Captivity in Babylon to Rebuilding of Jerusalem’s Walls
While in captivity in Babylon, the Israelites had many tests of their faith. Sha´drach, Me´shach and A·bed´ne·go were thrown into a fiery hot furnace, but God brought them out alive. Later, after Babylon was defeated by the Medes and the Persians, Daniel was pitched into a lions’ pit, but God also protected him by shutting the mouths of the lions.
Finally, the Persian king Cyrus freed the Israelites. They returned to their homeland just 70 years after they were taken away to Babylon as captives. One of the first things they did when they returned to Jerusalem was to begin building Jehovah’s temple. However, enemies soon stopped their work. So it was about 22 years after returning to Jerusalem that they finally finished the temple.
Next, we learn about Ezra’s trip back to Jerusalem to beautify the temple. This was some 47 years after the temple was finished. Then, 13 years after Ezra’s trip, Nehemiah helped to rebuild Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Part FIVE covers 152 years of history down to this time.
Story 77
They Would Not Bow Down
DO YOU remember hearing about these three young men? Yes, they are the friends of Daniel who refused to eat what was not good for them. The Babylonians called them Sha´drach, Me´shach and A·bed´ne·go. But look at them now. Why aren’t they bowing down to this huge image like everyone else? Let’s find out.
Do you remember the laws that Jehovah himself wrote called the Ten Commandments? The first one of these is: ‘You must not worship any other gods except me.’ The young men here are obeying this law, even though it is not an easy thing to do.
Neb·u·chad·nez´zar, the king of Babylon, has called many important people to honor this image that he has set up. He has just finished saying to all the people: ‘When you hear the sound of the horns, the harps and the other musical instruments, you are to bow down and worship this gold image. Anyone who does not bow down and worship will be thrown into a burning hot furnace right away.’
When Neb·u·chad·nez´zar learns that Sha´drach, Me´shach and A·bed´ne·go have not bowed down, he is very angry. He has them brought to him. He gives them another chance to bow down. But the young men trust in Jehovah. ‘Our God whom we serve is able to save us,’ they tell Neb·u·chad·nez´zar. ‘But even if he does not save us, we will not bow down to your image of gold.’
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At hearing this, Neb·u·chad·nez´zar is even more angry. There is a furnace nearby and he commands: ‘Heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was before!’ Then he has the strongest men in his army tie up Sha´drach, Me´shach and A·bed´ne·go and throw them into the furnace. The furnace is so hot that the strong men are killed by the flames. But what about the three young men whom they threw in?
The king looks into the furnace, and becomes very much afraid. ‘Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the burning hot furnace?’ he asks.
‘Yes, we did,’ his servants answer.
‘But I see four men walking around in the fire,’ he says. ‘They are not tied up, and the fire is not hurting them. And the fourth one looks like a god.’ The king goes closer to the door of the furnace and cries out: ‘Sha´drach! Me´shach! A·bed´ne·go! Come on out, you servants of the Most High God!’
When they come out, everyone can see that they have not been hurt. Then the king says: ‘Let the God of Sha´drach, Me´shach and A·bed´ne·go be praised! He has sent his angel and saved them because they would not bow down and worship any god except their own.’
Isn’t this a fine example of faithfulness to Jehovah for us to follow?
Exodus 20:3; Daniel 3:1-30.
Story 78
Handwriting on the Wall
WHAT is happening here? The people are having a big feast. The king of Babylon has invited a thousand important guests. They are using the gold cups and the silver cups and the bowls taken from Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem. But, suddenly, the fingers of a man’s hand appear in the air and begin to write on the wall. Everyone is scared.
Bel·shaz´zar, the grandson of Neb·u·chad·nez´zar, is the king now. He shouts for his wise men to be brought in. ‘Anyone who can read this writing and tell me what it means,’ the king says, ‘will be given many gifts and be made the third most important ruler in the kingdom.’ But none of the wise men can read the writing on the wall, nor tell its meaning.
The king’s mother hears the noise and comes into the big dining room. ‘Please don’t be so frightened,’ she tells the king. ‘There is a man in your kingdom that knows the holy gods. When your grandfather Neb·u·chad·nez´zar was king he made him the chief of all his wise men. His name is Daniel. Send for him, and he will tell you what all of this means.’
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So right away Daniel is brought in. After refusing to take any gifts, Daniel begins to tell why Jehovah once removed Bel·shaz´zar’s grandfather Neb·u·chad·nez´zar from being king. ‘He was very proud,’ Daniel says. ‘And Jehovah punished him.’
‘But you,’ Daniel tells Bel·shaz´zar, ‘knew all about what happened to him, and still you are proud just as Neb·u·chad·nez´zar was. You have brought in the cups and the bowls from Jehovah’s temple and drunk out of them. You have praised gods made of wood and stone, and you have not honored our Grand Creator. That is why God has sent the hand to write these words.
‘This is what is written,’ Daniel says: ‘ME´NE, ME´NE, TE´KEL and PAR´SIN.’
‘ME´NE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. TE´KEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found to be no good. PAR´SIN means that your kingdom is given to the Medes and the Persians.’
Even while Daniel is speaking, the Medes and the Persians have begun to attack Babylon. They capture the city and kill Bel·shaz´zar. The handwriting on the wall comes true that very night! But what will happen to the Israelites now? We will soon find out, but first let’s see what happens to Daniel.
Daniel 5:1-31.
Story 79
Daniel in the Lions’ Pit
OH, OH! It looks as if Daniel is in a lot of trouble. But the lions are not hurting him! Do you know why? Who put Daniel in here with all these lions? Let’s find out.
The king of Babylon is now a man named Da·ri´us. He likes Daniel very much because Daniel is so kind and wise. Da·ri´us chooses Daniel to be a chief ruler in his kingdom. This makes other men in the kingdom jealous of Daniel, so this is what they do.
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They go to Da·ri´us and say: ‘We have agreed, O king, that you should make a law saying that for 30 days no one should pray to any god or man except to you, O king. If anyone disobeys, then he should be thrown in with the lions.’ Da·ri´us does not know why these men want this law made. But he thinks it is a good idea, so he puts the law into writing. Now the law cannot be changed.
