68 The day was late. They did not want them to hang there all night. So Demetrius ordered an old soldier to take a lance and pierce their sides. He pierced the lessers' first, then pierced Jesus. As he did so, blood and water gushed from Jesus' side, ran down the lance onto the man's hand, and landed on his face.
69 The man stepped back, picked up a rag, and wiped it off. One of the men with him jumped back. "What is the matter?" the old warrior asked.
70 "Your eye!" the man answered. "Your face! They're whole! The scars that I have seen for many years are gone!"
71 The old soldier looked at his hand. "And it is no longer twisted, either!" he cried. "By The Mighty Ones, what have we done this day?"
72 "Nothing that need worry us," remarked Demetrius. He looked into the eyes of The High Priest, who hurried off wishing to see no more.
73 Now, Joseph of Arimathhaea, an honorable collector, who was a disciple of Jesus, went to the governor and begged that Jesus' body be given to Him. The governor marveled that Jesus was already dead, but sent a note to Demetrius saying that if it was so, Joseph might have the body.
74 So they took Him down, wrapped Him in a fine linen cloth, and laid Him in a sepulcher, which had been hewn out of solid rock, and rolled a great stone across the door.
75 Mary, His mother, Mary Magdalene, His wife, and Mary, the mother of James, stayed behind to pray under Demetrius' protection. So it was that Jesus was cricufied.

BARABBAS RETURNS
Chapter Sixty-Six

Now, the following day The Chief Priest and the Scribes went to the governor saying, "This Jesus has told the people that He will die, but on the third day rise again. Therefore, to claim that this has happened His followers may come, steal the body away, and hide it, then claim that He has risen. If this happens it will be worse than if we had not crucified Him.
2 We ask that you put a guard on the grave, a Roman guard, that there may be no question that He has not risen."
3 The governor laughed. "The officer," he said, "that presided at the crucifixion has similar fears, that YOU would come and steal the body to destroy it, so you could say He has not risen. You have nothing to fear. A guard is already on the tomb...Roman men of honor, charged to see that no one disturbs it.
4 For the sake of all I would suggest VERY strongly that it not be disturbed until three days have passed. There are enough gods running about the world. Rome desires another even less than you do. So be at peace. Return to your petty little Judaean affairs. Rome is seeing to your interest quite well."
5 Now, The High Priest did not like the governor's attitude, but he was contented, rather for the Roman reasons or, theirs, the tomb was guarded.
6 Meanwhile, Demetrius had securred the apostles and their families in a safe compound. For they knew the Priest's henchmen hunted them.
7 Demetrius marveled at the women's courage, and the men's timidness. For the men leaped in terror with every knock on the door, while the women began to send messengers out of the city with the news of the Great Happenings.
8 Demetrius was about to leave to check on the safety of the tomb when there came a rap on the door. He opened it and a scraggly, dirty man stood without, who, from the smell of him, was much in need of a bath. He looked at the Roman in great fear and then gathered his courage. "Is she here," he asked, "who is the mother of Jesus, the one who is called Mary?"
9 "I am she," came Mary's voice, as she approached. "What do you want of me?"
10 "To serve you, madame," the man answered, "to do for you whatever needs to be done to the end of your days in the hopes that you may find it in your heart to forgive me."
11 Mary looked with her usual tender smile. "And why," she asked, "should I have to forgive you?"
12 The man's lips trembled with a great quiver, but finally the words came out in a sudden rush. "I.....am Barabbas."
13 Several of the apostles came to their feet, but a gentle wave of Mary's hand sent them back to their place.
14 "Are you a pious man, Barabbas?" Mary asked.
15 "I am a man of sin," Barabbas answered, "from my boyhood to this hour. No good thing have I done. You have every right to send me away."
16 Mary shook her head. "He would have not," she answered. "He would have said, 'Come, my son, enter in and sin no more.'"
17 Mary looked to Demetrius who nodded, then she took the troubled man's hand and led him into the house. "Come, my son," she remarked, "you must be bathed and decent clothes found for you. Those rags are fit for nothing."
18 To Demetrius' surprise Peter came over. "I have some extra things," he remarked, "that should fit him well."
19 Demetrius left thinking to himself, "Even from the grave He solves problems as fast as they arise!"

Page 67

Go To The Next Page

Return To Links Page