, iv. 43—54-' XVI. Jesus Driven away, from Nazareth Luke, ir. 16—36.*.'.'!' XVII. Jesus Calls Hiji- *DisoiPLEs again Matt. iv. 12— 22;. Luke v. 1—11. XVIII. A Sabbath at .Oa'pernaum . Mark, i. 21-35.'.'.*.' ' XIX. The Sermon on'^hb Mount Matt. v. ; vi. ; i! •f- KMi (• !•! '■ I '. :U : i 1' ! CAPERNAUM, THE STOEY OF JESUS. CHAPTER I. WHY JESUS CAME. mHERE is no Story that has ever been written that is so beautiful or so wonderful as the story about Jesus. He was like nobody else that ever lived ; and His life was one of perfect holiness. Other people, even the best, are naughty sometimes • He never was. Others are selfish ; but Jesus never pleased Himself. Others are unkind some- times ; but the heart of Jesus was always full of love, and pity, and gentleness. I'fr i!l HI ■i, i'l ■! i :. t 'I: 14 THE STORY OF JESUS. But though, as I have said, He never once did a wrong thing, or had a sinful thought, yet He suffered more sorrow than any one else upon earth, and though He was always doing good and was always kind, yet wicked people hated Him, and treated Him with dreadful cruelty, and at last killed Him. I am sure your hearts will ache when you hear how it all happened. This wonderful story is one of which nobody tires. Little children, clever people, old men and women, all love to hear over and over again the ' sweet story of old,' which tells them about Jesus. But who was He ? who is He ? The Lord from Heaven. He is Himself God, and He is God's own beloved Son, who from everlasting has been always with the Father, and who, with Him, maJe this beautiful world, and all that is in it. Do 3'ou not wonder that He should have left His heavenly Father's throne to come down to this wicked, cruel world ? Perhaps you think He did not know what would happen ? Ah 1 dear children, the strange thing is that He did know it all I and yet He came ! It was for love of us— for love of you and me— for love, too, even of those wicked people who hated Him, WET JESUS CAME. 15 that He put aside His glory and came to suffer, bleed, and die. And He was * content to do it.' Does not this show how much He loved us ? How much we ought to love Him ? Do you think God was willing to spare His well-beloved Son ? Yes, He was ; but if the Bible had not told us so, we never could have believed it. But the Bible is God's own book ; and so we know it is quite true that God was not only willing to let His dear Son come, but He wished Him to do it. He sent Him. Is not this wonderful ? There is a verse in the Bible that tells us, * God 18 love ; ' and does not this prove it ? But now I must try and explain to you why it was necessary that Jesus should come to our earth, and take our nature upon Him (that means to be made like one of us). And first I will begin by asking you a question. Where do you hope to go when you die ? You will say, ' To heaven.' But do you not know that nothing can enter heaven but what is perfectly holy and perfectly good ? And are - -u holy ? You hnow you are not. fou know you have often naughty, angry tempers; that you are often disobedient; that sometimes you are I I, Wr H i m 1 ' ■ i "1 ' \ \ I 1 ii le THE STORY OF JESUS. tempted to say what is not true, and to bo unkind. Then, are you fit for heaven ? You hioiv you are not ; neither is any hving person. God looked down from His dwelhng- place to see if there were any that were really good and without sin, but he found not one ! So we must all have been punished for our wrong- doing, and at last must have gone to hell, that dreadful place prepared for the devil and his angels, if God had not found out a way to save us. He promised that one day He would send His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to be a man on earth. And He would be unhke any other man that ever lived, because he would be always good, and would do God's will on earth, as perfectly as it is done in heaven. And he was to do much more than this. He was to bear our sins upon Himself, and God was to punish Him for our wickedness. At last He was to die for us, and God promised to accept that as sufficient to wash away all sin, and to make the whole world holy. As the little hymn says : — 'He knew how wicked men had been, And knew that God must punish sin, So out of pity Jesus said He'd bear the punishment instead.* Yet there is something left for us to do, THE VIRGIN MARY. 17 remember ! We must believe on the Lord Jesus and we must love Him, and try to be like Him, and to do His holy will. And when we find that we have done naughty things, and have fallen ZToCl ^^^'^'^^^^^^ '^l^^^y^ trying to mako us wicked). If we are sorry, and pray to God to forgive us and to help us. He will always do it if we ask it for Jesus Christ's sake. And so, for His name's sake, He will take us to heaven when we die. came ? '''' ^''' "^^^rstand a little why Jesus He came to do what only God can do (for remember that Jesus is God). He came to take away sin. He came to give us evexlasting Ufe. ' I Ui V 1 I :.' " w i\n !l"i' CHAPTER II. THE VIRGIN MARY. ^FiEK people had waited a long, long time fl,« ,• V <. ^^ P^°"'=ed Saviour, God saw that the right time had come to send His beloved bou down from heaven. And how do you think He came ? Like a ' M rw . 1 . . ill ^ ■ I 1 i 18 THE STORY OF JESUS. ;i great king, with servants to wait upon Him, and to obey Him ? Oh, no ! Though He was a king in heaven, and though all the bright angels obeyed Him there, and sang praises to Him, yet when He came into this world, He put away all His greatness and glory, and chose to come like a little helpless baby. This is how it happened. There was a poor woman at that time whose name was Mary, and she lived in a small town called Nazareth. I am quite sure she was a good woQian, and loved God, and always tried to do what would please Him. One day she was alone in the house, when all at once she saw a bright angel before her. God had sent the angel to speak to her. When she saw him she was very much frightened, but the angel spoke to her so kindly. He said, * Do not be afraid, Mary ; for God is pleased with you, and He has sent me to tell you a wonderful thing. He will give you a little baby, and you must call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.' Then Mary said to the angel, ' How shall this be ? ' And the angel said, * God can do everything. He will send His Holy Spirit upon you, and so I ' THE VIRGIN MART. jq the holy babe that Ho will send you shall bo called the Son ol God.' How Mary must have wondered at that strange message ! Did she believe it ? Yes; she answered, 'I am God's servant: let It be to me as you have said.' And then, when the angel had gone back to heaven, she praised God for lis goodness, and or domg such great things to her. She said. My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour ! ' You see she called her baby her Saviour, because she knew quite well that He would save ^er, as well as everyone else who trusts Him Irom sin and from Satan. ' Mary had a husband called Joseph. He was a good man. And God sent an angel to 1dm one night, to speak to him in a dream, as he lay fast asleep upon his bed, and to tell him about the baby Jesus that would soon be born. ! ■ ., '' ( <\ ; ii ,1 ■ ■ ■ , j * so TUE STORY OF JKSCS. |ii, fill I m\ CHAPTER III. THE 1] 1 11 T H or JESUS. "^ow it came to pass in those days that a great king gave ari order that every one was to have his name written down in a long roll or book, that ho might know how many people ili ^xe were. And both Joseph and Mary, like every one else, were obliged to obey the king's order. It was the cold winter time when they left their home in Nazareth to set out on their journey to another town called Bethlehem. It must have taken them a long time to go so far, for it was a very great way off. When they got to Bethlehem, they found that so many people had gone there too, to have their names written down, that every place was full, and there was no room for them in the inn. What were they to do ? Near by there was a place where camels, cows, and as-?f^s were kept; and there Joseph and Mary were ' b'ged to go and rest, after their long, cold, wcarv ., " aino_.: THE CHILD IJ? THi; HASuKK. "I *!! 22 TEE STORY OF JESUS. While they were there, lodging in the stable, God sent to Mary the little baby He had promised her. How happy she was now ! She wrapped the precious babe so tenderly in long swaddling- clothes, and laid Him down carefully in a man- ger, on the soft hay. She had no pretty cradle to put Him into. Though He was God's own Son, He was born in a stable, and His bed was a manger. You know, a manger is the place in the stable where food is put for the cattle to eat. Did any one know that this little baby was the Son of God, come down into the world ? Joseph and Mary knew, but no one else just at first. Very soon, however, God sent to tell some other people. The very same night that Jesus was born, some shepherds were in the fields near Bethle- hem. "What were they doing there, in the dark and cold ? Why were they not in their own homes ? They were taking care of their sheep, and watching to see that no savage animal should hurt them. Here where we live, sheep and cattle may remain quite safely out in the fields all night ; but in that country, far away, there are a great many bears and wolves, and they THE BIRTIT OF JESUS. 23 would kill the sheep if men did not stay with them to frighten the wild beasts away. Well! the shepherds were watching over their flocks that night, when suddenly an angel came to them, and a bright light-brighter than the sun-shone all around them; and the poor shepherds were sore afraid. But the angel spoke so gently to them. *Do not be afraid,' he said; 'for I bring you such good news, which will make you and all people very glad. A httle baby is born this day, who is your Saviour, Christ the Lord. txo to Bethlehem, and you will find Him wrapped in swaddling-clothes, and lying in a manger.' ^ As the angel said this, all at once a very ^eat number of angels came from heaven, and they all praised God and said, * Glory be to trod, and peace be to men.' When the angels had sung their song, they all went away again back to heaven. And as soon as they had gone, the shepherds said to each other, hands. °' ^™°°'' fr-"" Herod's cruel Very soon after this Kinn- tt,>v„;i j' ■> . then once more God slfw-f '^'*^- ^"-^ Joseph in a drlm ' """ '"'«'' *° ^P^^'' '» 'Arise/the angel said to him 'takn tJ,. (' f! !>' r I ■ ! i ' -I: ■> ^^^^^^^r : ••■■ j. i. ■ '■ > /i I 36 THE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTER VII. THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. fTiHE Bible tells us scarcely anything of the life of Jesus while he was a boy ; but enough has been told us to make us able to picture Him to ourselves in His humble home in Nazareth. He was brought up as the son of a poor man ; for Joseph was a carpenter, and had to work for his daily bread ; and we may be quite sure that, as soon as He was able, Jesus would try and help him in the workshop, and learn his trade. Indeed, the Bible tells us plainly that Jesus became a carpenter Himself. (Mark vi. 3.) Then, again, we may certainly think of Him as going to the school every day ^ with other boys, and learning to read; doing everything that He had to do with all His heart, and in the best way : perfectly obedient to His teachers as well as to His parents. Is it not wonderful to think that the Son of God condescended to live like any other » We are told that even so long as eighty years before the birth of Christ, sciiools were established all over Palestine, and education was compulsory. THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. 37 little Jewish village boy? going to the same But do not forget that there was always one g^eat difference between Him and all other children. What was it? Jesus was without sin. He never did a wrong thing Satan tried to tempt Him, as he tempts all children and grown-up people too, but Jesus would not hsten to Satan. He prayed to His Father m heaven and always did the thin^ that would please Him. ^ I told you before that He was 'filled with wisdom, and that as He grew older and bigger He increased in wisdom.' Everything that He did was right and kind, and no one could ever lind anything to blame Him for. Wm you try and be hke Him? I dare say you think It IS impossible ; and of course no one ' c^.^ be like Him; but He will help us to be better than we are, and to be more hke Him every day, if we will ask Him. Because Jesus was once a child Himself He knows exactly what children feel ; and He quite understands all their difficulties, and all their temptations, and all their sorrows. He loves httle children, and loves to help them when they ask Him. '1' M ■ 1 m m i I'M }i n ■J Mi:' r i I :H i! i f ■ i ■■ ■ i^Ml i i ■ ■ t ; 1 1 lii^ii^. 1 38 277^? STORY OF JESUS. Will you then pray for His help ? Not only when Satan tempts you to do things you know to be wrong, but also when you do not feel inclined to do the things you know you ought to do. Have you ever heard about the Feast of the Passover ? It was a very solemn feast, which God had commanded the Jews to keep always, to remind them of the time, years and years before, when He had saved them in a wonderful way from being slaves, and had taken them out of a country where they were most cruelly treated, and where they were very miserable and unhappy. Every year Joseph and Mary went up to Jerusalem to keep this feast, and to attend the solemn services in the Temple. Little children, however, could not join; and it was not till Jesus was twelve years old that, for the first time. He was taken by His parents to keep the Passover with them. This was a great event in His childhood. There was the long journey to be taken,^ there were the hundreds and hundreds of people, flocking from all parts of the East, to go up to Jerusalem at the same time; and there were * From Nazareth to Jerasalem is a distance of about eighty miles. TEE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. 39 numbers of boys too, besides the Lord Jesus, going for the first time to the holy city. How eager they must all have been to see that city and Temple, of which they had read so much in the Scriptures I Once before, Jesus had been in the Temple. Do you remember when it was? When His parents had taken Him, as a little infant of six weeks old, to present Him to God. Good old Simeon, and Anna the prophetess, who had recognised Him as the promised Saviour, must have been dead when Jesus went this second time to the Temple; for we hear of no one then saying that He was the Son of God. And now, amongst all the worshippers in that beautiful Temple, there was only one who had no wandering thoughts, only one who praised God with a perfect heart. You do not need that I should tell you who that was; you know it was the boy Christ. At last the week of solemn services was over, and all the people who had gone up to attend this great feast of the Passover began to travel homewards again. Joseph and Mary went too ; and all that day they were journeying on, to return to their home at Nazareth. II -'fell . "■ J 'A 't !; I' ■ i' ■ ■ ! ■ J!; \ - 1, . ( .1; 4 'if , u 40 TEE STORY OF JESUS. But Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it. When they did not see Him, they thought He was among the company (for a great many friends and relations were travelling with them), and so they were not at all unhappy. But when evening was coming on, and they stopped to rest for the night, then they looked for Him amongst their friends ; and when they could not find Him they were greatly distressed. What should they do ? They could not rest till they had found Him ; and so, after they had sought for Him anxiously, and had asked every- body they met if they had seen their dear Son, they went back very sadly to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Three days passed before they found Him — three dreadful days of anxiety and unhappiness. And where do you think He was found at last ? In the Tfemple. There was the boy Jesus, sitting in the midst of many learned men, listen- ing eagerly to them, and asking them questions. For there was a large room in the Temple, where these learned men, called chief priests and rabbis, used to sit to teach young men and boys. They taught them the law of Moses, and examined them in the Scriptures. And Jesus had gone there to be taught. THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. 41 The learned men did not know ^vho He was but they thought they had never seen such a wonderful scholar before. They were astonished to find how much He knew, how qmckly He understood, and how wonderfully He answered their questions. Whatever Jesus did He did with all His might ; and whatever He liad to learn, He set His whole heart to it. This was another thing that made Him so different from all other children. You may imagine how thankful and happy His parents were to see Him once more, and to find He was safe! But they had suffered so much m their anxiety about Him during those last three days, that His mother could not help complaming just a little, as she said,- My child why have you treated us like this ? Your father and I have been lookin- for you with aching hearts.' Jesus said, * Why were you looking for me ? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?' ^ When Mary spoke of His father, she meant Joseph, but Jesus spoke of His true Father, God I think His parents must have almost forgotten that this boy, who was always so obedient, and loving, and gentle, was God's own oon; fur they did not at all understand when < i ii-i ;,'fl !>?:•: ill . I m, ^'t- f '\ ! I' ;■ tf'i '■■ I I 1 ' .1 i , 1 1 i 1 i 1 43 THE STORY OF JESUS. He told them that He must be doing Hia Father's work. Do you think the Lord Jesus went home again with His parents after this ? Yes, Ho did. He returned with them to Nazareth, and was obedient to them just as before. And this was doing His Father's work, and obeying His Father's will I And God was more and more pleased with Him ; for as He increased in age and in wisdom. He also increased in favour with God and man. And so Jesus was a pattern for us in loving obedience to parents, as well as in everything else. CHAPTER VIII. THE BAPTISM OP JESUS, TjloR a great many more years (eighteen), till "^ He grew up to be a man, Jesus remained in Nazareth. He was thirty years old now; but He was living quietly on in the old home. He had not yet begun to preach, or to do any miracle; He was doing His Father's will in the humble home in which He had been brought up. TEE BAPTISM OF JESUS. 43 People had become very wicked in those days. Every kind of iniquity, and wrong, and cruelty, was done in the lane' ; and those people who still loved God, and grieved for aU the sin that was going on around them, were looking and longing for a Saviour to come, who should take away all the evil, and make everything good. ° The Saviour had indeed come; but they did not know it. And if they had been told that the carpenter of Nazareth was the Messiah promised in the Scriptures, the Son of God, they would not have believed it. Now, God wanted to prepare the people's hearts to believe in His dear Son, and to receive Him as their Saviour. So He sent a messenger to them. This messenger was John the Baptist. He was a great prophet, and a great preacher ; and God's Holy Spirit was in him from the day he was born. He was not dressed like other people ; he wore a rnantle of camel's hair, and had a leather girdle or belt round his waist. He did not care what food he ate; he thought so much of the message God had given him, that he did not care for his body ; so he ate the common food that only the beggars of that country eat— this was locusts (a kind il ij ' ' i i 1 1 ■'I ' . 1 1 i . i-h :: 1 1 1 t ■ 1 ■:! 1 1 ' 1 IM ■1 1 44 THE STORY OF JESUS. Lociusr. of large grasshopper) and wild honey ; and he drank the water of the river. Crowds of peo- ple went to hear this wonderful preacher, who was so unlike other men. And John spoke to them about their many sins, and told them all to repent. What does repentance mean? It means a change of conduct, and a change of heart. When men begin to feel that all they do is wrong, and that every thought of their hearts is sinful, then they are thankful to hear of a Saviour, who can save them from sin, and can make them better. As John the Baptist spoke to the people of their naughty ways, and of God's anger, many of them began to see how wrong they had been ; and they confessed their sins, and were really sorry for all their wickedness. Then John baptized them. He took them down to the river and poured water over them, as a sign that they were willing to give up their sins, and that God was willing to pardon them, and to wash away their sins. After that, John spoke to them about the THE BAPTISM OF JESUS. 45 Messiah. Ho told them that the Lord who was coming was very great and very holy— so holy that even John himself was not worthy to stoop down and untie His shoe— and that He would baptize people with the Holy Spirit, which would make their hearts clean, in the same way that pure water makes the bodv clean. But though John spoke to the people about the Saviour, and told them that He was near, he did not himself know that Jesus was the Saviour. So God said to him, -- 'When you see the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven, and resting upon any one° you will know that that one is the Son of God.' Well, while John was teaching, preaching, and baptizing at the river Jordan, Jesus Himself came to be baptized. Had Ee any sins to confess ? Did He need repentance ? Oh, no I But He came to take the sinners' place ; and all that it was right for them to do. He would do ; that in everything He might be perfectly obedient to His Father's will. As I told you just now, John did not know that Jesus was Christ, but he knew that He was very holy, and pure, and good; and he was I I ( , 11 M'; .'i^'^l ( , ji I -I r , ! r^ •!: ; i 1 . i j i- ■| i i ; UiL ( 1 1 ij 40 TnE STORY OF JESVS. distressed that Jesus, wlio he felt was so much better than himself, should come like a sinner to be baptized. So he said, — *I have need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me ? ' Jesus answered; * Suffer it to be so now; for it is right for us to do all that is commanded.' When He said this, He went down to the river, and John poured water over Him. As soon as this was done, Jesus went up out of the water again, praying ; and at that moment a wonderful thing happened. The heavens were opened, and the Spirit of God came down like a dove from heaven, and rested upon Jesus. And a voice — God's voice — was heard, which said, — * Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased.' John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit, and he heard the voice ; and so then he knew that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. ■".\ THE TEMPTATION. 4T CHAPTER IX. THE TEMPTATION. J)mECTLY after our Lord had been baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilder- ness. There were no houses there, nor pretty fields, nor gardens ; and there were no people there. But wild beasts were there,— lions and bears and wolves, and at night they used to walk about, and howl, and roar ; but they did not touch Jesus. God kept them from hurting Him. ° ^ Por forty days and forty nights, Jesus was in that dreadful wilderness ; and all that long time He had nothing to eat. He was not quite alone there. Someone else was in the wilderness,— watching Him, fearing Him, and hating Him. Who was it ? It was Satan. Satan knew quite well that Jesus was the Son of God ; and he hated Him because He was good, and pure, and holy. But most of all he hated Him because he knew that Jesus had come into the world to be the Saviour I I ■1 ' H,:IA \ ■ i \ \ ; 1 iM 48 THE STORY OF JESUS. of sinners ; and that He would save men from hell. You know, Satan wants, to make, everybody naughty, that they may go to hell. He likes to see people — and children too — doing wicked things ; and ho is pleased when they are in trouble and unhappy. He cannot bear that anyone should go to heaven. So Satan thought that ho would try and tempt Jesus to do wrong. For if Jesus had sinned only once, Ho could not have been our Saviour. When the forty days were over, Jesus waij very hungry indeed. Satan knew that He was hungry ; so now he came and spoke to Jesus. He said, — * If you are God's Son, make these stones into bread.' He wanted to tempt Jesus to doubt His Father's love, and not to wait His Father's time to feed Him. Could Jesus turn the stones into bread? Yes. But He trusted His Father; and though He was so hungry, He waited patiently ; for He knew God would feed Him in His own good time. The Lord Jesus only replied to Satan out of the Scrintnres •■ anrl ih\a \a wyViof tx^ cn,-^ ^ TBB TEMPT AT 10 J. ^ •It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God.' This means, that bread cannot keep us alive if God wills us to die ; and that God can keep us ahve tvzthout bread, if He wills us to live How different Jesus was to Adam and Evel TAej, were in a beautiful garden, where they had everything they wanted; and Satan made them sm by tempting them to eat the one thmg God had forbidden. They were dis- obedient. Jesus was in a lonely wilderness, wanting food, and Satan tempted Him to eat to satisfy His hunger; but He would not distrust or disobey His Father. He was always obedient. Then the devil tried anot) way to make Him sm, He took Jesus into the holy city JerusaJem, and set Him upon a very high part of the Temple,-so high that it would make you dreadfuUy giddy to look down,-and he said to Him, — 'If you are the Son of God, throw your- self down from here. Do not be afraid. You trust your Father, and God will take care of you, and send His angels to keep you from being hurt.' AhJ^ pod's promise is to take care of those WHO waiii la His ways and obey Him. But if ■'•!;. I I ■ h; ii- 1 -I !. ; ^0 THE STORT OF JESUS. i! Jesus had done as Satan told Him, He would have been doing the deviVs will, and not God's will. So the Lord answered that wicked tempter again out of the Scriptures : * It is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' Once more the devil tried to make Him sin. He took Jesus to the top of a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and all the beautiful things that are in them, — all the thousands and thousands of people, all the gold, and all the treasm-es. Then he said to Jesus, — *I will give you all these things, and they shall be yours, if only you will fall down before me, and worship me.' Satan meant to say that if Jesus would only worship him, he would never tempt people to be naughty any more ; and so, all the sin and misery that so grieved the holy heart of Jesus, would come to an end at once. But would Satan have kept his promise? No ; for he is a liar, and cannot speak the truth. And does the world belong to Satan, that he may give it away ? No j God made the world and all that is in it ; so it belongs to God alone. Jesus was very angry with the devil for daring to say such things. TBB TEMPT ATlOir. g, 'Go away Satan!' He said to him- 'for ^18 wntten Thou shalt worship the Loid thy God a^d Him only shalt thou serve.' ^ Ihe temptation was over. Satan could inf ^^^e^^Blessed Saviour sin; so he wS;:; 4tdHl"°*""'^'"«^'«*°J--.-d anf;erthTt:ii':roh Sr t^ r ^°^^ «*ao uovxi, eacn time, only out nf f>io Scriptures ? Should it not make us We God'! toldl^l w'^Tl" ?r''^^^' 'Wh''* has' God tow us m His Holy Word ? ' k-n!\ +i,o„ •* ohey the directionsLd .4 givt „? w^ sh^' ™t?^d M^T ^"^ "^^ '«"'?*«''. that todr '^1'^^''^' "^^^Pyo" from yielding iMJ!! It 1 ' ill is I'' f ipi I s I « 'I ■ I \ \l 62 TEE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTEE X. THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. Tt was the Holy Spirit that had taken Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil; and it was the Holy Spirit, also, that, after the temptation, took Him into Galilee ; and there, for the first time, He began to preach. From this time to the day of His death, He never ceased going about doing good ; and as He went from place to place. He talked to the people about God. It was about this time, also, that Jesus chose some friends to be always with Him ; and these friends were called His disciples. Jesus loved them very much, and they loved Him, and liked nothing so well as to be always with Him, listening to His blessed words. They used to oall Him * Master ' and * Lord.' Jesus wanted to make His disciples teachers and preachers, like Himself. And this is why He chose to have them always with Him, that He might tell them about His Father. When He was alone with them, He used to TUE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. 63 W explain everything to them about God and heaven. Little ^7 little, as they were able to take it in, He taught them more and more about hea- venly things. «!■:;! !'■ ii JESUS CAtLTNO PDTBB AND JOHH. Hi 64 THE STORY OF JESUS. And now I will tell you how some of these disciples first began to know and to follow Jesus. One day, as John the Baptist saw the Lord walking along, he said to two men who were with him, — * Look I there is the Lamb of God.' When the men heard John say that, at once they followed Jesus, walking quietly behind Him. Jesus knew that they were following, and He turned round and asked, — * Are you looking for anyone ? ' They answered, ' Master, where do you live ? ' Jesus replied so kindly, * Come and see.' So Jesus took them to the house where He was staying, and the two men remained with Him that day. After that, they were almost always with Him ; for they knew that He was the Son of God. One of these men, whose name was Andrew, had a brother called Peter, and he wanted Mm to follow Christ. So he went to find him, and to tell him the wonderful news. * We have found the Messiah,' he said. And then he took Peter to Jesus. Did Peter believe in Him too? Yes! from that moment he became a loving disciple of the Lord. All these disciples, — Peter, and John, and THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. 65 Andrew, and that other disciple,— were fishermen. They were poor men, and had to work hard for their daily bread. They were obliged to go out in their ships, sometimes all day, and often all night, to catch fish. They were very fond of their ships ; but at a word from Jesus, they left them to follow Him. Did they think that Jesus could make them rich ? Oh, no I it was not for this they wanted to be with Him. They knew that Jesus was very poor, even poorer than themselves. He had no home of His own; but the disciples had homes where they might always live. Yet they preferred to follow their Master ; though by doing so they were often very tired, for Jesus walked much that He might preach to as many people as possible. And they were often very hungry. For sometimes it happened that such crowds followed Jesus, that they had not time to eat : and sometimes they were far from any town or village, and had a long way to go to buy bread. But sometimes people invited them into their own houses, and gave them food. ^ The day after Peter had joined the other dis- ciples, Jesus was walking further on, to go to another place, when He met a man whose name was Philip. , I m fill m ii Iir ! 'i( riH! L I I" . 