Bible Stories For Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight; On the Way to Jerusalem
Matt. 20:17-34; Mark 10:32-52; Luke 18:31-43

THE TIME HAD come again for the Passover Feast at Jerusalem, and Jesus knew that his life on earth would soon be ended. He took his twelve disciples aside from the crowd which followed and told them again that soon he should be given into the hands of the chief priests and the scribes, his enemies, and he condemned to die. But the disciples could not understand; for they believed surely he was the son of God and that he would become the king of the Jews.

       Two of his disciples, James and John, came to him soon afterwards, bringing their mother. She knelt before Jesus and asked him to grant places of honor to her sons when he should receive his kingdom. But Jesus knew these disciples and their mother did not understand that the kingdom of heaven would not be like an earthly kingdom, and he said that places of honor would be given only by God the Father.

       The other disciples felt jealous of these two, and Jesus knew about their feelings. So he called them aside again and told them that in his kingdom those who would be great must be the servants of all the others. He reminded them of how he had labored hard and long for others, and he told them that they should be willing to serve others, too.

       Many other people were going to attend the feast at Jerusalem, and they walked along the roadway with Jesus and his disciples. These people had heard Jesus teach and they had seen him heal the sick. They, too, hoped that he would set up his kingdom in Jerusalem at the time of this feast.

       By and by the multitude came to a city called Jericho. The road to Jerusalem led through the streets of this city, and soon the people of Jericho were much excited because Jesus was with them. News of his coming spread rapidly from one part of town to another, and many who had heard of this wonderful man came rushing to see him.

       As the crowd passed along the street, a blind man named Bartimaeus, sat by the roadside begging. He heard the sound of many footsteps and he wondered why such a crowd was passing, so he asked the reason. And some one answered, "Jesus of Nazareth is going by."

       Bartimaeus had heard about Jesus of Nazareth. He had probably heard about the man who had been born blind and who had been healed by this wonderful man from Nazareth, in Galilee. Now he wished that Jesus would have mercy on him, too, so he rose from his seat by the roadside and began to cry loudly, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"

       Those who stood by were displeased to hear the blind beggar crying after Jesus in this manner. They told him to keep quiet. Perhaps they said that Jesus could not hear him; for the noise of the crowd was great. But Bartimaeus would not be quieted. He only cried louder than ever; for he wished to have Jesus heal his blinded eyes.

       Jesus knew about the poor beggar, and he knew how the men near by had urged him to keep still. Now he stopped and commanded some one to tell the blind man to come to him. So a messenger hurried to Bartimaeus, saying, "Be of good comfort, for Jesus has heard you and now he is calling for you."

       Bartimaeus threw aside his garment and ran eagerly to the place where Jesus stood.

       And Jesus asked, "What do you wish me to do for you?"

       "Lord, give me my sight," he asked.

       Jesus answered, "Go your way; your faith in me has made you well."

       At once the blind eyes opened, and Bartimaeus could see as well as those who had never been blind. And he joined the crowd to follow Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

Zacchaeus - The Little Man who Climbed into a Tree to see Jesus
Luke 19:1-28

THERE WAS LIVING in Jericho at the time a rich man named Zacchaeus, and he was chief among the publicans. He had never seen Jesus, and when the news came that Jesus was passing through Jericho on his way to attend the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, Zacchaeus determined that he would try to see this wonderful man. So down to the highway Zacchaeus went, hurrying along with the gathering crowd; for Jesus was to pass that way.

       But Zacchaeus did not stop when the crowd stood still. He hurried a little farther on, and there he climbed into a sycamore-tree, which grew by the roadside. From this place he knew he could surely see Jesus when he passed by. If he had remained in the crowd he could not have seen the wonderful man from Galilee, for Zacchaeus was not so tall as the other people about him.

       Soon the travelers bound for Jerusalem came down the road, and the people of Jericho, who had gathered to watch them pass looked eagerly to catch a glimpse of Jesus. On the travelers went till they came to the sycamore-tree, and here Jesus and his disciples stood still. Then Jesus looked up into the tree and saw Zacchaeus clinging to its branches and gazing down upon him.

       "Zacchaeus," said Jesus, "come down at once, for today I must stop at your house."

       How surprised Zacchaeus was to hear these words! He had hoped to catch at least a glimpse of Jesus; now he could take this wonderful man into his home and talk face to face with him.

       With a joyful heart Zacchaeus led the way to his home, to entertain Jesus and his disciples there. And as they went, others followed, some finding fault because Jesus was going to stop in the home of a publican, whom they called a sinful man. The Pharisees would not enter such a house, for they despised people they called sinners and would not be friendly with them.

       Although Zacchaeus was a publican his heart had been changed by the kind words of Jesus. So he stood up before Jesus and said, "Behold, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have in my business dealing taken more from any man than I should have taken, I give him back four times as much as I took from him."

       Jesus was pleased with Zacchaeus; for he knew this publican really had been changed in his heart. And he said, "Today salvation is come to your house, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save those who are lost." He had known about this publican who longed to see him, and he had sought for Zacchaeus. Now he would grant him forgiveness because Zacchaeus had received him gladly, and had confessed his willingness to make his wrong right.

       Others stood by listening, and Jesus took this time to teach them another parable, or story-sermon. He knew the people were expecting the kingdom of heaven to be set up soon like an earthly kingdom, so he told them a story to show them what the kingdom of heaven is like. He said:

       "A certain nobleman went away to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to be made the ruler of it. Before leaving home he gave a sum of money, called a pound, to each of his ten servants and commanded them to use the money till his return.

       "After some time the nobleman came back again, having received the crown and the kingdom in that far-away country. Then he called his ten servants and asked them how they had used the money he had given to them before he went away.

       "The first servant came to him bringing ten pieces of money, and saying, 'I traded with the pound you gave me, and I have gained these ten pounds.' The nobleman was pleased with that servant and said to him, 'Because you have done this, I will give you the rule of ten cities in my kingdom.'

       "Next came a servant who had gained five pounds by using the money the nobleman had given him. And the nobleman was pleased with him also, and said, 'To you I will give the rule of five cities in the kingdom which I have received.'

       "Then came the third servant, bringing only one pound, the same one that the nobleman had given him before he went away. 'Here is your pound,' the servant said, 'I have kept it wrapped in this napkin all the while you were away for fear I might lose it. I know you are a harsh master, taking up what you do not lay down and reaping what you do not sow.' With this servant the nobleman was much displeased. He answered, 'If you know I am a harsh master, why did you not put my money into a bank that I might have it and its gains at my return?' Then he commanded those who stood by to take the one pound away from the unfaithful servant and give it to the one having ten pounds.

       "The servants were surprised, and they said, 'Lord, he has ten pounds, why give him more?' But the nobleman answered, 'To every one who uses what he has, more shall be given; but those who refuse to use what is given to them shall have their own taken away.'"

       After speaking this parable, Jesus, with his disciples, left Jericho and went on the way over the mountains toward Jerusalem.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mary Anoints Jesus and Shows Her Love for Him
Matt. 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11; John 12:1-11

SIMON THE LEPER was a friend of Jesus. He lived in the village of Bethany, not far from the home of Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus. But "Simon the leper" was no longer a leper, for Jesus had made him well of that disease. And once more he could live in his own home with his family, in Bethany. No wonder Simon was a friend of Jesus!

       News reached the village folk of Bethany that Jesus and his disciples were coming over the road from Jericho and would soon arrive. Glad news this was to the friends who loved him so dearly, and they began to plan at once how they might give him a welcome.

       "Simon the leper" arranged to make a supper at his home for the tired guests, and Martha, the sister of Lazarus, went to help prepare and serve the evening meal. Simon invited Lazarus to eat with the other guests at the table; for since he had risen from the grave, Lazarus was looked upon with much wonder by the people. Mary also knew about the supper.