When Daniel learns about the law, he goes home and prays, just as he always has done. The bad men knew that Daniel would not stop praying to Jehovah. They are happy, because it seems that their plan to get rid of Daniel is working.
When King Da·ri´us learns why these men wanted to make this law, he is very sorry. But he cannot change the law, so he has to give the command for Daniel to be thrown into the lions’ pit. But the king tells Daniel: ‘I hope that your God, whom you serve, will save you.’
Da·ri´us is so upset he can’t sleep that night. The next morning he runs to the lions’ pit. You can see him there. He cries out: ‘Daniel, servant of the living God! Was the God whom you serve able to save you from the lions?’
‘God sent his angel,’ Daniel answers, ‘and shut the mouths of the lions so that they did not hurt me.’
The king is very glad. He commands that Daniel be lifted out of the pit. Then he has the bad men who tried to get rid of Daniel thrown to the lions. Even before they reach the bottom of the pit, the lions grab them and break all their bones.
Then King Da·ri´us writes to all the people in his kingdom: ‘I command that everyone should respect Daniel’s God. He does great miracles. He saved Daniel from being eaten by the lions.’
Daniel 6:1-28.
Story 80
God’s People Leave Babylon
NEARLY two years have passed since Babylon was captured by the Medes and the Persians. And look what is happening now! Yes, the Israelites are leaving Babylon. How did they get free? Who let them go?
Cy´rus, the king of Persia, did. Long before Cy´rus was born, Jehovah had his prophet Isaiah write about him: ‘You will do just what I want you to do. The gates will be left open for you to capture the city.’ And Cy´rus did take the lead in capturing Babylon. The Medes and the Persians came into the city at night through gates that had been left open.
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But Jehovah’s prophet Isaiah also said that Cy´rus would give the command for Jerusalem and its temple to be built again. Did Cy´rus give this command? Yes, he did. This is what Cy´rus tells the Israelites: ‘Go, now, to Jerusalem and build the temple of Jehovah, your God.’ And this is just what these Israelites are on their way to do.
But not all the Israelites in Babylon can make the long trip back to Jerusalem. It is a long, long trip of about 500 miles (800 kilometers) and many are too old or too sick to travel so far. And there are other reasons why some people don’t go. But Cy´rus tells those that don’t go: ‘Give silver and gold and other gifts to the people who are going back to build Jerusalem and its temple.’
So, many gifts are given to these Israelites who are on their way to Jerusalem. Also, Cy´rus gives them the bowls and the cups that King Neb·u·chad·nez´zar had taken from Jehovah’s temple when he destroyed Jerusalem. The people have a lot of things to carry back with them.
After about four months of traveling, the Israelites get back to Jerusalem right on time. It is just 70 years since the city was destroyed, and the land was left completely empty of people. But though the Israelites are now back in their own country they will have some hard times, as we will learn next.
Isaiah 44:28; 45:1-4; Ezra 1:1-11.
Story 81
Trusting in God’s Help
ALMOST 50,000 people make the long trip from Babylon to Jerusalem. But when they arrive, Jerusalem is just a big ruin. Nobody lives there. The Israelites have to build everything all over again.
One of the first things that they build is an altar. This is a place where they can make animal offerings, or gifts, to Jehovah. A few months later the Israelites begin building the temple. But enemies living in lands nearby don’t want the Israelites to build it. So they try to frighten them to make them stop. Finally, these enemies get the new king of Persia to make a law to stop the building work.
Years pass. Now it has been 17 years since the Israelites came back from Babylon. Jehovah sends his prophets Hag´gai and Zech·a·ri´ah to tell the people to start building again. The people trust in God’s help, and they obey the prophets. They start to build again, even though a law says that they are not to do it.
So a Persian official named Tat´te·nai comes and asks the Israelites what right they have to build the temple. The Israelites tell him that when they were in Babylon, King Cy´rus told them: ‘Go, now, to Jerusalem and build the temple of Jehovah, your God.’
Tat´te·nai sends a letter to Babylon and asks if Cy´rus, who is now dead, really said that. Soon a letter from the new king of Persia comes back. It tells that Cy´rus really said it. And so the king writes: ‘Let the Israelites build the temple of their God. And I command you to help them.’ In about four years the temple is finished, and the Israelites are very happy.
Many more years pass. It is now almost 48 years since the temple was finished. The people in Jerusalem are poor, and the city and God’s temple do not look very pretty. Back in Babylon, the Israelite Ez´ra learns about the need to fix up God’s temple. So do you know what he does?
Ez´ra goes to see Ar·ta·xerx´es, the king of Persia, and this good king gives Ez´ra many gifts to take back to Jerusalem. Ez´ra asks the Israelites in Babylon to help him carry these gifts to Jerusalem. About 6,000 people say they will go. They have a lot of silver and gold and other precious things to carry with them.
Ez´ra is worried, because there are bad men along the way. These men might take away their silver and gold, and kill them. So Ez´ra calls the people together, as you can see in the picture. Then they pray to Jehovah to protect them on their long trip back to Jerusalem.
Jehovah does protect them. And after four months of traveling, they arrive safely in Jerusalem. Doesn’t this show that Jehovah can protect those who trust in him for help?
Ezra chapters 2 to 8.
Story 82
Mordecai and Esther
LET’S go back a few years before Ez´ra went to Jerusalem. Mor´de·cai and Esther are the most important Israelites in the kingdom of Persia. Esther is the queen, and her cousin Mor´de·cai is second only to the king in power. Let’s see how this came about.
Esther’s parents died when she was very small, and so Mor´de·cai has raised her. A·has·u·e´rus, the king of Persia, has a palace in the city of Shu´shan, and Mor´de·cai is one of his servants. Well, one day the king’s wife Vash´ti does not obey him, so the king chooses a new wife to be his queen. Do you know the woman he chooses? Yes, beautiful young Esther.
Do you see this proud man that people are bowing down to? This is Ha´man. He is a very important man in Persia. Ha´man wants Mor´de·cai, whom you can see sitting here, to bow down to him also. But Mor´de·cai won’t do it. He doesn’t think it is right to bow down to such a bad man. This makes Ha´man very angry. And so this is what he does.