1 ■ ■ i 1 h\ I 1 ) 1 56 Ml if Hi ill;; THE STORT OF JESUS. * Come with me,' the Lord said. Without a question and without a doubt, Philip followed Him ; for he, too, knew that Jesus was the Son of God. Now, if you had found out something that had made you very happy, would you not like to share the good news with those you love ? "^his is exactly what Philip dil. He had a NATHANAEL UNDER THE Fia-TEEB. friend called Nathanael, and he wanted to bring him to Jesus. So he went to him, and said, — 'We have found Jesus of Nazareth, who the Scriptures tell us is the Son of God.' But Nathanael said, * Nazareth is a very bad, wicked place; can anything good come from there ? ' THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS 57 'Come and see,' was Philip's answer So they went both together. And as Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He said,— hon^r*^ ^^ °^^ ^^° ^^ ^®^ 'truthful and Nathanael was surprised to hear Jesus say this, and he asked in wonder,— * How is it that you know me ? ' Jesus answered, * Before Philip called you when you were under the fig-tree, I saw you/ Nathanael did not doubt any longer. He exclaimed, * Master, you are the Son of God 1 you are the King of Isiael ! ' Jesus said to him, '■ i ' ' i .: 1 ^ .1 1. ' ■ H li M L. es THE STORY OF JESUS. And Wi^at do you think the disciples thought about it ? They, too, were very much astonished at the wonderful thing their Lord had done ; and it made them believe all the more firmly that He was the Son of God. And this is why Jesus did miracles ; to show His power and glory, and to show people that He was the Christ. Yet in spite of the wonderful things He did, many people would not believe in Him. CHAPTER XII. JESUS AT THE PASSOVER. T^EBY soon after the first mu-acle, Jesus went to Jerusalem to keep the Passover. You remember I told you before what a very great number of people used to flock to the holy city to keep this yearly feast. They came from all parts ; from places a long way off, and even from other countries. The city was crowded. Every street, every house was full ; and hundreds of people had to make for themselves little tents of mats and branches of trees, to shelter them during the night because there was no room for them in any house. JSSPS AT THE PASSOVER. a Then besides all the many people, there were hundreds and hundreds of cattle, sheep and oxen, driven into the city for sacrifice" and doves and pigeons too, were brought in great numbers; for these birds were wJ^t A.^pZ tr^ ; f^K'"" ^''™fi««.-tto.e who codl not afford to offer a sheep or a 1 ■a , You may imagine how bright, anj lasy and rj fr/" ''' ^'"^'^ of jiusalemTt tla? tme; for it was a time of rejoicmg, aad of thanbug God for past mercies. So Jesus went up, accompanied by His dis- ciples, to keep the feast, like everyone else He went into the Temple to join in the solemn services there. Now I m^st teU you that the Temple was a most beautiful buildL far grander than anything you or I have evS seen. There is no church and no building in all the world so beautiful as the temple was then. His eye"' " ^"^ '""""^' "''*' " ^'S^' '"«' fai?'of ®'»7^ entrance-court of God's house was full of cattle and crowded with men who were buymg and selling them I There were olher men with cages fuU of pigeons and doves, offt mg them for sale 1 There were yet othe men —dishonest, greedy men— oitMn" h-'r- - -i on which were piM up-he^ oF mo^^nte il * ii • ( ■!. 1/ I :n ttfi 'i 64 THE STORY OF JESUS. people were called money-changers. And all the noise of the men's voices, of the sheep bleating, and of the oxen lowing, could be distinctly heard in the inner part of the Temple, where the services were going on. Was this a right use to make of any part of the house of God ? No, certainly not ; it was a great sin so to use it. Four hundred years before, it had been pro- phesied — or foretold — in the Scriptures, that one day the Lord would suddenly come into His Temple, to cleanse and to purify it. That time had now come. Jesus was very angry at all He saw. He could not bear that His Father's house should be so dishonoured ; and in His holy anger He made a scourge, or whip, of small cords, to chase out all those who were so profaning it. First He drove out all the sheep and the oxen, and those who were selling them. Next He went to where the money-changeis were sitting, and He threw down all their tables, and upset the money that was piled up on each, leaving the men to grope about on the floor for all the coin which had been scattered, and was rolling about. Then He said to those who sold the doves, — JESUS AT THE PASSOVER. 65 * Take these things away ; do not make my Father's house a place for buying and selhng.' No one dared resist Him. Though they hated Him for what He had done, yet they felt in their hearts that He was right, and they were afraid of Him. When the proud priests and Pharisees heard what Jesus had done, they did not dare com- plain; for they, too, knew quite well that they had done wickedly to allow such deeds to take place in the holy Temple. But they came to Jesus, and asked Him to give them some sign that He had a right to act as He had done. Jesus gave them no sign : only a prophecy. He foretold that they would one day kill Him, and that He would rise again the third day. But they did not understand what He said. Jesus must often have seen the same dis- graceful sights in the Temple when He had gone up at other times to keep the Passover: why did He not cleanse it before ? He Waited the proper time— His Father's time I He did not begin to teach before ; but now that He had shown Himself to be the Christ, the Son of God, He must show to everybody in Jerusalem that His Father must be honoured, and that the Scriptures must be fulfilled. sW| 1 1 i' i- ■ i| ;i' If 1 ! • 1 ,1 ■ t ■ 11- ■ i 1 1 J. ilillllil! I 72 THE STORY OF JESUS. to rest, while His disciples went on into the town to buy food. Presently, while He was sitting there alone, a woman of Samaria came that way, carrying a large pitcher on her head to fetch some water. Jesus was very thirsty ; and when the woman had drawn up her pitcher out of the well full of cool, delicious water, Jesus said to her,— * Let me drink some.' But the woman would not give Him any. She said, — * You are a Jew ; why do you ask me to give you water? for the Jews and the Samaritans have nothing to do with each other.' Jesus was not angry with the woman for her unkindness in refusing to give Him a drink of water. But He said to her so gently,— *If you knew who I am, you would have asked me to give you living water ; and I would have given it to you.' The woman wondered what Jesus could mean ; so she answered, — *Sir, the well is very deep, and you have nothing to draw water with; so where could you get that living water from ? ' Jesus said, * If anyone drinks of this water he shall thirst again : but if anyone shall drink THE WOMAN OF SAMARTA. 73 of the water that I shall give him, he shall never thirst.' What did Jesus mean ? He spoke of the Holy Spirit which He will give to all who ask Him. Those who have the love of God in their hearts are always happy, and joyful, and hopeful; for they know that God IS their Friend, and that when this life is over, everlasting life will begin with Him in heaven. But the woman did not understand this ; and yet she seemed to feel as if the stranger had some blessing to give. So she asked for it. Sir, she said, ' give me this Uving water, that 1 may never be thirsty again, or be obliged to come here to draw water.' So, without knowing it, she was really asking Jesus for the Holy Spirit. And Jesus gave It to her, as He said He would. B^^t first He began to teach her; for she was verv ignorant and very sinful. She did not know rightly about God,^ nor how to - ay to Him So first of all, He began to teach her about T:(' . S® '^^"^^^ ^^"^ *^a* she was a sinner, and that He knew all about it. Then He told her about God His Father He told her that God is a Spirit. Though we camiot see Him, yet He . .n see us, for He is * Ye worship ye know not yrh&t'—John iv. 22. :• 1 < It i,^^^' i dilJI III!; 74 THE UTOllY OF JM^UH, everywhere, and is always near us. He is so forgiving and so kind that He wants all poor sinners to come to Him, that thr ^ ^aj i»e forgiven, and learn to do better. But then they must really want Him to forgive them, and not only say the vords; for God can see into all hearts, and Ho only answers the prayers of those who iman what they say. The woman listened very attentively to Jesus as He was telling her all this, but she did not quite understand even yet. However, i he began to wish to do better, and she said to Jesus,— * I know that the Messiah is coming one day; when He comes He will teach us.' How great was her surprise when Jesus told her, — * I am He ; I, who am speaking to you now.' What I He I the poor, ured, thirsty traveller, who was sitting on the well to rest I He the Messiah I Could it be ? Yes ; she felt in her heart that it was true. You remember that the disciples cl' Jesus had gone away into the town to bu, o(^ They had now just returned ^o their uc again and they wondered to find Him talking to the woman. But they did not dare ask Him, < AITl J_ £s-»>csq1' f'^ V.«». 9 ' THE WOMAN OF i> A MA II J A. 16 And what does the womcan do now ? As fast as she could, she hurried away to the town, that she might tell all the people there the joyful news that the Saviour of the world had come. She was so eager to tell the wonderful story, that in her haste she quite forgot to take back her pitcher. ' Come,' she said to the men of the town ; ' come, see a man who has told me all the things I have evev done. This must be the Messiah.' While th. woman was telling her neighbours to come to . sus, the disciples tried to make their Master ta>. * some food. 'Master, eai,' they said to Him. But Jesus was no ungry now. He had been both huii.-ry, and thirsty, and tired before ; but He cared so much for the poor sinner to whom He had been speaking, and Ho wanted so much to make her forsake her sins and love His Father, that He forgot all about His food, and He did not want any now. So when the disciples begged Him to eat, He said to them, — 'I have meat to eat that you do not know about.' ' Has anyone brought Him any food to eat ? ' the disciple asked each other, wondering. ! i i\ mm 1^ '■ •: I 70 f ^ 84 THE STORY OF JESUS. 'M 't they were jealous, because He had done wonder- ful things in other places, and not there ; and He told them that He knew it all, and that it was only what He had expected. But He warned them against hardness of heart and unbehef ; and He told them that God could take away blessings from them, and give them to others, who would show themselves to be more worthy. The people were proud and jealous, and they could not bear to hear Jesus speak like this. 'What business has He to teach at all?' they said. They were mad with anger and hate. Though it was the Sabbath-day, and though they were in God's house of prayer, all the people who were in the synagogue rose from their seats, and in their fury they seized hold of the holy, gentle Saviour, dragged Him out of the synagogue and out of the city, and took Him to the edge of a very steep hill, intending to kill Him, by throwing Him down headlong. Yes 1 they would have murdered Him ! But His time— His Father's time— was not yet come. He intended to die for sinners— even for those cruel, rude, and ungrateful Nazarenes— but not now. JESUS BRIYEN A WAT FROM NAZARETH. 85 And SO it happened, that just when they least expected it, Jesus worked a miracle. In a moment He was gone. Where ? They could not see Him ; for He hid Him- self from their eyes, and passed right through the very midst of them. Gone! because they thrust Him out, and would not have Him amongst them. Gone for ever! for we never hear of His returning to Nazareth any more. How sad ! Oh, how wicked and foolish the Nazarenes had been! They had known Jesus for thirty years, and had never known Him to commit one fault. They had never known Him do an unkind thmg, or speak an unkind word. They knew Him to be sinless and holy, and yet they wished to kill Him. We may be sure the Saviour's heart was sad and full of grief as He turned away from that httle town. He longed to give the people that ' hvmg water ' of which He had spoken to the woman of Samaria— the Holy Spirit— but they would not. The Samaritans believed in Him, and received Him : the Nazarenes rejected Him, and thrust Him away from them. :' i; 111 l. •i/lp i ! ; ! ii '' \ :\ ^ ^^. ^X. ^c,\ ^ ■^.u- K^^<^ <^ ^, ^^^ i/j w ^ ^ III : lii . ... II i |U j i 1 1 1 ( lli 1 i : 1 1 1 90 TI/E STORY OF J£SUS. that as they came closer and closer, they were preventing His being able to move about. So He got into one of the boats, which be- longed to Peter, and begged Peter to push out the boat a little into the water. Then Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat. I dare say He was very tired when He had finished speaking to them. But He did not think of Himself at all. As soon as His sermon had come to an end, He thought only of His poor disciples. He knew that they had been out fishing all night, and had caught nothing at all. So He said to Peter, — *Push your ship into deep water, and then let down yoiu* nets once more.' Peter almost doubted whether it would be of any use. * Master,' he said, * we have toiled all night and have taken nothing ; but as you tell me to doit, I will let down the net.* And now, in a moment, as soon as ever they had done it, such a multitude of fishes came into the net that it was actually breaking. Then they beckoned to James and John that they should bring their boat quickly and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships so full that they were almost sinking. Never in all their JSSi-S CALLS ITIS DISCIPLES AOAllf. oi lives had the fishermen taken such an enormous " "^er of fishes before, at one time. When Peter saw the miraole thai had just been done he felt ho^ g^eat Jesus was, and how unworthy he himself was to have such 'a Master sa'd- °" ^^** ^* '^®'"'' ^««*' "^d Lo'r^° away from mo, for I aw a sinful man, He was so astonished, and so were the other hadTaken """''^'' °^ '''^ ^**^ '''"''^ *^®y hiifr ^"""^ "^^ tenderly Jesus answered catch mTn/" "''"'' *""" "^" ^'"^^ ^O" '^^^ Not Peter only, but James, and John, mid Andrew also, began to understand that if they were mdeed to become fishers of men, they must give up everything for Christ. And so they did. They did not hesitate. They brought their ships to land, and then thoy left all, and followed then- Blessed Master. t ' < '. 92 TUE STORT OF JESUS. CHAPTER XVIII. A SABLATE AT CArEENAUM. /^apehnaum was the name of one of the ^ many towns on the borders of the beautiful Lake of Gennesareth ; and here it was that Jesus lived for a long time. He had no home, — no house of His own, — but it is supposed that Ho lived in Peter's house. As I told you before, Jesus did not now work as a carpenter ; He was always going about doing good. Though he lived at Capernaum, He often made long journeys from there, going to other towns all round the Lake, and going up into the hill country, all over Galilee. Teaching, preaching, and healing were His constant work, day after day. Now I am going to tell you of the way Jesus spent His first Sabbath at Capernaum ; and you will see how very good He was, and how much more He cared for others than for Himself. First of all, He went into the synagogue and taught. This He always did, wherever He was ; and people always w^ondcrcd as they listened to A SABBATH AT CAPERXAUM. 03 Him ; for He did not teach them hke anyone else. While He was speaking in the synagogue, and the people were very attentively listening, on a sudden a great cry was heard. A poor man was there who had an evil spirit in him; and he hated and feared Jesus, and he hated His words. How dreadful this was ! No one could cure him, for it is only God who has power over the devil and all wicked spirits. The man cried out with a loud voice, — * Let us alone ; what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth ? Are you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.' Jesus was grieved. The sight of sin, or suffer- ing, always made Him sad. Ho turned to the poor man, and He rebuked, or spoke sternly— not to himy but to the devil that was in him. ' Be silent, and come out of him,' the Lord said. And the devil must obey ! The poor man fell on the gi-ound, screaming out ; but in a moment he was well. At the Saviour's word the evil spirit had gone out of him, and the man was at peace and in his right mind. Just think of the amazement of the people, as they saw what Jesus had done 1 They said to each other, — ^Ift, I, I I < 1 i' tV " ■ ! ii I i 1 'iV'. "' 01 THE STORY OF JESUS. * What thing is this ? for He has power even over the evil spirits, and they obey Hipx ! * When they had come out of the synagogue, Jesus went into the house of Peter and Andrew ; and James and John went with Him. And the mother of Peter's wife was very ill indeed, with a great fever ; and they told Jesus about it, and begged Him to make her well. At once He went to the sick woman's bedside. He rebuked the fever (as He had rebuked the evil spirit); then He gently took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she was quite well. After a fever, a person is always very weak ; but Peter's mother-in-law was not. Jesus had cured her completely, so that she was quite strong and able to get up and busy herself in getting ready the Sabbath meal for her kind and holy Guest and His disciples. See how much Jesus had already done I but the day's work was not nearly over yet. All the people in Capernaum had heard of "the miracle He had performed in the synagogue that morning, by healing the poor demoniac ; and so everyone who was ill, or diseased, or possessed by an evil spirit, wished to go to the great Prophet and Healer to be made well. But the Jews were very strict about keeping A SA BBA m AT CA PEllNA UM. on the Sabbath holy, and they even thought it wrong for sick people to go and be cured on that day. So they were obliged to wait till evening ; for the Jewish Sabbath is over as soon as tho sun sets. How they must have longed for tho evening I At last the sun went down. And after that, 1 as quickly as possible, the streets were filled with sick people— all going one way— all going to the humble house of Peter the fisherman where Jesus was. ' The Bible says that * all the city was gathered together at the dour.' There were the lame and the blind; those who had bad fevers and different diseases, and many who were possessed by devils. There were many who were too ill to walk- almost dying— cairied by their friends on beds to go to Jesus. ' And He healed them all. The diseases of every one were driven away, either by the touch of His pure and gentle hands, or by the sound of His holy voice. This work of healing did not only cause fatigue and weariness to our Blessed Saviour, it also caused Him great pain. He saw before Him so much sorrow and suffering ; and all that sorrow and suffering He shai-ed. His heart ached with the sight of so much misery. ;i ; 90 THE STOUT OF JESCS. f f Ji 1 :' n 1 ■Bi III ; ' 1 ■ III l^t' His love and compassion were so great, that it was as if He Himself had to bear it all. And indeed He did bear it all. For God's Word tells us that He took our griefs and sicknesses upon Himself; and He did much ?«orethan this,— He bore our sins— our vile and hateful sins— in His own Body on the cross. Can anything show us more plainly how wonderfully loving and tender our Lord is ? But now the people had all gone home, and the tired Saviour went to rest. One would have thought He needed long rest and sleep after such a day of toil. But no ! In the morning, a great while before it became light. He got up again and went out of the house • He passed through the silent streets till He leit the town far behind Him, and then He went into some lonely place,— perhaps up in the hills, — and there prayed. This was His great refreshment and His greatest rest,— to talk to His Father in heaven, to pray to Him and to praise Him. 1 n THE sEnaiox oa tub mount. 07 CHAPTEE XIX. THE SEBMON OS THE MOUNT. Y"" n"«y be sure the news of all that h.,1 happened in Capernaum on thai «,n » day, spread qnicHy alLveiHi^eToSl F ;^. Uhe towns ana .iSrjdt'reer mountain to preaTh tolhe'n^'ClL? "*" '^ place there where m»n„ tu^-' , ^^^ ^^ "^ Him at the same time ' *°"^''°''^ "-« hear H^'anfastl t '^"'^"^^^ *-?'- -- round ffim »« f^'* ™'"'"'' crowd gathered deal tw " ' ^'™°° *ere is a great ueai tliat yon ata nof, nU ot> , ^ ^ . e^-ai' J not Old enuiign to understand ■I ( I 1/^ )• i !. « i ■r 1 08 THE STORY OF JESUS. yet; but there is also a great deal tliat the youngest child can understand. He began by calling those * blessed ' who are humble, and do not think much of themselves ; those, also, who are sorry for sin ; the meek too ; and those who long to be holy ; the merciful and kind-hearted ; the pure in heart ; and the peace- makers. Jesus also said 'chat those are blessed who are hated and unkindly treated because they are good, and love* 'and fear God. Then He said tUat His people must be loving And kind to all ; not* only to those who are gentle and loving to us," but even to those who are unkind and spiteful. Is not this a very difficult thing to do ? and could we ever do.it without God's help ? Oh, no. It is only by His Holy Spirit within us, that we can dver hope to be kind and loving to those who hate us. Think of this, dear children, whenever you are tempted to get into a passion, to strike a blow, or even to say an angry word. If you wish to be a child of your heavenly Father and a little disciple of the Lord Jesus, you will try to keep down all angry tempers, praying for God's Holy Spirit to enable you to do it. Jesus will see it, and it will please Him. THE SERMON ON THE MODNT. 99 The Savioui- went on talking a great deal more to the people, and they never wearied listening to Him. He taught them that God is a loving Father. The Jews had only thought of Him as a stern and holy God, and a righteous Judge • but Jesus told them more about Him than they had ever known before. ^ He told them that God is love. Much, much more loving than even the kindest earthly parent. That God was always thinking about them, and taking care of them. He said — ' Bo not bo afraid that you will not have enough to eat, or that you will not have clothes to wear Just look at the little birds that are flying all round you ! they cannot do anything to earn their living; yet your heavenly Father gives them food. I And look at the beautiful flowers ! i^-.- can- not work ; and yet, even king Solomon in all his glory had no such beautiful clothing as these lovely flowers have. fV^o^fl '^ G^od takes such care of the birds and the flowers, He will much more take care of yow. Only, seek first to know and do His will for 7u '''" ^'^^ ^°'' everything that is necessary Then Jesus taught them a little prayer j and ! 1 1 -f J i V f ii 1 • i , I 1 1CH> TUE STORY OF JESUS. the words lie used arc wliut wc cull ' the Lord's Prayer.' He knew that the proud Pharisees often used long prayers, just that people might think them very good ; and they often prayed in the streets ; for there were certain hours in the day when they said particular prayers ; and if they hap- pened to be in the. streets then, they would say their prayers out in the open streets, and they liked to be seen doing it. Jesus said, * Do iipt bo like these proud people, who pretend to lie- "good, and are not good. But when you pray/.go quietly into your room and shut the door, -and pray to your Father in secret ; for lie will;?ec you and hear you. 'And pray in this- way :— Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed, bo Thy name. Thy kingdom come. -Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. -.'.Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.' Do you know what it means, * Hallowed be thy name?' It means, 'Let God's name bo praised.' Trespasses, you know, mean sins. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. m After tho prayer, Jesus said these solemn words : — * If you forgive anyone who has offended you your heavenly Father will also forgive you • but If you will not forgive any one who has offended you, your Father will not forgive your Bins« Let us always remember this, and pray God to give us loving and forgiving hearts. Jesus finished His beautiful sermon by sayin^ Every one who has heard Me, and will do as*! have said, I will tell you what ho is like. He is hke a very wise man who built his house upon a rock: and the rain came pouring down, and a liood of water came rushing along, and a very strong wind blew ; but the house did not fall • for it was firm on the rock. 'But every one who has heard Me, and will not do as I have said, is hke a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand : and the rain poured down, and the floods came, and a stron- wind blew ; and the house fell : and it was a very terrible fall.' Jesus Christ is the Kock. All who trust in Him ajre safe for ever ; for He is the Saviour of all those who believe. Those who do not care for Him, and will not beheve m Him or trust Him, must perish. For irl I'.' 1.1 1 i ;' I '' I . I Ill ■ f 102 THE STORY OF JESUS. the Bible tells us that the wicked shall be cast into hell, and all the pepple who forget God. CHAPTER XX. THE LEPER HEALED. rriHERE is no disease in the world so dreadful -■- or so horrible as leprosy. There is no cure for it. It often begins first as a little white spot nothing very bad to look at— but the hearts of those who are attacked by it, ache when they see it ; for they know it will spread and spread, and that they will get worse and worse, till at last they will die from it. It is a very painful disease, too ; as it spreads over the body, it seems to eat into the flesh ; and gradually the fingers drop off", and the hand and arm, or perhaps the feet, begin to rot and drop off. Sometimes little babies, and very young children, had this fearful illness ; and oh, how sad to think that they could never grow up to be healthy or strong ; but that this horrible leprosy would spread all over them till at last it would kill them. THE LEPER HEALED. 103 There was another very sad thing about leprosy. As soon as it was known that any one had this dreadful disease, the person was never allowed to remain in his own house; he was obhged to go away and live with others who were lepers too. He was never allowed to be with those who were healthy and well ; and he was obliged to go about with his clothes torn (as a sicrn of mourning), with his head bare, and with nis face half covered. If any one was to come near him, when he was walking out of doors, he must call out,— 'Unclean! unclean I* And then people would shun him, and start on one side- so afraid of touching the poor miserable leper. He could never go to God's house ; never go up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover ; but he must be an outcast all his life, without any hope of ever being better— knowing, indeed, that he must get worse and worse. There was a poor leper who had heard of Jesus, and of the wonderful things He had done • how He had made the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear ; how He had cast out devils, and healed those who had been at the point of death. !. f J1, [! ;: » V.l (. Ci'i' ii 1, i\, J \\ -VX % > { 1 ' .i ' i' , ■■ 1! / -''vj i ' ^' if ill! !;'• ii;. i • "i I \ ! ' I ■ ■ > '■ S : i . \ 1 3 „4>. ■ 1. ■ ji| 1^ 104 THE STORY OF JESUS. i If . i When he heard of these things he thought to himself, * If He can do all this, He can make even me well ! ' And so he determined to go to Jesus, and ask to be healed. The Lord had just finished His Sermon on the Mount, and had come down into the valley again — still followed by a great crowd of people — when this poor leper pressed forward to go to Jesus. He felt it was his only chance. If Jesus would not heal him, nobody else could. But would He heal a wretched leper ? The crowd moved back and made way for him, as he still pressed on ; they were afraid of being touched by the loathsome leper. At last he came to where Jesus was, and he threw himself down at the Saviour's feet. * Lord, if you will, you can make me clean,' he cried in his great earnestness. He was sure Jesus could do it ; but he doubted if Ho would. How little he knew the Saviour's wonderful love, and tenderness, and compas- sion. Jesus could have cured him with a word. But He was so * moved with compassion,' He felt such pity for the poor leper who was shunned by everybody, and whom nobody would touch, that He put out His own pure and holy Hand, and touched him, and He said, — TUB LEPER HEALED. 105 * I will; be thou clean.' And at that touch, in a moment the foul leprosy was gone ; and his body, which, just a mmute before was full of the disease, was now m perfect health. Then Jesus charged him very particularly. ' Be sure you do not tell anyone what has been done ; but go away now, and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things that Moses has commanded.' Why did Jesus tell him not to talk of the way he had been healed ? Because there was already such a great multi- tude following Him, that if more were to come It would hinder Him in His work ; and perhaps, also, it might make the rulers interfere. So the man went away. But did he oheii Jesus ? '^ No. As he went, he began to tell everyone about the miracle Jesus had done. On his way to the priest, and wherever he went, he spoke about It ; and so blazed abroad the matter that Jesus could not remain in the city any lono-cr • but was obliged to go out into lonely delerfc places. However, people still came flocking after Him from every direction. ' Sin is hke leprosy ; and this is a disease we iii 'I'M'' jir 'i : I i •;, i !.