       At last the guests arrived, and they were welcomed at the home of Simon. Then the food was placed on the table and the guests were brought into the dining-hall to eat. Curious onlookers crowded in, for news of this supper had quickly spread through the village, and even as far as Jerusalem. And uninvited folk had come, not only to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus also, whom Jesus had called out of the grave after he had been dead four days.

       While the guests were eating, presently Mary arrived with a box in her hand. Going directly to the couch where Jesus was reclining, she broke the box and poured its contents upon Jesus' head and feet. Now this box had contained some very rare perfume, which had cost much money, and Mary had poured it all upon the body of Jesus to show her love for him. Then she bend low and wiped the feet of Jesus with her long hair.

       Just as soon as the box was broken the odor of the sweet perfume filled the room. And every one present knew this perfume had cost much money, for it was of the very best kind. At once the disciples began to whisper among themselves about what Mary had done.

       One of them, Judas Iscariot,who carried the money-bag for Jesus and the other disciples, became angry and said, "What a waste of money this foolish woman has made! Instead of pouring it all upon Jesus she might have given that money to buy food for the poor."

       Jesus knew the thoughts and whisperings of his disciples. He saw them question Mary about her deed, and speak unkindly to her. So he spoke to them all and said, "Let this woman alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work, for she has come before my death to anoint my body with sweet perfume. The poor you have with you always, but I shall not be with you much longer. And by this deed Mary has shown her love for me." And Jesus said also that wherever the gospel should be preached in the whole world this deed which Mary had done to show her love should be told in memory of her.

       Perhaps Mary understood what the disciples were unable to believe--that Jesus soon must die--for she had sat at his feet and listened to his words while he visited in her home. She had heard him tell about many things, and she had believed them. And now she had poured out the costliest gift her money could buy, to anoint Jesus before he should have to lie cold in death. She had done all she could to show how great was her love.

       Judas Iscariot was even more displeased when he heard Jesus' words. He was no longer a true disciple, for he had allowed Satan to plant wrong desires in his heart. And sometimes he took money from the bag to keep for himself, for he loved riches and he had hoped some day to be a rich ruler in the kingdom he expected Jesus to set up.

       Now a wicked thought crept into his heart, and he planned to go as soon as possible to the enemies of Jesus in Jerusalem and promise them to give Jesus into their power if they would give him money for his work. So after the supper was ended he left Bethany and went to see the chief priests and scribes who lived in Jerusalem.

       For many days the enemies of Jesus had been talking together about how they might capture Jesus. After Lazarus had been raised from the dead they were stirred more than ever, because many other people had begun to believe in Jesus, too.

       When Judas Iscariot came to them they were glad, and they promised to give him thirty pieces of silver money if he would bring them to Jesus when the multitude of believing friends were not near.

[Soldier4Christ]

Palm Sunday - Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem as a King
Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19

A  TIME OF great excitement was on. People were flocking out of the city gate and hurrying along the road that led down the valley and up the slope of Mount Olivet, just outside of Jerusalem. They were rushing out to meet Jesus, of whom they had heard such great things.

       Many of these people were strangers in Jerusalem. They had just come to attend the Feast of the Passover, and they had heard about the wonderful miracles Jesus performed. Others lived in Jerusalem and they had heard how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, so they, too, were eager to see him again. As they went they took branches of palm-trees with which to wave in a welcome when they should meet him.

       On the morning of that same day Jesus had sent two of his disciples to a village near Bethany to loose a colt which they should find tied. He had told them to bring this colt to him, and if the owners should question why they untied the colt they should answer, "The Lord has need of this colt today."

       And the disciples had gone and found the colt tied by the roadside, and they had told the owners the message which Jesus sent. And the owners had let them take the colt and bring it to Jesus.

       Then the disciples had spread their garments on the colt's back and had set Jesus on it, while others threw their clothes along the road for Jesus to ride over. And as the crowd from Jerusalem came near to the Mount of Olives, the company which followed from Bethany began to shout, "Blessed is the King who is coming in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"

       The people who came out of Jerusalem met Jesus and his disciples on the slope of the Mount of Olives. They heard those who followed Jesus shout praises to him, and they too waved their palms and rejoiced, saying, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!" Some threw their palms in the road for him to ride over, and all along the highway they stood, rejoicing greatly and praising God.

       In the crowd were some Pharisees who had not come to rejoice but to find fault. When they heard the people shouting they came to Jesus and said, "Master, cause these to cease shouting."

       Jesus answered, "If these should be still the stones by the roadside would immediately cry out." Jesus knew the time had come when the prophecy of Zechariah should be fulfilled, for Zechariah had said concerning this very time: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, your King comes unto you: He is just, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding upon a colt."

       So the crowd passed on through the gate into the city, and Jesus rode up Mount Moriah, where the temple stood. And as he went, the people before and behind cried out aloud, "Hosanna to the Son of David."

       The people in the city were stirred with the excitement. They came hurrying into the streets to ask, "What is the meaning of all of this? "Who is this king you are bringing?"

       And the multitude answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee."

       Then Jesus entered the temple and looked about upon the things there. Taking his disciples, he returned to Bethany to spend the night in the house of his friends.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Teachings of Jesus in the Temple; The Moneychangers
Matt. 21:12-46; Mark 11:12 to 12:12; Luke 19:41 to 20:19

EARLY IN THE morning Jesus and his disciples started away from Bethany to go again to the temple in Jerusalem. As they went, Jesus became hungry, and seeing a fig-tree by the roadside he stopped to eat of its fruit. But there were no figs on the tree, only leaves, and Jesus turned away disappointed. As he walked away he said, "Never again shall man eat fruit from this tree."

       When Jesus came to the temple he saw men in there who were buying and selling animals for sacrifice-offerings, and others who were called money-changers. Once before he had driven such men out of the temple, and now he drove them out the second time, saying, "In the Scriptures it is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of thieves." For these men demanded more money for their sacrifice-offerings than they should have asked.

       The wave of excitement was still running high in the city, and every one was eager to see Jesus. The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them there. And little children came singing, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" No doubt they had heard the glad songs of the grown people who had come with Jesus from the Mount of Olives, and they, too, wished to praise this great man, who took little ones in his arms and blessed them.

       The chief priests and scribes in the temple saw Jesus heal the blind and the lame, and they heard the children sing his praises. They were angered by these things, for they saw that every day the multitudes were becoming more excited about this Jesus. They came to him and asked, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" And in the Scriptures, 'Out of the mouths of little children thou has perfected praise?"

       In the evening Jesus returned again with his disciples to Bethany, to be with his dear friends, and in the morning he went back to teach the eager people who gathered early to hear him. As they passed along the road by the fig-tree that he had found only leaves on, the disciples saw that the tree had withered and now stood dry and dead. They were surprised that it should have changed so soon, and they spoke about it.

       Then Jesus taught them a lesson from the fig-tree. He said, "Have you faith in God. If you have faith to believe that God hears you when you pray you shall do greater things than I have done by my words to this fig-tree. For if you ask anything of God in prayer, and believe in your hearts that he hears you, the thing for which you ask shall be given."

       When they came to the temple many people had already gathered to hear Jesus teach. The chief priests and the scribes were there also, ready to ask him a question; for they were not willing that he should teach the people. They demanded of him, "By what authority do you teach and work miracles? Who gave you this authority?"

       Jesus knew how to answer them by asking a question of them. He said, "Was the baptism of John from heaven or of men? Tell me this and I will answer your question."

       Now the enemies of Jesus did not know how to answer. They had not received John's baptism as of God, and they feared to tell Jesus because many people were listening, and the people all claimed that surely John was a prophet of God. If they should not own John as a prophet they feared that the people would turn bitterly against them. Yet if they should say that John's baptism was of God they knew Jesus would ask why they had not believed him. So they said, "We can not tell whether John's baptism was from heaven or of men."

       Then Jesus answered, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things, or who gave this authority to me."

       Again Jesus began to teach by story-sermons, called parables. He told them about a man who had two sons.

