The Crown and the Cross: The Life of Christ by Frank G. Slaughter

Author:Frank G. Slaughter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: life of Jesus, life of Jesus Christ, historical fiction, Frank Slaughter, Jesus, Jesus Christ, ministry of Jesus, christian fiction, christian fiction series, Mary Magdalene, classic fiction
Publisher: eChristian, Inc.
Published: 2012-06-22T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.

John 8:7

A great crowd had gathered when it was announced that Jesus had come into Jerusalem again on this final day of the Feast of Tabernacles and would speak from the Porch of Solomon. Just as Abiathar arrived with the guards at the edge of the crowd, Jesus began to speak in ringing tones, voicing a credo which all could follow if they would: “If any man thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Once again He was speaking in the form of a parable, characterizing as a river of living water the Holy Spirit, which they who believed on Him would receive after He returned to His Father. Familiar with the writings of the prophets which were read each Sabbath in the synagogue, it seemed to many who heard that He was referring to the words of Isaiah who had said of the Messiah:

Behold a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment

And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a cover from the tempest,

As rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadows of a great rock in a weary land.

Thinking that Jesus had actually proclaimed Himself the Messiah, the crowd set up a shout.

“Of a truth this is a prophet!” some cried.

“Nay, He is the Christ of God!” another echoed.

Abiathar had good reason to know the temper of Caiaphas, but he also valued his own life. With the people in such a ferment, any attempt to arrest Jesus could easily cause him and his men to be torn to pieces. Around him people were shouting for Jesus to name Himself the Christ and take His rightful place at the head of the temple and the nation of Israel. With only the slightest encouragement, they would no doubt, in their enthusiasm for the Messiah sent from God to liberate Israel, have risen up to thrust the Roman garrison from the city.

Jesus made no such move, however. Gathering His disciples around Him for protection, He left the temple as He had done before under somewhat similar circumstances. Descending the stairway to the streets, through which He quickly made His way, He returned to Bethany. Abiathar could not have reached Him if he had even tried, but the captain of the temple guards was too prudent to inflame the crowd any further. He knew how much the common people hated Caiaphas and the priestly group for their corruption and venality; he had no desire to turn that hatred upon himself and his men.

By Jesus’ sudden departure, the crowd was left without a focus. Taking advantage of their uncertainty, some of the scribes who had hoped to seize upon Jesus’ words as blasphemy, now sought to create a diversion and take the minds of the people off the man they had been ready to acclaim as Messiah and King.

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