A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,36

to the tomb. Word has spread throughout the village that Jesus is at the tomb, and now hundreds have gathered, curious.

"Lazarus," Jesus shouts boldly. "Come out!"

Lazarus's sisters sob, worn out from false hope, then days of mourning. Then a uniform gasp erupts from the crowd and many fall on their faces in worship as

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they stare at Lazarus, wrapped in his burial garments. His head is uncovered, and he squints as he steps into the sunlight. He is alive.

Jesus speaks again, but in a voice so loud and authoritative that it can be heard a hundred yards away. "Whoever believes in me shall never die.

Never! "

Martha collapses in shock. Her sister, Mary, is shaking. John laughs, incredulous. Tears run down Peter's cheeks. "It's true," he tells Jesus. "You really are the Messiah."

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PART EIGHT

BETRAYAL

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It is the week before Passover, that holy day that marks the time in Jewish history when its people were spared from death and led out of slavery from Egypt. Right now, even as all of Israel prepares to celebrate this most

important and sacred occasion, one very select group of pilgrims is making its way to Jerusalem.

The people of the city have heard about Jesus for years, and they now celebrate his arrival. Hundreds of people line his path, throwing palm branches onto the ground to carpet the road. They chant "hosanna," which means "save us," for even more than a spiritual teacher, these people hope that Jesus is the new King of the Jews. They believe he has come to save them from the Romans. "Hosanna," they chant. "Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna, hosanna." The roar is deafening, and Jesus acknowledges them all with a smile and a

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wave. The disciples walk on either side of him, somewhat dazzled by the excitement.

"Look at all the people," marvels Mary Magdalene.

"I never, in my wildest dreams, thought we would ever see something like this," John agrees.

Thomas can't believe what he's seeing, and even Peter, that most practical of al men, is dazzled. "This," he gasps, "is incredible."

Jesus has chosen to make his entry into Jerusalem on a donkey because scripture foretells that the King of the Jews will enter Jerusalem as a humble man riding on a donkey. The symbolism is not lost on the crowd, who know their scripture well.

"It is written!" they cry in the midst of their hosannas, clapping and chanting and waving palm fronds as a sign of faithfulness. Their faces are alight with hope. This is the One, the man who will bring a new peaceful age, free from poverty and suffering.

A donkey?" Caiaphas, leader of the Sanhedrin, fumes when a servant tells him of Jesus' mode of transportation.

The elders of the temple stand with him, shaking their heads. Jesus' arrival represents a direct challenge

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to the Jewish authorities. Claims that Jesus is the Messiah have outraged them. Only they can anoint the new Messiah, and this carpenter from Nazareth is clearly not such a man.

"See, your king comes to you," Caiaphas sarcastically quotes from scripture.

"Triumphant and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey."

The elders say nothing.

"And where is he headed?" Caiaphas asks the servant.

The servant lowers his head. What he's about to say next will not be the words that Caiaphas or the elders want to hear.

"The temple," he says.

"The temple!"

One of the elders, a man named Nicodemus, quotes another verse: "To lead his people to victory and throw out the oppressors."

"The crowds," Caiaphas demands of the servant. "How are they responding?"

The servant's name is Malchus. He had hoped to impress the Sanhedrin by racing to tell them Jesus' whereabouts. Yet it seems that every word that comes from his mouth is just another variation of bad news. So he says nothing.

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Jesus reaches the outer court of the great Jerusalem temple complex--the Court of the Gentiles, as it is known. The disciples stay close as Jesus stops walking and studies all that is going on around him. His face and eyes are the picture of sadness. He sees more than just animals and money changers: an old man being shooed away by an angry money changer, a poor family trying to buy a lamb but having only enough for doves, a frail old woman being jostled, and a lost little girl crying. The commotion makes it impossible for anyone to engage in devout prayer. Jesus' face clouds with anger and resentment. He walks calmly toward the stall where the money changers have set up shop. Coins are piled on the tables. Their hands are dirty from counting money.