Ha´man tells the king lies about the Israelites. ‘They are bad people who don’t obey your laws,’ he says. ‘They should be put to death.’ A·has·u·e´rus does not know that his wife Esther is an Israelite. So he listens to Ha´man, and he has a law made that on a certain day all Israelites are to be killed.
When Mor´de·cai hears about the law, he is very upset. He sends a message to Esther: ‘You must tell the king, and beg him to save us.’ It is against the law in Persia to go see the king unless you’re invited. But Esther goes in without being invited. The king holds out his gold rod to her, which means that she is not to be killed. Esther invites the king and Ha´man to a big meal. There the king asks Esther what favor she wants from him. Esther says that she will tell him if he and Ha´man will come to another meal the next day.
At that meal Esther tells the king: ‘My people and I are to be killed.’ The king is angry. ‘Who dares to do such a thing?’ he asks.
‘The man, the enemy, is this bad Ha´man!’ Esther says.
Now the king is really angry. He commands that Ha´man be killed. Afterward, the king makes Mor´de·cai second in power only to himself. Mor´de·cai then sees to it that a new law is made that allows the Israelites to fight for their lives on the day they are supposed to be killed. Because Mor´de·cai is such an important man now, many people help the Israelites, and they are saved from their enemies.
Bible book of Esther.
Story 83
The Walls of Jerusalem
LOOK at all the work going on here. The Israelites are busy building the walls of Jerusalem. When King Neb·u·chad·nez´zar destroyed Jerusalem 152 years before, he knocked down the walls and burned the city’s gates. The Israelites did not build the walls again when they first came home from Babylon.
How do you think the people have felt living here all these years without walls around their city? They have not felt safe. Their enemies could easily come in and attack them. But now this man Ne·he·mi´ah is finally helping the people to build the walls again. Do you know who Ne·he·mi´ah is?
Ne·he·mi´ah is an Israelite who comes from the city of Shu´shan, where Mor´de·cai and Esther live. Ne·he·mi´ah worked in the king’s palace, so he may have been a good friend of Mor´de·cai and Queen Esther. But the Bible does not say that Ne·he·mi´ah worked for Esther’s husband, King A·has·u·e´rus. He worked for the next king, King Ar·ta·xerx´es.
Remember, Ar·ta·xerx´es is the good king who gave Ez´ra all that money to take back to Jerusalem to fix up Jehovah’s temple. But Ez´ra did not build the broken-down walls of the city. Let’s see how it came about that Ne·he·mi´ah did this work.
It has been 13 years since Ar·ta·xerx´es gave Ez´ra the money to fix up the temple. Ne·he·mi´ah is now the chief cupbearer for King Ar·ta·xerx´es. This means that he serves the king his wine, and makes sure that no one tries to poison the king. It is a very important job.
Well, one day Ne·he·mi´ah’s brother Ha·na´ni and other men from the land of Israel come to visit Ne·he·mi´ah. They tell him about the trouble the Israelites are having, and how the walls of Jerusalem are still broken down. This makes Ne·he·mi´ah very sad, and he prays to Jehovah about it.
One day the king notices that Ne·he·mi´ah is sad, and asks: ‘Why are you looking so sad?’ Ne·he·mi´ah tells him that it is because Jerusalem is in such a bad condition and the walls are broken down. ‘What is it that you want?’ the king asks.
‘Let me go to Jerusalem,’ Ne·he·mi´ah says, ‘so that I may rebuild the walls.’ King Ar·ta·xerx´es is very kind. He says that Ne·he·mi´ah may go, and he helps him to get wood for doing some of the building. Soon after Ne·he·mi´ah comes to Jerusalem, he tells the people about his plans. They like the idea, and say: ‘Let’s start building.’
When the enemies of the Israelites see the wall going up, they say: ‘We will go up and kill them, and stop the building work.’ But Ne·he·mi´ah hears about this, and he gives the workers swords and spears. And he says: ‘Don’t be afraid of our enemies. Fight for your brothers, for your children, for your wives, and for your homes.’
The people are very brave. They keep their weapons ready day and night, and they keep building. So in just 52 days the walls are finished. Now the people can feel safe inside the city. Ne·he·mi´ah and Ez´ra teach the people God’s law, and the people are happy.
But things are still not the same as they were before the Israelites were taken as prisoners to Babylon. The people are ruled by the king of Persia and they must serve him. But Jehovah has promised that he will send a new king, and that this king will bring peace to the people. Who is this king? How will he bring peace to the earth? About 450 years pass before any more is learned about this. Then there is a most important birth of a baby. But that is another story.
Nehemiah chapters 1 to 6.
Part 6
Birth of Jesus to His Death
The angel Gabriel was sent to a fine young woman named Mary. He told her that she would have a child who would rule as king forever. The child, Jesus, was born in a stable, where shepherds visited him. Later, a star guided men from the East to the young child. We learn who caused them to see that star, and how Jesus was saved from the efforts to kill him.
Next, we find Jesus, when he was 12 years old, talking with the teachers in the temple. Eighteen years later Jesus was baptized, and he then began the Kingdom preaching and teaching work that God sent him to earth to do. To help him in this work, Jesus chose 12 men and made them his apostles.
Jesus also did many miracles. He fed thousands of people with only a few small fishes and a few loaves of bread. He healed the sick and even raised the dead. Finally, we learn about the many things that happened to Jesus during the last day of his life, and how he was killed. Jesus preached for about three and a half years, so PART 6 covers a period of a little more than 34 years.
Story 84
An Angel Visits Mary
THIS pretty woman is Mary. She is an Israelitess, who lives in the town of Naz´a·reth. God knows that she is a very fine person. That is why he has sent his angel Ga´bri·el to speak to her. Do you know what Ga´bri·el has come to tell Mary? Let’s see.
‘Good day, you highly favored one,’ Ga´bri·el says to her. ‘Jehovah is with you.’ Mary has never seen this person before. She is worried, because she doesn’t know what he means. But right away Ga´bri·el calms her fears.
‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ he says. ‘Jehovah is very pleased with you. That is why he is going to do a wonderful thing for you. You will soon have a baby. And you are to call him Jesus.’
Ga´bri·el goes on to explain: ‘This child will be great, and he will be called Son of the Most High God. Jehovah will make him king, as David was. But Jesus will be a king forever, and his kingdom will never end!’
