Читать книгу The Story of Jesus The Christ - Helen Braun Hojt - Страница 21

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temple. Then, too, money had to be changed; for nothing but

Jewish money would be taken at the temple, and people from

different parts of the world had to bring the kinds of money that

were used where they lived.

If these things were true, what was there wrong about it?

Why was Jesus displeased? It was not because the things were

done, but because they were done in the wrong place; for the

temple, was built to worship God in, not for a place of business.

There was plenty of room outside of the temple, and if they had

cared about God’s house, and keeping it sacred, as God had told

them, they would not have wanted to do their selling there.

The priests should not have allowed such things to be done; but

probably they got a share of the money that was taken, and so

they were willing.

These priests were astonished and angry at what was done.

They might lose some money if the buying and selling in the

temple was stopped. They had another reason, too: they were

the rulers of the people, and they did not like to have this

stranger come and take the control they thought belonged to

them. So they asked Jesus to give them a sign that he had the

right to do such things. He answered them in a way that no one

understood then; but years afterward the disciples remembered

the answer he gave, and then they knew what he had meant.

Jesus stayed in Jerusalem through the Passover week. The

Bible says that many people believed that he was the Christ

when they saw the miracles that he did, but it does not tell us

what these miracles were. One of these men was a very promi¬

nent man among the Jews, named Nicodemus. This man wanted

to learn more from this wonderful teacher, but he was afraid to

have his friends know that he did so. So he waited till one

night after dark. Then, when no one could see what he was

doing, he came to the place where Jesus was staying.

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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

Jesus was always willing to teach those who wanted to learn

from him, and now he was glad to tell Nicodemus about the new

life that every one

must live who wants to

please God and make

the best of himself. He

said that because men

did not know the best

way to live, God sent

his Son into the world

to teach them; and

whoever believes on

him and obeys his

teachings has this life

that goes on forever

and ever. He told him

that the coming of the

Son of God, like the

sunshine, brought light

into the world, showing

people what was good

Jesus and Nicodemus and what was bad. But

as people who have

been doing wrong do not like to have the light show what they

have been doing, but want to hide away in the dark, so these

people would like their own wicked ways and thoughts better

than those he had come to bring.

After the Passover was over, Jesus and his disciples left

Jerusalem and travelled through Judea, until they came to the

place where John the Baptist was still preaching and baptizing.

Jesus, too, began to preach. At first only a few people listened

to him; soon more and more became interested in hearing him