The Bible Story Part 246

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VII

JESUS AND LITTLE CHILDREN

_How the Lord Jesus Spoke of Little Children, and How He Gave Them His Blessing_.

The disciples came unto Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

And he called to him a little child, and set him in the midst of them, and said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: but whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe on me to stumble, it would be better for him if a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and he were sunk in the depth of the sea.

"See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth {189} over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

And they brought unto him little children, that he should touch them: and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said unto them,--

"Suffer the little children to come unto me: forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

"Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of G.o.d as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein." And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.

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VIII

JESUS AT JERUSALEM

_How the Lord Jesus Visited Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, and How He Taught of Light and Freedom_.

And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judaea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, "Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world." For even his brethren did not believe on him.

Jesus therefore saith unto them, "My hour is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up to the feast: I go not up yet to this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled."

And having said these things to them, he remained still in Galilee.

_Jesus Goes Secretly to Jerusalem_.

But when his brethren were gone up to the feast, then went he also up, not publicly, but in secret. The Jews {191} therefore sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?" And there was much discussion among the mult.i.tudes concerning him: some said, "He is a good man"; others said, "Not so, but he leadeth the mult.i.tude astray." Howbeit no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.

But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" Jesus therefore answered them, and said, "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of G.o.d, or whether I speak from myself. He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him."

Some therefore of them of Jerusalem said, "Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is."

Jesus therefore spoke in the temple, teaching and saying, "Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. I know him; because I am from him, and he sent me."

They sought therefore to take him: but no man laid his hand on him, because his hour was not yet come. But of the mult.i.tude many believed on him; and they said, {192} "When the Christ shall come, will he do more signs than those which this man hath done?"

The Pharisees heard the mult.i.tude murmuring these things concerning him; and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to take him. Jesus therefore said, "Yet a little while am I with you, and I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come."

"_Is this the Christ?_"

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water."

Some of the mult.i.tude therefore, when they heard these words, said, "This is of a truth the prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ."

But some said. "What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the line of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" So there arose a division in the mult.i.tude because of him. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto them, "Why did ye not bring him?" The officers answered, "Never man so spoke."

The Pharisees therefore answered them, "Are ye also led astray? Hath any of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees? But this mult.i.tude which knoweth not the law are accursed."

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Nicodemus saith unto them, "Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?"

They answered and said unto him, "Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet."

Again therefore Jesus spoke unto them, saying, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, "Thou bearest witness of thyself; thy witness is not true."

Jesus answered and said unto them, "Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye know not whence I come, or whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. Yea and if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. Yea and in your law it is written, that the witness of two men is true. I am he that beareth witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me."

They said therefore unto him, "Where is thy Father?"

Jesus answered, "Ye know neither me, nor my Father: if ye knew me, ye would know my Father also." These words spoke he in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man took him; because his hour was not yet come.

_"The Truth Shall Make You Free."_

Jesus therefore said to those Jews which had believed him, "If ye abide in my word, then are ye truly my {194} disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

They answered unto him, "We are Abraham's children, and have never yet been in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, 'Ye shall be made free'?"

Jesus answered them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Everyone that committeth sin is the bondservant of sin. And the bondservant abideth not in the house for ever: the son abideth for ever. If therefore the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's children; yet ye seek to kill me, because my word hath not free course in you. I speak the things which I have seen with my Father: and ye also do the things which ye heard from your father."

They answered and said unto him, "Our father is Abraham."

Jesus saith unto them, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from G.o.d: this did not Abraham. Ye do the works of your father."

They said unto him, "We have one Father, even G.o.d." Jesus said unto them, "If G.o.d were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from G.o.d; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me.

Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the evil desires of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, {195} because there is no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.