- I - ■ " '(jli) 1 A ' ■ i ■ ii ; J I: * ;■ I 100 THE STORY OF JESUS. ii are all suffering from. Sin is in everyone, even in little tiny children. At first it only appears like a little spot ; but how soon it spreads ! Look at a young baby, — it is cross or passionate sometimes ; ah ! that is the spot of sin I As it grows older, other faults appear, — it is selfish, w'lful, disobedient — this is the disease spreading. Then it becomes untruthful, and hardened perhaps. Ah ! how sad I How can sin — ^this horrible sin — be cured ? We must do as the poor leper did ; we must go to Jesus. He can^ and He will heal us, if we will only ask Him ; and He will give us His Holy Spirit to make our hearts clean. But our hearts are so evil, and Satan is so busy — always tempting us to do, or say, or think things that are not good — that we are sinning every day. Let us then pray to Jesus every day, very earnestly, to make us clean, and to wash away all our sins in His most precious Blood. Then, when this life is over, He will take us to be with Him for ever, in that blessed land where there is no more sorrow, or any pain ; and where there is no more sin. crying, or THE CENTURION'S FA ITU. 107 CHAPTER XXI. THE centurion's FAITH. rjlHEBE Mved at Capernaum a man who was rich and great. He was an officer, with command over a hundred soldiers, a^d he was called a centurion. • ^^ n "^t" ''^'^' """ ^^ J°^«a the Jews; and smce he had lived amongst them he had learned to know the true God. While he wTat ^onr'""^ I" ''"'" ^ ^y"«8°8"« ^"I^ Ws own money; and he was so kind aaid good that the naton,_and this was a thing they very seldom This centurion had a servant whom he loved very much ; and the servant was ill,_so ill that he was ' ready to die.' sumtnat His master was greatly distressed ; but he had heard of Jesus, a^d from aJl he had heard, he was qmte sure that He was the Son of God Yes ; Jesus could help hun, he knew quite well" and 80 he would send a messenger to Him to beg Him to heal his servant ' ! I ( ; J ■■ ^i- '1i k I 'M :l 108 THE STORY OF JESUS. But why did he not go himself? Did he think himself too grand to go to a poor man — as Jesus was — even though He was a Prophet ? No ; that was not the reason. It was because he was so humble-minded, — because he thought so little of himself. He is the only man we read of in the Bible, who thought himself unworthy to go and speak to Jesus himself. He was a Gentile (all people who are not Jews were called Gentiles) ; and he thought that this was another reason why he was not a fit person to go to the holy Prophet of Nazareth. So the centurion went to the elders of the Jews, and begged them to go to Jesus, and to tell Him about the sick servant, and ask Him to make him well. The Jewish elders were quite willing to do this for the centurion ; for, as I have just told you, they all liked him so much. They went, therefore, to tne Saviour, and prayed Him very earnestly to come and heal the sick man. They told Jesus whose servant he was ; and then they said that the centurion was quite worthy to have this kindness done for him, because he loved the Jews, and had built them a synagogue. The elders seemed to think that if Jesus came, it would only be because of their pleading I They THE CENTURION^ S FAITH. lo!) did not know about His wonderful love and com- passion ; and that He was always ready to heal all who were sick, even if neither they, nor those wlK) asked Him, were worthy of the blessing. The Lord answered the messengers at once and so kindly, — *I will come and heal him,' He said. So He went with the elders. But as He was on His way, and was now not far from the bouse, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, ' Lord, do not trouble your- self to come; for I am not worthy to have you in my house, nor did I think myself worthy to come to you ; but speak the word only, and my^^ servant shall be healed.' When Jesus heard this, He marvelled,— that means. He was greatly sur- prised. He turned round and said to all the people who were following Him, * Truly I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.' Even His own disciples had not shown so much faith in their Lord as this humble-minded stranger-^this Gentile -had done. CENTUniON. \ • •' Itl . M. , i ! "5 1- -. ■ (' " . i An^L no THE STORY OF JESUS. m i io ii Jesus went on to say that many believing people should come jfrom other nations, and sit down in the kingdom of heaven ; and that many unbelieving Jews should not see heaven, but be cast out in outer darkness. These were not pleasant words for the elders to hear. They thought that the Jews were sure of heaven ; and that the Gentiles, whom they despised so much, would be the outcasts. They did not understand that it was faith, such as the centurion had— faith in the Lord Jesus— that would give them the right to enter in, whether Jew or Gentile. Then Jesus sent this answer to the centurion, by the messengers, — ' As you have believed, so be it done unto you.' The friends who had been sent, returned then to the centurion's house ; and they found that the servant who had been so dangerously ill, was now quite well. Christ's word had healed him. THE WIDOW OF NAIN. Ill CHAPTER XXIT. THE WIDOW OF NAIN. fJlwENTY-FivE miles from Capernaum, there wag ajittle town called Nain. Nain means i^air and it was given this name because it was so prettily situated,-perched high up against the side of a sloping mountain. But one day there was sorrow— great 'sorrow -in the pretty little town. A poor mother was cpng bitterly; for her dear son was dead, and she was all alone now. She was a widow-which means that her husband was dead-and now her only son had just died I How sad for her I The very day he died, he was to be buried. His body was to be laid in a quiet grave outside the city walls A great many people were with the poor unhappy mother. They knew about her great sorrow; and they wanted to show her how much they felt for her, and how gladly they would have comforted her if they could. And so the solemn procession left the widow's house. There were men carrying the dead body . ^n 1 , 1 1 I ( ■ !"■ I. ' -^'^Ihi'ii 0., ; i ■■-■■., ■ f' :,!Mi: i:^. ^ i ij fi i l!lf > {I I 112 THE STORY OF JFSUS. on a sort of wooden conch, called a bier, and all the monrners followed it. I dare say yon have often seen a funeral procession passing along the road, or street. You have seen, perhaps, some poor father, or motlier, or daughter, or sister, crying very much as they were following their darling child, or parent, or brother, or sister to the grave ; but everything was very quiet, and the tears shed were silent tears. It is quite different, however, in that country of which I am telhng you. There it is the custom to make loud cries of mourning and distress ; to weep violently and noisily, to make a sound of wailing and great lamentation, so that people a long way off could hear. This sad procession had passed through the streets of Nain, and had just got outside the gate of the city, when another procession a glad and joyous one — was seen coming up the steep and rocky path which led to the town. Who were they ? It was Jesus, followed by Kis disciples and a great crowd of people, who had accompanied Him all the way from Capernaum. On they came, climbing slowly up the narrow stony path, till they were quite close to the men who were carrying the dead man on the bier. THE WIDOW OF NAIN. n3 Jesus saw the poor mother crying very much • He know how sad her heart was, for He knew all her story; and He knew how much she had oved her boy. His own heart was sad to see her sorrow; He felt great pity for her (for the heart of Jesus is more tender and loving than any other human heart), and He wanted to dry ner tears. "^ 'Weop not,' He said to the poor vidow, with wondertul love and pity in His voice. And then He went to the coffin and touched It ; and the men who were can-ying it stood still. Jesus did not tell them to stop ; but there was something about Him that filled them with re- spect and awe ; and at His touch they waited in silent wonder, to see what He would do And what did He do ? He spoke to the dead man, and said, * Youn^r man, I say to you, get up.' ° But could the dead man hear ? Yes, when Jesus spoke; for the dead can hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear shall live. And so it was with the widow's son. At the words of Jesus life came back into the dead man s body ; he began to breathe again ; then he sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. i I! ill I i l| ! 1 t. '' i\ : ! i -' ( ' 1 ' '1' ' \ 1 j H' 3 i I I 114 THE STORY OF JESUS. Oh, liuppy mother ! What must she have felt when she uaw n<^r dear dead son rest '"ed to hfe again ? Surely sbe must have loved the Lord who had heen so loving and gracious to her. And what did the people feel when they saw this miracle, so much more wonderful than any- thing they had ever heard of before? The Bible tells us that a great fear came on them all. Some of them felt sure that God had indeed come to them, in the person of His Son ; and others thought that He was a great prophet. And they praised God. CHAPTER XXIII. THE PALSIED MAN HEALED. /^NCE more Jesus was home again — ^back in ^^ ' His own city,' Capernaum ; and the news of His arrival spread quickly all over the little town. The people were very glad to have Him amongst them once more. He had done so much for them— He had healed so many, and had done so many miracles — that when they knew He had returned, they gathered out of every house, in crowds, to go f^iri see, and hear Him. I suppose .It."' T^ust have been staying in TnE PALSIED mu HEALED. ,,5 Simon Peter's house, as He had done before • fZ\k V '"'' "° '°°" towoeive them Even the door-way was blocked up with eagT; pretoSin!'".l*'"'^^' .*'■" °"* °^*'^« Scriptures, preacflii f the word ' to them !Hf „; u *° ""^^ "P *« street carryinca cSet ^d ' °' ^«^' .^^^^ °f-ats, orapS fielpless not able to do anything for himself Je^m^ade'^r ^''' "''''^ "^^ *° ^«- lo woBUH was , but it was so crowdfirl wifVi 'Z^l ""-' " ^-p-^"« *° p-h'£ witrttitis^uXirts "e wanted to be made well, he waited a Zj iieved that Jesus was the Sou of Gna nn^ +1, 4. irS H t^ 1 r ^« ^ad doteX he^i ht SLt'lt^"!'!! f .-ay by/hich nii^ht reach Jesus. But before I tell you \ * )« 1 [1 1 .' , '!i ' ■ ll"- m iirt TffE STORT OP JESCS. what they did, I must explain to you something about the house. In that country where Jesus was, the houses are not made with sloping roofs, as they are with us. The houses are low, and the roofs are quite LETTINO DOWN THE PALSIED MiN. flat, so that people may walk about on them ; and the way up to the roof is by a staircase outside the house. Now I will tell you what the four men did. They carried their sick friend up this outside THE PALSIED MAN HEALED. 117 Staircase, on to the roof. Then they made a hole m the roof, by taking up some of the tiles ; and when they had made it large enough, they let down the little bed, with the sick man on it, just in the very place where Jesus was. The Lord was pleased with what they had done. He saw that they beheved in His power and love— that they had faith in Him— and this made Him glad ; for without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus knew that the poor sick man was caring more for the healing of his soul than of his body; and therefore He gave him first the blessing he was so greatly longing for. He spoke to him very tenderly, and called him ' son.' ' Son, be of good cheer— be happy,' He said • 'your sins are forgiven.' ' All the people wondered greatly to hear Him speak hke this. They quite expected to see Him make the sick man well, for they had often known Him to heal those who were ill ; but they had never heard Him speak in this way before. And some amongst them were very angry. 'Why does this man speak like this?' they thought to themselves ; ' it is only God who can forgive sins.' Jesus knew what they were thinking about ; He could read their hearts, and so He said to them,— ^^' !:■ < 11 u u ^•1 a !■;: : i if"'!:! 118 THE 8T0RT OF JESUS. * Why are you angry ? Which is the easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say. Get up and walk ? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins ' (then he turned to the sick man, and said), * I say to you, Arise, take up your bed, and go away to your house.' And that minute the poor sick man was made well ! He got up at once, rolled up the mat on which he had been lying, and put it under his arm ; and then, as the people made way for him to pass out, he went away before them all, quite well and strong, and praising God for His good- ness. If the people were surprised before, they were much more astonished now. They seemed at last to understand a litf le that Jesus really was God, and this made them afraid. But they praised God too ; and as they were talking about it amongst themselves, they said, — * We have seen strange things to-day ; we have never seen anything like this before.' MORE MIRACLES OF HEALING. 119 CHAPTER XXIV. MOEE MIRACLES OF HEALING, Jt was just about this time— when Jesus was doing all the wonderful things of which I have been telling you-that He chose another disciple to be always with Him, and to be His friend. His name was Matthew. Jesus saw Him one day as he was sitting at his usual business— collecting money for the king ; and He said to him, ' Follow Me.' ^ Now Matthew, besides getting money for the kmg, was also getting a great deal of money for himself; so do you think it was likely that he would leave his riches for the sake of following a prophet as poor as Jesus was ? I think he must have learned to know and love the Lord Jesus during all that time he had been at Capernaum; for when the Saviour called him, he got up at once, left all his riches and his money-making, and followed Him. _ Matthew was so thankful and happy at Jesus having chosen him to be a disciple, I \y- 4 I r J i" \ • 't\ V, h r I. '•■ w\m i..:..-; il li iii 120 THE STORY OF JESUS. that he made a great feast in his house, and invited his new Master to it, and all his own friends. And who were his friends? Were they some of the good and respectable people of the town ? No; the friends of Matthew were sinners; people who were not respectable ; who had not good characters, and who had led bad and naughty lives. Matthew himself had been like these people once ; but he was changed now, for God had put His Holy Spirit in his heart. Soon Matthew would have other friends — those who loved and served his Master— but as yet these were all the friends he had. Would Jesus, however, sit down to table with sinners like these ? Yes ; He would, and He did. It was a strange company at that feast ! the Holy Jesus and His faithful disciples, sitting down with wicked men and sinful women. When the proud Pharisees saw it, they were very much displeased. They would not eat and drink with such people ; they thought themselves much too holy and good. So they complained about it to His disciples. * Why does your Master eat with wicked people like these ? ' they asked. MORE MIRACLES OF HEALING. 121 Jesus heard what they said, and He gave them this answer, — * People only want a doctor when they are ill ; and sinners only want a Saviour when they are sorry for their sins. I am come to speak to sinners, and to make them sorry for their naughtiness.' The feast was scarcely ended, and Jesus was still teaching them as they sat round the table, when one of the rulers of the synagogue came in with great haste. ' His name was Jairus ; and he was in such grief ! There, before all the publicans and sinners, he threw himself down at the feet of Jesus, 'and said, — ' My little daughter is lying at the point of death— she is almost dead— but come and lay your hands upon her, and she shall live.' Jesus got up at once to go with the poor father ; and His disciples followed Him, and so did a great number of people. As He went along, still more people came crowding round Him ; for they knew that He was going to the ruler's house, to make his httle girl— his only daughter— well! Amongst the crowd there was a poor sick woman who had been ill a great number of years. She had gone to a great many different doctors, and they had all tried to cure her ; but she had got no better ; indeed, she had become more ill. i! iHliii 122 THE STORY OF JESUS. f ^ I !■ And now she had spent all her money, and did not know what to do. As she saw Jesus passing along that day, a sudden thought came into her mind. She said to herself, — * I will trv and touch Him : for I know that if I can only just touch the hem of His garment, I shall be well.* It was not an easy thing for her to touch the Lord Jesus, because of the great crowd that was round Him ; and, besides, she was so weak and ill. But she did so long to get to Him, that she tried hard to force her way through. At last she succeeded. She got behind Him, put out her hand, just touched the Master's robe — at that moment she was cured. Though her touch was so gentle, Jesus felt it. He looked round and said, — * Who touched My clothes ? ' Peter answered a little impatiently, * Master, you see how all the people Lre pressing against you, so why do you ask if any one has touched you ? * But Jesus knew that it was the hand oi faith that had touched Him. — that some one who believed in Him had got a blessing from Him — so He replied. * Somebody has touched Me.* Then the Lord looked round at the people's MORE MIRACLES OF HEALING. 123 faces, to find out who it was who had done this thing. And now the poor woman, knowing that she could not be hid, came frightened and trembling, and fell down at Jesus' feet, and told Him all the truth. She told Him how ill she had been, and how no one could make her better ; how she had struggled to get through the crowd just to touch Him, and how, directly she had done so, she was made perfectly well. When He had listened to her story, the gentle baviour spoke very tenderly to her 'Daughter' he said,* be of good cheer. It was yom: faith m Me that made you well. Go in peace.' How happy she was as she returned to her own house, feehng so well and strong. For twelve years she had been ill. Was not that a long time to be so suffering ? But oh ! how poor Jairus must ha^e been longing, aU this time, for Jesus to be with his sick child. And now they all move on again. 13utjust at this i-^ment a messenger came to the ruler to say, — 'Your daughter is dead; don't worry the Ma&ter to come now.' Jesus heard these words ; and at once He tried to^comfort the poor father by saying,— ' Do not be afraid ; only beHeve.'°' - , 1 i 1 i i ( 1 ! !< * 1 I i I, f ' 1 :i H I'' : i '1 I ' ; i ;.r- . ■•l.'i ■ n ■ : 1 ■:, ■ ■ ■ I llii THE RAISINC, OF JAIBCS' DAOGHTEU. UORE MIRACLES OF nEALlXG. ' 125 So they went to the house ; and Jesus would not let anyone follow Him in, except Peter, and James, and John. I told you, that when any one died in that country, there was always a great noise of crying and lamenting ; and so it was when Jesus entered the ruler's house. People were tearing their hair and beating their breasts, and weeping out loud to show their sorrow. Jesus said to them, ' Why do you make this noise, and weep ? the little girl is not dead, she is only sleeping.' He said she was asleep, because He was going to bring her to life again so quickly. But when the mourners heard Him say this, they mocked and laughed at Him. After this, Jesus would not let them stay in the house. He put them all out ; for they were not the real mourners— they were paid to make this show of grief. Then Jesus took the father and mother of the little girl, and His three disciples, and they all went quietly and solemnly into the room where the dead child was. Jesus went up to the little bed on which she was lying ; He took the small cold hand in His own, and said, — 'Little maid, get up.' si i. !. ;fi MJ II ] ';■';( f - i '• i i I •, 1S6 THE STORY OF JESUS. And her spirit came into her again and she got up and walked. Her parents were greatly astonished ; they seemed as if they could scarcely believe it was true. And while they were looking in amaze- ment, Jesus told them to give her something to eat. He also desired them not to talk about the wonderful miracle He had just done. The Httle girl was just twelve years old : old enough to understand how good the Lord Jesus had been in giving her back to the parents who loved her so dearly. And I think she must have loved the Saviour after that ; and must always have tried to do what would please Him. o- CHAPTEE XXV. THE CRIPPLE AT BETHESDA. (NCE, again, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Do you remember what He had done when last He was in that city ? how He had turned out of the Temple all those who were dis- honouring God by buying and selling there? And do you also remember how angry the THE CRIPPLE AT BETHESDA. ' 127 That was just one year ago ; and now He was come back again. There was at Jerusalem, a very wonderful pool of water called Bethesda-wbich means House of Mercy. Bound this pool there were .ive porches, or door-ways ; and in these lay a <^reat many sick people. Some of them were O Poor, OF BETHESDA. lame some were blind, and some had the palsy What were they there for ? I will tell you The water in the pool was generally quiet and still ; but every now and then, there was a strange movement in -it ; it bubbled up, and gurgled, in a very mysterious way. Whenever this happened, there was a wonderful heahng n '11 lir I,. ( >'■} ' !l iil' 1 hi' 1 i i! «j! : M ! 1 ■ i- .•■,f .'. ;. ..:. ; . r '",'*■■■ I 118 THE STORY OF JESUS. power in the v.ater ; so that the first person who went into it afterwards, was made well of what- ever disease he had. No won'^er that so many sick people were lying there ; they were waiting for that strange movement and bubbling, so that they might step quickly into the water and be made well. It was the Sabbath-day, and Jesus went to the Pool of Bethesda. And He saw there a poor man who had an illness for a great many years ; it had begun before Jesus was born ; and he was a cripple. He had not been a good man ; and this terrible illness was caused by some sin he had committed thirty-eight years before. As the Saviour looked at him, He felt great pity for him ; for He knew all about him— knew all about the sin, and the many long years of suffering. * Would you like to be made well ? ' Jesus asked him. The sick man answered, ' Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is troubled; but while I am trying to get down, some one else steps in before me.' I dare say he thought that the stranger who looked so kindly and so pityingly at him, would help him to get down into the water, when next it should be troubled. But instead of that, what did Jesus say to him ? I I '^B^' CRIPPLE AT BETIIESDA. ' 129 He sai- ° """' '""^ ^"^'' " "»-"- of year, 'Rise take up your bed, and walk.' What a wonderful power there was in fh. voice of Jesus I As soon as He hl^ i strength and health ^Z ini^^^ti'^^l diseased and feeble hnrlv xr [ ^^ ^ -a walked a;a;';'LS,,fLfaUTt£ra:' or bed, on which he had been lying "'' He was still walking on, when some of the rulers met ham ; and they spoke to him angr^t It IS the Sabbath day,' they said • 'it ifnn; right of you to carry your bed ' The man who had been made well answered ^Hethat^^jedme,^«toldmetotake:r:^ Then they asked him, 'Who was it that told anfwt;trrL-:frw\rir-- £rm2rirrrir-^<"--^'^e After this Jesus saw him in the temole T suppose he had gone there to thank God for His goodnessto Him. But the Lord saw that he £d need of warning, and so He wont to speak to him ;] I'll ( '.^ i i 1 . ■ \h ' ; if!. : :" ( ■ ;'i *:^ 1 1' ' i • Jli;, I'lillilkl! ^ ......... I vt TUB CaiPPLB AT BETIIESDA. THE CRIPPLE AT BETBESDA. ,„ ' See, you are made well : do not sin any more for fea. a worse thing should happen to yo" him from"^ T T'^ '""' " ^^^ '^^^ ^''^ ^^ved mu^f htftr*''"' 'l^'"" ^ ^ *Wnk his heart must have been very hard and very bad • for though he knew how angry the Jewish ruler Zl' r. I' u '^'^ "-"ed-lthe breaking of the Sabba h yet he went straight from thefemple 1 weitr *'''* " "" -^^^"^ ^^° ^^^ -^e ... ^°\f '^"'"''er, I told you that the Jews kent the Sabbath very strictly. They thought! veTv wioked for any one to carry even a little parcel a great sm. They even thought it wron"- for anv ^!^ llf *° ^ ^-*» *° ^« -aTn As soon, then, as they knew that it was Jesus who had healed the cripple, and had afterwards Srv Th "T -i' ^/^' *^y ^'^'^ exceeding?; hated Hir^'' -i'^l'ked Him before,-but they hated Him now ; and from this time be-an to thmk^ W they might find a. opportu^S:; to" Is it not wonderful, and sad, that people could have been so wicked and so cruel ? h\. ,: J < : I ' :i; i. I'll in M .i i 183 THE STORY OF JESUS. l!:i] The chief priests spoke to Jesus, and accused Him of Sabbath-hreaking, and of not honouring God's day. But Jesus told them that God was His Father; and that it was God Himself who had helped Him to do all these miracles. This made them still more angry ; and made them now quite determined that they would kill Him one day, because He said that God was His Father, and so made Himself equal with God. Jesus went on to speak to them very solemnly. He said, * My Father loves me ; and has given Me power, even to raise the dead to life again ; that all men should honour Me, even as they honour My Father. I do not seek My own will ; it is My Father's will, I always do. But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you.' Yes, that was the secret of the Jews' hatred of Jesus. They were very careful to obey God in certain things ; but they did not love Him. Their hearts were not right with Him. They thought themselves holy; and yet they had murder in their hearts. Let us always pray God to make our hearts clean ; and to make us love Him better every day, for His dear Son's sake. h' TUE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. 133 CHAPTER XXVI. THE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. rpHE life of Jesus was no longer safe in Jeru- salem. The chief priests and rulers hated Him bitterly, and were so anxious to kill Him, that Jesus determined to return to Galilee for another year ; and to go on as He had done, teaching, preaching, healing and blessing wher- ever He went. Yet He would go back to the Holy City again ; and later, when it should be His Father's time, He wci^ld die there ! He knew this quite well. But His work of mercy was not done yet ; and so He returned to Capernaum. ^ But it grieved Jesus to the hearb, that even in the cities round the beautiful Lake of Gen- nesareth, where most of His mighty works were done, the people were unbelieving and unrepent- ant. Though they saw Him do things that only God could do, they would not believe in Him • and though they listened to his teaching (as no man could teach them), yet they were not sorry ior their sins. S M ■%. \\ H'!: \ 'II: lU ■'■: 111 ■' > ■ f 134 THE STORY OF JESUS. But our blessed Lord rejoiced in spirit over the little band of faithful followers, who believed in, and loved Him ; and He praised God because He had put His Holy Spirit in their hearts. He said, *I thank you, Father, Lord of Heaven, and earth, because though you have hidden these things from those who are proud, and think themselves wise, yet you have shown them to those who are simple and humble. Even Ro, Father : for so it seemed good in your sight,' Then Jesus spoke such loving, tender words, to all those who are troubled, and sorry for sin. ' Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.' . One of the Pharisees at Capernaum, mvited Jesus to dine with him. "Why did he ask Jesus? He did not love Him ; but he had heard of all the wonderful things He had done, and he wanted to see Him, and to hear Him talk. The proud Pharisee had invited a great many other people too, to his dinner ; and as they came into the room, Simon— that was the Pharisee's THE PHARISEE AXD THE SLYNEll. 135 namc-ldsRed them, and spoke pleasantly to tlieiii ; and servants came and washed their feet and put oil on their heads, for this was always the custom in that country. Then Jesus came into the room. And do you not thmk the Pharisee would do all he could to show special honour to his holy guest ? because, though he did not love Jesus, yet he knew that ±le was a great prophet. But no ; for the blessed Saviour there was no kiss, no washing of the feet, no oil. Simon thought It was quite honour enough to ask Him to the house ; and so he showed Him none of the kindnesses that the other guests received At last they were all assembled, and the feast began The people did not sit on chairs, as we do, but they lay on couches round the table Presently a woman, who had led a very sinful hfe came into the room. She was well known in the city as being a wicked woman ; but now she was sorry for her naughtiness, and she wanted so much to be better. She knew that Jesus had gone to dine in the Pharisee s house, and so she followed Him there Perhaps she had heard His loving words, ' Come un Me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' She felt her sins to be a heavy burden, and she beheved that He could r li ■ 'i 1 (if t' 0^ 1 \ I I'll i' : li? " 1 1 .)■ {jfji^ llli lil^ f 11 M I! 136 THE STORY OF JESUS. give her the rest — the pardon and peace — He had promised. And now she came behind Him weeping — crying for her naughtiness — and her tears fell fast on the Saviour's feet. With her long hair she wiped His feet, and then she kissed them, and put some sweet ointment on them, which she had brought with her in a box. The Pharisee saw it all, and was displeased. lie would never have allowed such a sinner to touch Mm, and he wondered that Jesus per- mitted it ; but then he thought, perhaps Jesus did not know who she was. He said to himself, 'If this man were a prophet, He would have known about this woman's naughty life.' Did Jesus know ? Yes, far better than Simon himself could do. And He knew, too, how deeply she sorrowed for all she had done wrong ; how she hated her evil ways, and how firmly resolved she was to try and lead for the future, a pure and blameless life. Jesus not only knew about the woman, but He also knew exactly what the Pharisee was thinking about ; so He said to him, — ' Simon, I have something to say to you.' The Pharisee replied, ' Master, say on/ Jesus said, 'There were two men who owed \^ iiiiiiiifliliy.ft ii„'?i THE PHAEISEE AND THE SINNEE. .!■'■ 1 ■ 1 1 1 1 '■ ' ' i ■if. ; i;^ '( ■ ! i • ■ 1 ^1 hukMM litii. II 138 THE STORY OF JESUS. another man some money. One of them only owed him a small sum, but the other owed- him a very great deal of money. However, neither of them could pay anything at all, and so the man freely forgave them both. Now, which of these two men would love him most ?' Simon answered, * I suppose he to whom he forgave most.' Jesus said, * You have rightly judged.' Then Jesus turned to the weeping, penitent woman, and said to Simon, * Do ycu see this woman ? I came into your house, and you ^-ave Me no water for my feet ; but she has washed My feet with tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss ; but this woman has never ceased to kiss My feet ever since I came in. You put no oil upon My head; but this woman has anointed My feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto you, her sins — her many sins — are forgiven ; and that is why she loves so much ; but those who have only been forgiven a little, the same love little.* What must Simon have felt when he heard these words ? And what must the poor woman have felt when Jesus turned to her again, and said, — * Your sins are forgiven.' Ah! had not the blessed Saviour kept His THE MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAxVP m promise ? She had gone to Him troubled and heavy laden, and He had indeed given her rest. But the people who sat round the table began to say in their hearts, * Who is this that forgives sins also ? ' Once more Jesus spoke to the woman, and sent her away with kind words, — * Your faith has saved you ; go in peace.' CHAPTER XXVII. THE MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND. J CAN scarcely make you understand how terrible a burden the Sabbath had become, under the teaching of the Jewish rabbis. God had ordained that one day in seven should be kept holy, and He intended it as a rest and a blessing to both body and soul. But the Pharisees had made a great many hard rules about it, which God had never made; and Jesus wanted to teach them what it was that His Father really required. But the Pharisees did not wish to be taught, and nothing made them so angry with our blessed Lord as to see that Ho did i 1 i ! tHu }\ i:. ■ ■ ! i ' . ! ^i ■ '\ \ li '■ ' ^ i wm ¥\\i 1 I'll r 140 THE STORY OF JESUS. not approve of their foolish, wearisome, bur- densome laws. I will tell you what a few of these laws were. A tailor must not have a needle about him on the Sabbath. Shoes with nails in them must not be worn on the Sabbath. A flea must not be killed on the Sabbath. No fire must be lit, no food cooked, no sick healed, or comforted, on the Sabbath. Was this what God meant, when He said that the Sabbath should be a delight, and holy to the Lord ? Surely not. So Jesus wanted to take off some of this terrible burden which was pressing so heavily on the poor. For the Pharisees were very hard upon those who did not know or could not remember all their many rules. One Sabbath day Jesus went through the cornfields. And as His disciples followed Him, they began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat, for they were very hungry. The Pharisees, who were always now on the look-out for something to find fault about, at once said to Jesus, — *See, why do your disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day ? * THE MAN WITH THE WITHERED HAND. 141 Jesus patiently answered their angry ques- tion and fault-finding. He told them that His disciples were not doing wrong in satis- fying their hunger on the Sabbath ; and that it was not wrong to do things on that day that were necessary to be done. ' The Sabbath was made for man,' the Saviour said; 'made to be a blessing and a help to him; and the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.' Then Jesus went on, and entered into one of their synagogues, and taught. And there was a man there who had a withered hand —he could not use it at all — and the proud Pharisees watched Jesus, to see if He would heal the poor man's hand, for they wanted to accuse Him. Yes, Jesus would do His work of love and mercy, in spite of the hardness of their hearts and their angry looks. So He said to the man, 'Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.' And the man got up and stood in the middle of them all. Then Jesus turned to the Pharisees, and said, * I will ask you one question : Is it law- ful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?' i 11 ^; *. H' 5:1 ■ il IM' I i li 142 THE STORY OF JESUS. ri}.