       This man called his elder son to him and said, "Son, go and work today in my vineyard."

       The boy answered his father roughly, saying, "I will not go!" But afterwards he became sorry, and repented of his unwillingness to obey his father's command. Then he went to the vineyard and worked.

       To the second son the father spoke the same words of command, and this boy replied politely, "I go, sir." But he did not.

       "Now," asked Jesus, "which of the two boys obeyed his father?"

       The people answered, "The first."

       Jesus said the two boys were like the two classes--the people whom the Pharisees and such called sinners, and the Pharisees and other leaders themselves. All these leaders claimed to be obedient, and yet they were not doing the things God had commanded, while the other people whom they called sinners had listened gladly to John's words and had been baptized by him.

       Another story which Jesus told was about a man who planted a vineyard, and built a hedge about it, digged a winepress in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he hired some men to care for it, and went away to another country. When the time came that the fruit of the vineyard should be ripened, he sent servants to get some of the fruit and bring it back to him. But the keepers of the vineyard treated the servants roughly.

       The first one who came they beat, and sent him away without any fruit. The second one they threw stones at and wounded him in the head. The third one they killed. Later other servants were sent; but the wicked keepers of the vineyard treated them all shamefully.

       The owner of the vineyard was very sad, and he decided at last to send his own son. "They will know he is my son," he reasoned, "and they will respect him."

       But when the keepers looked out from the watch-tower and saw the son coming, they said to each other, "The owner has sent his son. This vineyard will belong to him, because he is the heir, let us kill him, and take the vineyard for our own possession."

       So they caught him, and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.

       "When the owner of that vineyard comes what will he do to those men?" asked Jesus.

       And the people answered, "He will cause them to be miserably destroyed, and he will give his vineyard into the care of better men who will give him some of its fruits.

       Then Jesus looked boldly upon his enemies standing near and said, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to another nation, which will bring forth fruit."

       The chief priests and scribes knew he had spoken the parables against them, and they were angry. But they were afraid to seize him because they knew all the people standing round believed that Jesus was a great prophet.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Last Days in the Temple; The Widow's Mite
Matt. 22:1 to 24:1; Mark 12:13 to 13:1; Luke 20:20 to 21:4; John 12:20-36

WHILE JESUS WAS teaching in the temple he told the people by a parable that the kingdom of heaven is like a king who made a feast at the marriage of his son. The king prepared a great feast and invited guests from a city near by. When everything was ready, the guests failed to come. He sent servants to remind them of their invitation to the wedding-feast, still they would not come. They made fun of it, and went on about their own work. Some of them even treated the king's messengers cruelly and killed them.

       The king heard about the conduct of those people, and he was much displeased. He called out his army and sent his soldiers to destroy them and to burn their city. Then he invited other guests to the marriage feast, and the place was filled; for every one came who was bidden this time.

       Among these guests were the poor and the rich, and the good and the bad, and the king furnished each one with a garment to wear. He wished to have them appear well in his presence. When all had arrived and put on their clean garments, he came in to see them and give them a welcome to the feast.

       One man was present who refused to put on the clean garment that the king had provided for him. There he stood among all the others, clothed in his dirty rags. The king saw him and said, "Friend, why did you come in here without putting on the clean garment that I had provided for you to wear?" And the man hung his head, for he had no excuse to offer. The king was displeased with him because he had disobeyed orders, so he commanded his servants to seize the man, bind him hand and foot, and take him away to a dark place where he should be punished.

       The Pharisees and other enemies of Jesus knew these parables were showing the people how they, the Pharisees and the other enemies, had refused to obey God, and they determined to put a stop to his teaching. They decided to ask questions of him, and prevent him from teaching in this way. So they sent some men who pretended to be good, and told these men to ask him whether it was wrong or right to pay the tribute money, or tax money, which Caesar, the Roman ruler, demanded to them.

       The Jews disliked to pay this money, and Jesus' enemies knew that if he should say it was right for them to pay the tax then the people would no longer care to make him their king. They would no longer follow him so eagerly and listen to his words, for they hated the Roman government. But if Jesus should say it was wrong to pay this tax money, then his enemies planned to tell the Roman officers that Jesus was unwilling to obey the Roman government, and they knew Jesus would be punished.

       So the men came to Jesus and said, "Master, we know you are true, and that you teach the way of God in truth without caring whether men will be pleased with your teaching or not." Thus they flattered him, thinking he would be delighted to hear such favorable things said of himself. Then they continued: "Tell us just what you think, Is it right or wrong to pay this tribute money which Caesar demands of us Jews?" They thought Jesus would answer either yes or no. But they were mistaken.

       Jesus could see the hearts of these evil men who were questioning him. He paid no attention to their flattering words, but said, "Why do you tempt me, you hypocrites? Show me the tribute money." And they brought him a penny. Jesus looked at the coin on both sides, then asked of them, "Whose image is this on the one side? and whose name is written her?" On one side of the coin was a picture of Caesar's head, and his name was written above it.

       The men replied that the image and the name of the coin were both Caesar's.

       "Then," said Jesus, "give to Caesar the things that belong to him, and give to God the things that belong to God."

       This answer greatly surprised the men, for they had thought they surely would catch Jesus in a trap where he would need to say yes or no. But he had replied so wisely they could not accuse him to any man.

       Others came to question Jesus, and among them was a lawyer who asked, "Which is the greatest commandment of the law?"

       Jesus replied that the greatest commandment of the law was, "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second greatest is this: Thou shall love they neighbor as much as thyself. No other commandments are so important as these two."

       The lawyer answered, "You have well spoken, for to love the Lord God in this way and to love one's neighbor as much as one's own self is surely more pleasing to God than burnt offerings and sacrifices."

       Jesus was pleased with this reply of the lawyer. He saw that the lawyer understood the meaning of God's Word better than did many who pretended to be teachers of it. And he told the lawyer that he was near to the kingdom of God.

       While Jesus was in the temple, some men came to Philip, one of the twelve disciples, and asked permission to see Jesus. These men were Gentiles, they were Greeks by birth, and they had come to worship the God of the Jews, so they were called proselytes.

       Because they were Gentiles they could not enter the part of the temple where Jesus sat teaching the people who thronged him there. They could come no farther than the outside court, called the court of the Gentiles. But they had heard much about this wonderful teacher from Galilee, and they wished to see him. Philip told Andrew, another disciple, and together they hurried to tell Jesus that strangers from Greece, a country far away, were waiting in the court of the Gentiles to catch a glimpse of him.

       When Jesus heard about the inquirers from distant Greece he said to Philip and Andrew, "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified."

       He spoke to them about his coming death for the sins of the people, but the disciples could not understand his words. And because Jesus could feel pain just as we do he shrank from the thought of dying on the cross. He felt troubled because the time was drawing so near when he should die. And he said, prayerfully, "Father, save me from this hour." Then he remembered that his life-work would not be finished if he did not die for lost sinners, so he added, "Father, glorify thy name."

       Then a voice spoke from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again."

       The people standing by heard the voice but could not understand the words that were spoken. Some thought the voice sounded like thunder; others said, "An angel spoke to him." But Jesus said the voice had spoken to prove to them that God had heard him.

       After teaching, Jesus had sat down near a place in the temple called the treasury. Here were money-boxes in which the people's offerings were received. And Jesus saw the rich pass by the boxes and throw in large offerings. Finally he saw a poor widow come into the treasury and stop beside a box to throw in her small offering of only two little coins. Together these coins were worth less than a penny. But Jesus told his disciples that the poor widow had given more than the rich people, for they had given out of full purses whereas she had emptied the last of her money into the box. He wished to teach them that God looks at the heart of the giver, for God saw that the poor widow gave her all because she loved him, whereas the rich people gave their offerings because it was their duty to give.

