oners giving up
all hope of freedom.

At first not a priest or Pharisee was anywhere to be seen. So eagerly
did the disciples keep watch that they hardly heard what Jesus was
saying. "Do not let anyone deceive you," he warned the people. "In the
last days many false prophets will come in the name of God--but do not
follow them! If you are my true followers, men will hate you and try to
kill you. But even when you are dragged before kings and priests and put
on trial, tell everyone the gospel of God! Do not worry or try to
prepare ahead of time--I will give you answers that your enemies cannot
escape."

"Look!" whispered Andrew. "There they come!" Judas saw a priest he had
talked to the day before walking toward Jesus. But the Master paid no
attention.

"In those days," he continued, "your own friends will betray you. They
will put you to death. Everyone will hate you for my sake--but do not be
afraid! If you are willing to give your life for me, you shall have
eternal life." Like darts his words struck into Judas.

"The time will come when Jerusalem will be surrounded by enemy armies,"
declared Jesus. "Then she will soon be destroyed. Let everyone flee to
the hills for his life, for in those days God will punish this wicked
city for her sin. Every single building will be leveled to the ground!"

"Our beautiful Temple!" cried a man in the crowd. "Look at these great
stones! Will all this be destroyed?"

"I tell you solemnly," declared Jesus, "the day is coming when not one
stone in this Temple will be left standing!"

The priest broke in. "How do you dare say that? This is the house of
God. It took the finest workmen in Israel forty-six years to build it.
God will not let his Temple be destroyed!"

"You do not know how to save your Temple!" retorted Jesus. "You think it
is holy because you make many sacrifices in it! But I tell you that your
enemies will tear down your Temple and kill your children, all because
you do not know that God has come to you!"

"What do you mean?" exclaimed the priest. "Look at the monuments we have
built in memory of the prophets!"

"You decorate the tombs of the prophets and say to yourselves, 'If we
had lived then, we would have treated them better!' But you kill the
prophets that God sends you, just as your ancestors did!

"Your religion is like a filthy cup: bright and shiny on the outside,
but dirty inside! Your Temple is beautiful, but your religion is
rotten!" The priests