A Story of God and All of Us Young Reade - By Roma Downey Page 0,44

figure. This must be stopped.

John and Peter struggle to their feet. They face Caiaphas, defiant.

"Tell me," demands the high priest, "what makes you think it acceptable to preach in the name of that dead criminal?"

"Jesus lives," Peter informs him.

"Impossible."

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"This man walked because of the power of Jesus Christ," Peter reminds him.

"Really?" responds Caiaphas, trying to sound bemused. "Is this true?" he asks the beggar.

Malchus whispers to Caiaphas. "I have seen this man on the street for years.

He has been lame his whole life, and... it is true."

Caiaphas pauses for an eternity, never moving his focus from Peter and John. Then he finally speaks: "I forbid you to talk of your so-called Messiah from this day forward."

"Judge for yourself whether it is better in God's sight to obey you rather than

God," Peter responds.

"I have a duty to our temple, our nation, and our God!" Caiaphas responds angrily. "I repeat: you are forbidden from speaking about your Messiah!"

"We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard," says John.

"Then you will be beaten," Caiaphas threatens. "Either remain silent or suffer the same fate as your Jesus."

"We must obey God, rather than men," say the disciples, almost in unison.

No matter what code of silence he might try to enforce, Caiaphas senses he is powerless to stop this movement. People are turning their hearts to Jesus in

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record numbers. Caiaphas can't stop the five thousand, but he will silence the apostles, one by one--though not now. Reluctantly, Caiaphas lets Peter and John go.

The apostles meet secretly to regroup. Along with Mary Magdalene, they assemble in the small upper room that has marked their gatherings so many times. But this is not a time of peace or even connection. The disciples are engaged in a heated debate as to their future. A frightened Thomas dislikes the conflict, and he is on the verge of leaving just moments after his arrival.

John, on the other hand, is in a particularly foul mood, eager to do battle.

"It's getting too dangerous," says Thomas. "If we stay in Jerusalem, we will die."

"I'm not afraid of death," John says defiantly.

"None of us are," says Peter, taking on the role of peacemaker. "But now is not the time. We cannot spread his Word if we are dead."

The disciples stop their bickering. Peter has their attention.

He takes a deep breath and begins to explain himself. "Jesus said, 'Preach to all creation.' Our job is now to spread the Word."

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"I thought that's what we were already doing," challenges Thomas.

"And we have," Peter reminds him. "But now we must go out into the world, far beyond merely Jerusalem."

"Where wil we go?" asks Mary.

"Where the spirit leads us," says Peter.

"I feel called to travel north--perhaps to Ephesus," says John. His eyes well with tears, as he knows death might await him once he steps out alone into the world.

The disciples arise. They take one another's hands and pray. This will be their last moment as a group. After so many years and so many world-changing experiences, their work now wil be solitary and dangerous, without the comfort or support of this band of brothers.

John, with his gift for insight, offers perspective. "We will meet again," he tells them all. "On earth or in heaven."

One by one, the disciples say their good-byes, shedding many a tear and sharing more than one vivid memory. They have never considered themselves merely friends, but lifelong companions who have come together and given up everything in the name of Jesus. Their bond runs deep, which makes the good-byes all the more difficult.

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They step out into the street and scatter. Their travels take them far and wide.

Thus the Gospel, as the words of Jesus are known, enters the Roman world.

Peter is tireless in his work, as are all the other disciples. But one man does more than any to take the Word to the empire. It is a man who once tried hardest to crush Jesus' disciples: Paul. His past as a hunter of Christians is not easily forgotten. Many are doubtful of his claims that he has changed, and rightfully so, for their memories of loved ones spirited away in the night or trampled before their own children are all too vivid. But Paul repeats his story again and again: how Jesus appeared to him in a vision as he traveled on the road to Damascus. Now he knows that God's love flows through him and will transform hearts as his heart has been transformed. "I've changed,"

he says. "I once was