       Then Jesus and his disciples left the temple, and went out to the Mount of Olives. Never again did Jesus walk in the courts of the Lord's house on Mount Moriah; for soon afterwards his enemies took him and did to him all they had wished to do.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Teaching on the Mount of Olives
Matt. 23:37 to 25:46; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38

AS JESUS LEFT the temple for the last time, his disciples spoke to him about the beauty of the Lord's house. Like all other Jews, they took much pride in the temple where God was worshiped. And they were surprized to hear Jesus say, "The time is coming when the stones of these buildings shall be torn apart."

       On the Mount of Olives, Jesus rested for a while before going on to Bethany. And his disciples gathered around him there to ask when the time should come that the beautiful temple would be destroyed. No one else was near to disturb them, and Jesus talked long and earnestly to his disciples about the things that would happen to Jerusalem, and later to the whole world.

       He told them that men would come who would claim to be the Christ of God, and what many would believe in them. He said that great wars would be fought among the nations of the earth, and that troubles of different kinds would come upon the people.

       Then he said that before the end of time the gospel of the kingdom would be preached, not only among the Jews, but to all people in every part of the world. How strange these things must have sounded to the disciples! for they had always believed that salvation belonged to the Jews only.

       Then Jesus told the disciples the parable of the ten young women, called virgins. Five of these young women were wise and five were foolish. All had been invited to the marriage of a friend, and they started to meet the wedding-party. They took their lamps with them to give light, for the wedding would take place at night and only those carrying lights would be allowed to join the wedding-party.

       But the wedding-party was slow in coming, and the young women grew tired waiting. So they fell asleep. At midnight a cry was made that the wedding-party was coming, and the young women aroused and began at once to trim their lamps to be ready to join the procession when it came by.

       Now the five who were wise poured more oil into their lamps; for they saw the light was growing dim, and they had brought an extra supply of oil with them. But the five who were foolish had brought no more oil, and they, too, saw that their lights were growing dim.

       "What shall we do?" they asked each other. Then they spoke to their wise friends and said, "Please give some of your oil to us, for our lights are going out!"

       The wise young women did not have enough to give to their friends in distress, so they answered, "You must go to them who sell and buy for yourselves. We do not have enough to share."

       And while they hurried away to buy more oil, the wedding-party came, and the five wise young women joined the party and went to the home where the marriage festivities would take place.

       When all the guests had entered, the door was shut, and no other persons could enter. The foolish young women came after the door had been shut, and they knocked; but the bridegroom would not let them in. They had come too late.

       By this story Jesus wished to teach his disciples to watch and be ready, for they should not know the time when he would call for them to leave this world and go to be with him. If they should not be ready when he should call, they would have no time left in which to make ready, but, like the foolish young women, they would be shut out of heaven.

       Jesus told the disciples what will happen at the end of the world. He said that then the Son of man will come in his glory, bringing all the angels with him. And he will sit upon the throne of his glory. And before him all nations of the earth shall be gathered, and he will divide the good from the evil.

       Those who have believed in him he will place on his right, and those who have disobeyed he will place on his left, just as a shepherd in that country divided his sheep from his goats.

       The disciples no doubt had watched the shepherds come in from the fields and separate the sheep from the goats in their great flocks, and they understood how this separation will be.

       "Then shall the Son of man be King," said Jesus; "and he will say to them on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed of my Father, and dwell in the kingdom which has been prepared for you. For I was hungry, and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you gave me shelter; I was shivering with cold, and you gave me clothes to keep me warm; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to see me even there.'

       "And the ones on his right will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you in need and help you thus?' And the King answer, 'whenever you helped one of my needy brothers, even the least of them, you helped me.'

       "Then the King will turn to those on his left, and will say to them, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, and go away into everlasting fire, which has been made ready for the devil and his evil spirits.

       "For I was hungry, and you did not feed me; I was thirsty, and you gave me no water; I was a stranger, and you gave me no shelter; without clothes, and you did not give clothes to me; sick, and you did not visit me; in prison, and you did not come to me there.'

       "And the ones on his left will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or without clothes, or a stranger, or sick, or in prison,, and not help you?' And he will say to them, 'Whenever you refused to help one of my brothers, even the poorest of them, you refused to help me.'

       "And those on the right," said Jesus, "will go into life eternal in heaven, while those on the left shall be turned away into everlasting torment."

[Soldier4Christ]

The Last Supper Jesus Ate with His Twelve Disciples
Matt. 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:3-39; John 13

TWO DISCIPLES, PETER and John, were hurrying along the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. They were going on an errand for their master. The day had come when the lamb for the Passover Feast should be killed, and Jesus had chosen these two disciples to go to Jerusalem and prepare the feast that the Twelve should eat with him that evening.

       After they had passed through the city gate, they looked about to find a man carrying a pitcher of water. Men seldom carried water-pitchers in the streets, for such work was usually left for women to do. But Jesus had told them they would see a man carrying a water-pitcher, and they did. Jesus also told them to follow the man to the house where he should go with his pitcher, so they followed.

       At the house they met the owner, and to him they gave the message that Jesus had sent. This was the message: "Our master sent us to ask your permission for him to use your guest-room in which to eat the Passover supper with his disciples." And the owner of the house led them to a nice room up-stairs which was furnished with a table and couches on which the guests might recline while they ate. No doubt this owner knew Jesus and was glad to give him the use of the guest-room in his home.

       When evening came, Jesus and the other ten joined Peter and John and together they sat around the table in that quiet room upstairs. A feeling of sadness crept into the hearts of the disciples, for their Master spoke to them so earnestly about going away soon.

       It was so hard for these men to believe that Jesus would really be taken away from them. They had seen him do such wonderful things that it seemed impossible to think men could ever kill him. And soon they were talking about other matters at the supper-table. Some were wondering who would be the greatest in the kingdom that they expected Jesus to set up soon.

       Jesus knew their thoughts, and he wished to teach them more about the kind of kingdom he was bringing to mankind. He rose up suddenly from the table, laid aside his outer garment, and tied a towel about his waits. Then he took a basin of water and began to wash the disciples' feet.

       The disciples looked at each other in silent astonishment. They could not understand why he should be doing this humble act of service, for they had washed the dust from their feet before coming into that upper room.

       Finally Jesus came to Peter with his basin. But that disciple pulled his feet away, and exclaimed, "Lord, you shall never wash my feet!"

       "Then," answered Jesus calmly, "you shall never had a part in my kingdom."

       At this Peter changed his mind suddenly, and he said, "Lord, you may wash my feet, and even my hands and my head."

       Very desirous was this disciple of having a part in Jesus' kingdom. But by washing their feet, Jesus did not mean in this way to prepare the hearts of his disciples for his work. He said to them,, "You are clean already, but not all." For he knew which one was not a true disciple.

       When the strange washing was over, Jesus laid aside the towel and took up his garment again. Then he returned to his place at the table, beside John, and began to explain to his disciples what he had just done to them: "You call me Lord, and Master," said he, "and so I am. If I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do to each other as I have done to you. The servant is not greater than his master, and if you would be good servants you will obey my words. If you know my commands, you will be happy when you obey them."

       Jesus also said that one of them should give him into the hands of his enemies, who would take his life. This seemed hard to believe, but the disciples knew Jesus' words of prophecy always came true, so they were amazed. Instead of looking at each other accusingly, each man thought of himself.

       And each one said, "Lord, is it I?"

       John, the disciple who liked to be near Jesus, was reclining next to his master at the supper. Peter motioned to John and whispered, ""Ask which one will do this dreadful deed."

       So John asked Jesus, and Jesus replied in low tones, "The one to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish."

       John watched carefully, and soon he saw Jesus give a piece of bread to Judas Iscariot.

       After Judas had taken the bread that Jesus gave to him, Jesus said, "That thou doest, do quickly."

       Then the desire in his heart to get rid of this master became stronger, and Judas hurried out of the room into the gloom of night. None of the disciples understood what Jesus meant, but they supposed because Judas carried the money-bag that he was going to do something for their master.

