The Story of Jesus The Christ. Helen Braun Hojt
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’to be happy.
Forty days and forty nights he spent in this wilderness, think¬
ing much of what others needed, but so little about what he him¬
self needed that in all that time he had eaten nothing. Now he
felt hungry. Round about him were some smooth stones shaped
much like the loaves of bread they used in that country. They
were something like our crackers.
Has not the wicked spirit Satan sometimes whispered in your
ear, asking you to do something which you knew was not right?
Well, that wicked spirit came to Jesus now when he was so
hungry, and said: “ If you are the Son of God, you can do any¬
thing you want to. Just turn these stones into bread.» Jesus
was able to do this, for in a few days he did something just as
wonderful; but he had been asking God for power to help other
people, not to help himself. He did not turn the stones into
bread, but answered Satan with a Bible verse which means that
although we need to feed our bodies we also need to trust and
obey God, w T ho has promised to take care of us.
Satan whispered to him again and said: “ If you are the Son
of God, why do you not throw yourself down from the high roof
of the temple at Jerusalem? God will send his angels to take
care of you, for he has promised to do so. They will hold you
up in their hands so that you will not get hurt. And when the
people see angels taking care of you, and not allowing you to fall,
they will believe at once that you are the Christ, and they will
worship you.» Again Jesus answered with a Bible verse. What
he said means that although it is true that God has promised to
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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
help us when we are in trouble, it is wicked to do things that
are dangerous just to see if he will help us.
Satan now took Jesus where he could see a long way oh, and
as he thought of all the cities lying beyond the hills, filled with
people and riches, Satan said: u All these you can have, if you
will obey me. The people
will he glad to have you
for their king if you will
not find fault with their
wicked ways. Never mind
if they are wicked. Try
to please them and me in¬
stead of trying to please
God.»
But Jesus answered him:
«Go away from me, Satan,
I will have nothing to do
with you. It is written,
4 Thou shalt love the Lord,
thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve.» ” The wicked
spirit found that here was
a man whom he could not
tempt to do wrong, and he
Temptation of Christ went away for that day.
Many other times the evil
spirit tried to make Jesus do what was wrong, for the Bible says
that he was tempted in every way just as we are, but never
sinned. That is why our Saviour can help us conquer sin, if we
ask him; because he knows just how hard it is for us to do
right, and just what we need to conquer Satan. After Satan had
gone angels came and comforted Jesus.
THE MINISTRY OF THE CHRIST
27
Shortly after this Jesus went back to the Jordan, where John
was still preaching to a great many people. As John looked up
and saw Jesus coming toward them,
he said to his hearers,» Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sins of the world.» What did
John mean? Just this. Before
long, Jesus, a pure, gentle man
who had never done a wrong thing,
would be put to death like the
lamb in the temple service, for the
sins of other people. After this
happened people need not offer
sacrifices any more; for their sins
would be forgiven if they asked
God to do it for Jesus’ sake.
The next day Jesus passed that
way again. John the Baptist was
there talking to two of his friends,
John and Andrew, and seeing Je¬
sus coming he said again, “ Behold
the Lamb of God.» This time the
two men followed Jesus, who,
turning round and seeing them
close behind him, asked, “ What
are you looking for?» They answered, «Rabbi» (which means
master or teacher), “ where do you live?» He said, “ Come and
see.» They went with him to the place where he was staying,
and spent the rest of the day there. Andrew was so much pleased
with his new friend that he found his brother Simon, afterward
called Peter, and brought him to Christ.
The next day Jesus started on a journey to Galilee, and his
Jesus walking by the Sea
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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
three new friends went with him. On the way they met a man
named Philip, who lived in the same town as Andrew and Peter.
Jesus invited Philip to go with them, and he was very glad to do
so. Before he went he found his friend Nathanael, and asked
him to join them.
Nathanael did not wish to go when he heard that Jesus was
from Nazareth. You remember that the people of Nazareth were
not thought to be good, so Nathanael did not think a man from
that place could be the Christ. But Philip asked him to go and
see Jesus before he decided, and Nathanael