122

14 _A Day of Victory_ 131

15 _Dispute in the Temple_ 141

16 _The End of Hope_ 152

17 _The Darkest Hour of All_ 165

18 _The Rock of Faith_ 173

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?

What kind of men were Jesus' disciples? What was it like to be with
Jesus in Palestine? Why did some of the disciples find it so hard to
understand Jesus? Who were the people who killed Jesus? Why did they do
it? This book has been written to help you to answer these questions. It
takes you right into Jesus' world so that you can hear his conversations
with the disciples and watch the things they did.

The stories of Jesus and the disciples in this book are told in
different words from those you will find in your Bible, and background
has been built in from other records of the time. For example, the Bible
gives only the fact that one of the disciples was a Zealot; in this book
the disciple is shown speaking and acting as we know Zealots spoke and
acted. The story of the rich young ruler has been placed early in Jesus'
ministry to show that he would not accept every man who wanted to be his
disciple. The parable of the Good Samaritan has also been placed in the
early period as an example of the informal way in which Jesus taught.
That you may know what is from the Bible and what is added to make a
complete story, Scripture references for each event are given in the
back of the book. These references will help you to read and understand
the Gospels. As you read what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus while
he was on earth, you will see more clearly what it means to be one of
his disciples today.

[Illustration]

1. A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

"Andrew! The baskets are slipping!" Two men on foot were driving heavily
loaded donkeys ahead of them. Across the back of Andrew's tiny beast
hung two huge baskets. One slanted crazily forward.

"It ought to hold until we get to the top," answered Andrew. He looked
critically at the load and then at the path ahead. They were climbing
the bank of a wide gully cut by the floods that rushed down from the
barren hills into the valley of the Jordan River every spring. Andrew
shouted a command and the donkeys climbed slowly upward. At the top the
men stopped to catch their breath.

"John," exc