> 1 li'lU' i\ But they were silent. They did not know liow to answer Him. And when He had looked round on them with anger, being grieved that their hearts were so hard, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and his hand was made perfectly well, just like the other. The Pharisees, when they saw it, were filled with madness. They were not a bit glad that the poor man had the use of his hand again. They thought nothing of the wonder- ful miracle Jesus had just done. They did not really care at all for God's honour. They were only furious because Jesus had not followed their own foolish rules. So now the Pharisees at Capernaum hated Jesus just as much as the Pharisees at Jeru- salem had done ; and as soon as they went out of the synagogue they began to consult together how they might kill Him. But when Jesus knew it, He went away from them for a little while, till some of their angry feehngs should pass away. He knew that He must be killed at last , but the time was not come yet. And great multitudes followed Him; and He healed them all. JESC'S CHOOSES THE TWELVE APOSTLES 143 If- CHAPTER XXVIII. JESUS CHOOSES THE TWELVE APOSTLES. JT came to pass in those days, that Jesus went up into a mountain to pray; and He remained all night in prayer to God. Just think of this, dear children ; all* night long He was praying to His Father in heaven ! Must He not have loved His Father very much? and must He not have found it His sweetest occupation, and His greatest rest, to be speaking to Him ? This is what ive should feel w^ a we kneel in prayer to our Father in heaven ; but how often we find it a weariness! And yet He loves us, in spite of all our coldness; and He cares for us more than we can ever under- stand, in spite of all our shortcomings. Let us pray that we may love Him more. ^ After this night of prayer, as soon as it was day, Jesus called to Him His disciples. And a great many came to Him ; for there were many who loved and followed Him. They listened to His words, and tried to IU„ r ' ( r: 1^ ;i I.- ;; I'll ,, |.: 144 ilillini It THE STORY OF JESUS. learn the lessons of wisdom, and gentleness, and peace, He taught them ; and so they were His disciples. JESUS PHAYING ON THE MOUNTAIN, And now from this little band of faithful followers Jesus chose twelve, who were to be •'^S'^S CBOOSES TBE TWELVE APOSTLES. 145 something more than disciples ; they were to be apostles too. The word apostle means, one sent them forth as missionanes, to give His message to smners, and to preach as He had done The names of the twelve Apostles are these :- Sjmon Peter and Andrew; James and John- Phihp and Bartholomew ; Matthew and Thomas '■ another James, and another Simon; and JudaJ the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot; whfch also was the traitor. ' By two and two, Jesus would in a short time send the Apostles away. And He gave thel diseases. And Jesus commanded them saying - As you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleLse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out dUs G ^e yttUf^*''^'''-^'^^^.^^-.-'!: Then Jesus told them not to ezpect that thev would always be well received. As peop^^ hal sutto'hat'"";"*''*''' '''''''' *l^«y would b1 sure to hate and persecute His servants. But do not be afraid of those who can only M your body,' Jesus said ; 'fear only Him who LoSlt t°he Htr ''°*' ^°"' ^"'^ "'^y '"^^^l l^ook at the little sparrows; your Father cares I !' I ', 1 1 1 ; ! 1 1 j ^ I t 1 1 1 • 1 ■ if' !;• [ l' '1 ! 'i ' j. ^i: 1,^ i:-': p.,! i '! 146 TEE STORY OF JESUS. for them. So do not be afraid, for you are of more value than many sparrows. And even the hairs of your head are all numbered.' But the Apostles were not to go away imme- diately. They were to remain a little while with Jesus first, that their Master might train them yet more perfectly for the work He intended them to do. Seven of them, as you know, had already been with Him, and kept closely to Him ; but now all of the twelve were to do so. The same day that Jesus had chosen the twelve Apostles, a man was brought to Him who had a devil, and who was also blind and dumb. When Jesus saw him. He had pity on the poor man who was so greatly afflicted, and He cast out the devil, and healed the man, so that he could both see and speak. All the people were amazed — that means, greatly astonished — and some of them said, * Is not this the Messiah ? ' But when the Scribes and Pharisees heard of it, they said, * This fellow casts out devils by Satan's help ; He has Himself an evil spirit in Him.' How could they dare to speak like this of the Holy Saviour ? For though they did not believe Him to be the Son of God, they knew that He was a great Prophet. Jesrs cmosBs tbe twelve apostles. ,„ Jesus told them that He had cast out devUa by the finger of God , mi He wa^ed them tS they were m danger of being cast into hell i e'^rheSr™'""^'"'^'*^^^-"!^ — Such amnltitude of people had been with Him 8U day, that He a^d His disciples had no tfC even so much as to eat bread. ' of H™ "'-noes and ..... rharisees were saying of am-were greatly distressed. They said,- He must be out of His mind to act like this.' ant^n ?'^ ^'°* °"' *° ^'^y ^"-J tal^^ Him away, T IT 3"^ ^"'«'' '^'i 0"t of danger. ^ I thmk Mary-s faith in Jesus must have truly that He was the Son of God, could she Tr th^K """'^ ?t"^= '""^-^-■•J^ stself -or that He needed her care and protection ? So His mother and His brethren came to the house where Jesus was. But there was such a orawd round Him, aad they could not get in. them '"""^ °"* *° '"^' ^™ °"* *o And the multitude sat round about Him; and b 5' hi'. I i' f;i' ' *■ . ; ; r i ■I. it t lip 1 1 ^ ^ 1' ; mi i 148 THE STORY OF JESUS. some one said to Him ; ' Your mother and your brethren are outside waiting to speak to you.' And He said to the man that told Him, * Who is my mother ? and who are my brethren ? ' Then Jesus looked round on those who sat about Him, and He stretched forth His hand towards His disciples and said, — * Behold my mother and my brethren I For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.' . CHAPTER XXIX. A PARABLE, AND THE STORM AT SEA. TTThat busy days those were which Jesus ^" spent on earth I How much He did for others, and how little rest He gave Himself. I have told you something of what He did the day after that long night of prayer to God : how He called together all His disciples, and chose from among them the twelve ; how He healed the man who was blind and dumb, and had a devil; how He went into a house and taught; how the Scribes and Pharisees came and insulted A PAYABLE, AND THE STORM AT SEA. 149 Him there ; and how His mother and His brethren came to try and take Him away because they thought He was mad to go on in this way, and to make the Pharisees so angry with Him. ■ ° ^ But the day was not nearly oyer, yet; and the Saviour s work was not ended. After He had been teaching the people in the house, He went out and sat down by the seaside. The Lake of Gennesareth was sometimes called the Sea of Gahlee; and it was down on the shore of this beautiful lake that Jesus went now. As soon as the people saw Him they began to collect mgreat numbers again; andsuch crowds came round Him, that the Sayiour got into a boat and spoke to them from there, while the whole multitude stood on the shore. And now Jesus began to teach them in quite a different way to what He had done before. He told them little stories, which had a meaning in them; but the meaning was often difficult to find out. This is called teaching by payables. And so, on this day, while the people all stood at the edge of the water, waiting to hear His words, Jesus spoke to them by a parable. He said, — 'A man went out to sow his seed ; and as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the pathway ; 1^' 'IP r I ( ■ i'i 11 ■! f ill. !■*;!) l:'^■ I ^ il 160 THE STORY OF JESUS. and it was trodden on, and the birds came and ate it. * And some fell on a rock ; and as soon as it began to grow, it withered and died, because there was not enough earth. * And some fell among thorns ; and the thorns grew up so strong and quickly, that they spoilt the good seed, by preventing the air and the sun getting to it ; so it never bore any fruit. * 1 jid some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore a great quantity of fruit.' This was the parable. And when the disciples were alone with Jesus again, they asked Him, — * Why do you speak to the people in parables ? * * Because they do not really care for me or my words ; and so it is useless to tell them secrets about heavenly things. But with you — my disciples — it is different; and I will explain everything to you which you do not vnder- stand.* Then the disciples asked Him, saying, — * What is the meaning of this parable ? ' Jesus said, * The seed is the word of God ; and the place where it is sown is in people's hearts. Those by the wayside, are people with hard, cold hearts. They have heard God's message to them, but they do not care for it ; and Satan comes, and makes them forget all about it. A PARABLE, AND THE STORM AT SEA. 151 * Those on the rock, are people who like, very much to hear about God. But they do not take any trouble to do what He says, and after a little while they cease to care for Him. * Those amongst the thorns, are people who have heard the word, and think it very good. But they care so much more for riches and pleasures, than for heavenly things,— or else they are so very busy, or so much worried,— they have no time to give to God. ' But those on the good ground, are people, whose hearts are honest and true. They love God ; they love to hear His word ; they seek to know His will ; and all their lives they try to walk in His ways.' Jesus spoke more parables to the people that day; and always, when they were alone. He explained everything to His disciples. At last this long day had come to an end. It was evening, and Jesus said to His disciples,— * Let us go over to the other side of the lake.' The Saviour was very tired now. He had been going about, teaching and preaching, ever since the early morning ; and He wanted to get some rest and quiet, away from all the crowds that were so continually following on His footsteps. So the discipiea quickly got their boat ready ; and, just as^ He was, without any preparation I I I'; n ,1 ' U « ! I f 1 iii- m i'E£ &TORY OF JESVa. or waiting to take food, He took His place in it ; and the little vessel put out from shore. They had not sailed far, when the wearied Saviour fell fast asleep. He had gone to the hinder part of the boat; and there, with His head resting on a pillow, He had lain down quite tired out. The sea was smooth and calm when they first started; but before long a change came on. The wind began to blow and howl, and the waves began to rise and toss themselves about. The disciples tried hard to get across to the other side of the lake, before the storm -hould get worse ; but the wind got more fierce and stormy, and the waves dashed up against the boat, and all over the boat, and they were dreadfully frightened. And Jesus— where was He ? Still peacefully sleeping; He was so very tired. Though the foam and spray dashed over Him ; though the wind roared, and the boat was tossed up and down—sometimes being almost buried under the waves— yet it never woi^e Him. It was a terrible tem,.est. And when at last the boat was nearly full of water, and in danger of sinking to the bottom, the disciples, in wild alarm, awoke the sleeping Saviour. * Master, Master, save us I we shall die I ' " A PABADIB, ASB THE STORM AT SEA ,5, teSZ T %r'' "* *he sound of their when Se was Z^L ^™' ''°"''^ ^^-^ yoSnoSh^'T'^"'^'''^'' ^''^""ttat ThTJ TT 7, ^^ S^«"% said to them said to the sea!l!^^ ^' "'^''^'^ ">« ''^^- ^^ ' Peace, be stiU.' wet Ju^f !,1t!^ *' ™°^ ''«^^«^. the waves ifut the disciples feared exceedinglv and b«,M one to another :_. What manner of manl tZ tha^^aven the wind and the sea obey ffim ? • ' the dt ? "P°", *'•* ^^^ °^ G^'Uee showed ShSSran^'^^"'^*'^^'*'^^^^^-^- pledtKer'r "''*'«"^^«^«"' B?:JZl °"' *'' ™"' ''"' «^^' f--^. *tat I ',1'^* \ 154 THE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTER XXX. THE DEMONIAC HEALED. Tt was the bright early morning, after that wild stormy night, when Jesus L:;,d stilled the wind and the sea by a word. The little vessel had passed safely over to the other side of the lake, into the country of the Gergesenes, and Jesus and His disciples had gone on shore. But who was this that came rushing down upon them, directly they had landed ? Could this be a man ? Yes; a man 'possessed with a devil.* It was a sad sight. He was so wild and fierce that everyone was afraid of him ; and people did not dare to pass by that way. He lived in some of the cavern tombs — holes in the rocks where people had been buried many years before — and he never wore any clothes. Poor wretched man ! there was no way of taking care of him ; no one could show him any kindness ; and there he lived all alone, tormented by the evil spirit that was in him. And always THE DEMONIAC HEALED. ' 155 day and night, he was in the mountains and in the tombs ; crying, and cutting himself with stones. For a long time he had been in this miserable state ; and there was no hope of his ever being better. ^ Often the people who lived in the city near had caught him, and bound him with chains and tetters. But he was so strong, that he had always broken the fetters and chains in pieces and had got away from his captors again How dreadful to thmk of anyone being in that state I ° I dare say he had been watching the boat commg nearer and neaxer to the shore, that mommg; and now, the moment that Jesus had put His foot on shore, the poor naked demoniac ran headlong down the hill to meet Him. And what did he do when he got to Jesus? He fell down and worshipped Him. Was it not strange ? Though this poor man had never seen the baviour before, he knew quite well who He was. ihe devil that was in him, knew ; the devils know the Son of God, and they tremble before Him When Jesus saw him. He said, * Come out of tiie man, you unclean spirit.' But the man cried out with a lojd voice. 1 i II ! i * 1 1 i u y 1 ! V' 1 1 I ;'■ n ■ii ■ i f - \\ 1::; i ;i \ \ '', \ ■; i ! 1 I ' 166 TUB STORY OF JESUS, 't| ii' saying : ' What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the most high God ? In God's name I implore yo^ not to torment me.' Then the Lord questioned the man. He said, * What is your name ? ' He answered, * My name is Legion, for we are many.* Legion means, a great number; and the man meant that many devils had entered into him. Now there was, a good way off— near to the mountains — a great many swine, or pigs, feeding. And the devils begged Jesus very earnestly that He would not send them back to hell. They said, * If you cast us out of the man, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.' And Jesus said to them, * Go.' So the evil spkits went out of the man, and entered into the swine ; and the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and were drowned. There were about two thousanrl of them. When the men who looked after the pigs, saw what had happened, they were frightened. They ran away as quickly as they could, and told the wonderful news in the city and in the country : they told how the devils had gone out of the wild THE DEMONIAC HEALED. I87 demoniac, into the swine ; and how the whole Iierd was drowned. A great many of the people came out of the city, when they had heard this strange story rhey went to meet Jesus ; and when they came to Him, what did they see ? There was the man, of whom they hra bee-- so much afraid, a demoniac no longer; he v.rs sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, ^d m Ks right mmd. And they were afraid. You would have thought the Gergesenes would have wished Jesus to remain with them, when hey found He could do such a miracle as this • but I suppose they were more vexed at the loss of the two thousand pigg, than pleased at the poor man being cured; for they begged the Saviour to go away, and not to stay with them any longer. So Jesus went back into the boat. And the man who had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might remain with Him' 1^ He rid^""' ^"' '''"'' ^°"^^ ^°* ^"-^ * ^° ^ome to your friends, and tell them what He ha* hT *'' "^"^ ^^^ '^^^ ^- y^-> -d how He has had compassion on you.' Then the man went away, and did th^ w'-'k Jesus had given him to do. He told all over ^ ill 11 fi '.I :!. J ii I' ''':■ i^U' I )-.;!. II (Iff- j 11'^ 1 i:.( 158 TUE STGPY OF JESUS. that country, how good the Lord had been to him. And so Jesus and His disciples went back again across the lake. And the people on the other side received Him gladly ; for they were all waiting for Him. i' ti H CHAPTER XXXI. THE DEATH OP JOHN THE BAPTIST. "OoR a long time John the Baptist had been shut up in prison, by King Herod's orders. And this was the reason that the king was angry with him: I must tell you, first, that Herod was a very wicked man. He was a son of that Herod who had murdered all the little babies in Bethlehem, just after Jesus was born ; and he was almost as bad and cruel a man as his father had been. Now Herod had done two things that were very displeasing to God : he had put away his own true wife; and he had married Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. Well, at the time that John the Baptist was preaching in the wildern ss, Herod heard of him. He heard how he was being followed by crowds THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 159 of people; and how he baptized all those who were sorry for their sins ; and the king wished to see this great prophet and teacher. So John was sent for to the palace. EURIAL OF JOHN THE CAniST You remember I told you how he was accustomed to dress. He always wore a large rough mantle of camel's hair, with a leath- ern belt round his waist ; and in these same garments he stood before King Herod, and his queen, Herodias. Down by the river Jordan the Baptist had never been afraid to speak to the soldiers, the publicans, and the Pharisees, and to tell them !i 160 THE STORY OF JESUS. Of their Sins; and now, in thfe palace, he was not afraid to speak to Herod of his sin. As he stood before him, he boldly told him, It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' This made Herod very angry; and he gave orders that John the Baptist should be thrown into prison. But Herodias was more than angry ; %he hated John now, and she wanted to have him killed • but Herod was afraid to do this ; he knew that John was a holy man, and God's messenger, and he would not let him be put to death. Yet that wicked queen would not give up the hope of getting her own way at last; she was always thinking of it, and always planning for it and watching for an opportunity of gaining her point It was not enough for her that John was m a horrible prison-that he had been many months there-she would never rest satisfied as long as he was alive. At last the opportunity came that she had been looking for so long; and it happened in this way. It was Herod's birthday; and he made a great supper to his lords, chief captains, and great men. Before the banquet was quite over, Herodias sent m her young daughter, SalomA, who woo ^p-„ beautiful, to danoe before the king; and her THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. ici dancing pleased him so much, and all the nobles who were sitting with him, that he said to the young girl,— ' Tell me what you would like me to give you ; whatever it is you shall have it ' And he made her a very solemn promise, to the half of my kingdom.' ^Z^Z *v ^'^ ?" to her mother, and told her what the king had said. ' WhatshaU I ask for ? ' she enquired of her mother. And what do you think that wicked queen aaiswered ? this was the opportunity she hV so long been waiting for. and she said at once - Ask for the head of John the Baptist.' Was the young girl horrified at such a request ? Not at all; she was cruel, like her mother. So she went straight back to the king again in a great hurry, and asked, saying,— 'I wish you to give me by-aud-by, in a dish the head of John the Baptist.' ' When the king heard this he was exceedingly sorry; yet because he had promised her, jmd because he had made the promise before all his nobles, he would not refuse her. He was more afraid of what his courtiers would TI V, .1 ^!^°^^J^^ PWB'ise than of what God would ohmk. He was more anxious to please i a 162 THE STORY OF JESVS. this cruel girl, and her yet more cruel mother, than he was to please the God who made him. So he sent * immediately ' an executioner to the prison, to cut off the head of Christ's faithful witness. And yet he was very sorry to do it — he knew he was very wicJced to do it — he had often liked to listen to John's preaching (when he did not speak about that one sin which Herod would not give up), and he had done many things because of him ; but because of this foolish oath which he had made, he committed this awful sin. The king's order was quickly obeyed ; and in a very little time the bleeding head of the grea^ prophet was brought in on a large dish or tray, and given to the dancing girl, who took it, and carried it to her mother. A little time afterwards, when Herod heard of all the wonderful things that Jesus was doing, his guilty conscience made him think of the murdered prophet, and he said to his servants, — * It is John the Baptist, whom I beheaded ; he is risen from the dead, and that is why he is able to do all these miracles.' We may be sure that neither peace nor happi- ness ever came to Herod or his guilty wife after this. Sin always brings sorrow j and so it was with them. FEEDINO TBE FIVE THOVSAND. wj You may imagine how grieved and distressed the djsciples of John were when they hea d hat he bng had billed their dear master/ ity wenl to the prison, then lovingly and sadly took ujthe t:^^:^'ir^ '^'^ '' reverentl/in a t^Lb Alter this they went and told Jesus. Their hTt T?^ """"'^ sympatb.-se with them- they knew He loved their master. JJid Jesus grieve ? Yes ; for no heart was ever so loving or tenr^pr ZI'^kZ f "'. ''' ''''' He had hShela be Me 2,"*°//'^^^' P'^"^ ''P"'- ^™ -ay CHAPTEB XXXII. FEEWNG THE FIVE THOUSAND. rjiHE twelve Apostles had been sent away by They had received their Lord's orders to do as He had done-to preach the Word, to heal the bick to cast out devils-and they had gone rouud Galilee preaching and working miraclfs Now they had just returned from their first i *. •I .. ( . J' Ir • i i 1 ( 4 ' 1 I 164 THE STORY OF JESUS. f journey ; and they told Jesus botL what they had done and what they had taught. There were so many people with Jesus, and so many were coming and going, that they had no quiet time at all, and no leisure even to tat ; and Jesus, whose thoughtful care for His disciples was always so \?onderful, said to them, — * Come into some qJit desert place and rest awhile.' He saw they ^/e^e ^voary, and needed rest. So they got ready a boa very quickly, and went away as secretly as they could. But the peo[)le saw them going, aud they ran fast out of the cities, and followed them. And so Jesus could not have the quiet time with HiB disciples that He wanted ; for when they got to that desert place across the lake, a great crowd had already begun to collect. Some of them had followed Jesus in boats across the water, but many more had gone a long way round, by the sea-coast. "Was Jesus vexed and angry that the people followed Him so, and did not leave Him in peace ? Oh, no. When he saw the crowds that had come to Him, He was moved with compassion — that means, He felt a great pity for them, because they were like sheep that had no shepherd to take care of them. He was the Good Shepherd ; FEBDIKO TBB FIVE TBOVSAm. ,05 SoT'^f *''"'"' '"•^ ^^ •'^««" *° t'^lk to them halt an ra^'J,^ T' '""l ''"^^°-" mi,^ ' -^^ neaied all those who were sick gcutiiig , ana now it was eveninxy Ti.^ -eve disciples thought the peoprouL not 'TnT^r^^T^*'' ^° *'^«y «^*«? ^Wgo Wdge for the night, and buy themselves foofl For we are here in a desert place ; it is vl late and they have nothing to eat ' ^ ' spit^rsrste^.^''^^--- PMip said, 'If we were to spend all th« rzrhfSi th ""^'"^ ''-^. "would :t were fil n' f *hese many people.- For there Go'r/st/'''"'""^^'°^^^^'^-«y-J>-? Then Andrew said. ' ThorA i-» . i»j u hoQ fiTT^ I, I 1 ' -"-"ere is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes • buf wnat are they among so many ? ' " ' "' ^^^^nj WIT i r' ■ ■ i i' ' If li^' ' in. 'It if ^M J I f ■ 5 % i -t hi! I III I) !l IGO THE STORY OF JESCa. Jesus annswered, ' Make the men sit down/ And now the disciples are busy going about amongst the people, and making them sit down, in a quiet, orderly way, upon the soft green grass. So they sat down in rows of fifty, for this was FJHEDINQ IHB PEOPLB. the way Jesus had told the disciples to arrange them. Then the Saviour took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks an^ broke the bread, and gave it to the FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. 107 disciples to set before the multitude. In the same way He divided the fishes amongst them h.l^^ ^°°^^e^t on increasing in the Saviour's hands; and He went on breaking and dividing, and giving it to the disciples, and they passed it on to the people, till at last they had all eaten and were filled. Everyone had had as much as he wanted. When they had quite finished, Jesus said'to His disciples, ' Gather up all the httle bits that reniam, that nothing may be wasted.' So they got some baskets, and put all the httle scraps into it; and in this way they filled brir '*' "^""'^^ ^^'" ""^ ^^**^' P^"""' °^ Was not this wonderful? There was actually more food after all the people had eaten, than there was before they had begun to eat. Then all those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, ' This is of a truth that prophet, the Messiah, that should come mto the world.' I 11: I! |i' 168 THE STORY OF .7''SY;'5. diii i' iii ill CHAPTER XXXTII. JESUS WALKING ON THE SEA. rriHE five thoiistuud men were greatly excited when thev rose up from that supijer which had been so wonderfully provided for them. They began to talk together of all Jesus had done for them that day— how He had taught them, healed them, and fed them — ana they thought they would like to have Him for their king. How much bettor (they thought) that He should rule over them, instead of that cruel Herod whom they hated. Jesus knew all that they were thinking about, and talking of. He knew that they were plan- ning to take Him by force an nakr Him ; king ; He saw, too, that His own disciples were begin- ning to join in the excitement a::.d to share the feelings of the crowd ; so He was in baste to disperse them and send them home. First of all He sent the disciples aw?" . They did noo like to leave Him, for they tV ag' if the time had indeed come for their dea/ Matter to receive a kingdom and a crown, they ought JESUS WALKING ON TEE SEA 199 oro.B over the lake towards CapernauT ' them; and no doubt twtft^,, *' "^^'""^ then what did Jesus do ? ^^ aplheit 'r ^" *'^' ^P°*' '-^ ^^-bed hatH. ?;, °^ ^ mountain that was near that He migh. ,e all alone with God Tf ^!^' been a v^eary day and TT. ''^^.^' ^^ ^ad ^rPflflTT ] ? ' -^^ ^^^ *i^ed; and He aw^^a^r dSis olefin ^^^^^^ wild mj stormy night- but wTv i^V •* '^'^ * wWe no hnmL e^'eot^ T^Z'^^l He coald pour out His whole soul to God sZ ;Sr '""'■ "' ^'"' ^^ '^-'-^ *^- Mooter ■--- . ^ '°"' *^*"^ ''°a*' as their -..»ter „.u« .neu., and they were trying to I ; HI ii JESL'S WALK1^G ON aHK iK/, 'V'" Jssirs WAiurm ox the sea. ,7, cross over the water, as He had commanded ; but a strong wind l>ad risen up, blowing straight agamst them, and they had not made much progress. -"uwi Their boat, too, was much tossed about on the waves, and they were working hard at the oars, toilmg ni rowing. But Jesus had not for- gotten them; at the hiU-top He was watching them, and He would go and help them soon. It was the middle of the night, aad Jesus, havmg ended His prayer, came down from thj mountam, and walked to the edge of the lake. Ihe waves came dashing up against His feet and no boat was near. How was He to get to' His disciples ? 5 >■ ^" The Saviour needed no boat to carry Him across ; for He is God as well as man, and Ho could walk on the water as easily as on dry land. The disciples were still in their boat, strug- gling to get It across to the opposite shore. They had only jnst got about half way, when they saw dimly, through the darkness, a figure walk mg on the sea. Who could it be ? They were dreadfully frightened-much more frightened at the figure than they were at the 1 owlmg wind and tossing waves. They thought It was a spirit-a being from another world- and they cried out with fear. I ■ ■■ ■ iJ |! 172 TUE STORY OF JESUS. But quickly, with tender pity at their alarm, Jesus spoke : * Be of good cheer ; it is I ; do not be afraid.' Oh, how glad they were to hear again that much-loved voice I Peter, in his joy, could scarcely wait till Jesus came into the boat ; so he called out, — * Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you on the water.' Jesus answered, ' Come.' In a moment Peter climbed over the side of the vessel, and walked on the water to go to his dear Master. As long as he looked at Jesus he was in safety ; but in a little while he began to look round him — to look at the waves, how they were tossing themselves; to notice the wind, how stormy and strong it was — and then he got frightened. He began to sink, and in his terror he cried out, ' Lord, dave me.' Immediately, quickly, Jesus put out His hand and caught him. Then He said to him gently, — * Oh, how little faith you have ! Why were you afraid ? ' Do you notice that all Peter's courage, and the wonderful power of being able to walk on the water, were only got by looking at his Master ? And so, if we want courage to do some MANF DISCIPLES LEA VE JESUS. ' 173 unpleasant duty, or to bear some pain or sorrow, we also must look to Jesus ! We must ask Him to give us His Spirit, and to give us His help ; and then He will always give us the courage and the strength we need. The disciples were so glad to receive their Lord into the boat again. And now two more miracles followed. The wind ceased altogether and suddenly.; and instead of being in the midst of the sea, they found they were at the landing- place where they wished to be. Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Jesus, saying, * Of a truth you are the Son of God.' Ml „ ■:■ '• U. I' CHAPTER XXXIV. MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. J TOLD you that when Jesus sent away the multitude, after He had worked that great miracle of feeding the five thousand, some of the people still remained behind. They had seen that Jesus had not gone away with His disciples ; they knew that no other boat was there by which He could have got away; so when the morning came, they thought i ;N;: il'M^' fl 1T4 THE STORY OF JESUS. they were sure of finding Him. But when they had looked about for Him, great was their surprise to find He was nowhere to be seen. What could have become of Him ? Where could He have gone ? While they were waiting and wondering, some boats came from a city called Tiberias, and they were gomg on to Capernaum. So the people who had remained on shore all night, got into the boats and went to Capernaum, still seeking for Jesus. Why were they looking so eagerly for Him ? Was it because they loved Him, and liked to listen to His words ? We shall soon see. The people joined the Saviour at last ; He was in the synagogue teaching. They wondered BO much how He got there, that they could not help asking Him, — * Master, when did you come here ? ' Jesus did not answer their question ; but what He said, showed them that He could read their hearts as easily as we can read an open book. Jesus said, * You seek me., not because you saw the miracles, but because you did eat of the bread and were filled. Do not be so eager for the food for your bodies, but try more earnestly to get your souls fed— to get that everlasting life which T shall mve von.' ■N .VAJVr DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. 