‘How can this all be?’ Mary asks. ‘I am not even married. I have not lived with a man, so how can I have a baby?’
‘God’s power will come upon you,’ Ga´bri·el answers. ‘So the child will be called God’s Son.’ Then he tells Mary: ‘Remember your relative Elizabeth. People said that she was too old to have children. But soon now she will have a son. So you see, there is nothing that God can’t do.’
Right away Mary says: ‘I am Jehovah’s slave girl! May it happen to me just as you have said.’ The angel then leaves.
Mary hurries off to visit Elizabeth. When Elizabeth hears Mary’s voice, the baby inside Elizabeth jumps for joy. Elizabeth is filled with God’s spirit, and she says to Mary: ‘You are specially blessed among women.’ Mary stays with Elizabeth about three months, and then goes back home to Naz´a·reth.
Mary is about to get married to a man named Joseph. But when Joseph learns that Mary is going to have a baby, he doesn’t think he should marry her. Then God’s angel says to him: ‘Don’t be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is God who has given her a son.’ So Mary and Joseph get married, and they wait for Jesus to be born.
Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25.
Story 85
Jesus Born in a Stable
DO YOU know who this little baby is? Yes, it is Jesus. He has just been born in a stable. A stable is where animals are kept. Mary is laying Jesus in the manger, which is the place that holds the food for donkeys and other animals to eat. But why are Mary and Joseph here with the animals? This is no place for a baby to be born, is it?
No, it isn’t. But this is why they are here: The ruler of Rome, Caesar Au·gus´tus, made a law that everyone must return to the city where he was born to have his name written in a book. Well, Joseph was born here in Beth´le·hem. But when he and Mary arrived, there wasn’t a room for them anywhere. So they had to come here with the animals. And on this very day Mary gave birth to Jesus! But, as you can see, he is all right.
Can you see the shepherds coming to see Jesus? They were in the fields at night taking care of their sheep, and a bright light shone all around them. It was an angel! The shepherds were very much afraid. But the angel said: ‘Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you. Today, in Beth´le·hem, Christ the Lord was born. He will save the people! You will find him wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly many angels came and began praising God. So right away these shepherds hurried to look for Jesus, and now they have found him.
Do you know why Jesus is so special? Do you know who he really is? Remember, in the first story of this book we told about God’s first Son. This Son worked with Jehovah in making the heavens and the earth and everything else. Well, this is who Jesus is!
Yes, Jehovah took the life of his Son from heaven and put it inside Mary. Right away a baby began to grow inside her just as other babies grow inside their mothers. But this baby was God’s Son. Finally Jesus was born here in a stable in Beth´le·hem. Can you see now why the angels were so happy to be able to tell people that Jesus had been born?
Luke 2:1-20.
Story 86
Men Guided by a Star
CAN you see that bright star one of these men is pointing to? When they left Jerusalem, the star appeared. These men are from the East, and they study the stars. They believe that this new star is leading them to someone important.
When the men got to Jerusalem, they asked: ‘Where is the child who is to be king of the Jews?’ “Jews” is another name for Israelites. ‘We first saw the child’s star when we were in the East,’ the men said, ‘and we have come to worship him.’
When Herod, who is king at Jerusalem, heard about this he got upset. He did not want another king to take his place. So Herod called the chief priests and asked: ‘Where will the promised king be born?’ They answered: ‘The Bible says in Beth´le·hem.’
So Herod called the men from the East, and said: ‘Go make a search for the young child. When you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.’ But, really, Herod wanted to find the child to kill him!
Then the star moves ahead of the men to Beth´le·hem, and it stops over the place where the child is. When the men go into the house, they find Mary and little Jesus. They bring out gifts and give them to Jesus. But later Jehovah warns the men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they return to their own country by another road.
When Herod learns that the men from the East have left for home, he gets very angry. So he gives the command for all the boys in Beth´le·hem two years of age and under to be killed. But Jehovah warns Joseph ahead of time in a dream, and Joseph leaves with his family for Egypt. Later, when Joseph learns that Herod has died, he takes Mary and Jesus back home to Naz´a·reth. This is where Jesus grows up.
Who do you think made that new star to shine? Remember, the men first went to Jerusalem after seeing the star. Satan the Devil wanted to kill God’s Son, and he knew that King Herod of Jerusalem would try to kill him. So Satan is the one who must have made that star shine.
Matthew 2:1-23; Micah 5:2.
Story 87
Young Jesus in the Temple
LOOK at the young boy talking to these older men. They are teachers in God’s temple at Jerusalem. And the boy is Jesus. He has grown up quite a bit. Now he is 12 years old.
The teachers are very surprised that Jesus knows so much about God and the things written in the Bible. But why aren’t Joseph and Mary here too? Where are they? Let’s find out.
Every year Joseph brings his family to Jerusalem for the special celebration called the Passover. It’s a long trip from Naz´a·reth to Jerusalem. No one has a car, and there are no trains. They didn’t have them in those days. Most of the people walk, and it takes them about three days to get to Jerusalem.
By now Joseph has a big family. So there are some younger brothers and sisters of Jesus to look after. Well, this year Joseph and Mary have left with their children on the long trip back home to Naz´a·reth. They think that Jesus is with others traveling along. But when they stop at the end of the day, they can’t find Jesus. They look for him among their relatives and friends, but he’s not with them! So they return to Jerusalem to look for him there.
At last they find Jesus here with the teachers. He is listening to them and asking questions. And all the people are amazed at how wise Jesus is. But Mary says: ‘Child, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried trying to find you.’
‘Why did you have to look for me?’ Jesus answers. ‘Didn’t you know that I had to be in the house of my Father?’
Yes, Jesus loves to be where he can learn about God. Isn’t that the way we should feel too? Back home in Naz´a·reth, Jesus would go to meetings for worship every week. Because he always paid attention, he learned many things from the Bible. Let’s be like Jesus and follow his example.
Luke 2:41-52; Matthew 13:53-56.
Story 88
John Baptizes Jesus
SEE the dove coming down on the man’s head. The man is Jesus. He is about 30 years old now. And the man with him is John. We already learned something about him. Do you remember when Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth, and the baby inside Elizabeth jumped for joy? That unborn baby was John. But what are John and Jesus doing now?