       Jesus then, after supper, took bread and blessed it and broke it in pieces, giving parts to each of the disciples, and saying, "Take this bread and eat it, for it is my body which is broken for you." Then he took the cup and when he had given thanks he passed it to them, saying, "Drink this, for it is my blood, which is shed for you, for I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine with you until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

       They lingered a while longer in the upper room, and Jesus talked earnestly to them about the time when he should go away and leave them alone. He urged them to remember his commandment to love each other as he had loved them, and he told them that he would prepare a place for them in his Father's house.

       Peter insisted that he would not leave Jesus, but would go with him wherever he went. Jesus told him that he could not go now, but that he might come later on. He also told Peter that, bold as he believed himself to be, he would prove himself a coward before daylight should return, for he would forsake Jesus and even deny that he had ever know him. Thus the Lord's Supper had been instituted.

       Then Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn together, and quietly left the upper room, going out of Jerusalem into a garden nearby.

[Soldier4Christ]

Judas Betrays Jesus, and Peter Denies Him
Matt. 26:36-75; Mark 14:32-72; Luke 22:39-71; John 18:1-27

THROUGH THE DEEP shadows which fell from the buildings along the streets a silent figure glided along, hurrying toward the assembly-room where the enemies of Jesus were sitting together waiting. That silent figure was the evil-minded disciple, Judas Iscariot, who was hurrying on his way to sell his Lord.

       Soon the footsteps of Judas fell on the floor of the hall, and his knock sounded on the door of the assembly-room. In the reply to the call, "Who is there?" came the answer, "He for whom you wait," and quickly the door was thrown open and Judas entered.

       Now there followed a hasty conversation, some argument, and finally thirty pieces of silver were counted out and handed to Judas. Then the assembly broke up, each man hurrying to get a torch or to summon the soldiers who should on their midnight errand.

       While this was taking place, Jesus and the eleven disciples had left the room up-stairs where they had eaten the last Passover supper together, and had gone outside the city to a garden across the brook Kidron. Here at the entrance of the garden Jesus had told eight of the disciples to wait, and, taking with him Peter, James, and John, he had gone into the deeper shadows of the trees to pray.

       But while Jesus prayed the disciples fell asleep. They could not understand why he should seem so troubled and they did not know how to comfort him, and just when he longed to have them near to pray with him they slept. Three times Jesus went to waken Peter, James, and John, but not once did they offer him the comfort he sought.

       Then while he prayed in agony alone God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen and comfort him. For Jesus knew the sorrow that was soon to come; he knew what Judas was even then doing; and he knew his enemies would not cease to torture him till he should be hanging dead upon the cross.

       Not only that, for Jesus knew also that he must bear the sins of the whole world in order to become the Savior of men. And because he had a body such as we have, he dreaded to suffer the pain of such a death, and he dreaded to be left alone by those whom he loved. So he asked God to take away the suffering from him if such a thing should be possible. But he added, "Let thy will, not mine, be done."

       When Jesus had roused the sleepy disciples the third time, he told them to arise; for it was time for them to be going on their way. And they rose up to follow him out of the garden. But as they went toward the entrance they saw a band of men coming to them carrying torches as if they were searching for some one.

       Jesus walked up to the men and asked, "For whom are you seeking?"

       They replied, "For Jesus of Nazareth."

       "I am he," answered Jesus. And the men fell backward.

       When they rose, Jesus asked them the second time whom they were seeking, and again they said, "For Jesus of Nazareth."

       Judas, the unfaithful disciple, was with the band of men, and he stepped forward and cried, "Hail, Master!" and kissed Jesus on the cheek.

       But Jesus knew the evil thought that was in Judas mind, and he looked sadly into the guilty face of his unfaithful disciple and asked, "Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?"

       Judas had told the band of men the sign by which they might know whom to take for their prisoner, and that sign was the kiss he had given to Jesus. Now the soldiers took hold of Jesus roughly and prepared to lead him away.

       At this Peter was thoroughly aroused from his sleep. Drawing a short sword, which he carried in his belt, he struck at one of the soldiers and cut off his ear. But Jesus seemed displeased, and told Peter to put away his sword. Then he healed the soldier's ear; and Peter, unable to understand how he might now defend his master, sank back into the shadows with the other frightened disciples.

       The soldiers then bound their prisoner, and the procession started toward the assembly-room where the enemies of Jesus were waiting impatiently. And far behind Peter followed, wondering what he should do, and yet fearing that the soldiers might take him, also.

       First the soldiers brought Jesus to the house of a man named Annas, who was father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas, and there his trial began. John, one of the disciples, gained admittance at the door, for he was acquainted with the household of the high priest. And he went in where Jesus was. But Peter stood outside, for he was a stranger, and the doorkeeper, a young girl, would not let him in.

       Presently John spoke to the doorkeeper, and she allowed him to take Peter into the court-room, for the night was cold. When Peter was inside the young girl said, "Are you not also one of his disciples?"

       But Peter was afraid, and he said, "No, I did not know the man."

       In the open court a fire was burning, and Peter went near to warm himself. Around the fire stood other men, some who were servants in the high priest's house and others who were officers.

       One of the men by the fire then turned to Peter and asked, "Are you not one of this man's disciples?"

       Again fear crept into Peter's heart, and he replied stoutly, "No, I am not!"

       But a soldier standing by who had been in the garden when Jesus was taken had seen Peter use his sword, and he spoke, saying, "I saw you in the garden with him!"

       Peter denied fiercely, and pretended that he had never known Jesus at all.

       While this had been happening to Peter, out in the high priest's courtyard, the high priest and others had been asking Jesus questions about his teaching and had been treating him shamefully.

       Then the enemies of Jesus led their prisoner out of the high priest's house, and as he passed by he looked sadly upon Peter. And Peter remembered how Jesus had told him that before the return of another day he would deny three times that he had ever known the Lord.

       Now tears filled Peter's eyes, and he turned blindly away from the fire and rushed out of the door, to weep bitterly. He saw himself no longer a true man, brave, and ready to help in the work of his master, but a coward, ashamed to own that he had once proudly followed the innocent man who now stood bound in chains and condemned to die.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Trial, and Crucifixion
Matt. 27:1-54; Mark 15:1-39; Luke 23:1-47; John 18:28 to 19:31

AFTER THE SAD, long night when Jesus was captured in the garden, morning came at last, and the news began to spread through the city streets that Jesus, the prophet from Galilee, was now a prisoner. His friends were terrified, while his enemies laughed in wicked glee. And the soldiers led him before the Roman governor, Pilate, for this governor now took the place of the King Herod who had tried to kill Jesus when he was born, in Bethlehem.

       Pilate knew nothing about Jesus. He took him into his judgment-hall and talked a while with him. And he was surprized to hear the wisdom of this one whom the Jews were condemning to die.

       He went out to them and said, "I find no fault in this man."

       But the Jews cried the more loudly that Jesus should be put to death, saying that he had stirred up the people throughout the country, even from Galilee.

       When Pilate heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he said, "This man belongs to the country that Herod rules." This Herod was a son of the wicked king who tried to take Jesus' life when he was a baby. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod at once, for Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.

       Now this was the Herod who had caused John the Baptist to be put to death. He had heard much about Jesus, but he had never seen this prophet from Galilee. When the soldiers came, bringing Jesus bound with chains, Herod was glad, for he hoped that Jesus might do some miracle before him.

       At once he began to ask questions of Jesus, but not one question would Jesus answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood round about and said all kinds of evil things about Jesus, still he would not speak one word to defend himself.

       Finally Herod grew impatient with this silent prisoner. A wicked thought came into his heart, so he began to make fun of Jesus. With his soldiers he mocked Jesus, dressing him in rich garments and pretending to honor him as a king. Then he sent him back to Pilate.

       Now Pilate's wife had heard about the trial of Jesus and she was greatly troubled, for that night she had dreamed about him. She sent a message to her husband, urging him to set Jesus free, saying, "He is a just man, not worthy of death."

