ife?_

Jesus turned to the parents of the child. "Rise!" Then he warned them
and the disciples, saying: "No one must hear about this. Only you
understand its true meaning." Turning to the disciples, he said, "Let us
go now." Seething with excitement they could not control, the disciples
followed Jesus.

[Illustration]

9. HOW WILL YOU KNOW THE MESSIAH?

One week later a messenger arrived at the court of King Herod, in
Tiberias, a city not far from Capernaum on the Lake of Galilee. He
carried reports from local officials throughout the provinces that Herod
ruled. As he read them, the king became more and more alarmed. Finally
he turned to a slave. "Tell my officers to come immediately!"

When the high officials of the court arrived, Herod waved the papers and
said, "Every single governor reports that there are Jews going through
our cities and towns talking about some new kingdom!" He looked at them
sharply. "Do you know anything about this?"

After a moment one of them answered, "There is a carpenter from Nazareth
preaching something like that."

"Do you think he has anything to do with this business?"

"I am not sure," answered the man. "I know a Pharisee in Capernaum who
says this fellow wants to do away with the Jewish religion." The man
speaking was one of the Herodians whom Symeon had stirred up against
Jesus.

"What sort of man is he?" demanded Herod.

"He has great influence with the people," he said. "This Pharisee admits
that his miracles are not tricks."

"Miracles!" Herod became very sober. "Who is this man?" he demanded.
"Has John the Baptizer risen from the dead?" Against his better judgment
he had executed the Prophet a few weeks before.

"That is not possible," answered an officer.

"We shall have a revolution on our hands if this really is John." Herod
turned to the officer who had spoken last. "Who is he, if he isn't
John?"

"People say different things. Some say he is Elijah; others say someone
else, but they all think he is a prophet."

"That is exactly what they said about John the Baptizer," exclaimed
Herod.

"John never sent out missionaries!" objected the Herodian.

"That only makes it worse!" The king pointed to the reports in front of
him. "What if these Jews are working for him?"

"They might be," admitted the man.

If Herod could have heard the conversation of Simon and Andrew at that
moment, he would have been even more anxious. They were in high spirits
as t