The Story of Jesus The Christ. Helen Braun Hojt
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he Story of Jesus The Christ
Helen Braun Hojt
© Helen Braun Hojt, 2019
ISBN 978-5-0050-0692-9
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
THE STORY OF JESUS
THE CHRIST
Adapted for Children
PREFACE
The story of the life of Christ has been written time and
time again, yet it is one that is ever fresh and attractive.
Little children love to hear it if it is told in language which
their minds are able to grasp, and the aim of this book has
been to tell the story so simply that the youngest child can
enjoy it because he can understand it.
The account recorded in the four gospels has been closely
followed, and the order of events is that accepted by the greatest
thinkers and writers. Many of the laws and customs of the
times have been introduced to make the text more clear; and,
that the lessons taught may be more attractive and better
remembered, the book is abundantly illustrated.
The writer does not claim originality, but, knowing that all
children love to read or hear a good story, she has tried to tell
this old, old story in a way that will make them love it and
absorb into their own beings the elements of true living which
only the life and teachings of the Christ can give.
THE STORY OF JESUS-THE CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
Far away over the sea, on the continent of Asia, is the land
of Palestine, which is also called the Holy Land. If you look
for it on the map you will find that it is a very small country.
Yet, though it is so small, such great things have happened
there that all the world knows of Palestine. This story will tell
you why it is called the Holy Land, and why so many people
love it.
Very many years ago there lived in Palestine a man by the
name of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, and the grandson of
Abraham. He had twelve sons, each of whom was the head of a
large family called a tribe. The twelve tribes together made a
nation which was known either as the Jews, or as the Children
of Israel. Israel was another name given to Jacob after he was
a man.
The Jews were better than any other people living at that
time, just because they worshipped God. There were a good
many people then, as there are now, who did not know about the
true God in heaven. They made images, or idols, of wood or
stone, which they called gods. They prayed to these idols, asking
them to take care of them. They even thanked these gods
for giving them life and health, and so many beautiful things.
They were heathen, for that is what we call those who pray to
idols.
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INTRODUCTION
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not heathen; they knew
and loved the true God, and taught their children to do the
same. But the Jews were not always good. They did wicked
things over and over again, but after they had done wrong they
were sorry for it, and asked God to forgive them. Then they
started over again, and tried to do better.
When Jacob was an old man, he and his children and grand¬
children went to live in Egypt, and lived there happily a good
many years. But the time came when the Children of Israel
were not happy; for the kings who were then on the throne were
not kind to them. They made slaves of them, and the Jews had
to work so hard and so long that they almost forgot their God.
But at last a child was born who had a different life from the
rest of his people. He was named Moses, and was brought up
by the king’s daughter, in the king’s palace. He was very wise
and learned. He thought a great deal about his people. He
could see how badly they were treated, and how unhappy they
were, and his greatest wish was to set them free and take them
back to Palestine. The time came when God allowed him to do
this.
It was hard to get so many people started, and harder yet to
make them do as God would have them. They found fault with
everything if things did not please them: with Moses, and even
with God. There were many years of very hard work for Moses
and their other leaders before they were at last settled in their
own country, in homes of their own.
For a great many years God was really their king. He gave
them laws through Moses, and all their leaders were chosen by
God. They all talked with God, and learned from him what to
do for the people. But the time came when they wanted to be
like the other nations around them and have a king whom they
could see, and who could go before their army when it went to war.
INTRODUCTION
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The first king was not a good raler; but after he died a young
man named David came to the throne, and David was a good
king. He tried to do as well as he could himself, and tried to
teach the people to obey the laws of their God.
David belonged to the tribe of Judah, and was born in Beth¬
lehem. He was only a shepherd boy when he was chosen to be
king, and for that reason he is often called the Shepherd King.
Although he left his country home and went to Jerusalem to live
when he was quite a young man, he never forgot the lessons he
learned in the fields of Bethlehem. He wrote beautiful songs that
show that while he stayed with the sheep, hour after hour, his
thoughts were about God and his goodness. It was thousands of
years ago that David lived, yet ever since that time people have
read and sung these songs, and we can read them now in that
part