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

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