175 I think the people must have felt ashamed when they found that Jesus could see their most secret thoughts. They asked, 'What must we do that we may work the works of uocl r Jesus answered, ' This is the work of God tlmt you behave on me ; for God has sent me.' ' But, alas ! they did not really want to do God's work Their next question proved how hard and imbelievmg their hearts were. This is what they 'What sign will you show us, that we may leUeveyou? What miracles will you do ? ' Surely Jesus had worked miracles enough to show them that He was the Son of God ! Surelv after having taught them for so long, they ought to have beheyed that He was indeed the Sa.4r 01 the world 1 But Jesus goes on patiently teaching them again He calls Himself the Bread of Life and tells the people that those who come to Him shall never hunger, and those who believe on Him shall never thirst. That means. He wil give to those that seek Him, all that their souls require-He will give them everlasting Jesus went on to say, 'Him that eometh to me 1 will m no wisA nqaf r>nf -o^.. T - . T - (..ci,s„ ,^^ix;. A' Or i uame to do WN: '■•; .' t -% ir'.'^M 176 THE STORY OF JESUS. my Father's will ; and this is His will : that every one who believes in me shall have ever- lasting life ; and I will raise him up at the last day.' The Jews had been listening to Jesus as He was speaking to the people ; and now they began to get angry with Him again, as they had so often done before. They said, * How can He call Himself the Bread of Life ? How can He say He came down from heaven? Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph the carpenter ? ' Jesus said, ' Do not murmur among yourselves. Truly, truly I say to you, he that believes on me, has everlasting life. I am that Bread of Life. He who eats this Bread shall live for ever.' The Jews were yet more angry as they heard this. * How can this man give us his flesh to eat ?' they asked, with great indignation. And now many of Jesus' own disciples began to complain, and to say, * This is a hard saying ; who can understand it ?' When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at what He had said. He explained to them his meaning. It was not His real flesh they were to eat — not His real blood they were to drink — but thev were to feed unon His words. ITANT DISCIPLES LEA VB JESL'S. IJJ f^'"^^ «.'!!'' *' ^P'"* ^^"^ 8™^ life; the flesh profiteth nothing : the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. But some of you do not believe.' For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that behoved not, and who would betray From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. They had followed Him a long time, and had liked to be with Him ; but now they could not understand otteZt' "' *'^^ ""^ "^'^"^^^ -^ ''- It made Jesus sad to see them go ; He was son-y for their sakes, and He was sL; for Ss own ; for He loved them. ^ Then He turned to the Twelve, and asked them so^wfuUy, ' Will you also go away ?• .ffi'f"" Tr'f' "* °"''"' ^""^ a heart full of affection, ' Lord, to whom should we go ? You have the words of eternal life. And ^e believo and are sure that you are the Christ, the Son ofthe living God." = "uu self ' H/r,f ' ^"' t' '"^"''' ''' ™«" ''^ fe hi"" s Lc^ it T. *l'* "" '""*''°™ ^^'i' Master as much aB he did. But what dij Je.uu reply? Have not I chosen you twei™ ' ..^d o-- ~f you is a devil.' " '""" "^ H \ 1^' ,, Ill 1 ' 11 ^ ^ = '■ ■ •(■ 11' I i • I \ i 01: 178 TUE STORY OF JESUS. He spoke of Judas Iscariot; for he it was that should betray Him: and he was one of the twelve. at;; , CHAPTEE XXXV. THE WOMAN OF TYRE. A FTER these things Jesus went away from ■^^ Capernaum — away from the unbelieving Jews and the fault-finding Scribes and Pharisees — to go to a part of the country where He had never been before. It was a heathen land into which He had now come ; but great numbers of the people had heard of Jesus, and had even gone down into Galilee to see Him. The Lord had not come into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon to preach, but for rest and quiet. He was accompanied by the twelve Apostles ; and with them He went into a house, and did not wish any one to know about it. But He could not be hid. For a woman lived near there who had a young daughter ; and the poor girl was afflicted with an evil spirit; and the mother was greatly distressed about her and YCxj u.iiii.aij-/pj • Mi.xc u.iJiC vV v[ui.i;c; vvcxi vMi-CLU uiiij ^g TUE WOMAN OF T7RE. 179 one person could cast the devil out of her afflicted child-and that was the great Prophet of Nazareth, of whom she had heard such won- derful things. But how could she get to Him ? Where could she find Him ? At last, one day, to her gi-eat joy, she saw Jesus m her own country. With hope tremblin- in her heart she followed Him, and cried, saying" Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil ! ' But Jesus took no notice of her, and answered ner not a word. Then the disciples came and begged Jesus to dismiss her. They said, ' Send her away, for she cries after us.' It was not that they wanted their Master to send her away without having her prayer granted- they only wanted Him to do quickly the deed of mercy that they were sure He would do in the end, so that her crying after them would not make all the other people in the place know tJiat they were there. But Jesus wanted to show His disciples what ^eat faith this poor Gentile woman had. For this reason He tried her faith yet further He said, a am not sent to the Gentiles, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ' The woman still persevered in her' prayer 1 ! i ),■ -11 i 1 1 '■! I l Mf I F I I 1 ji i . ^i ISO THE STORY OF JESUS, She came and fell at His feet, and worshipped Ilim, saying, — * Lord, help me.' Still Jesus does not help her. * It is not right to take the children's bread,' He said, ' and to cast it to the dogs.' The woman answered, ' That . is true, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. I do not ask for the children's bread — I only ask for the crumbs.' Then Jesus answered and said unto her, * woman, great is your faith ; be it unto you even as you wish.' So the woman went home contented, and happy, and thankful, because she believed the Saviour's word. And when she was come to her house she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. There are three things about this woman of Tyre that I want you to notice ; for they are things that God likes to see in all His children ; and they are the signs of His Holy Spirit in the heart. She had great faith. She felt quite sure that Jesus could heal her daughter, because she knew He was the Son of God. She had great patience. Though Jesus ap- peareci not to listen to her, or to care for her, M(^ f. ,' Ti(»i,ll?:'W , ' ,■ J^^:^ ■ IS. f i ■ '-■^ ^^^ Wmd^' -^ ^*.*« - •^ a ; i^: J I'i 'iiUi!;. r l< 111 H ,1 1 ! 182 THE STORY OF JESUS. still she went on praying: she never ceased asking for the blessing till she got it. She had great humility. She felt herself to be quite unworthy of having her petition granted ; she was only a poor Gentile— no better than a dog— yet she knew Jesus would not refuse her on that account. Do you remember how the Saviour said> long ago, in His Sermon on the mount, that those are blessed who do not think much of them- selves ? The woman of Tyre was one of these : she was humble-minded. CHAPTEE XKXVI. TEOrLE HEALED, AND iAUGHT, AND FED. rriHE Lord Jesus journeyed about with His -*- disciples a great deal in those days; and now He came to a part of the country called Decapolis. The people there, like those about Tyre and Sidon, had heard of Him ; and a good many had followed Him at one time. More lately, too, they had heard of His wonderful works ; for the demoniac whom He had healed— the man out of whom He had cast so many devils— had gone PEOPLE HEALED, AND TAUOUT, A^D FED. 183 into that country, telling everywhere how Jesus bad restored him to his right mind. So now, when Jesus came there, a great mul- titude went after Him. He went up into a mountam ; and they brought to Him all those who were sick, and cast them down at Jesus' feet ; and He healed them all. It must have been a wonderful sight to see so many cured so quickly of all their diseases. And the multitude were astonished when they saw the dumb speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the Wind to see; and they glorified— they praised— the God of heaven. Amongst those who were brought to Jesus was a man who was deaf, and who could not speak plainly ; and they begged Jesus very earnestly that He would put His hands upon him and hear him. So the Saviour took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears ; and then He spit and touched his tongue. When He had done that, He looked up to heaven and sighed, and said, ' Be opened.' And immediately the man's ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he could hear perfectly, and could speak quite plainly. I wonder why Jesus sighed when He did this miracle I Perhaps He knew that the man would m< { ■■ !• :l l(| IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 Ui»2^ 12.5 «" lii 12.2 I.I !.•« KS = m 11:25 111111.4 Hill ,.6 V] vl >.^- V / Photographic Sciences Corporation WEBSTER, N.Y. I4S80 (7I6)872-4S03 V \ :\ v\ 'S)^ ^1*' ,.v n^^ ii <^ IM TUB STOIir OF JESUS. not make a good use of the blessings He was giving lam. And, indeed, we know that lie did not begin to nse his tongue as Jesns won! 1 have had him do For the Lord told tlie man, and his friends who brought him, not to tell anyone what had been done. But they did not obey Him ; they told the wonderful story everywhere. AH who heard it were greatly astonished, ihey said, He has done all things well ; He Teak' *^ ^^^ *° ^^"^ ""^ ^'^^ ^"'"'' *° No wonder the people liked to be with Jesus ' no wonder they could not bear to leave Him i for not only did He heal the sick, but He taught them, and preached to them; and they never wearied of hstening to Him. No one had ever spoken to them like this before, and thoy were so afraid of losing any of His words, that they would not even go to their homes ; but for two nights and three days they continued with Him At last Jesus called His disciples to Him, and 'I feel great pity for the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and I'ave nothing to eat; and if I send then". Mvav without any food, to their own houses, they will' bo .11 ; for many of Ihem come from a long way Jt^SZ^^ '.?;■' -'- -"<1 we LOAVES AND I'lSHKS. tlicanks, and brake, and xr.-vp fn ir- t • , «ot before tliem • am If , ' '^'^''^'^''^ *« to the people ' ^''"'^^^"^ ^^'^^^ *^^« ^^^ad They had also a few small lishos Tl.. -n i i-'iat \vere ielfc, seveu i. .1 fTfWii 18G THE STORY OF JESUS. baskets full. And afterwards Jesus sent the people away to their homes. There were four thousand men, besides women and children, that Jesus had fed. How they must have wondered as they saw that He had but the seven loaves and the few small fishes ; and yet, not only did they all eat as much as ever they wanted, but there was also such a great deal over. This was the second time Jesus had worked a miracle by feeding a great multitude. CHAPTER XXXVII. JESUS TELLS THE TWELVE OP C( 3 SORROWS. /^NCE more Jesus went with His disciples, back to the shores of Gennesareth. But directly He entered one of the towns — called Magdala — His enemies, the Pharisees, came again, to tempt and to annoy Him. They began to question Him, and to ask Him to give them a sign from heaven — to do some great miracle — to show that He was the Son of God. Then Jesus sighed very deeply in His spirit. J/isus mis OF coMjro soitnows. ist His heMt was pained to see how full of wicked- uess and unbelief they were. ' Why will these people seek after a sign ? • He said. • There shaJl no sign be given to them.' And He left them. He would not stay there, where He was hated. He took a ship, and crossed over the lake, and went to another And they brought a blind man to Jesus, beg- gmg Him that He would touoh him, and restore h.s sight. The Saviour never refused to help any who were suffering, and who asked His aid • no one ever came to him in vain ; so He took the poor blind man by the hand, and Himself ed him gently ana tenderly out of the town.-for He did not wish to heal him in the sight of dl the people who 'ived there. Then the Lord spit on his eyes, and put His hands nj, ^im, aad asked him if he saw an;! ■; ^^L. u i"' """'"^ "°' «^« ^^'■y distinctly jet ; he looked up, and said,— ^ ' I see men like trees walking ' After that, Jesus put His hands again upon the ma^'s eyes, and told him to look up and this time his sight was quite restored and he saw everything plainly. '<"^ea, and he Then Jesus sent him away to his own house and said to him 'MU^i , i , **" nuuse, _aia uo mm, Mmd you do not go into the m i'- ^ 11 ■ i 1 1R8 T//E STORY OF JISCS. town ; and do not tell to anyone in the town, how I liave made yon see.' The peoplo in tliat place were unbelieving, and did not love the Lord Jesus ; so that is why lie did not wish the miracle that He had done to be known there. After that, Jesus journeyed on, to go to other parts of the country. No one was with Him now but His disciples— the faithful Twelve who had been with Him so long. Jesus had been praying ; and when His prayer was over, as they were walking along He asked, — * Who do people say that I am ? ' The disciples answered, — * Some say that you are John the Baptist; and some say you are Elijah, or some other Prophet.' How strange it was that, after all Jesus had done and taught, the people would not believe in Him as the Messiah ! Sometimes, you re- member, when they had seen Him do some very wonderful thing, they did exclaim that He was the Son of God : but they did not really believe it in their hearts, or they could not have changed their minds about it. They believed that He was only a Prophet. Then Jecus questioned His disciples again. * But who do i/otc say that I am ?' JE&US TELLS OF COMINO SORROWS. isg Peter answered at once,-' You are the Christ the Son ol the Hving God.' ' Jesus said to him, ' You are blessed ; becauso no man has taught you tliis, but God-even my 1 ather whicli is in heaven. ' And now Jesus began to tell His disci])les somethmg that made them very sad and sorrow- ful He told them that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things-much rudeness and cruelty-from the chief priests and rulers, and that He must be killed ; but that after three days He would rise again from the dead. Tins was, indeed, heavy tidings. Could it bo possible that their own dear Master was to be billed ? That He, God's Son, was to be put to death by the people at Jerusalem ? Their hearts ached at the terrible thought ; and Peter so foi- got Inmself that he caught hold of Jesus, and began to find fault with Him. 'God forbid,' he said; « this shall not happen to you, Lord.' ^^ Ah ! just before, the Saviour had praised Peter for his faith ; now He rebukes him for thinking that he knew better than his Master. 'Get behind me, Satan; you are a stumbhng- stone to nie; for your thoughts are not the thoughts of God, but of men!' Jesus called Pctor ^ Satan,' because He knew 100 THE STORY OF JESUS. vv • I 4-V that it was the devil that was tempting him to speak like that. The disciples could not understand that the only way sinful men could get to heaven, was by the death of Jesus, — that He must bear in His own body on the cross the punishment of all our sins. They only saw the sadness of it ; they did not see the necessity. But why were they not comforted at tho thought of their Lord's resurrection on the third day? The reason was, that they did not under- stand what the rising from the dead meant; and they were afraid to ask Him. Jesus went on to tell them that trials, and difficulties, and hardships were not only for Him, but for His followers, too ; and that they must be prepared to bear cheerfully shame, and contempt, and even deatky for His sake. He told them, too, that one day He would come down from heaven in the glory of His Father, with the holy angels; and then He would rewai'd all those who were faithful. And He gave them this warning, — * Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, of him shall I be ashamed when I come again in glory.* Jesus said also ; * I tell you of a truth that T-ITE TRASSFIOUBATlOy. ,5, some Of you who are standing liere shall not die till you have seen the Son of man oominR in His Kingdom.' He was going very soon to show three of them His glory; and this would better help them to bear the sorrows that would follow. The disciples were very grieved-very down- hearted-as they heard of all the troubles that were before them. But they loved their Master too weU to wish to leave Him ; they felt they could bear anything for His deii sake, because they loved Him so much CHAPTEB XXXVIII. THE TEANSFlGUaATION. gix days after that sad talk which had so dis- *™«««'M\ i t a ii itt 1^1 ill pl -i'., 1* TUB TBANSFIGUBATION. TUB TIlANHF/OVltATl.W. ,„ 'tnd Elijah-and tliey also wore in brichtness JefusaLm '""' "'""'' «° ^''-W ^ie at aro^td fuf'"^ ,''°'" "'"' ^™^ «'"'"°S all -da i^rteV" ^'"""T^ "'^•''^'''^^ they see? '' '" '"""'"'■' ^^'"" "J'-l Tliey saw their Master transfigured before heui-cbanged and glorified I They saw Jo hundred »n^ fif , " ''""' fourteen c med tb! f { ^T' '"^°''«' ""'1 wl'o was And what were they talking about? Tw.? "t ^''^ """8 "'^t l^ad made the Twelve so unhappy; they spoto of the suffer -gs and death that their blessed Mas er should mmi w m. !l in! 104 TJ/E STORT OF JESUS. endure at Jerusalem; and Peter, James, and John, heard what they said. While they were still looking in awe and astonishment, a bright cloud came and over- shadowed them all; and they feared as they entered into the cloud. Then there came a voice out of the cloud, which said, — 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him.' Whose voice was that? It was the Father's voice— the voice of God Himself— and when the disciples heard it, they were sore afraid; and they fell on their faces on the earth. Then Jesus came and gently touched them, and said, — * Get up, and do not be afraid.* At His words, and at His touch, they lifted up their eyes; and when they had looked all round, they saw that no one was there but Jesus. As they came down from the mountain, Jesus gave them a strict order. He said, 'Tell no one what you have seen, till after I am risen from the dead.' And Peter, James, and John, obeyed Jesus; and never spoke of it even to the rest of the Apostles. But they often spoke of it amongst THE DEmxiAc nor. 195 tbemsolves, and wondered what th« ,•• • iiom the dead should mean. ' "'^^^ CHAPTER XXXIX. THE DEMONIAC BOY. ^»™ Jesus, with His throe companions a great mnSX rt^ trLft"^ T questioning with tbem Tf 7 ® ^''"^^^ TT,3^^mi*^^ ^^°^^^ '^^ Jesus, they ran to showed Him reverence. '"' "'"^ Then Jesus asked the Scribes ' Wl,„f you disputing about?' ' ^^'■'" are ' I ^Mlttli 198 THE STORY OF JESUS. ,- 4 -1 > * Master, I beseech you, look upon my son : for he is my only child. And he is deaf and dumb, and out of his mind, and sore vexed; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water; and I brought him to your dis- ciples, that they should cast the evil spirit out of him, but they could not.' Ah! this then was what made the Apostles look so ashamed and distressed. Their Master had given them power to heal all manner of diseases, and to cast out devils ; yet they could not cure this poor demoniac boy. We shall see presently why it was that they failed in doing it. When Jesus heard the father's story, he answered, — * faithless people, how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I bear with you ? Bring your son to me.' So they brought him to Jesus; and when the boy saw Him, he fell on the ground again in violent convulsions, and foamed at the mouth. *How long has he been like this?' the Saviour asked. The father replied, ' Ever since he was a little child. But if you can do anything, have pity on us, and help us.' TUE DEMONIAC DOT ' 107 Jesus always req'„i{dfefh.^""' **''^'- f«' unbelief.' ' "^ believe; do help my When Jesiis saw thof +k« i ning together, hI eb'w .f'''" ""^^ '"■^- «aying to hii, 'You dumb 7'?'*^ ^P^"'' I bid you come out of ^^\ 7^ /'"^ ^P'"*' into him.' ^™' ''"<* enter no more And the spirit cried an,! t„ ..• came out of him. Thek 7t ^ , '""' ^""^ ground so still that if >^ ^^^ ""^ t^'" dead; and mal of th« ""? "' " '"^ "«^« dead.' ^ °* *''« people said, 'He is But Jesus took him Iiv ti,^ i, , him up, and gave him^o 1^'"/,^^ ''"^'^ enred and ,vell. And Jl thl f ' «"''^ a« at the mighty pot*t? G^ ''''' aisSes asieVHirr- n"5 "" ^--' His -' we cast o^ft ^S^^ ' ^^^ ^"'^ unSSf'*""'''"'"^''-'^ 'Because of .our I I II U|f ^ 198 THE STORY OF JESUS. Yes, that was the reason ; they had not faith enough. Perhaps since that sad talk with Jesus, when He had told them of the sorrow that was coming, their faith and trust in His power had got weaker. But they might have got more faith if they had only prayed for it. Jesus said to them, 'I say to you truly, that if you have faith, you shall say to this mountain, Eemove hence to yonder place, and It shall remove ; and nothing shall be impos- sible to you.' He told them, too, that if they had prayed, they would have been able to cast the devil out of that poor boy. Faith and prayer can work miracles. Dear children, in this story of the demoniac boy, there is something for you to think about very seriously. Is it not terrible to read how completely he was under the power of an evil spirit ? and have you ever thought that some- times you too are under the power of Satan ? I will explain to you how this is. When you do what you know is wrong, and when you indulge in angry, naughty tempers you are obeying Satan's will, and you are putting yourself in his power; and the oftener you sm, the stronger is his power over vou rns DEnosuc bot. ,9, Satan is stronger than you, and by your- self you cannot fight against him. BuJ Jesus vou »!« ^/'P-"'°'-« «ady a great deal, than you are to pray. So remember that when you want grace and strength to give un ™ur wrongs-doing, to amend your fa^UtT and to restram your bad temped or unk nd Zost tions, you must ask the Lord Jesus to heto sr/oV-*''«'^-*'^-Heb::h':;^ woS'oTy°'^1"''*.'^' naughtiness is the tTaf gLT '""' 'P'"*- ^"^ ^° "<" forget in ffim.^ By prayer to Him, and by faith w N If; ■ I ■ l' / 200 THE STORY OF J£SVS. CHAPTER XL. JESUS TEACHES THE TWELVE. A ND now Jesus again returns to Capernaum. His own city. But He went secretly, and did not wish that anyone should know it Why was this ? It was because the people were unbelieving and hardened; and the Pharisees and the rulers hated Him. He had done many mighty works there but they had not believed in Him; He had taught them long, but they had not repented of their evil ways. So He was not going to teach the multitude any more ; but to teach and train the twelve Apostles who were to carry on His :vork. He was constantly telling them now the story that it made them so sad to heaT; fo He wanted to prepare their minds for the trials that were coming. ' ^^e Son of Man shall be betrayed into '\^;t 1 T' ^"' *^^y «^^^^ kilfnim.' Yet though He spoke so plainly, they could not understand it,-they did not^^hink what '^BSUS TEACSES THE TWELVE. ., ■"• 201 - ^.ha. t.e, .ere ^^ ^ - £^ seemed to forge"; co„tinL% Sk'"* l'^^ «g must come before the gW * *' '"^^'^■ Even now, whUe they were on fJ, Capernaum, and after 42 L^k "^^^ *° hem that He must soon be „nt '? 'f'""^ they began to di««.,+« P"' *° <3eath, which of them sSoTd 1?.°°^^* "'^"'^^'-^^ U°gdom of heaven Th« ^''^'' '" *he fro- being ,itelhir^'',lJ-«-y ^- jeaionsy and pride werfin fl, ^ I"" ^"^ each wanted to be fet T>,« ? .'''''''^'- 'earned to be humble-Sded '' ''" °°' ^^^ And they mngt have shown 'bad w for It was not a friendly talk bnfl l^^""' *°° '' Jesus tnew it all • bu TT« f f"^"*"- of it then. When, however L^^f T """"o Capernaum, and wevlJnthL 1 ^ ^"^ '^"^^^^ them,- *'^ "" *''« house. He asked ^^^What were you disputing about on the V'M' 1 iiJ i 202 THE STORY OF JESUS. No wonder they were silent! They were ashamed to tell their Master what had passed; they were ashamed that Ho should know what a different spirit to E's own they had shown. Then Jesus sat down and called the Twelve around Him, and taught them again; and, that they might understand very plainly the lesson He would teach them, He called a little child to Him; and when He had taken him in His arms. He said to them, — 'Except you become changed, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' That little child which the gentle Saviour held in His arms, must have been a very obe- dient, loving, and humble little boy. We know that all children are not hke this; but when they have never any wish or thought of being first, — ^when they do not think much of themselves, when they are obedient and humble, then the Lord Jesus is pleased with them ; for so must all His disciples be, whether they are grown up, or only little children. Do you remember how He said once, * Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart ? ' It is not easy to JSSl-S TEACHES THE TWELVE. jp, XtJT ^^^ ^p-'^-o" to His c^iipt: because he d/d not Mow us ' "' had done -o^nf LSadLrbl^Se^^ Sso ""'f "^ *'''" ""^^ *° oastoun tils ■ and so now he confessed it to Jesus as 7ft ask Him what He thought ' "^ *° aon? S' Jr* ^P^-- °f what the, had ^e^^^aTot^dt^^S^"-"- I'hen Peter said to Jesus ^T r^.A u often shall my brother offend ^ and''l /" give him ? till seven times ? ' ' ^ ^°'- Jesus ansvvered. *I sav nnf „ x seven times but nnHi ^ . ''''*° ^^^^ ""^^'^ He told them, also, hoiv they must f„,„- " --' "« fr- the heaxt. ^xr'heS; I I S04 THE STORY OF JESUS. Father,* He said, * will not forgive you, if you, from your hearts, forgive not every one his brother their faults.* And the Apostles said unto the Lord, ' In- crease our faitli.* They felt it was not easy to forgive liko this, — ^just as it was not easy to be meek liko their Master. So they made a wise prayer, that He would give them more faith in His power, to make them what they ought to bo. '! ¥~ CHAPTEK XLI. JESUS TEACHES IN THE TEMPLE. rriHE time was drawing near for a very joyful feast to be hold at Jerusalem. It was not the Passover; but towards the end of every year, after the harvest of fruit and grain had been all gathered in, a great feast was held (something hke a harvest-home in England), called the Feast of Tabernacles. The brethren of Jesus — His relations — were going up to this feast, and they wanted to know if He was going too; so they said to Him, — JESUS TEACHES IN TUB TEMPLE. 205 * Why do you stay here so quietly, if you want people to know about you? If you do wonderful things, show yourself to the world? Go from here; go to Juda^a-to Jerusalem- that all your disciples may see the works you do!' His brethren spoke like this because they did not believe in Him. But Jesus answered meekly, — 'My time is not yet come,' He said. 'The world does not hate you, but it hates me because I tell it of all its evil works. You go up to this feast : I will not go up just yet because my time is not yet full come.' So HiL brethren went up to Jerusalem. When they were gone, then Jesus went up • but not mimediately. He did not go with all the other people who were flocking to the holy city; He went quietly with His disciples afterwards. The Jews at Jerusalem were very anxious to know If He was coming to the feast; and they looked about for Him, and asked, * Where IS He? * And the people began to talk about Him Some said, 'He is a good man;' others said,* No He 18 not,-He deceives the people. The Feast of Tabernacles lasted eight days • w w soo TIIE STORY OF JESUS. and four days had already passed, when, to the surprise of all the people (for they had quite given up all hope of seeing Him), Jesus was seen. He went up into the Temple, and taught. The Jews, as they listened to Him, could not help wondering at Him. * How is it that this man has such learning? for He is only a carpenter's son,' they said amongst themselves. Jesus knew what they were saying, and He answered them : * My learning comes from my heavenly Father. And if you would do God's will, you would know quite well that what I teach is of God.* Then Jesus asked them, suddenly, a ques- tion that showed them how well He knew what was in their hearts. He said, * Why do you go about to kill me ? ' Their answer was rude and rough. *You have a devil,' they said; 'who goes about to kill you ? ' Jesus answered them gently; reminding them how He had cured the sick man at Bethesda, more than a year ago. He said, * I have done one work, and you all marvel at it. Why are you angry with me because I have made a man quite well on the Sabbath day ? ' They could not answer this question, for JESrS TEA CITES AV THE TEilPLE. eo7 ill their hearts they knew that He was ri-ht and they were wron^. ° ' Then some of the Jews, who hved in Jeru- salem said, < Is not this He whom they seek to kill? But, see! He speaks quite openly, and they say nothing to Him. Can it be that He is the Messiah ? ' And many o. the people believed on Him, and said, ' When Christ comes, can He do greater miracles than these which this man has done ? ' men the proud Pharisees and chief priests heard that the people were beginning to talk m this way, they sent some soldiers to take Jesus. They could not bear that anyone should beheve in Him, and they were longing to have Him killed. So the soldiers went, as they were bidden : but while they were watching for an opportu- nity to take Him, they heard Him teaching. They heard Him say that if anyone thirsted for the Water of Life, He would give it to them -He would give them the Holy Spirit; and! as the soldiers listened, they felt they could not, and they dared not, lay hands on such a holy Teacher. So they went back again to the chief pnests and Pharisees, who asked them angrily Why have you not brought Him ? ' n I ^ 208 THE STORY OF JESUS. The soldiei, answered, 'Never man spake like this man I * The Pharisees wore very angry. They said, * Are you also deceived ? Have any of tiie rulers, or of the Pharisees, believed on Him ? * Yes ; one of their rulers did believe in Him. Do you remember who it was ? It was Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night. But Nicodemus was afraid to say openly that he believed in Him, because ho was so much afraid of the Jews; so he only said, timidly, — ' *We must not judge anyone before we hear him, and know what his fault is.' The other rulers did not like to hear Nico- demus speak so gently of the man they hated, and they said, sneeringly, — 'Are you also a believer in Him? Search and look, for no prophet comes out of Galilee.' After that, all the people went away to their own homes. But Jesus had no home to go to; so He went up • the Mount of Olives, and there He stayed fii] i^u^lit. No doubt He spent the night in prayer to God, as He had so often done before. But very early in the morning He was down in the Temple again ; and all the people came to Him, and He sat down and taught them. JL'Si'S TEACIlEti JN THE TEMVLL. 