A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,42

Jesus. And then Jesus disappears.

A stunned Peter steps back out of the tomb. Mary sees the look on his face.

"Now do you believe me?" she asks.

Peter hands John a strip of linen from the tomb. "But he's gone," John says, mystified.

"No, my brother," Peter assures him, that old confidence suddenly returned.

"He is not gone. He's back!" An exuberant Peter takes off and races down the hill. On the way, he purchases a loaf of bread from a vendor.

"What happened?" asks Matthew as Peter, John, and Mary enter the building where the disciples have hidden since Jesus' crucifixion.

"A cup," Peter answers. "I need a cup."

Peter gives a piece of unleavened bread to John, who puts it slowly into his mouth. "His body," Peter reminds him. A cup is found and thrust into John's

hand. Peter fills it with wine. "And his blood," Peter says.

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Peter, suddenly transformed into the rock of faith Jesus always knew he could be, looks from disciple to disciple. "Believe in him. He's here. In this room. Right now."

John drinks deeply from the cup as Peter continues talking. "Remember what he told us: 'I am the way, the truth--' "

Jesus finishes the sentence: " '--and the life.' "

Peter spins around. Jesus stands in the doorway. The disciples are awestruck as he walks into the room.

Jesus has died on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of all men. Throughout history, a lamb has been slaughtered for the same purpose. Jesus has been the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. He has conquered death.

Jesus says good-bye to his disciples after forty days back on earth. For three full years he has trained them, equipping them with the skills to lead others to follow in his footsteps and worship God. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you," he tells them. "My body can be in only one place, but my Spirit can be with you all wherever you are. Go into the world and preach the Gospel unto all creation."

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The disciples listen intently, knowing that this is the last time they will see Jesus. He is not saying that the Holy Spirit will come into them right now, so they know they must wait for this great moment. Jesus stands before them and gives them peace. Everything he said would happen has come to pass, and it is clear that the power of God extends much further than they even dared to believe. They have nothing to fear--even death. It is a proper and fitting way to say good-bye. Peter is anointed as the new leader of the disciples in Jesus' absence.

"Peace be with you," says Jesus.

The words echo in the disciples' ears. This peace pulses through them,

infusing them with energy and calm resolve--this is the peace that will fortify them as they do God's work.

He then ascends into heaven.

Ten days later is the feast known as Pentecost.

This is a time of thanksgiving, when the Jewish people remember the bounty of the harvest.

For Caiaphas, this means a return to normal after the upheaval of Passover.

From the temple steps, he watches with pleasure as daily life revolves around him:

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pilgrims chatting in the streets, walking with sheaves of wheat, baskets of bread, and bundles of fruit and olives. These are the fruits of the harvest--

fruits that will soon be lavished upon his temple.

"Anything I should know about?" Caiaphas asks his servant Malchus.

Roman soldiers can be seen on the fringes of the crowd, but there is no sign of the rebellion or rioting that marked Passover.

"The crowds are quiet," Malchus tells him. "The Romans are merely keeping watch."

"As it should be," he says, then pauses. "Any sign of Jesus' followers?"

"None."

"Really? Make sure the temple guards stand ready. If they return, you will have to deal with them."

But Jesus' disciples--now also known as the apostles--are gathering in Jerusalem, easily concealed among the hordes of pilgrims. Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will come to them, but they're not quite sure what that means. So they remain in their hiding place, waiting.

They look to Peter. "I know it's dangerous for us all to be here at once, but Jesus said that when two or three gather in his name, he would be with us."

He sees that his words are having little effect. "Come, let 190

us pray." Peter shuts his eyes. He reaches out and takes hold of the hands of the two disciples sitting on either side of him. "Our Father, who art in heaven,