John has just dipped Jesus into the waters of the Jordan River. This is how a person is baptized. First, he is dipped under water, and then brought up again. Because this is what John does to people, he is called John the Baptizer. But why has John baptized Jesus?
Well, John did it because Jesus came and asked John to baptize him. John baptizes people who want to show that they are sorry for the bad things they have done. But did Jesus ever do anything bad to be sorry about? No, Jesus never did, because he is God’s own Son from heaven. So he asked John to baptize him for a different reason. Let’s see what that reason was.
Before Jesus came here to John, he was a carpenter. A carpenter is a person who makes things out of wood, such as tables and chairs and benches. Mary’s husband Joseph was a carpenter, and he taught Jesus to be one too. But Jehovah did not send his Son to earth to be a carpenter. He has special work for him to do, and the time has come for Jesus to begin doing it. So to show that he has now come to do his Father’s will, Jesus asks John to baptize him. Is God pleased with this?
Yes, he is, because, after Jesus comes up from the water, a voice from heaven says: ‘This is my Son, with whom I am pleased.’ Also, it seems that the heavens open up and this dove comes down on Jesus. But it is not a real dove. It only looks like one. It is really God’s holy spirit.
Now Jesus has a lot to think about, so he goes away to a lonely place for 40 days. There Satan comes to him. Three times Satan tries to get Jesus to do something against God’s laws. But Jesus won’t do it.
After that, Jesus returns and meets some men who become his first followers, or disciples. Some of their names are Andrew, Peter (also called Simon), Philip and Na·than´a·el (also called Bar·thol´o·mew). Jesus and these new disciples leave for the district of Gal´i·lee. In Gal´i·lee they stop at Na·than´a·el’s hometown of Ca´na. There Jesus goes to a big wedding feast, and does his first miracle. Do you know what it is? He turns water into wine.
Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1-11; 13:55; Mark 6:3; John 1:29-51; 2:1-12.
Story 89
Jesus Cleans Out the Temple
JESUS really looks angry here, doesn’t he? Do you know why he is so angry? It is because these men at God’s temple in Jerusalem are very greedy. They are trying to make a lot of money from the people who have come here to worship God.
Do you see all those young bulls and sheep and doves? Well, the men are selling these animals right here at the temple. Do you know why? It is because the Israelites need animals and birds to sacrifice to God.
God’s law said that when an Israelite did wrong, he should make an offering to God. And there were other times, too, when Israelites had to make offerings. But where could an Israelite get birds and animals to offer to God?
Some Israelites owned birds and animals. So they could offer these. But many Israelites didn’t own any animals or birds. And others lived so far away from Jerusalem they couldn’t bring one of their animals to the temple. So the people came here and bought the animals or birds they needed. But these men were charging the people too much money. They were cheating the people. Besides that, they should not be selling right here in God’s temple.
This is what makes Jesus angry. So he turns over the tables of the men with the money and scatters their coins. Also, he makes a whip from ropes and drives all the animals out of the temple. He commands the men who are selling the doves: ‘Take them out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a place for making a lot of money.’
Some of Jesus’ followers are with him here at the temple in Jerusalem. They are surprised at what they see Jesus doing. Then they remember the place in the Bible where it says about God’s Son: ‘Love for God’s house will burn in him like a fire.’
While Jesus is here in Jerusalem attending the Passover, he does many miracles. Afterward, Jesus leaves Ju·de´a and begins his trip back to Gal´i·lee. But on his way, he goes through the district of Sa·mar´i·a. Let’s see what happens there.
John 2:13-25; 4:3, 4.
Story 90
With the Woman at the Well
JESUS has stopped to rest by a well in Sa·mar´i·a. His disciples have gone into town to buy food. The woman Jesus is speaking to has come to get some water. He says to her: ‘Give me a drink.’
This surprises the woman very much. Do you know why? It is because Jesus is a Jew, and she is a Sa·mar´i·tan. And most Jews do not like Sa·mar´i·tans. They won’t even talk to them! But Jesus loves all kinds of people. So he says: ‘If you knew who was asking you for a drink, you would ask him and he would give you life-giving water.’
‘Sir,’ the woman says, ‘the well is deep, and you don’t even have a bucket. Where would you get this life-giving water?’
‘If you drink water from this well you will get thirsty again,’ Jesus explains. ‘But the water I will give can make a person live forever.’
‘Sir,’ the woman says, ‘give me this water! Then I will never be thirsty again. And I won’t have to come here to get water anymore.’
The woman thinks Jesus is talking about real water. But he is talking about the truth concerning God and his kingdom. This truth is like life-giving water. It can give a person everlasting life.
Jesus now tells the woman: ‘Go and call your husband and come back.’
‘I don’t have a husband,’ she answers.
‘You answered right,’ Jesus says. ‘But you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband.’
The woman is amazed, because all of this is true. How did Jesus know these things? Yes, it is because Jesus is the Promised One sent by God, and God gives him this information. At this moment Jesus’ disciples come back, and they are surprised that he is talking to a Sa·mar´i·tan woman.
What do we learn from all of this? It shows that Jesus is kind to people of all races. And we should be too. We should not think some people are bad just because they are of a certain race. Jesus wants all people to know the truth that leads to everlasting life. And we too should want to help people learn the truth.
John 4:5-43; 17:3.
Story 91
Jesus Teaches on a Mountain
SEE Jesus sitting here. He is teaching all these people on a mountain in Gal´i·lee. Those sitting closest to him are his disciples. He has chosen 12 of them to be apostles. The apostles are Jesus’ special disciples. Do you know their names?
There is Simon Peter and his brother Andrew. Then there are James and John, who are brothers too. Another apostle is also named James, and another one is also called Simon. Two apostles are named Judas. One is Judas Is·car´i·ot, and the other Judas is also called by the name Thad·dae´us. Then there are Philip and Na·than´a·el (also called Bar·thol´o·mew), and Matthew and Thomas.
After coming back from Sa·mar´i·a, Jesus began to preach for the first time: ‘The kingdom of the heavens is near.’ Do you know what that kingdom is? It is a real government of God. Jesus is its king. He will rule from heaven and bring peace to the earth. The whole earth will be made into a beautiful paradise by God’s kingdom.