200 ne said, * I am tlie Li-ht of the World • he who follows Mo shall not walk in dark-aess,' mt shall have the Light of Life' That means that the disciples of the Lord Jesus will not walk HI sm,-they will not take any pleasure in evil thoughts or evil deeds, but they will try to do God's will on earth, and He will give thom everlasting life. The Pharisees were listening to all He said, and now they began again to contradict Hiin. * You Hay what is not true,' they said. ' liey were longing to take Him, but they could .ot because the proper time had not yet cone for Him to die. Jesus was not afraid of them. He knew they would kill Him soon; and now He spoko very plainly to them, to tell them what then- end would be, if they did not repent. He said, — *If you do not believe that I am the Son of God you shall die in your sins. You want to kill Me, though I have only spoken to you the truth which I have heard of God.' The Jews said, ' God is our Father.' Jesus answered, ' If God were your Father you would love me, because I came fi-om God' But you are^not His children,-you are the children of the devil. He was a murderer < : .1 210 THE STORY OF JESUS. and a liar from the beginning ; and you do his works.' The Jews were more and more mad with rage as they hstened to Him ; and at last, in their hatred and passion, they took up stones to fling at Him, that they might stone Him to death. But again He worked a miracle, as He had done once before, when the Nazarenes wanted to kill Him by throwing Him down a very steep hill, or rock. He hid Himself from them. He went out of the Temple, passing right through the very midst of them. But they could not see Him I And so He passed by safely. THE MAN BORN BLIND. Sll III it^ CHAPTER XLII. THE MAN BOEN BLIND. ]S^ow as Jesns was passing by, after He had gone out from the Temnl/ w„ who had been born blL ^ ' ' '""' " """^ it Suit rrr *^°"^''* ^"^^^ ^ -'^^'Jfcl thing It must be to be horn blind ? Thia -^^ ^ had never seen his father"t hfs'LCh: flowers'^VeTar '"^" *"^^ °' ^-^^ "« nowers , he had never seen the brisht snn Bhmmg, nor had he watched at n fh he silvery moon and the twinkling stars hI h»! never seen anythma. Can vn„ ." ^^ how sad it was ? ^°" "°* ""''g'^e When the disciples saw him, they asked Jesus, saying, 'Master, why was thl 1 born blind? Was it L„„ T " '"''" wicked? o. K. It because he was very wicked ?_ or because his parents were very Jesus answered, ' That is not the reason • ;t. because the power of God should be shown' We do not read that this poor blind beggar u M I If: Pi 212 TEE STORY OF JESUS. asked Jesns for anything ; but the Saviour was too full of love and pity for any sufferer to pass him by. So now He stopped, and spat on the ground; then He made clay, and spread the clay over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, — ' Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.' The blind man did at once what he was told ; he went and washed, and came back seeing. Think what must have been his wonder at all the things he now saw for the first time in his life ! The beautiful blue sky, the houses on each side of him, the people, the carriages, the animals and birds, were all new to him, — he had never seen any of them before. I suppose the neighbours, and those who had seen him before, could scarcely recognise him, now that he was looking so bright and happy. They said, 'Is not this he that sat and begged?' And some of the people said, * Yes, this is he.' Others said, * It is like him.' But he said, * I am he.* Then they asked him, ' How were your eyes opened ? ' He said, *A man, called Jesus, made clay and put it on my eyes, and told me to wash in the pool of Siloam ; and I went and washed, and I received my sight.' TUE MAN BORN BLIND. 213 Then they said to him, * Where is he ? ' He answered, ' I do not know.' It was the Sabbath day when Jesus had done this miracle. So the people took the man to the Pharisees, and the'Pharisees asked him what had been done to his eyes. He told them, ' He put clay upon them, and I washed and do see.' Some of the Pharisees, when they heard this, said, ' This man is not of God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.' But others said, 'Can a sinner do such miracles ? ' So there was a great deal of disputing about it. Then they said to the man again, 'What do you think of the man who has opened your eyes ? ' He replied at once, * He is a Prophet.' But the Jews did not believe that the man had been blind at all, so they called his parents, and asked them about it. The parents said, 'We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind ; but how it is that he can now see, we do not know. But ask him about it ; he will be able to tell you.' Then the Pharisees called the man who had been blind, and asked him again, ' What did He do to you ? how did He open your eyes ? ft ii !l i :i SI! finifl Mtt ■ y- ' , 't' li 111 'A w t 'i 214 THE STORY OF JESUS. He answered them, * I have told you already, and you did not attend : why do you wish to hear it again? Do you wish to be His disciples ? ' Then they sneered at him, and said, ' You are his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses, — as for this fellow, we know nothing about Him.' The man answered and said to them, * Why, this is a wonderful thing that you know nothing about Him, and yet He has opened my eyes ! Since the world began, it has never been heard of, that any man has opened the eyes of one that was born bhnd. If this man were not of God, He could do nothing.' The Pharisees were very angry at his daring to say this to them, and they were determined to punish him for it. They said, 'You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us ? ' Then they gave an order that he was not to be allowed to go into the synagogue for a whole month. This was always reckoned a great disgrace. Jesus heard that they had shut the man out from the synagogue for thirty days — a whole month — and so He went to look for him. When He had found him, He said, — * Do you believe on the Son of God ? ' THE SEVEN TV. jlS T ^^^^ff^.^^s^vered, 'Who is he, Lord, that I might beheve on him ? ' Jesiis said to him, ' You have seen Him; and It IS He who IS now speaking to you.' Andthemanreplied, 'Lord, I beheve.' Then he worshipped Him. So Jesus opened the man's heai-t as well as his eyes, and gave him light both for his body and his soul. He now saw that Jesus was his Saviour ; and because he believed in Him with a^I his heart, the Lord gave him, according to ills promise, everlasting life. \' i i' X |! I CHAPTER XLIII. THE SEVENTY. Tn a little while— in less than half a year- Jesus would be crucified. He knew exactly the right time to lay down His precious hfe ; and He would not put it oif for a single hour. His dehght was to do His Father's will; and His love for us was so great, that it made Him willing to die for us. But before that dreadful time should come He wanted to journey about to a great many i rffi'i? 1:41 ; 21G THE STORY OF JESCS. towns and villages ; and He wanted the people to be prepared to receive Him. But He would not preach any more in Galilee. He had been there so much, and they did not believe in Him, and did not care to have Him amongst them. And He would not teach any more in Samaria ; for He had sent two disciples into that coinitry to say that their Lord was coming. But the people would not receive Him, and would not let Him have food or lodging, so He turned away from them. But it was in the country beyond Jordan and in the land of Judaea that He intended to spend the last weeks of His life. He wanted the Gospel to be preached there; He wanted people to be told of a Saviour for sinners. But how few there were to tell them about it ! You remember how He had sent out the Twelve some time before, by two and two, to preach and heal the sick ? Now He was going to send many more to carry His message of love and mercy. So He appointed seventy men (besides the Twelve) that He might send them on before, by two and two, into every place where Ho Himself intended to go afterwards. The Seventy were true disciples of the Lord Jesus ; they believed in Him, and they loved THE SEVENTY. gl? Him; and they were quite ready to -o wherever He should send them. Jesus ga?e tliem instructions as to what they were to do. Ihey were to heal the sick, to cast out devils and to preach, saying, ' 'The Kingdom of God is come near to you ' He told them that there would be dangers. Go your ways,' He said; 'behold, I send yon forth as lambs in the midst of wolves.' Ihere would be many people who would hate them, as they hated their master; but they were to be peaceable and gentle; as 'wise as serpents, and harmless and simple as doves ' So the Seventy set out on their mission, and did the work their Lord had given them to do. After some time they returned to Jesus to te Him what they had done; and they were lull of joy as they gave Him an account of it all. They said,— - ' Lord, even the devils obey us, through your name. '' Jesus answered, 'Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and I give you power over devils ; and nothing shall bv any means hurt you. But do not rejoice most because the evil spirits obey you-be more glad because your names are written in heaven.' I ! f: 218 THE STORY OF JESUS. We do not know the names of the Seventy ; but God knew them; and the name of each of them was written down in the Book of Life. Were the names of all the Twelve written there, too ? No. There was one amongst them whose heart was full of wickedness ; and though he was an Apostle, though he could heal the sick and cast out devils, yet the Holy Spirit was not in him; and the master he hked hest to serve was Satan, and not Jesus. You remember how the Saviour said once, *I have chosen you Twelve, but one of you is a devil.' This was Judas Iscariot, the wicked Apostle who betrayed his Lord. So, you see, it is much better to be a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, and a much happier thing to have your name written down in heaven, than to be able even to work miracles. THE PRODIGAL BON, 219 til CHAPTER XLIV. THE PBODIGAL SON. ^ X^anf r T^K^'^''' O" the Sabbath Clay and invited Jesus to the feaat w. did not ask Him out of kindness • iJT * Jesus entered the house the Ph '°°" *' fr;on.i= i.„ i "ouse, tne Pharisee and his triads began to watch Him ; they wanted tn T If He would do anything wron/ nWf t? f " break the Sabbath. ^ ^' ' '^ ^' ^°"W frnfr/r"™ ™' " PO""^ ">an standing fust in front of Jesus who had the dropsv !;«!% was swollen with disease, andThT'savL^t His tender pity, wished to heal him But wl,!? would the Pharisees think and say if He he^rd him on the Sabbath day ? ^ ^®^ Jesus knew with what unkind feelin™ th»v were watching Him an,! tt.. i 7,^""gs they nifv (V., ti,„ °, ™' ''°'' He knew they had no pty for the sick man ; and He was much grieved at he hardness of their hearts. Bef»e He healed the man, He asked the chiefpharisS £:i";iter,r"-----s ' Is It right to heal on the Sabbath day ? ■ ;| I !, fi :| 220 THE STORY OF JESUS. And they did not answer a word. They knew it was not wrong ; and yet they could not bear Jesus to do it. Then the Saviour took him and healed him, and let him go. After he had done this, He said to them, — * If any of you shall have an ox or an ass fallen into a deep hole, will you not pull him out on the Sabbath day ? and how much bettor is a man than a beast !' Ah, they knew that Jesus was right, and they were silent before Him ; but they never liked His teaching, when He showed them their faults. Yet there were some people v,'ho liked tc hear Him ; and these were the publicans and sinners. They were wicked people ; but when they drew near to listen to His words, they felt how sinful they were, and they wanted to be made better. Feeling their sins, made them glad to hear of a Saviour, So Jesus taught them; and when some of them asked Him to their houses. He went and ate with them ; for He wanted to make them good. Then the Scribes and Pharisees complained about it, saying, — ' This man receives sinners, and eats with them.' TUB I' no n 10 A L SO!f. 52, When Jesus knew tliey were munnnring, lie told them a parable. He said,-' If a manlL.s a hundred sheep, and he lose one of them, he will leave the nmety-nine others in the wilderness, i\t„Te h°as """^ '-' '"^ °- ^'-* ^« '- found it, he takes it up and carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. * Then he goes home, and calls all his friends and his neighbours to- gether, saying. Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. 'I say unto you, that just in the same way, there is joy in the pre- sence of the angels of God over one sinner that is sorry for his sins.' You see, if the Pharisees did not rejoice when a poor publican or sinner turned to God the angels in heaven did. ' THE PnODIQAL's BETURU. 222 TEE STORY OF JESUS. r I 1 [' ' ; 1 1 Then Jesus told them another very beautiful parable to show how great the love of God is; and how much He loves poor sinners. He said, — * A certain man had two sons. And after a time the younger sori began to get discontented with his happy quiet home ; he wanted to leave it, to go away where he could enjoy himself as he liked, and where his father would know nothing of what he was doing. * So he gathered together all that belonged to him, and all the money that his father had given him, and went into a far country. There he began to lead a wicked, riotous life. He did things he knew to be wrong, — things that he knew would make his father's heart to ache with sorrow. But he did not care about dis- pleasing his father now. *He thought it would make him happy to have so much liberty, and to have his own way in everything ; but he found that sin brought great sorrow ; and he was more miserable than he had ever been before. ' Very soon all his money was spent ; and besides this, a great famine was in all that land, and he began to be in want of food. So he asked a man of that city to take him for a servant ; and the man sent him into his fields to feed pigs. THE PRODIGAL SON. 223 'And now he suffered terribly from hunger He had not enough to eat ; so he ate the husks and coarse food that was given to the pi-s And no man gave to him. ° 'How miserable he was! how cold and hungry ! how different from what he had been m his father's home. ' At last he thought to himself, how many servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him. Father, I have smned against heaven and before you and am no more worthy to be called your son • let me be one of your servants. J And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had pity, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him. 'And the son said to his father. Father I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no more worthy to be called your son. , AwJ ^}^ ^^^^^"^ ^^^^ *o his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet : and let us make a feast and be merry. For this my son was dead a^d is alive again ; he was lost and IS found. idf 'ir 224 THE STORY OF JESUS. * So they began to be merry. 'Now his elder son was in the field : and as he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what it meant. * And the servant said, ' Your brother is come ; and your father has made a feast, because he has received him safe and sound, * Then the elder son was angry, and would not go into the house; so his father came and entreated him. * But he said to his father, These many years have I served you, and I never disobeyed you in anything: and yet you never made a feast for me, that I might be merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours has come, who has been so wicked, and led such a disgraceful life, you have made a feast for liim. ' The father answered, Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad : for your brother was dead and is alive again ; and was lost and is found.' Do you understand a little what this parable means ? As the father had pity on his son when he hated his evil ways and asked for forgiveness, so God has pity on every poor sinner when he turns from his naughtiness, and prays for pardon. ' IS come : S26 THE KINDNESS OF JESUS. fepLVJr "''" " '^""^ °^'^^ ^-« «--er that Is it not true that ' God is love ? ' CHAPTER XLV. THE KINDNESS OF JESUS. One Sabbath day He wnq m o . bent nearJy double. She had been in his Tad state for eighteen years, and she could no hc^d herself ,^ the least bit. When Jesus saw her He called her to Him, and said,- ' Woman, you are made well ' And He laid His hands upon her, and immedi ately she was made straight; and sh; praised God. about It, and he spoke crossly to the people ought to work : come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.' i' ; 1 i^ »l i I 228 THE ISTORT OF JESUS. iSt.^i. Then the Lord said to him, — 'You hypocrite ! ' (a hypocrite is a person who pretends to be good, but who is not at all good) ' does not every one of you loose his ox or his ass from the stable, and lead him away to watering ? And ought not this woman to be loosed from such a bondage on the Sabbath day ? ' When he had said this His enemies were ashamed. And all the people wore very glad and happy because He had done such things. After this, as He was on His journey, he entered a certain village ; and there met Him ten men that were lepers. I have explained to you before what a dreadful disease leprosy was, and how those who had it were never allowed to be with other people. So now these poor lepovs, as they were coming along with their heads bare, and their clothes torn, were obliged to keep call- ing out, ' Unclean, unclean.' When they saw Jesus, they stood still at some little distance from Him, and lifted up their voices and said, — 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.' And Jesus did have mercy. At once He said to them, *Go and show yourselves to the priests.' They turned quickly away to do as they were bid, feeling sure they would be made well ; and lo ! as they went they were healed. THE KINByESS OF JESCS. ggy Jesus said, ' Were tliere not ten cIean,P,l 9 bu where are the nine ? This st ang Ts he onlj one who has returued to give IrVto God.- And He said to the manf'A^e ,nd go your way; your faith has made you welt > Let us take care that we are not like the nine ungrateful Jews ; and let us not forget to thank God every day for all the mercies afd blessingt He as sending us every day. God loves to listen His ifo?^ and praises of the little lambs of And now I will tell you about some happy One day some mothers brought their infants to Jesus, tiiat He should bless them; they Ill WHI i " t^ MH 1 Jiii 8f ^f3Sf 1; ! lyl JESUS BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN. TEE KINDNESS OP JESUS. 229 flll TT.-c 1. • ^ "stened to His kind words, and saw blessing WsuchtLXXT. *° ""^^^^ " So they brought them to Jesus. luiem dway. iiut when Jesus saw if tt^ was much displeased. He thouX W J ' ? of heaven. ' ' ^ '^'^ ''' *^^ ^"^g^om And He took thfim nr» ,*, rr- Ws gently on theti^SrsXf 1 1 ''' 1 ■ i > J. . . ■ "i 'Ii , ■ 1 !• 1 ' ' If • i ■ yiwEHi i 1 IB^ i||Pr Hii^ 'III ' hHI r J 'IV^IdI^^H^^^H ftj-;^' '1 if' I^^BI^Hi^^r H 230 THE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTEE XLVI. MARTHA AND MAET. T7ery near to Jerusalem there was a village called Bethany, and in that village was a house which belonged to a woman called Martha. She was a good woman, and she loved the Lord Jesus ; and whenever He came to Bethany she used to receive Him very gladly into her home. Now Martha had a sister called Mary, and a brother called Lazarus; and they also loved Jesus very much. And He loved tJiem.- the Bible tells us tha,t ' Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.' When He went to their house, Martha used always to be very busy, preparing the best of everything for Him. One day Jesus came, and Martha, as usual, was bustling about to get ready some nice fooci for her holy Guest. While she was doing this, Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His words. She did not care to move while He was speaking; she thought she would like to learn at His feet for ever. XARTIIA AND ifARr. sjj But in a short time Martha began to get a fh^l°^l !!■ ' ""^ '"^'''"S her preparations. She was fretting and fussing too much about what she was doing; and when she saw Mary sitting so qui.tly at the Saviour's feet, she com- plained about it to Jesus, and said,- ' Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone ? ' MABTHA AHD MART. I do not think she really wanted Mary to help her, or she would have asked her to do it before and Mary would never have refused to help! But she was just a little worried and cross, and that made her speak in this way to Jesus. The Lord knew all that was passing in her poor troubled heart; He knew all the real love 232 THE STOKT OF JESUS. nn she felt, and the earnest wish she had to give Him of her best ; and He knew, too, that she was now a Httle bit out of temper. He answered her so kindly ; but He did not tell Mary to go and help her ! He said, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things : but one thing is needful : and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken from her.' He meant to say, that it was better to listen to His words than cO be so busy (even about good things) as to have no time to sit down quietly at His feet, and learn the lessons He was teaching. It was the winter time, and there was again another feast in Jerusalem, called the Feast of Dedication. Jesus had been staying in Bethany, and now he walked from this little village, and from Martha's house, to go to the Temple in Jerusalem. While He was there, the Jews came to Him and said, * How much longer will you make us doubt? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.' Jesus answered them, * I have told you, and you did not believe : and the works that I do in My Father's name, they tell you that I am the Messiah. But you do not believe. ITAltTBA AJfD .VAUr. because you are not My ehe^n m . ''' hea^ My voice, and I W t^ My sheep foUow Me • and T 1- 1? '^®®' ^^ t^ey andMyEaC'are?::.*^"^*^'"'^"^- ^ Jat„.eans,.MyFatherisGod,andIa^ not frightened; He said tf th;,nl ''"' ^^''^ want to stone Mr? • '" '""'"''^ -J" y°° stoneUTrXanr^'"^^/" ""' --' to ' you have i and L "' '''""' ''"' ^°^ ^^at God.' ' "'"^ ''""^"'^^ you call yourself Then they tried to take Him • but W;. u -a i:;^^.!^:. !: «^ esca;i« tht: «^ -ntryryld-rrdrri T ^"° safe from His eneiuies. ® ^^^ ■iiv' I fp M m\ m 234 THE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTER XLVIT. LAZAEUS EAISED TO LIFE. TTThile Jesns was staying in that country ' ' beyond Jordan, Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, became very ill— so ill that his sisters were afraid he was going to die — and in great distress they sent a message to the Saviour. This was the message: 'Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.' When Jesus heard this. He sent back this answer by the messenger : ' This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, and that the Son of God should be glorified also.' Though Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus, yet He did not hurry to Bethany when Ho heard the trouble they were in, but He f emained two days longer in the same place where He was. Was it because He did not care ? Oh, no ; not that : it was because He wanted to make them trust in Him more, by showing them what He could do. LAZARUS RAISED TO LIFE. 235 How the poor sisters must have watched and longed for His coming I But Jesus did not come ; and Lazarus got worse and worse, till at last he died. When two days had passed away, Jesus said to His disciples, ' Let us go to Bethany again.' You remember I told you that Bethany was quite close to Jerusalem; and so, when the disciples heard Him say He was going there once more, they were frightened about it, for their Lord's sake ; and they said to Him,— 'Master, the Jews tried to stone you 'such a little time ago, and are you going back there again ? ' Jesus said to them, ' Our friend Lazarus is sleepmg ; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.' Then His disciples said, 'Lord, if he is sleeping he will get well.' But Jesus meant that he was dead ; and His disciples thought He meant that Lazarus was really resting and sleeping in his bed. ^ So, now, Jesus told them plainly, ' Lazarus IS dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may beheve- but now let us go to him.' ' Then Thomas said to the other disciples, 236 THE STORY OF JESUS. * The Jews are sure to kill our Master ; but we will go too, that we may die with Him.' When Jesus got near to Bethany, someone told Martha that He was coming, and she ran quickly to meet Him ; but Mary sat still in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' Jesus said to her, * Your brother shall rise again.' Martha answered, 'Yes, I know that he will rise again at the last day, when all the dead people shall rise.' But this was not what Jesus meant ; so He spoke to her again, and told her that He was Himself The Life, and that He could give hfe to those that were dead ; and He asked her if she beheved this? And Martha answered Him, 'Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Son of God.' After that, Jesus asked her where Mary was • and so Martha went back to the house and called her sister, secretly, saying, ' The Master is come, and calls for you.' As soon as Mary heard that, she got up quickly and went to Him. Why did Martha call her sister so secretly ? lAZARVS RA/SBD TO LIFE. 237 It was because a great many Jews from Jeru- salem were eatting with them in the house ad want?. r\ ;r^'-^°" *'" '"^^ '-"=<» j--' ^^ wanted to kUI Km, so they were afraid of lettin.. them know that He had come back. »ni M ^^T '"'^ S""* *° tl^e house of Martlia death I rt *?"" ''''' ''''" '^^'her' death , for Lazarus had now been dead four days, saw Morv ' ^''"'" '" *''' ^'''^■'- ^^■'^^'^ the Jews fii^rhers.-''"^^''^ ^"' ^° °"*' '^^- WK* '',f '°^ *° *''^ Srave to weep there.' was shef!^fl'""!t*''' P'''"'^ ^'^^'■^ J«™' was, she fell down at His feet, and said to Him just what Martha had said, 'Lord, if youha^ been here, m. .rotuer would not have dfed!- When .Tesus saw her crying, and the Jews also crymg which came with h,.r, He groaned and was much troubled. t,roanea, 'WJiere have you laid him ? ■ He asked. They sard o Him,. Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. The sight of their grief and sadness so touched His heart tl,„t h *="''; and l)pnr tn 00., -I ,,"^art, that H.J could not bear to see it; and though He knew He was Somg to make them happy and thankftuLrr too' TnT th^ ^i' *''^ r' ^^^l'"^^' H« 5 wCnfi T '™°'^°™^'^«heeks. When the Jews saw it, they said, ' See! how 1 . ■ 1' 1 il 1 !i I i, 1: 238 TUE ST0R7 OF JESUS. much He must have loved His friend.' And others said, ' Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have made Lazarus well again ? ' Jesus groaned again. And now by this time they had come to the grave. It was in a hole in a rock, where they had laid the dead body of Lazarus, and a large stone was before the hole. Jesus said, ' Take away the stone.' But now Martha spoke. She thought it would be dreadful if the stone were taken away, and she said, ' Lord, by this time it is too late, for he has been dead four days.' Jesus said to her, ' Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?' Then they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, ' Father, I thank you that you have heard Me ; and I know that you hear Me always.' When He had said these words. He cried with a loud voice, * Lazarus, come forth ! ' At this moment, while the people were all looking in silent awe and wonder at the open grave, Lazarus, who had been lying there dead for four days, rose up and walked out of it ! His hands and feet were tied round with grave- clothes, and a cloth was round his face. LAZARUS RAISED TO LIFE. 239 Jesus said, ' Undo the clothes, and let him go How joyful, and how thankful, the sisters were to receive their dear brother back to life again ! He was not looking weak and pale, as he had done before he died,— he was now in sound and perfect health. What a wonderful miracle Jesus had done ! Many of the Jews which saw it believed on Jesus after that ; but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what He had done ; and when they heard about it, they wanted the more to kill Him. And they wanted to kill Lazarus, too, because, owing to him, so many people believed in Jesus. So the Saviour could not walk about amongst the JevNs any more after that. He went away to a quiet little town near the wilderness, called Ephraim ; and there He remained with His disciple?, till it was time to take His last journev to Jerusalem. r, I H' ■ ' ■!■ • 240 THE STORY OF JESUS, III It, , CHAPTER XL VIII. ON THE WAY TO JEEUSALEM. ^ FEW quiet weeks of rest had passed away, and now the time had come when Jesus must leave the Httle town of Ephraim. As He set out on His last journey to Jerusalem, He knew quite well all that was going to happen to Him there; yet He steadfastly set His face to go and hear it. He walked on in front of His disciples, think- ing of all the agony and shame that were before Him ; yet He was willing, and even eager, to bear the sorrow and the pain, because of His great love for sinful men. As the Twelve fol- lowed their loved Master, they were amazed and frightened. Presently Jesus called them to Him, and began to explain to them more plainly than He had done before, all that He was to suffer. He told them that He would be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests and scribes, and that they would condemn Him to death, and mock Him, and beat Him with whips, and spit 'I 11 f t '''' -^'lE WAT TO JBRmALBSl. jj, upon Him and, at last, cracify Him An.l n third day He would rise again ^ "'" ha?t7dlem Z:V^' T'^^" ''^^^ ^"^ of themselvtat al ; ^^S^^^^' "-^^ two of the disciple -^IC If '^ ^"^ *™«. a request which showed Xt ^ll't^TT'^' was still in their hearts emd^h! elfishness thinking a great deal abo;*^!''^^ tlTn r \*°.''^' '"«°**«» whaT'susll tau-ht .hem but a very short time before and t' /anted to be fint again. ' iiiey came to Jesus and said, ' Mast,f.r ,,„ want you to do something for u tW ti going to asi£.> ^ ' '^™ ^® ^re ^^^Jesus^ said, -What is it you want Me to do They answered, 'Grant that we mav sit nn» suffering fhpfT ^' ^^"^ ^°^ ^^^^ ^U the suflermg that I am going to endure ? ' They said to Him, ' We can.' and on Mv \&^\^ i« o«i 4" Ti ^ ^^* ^^^^ T?^u x.^ ' ^ °^v for those for whom M.r Father has prepared it.' ^-^ ■:i( 242 THE STORY OP JESUS, When the ten heard what James and John had been saying, they were very angry with the two brothers. But Jesus began to teach them again, as He had done before, that the way to be really great is to be humble and unselfish; even as He Him- self had come, not to be waited on, but to serve others, and to give His own Life that He might save men from Satan. While they were still on their way, walking and talking, they came to a town called Jericho. And a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging. A great crowd of people had begun to follow Jesus by this time ; and as the bhnd man heard the tramp of so many feet passing, he asked what it meant. And they told him that * Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.' Then he cried out, * Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me I ' When he called Jesus the son of David, he showed that he believed Him to be the Messiah. But the people blamed him for crying out, and told him to be quiet. However, he cried BO much the more, * Son of David, have mercy on me I * Then Jesus stood still, and told the people to bring the blind man to Exm. And they went of Nazareth ON TUB WAT TO JERXJUMEM. U3 c°al"yo:f"''''^^°'^°"^--^»'."-'Eo JE3U8 OF NAZABETH PASSEXH BT. The blind man said, 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' •' And Jesus said, 'Keceive your sight: your faith has saved you.' And immediately he re- In that same town of Jericho lived a man whose name was ilacohaus. He was a publican 244 THE STORY OF JESUS. If' I — a man who collected money for the king — and he was very rich. But he had not made his money honestly. When he was collecting for the king he collected a great deal for him- self, and made himself rich by cheating poor people and robbing them of money. Well, this man wished very much to see Jesus as He was passing through ; but he could not, for so many people were round Him, and Zacchseus was a very little man. So he ran on in front and climbed up into a tree to see Him : for he knew that Jesus was to pass that way. When the Lord came to the place He looked up and saw him ; ar d He called him by name, saying, * Zacohseus, make haste and come down; for to-day I must s'ay in your house.' What a surprise this was for Zacchaeus ! He had not expect i to be noticed at all, and now Jesus is actually going to his house, though he is a despised and hated publican. Feeling how greatly he was honoured by the Holy Prophet, he made haste and came down from the tree, and received Him joyfully. But now the people began to murmur when they saw where Jesus had gone. It was the old complaint : * He is gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner,* I: OH TBE WAT TO JERUSALEM. But Jesus 846 came to seek and to save sinners He W that the heart of Zaeohieus wlsnot qmte hard and bad; and that love and MnLess would win him to a better life '""•wess Jtt X " ^"^r. ^°' ^^^^ -^^^^s ^as sitting tt l^e hi 1, '"'''"'"^ ^''y^' "^d determined A ,. T' '^y "" ''^^ f»t°'«- He stood un and told Jesus what he was going to do He had taken a great deal of monfy from the' poJ and now he was sony for it, and said,- ^ ' poor J 1" r ""''' "' ""^ «°°^« t° *he Che t'edTwi, J™l„r'7'' "'°"' ' '^-^ have ..bbed them of!