       Pilate, too, wished to free Jesus; for he could find no guilt in him. He told the accusers that neither he nor Herod had been able to find him guilty of death.

       But the mob now cried, "If you set this man free you are not a friend of Caesar, and Caesar will dismiss you from being our governor."

       Pilate knew the Jews could accuse him to Caesar if they were displeased with him, and being a coward he chose rather to let an innocent man suffer than to be in danger of losing his position as governor.

       As the trial went on, Judas Iscariot saw that Jesus was condemned to die. Now his guilty conscience troubled him greatly. He had hoped that Jesus would free himself in some miraculous way from the power of his enemies; but now he saw that Jesus was allowing himself to be helpless in their hands.

       The money that he had taken from the enemies of Jesus seemed to burn his flesh, so he hurried back to the chief priests and scribes, saying, "I have sold an innocent man! I have sinned!"

       The chief priests and scribes looked scornfully upon Judas and replied, "What is that to us? You yourself must answer for your sin." And they turned away from him, refusing to take back the money they had given him for doing the dreadful act.

       Neither would Judas keep the money, so he threw it upon the floor of the temple and ran down the long flight of steps, away to a lonely place, where he hung himself and died.

       Before giving Jesus up to die Pilate talked to the restless mob about another prisoner whom he held--a wicked man named Barabbas, who as a robber had caused much trouble to the Jews.

       At the time of the Feast it was customary to release a prisoner, and Pilate asked whether he should release Barabbas, the wicked robber whom the people feared, or Jesus, the innocent man whom they hated.

       And with loud cries the people answered, "Set Barabbas free!"

       Then Pilate asked, "What shall I do with Jesus?"

       They answered, "Crucify him! crucify him!"

       So the trial came to an end, and Pilate, wishing to please the people, called some Roman soldiers and told them to lead Jesus away to be crucified. First he took water in a basin and washed his hands before the Jews, saying, "I am not guilty of the death of this innocent man."

       The Jews cried out, "We ourselves will bear the blame; let his blood be on our heads!"

       The Roman soldiers took Jesus and put a crown of thorns upon his head. Then they put a reed in his hand, and, bowing before him, mockingly called him the king of the Jews. They also blindfolded his eyes, and spat upon him, and struck him with their hands, saying, "Tell us, prophet, who is it who struck you?"

       All these shameful things Jesus bore in silent for he was suffering in the place of those who deserved to suffer for their own sins. Finally the soldiers took off the purple robe and dressed him once more in his own clothes. Then they led him away outside the city to nail him on a cross. They took two other prisoners, men who had been thieves, and laid heavy crosses on the bared backs of these men, then led them away with Jesus to die.

       A crowd of curious people followed the soldiers through the gate to the hillside where the crucifixion took place. Many in the crowd were enemies of Jesus, others were friends who longed to help but could not. As they went, Jesus sank down beneath the weight of the heavy cross he bore, and could not rise again. The cruel soldiers then called a stranger from the crowd and placed the cross upon his shoulder, for Jesus was too weak to carry it any farther.

       On the hillside of Calvary the crowd stopped, and the soldiers began to strip their prisoners of their clothing and to fasten their hands and their feet to the crosses. Then they raised the crosses high in the air and planted them securely in the ground, leaving the prisoners to hang there till death should relieve them of their misery. Jesus prayed when they were crucifying him and said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

       The cross on which Jesus was crucified stood between the two crosses on which the thieves were hung, and a writing was nailed above the head of Jesus, which said in three languages, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews."

       When the Jews read the writing they were much displeased and hurried to ask Pilate to change it, that it might read thus: "He called himself the King of the Jews."

       But Pilate would not change the writing, and all who passed by could read what he had written, though they were strangers in Judah.

       While Jesus hung on the cross, one of the thieves began to mock him, but the other begged to be forgiven and to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom. He believed that Jesus was really the King from heaven, which the Jews were unwilling to receive.

       And Jesus saw his faith, and said to him, "Today you shall be with me in paradise."

       The thief knew that his sins were forgiven, and though he was suffering much pain a glad joy came into his heart.

       While Jesus hung on the cross he saw a group of sorrowing friends standing at the edge of the crowd, and among them was his own mother. John, the disciple who loved him so much, was also there, and Jesus asked John to take care of his mother from that time.

       The enemies of Jesus stood around the cross, making fun of him and telling him to come down if he were the Son of God.

       Even the chief priests and the scribes were there, and they said, "He said he could save others, but he can not save himself! If he is the king of Israel, let him come down, and we will believe in him, too."

       About noonday the sky suddenly grew dark. For three hours the great darkness lasted, then Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "It is finished!" and soon he died.

       The Roman captain who stood near the cross, and the soldiers who were with him, saw the rocks torn apart by a terrible earthquake that came, and they were frightened.

       And the captain said to his soldiers, "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Burial, and the Watchers at the Tomb
Matt. 27:55 to 28:1; Mark 15:42 to 16:5; Luke 23:50 to 24:1; John 19:31 to 20:1

THE JEWS WHO had been so gleeful when Jesus was taken prisoner and crucified still felt troubled about him. They could not put the thoughts of him out of their minds. The next day would be their Sabbath, and they did not wish to have him hanging on the cross, with the words, "This is the King of the Jews," written above his head.

       However, a rich man named Joseph, who was also a ruler among the Jews, now came boldly into Pilate's judgment-hall and asked permission to take the body of Jesus and bury it. This man, although a ruler, had loved Jesus and he had taken no part in the wicked plots of his fellow rulers.

       He with Nicodemus, the Pharisee, had long believed in Jesus, but for fear of the other Jews these two men had not made known their belief. Now with Pilate's permission they went to Calvary. They took Jesus' body and wrapped it in rich linen clothes with the sweet spices and perfumes that Nicodemus the Pharisee had brought.

       Then they laid it in a new grave, or tomb, which had been cut out of a large rock. This grave opened into a garden, and Joseph had intended it for his own burial-place when he should die.

       Some of the women who had often been with Jesus when he taught the multitudes, stood by watching when Joseph and Nicodemus laid the body of their beloved friend in the dark tomb, and they saw the men roll a heavy stone before the door.

       Evening had now come and the Jews' Sabbath had commenced; for their Sabbath began at sunset on Friday evening and ended at sunset on Saturday evening. The sorrowing friends of Jesus therefore hastily returned to their homes to keep the Sabbath in the quiet manner that the Jews had been taught to keep it.

       But the enemies of Jesus began to fear that Jesus' grave might be disturbed by his friends. They remembered that Jesus had said he would rise on the third day, and they said to each other, "His disciples may come to steal him away and then declare that he has risen. Then perhaps more people will believe in him and we shall be despised by them."

       So they hurried to Pilate and told him about their fears, and asked permission to place his Roman seal upon the stone in front of Jesus' grave. They also wanted Pilate to command soldiers to guard the tomb, so that no one should come by night and break the seal and take away the body. And Pilate allowed them to place his seal upon the great stone and to station soldiers to guard the grave by day and by night.

       The women who had watched Joseph and Nicodemus lay the body of Jesus away longed ot show their love for Jesus, and after sunset on the next day they hurriedly prepared some sweet perfumes. Then they planned to go early the next morning to anoint the body of their dear friend, even though he had been buried.

       But the eleven disciples, stricken with sorrow, hid themselves from the scornful glances of passers-by. They had forgotten the words of Jesus, that he would rise again on the third day. The cruel act of Judas, one of their own number, and the defenseless attitude of their master when in the hands of his enemies had so disappointed them that they bowed their heads in anguish and grief.

       Nothing seemed left for them now, when their glorious hopes of the kingdom of heaven had disappeared like a broken bubble. And they mourned and wept tears of disappointment, while a fear of the Jews' further displeasure only added to their weight of grief.

       Early on the morning of the third day, before the sun had risen, a group of sorrowing women crept out of the city and sped along the highway toward the garden-tomb. As they went they wondered who would roll away the stone from the door of the grave, that they might go inside and pour their sweet perfumes upon the body of Jesus.

