“Wake up, friends. My Father has work for Me to do.” With a yawn and a stretch, Rock pushed himself up from the ground where he and the others had been sleeping in the Gethsemane garden. He gave rough shakes to John and Andrew, who were snoring beside him. “Hey!” he called loudly to the others. “Get up! The Teacher wants to go.” “But it’s still dark!” John complained. “It’ll be light soon,” Jesus answered with a chuckle. “It’s almost time for the morning sacrifice.” As John’s foggy mind cleared, he realized the implications of what his Master had said. “Are we not going back to Galilee, now that the feast is over?” The rest of the disciples stopped to hear the answer to John’s question. “Not yet,” the Lord answered. “There is more work to do here in Jerusalem.” “But, Master,” Rock ... Read More about 18 – Undeserved Mercy

When Jesus finished speaking on the last day of the Feast of Booths, He led his followers through the crowd who had gathered in the temple to listen. The disciples nervously shifted their eyes back and forth, expecting the ambush that never came. “We may actually make it out of here alive!” James said to Rock as they followed their Master out of the temple. “Maybe,” Rock returned. “Some guards showed up over an hour ago and were listening. I thought sure they would stop the Teacher and arrest us all, but they never did.” “I guess Jesus’s idea to arrive late messed up the rulers’ plans to capture Him,” James said. “We’ll see,” the skeptical Rock answered. “We aren’t safely out of here and back in Galilee yet, and you know those snakes will try everything they can to destroy the ... Read More about 17 – Jesus: Is He Who You Think He Is?

When Jesus and His followers returned to Capernaum from their short teaching trip, only a few people remained in town. The majority of the population had left to travel to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths. “So we aren’t going to the feast, Teacher?” Matthew asked what they were all wondering. “Actually we are going,” Jesus returned. “I just didn’t want anyone to know we’re going. “My friends, things have changed, and we are going to have to do things differently from now on. Our enemies have become more focused in their plans to destroy Me, but I cannot let them succeed until My time has fully come. Get whatever we need to take with us. We will leave for Jerusalem tomorrow morning.” “I’ve never seen it like this before!” Aaron of Bethphage said to his brother-in-law Tobias as they ... Read More about 16 – The Feast of Booths

“Hey, Rock,” James called to his fishing partner and fellow disciple, “a fellow just dropped off a message to us from Martha of Bethany in Judea.” “How are they?” Rock returned, remembering the pleasant times with their family. “I guess she, Mary, and Lazarus are all fine,” James continued looking at the scrap of leather on which the note was written. “Martha sends news from Judea, and it’s not good. The chief priests and the Pharisees have joined together against the Teacher. Martha says that people are saying that the religious leaders are more determined than ever to kill Jesus.” “I guess that means we won’t be going back to Judea anytime soon,” Rock said with a sigh. “That’s frustrating because Judea is where the power is. Until the Teacher is free to teach in Jerusalem, our ... Read More about 15 – The Best Life

“Has anybody seen him?” “I saw him last evening when he told us to go home and then went up into the hills to pray.” “Maybe we should have gone home,” one of the militia members said as he stretched in the cool morning air. “I’m gettin’ hungry again.” “We just need to find the Teacher,” the one who seemed to be taking change announced. “He fed us once; he’ll do it again.” “He ain’t here!” a voice shouted from the top of the hill where Jesus had gone to pray. “His disciples ain’t here either, Amos,” another of the soldiers observed. “The Teacher up an’ sent them back to Capernaum last evening by theirselves,” the leader answered. “But Jesus didn’t go with them.” “Maybe he slipped off during the night and joined them.” “You’re probably right,” Amos agreed. “Sooner or later a teacher ... Read More about 14 – The Difficult Choice That We All Must Make

There was a great deal of excitement at Rock’s home in Bethany near Capernaum. The pairs of disciples that Jesus had sent out over a week before were returning with amazing reports. “You won’t believe it!” John exclaimed when he and James walked in the door and saw all of their companions already there. “James and I cast out demons, and a whole bunch of sick people were healed when we anointed them with oil!” “What do you mean we won’t believe it?” Thomas the Twin returned with a laugh. “What do you think the rest of us were doing?” “But how was your message received?” Jesus asked. “It worked just like you said it would, Teacher,” James answered. “When we entered the towns, we first found the sick and demon possessed and healed them.” “It was so awesome!” John added enthusiastically. ... Read More about 13 – A Stunning Misunderstanding