^ *""'' ^= '"""'^ '^ I And Jesus was pleased. He saw that Zacch^us was in earnest, and that he was 7 changed man. So He said - Thf t/7 « '"^r''"" °°"'' *° *W^ bouse.' Heart, and Jesus gave him everlasting life. I I i ! I ,t? ' • *^ "^''° " thatis .e41ur7oun'^^ ^'^''^^ "^ ='^— J froJ "ttt ^""-1'' *° ''^'^y '^'^ Lord; Ji( CHAPTER L. A DAT OP TBIUMPH. r[lHE day after that sapper, when Mary poured feet JesLTftP tu""""^"' °^«^ *e Savour's had noTm, t , ''""'"y *° S° '° Jerusalem. He When they had gone a little way out of in o Z T" '"^ *° ^^^ °^ His disciiJes < Go .ouuv=£o. Aereyou will fmd a young ass tied,, It If 9 250 THE STORY OF JESUS. on which no one has ever sat: loose him and bring liim to me. And if anyone shall say to you, Why are you doing this ? you shall answer, The Lord has need of him ; and he will let you take him at once.' So the disciples went as they were told, and everything happened just as Jesus had said. They found the colt tied by a door ; and as they were loosing him some people said, * Why are you taking the colt away ? ' The disciples answered, ' The Lord wants him.' And they brought the colt to Jesus. Now a great many people had heard that the Prophet of Nazareth was coming to Jerusalem ; and they went in crowds to meet Him, carrying palm-branches in their hands. Then they spread their garments on the young ass and set Jesus upon him ; and they also spread their clothes on the ground, and cut down branches from the trees and scattered them along the way for Jesus to pass over. And the whole multitude began to rejoice, and to praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen. They said, ' Hosanna ! blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.' Some of the Pharisees were amongst the crowd, and they did not at all like to hear the people praising Jesus and calling Him King ; so lim and 7 to you, ^er, The ^ou take old, and ad said. L as they vVhy are i wants 3US. that the fusalem ; carrying )y spread ,et Jesus lothes on the trees Jesus to began to voice for the King ngst the hear the King; so -.■,--• - -■..JjF' JERnsALElI. mi THE STORT OF JESUS. '\i %v M vr they said, 'Master, rebuke your disciples— don't let them say this.' But Jesus would not stop them. And now, as they had got to the top of the hill, all at once they saw the beautiful city lying before them ; and as Jesus looked down upon it, He wept. They were not silent tears, such as He shed at the grave of Lazarus; now the Saviour wept bitterly— He wept aloud. Why did He weep ? was it at the thought of all the dreadful suffering He would have to bear there, in a few days ? No ; it was not for Himself He wept, but for the people who were living in that place which was called the 'holy city,' though it was so unholy. He had taught there. He had preached. He had done miracles, but they would not receive Him ; He had often longed to gather the children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but the people would not let Him ; and now they were going to kill Him ; and He knew that God would severely punish that wicked city, for shedding the blood of His well-beloved Son, The Saviour knew all this; and it was for their sorrows-^not for His own-that He shed those holy tears of deep compassion. Jerusalem was very full of people at that time, for +.he Passover was close at hand, and they A DAT OF TRIUMPH. 253 had come from aU parts of tL-> country to keep the least ; and now, as Jesus came -nto the city riding on the ass, and accompanied by such a ZTJ ^ wl"^ '^^^' *^^ P^°P'« ^°'^'i^«d and asted, 'Who IS this?' thtf *^^'"""i'°'Je answered, ' This is Jesus, the Prophet of Nazareth. ' Then Jesus went into the Temple. And what did He see there ? Just the same disgraceful scenes that made Him so angry three years Med at the Passover in the large outer court of God s house-there were the cages of doves- there were the tables of the money-changers Jesus could not endure to see it all, and He would not suffer them to remain there ; so again those who bought and sold them ; and He ipsct the tables of the money-changers, and threw down the seats of those who sold the doves It 13 written, My house shaU be called the i'aTe:'of';S:.?^^='^='''"*^-'^--^e When He had thus cleajised the house of God -Rzs own Iwuse for the second time, the blind them "*'"" *° ^™ *^"'' """^ ^^ ^'^'''^'i And the little children began to sing praises 254 TUB STOnr OF JESUS. I 5 to Him, and to say, * Hosanna to ths Son of David.' But when the chief priests and scribes heard them they were exceedingly displeased, and they said to Jesus, * Do you hear what these children are saying ? ' And Jesus said, * Yes. God accepts the praises of even little infants.' Jesus hked to listen to their little voices, and He would not tell them to be silent; for He loved little children then, and He loves them noiu. When it was evening, Jesus went out of the city, back to Bethany again, and lodged there. And the Twelve were with Him ; even the traitor Judas, who was only thinking all the time how he might help the chief priests to take his Mastr- , that so he might get the thirty pieces of silver for himself. TUE LAST SUPPER. 255 CHAPTER LI. THE LAST SUPPER. — ^I. JfioR two days more Jesus tauglifc in the ^ Temple ; and all that time the chief priests the rulers, and the scribes, were trymg how they might destroy Him; but they did not know how to manage it, for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. Then came the day when the Passover Feast began ; and Jesus said to Peter and John — ' Go and prepare a supper that we may eat the Pass- over. But they said to Him,^' Where do you wish us to prepare it ? ' for they did not know of any house in Jerusalem where they might Jesus said to them,-* Go into the city, and you shall meet a servant, carrying a pitcher- or large jug^of water: follow him into the house And you shall say to the man who owns that house. The Master says to you. Whevo i« the room where I shall eat thepassover with my rJi !» fi Mil-: i I 25G THE STORY OF JESUS. disciples ? And he will show you a largo room upstairs ; there make ready.' So Peter and John went to Jerusalem, and they saw the man carrying a pitcher, just as Jasus had said ; and they followed him into the house, and asked the master of that house to show them a room where they might prepare a supper for their Lord. Then he took them upstairs, and showed them a large room, where was a table with seats all round it ; and there Peter and John got every- thing ready. When it was evening, Jesus came to that house with His twelve disciples ; and they went upstairs, and all sat down. It was a very sad, and a very solemn time ; for this was the last meal Jesus would eat, before His death ; and as they placed themselves at the table, He said to them, — * I have greatly longed to eat this passover with you before I suffer.' But even here, and at such a solemn time as this, the disciples again began to quarrel and dispute amongst themselves, which should be the greatest! They were proud and selfish still; and so slow to learn the lessons that their gracious Lord wc^t always teaching them. go room 3m, and just as into the lOuse to repare a ed them seats all )t every- to that ley "went ery sad, the last ; and as I said to passover time as ,rrel and lould be i selfish )ns that teaching JESUS WASHING THE_'disCIPLES' FfiiT. s ' ' 1 y* 1 if. I 4 258 THE STORY OF JESUS dt Before, He reproved them by gentle svorxis ; but now He tanght them by loving deeds. You must remember that in ibat hot counify people used to wear Bandali, and not boots and shoes; and the feel i^^ed to get very dusty and uncomfortable after walking ; so, m every house a basin and ^^rater w<;re provided, that people might have their feet washed when thoy took off tbeir sandals before sitting down to their mc'-ils. In this large upper room where Jesus was now, 1:ne basin and the water wero all in readiness ; but there were no servants, to wash their feet for them. So, what did Jesus do ? Though He was God's own Son, He took the servant's place. He rose up from supper, and took a towel, and tied it round His waist. Then He poured some water in the basin, and stooped down, and began to wash His disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel.* The Apostles would not have done this for each other ; they were too proud and jealous. But what must they have thought— how ashamed * That the washing of the disciples' feet took place before, and not after the meal, ia evident. ' The words " Supper being ended," in John, xiii. 2, are a mistranslation, and should be, " Supper being ready " or " having come ; " the Greek word is the same as is used by Matthew to express " when the evenrig was come.'"— Euqe^jb Stock. THE LAST SUPPER. jgg they must have felt-when their Lord, the Mes- siah Himself, could so humble Himself for the r sakes I I think they must have felt topfull of shame and wonder just at first to say a word • but when Jesus came to Peter, he could not help askmg m great surprise,— ^ 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet ? ' Jesus answered, « You do not understand now what I am domg; but I will explain it to you presently.' ^ y^n Peter said, * You shall never wash my feet ' But Jesus answered, af I do not wash you you cannot belong to me.' ' It was very dreadful to Peter to think that he could not belong to Jesus; and he said so earnestly, *Lord, wash my hands and my head as well as my feet.' ' Jesus said, P'e= (except Judas) were greatly shocked, and very sorrow- f«l; and they looked round at each other won- dering of whom He spoke. And one by one they began asking Jesus,— 'Lord is it I ? • But Jesus did not answer. Now John was sitting next to Jesus, witi. his head leamng on the Saviour's bosom ; and Jesn« loved John more than all the others. So Peter made a sign to him that he should ask their Lord who It was that would do this dreadful thing Ihen John, lying on Jesus' breast, whispered and said to Him, ' Lord, who is it ? ' ' And Jesus rephed in the same low whisper He to whom I shall give a morsel of bread when I have dipped it.' ' it 1^T^T% ^°°^ " '""^ °^ ^'^'■^' ^^ dipped It m a dish of sauce that was on the table and gave It to Judas. So John knew now who "t was that was so wicked; but no one else knew except, perhaps, Peter. ' '«ts 262 THE STORY OF JESUS. And ciittr the sop, Scatan entered into Judas, and never left him again 1 It almost seems as if the Saviour could no longer bear to have that false and faithless apostle in the room, for now He said to him, — * Do quickly what you are going to do.* Then Judas got up, immediately after he had eaten the sop that Jesus had given him, and went out. And none of the others knew why Jesus had said this to him: they thought that perhaps He had told him to buy something for the feast, or to give something to the poor ; for, you remember, J told you that Judas kept the bag in whicli was all the money tl.ct,t belonged to Jesus and the other disciples. But where did Judas go? He went to the chief priests and scribes, to ask them to send some men v/ith him to taku his Mastor. Before the supper was ended, Jesus took bread, aii.l gave thank^ and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, ' This is My body, which is given for you ; eat this, and think of Me.' After- waras He took Lhe cup, and poured out some wine, and gave it tc tiiem, saying, * This is My blood, which is biied for you : drink this, and think of Mo. Jesus did ot lean that tj-e bread and wine were really Bis body and bioo' ", but He wished tiiE ia;st si'iTEn, SGS to teach them, that just as the bread had been broken, and the wine poured out, so His bodv would bo broken, and His blood poured out for them, and for all einful men. After that they sang a hymn ; and then they all left that large upper room, and went out of the house, through the streets, towards the Mount of Olives. As they walked along, Jesus said to them - ' You will all leave me to-night. I shall be taken, and you will ;.ll go, and leave me alone,' Then Peter said, ' Lord, I shall never leave you. I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.' ^ Jesus said to him, * I tell you, Peter, that this night, before the cock crows, you will say three times that you do not know Me.' Peter could not believe that he would be so wicked, and he said very earnestly, ' If I should die with you, I will never say that 1 do not know you.' And so said all the disciples ; but they did not know themselves as well as iheir Lord knew them ! Then Jesus began talking so very kindly to them. He said, * I am going away from you, but do not let your hearts be troubled. I am going to heaven to prepare a i lace for you ; and when t Stl T I m THE STORY OF JESCS. I have prepared a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, that you may be with Me always. * I will not leave you without comfort ; my Father will send you the Holy Spirit ; and I will give you My peace, which is better than any- thing the world can give you. And now I give you a commandment, and that is, that you love one another as I have loved you. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My name. He will give it you. For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have beheved that I came from God.' After these loving words, Jesus prayed to God ; and it was such a tender beautiful prayer. He prayed for His disciples, that they might be kept from all the evil that is in the world, and that they might be made holy. And He prayed also for all those all over the world, who should beheve on Him in the years to come. } So we know that our blessed Lord will pray for us too, if we love Him, and believe His holy word. IX TUB garde::. 860 CHAPTER LIIL IN THE GARDEN. JT was night, and by the time Jesus had finished talking with His disciples, they had come to a pleasant, quiet spot, called Gethsemano It was a garden, and was about half a mile beyond the city. Jesus used often to go there with the Twelve; and wicked Judas also knew the place well, and it was to this garden, this very night, he was going to bring the men to take Jesus. , And now the Saviour said to His disciples, bit down here, while I go and pray a little further on.' T f""*/?® *°°^ ^^^'^ ^'"^ ^^*^^'' ^^''^ James, and John (the three who had seen His glory in the Mount, when He was transfigured before them were to see also His agony in the garden), and He began to be sorrowful and very much dis- tressed. * I am exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death ' Jesus said to them ; ' stay here and watch with Me; and pray while I am praying.* ^ ' I I I * i I' SG'G THE STORY OF JESUS. And He went a little farther, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ' Father, if you are willing, remove this dreadful burden from Me ; but let it be as you will, not as I will.' What was the burden that He found so dreadful? Was it the thought of the cruel death He was so soon to die ? No ; it was the burden of sin He found so very agonising — so very terrible. You remember, I have told you before, that Jesus came to bear our sins, and sorrows, and weaknesses ; and He came also to bear the punishment of our sins His own self, in His own body, on the cross. So it was the burden of oue sins that caused Him such awful suffering in the garden, and almost killed Him.''* And now Satan came to Him again to tempt Him ; and the Saviour's heart was almost broken. No one before, or since, has ever suffered so much as the Saviour suffered then. When Jesus had prayed, He came back to the three disciples, to see if they were thinking of Him, and were watching with Him. But they were fast asleep I Then He said to Peter, 'What, are you sleeping? Could you not watch with Me one hour ? Watch and pray, that you do not fall into sin.* •'Even uuto death.' IN THE GARDEN. gg; And He went away again the second time, and prayed to His Father to help Him in His great sorrow. Then He came again to His disciples, but they were again asleep ; for their eyes were heavy; and they, too, were very sad. This time Jesus did not wake them. He left them, and went away again ; and being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and He was so_ unhappy that drops of blood came out on His face and fell down to the ground. But He ended His prayer (as He had ended it each time before) by saying, * Father, let Your will, not Mine, be done.' Did His Father help Him ? Yes ; God sent an angel down to Him, to strengthen and to comfort Him. And when He rose up from prayer, He went to His disciples, who were still sleeping, and said to them, ' The hour is come, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, for Judas, who betrays Me, is quite near.' And immediately, while He was yet speaking, came Judas, and with him a great multitude' with swords, and sticks, and lanterns, from the chief priests and Pharisees. These men did not know Jesus by sight ; so Judas had given them a sign by which they might know Him. Ho said to them, — I "li Hf ^* \m f ' ! ' i IffiPP^ 1 r I ■ ■ i ' IHB TBAIXOUS KIgS. IN THE GARDEN. SGO ; The one that I shall kiss is Jesus ; mind you hold him fast, and lead him away safely ' So Judas hurried into the garden, and went . "P to Jesus, and said, ' Master, Master,' and Kissed Hnn. But Jesus said to him, 'Judas, are you be- traymg the Son of man with a kiss ? ' The other people had not yet come up, and Jesus, knowing everything that was goin- to happen, went to meet them, and then He asked tnem. For whom are you looking ? ' They answered Him, ' Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus said unto them, ' I am He ' As soon as He had said to them, 'I am He,' they all went backwards and fell to the ground They could not help it ; it was a powfr from God that made them fall down before His well- beloved Son. Then again Jesus asked them, 'For whom are you looking ? ' And they said, ' Jesus of Nazareth.' Jesus answered, 'I have told you that I am a^ay^r-^^^^^'^et My disciples go tight , he struck a servant of the .ligh priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to Pe'ter ^ Put away your sword again. Do you think ij ... J 1 270 THE STORY OF JESUS. that My Father would not send many thousands of angels to help Me, if I were to pray to him for them ? ' And Jesus put out His hand, and touched the man's ear, and heaied him. Is it not beautiful to see how He thought of others, and did deeds of kindness, and love, and mercy to the end ? And Jesus said to the chief priests and cap- tains who were come to take Him, *Are you come out as against a thief, with sworas and sticks to take Me ? I was with you every day in the Temple teaching, and you did not touch Me there ; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.' Then all the disciples forsook Him, and fled. Peter, James, and John, and all the others ran away, and left their blessed Master in the hands of His cruel enemies, who hated Him. And now the wicked people bound the Sa- viour's hands with ropes, and led Him out of the garden, back to Jerusalem. PETER'S DENIAL. 271 CHAPTER LIV. Peter's denial. Jt was already midnight when the band of officers and servants hurried Jesus away from the Garden of Gethsemane. They took Him straight to the palace of the high priest, where they were all sitting up, longing for Jesus to be brought in ; and a great many of the chief priests, and elders, and scribes, were there also. At last the soldiers and servants came in, bringing Jesus with them, with His hands tied behind His back ; and all the wicked people were very glad to see Him in their power. They at once began to ask Him questions, that they might try and find some excuse for putting Him to death; and the high priest asked Him about His disciples, and what He had taught. Jesus answered, < I always taught openly in the world, and in the Temple before the Jews ; why do you not ask those who heard Me, what I said tc (hem. ? for they know what I said.' Thc:i a rude wicked man struck the holy il7^ I'iil I ' , ! 'it h 272 THE STORY OF JESUS. Saviour with his hand, and said roughly, ' Why do you speak to the high priest Hke that ? ' Was Jesus angry ? No ; He bore it so meekly. He only said, ' If I have spoken wrongly, tell nie about it ; but if well, why do you strike rue ? ' Then the high priest asked Him, ' Are you the Christ, the Son of God?' Jesus answered, ' I am, and one day you will see me coming in the clouds, wit'i the holy angels.' Then the high priest said, ' Hear how wickedly He talks ! He calls Himself the Son of God ; what ought to be done to Him ? ' And all the people answered, ' He oudit to be killed.' After that they began to treat Him shamefully. They spit in Plis holy face, they struck Him with rods, and hit Him with their fists, and they mocked Him, and laughed at Him. They tied a cloth over His eyes, and then they struck Him on the face, and the servants slajiped Him and pushed Him about, and spoke rudely and wickedly to Him. And Jesus bore it all, because He loved us so much. But where were the disciples all this time ? I told you that when their blessed Master PETER'S' DENIAL. 273 was taken and when the soldiers had tied His hands behind Him. the eleven apostles were so Tht?!? *f J'^y "" "^'^y -a left Him! and that they would never leave Him • vet see how ,oon they forgot their promises, and only thought of saving themselves I But presently two of them-Peter and John T^T"^ ? ]f ashamed of having left their dear Lord ; and they wanted, too. to know what was go ng to be done to Him ; so they followed Jesus (keepmg a long way behind) into the high priest s grand house or palace. It was a very cold, frosty night, and all the servants of the high priest mi the soldiers were sittmg or standing round the fire ; and when Peter came m, he sat down with them and waj-med himself. We are not told where John was ; but very likely he went into the inner room, where Jesus was, that he might hear all that was being said to his dear Master. ].i% ^fu' ^"^ "*"°S by the fire, a maid looked at him very earnestly, and said.— ' You are one of Jesus' disciples ' But Peter was afnud to say he belonged to T:}^^'^ ^^'■'^ *° '«" *he truth, and so he said, ' No I am not His disciple ; I do not know Hi m. fbteb's bbfentance. PBTEleS DENIAL. 5,5 enS'/fnV7 "°u^P?^' ""'^ ^«y ■""«h fright- ened , and after he had told this sad untruth before «,em all, he got up, and went outside And now another maid saw him, and said, 'I am quite sure this fellow was with Jesus.' But Peter told a lie again. He spoke angrily and sa.d ' I tell you I don't know the man ' ^' Ihen Peter went back to the fire again, and after some time, a man said to him, ' Bid I not see you m the garden with Jesus ? ' sa;f°'lr'.ff'"''''^r '° "^' bad words, and to say, I don t know what you mean ! I tell you I don t know the man you are talking about .1 ' Ana that moment the cook crew Through an open door Jesus could be seen standmg before the proud and wicked men, and now. as soon as Peter had heard the cock ^row he looked quickly „p at Jesus, and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. It was a look of such Ioto, and yet of sorrow and of pity too. It seemed to sayf • Is thirn; friend who said He would die for Me ? ' Je™^ loved Peter so much that it pa.aed Him to hear h.m say he did not know his Master ; bu Jesus knew how sorry Peter would be for it afterwaX and .his was wiiy Ue felt so much pity for Him' When Peter saw his Lord look a^ Him 2 [ii |s"' m^ W ! IIIH^H ^H^ iMMMn?* f** 1^:. !76 THE STORY OF JESUS. lovingly and so sadly, he felt as if his heart would break. He remembered how Jesus had said to him, only a few hours before, * I tell you, Peter, this night, before the cook crows, you will say three times that you do not know Me,' and as Peter thought of this, he went out of the house and wept bitterly. He was ashamed of his wickedness and cowardice ; and oh ! he was so ^ ery, very sorry that he had denied his blessed Master, and had said he did not know Him. For Peter did indeed love Him dearly, but Satan had tempted liim to be so naughty and unkind. CHAPTEK LV. JESUS BEFORE PILATE. ALL through that dreadful night the Saviour had no rest from His enemies. Till the morning came, they never ceased to torment, and ill-treat, and mock him. They were impatient to have Him killed, but they could not put Him to death without the consent of Pontius Pilate, the governor, and they could not go to his house yet, tecause he would not be up. JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 277 However, as soon as it was morning, ::i.d they knew that Piiate would be sitting on his jud/- ment-seat, and ready to receive them, the chief priests and scribes, and a number of people took Jesus with them to P" 'e's house, and the Saviour was led into tl Jgment-haJl ; but all His enemies remained outside. When Pilate looked at Jesus, and saw that pure and holy face, he could not believe that He had ever done anything wrong ; so he went out- side, and said to the people,— ' What has He done ? ' They answered, * He calls Himself Christ a King, and He ought to die.' ' Pilate was surprised to hear this. He went back into the judgment-hall, where Jesus was meekly standing. There He was, a prisoner, with His hands fast tied behind Him ; on His face were the marks of the blows He had received, and the shameful spitting that He could not wipe away : could this meek suiferer be a king 9 * Are you a king ? ' Pilate asked. Jesus said, * I am ; but My kingdom is not of this world.' Pilate then went out to the people again, and said, * I find no fault at all.' But the people were very fierce and angry • I- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT.3) ^/^4** .#'^^ -*■ 1.0 I.I 1.25 11™ BiiS. B 2.5 Hi U^ 122 " lis iig 1.4 - 6" 1.6 ^ ^ >I /> ^' /Ov^<, DK 1 IK OtQ Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STkEET WEBSTER, N.y. M580 (716) 877-4503 ^^ 4^ W^^ %^4 -p f/. %^ ^ 278 THE STORY OF JESUS. , \ fei.liiij.-inti they cried out, * He goes all about the country teaching, and He stirs up the people. He must be crucufied.' When Pilate saw how the people hated Him, he was willing to content them ; and so, though he knew the blessed Saviour was without fault, yet he gave Him up to some soldiers to be cruelly beaten with knotted ropes. This was a very dreadful punishment, and was called scourging; and often people died while they were being scourged, because of the intense pain. ) After they had scourged Jesus, the soldiers put a purple robe over His bleeding back, pre- tendmg to dress Him like a king ; then they platted a crown of thorns, and pressed it down on His head till the blood ran down His face ; foT the thorns were sharp, like pins. Then they mocked Him, and said,— * Hail, King of the Jews I * After that they spit on Him, and struck Him on the head with a stick. Pilate was an unjust judge, and very wicked to let an innocent man be so shamefully treated ; but he could not help being sorry for the Holy. One who bore it all without a murmur, and he wanted to save Him from being killed. He thought that if he showed Him to the JESUS BEFORE PILATE oyg worn out with the torments He had endured for 80 many hours, that they would be sath. fied, and would not wish to put Him to anv more .pain. So Pilate went Lt td si to innw't I ^""8 Hjm out to you that you may Know I hnd no fault in Him.' Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown ol Jl" 't^'T. r."-^'^ "•'" ^d R'at: 3 to tiiem, Behold the man ! ' But when the chief priests and officers saw Him, liad they any pity ? crifd'ont,-'"' ""' '■'' ^"'"^^ '''^''- Ttey ^^^Away with Him I Ci-ucily Him ! Crucify Pilate said, 'You take Him, then, and crucify Him, tor I find no fault in Him.' ' The Jews answered, ' We have a law, and by »r.f r o' °"8''* *° ^^' ''«'''"'«« He calls Him- self the Son of God.' When Pilate heard that, he was afraid. He went back mto the judgment-hall, and said to Jesus, TV here do you come from ? ' But the Saviour gave him no answer. Then Pa.,,te said, 'Why do you not speak to iJon t yon know that I have power to me life ! !■ I m f\ %B0 TITE STORT OF JBSCS. crucify you, and I have power to let you go free?' Jesus answered, * You could have no power at all over Me unless it were given you by God ; therefore, he that delivered Me up to you has the greater sin.' From that time Pilate tried all he could to release Jesus ; but the people cried out the more violently, — * Crucify Him ! Crucify Him ! ' *What! shall I crucify your King?' Pilate asked. * He is not our King ! ' they shouted. And Pilate was afraid of displeasing the people — he was afraid to be just ; he knew that Jesus had done no wrong, yet because the people would not be satisfied until they had killed Him, he at last gave Jesus up to them, to be crucified. TUB DEATII OF JUDAS. 281 CHAPTER LVI. THE DEATH OF JUDAS. Judas had betrayed his gracious Master-had sold Him— for tixirty pieces of silver. Jesus was going to be pat to a most cruel and shame- lul death, and Judas was one of those who had helped the wicked people to take Him. Was Judas happy now ? He had got the money for which he had com- mitted such a horrible sin; was he contented '-.h his bargain ? He had served his real master ^ <3 devil, very faithfully; did he find him as kind and gentle as the holy Saviour ? Oh no ; Satan is a hard and cruel master. He likes to lead people into sin and suffernff- he hkes to tempt them to do wickedly, and then ha is glad when they are miserable, and driven to despair. So it was with Judas. When he saw that Jesus was condemned to death, he repented of what he had done; the thirty silver pieces had brought him no happiness— 1 • - of them. hated the sight f ■ t ! f I i 1^ ' I,. ■-.I' -if; : 282 77/ £• STO/ir OF Jl-SJS. * Oh, how I wish I had never taken that money ! ' he thought ; ' how I wish I had never betrayed my Lord, and had not let the soldiers into the garden to take Him.* He felt he could not keep the money ; he could not bear to touch it, because he had done such a wicked thing to get it; so ho took the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders in the Temple, and said to them, — * I have sinned — I have done very wickedly — because I have betrayed my good and innocent Master.' They answered him scornfully : ' What is that to us ? That is your affair, not ours. ' They saw how miserably wretched the poor traitor was, but they did not feel the least pity for him. They had found him useful in helping them to take the Prophet of Nazareth, whom they hated, and they had paid him for it, and now they did not want to have anything more to do with him. Ah! why did not the unhappy Judas go to his blessed Master ? He would not have spoken scornful words to him ; He would not have sent him away in misery. Judas had heard Him say : * Those who come to Me, I will in no wise cast out.' He had heard Him also say, 'Come 'hat is that THE DBA Tir OP JUDAS. ^3 Mto me, all you who are heavy-laden, a^d I wJl give you rest.' ■ "^u i Juda* waa heavy laden ; why did he not go to W,^and confess his sin, and pray to be^for" The reason was this ; though he was sorry he love mm and he never had loved Hi„, He his Lo"f, 'rr 'r^' ''''^''y'' -^ ^-ete did "' e es Ti,'1 '""^^ f '"" "'■^•^ ^-^ --l loving eyes. Ihe &av,our-s love had never touched his JnlrflTr^""' '^''"' ^'™^«'f had said of Judas that he was a devil traftor. "°" ' ""'' ^""^ *^'^ ^"^ ^'"^ °f «« When the chief priests had given him their scornful answer, he dashed down the pLes of sUve, n th Temple, and went quic'wy" u But he could not rest-Satan would not le Sthrf;;:^;.'";^ ''-''-' ''- - --" £.e^L;e?u^tee"a^l;-/JS of the rope round a branch, and the other eml round h,s neck. When he had done th s e threw himself '^'^— *- — '^ ■ "® ban gjng. down from the tree, and was left til I'J dill ' ^ ;i i'l S84 THE STORY OF JESUS. Judas had killed himself I It was now too late to pray to God for pardon — He was dead 1 He died unforgiven, and so he went to that dreadful place prepared for the devil and for wicked spirits ; he went to hell. CHAPTER LVII. JESUS ONTHE CROSS. Q( the wicked people had got their own way at ^ last, and Pilate, the unjust governor, had given orders that the Saviour should be cruci- fied. When once they had got permission to put the Lord to death, they were in a great hurry to have it done; for their hearts wore harder than a stone. But first of all they took from Jesus the purple robe which they had put on Him to mock Him, and they put His own clothes on Him ; then they led Him away to Calvary— the place where He was to be nailed to the cross. Two other men— thieves— were to be crucified at the same time; and each had to carry his own cross to the appointed place. But the cross was heavy, and the Saviour was very weak. The JESUS OX THE CROSS. 