Jesus is here teaching the people about the kingdom. ‘This is how you should pray,’ he is explaining. ‘Our Father in heaven, let your name be honored. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.’ Many people call this ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ Others call it the ‘Our Father.’ Can you say the whole prayer?
Jesus also is teaching the people how they should treat one another. ‘Do for others what you want them to do for you,’ he says. Don’t you like it when others treat you in a kind way? So, Jesus is saying, we should treat other people kindly. Won’t it be wonderful in the paradise earth when everybody will do this?
Matthew chapters 5 to 7; 10:1-4.
Story 92
Jesus Raises the Dead
THE girl you see here is 12 years old. Jesus is holding her hand, and her mother and father are standing close by. Do you know why they look so happy? Let’s find out.
The girl’s father is an important man named Ja´i·rus. One day his daughter becomes sick, and she is put to bed. But she does not get any better. She only gets sicker and sicker. Ja´i·rus and his wife are very worried, because it looks like their little girl is going to die. She is their only daughter. So Ja´i·rus goes to look for Jesus. He has heard about the miracles Jesus is doing.
When Ja´i·rus finds Jesus, there is a big crowd around him. But Ja´i·rus gets through the crowd and falls at Jesus’ feet. ‘My daughter is very, very sick,’ he says. ‘Please, come and make her well,’ he begs. Jesus says that he will come.
As they walk along, the crowd keeps pushing to get closer. Suddenly Jesus stops. ‘Who touched me?’ he asks. Jesus felt power go out from him, so he knows that someone touched him. But who? It is a woman who has been very sick for 12 years. She had come up and touched Jesus’ clothes, and was healed!
This makes Ja´i·rus feel better, because he can see how easy it is for Jesus to heal someone. But then a messenger comes. ‘Don’t bother Jesus anymore,’ he tells Ja´i·rus. ‘Your daughter has died.’ Jesus overhears this and says to Ja´i·rus: ‘Don’t worry, she will be all right.’
When they finally get to Ja´i·rus’ house, the people are crying with great grief. But Jesus says: ‘Don’t cry. The child did not die. She is only sleeping.’ But they laugh and make fun of Jesus, because they know she is dead.
Jesus then takes the girl’s father and mother and three of his apostles into the room where the child is lying. He takes her by the hand and says: ‘Get up!’ And she comes to life, just as you see here. And she gets up and walks about! That is why her mother and father are so very, very happy.
This is not the first person Jesus raised from the dead. The first one the Bible tells about is the son of a widow who lives in the city of Na´in. Later, Jesus also raises Laz´a·rus, the brother of Mary and Martha, from the dead. When Jesus rules as God’s king, he will bring many, many dead people back to life. Can’t we be glad about that?
Luke 8:40-56; 7:11-17; John 11:17-44.
Story 93
Jesus Feeds Many People
SOMETHING terrible has happened. John the Baptizer has just been killed. He·ro´di·as, the wife of the king, did not like him. And she was able to get the king to have John’s head cut off.
When Jesus hears about this, he is very sad. He goes into a lonely place by himself. But the people follow him. When Jesus sees the crowds, he feels sorry for them. So he talks to them about the kingdom of God, and he heals their sick ones.
That evening his disciples come to him and say: ‘It is already late, and this is a lonely place. Send the people away so they can buy some food for themselves in the nearby villages.’
‘They don’t have to leave,’ Jesus answers. ‘You give them something to eat.’ Turning to Philip, Jesus asks: ‘Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?’
‘It will cost lots and lots of money to buy enough so everyone can have only a little bit,’ Philip answers. Andrew speaks up: ‘This boy, who is carrying our food, has five loaves of bread and two fishes. But it won’t be nearly enough for all these people.’
‘Tell the people to sit down on the grass,’ Jesus says. Then he thanks God for the food, and starts breaking it into pieces. Next, the disciples give the bread and fish to all the people. There are 5,000 men, and many more thousands of women and children. They all eat until they are full. And when the disciples gather up what is left over, there are 12 baskets full!
Jesus now has his disciples get into a boat to go across the Sea of Gal´i·lee. During the night a big storm comes up, and waves toss the boat this way and that way. The disciples are very much afraid. Then, in the middle of the night, they see someone walking toward them across the water. They cry out in fear, because they do not know what they are seeing.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus says. ‘It is I!’ They still can’t believe it. So Peter says: ‘If it really is you, Lord, tell me to walk across the water to you.’ Jesus answers: ‘Come!’ And Peter gets out and walks on the water! Then he becomes afraid and begins to sink, but Jesus saves him.
Later, Jesus again feeds thousands of people. This time he does so with seven loaves of bread and a few small fishes. And again there is plenty for all. Isn’t it wonderful how Jesus takes care of people? When he rules as God’s king we will never have to worry about anything!
Matthew 14:1-32; 15:29-38; John 6:1-21.
Story 94
He Loves Little Children
LOOK at Jesus here with his arms around the little boy. You can tell that Jesus really cares for little ones. The men watching are his apostles. What is Jesus saying to them? Let’s find out.
Jesus and his apostles have just come back from a long trip. Along the way the apostles had an argument among themselves. So after the trip Jesus asks them: ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ Really, Jesus knows what the argument was about. But he asks the question to see if the apostles will tell him.
The apostles don’t answer, because on the road they were arguing about which one of them is the greatest. Some apostles want to be more important than the others. How will Jesus tell them it is not right to want to be the greatest?
He calls the little boy, and stands him in front of them all. Then he says to his disciples: ‘I want you to know this for certain, Unless you change and become like young children, you will never get into God’s kingdom. The greatest person in the kingdom is the one who becomes like this child.’ Do you know why Jesus said this?
Well, very little children do not worry about being greater or more important than others are. So the apostles should learn to be like children in this way and not quarrel about being great or important.
There are other times, too, when Jesus shows how much he cares for little children. A few months later some people bring their children to see Jesus. The apostles try to keep them away. But Jesus tells his apostles: ‘Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to persons like them.’ Then Jesus takes the children in his arms, and blesses them. Isn’t it good to know that Jesus loves little children?
Matthew 18:1-4; 19:13-15; Mark 9:33-37; 10:13-16.