       But when they came near they saw the stone was rolled away and that the tomb was empty. Other visitors had come to the tomb even earlier than they. And the body of Jesus was not there.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Resurrection, the Crucified Savior, Arose from the Dead
Matt. 28:2-16; Mark 16:5-14; Luke 24:4-12; John 20:2-18

THE HOURS OF watching dragged slowly by to the Roman soldiers who guarded the tomb where the body of Jesus lay. No one had come even to visit the grave; and perhaps the soldiers laughed at the fears of the Jews.

       The eastern sky was beginning to light up with the promise of a new day when suddenly the ground beneath the watcher's feet began to tremble. Another earthquake had come. Then the fearful watchers saw a mighty angel come down from the sky and roll the stone away from the door of the tomb and sit upon it.

       The face of this angel had the appearance of lightning, and the garments he wore were as white as snow. At sight of him the soldiers fell to the ground, trembling and helpless, and lay there as if they were dead. All this happened because Jesus had, in the grave, come back to life. He was risen from the dead.

       When the women came to the garden they found the tomb empty, and the angel had not yet gone back to heaven. At first the women did not see the angel, and they wondered who had come and stolen the body of their Lord. Mary Magdalene left the others and ran quickly to tell Peter and John that the body of Jesus had been taken away from the tomb and hidden they knew not where.

       After Mary had gone from them, the other women saw in the empty tomb the beautiful angel, and they were afraid and bowed themselves to the ground.

       But the angel said, "Do not be afraid. Why are you seeking the living among the dead? Jesus is not here; he is risen as he said. Go quickly and tell his disciples and Peter that he is alive and will meet them in Galilee."

       The women ran from the place, filled with joy yet trembling with excitement and fear. The good news which the angel told seemed too wonderful to be true, still they believed and hurried to tell the disciples and other friends who were sorrowing.

       But the disciples refused to believe the glad message. Peter and John ran to see the empty tomb for themselves, and when they came to the place they found no one, for the soldiers had risen and fled into the city to tell their strange experience to the enemies of Jesus who had stationed them to watch by the grave.

       John outran Peter, and coming first to the grave he looked and saw it was empty. Then Peter came, and he went into the dark room where the body of Jesus had lain. He saw there the grave-clothes that Joseph had wrapped round the body of Jesus, and he believed that surely Jesus was alive once more. John, too, entered the grave and saw the clothes lying where Jesus had left them, and he also believed.

       Mary Magdalene had not stayed in the garden long enough to hear the message of the angel, and now she returned from the city, longing to find the place where her crucified Lord had been taken. She did not yet know of the new hopes that were gladdening the hearts of her friends.

       Entering the garden again, she stood by the empty grave and wept. Then she stooped down and looked into the grave and saw two angels sitting, one at the head and another at the foot of where the body of Jesus had lain.

       They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"

       She replied, "Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him."

       Then turning about she saw Jesus himself standing near. But tears blinded her eyes, and she did not know him. He, too, asked her why she wept, and supposing him to be the man who cared for the garden, she said, "Sir, if you have carried away my Lord, tell me where you have laid him that I may take him."

       Then Jesus said, "Mary!" and she knew his voice.

       What glad joy filled Mary's heart when she knew that Jesus was speaking to her again. She fell at his feet and cried, "Master!" Then he told her to go at once and tell her sorrowing friends that she had seen him and that he had told her to tell them he was going to ascend to their heavenly Father's home.

       While these things were happening, the soldiers came into the city and told the chief priest what had taken place in the garden tomb. And the chief priests were alarmed. They quickly called the other enemies of Jesus; and they all wondered what to do. They had no thoughts of accepting Jesus even though he had truly risen from the dead. They still hoped to persuade the people that Jesus had been a false prophet, so they decided on a plan and they asked the soldiers to help them carry it out.

       They offered them much money if only they would promise to tell no one else that Jesus had risen and an angel had opened the tomb. They urged the soldiers to tell the people that the disciples came and stole Jesus' body away while they were lying asleep.

       The Roman soldiers cared nothing about the Jews and their religion, and they gladly took the money and went away. And when they were questioned about the disappearance of Jesus' body from the grave they said the disciples had stolen it while they slept.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus; Doubting Thomas
Luke 24:13-48; John 20:19-31

THE PASSOVER FEAST had ended, and some of the visitors at Jerusalem were returning to their homes. Along the roadway leading from the city of Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus, seven miles distant, two men were walking slowly, with bowed heads. They were friends of Jesus, and they were troubled about the news that had come to the city just before they started on their journey.

       As these men talked together about the trial and crucifixion of Jesus, and about the women's message that early morning, suddenly a stranger joined them and asked, "Why is it that you are so sad? What are you talking about so earnestly?"

       The men replied, "Can it be possible that you have not heard about the sad things that have been happening during these few days past?"

       And the stranger asked, "What things?"

       The men began to tell this stranger about Jesus of Nazareth whom they had hoped would deliver their nation from the rule of the Romans and set up a kingdom. They told him how the chief priests and rulers had become jealous of him because he was such a mighty prophet, and how they captured him and caused him to be crucified. They told him that Jesus had died on the cross and that his body had been buried by loving friends in a nice, new tomb.

       "And this is the third day since these things happened," they said, "and this morning some women of our company astonished us by saying they had gone early to the tomb and had seen that his body had been taken away. But they said angels were there, and the angels said he had risen from the dead. Then some of our own number hurried to the grave and found that it was indeed empty, but they did not see the angels nor did they see our risen Lord."

       The stranger listened patiently, and when they had finished he began to talk to them about the teachings of Moses' law and of the prophets concerning the promised Redeemer of Israel. He showed them by the word of God's book that Jesus, the prophet of Galilee, should suffer these very things and rise again the third day if he would really be the Redeemer for whom they were longing.

       And the men listened silently, wondering who this stranger could be.

       Presently they came near to the village of Emmaus, and the two men asked the stranger to stop with them until the next morning, as the day had nearly ended. So he stopped with them.

       And when they sat down to eat their evening meal he took bread, blessed it, and gave it to them, and they knew at once that he was Jesus, their risen Lord. But he disappeared from their sight.

       Now the two men understood why the women who had seen the angels seemed so full of joy. They, too, believed in the risen Lord, and their hearts were filled with gladness. They rose up from the table and hurried back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that they had seen the Lord.

       The deep shades of night had fallen over Jerusalem when the men at last came to the house where the disciples and some of their friends were gathered together. When they entered the room they saw that a change had come over these people who had been so sad.

       Now every one seemed happy, and excited about something. "Jesus is indeed risen,"they cried joyously, "for Peter has seen him!"

       Then the women told how he had appeared to them on their way to Emmaus, and how they had not known him until he had blessed and broken bread at their evening meal.

       While they talked together suddenly Jesus himself appeared in their midst. And they were frightened, for the doors were closed when he entered and they supposed he was a spirit.

       But he spoke to them and said, "Why are you fearful? See my hands and my feet; touch me, and see that I am not a spirit, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as I have."

       Then he asked for something to eat, and they gave him a piece of fish and some honey, which he ate before them. Great was their joy on beholding him once more in their midst, after they had seen him so cruelly tortured and killed.

       But Thomas, one of the disciples, was not present when Jesus appeared. And he would not believe when the others told him that they had seen the Lord.

       He said, "Except I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my fingers into the nail-prints, and except I thrust my hand into the place where the spear cut his side, I will not believe."

       A week passed by, and again the disciples were together in a room, the doors being closed, and this time Thomas was with them.

       Then Jesus appeared as suddenly as he had come before, and he said to them all, "Peace be to you!"

       While they were wondering at his strange coming he called Thomas and said, "Behold my hands, and put your finger into the print of the nails; and put your hand into the place where the spear cut my side. And do not doubt, but believe."

       Now Thomas worshiped Jesus, saying, "My Lord, and my God!"