285 thieves could carry their crosses ; hut the hurden was more than Jesus could hear. For see what sufferings He had gone through ! It was only the evening before, that He had taken His last supper with His disciples; but think of the dreadful agony in the garden after that, when great drops of blood came out from His skin, and fell on the ground! Then remember how the wicked people had come to the garden and taken Him away to the high priest ; and how all that night He had had no sleep nor rest, but had been standing before them while they treated Him so disgracefully. Remember again, how they had taken Him, the first thing in the morning, to Pilate, who had ordered Him to be cruelly scourged with knotted ropes. Was it any wonder, then, that His strength was all gone ? and that the heavy wooden cross was more than He could bear ? So as He could not carry it Himself, the soldiers caught a man called Simon, who was coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. A great crowd of people followed the Saviour to Calvary. There were His enemies, who were rejoicing at the thought of His coming death ; and there were a great many women, who grieved 'Wur m i' h Hi' m III 'Ml 280 TI/E STORY OF JESUS. and cried a great deal, because the great Prophet and kind Teacher was going to die. In all His pain and weakness, Jesus could yet care for these women who were pitying Him so much. He turned to them and said, — ' Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children ; for the time is not far off when great troubles and sorrows will come to this city, and you will wish to die because you will be so unhappy.' It was for the wickedness of that city, and because the people hated His own beloved Son that God was going in a few years to send them a fearful punishment. When they were come to the place of cruci- fixion, the soldiers took off the Saviour's clothes, and made Him He down on the cross. Then they stretched out His arms, and hammered large nails through His hands to fasten them to the wood ; and other large nails they fastened through His feet. When this was done, they lifted up the cross, and fixed one end of it firmly into a hole made in the ground. The two thieves were crucified at the same time, one on each side of Jesus ; and then the soldiers took the clothes of Jesus and of the other two, and divided them amongst them- selves. 1 JEscs OX TUB cnoss. jgj t„y'r I"°P'" r'« """'^'^''' " was the custom to «, te up ou the cross, the crime-orfm.lt- or w „eh they were ,ut to death ; hut asj us hi i"°,"'m"'^''''"'= S'^vo an order tha these words should be writteu over His l,ead :_ ' Jesus op Nazaueth tmh K,no or tiik Jews.' The Jews did not like this at all ; aud thev wan ed Pilate to have it taken down • bu he would not alter it. ' ® feeling the most intense jmin in every part of His holy body, what do you think He did? He prayed for those who were causing Him to die such an agonising death ! 'Father, forgive them,- He said; 'for thev know not what they do." ^ And al! tJie people stood watching. The ch-'-.f Vne.s and elders and scribes wi there toof They sld'- " ""''''"-" '"''' '"'«'""« ''' J->«' ' He «aved others ; let Him save Himself, and ^ome down from the cross, if He is the s;n of Even one of the thieves mocked Him, and aid, -Hyou are the Messiah, save yourself and % 188 TlfE STO/tr OF JESCS. But the other tliicf said to his companion, * Are you not afraid to speak hko this ? for we have done wickedly and deserve to die ; but this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he looked at Jesus and said, 'Lord, remember me when you come into your king- dom.' Jesus saw that he was really sorry for all his naughtiness, and so He answered, * To-day you shall be with Me in heaven.' There was a very sorrowful group standing near the Saviour's cross. His mother was there, and three other women who loved Jesus ; and John, whom Jesus loved, was there also. The mother of Jesus had come to see her dear Son die ; and she was feeling such sorrow for His terrible sufferings, that it was as if a sword was piercing her own heart. Do you remember how, when Jesus was a little baby, and His mother and Joseph had taken Him to the Temple to present Him to God, good old Simeon had foretold that she would one day feel this bitter pain? That time had now come. Jesus loved His mother very much, and it made Him sad to know how her poor heart was aching. He thought of her so tenderly ; and when He saw her standing there, and the TUB DEATH OF JESCS. „» luotlicr, 'Behold your son ! ' Then He said to John, ' Beliold your niotlier ! • cae of Mary now; and so that same hour John took her to his own home. CHAPTEE LVIII. THE DEATH OP JESUS. -^HEi, the blessed Saviow had been hanging for three long hours on the cross I hSv r ^* ^^,' ""^ *' ^""^ ^"^ «'""i"e ot^r'S'tSCf ''^"''^^''^"'---- It was a sign of Cxod's anger towards thoso who were murdering His Son. For indeed it rso?too"f'°""'''^^^'"^''^«'-^'- All the people were frightened at tliis strange ttn '^' Z'^^'"- """""^"S voices becan' BUent. Jesus also never spoke a word while He was hanging there, so Ml of pain When u T ! ' ( i M u. LJlk U' BMMMM^} iiii 1 1 t 11 ::)0 77/^ STORV OF J£SUS. three hours had passed away, it began to get hght again, and then Jesus cried out with a loud voice, — 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken mo?' Ah, during all those dark hours the Saviour had been suffering more than pain of body ; His soul was troubled. He was suffering as He had done in the garden ; and the burden of our sins was upon Him. God had not forsaken Him ; but Jesus felt as if that dreadful load of sin had made His Father hide His face from Him. And now He began to feel a burning thirst. His tongue was parched and dry, and He said, *I thirst.' Then one of tlie soldiers ran and filed a sponge with vinegar, and put it on a stick, and gave it to Jesus. When Jesus had taken it, He said, — ' It is finished ! ' And having said this He died. All His sorrow and pain were ended now ! His spirit had gone to God His Father, though His body was still hanging on the cross. At the moment of His death, there was a great earthquake. The earth shook and trem- bled, and the rocks were spht and broken. The wicked people were frightened now, as they had TnE DEATH OF JESVS. jOl sever been before; and many of them when they^aw all these things feared greatly, and ' Truly this was the Son of God." As the evening was coming on, some soldiers were sent to see if Jesus and the two thiev wore really dead, because the Jews wanted thim Z /If *'''^"/°™ froa the cross before sunset, as the next day was the Sabbath. The soldiers saw that the thieves were still alive, so they broke their legs to kill them quickly ^ that He was quite dead; so they did not break His legs but one of the soldiers took a sharp spear, and pierced His side, and blood and water came^out of His side, and ran down to 1 who loved Jesus very much. He had heL Him preach, and as he listened, he made up ns miiid hat he would always try to do the things that would please the Lord. So he was really a disciple of Jesus; but he was afraid to ZiM 'be""'"°' ^^ '"'''" ^°^ '^'^ *''" '^^' But now that Jesus was dead, he was not ■ afraid any longer to show that he loved Him. He went boldly to Pilate, and asked if he might 292 THE STORY OF JESUS. have the body of Jesus, that he might put it in his own new tomb — or grave— that he had made in his garden. Pilate said,* Yes, you may take away His body.' M-l- H' '. ! JESUS IAK£N DOWN FBOM XU£! CBOSS. Then Joseph went and took the Saviour's body down from the cross. Nicodemus also went with him (you remember he was the ruler who had gone to Jesus by night, to be taught W: -•* THE DEATH OF JESVS. 203 by Him ; and he was a disciple too). They took with them some fine white linen, and a great quantity of sweet spices ; and then they wrapi)ca the body of Jesus in the white linen, with tho spices. When they had done this, they carried Him lovingly and tenderly, and laid Him in the quiet grave. ^ I must tell you what the grave was like. In Joseph's garden there was a great rock, and in this rock a very large hole had been made. It was there they laid Jesus gently down, and tlien they rolled a great stone against the hole, to prevent anything from getting in. And so the blessed Saviour had willin-ly given up His life to save a sinful world. But remember, only those can have ' everlastin- life ' who love and trust in Him. Judas had'' died that very day, and he had not been saved ! Two thieves had died that day, but only one is in heaven with Jesus ? What did the Lord mean when He cried ' It is finished ? ' What was finished ? His great work of saving sinners ; He had borne the curse and the punishment for them, and now His work was done— completely done—uone, once and for ever. mm 1 1 ■ii h M rt 1 != n III 294 TJJE STORY OF JESUS. CHAPTER LIX. JESUS BISEN. rjlHE women who loved Jesus, and who had stood near His cross while he was hanging there in all His agony, never left the place till they had seen their dear Lord's body taken down and laid in the peaceful grave. They watched till the great stone door had been shut, and then they hurried home, with aching hearts, to pre- pare sweet spices and ointment, that they might put them on the Saviour s body. They were obliged to be very quick, for the Sabbath was near, and they must do no work of preparation on that day. One of these women was called Mary Magda- lene ; and she loved Jesus with all her heart, for He had done so muck for her. She had been very miserable and wretched once, tormented by seven devils; and Jesus had cast out the devils, and had given her His own Holy Spirit; and after that, she felt that she could never do enough to show how much she loved Hira. All that Sabbath-day (the day after Jesus JESCS ItlSIJX. £!).") liad been crucified), the faithful women leste.l, iiccoi-dnig to the commandment. AIj, oh, what a sad, sad day it was to them ! But on the morning of the third day, very early, while it was yet dark, Mary Magdalene and the other women got up and took with thorn the sweet ointment they had made, and the spices, and went to Joseph's garden, that they might anoint the body of their dear" Master. As they were walking along, they said, ' Who shall roll away for us the great stone from the grave? We cannot do it ourselves— it is too heavy. ' But as they came nearer, they found that the stone luas rolled away ! Who could have done it ? They came still closer, and then they saw that the grave was empty— the body of Jesus was not there. What could have happened ? I will tell you. The Lord had risen ! He was alive again ! There had been a great earthquake, and the angel of the Lord had come down from heaven, • and had rolled back the stone fioin the door' and sat upon it. The angel's face was bright like the light, and his clothes were white as the snow; and for fear of him the soldiers (who were keeping guard in the garden) 206 THE STORY OF JESUS. 1 ■:\ If , \\% trembled exceedingly, and fell to the ground, as if they were dead. Do you not remember how Jesus had always told His disciples that He would rise again the third day ? But the women did not know the wonderful thing that had come to pass in Joseph's garden that morning. They only saw that the body of Jesus was not in the grave, and this made them even more sorrowful than they had been before, for they thought that His enemies had stolen it away. In terrible grief, without waiting a moment, "Mary Magdalene ran back, that she might tell the strange sad news to Peter and John. But now the other women went up quite close to the grave and looked in — and what do you think they saw ? Two bright angels were sitting there. When the women saw them, they were very much frightened, and they fell on their faces; but the angels spoke very gently to them. They said, — * Do not be afraid ; we know that you are look- ing for Jesus, who was crucified : but He is risen ; He is not hare. Look at the place where they laid Him. And now go and tell His disciples, and Peter, that He is risen, and that they shall see Him very soon.' JESUS RISEN. 297 This was the Saviour's own message. How ender and kind of Him to send a spedal woni to poor Peter, who had denied Him, and who had repented and cried so bitterly for his sin ! irembhng and amazed, but full of joy, the women ran from the sepulchre (or grave) to take the glad tidmgs to the eleven apostles. But now we must see what had become of Mary Magdalene. As quickly as she could go, she ran to Peter and John, and told her mournful story : ' Thev have taken away the Lord out of the grave, and we do not know where they have laid Him.' -Peter and John listened to her story with great astonishment ; then they thought that they must go themselves and try and find out what had really happened. So they both set off running as fast as they could, and Mary Magdalene followed them. John ran the quickest, so he came first to the grave. He stooped down and looked in-ves f It was quite true !-the body of Jesus was not there. But he saw there the white linen clothes that had been wrapped -^^md the Saviour s body ; they were neatly folded up ; and the napkin that had been round His head was lying in a place by itself. By this time Peter had come up. He was not h':.f ■I fJ. r ■ • P S08 r//^ STORY OF JESUS. satisfied iijerely to /oo/i- in the grave— lie must go in. But he only saw what John had seen— it was an empty grave, except for the linen clothes that were lying there. Afterwards John went into the grave too, and then all at once he remembered how Jesns had indeed said that He would rise again. So now he believed that Jesus lad risen. After that, the two disciples went away again to their own home. But Mary could not bear to leave the place. She stood outside of the sepulchre weeping : and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. And then she saw two angels in white, sitting, one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. The angels said to her, * Why are you crying ? ' She was too unhappy to feel frigh'ened, and she answered, * Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.' When she had said this, she turned away, and saw Jesus Himself standing near her ; but she did not know that it v/as Jesus. Jesus said to her, * Why arc you crying ? For whom are you looking ? ' She was crying so much that she did not look up into His face, or she would have known who 1. JESUS risen: 2na it was She thought that perhaps He was the man who had charge of the garden, and so she said to Him, — ' Sir, if you have taken Him from here tell me where you have laid Him. and I will' take -tlim away.' Jesus said to her, ' Mary ! ' Ah, noiv she knows who He is 1 Tliat one word in that loved voice, she can never mistake ! Quickly she turned towards Him now, and said, O my Master 1' ' ^ Can you not imagine how her heart was sink- ing with joy to see her blessed Lord again ? Mary Magdalene was the first to whom Jesus showed Himself after He was risen. Jesus said to her, 'Go and tell my brothers that I am going up to my Father and your ^ ather ; to my God and your God ' He called His disciples His brothers. Thou-h they had all forsaken Him, He had quite for- given them. ' Jesus showed Himself afterwards to the otlier women who had gone early to the grave. And when they saw Him they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him. Then Jesus said to them, — ♦1 'ff.,"°',''l^''™'*= ^° ^°'' '''" My brothers that they shall see Me soon.' r I m ■Hi' h w 300 i H;: T//E STOUT OF JESUS. So Mary Magdalene and the other women went and told the disciples, as they mourned and wept, that they had seen bright angels, mn\ that they had seen the Lord Jesus Himself; and that He had spoken these words to them. But the disciples did not believe the women and they did not believe that Jesus was alive' Only John believed. The others thouglit the women were telling idle, or foolish tales. CHAPTER LX. THE WALK TO EMMAUS. rjlHAT was a joyful glorious day, when our Lord Jesus Christ rose again from the dead ' But after He was risen, He did not live with His disciples as He had done before ; He was always with them, and yet they could not always see Him. . He was the same Jesus, and yet there was a diflerence. He had a human body still, but it was no longer a weak body; it was immortal- that means, it could never die. Jesus could never suffer pain again ; and He could never feel THE WALK TO mifAlS. „, hungry and thirsty again; but still, He could aotiJXd is wr"*'°'«^' *''''' -^--^^ It was the first day of the week-the day that we call S.mday-when Jesus rose from the dead I old you how He showed HimseFto aS Magdalene, a^d to the other women tlmt happy Easter morning; but none of the rposUes had seen Him yet -^postles hestP and whT^s tS StXnievtin'r resurrection ^ "ciieve in His JSrsuSLfctttlf ^^ - and told him his sinrerSg^'*"''^' That same day, two good men were walking * .esus, hut theytrrnot ^SeTpS:?^ '' ventv. whom t- f - ^ Seventy, Jesus had sent out 11 - 1 I fir ' f SI 5. i > Mi' ^ 1 * jll , p f" j I ll , 1 I 1 ill 1 302 TUE sTOnr OF JESCS. by two and two, hufoiQ Hia death, to heal nM to teach. As thoy wore walking along, they were talking of all the things that had happened in Jerusalem the last few days ; and they were full of sorrow as they spoke to each other of the cruel death of the Master they loved so much ; for they did not believe He was alive again. While they were talking, Jesus Himself came and joined thorn in their walk ; but they did not know that it was the Lord. He asked til ,- ' VVhai 13 it you are talking about ? for I see you are ery sad.' Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered, ' Have you not heard of all the dread- ful things which have been done in Jerusalem in these days ? ' Jesus said to them, ' What things ? ' And they said, * About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a great prophet, and who did wonderful things, and spoke wonderful words, teaching people about God. But the chief priests and our rulers have crucified Him. We felt so sure that He was the Son of God, the Messiah ; but He could not have been, or He would not have been put to death. i\n another strange thing is, that some women caits- > is tl.is morning, and heal u^(\ to THE WALIC TO EMJfACS. 3o;j sal.l that they liave seen some angels, who hud told them that Jesus was alive.' TJie.i Jesus said to them " foolish ones, how slow you are to understun<] what the Scriptures have told you j.bout the Messiah! It was necessary tlm^, the bon of CJod should die, and afterwards li ;iL He should enter into His ^dory.' Then Jesus went on to teach them all that was in the Bible about Himself; and as Ho Bpoke, their hearts^glowed with surprise and joy, for they now believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, tho:igh he had been crucified. How little they thought that it was Jesus Himself who was speaking to them ! By this time they had come to the house in the village, where the two disciples lived ; and Jesus seemed as if He were going on further. But Cleopas and his companion could not bear to part with the kind Stranger, who had made their hearts to burn with joy and hope again ; and they begged Him very earnestly not to go a\\ay. ' Do stay >vi:h us,' they said. 'It is evening liow ; so do come in and stay with us to-night.''' Then Jesus went into the house with them. After that they got the supper ready, and tlien they all sat round the table. Bull what did Jesus do ? •i ' t 1 '111 ; I 304 THE STORY OF JESUS. Just as in the old days, He took the bread, and blessed it, and brake and gave it to them. Then they knew Him ! They knew that this was indeed their own dear Master! But that moment, as they looked at Him, He disappeared ! He had not opened the door yet He was gone. Oh, how happy they were to think that they had seen their Lord again with their own eyes ! They ate the bread which they had received from His hands ; but as soon as they had finished their supper, though it was now night, they hurried back again to Jerusalem, all those long eight miles, that they might tell the Apostles the joyful news, that they had seen the Lord. f » ('■ ^£Si-S SHOWS ms 1IA.WS a.w fmjst. 306 CHAPTEE LXr. T was the evening of that same happy Easter oved the Lord Jesus, were assembled together m a large upper room_r>prIi>ir.c iu "■"Seiner where Jesus had lShJlt^\t ^^"^ '°°'^ His last supper titTttl The, ' ''"' 'f''' JtT^^° ««"d8 had just come in-CIeopas forPetrtfrS^^--^^^^-^--. Jeten'&o^Ld'rr "''' '^°^ ^ Emmaus to tel^; atuUt ■ " ""^ "^^^ ^™- So they told the whole story ■ how tl,P T , had jomed them in their w»1k l ^ ^°"^ taught them more abont ^^^7^'^ ^^ ^^"^ had ever kno«rblt"! *i^f ^''' f *'-" '^^7 had ever known before-and ,ow TL; M tuow It was Jesus, til! TT» i,„,i JJ'"^, ''''' not till He had broken the bread I i it !i \.h 30G THE STORY OF JESUS. While they were sitting talking together about it, all at once they saw Jesus standing before them. The door was still locked— He had not opened it— yet there He was. * Peace be to you,' He said. But they were dreadfully frightened, for they could not beheve that it was Jesus. Just as when He walked to them on the water, they thought that He was a spirit. With the same tenderness as of old, Jesus said to them, *Why are you troubled? and why do you doubt ? See My hands and My feet, that it is I ; handle Me and see ; for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see I have.' And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. Yes ; there were the holes, made by the large nails ; there could be no doubt of it— it must be Jesus. The disciples could scarcely beheve it, even yet, for joy ; it seemed too good to be true. So Jesus said to them, — * Can you give me something to eat ? ' He was not hungry, and He did not require food; but He knew that if He ate before them, they would be satisfied, and would not doubt or fear any longer. How kind of Jesus I Then the disciples gave Him a piece of a JE.U-S SHOWS ms BANDS AND FEET 307 you to t^ach o£? '" '" '^"' ^«' - I --1 He gave them more of His Hnlv q • •* . make them nj..™ fif f„v Ti! , ^ °P'"'' '» them to da °' '^' ^""'^ ^^ ^"^ given And so ended that happy, blessed day. iNow Ihomas, one of fho -pi^ with the others fW ^' x^, ^^^""^ ^^^ ^^^ seen the Lord, he would not beheve ff w answered,— relieve it. He ^Except I shall see in His hands the nrinf nf comforted ^ ' """^ *"* "^"^^'^ *« be ciptstJnTttrtKra^r next Sunday evening, they were ^ J^^l upper room, and Thomas witirthem next in 308 THE STORY OF JESCS. )u n i f 1 {' when Jesus again stood suddenly before them. * Peace be to you,' He said. Then He said to Thomas, * Eeach hither your finger, and put it into My hands ; and reach hither your hand, and put it into My side : and do not be faithless, but believe.' And Thomas did not doubt any longer. He knew tha-t it was Jesus ; and he knew that Jesus had heard his doubting words, and had seen his unbelieving but loving heart. All unbelief has gone away in a moment ; and he calls Jesus (what none of the others have called Him yet) his God. With a glad and thankful joy he ex- claimed, — ' My Lord and my God.' Jesus said to him, ' Thomas, you believe be- cause you have seen Me : blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.' We have not seen Jesus; but if we believe in Him, and love Him, and trust in Him, that blessing is ours. BY THE LAKE OF OENNESARETU 309 CHAPTER LXII. BY THE LAKE OF GENNESAEETH. Qnce more the Apostles are back again at their old home by the Lake of Gennesareth. Why are they there ? Because Jesus had told them to go into Gahlee, where He had lived and taught so long, and that He would meet them there. So the'y went as they were told, and now they were waiting for their Lord to come. But He did not come immediately; and as they were poor men, and obliged to work for their daily food, they began again their old trade of fishing. Peter was the first to propose it. He said,— ' I am going to fish.' And then the others said,' We will go with you.' So they got ready a boat, and in the evening they set sail ; for night is always the best time to catch fish. But all that night they were fishing, without being able to catch anything. How disappointing it was, after working haxd for so many hours I 310 THE STORY OF JESUS. When the morning was come they saw Jesus standing on the shore, close by the water; but they did not know that it was Jesus. He called out to them, — * Have you caught anything ? ' . They answered Him, 'No.' And He said to them, ' Throw out the net on the right side of the boat, and you shall find.' Then they threw out the net, as they were told ; and now they were not able to draw it up, because there were such a number of great fishes m It. This miracle made them think of another, a long time ago, when just the same thing happened. Ah, that man on the shore was no stranger ! ' It is the Lord,' John said. Now when Peter heard that it was the Lord, he was in such a hurry to go to Jesus that he threw himself into the water, and swam to the shore. The others followed more slowly in the boat, dragging the net with fishes. And after they had counted them, they found there were a hundred and fifty-three. As soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and some fish laid upon it, and some bread. Who had prepared all this ? It was Jesus ; for He knew His poor disciples saw Jesus ^ater; but He called ; the net fTou shall hey were raw it up, eat fishes P another, ne thing e was no ihe Lord, i that he m to the ly in the md after lere were they saw upon it, I this ? disciples ny THE LAKi: of oennesaretu. su were cold, and tired, and hungry. How kind He always was I Then He said to them, * Come and dine ' And none of the disciples dared ask Him. Who are you ? ' knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came, and took bread, and gave it to them, and fish also. You see He was just ^e same tender Saviour; He waited on them Himself, and fed them with His own hands When they had dined, Jesus said to Peter ^Do you love Me more than the others love Peter answered, * Yes, Lord ; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed My little lambs.' That means, Tell little children about Me, and teach them the way to heaven. Jesus said to him again the second time, Peter, do you love Me ? ' And he answered, * Yes, Lord ; you know that I love you. Jesus said, < Feed my sheep.' That means, Tell people I have died for them, and urge them to repent of all their sins. Jesus said to him the third time * Peter do you love Me ? ' ' Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him the third time, ' Do you love Me ? ' and he 819 THE STORY OF JESUS. 'm ' ' Vif answered aord, you know eveiything; you linow that I love you.' ° ^ Jesus said, * Feed My beloved sheep. ' The Saviour knew quite well that Peter did really love Him ; why then did He ask this ques- tion so many times ? T ^T^""^! Z^"*"' ^^^ ^^^^« *^*^es denied his Lord, and had said he did not know Him • so Jesus wished to hear him say three times that he loved Him. Peter was very humble now • he thought little of himself ; and his heart was'full ot love to his blessed Master. Then Jesus told Peter what was going to happen to him when he was old. He said -- ' When you were young, you were able 'to ^o about where you pleased ; but when you shall be oM you shall stretch out your hands, and anothe shall lead you where you do not wish to go ' What did this mean ? ^ Jesus meant that Peter would be crucified Wicked men would take him and nail him on a cross because he loved his heavenly Master We do not know whether Peter quite undSd his then ; but we do know, that though he had to suffer so much pain afterwards for his Master's sake, yet he never denied Him again. TUB ASCENSION. 313 CHAPTER LXIIT. THE ASCENSION. rp"^ beautiful story of our Lord Jesu. Christ IS almost ended • fnvfi^^^- "^f^a vyiinsc aJmost dl that the Bible' tells us of S Z did during those days * •• ^'^ exo!; ttsetlo S C £ '^^^'^''-• Himself be seen by ffis efemi^^ ?!l''*"' ^'' a ^eat many who^Sot S^X ^ --^^^^ You remember Jesus had told H.f i^^ ■,•• go into Galilee, and that H °woSa mSV" here , and you have heard how He shot,a S self to the Apostles at the I,ak-» „f t^ After that, the Lord told th» ?<"^"''^^'-«*. a mountain in GaWee and twTv. ?? "^ '"*'' ..eet all those whSCfnd W ^H-m ^ ^^l^ — ^tSVSii^L^Tr 7^^ ^^j , to oee the Lord tliey loved. 311 THE STORY OF JESUS. Then Jesus came and spoke to them; and when they saw Him, they worshipped Him ; but some doubted even yet. Jesus said to them, ' All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go therefore to all nations, and teach them, as I have taught you ; for lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.' And now, once again they are in Jerusalem ; for the time has come when Jesus must go away from Hialoved disciples mto heaven. They were m the city, but He led them out, as fax as to Bethany, It was their last walk with Him ; and as they went, He told them what they were to do when He was gone. He told them that His Father would soon pour down the Holy Spirit on them ; and after that, they were to preach the Gospel everywhere, beginning at Jerusalem— that wicked city where He was crucified. When Jesus had spoken all these things, He lifted up His hands and blessed them! And it came to pass, while He blessed them He was parted from them, and taken up into heaven, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they still looked steadfastly towards heaven, as He went up, behold two angels stood THE ASCENSION. ,jj by^them, in white garments; and the angels Th,-!^^^°r" "'^""^ S^^'^S "P into heaven !> This same Jcsns which is taken up from yoa mto heaven, wJl come again one day from Ihe a..? wif^ ^'?P'*' ''*"™«'^ *° Jerusalem i2 ^ •'°^' P™'*"^ ""d .Messing .••■• This is the story of Jesus 1 Jo to H m .T' ". '"*'- ^°" ''°"ia'.J*e to go to Him, and to toe always with Him'' Dear children, remember that if youlowHim He IS with you always, even now, tho^ y^u oaoinotseeHim. He loves you. HeisJ-^eto heaven to prepare a place for you therf, He lives in heaven to pray for von and tn hiw by His Holy Spirit ' y°". and to help you Never believe that He does not care forvou thm show how much He loves you ? But perhaps you do not love Jesus. Ah I that .3 verj- sad 1 Yet. if you confess this toffim and ask Him to make you love Him-to put S^'we in your heart— He will do if -a- . win ao It. His ^omise is. ! , ' i ' 810 T/IF STOi'Y OF JESUS. ^Him that Cometh to Me, I will in no wise oast And remember, He is comno again 1 vve do not know .low soon He may come • hnf ;;^:f ^-'^ it may be, God grant, dfar cMdrJn tlmt you may be prepared to meet Him that you may live with Him for ever. Amen • •• I THE END. WU,IIAM BIIER AND SON, PRINTERS, LONDOW /7^ ' wise cast I )ome; but children, 3im, that en. Vf n ■y i f 1 ^-•i^ f--.- ■ J" ^-"'" /"^ .>■■? ''^i V ■! K-*- . > * Y.X ;\ ■■■"■"' ■■•'/ \\~y/ . •Y< \i'^^ 1/ '0^ "•'' ♦ * ■ •:. ■«•.■ "f. " I '■- R N r 3 3286 02624667 ^ » ■«.