Story 95
The Way Jesus Teaches
ONE day Jesus tells a man that he should love his neighbor. The man asks Jesus: ‘Who is my neighbor?’ Well, Jesus knows what this man is thinking. The man thinks that only people of his own race and religion are his neighbors. So let’s see what Jesus says to him.
Sometimes Jesus teaches by telling a story. This is what he does now. He tells a story about a Jew and a Sa·mar´i·tan. We have already learned that most Jews do not like Sa·mar´i·tans. Well, this is Jesus’ story:
One day there was a Jew going down a mountain road to Jer´i·cho. But robbers jumped on him. They took his money and beat him up until he was almost dead.
Later, a Jewish priest came along the road. He saw the beat-up man. What do you think he did? Why, he just crossed over to the other side of the road and kept going. Then another very religious person came along. He was a Levite. Did he stop? No, he didn’t stop to help the beat-up man either. You can see the priest and the Levite in the distance going down the road.
But see who is here with the beat-up man. He is a Sa·mar´i·tan. And he is helping the Jew. He is putting some medicine on his wounds. Afterward, he takes the Jew to a place where he can rest and get well.
After finishing his story, Jesus says to the man who asked him the question: ‘Which one of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the beat-up man? Was it the priest, the Levite or the Sa·mar´i·tan?’
The man answers: ‘The Sa·mar´i·tan man. He was kind to the man who was beat up.’
Jesus says: ‘You are right. So go and treat others the same way as he did.’
Don’t you like the way Jesus teaches? We can learn many, many important things if we listen to what Jesus says in the Bible, can’t we?
Luke 10:25-37.
Story 96
Jesus Heals the Sick
AS JESUS travels throughout the land, he heals the sick. The news of these miracles is told about in the villages and towns all around. So people bring to him those who are crippled and blind and deaf, and many others who are sick. And Jesus heals them all.
Over three years have now passed since John baptized Jesus. And Jesus tells his apostles that soon he will go up to Jerusalem, where he will be killed, and then rise from the dead. In the meantime, Jesus keeps on healing the sick.
One day Jesus is teaching on a Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of rest for the Jews. The woman you see here has been very sick. For 18 years she was bent over, and couldn’t stand up straight. So Jesus puts his hands on her, and she begins to stand up. She is healed!
This makes the religious leaders angry. ‘There are six days in which we should work,’ one of them shouts to the crowd. ‘Those are the days to come for healing, not on the Sabbath!’
But Jesus answers: ‘You bad men. Any one of you would untie your donkey and take it out for a drink on the Sabbath. So shouldn’t this poor woman, who has been sick for 18 years, be healed on the Sabbath?’ Jesus’ answer makes these bad men ashamed.
Later Jesus and his apostles travel on toward Jerusalem. When they are just outside the town of Jer´i·cho, two blind beggars hear that Jesus is passing by. So they shout: ‘Jesus, help us!’
Jesus calls the blind men over, and asks: ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They say: ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ Jesus touches their eyes, and right away they can see! Do you know why Jesus does all these wonderful miracles? Because he loves people and wants them to have faith in him. And so we can be sure that when he rules as King nobody on earth will be sick again.
Matthew 15:30, 31; Luke 13:10-17; Matthew 20:29-34.
Story 97
Jesus Comes as King
A SHORT time after healing the two blind beggars, Jesus comes to a small village near Jerusalem. He tells two of his disciples: ‘Go into the village and you will find a young donkey. Untie it and bring it to me.’
When the donkey is brought to him, Jesus sits on it. Then he rides to Jerusalem a short distance away. When he gets near the city, a large crowd of people comes out to meet him. Most of them take off their coats and put them on the road. Others cut off branches from palm trees. They put these on the road too, and they shout: ‘God bless the king who comes in Jehovah’s name!’
Long ago in Israel new kings would ride into Jerusalem on a young donkey to show themselves to the people. This is what Jesus is doing. And these people are showing that they want Jesus to be their king. But not all the people want him. We can see this by what happens when Jesus goes to the temple.
At the temple Jesus heals persons who are blind and crippled. When the young children see this, they shout praises to Jesus. But this makes the priests angry, and they tell Jesus: ‘Do you hear what the children are saying?’
‘Yes, I do,’ Jesus answers. ‘Did you never read in the Bible where it says: “Out of the mouths of little children God will bring forth praise?”’ So the children keep on praising God’s king.
We want to be like those children, don’t we? Some people may try to stop us from talking about God’s kingdom. But we will keep right on telling others about the wonderful things Jesus will do for people.
It was not time for Jesus to begin ruling as king when he was on earth. When will this time come? Jesus’ disciples want to know. We will read about this next.
Matthew 21:1-17; John 12:12-16.
Story 98
On the Mount of Olives
THIS is Jesus on the Mount of Olives. The four men with him are his apostles. They are the brothers Andrew and Peter, and also the brothers James and John. That is God’s temple in Jerusalem you can see over there in the distance.
It has been two days since Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the young donkey. It is Tuesday. Earlier in the day Jesus was at the temple. There the priests tried to grab Jesus to kill him. But they were afraid to do this because the people like Jesus.
‘You snakes and sons of snakes!’ Jesus called those religious leaders. Then Jesus said that God would punish them because of all the bad things they had done. After that Jesus came up to the Mount of Olives, and then these four apostles started asking him questions. Do you know what they are asking Jesus?
The apostles are asking about things in the future. They know that Jesus will put an end to all badness on earth. But they want to know when this will happen. When will Jesus come again to rule as King?
Jesus knows that his followers on earth will not be able to see him when he comes again. This is because he will be in heaven, and they will not be able to see him there. So Jesus tells his apostles some of the things that will be happening on earth when he is ruling as King in heaven. What are some of these things?
Jesus says that there will be great wars, many people will be sick and hungry, crime will be very bad, and there will be big earthquakes. Jesus also says that the good news about God’s kingdom will be preached everywhere in the earth. Have we seen these things happening in our time? Yes! And so we can be sure that Jesus is now ruling in heaven. Soon he will put an end to all badness on earth.
Matthew 21:46; 23:1-39; 24:1-14; Mark 13:3-10.
Story 99
In an Upstairs Room
IT IS Thursday night now, two days later. Jesus and his 12 apostles have come to this large upstairs room to eat the Passover meal. The man you see leaving is Judas Is·car´i·ot. He is going to tell the priests how they can get Jesus.