       To him Jesus said, "You believe because you have seen, but blessed are those who will believe though they do not see me."

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus & His Disciples Last Meeting, the Great Commission, and Jesus' Accension
Mark 16:15-19; Luke 24:50-53; John 21; Acts 1:1-14

FAR UP IN Galilee, away from the reach of their enemies, a group of men and women met together on a mountain-side and waited for the appearance of their Lord. And Jesus came to them there, and talked in other days. And they rejoiced to see him once more and worshiped him; but some doubted that he was really the same Jesus who had been nailed to the cross.

       One day after this meeting some of the disciples who had been fishermen returned to the Sea of Galilee. The familiar sight of the water and fishing-boats floating about on the surface stirred within Peter's heart a desire to again go fishing. So he told his companions, and they said, "We will go with you."

       All that night the men stayed in their ship, toiling with their net; but not one fish did they catch. When morning came they drew near to the shore and saw a stranger standing there beside a fire of coals. He called to them and asked whether they had any fish.

       They replied that they had caught none, and he bade them cast their net into the water once more, this time on the right side of the ship. They obeyed, and now the net was filled.

       John, the disciple who often went with Peter and James, now whispered to his companions, "It is the Lord."

       And immediately Peter wrapped his fisher's coat about his body and jumped overboard to swim to shore, so eager was he to come to Jesus. The others remained in the ship and brought it to the landing. Then Jesus commanded them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and Peter drew the net from out of the water. In it they had taken one hundred and fifty-three large fishes, yet the net was not broken. Then Jesus asked the men to come and eat, for he had already prepared fish and bread on the burning colas.

       After they had eaten, Jesus talked with Simon Peter, the disciple who had denied him at the time of his trial. He asked Simon three times if he loved him, and each time Simon replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

       Simon believed that Jesus knew all things, and he felt sad because Jesus asked him this same question the third time. Then he remembered how only a short while ago he had denied three times that he ever knew Jesus. Now he declared three times that he loved him, and Jesus told him to feed his lambs and sheep.

       Simon Peter had heard Jesus speak a parable one day about the Good shepherd, who gave his life for his sheep. And he knew that Jesus had called himself the Good Shepherd. Now he understood that Jesus had died for the sins of the people, and he believed that men and women were the sheep whom Jesus meant that he should feed. Not their bodies, but their souls were hungry to be fed, and Jesus wanted Peter to leave his work as a fisherman and become a preacher of the gospel. In this way he could feed the people.

       Then Jesus told Peter words like these: "When you were a young man you went wherever you wished, but when you shall become an old man you shall stretch out your hands and another shall carry you where you do not wish to go."

       By these words he meant that when Peter should grow old he would be put to death because he loved Jesus.

       Then he said to Peter, "Follow me."

       Simon Peter turned about and saw John standing by. At once he asked, "Lord, what shall this man do?"

       But Jesus said, "Never mind about John's work; see that you follow me."

       Forty days passed by, and during these days Jesus often spoke with his disciples about the kingdom of God. Still they did not understand that it would not be an earthly kingdom, like the kingdom of David had been. At last the time came for their farewell-meeting.

       During this time Jesus appeared to his disciples and "when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted.

       And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

       While they talked earnestly together, Jesus said, "John the Baptist baptized you with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days."

       And some of the disciples asked, "Will you at that time restore the kingdom of Israel?"

       But Jesus said, "It is not for you to know the plans of the heavenly Father; but you shall receive power from heaven when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and this power will cause you to witness boldly to me in Jerusalem, in all the country of Judah, in Samaria, and in the farthest parts of the world. But do not go away from Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is given to you."

       While Jesus talked to them they were standing together on the Mount of Olives, and suddenly the disciples saw him being caught up into heaven. They watched until he disappeared from sight in bright clouds, after which they saw him no more. But still they stood gazing upward, hoping to catch one more glimpse of their departing Lord.

       Then two angels came and stood beside them, clothed in beautiful garments of white. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven will come again in the same manner as he went away."

       Then they left the place and went into Jerusalem, into a room up-stairs, where they met together with other friends of Jesus to wait and pray until the promised Comforter should be given to them.

       No longer were they sorrowing; for now great joy filled their hearts because they knew that Jesus was really the Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:15 to Acts 2:47

IN A LARGE upper room in Jerusalem one hundred and twenty men and women were meeting daily to pray. These were disciples and friends who had been with Jesus while he lived on earth. These were the ones he had commanded to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit from heaven. And they were obeying his command.

       Although Jesus had now gone up to heaven, where they could no longer see him or hear his voice, yet these people were happy. They remembered his words, that power from heaven would soon be given to them. And they were waiting to receive this wonderful power which would come with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

       Ten days passed by after Jesus ascended to heaven, and another feast-day came for the Jews. This was called the Pentecost, and religious Jews from other lands had come to worship at the temple. The city was once more crowded with strangers from different parts of the world.

       In the large upper room the disciples and friends of Jesus were together praying at an early hour. Suddenly there came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind. They understood the meaning of the sound from heaven, for at that very time the Holy Spirit came upon them. And they saw resting upon each other's heads what seemed to be tongue-shaped flames of fire.

       Now they knew the promise of the Holy Spirit had been fulfilled, and they began to praise God. No longer were they afraid lest the enemies who had caused Jesus to be put to death should hear them, for the Holy Spirit gave them boldness and courage to tell others that Jesus was really the Christ.

       Soon the noise of their rejoicing was heard in the street below, and crowds gathered to learn what had happened in the upper room. In the crowds were the strangers who had come from different countries far away, where people spoke in other languages.

       When they came to the place they were surprised to hear these happy men and women praising God in the languages of their own countrymen.

       The strangers looked on each other with amazement, and asked, "What does this mean? For these who speak to us in our own language are people from Galilee. How have they learned the language of the faraway nations where we were born?"

       Others in the crowd were Jews who had lived in Jerusalem for a long time. They had been there when Jesus was crucified, and when he rose from he grave. They knew these Spirit-filled men and women were friends of Jesus. And they refused to believe in him.

       So they said to the strangers, "These men who speak in your languages are drunk; pay no heed to them."

       Then Peter stood up boldly where all the crowd might see him, and said in a loud voice, "Ye men of Judah, and you who are strangers in Jerusalem, these are not drunk as you suppose.

       But on them God has poured out his Holy Spirit, as he promised in the prophecy of Joel, which reads thus in your Sacred Book: 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, say God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.'"

       When Peter began to speak the people grew quiet and listened to his words. And he preached to them a great sermon, showing them how God had sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to be their Redeemer.

       But they had refused to receive him and had given him over to the Roman soldiers to be killed as a wicked person. Yet God had raised him from the dead on the third day, and had received him back to heaven.

       Quietly the people listened, and Peter preached on, explaining to them why the Holy Spirit had fallen upon the friends of Jesus that day. And at the end of his sermon he proved to them that God had made the Jesus whom they crucified both Lord and Christ.

       Peter's words brought fear upon the people who stood listening. How guilty they felt!

       Now they cried out, "What shall we do?"

       And Peter replied, "Repent of the wrong you have done and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins and will give you the Holy Spirit as he has given us. For the promise of the Holy Spirit is given not only to us but to every one who shall believe on the Lord and be saved from sin."

       Because of Peter's great sermon many people believed that Jesus is the Son of God. And on that day three thousand believers were added to the one hundred and twenty who first met to worship God in the upper room. These believers were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and they too, rejoiced greatly because they knew their sins had been forgiven.

       By the power of the Holy Spirit the apostles now worked many signs and wonders in Jerusalem, and fear fell upon the people who saw and heard them. And every day more believers were added to their number, until their congregation became a great company of people.

       Those who believed on Jesus sold their possessions and divided their money with those who were poor. And they met every day to praise God and worship him in the temple, and others who saw and heard them also believed.

       This was the beginning of the early Christian church, which is called in the Scriptures the "church of God."