The Bible Story Part 232

This picture shows Jesus taking leave of Mary before beginning his ministry.

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Then he permitted him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying,--

"This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

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II

THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS.

_How the Lord Jesus Fought with a Great Foe_.

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness during forty days, being tempted of the devil. And he ate nothing in those days: and when they were completed, he hungered.

And the devil said unto him, "If thou art the Son of G.o.d, command this stone that it become bread."

And Jesus answered unto him, "It is written. 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

And he led him up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said unto him, "To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt wors.h.i.+p before me, it shall all be thine."

And Jesus answered and said unto him, "It is written, 'Thou shalt wors.h.i.+p the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.'"

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THE WILDERNESS OF THE TEMPTATION.

This wild and desolate region accords very well with our ideas of the place of the temptation of Jesus. The great cliff in the picture faces a narrow ravine not far from Jericho [End ill.u.s.tration]

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And he led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, "If thou art the Son of G.o.d, cast thyself down from hence: for it is written,--

'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to guard thee:

and,

'On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.'"

And Jesus answering said unto him, "It is said, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy G.o.d.'"

And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan; and he was with wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

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III

THE FIRST DISCIPLES.

_How the Lord Jesus Began to Win the Love of His Friends_.

One day after Jesus had returned from the wilderness, where he had met the temptation, John the Baptist saw him approaching, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of G.o.d, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me cometh a man which is become before me: for he was before me.' And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing with water."

Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his disciples; and he looked upon Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of G.o.d!"

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, "What seek ye?"

And they said unto him, "Rabbi (that is, Master), where abidest thou?"

He saith unto them, "Come, and ye shall see."

They came therefore and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day: it was about the tenth h.o.a.r.

One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, Christ).

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JESUS AND THE FISHERMEN.

By Zimmermann [End ill.u.s.tration]

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He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, "Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas" (that is, Peter).

On the morrow he was minded to go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip: and Jesus saith unto him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

And Nathanael said unto him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip saith unto him, "Come and see."

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"