Just the day before, Judas went to them and asked: ‘What will you give me if I help you catch Jesus?’ They said: ‘Thirty silver coins.’ So Judas is now going to meet these men so that he can lead them to Jesus. Isn’t that terrible?
The Passover meal is finished. But Jesus now begins another special meal. He hands his apostles a loaf of bread and says: ‘Eat it, because this means my body which is to be given for you.’ Then he hands them a glass of wine and says: ‘Drink it, because this means my blood, which is to be poured out for you.’ The Bible calls this ‘the Lord’s evening meal,’ or the ‘Lord’s supper.’
The Israelites ate the Passover to remind them of when God’s angel ‘passed over’ their houses in Egypt, but killed the firstborn in the houses of the Egyptians. But now Jesus wants his followers to remember him, and how he gave his life for them. And that is why he tells them to celebrate this special meal each year.
After eating the Lord’s Evening Meal, Jesus tells his apostles to be brave and strong in faith. Finally, they sing songs to God and then leave. It is very late now, probably past midnight. Let’s see where they go.
Matthew 26:14-30; Luke 22:1-39; John chapters 13 to 17; 1 Corinthians 11:20.
Story 100
Jesus in the Garden
AFTER leaving the upstairs room, Jesus and his apostles go out to the garden of Geth·sem´a·ne. They have come here many times before. Jesus now tells them to keep awake and to pray. Then he goes a little distance away, and gets face down on the ground to pray.
Later Jesus comes back to where his apostles are. What do you think they are doing? They are asleep! Three times Jesus tells them they should keep awake, but each time he returns he finds them sleeping. ‘How can you sleep at a time like this?’ Jesus says the last time he comes back. ‘The hour has come for me to be handed over to my enemies.’
Just at that moment the noise of a large crowd can be heard. Look! The men are coming with swords and clubs! And they are carrying torches to give them light. When they get closer, someone steps out from the crowd and comes right up to Jesus. He kisses him, as you can see here. The man is Judas Is·car´i·ot! Why does he kiss Jesus?
Jesus asks: ‘Judas, do you betray me with a kiss?’ Yes, the kiss is a sign. It lets the men with Judas know that this is Jesus, the man they want. So Jesus’ enemies step forward to grab him. But Peter is not going to let them take Jesus without a fight. He pulls out the sword that he has brought along and strikes at the man near him. The sword just misses the man’s head and chops off his right ear. But Jesus touches the man’s ear and heals it.
Jesus tells Peter: ‘Return your sword to its place. Don’t you think that I can ask my Father for thousands of angels to save me?’ Yes, he can! But Jesus doesn’t ask God to send any angels, because he knows that the time has come for his enemies to take him. So he lets them lead him away. Let’s see what happens to Jesus now.
Matthew 26:36-56; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-12.
Story 101
Jesus Is Killed
LOOK at the terrible thing that is happening! Jesus is being killed. They have put him on a stake. Nails are driven into his hands and feet. Why would anybody want to do this to Jesus?
It is because some persons hate Jesus. Do you know who they are? One of them is the wicked angel Satan the Devil. He is the one who was able to get Adam and Eve to disobey Jehovah. And Satan is the one who got the enemies of Jesus to commit this terrible crime.
Even before Jesus is nailed here on the stake, his enemies do mean things to him. Remember how they came to the garden of Geth·sem´a·ne and took him away? Who were those enemies? Yes, they were the religious leaders. Well, let’s see what happens next.
When Jesus is taken by the religious leaders, his apostles run away. They leave Jesus alone with his enemies, because they become afraid. But the apostles Peter and John do not go very far away. They follow along to see what happens to Jesus.
The priests take Jesus to the old man An´nas, who used to be the high priest. The crowd does not stay here long. They next take Jesus to the house of Ca´ia·phas, who is now the high priest. Many religious leaders have gathered at his house.
Here at the house of Ca´ia·phas they have a trial. People are brought in to tell lies about Jesus. The religious leaders all say: ‘Jesus should be put to death.’ Then they spit in his face, and hit him with their fists.
While all of this is going on, Peter is outside in the yard. It is a cold night, and so the people make a fire. While they are warming themselves around the fire, a servant girl looks at Peter, and says: ‘This man also was with Jesus.’
‘No, I wasn’t!’ Peter answers.
Three times people say to Peter that he was with Jesus. But each time Peter says it is not true. The third time Peter says this, Jesus turns and looks at him. Peter feels very sorry for telling these lies, and he goes away and weeps.
As the sun starts to come up on Friday morning, the priests take Jesus to their big meeting place, the San´he·drin hall. Here they talk over what they are going to do with him. They take him to Pontius Pilate, the ruler of the district of Ju·de´a.
‘This is a bad man,’ the priests tell Pilate. ‘He should be killed.’ After asking Jesus questions, Pilate says: ‘I can’t see that he has done anything wrong.’ Then Pilate sends Jesus to Herod An´ti·pas. Herod is the ruler of Gal´i·lee, but he is staying in Jerusalem. Herod can’t see that Jesus has done anything wrong either, so he sends him back to Pilate.
Pilate wants to let Jesus go. But Jesus’ enemies want another prisoner to be let go instead. This man is the robber Bar·ab´bas. It is now about noon when Pilate brings Jesus outside. He says to the people: ‘See! Your king!’ But the chief priests yell: ‘Take him away! Kill him! Kill him!’ So Pilate lets Bar·ab´bas go free, and they take Jesus away to be killed.
Early Friday afternoon Jesus is nailed to a stake. You can’t see them in the picture, but on each side of Jesus a criminal is also being put to death on a stake. Shortly before Jesus dies, one of the criminals says to him: ‘Remember me when you get into your kingdom.’ And Jesus answers: ‘I promise you that you will be with me in Paradise.’
Isn’t that a wonderful promise? Do you know what paradise Jesus is talking about? Where was the paradise that God made at the beginning? Yes, on earth. And when Jesus rules as king in heaven, he will bring this man back to life to enjoy the new Paradise on earth. Can’t we be happy about that?
Matthew 26:57-75; 27:1-50; Luke 22:54-71; 23:1-49; John 18:12-40; 19:1-30.
Part 7
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