Lamb of God: A Novel

Chapter 16

Joanna holds her ground. "Yes. I believe God sent him to do an important job—to announce the coming of the Messiah!"

"The Messiah, I hear?" blunts Antipas. This is not a question as if he did not know what the Messiah is. He claims Judaism as his religion, but only slightly so. But even so, he has seen people claim to be the Messiah. Those he punished by Roman law. He clearly doesn't want to deal with another supposed Messiah. "Listen up, the Messiah ain't coming for another... uh... for many more years! Good thing I had John arrested before he points to somebody and calls him Messiah!"

"I believe you are too late," says Joanna as she leaves the room.

Antipas turns to his wife. "I'm too late? Has John already proclaimed someone the Messiah?"

"If so, you must arrest him also," says Salome, joining the conversation. Out of nowhere, she's in the room. Nobody has noticed her come in. 

"Oh, no way!" says Antipas. "I'm not going to leave them both in the same prison. They can make plans there!"

"Then... you should order one or the other one killed. The one remaining should stay in the prison. That's a win-win," says Herodias.

Antipas takes a breath as he gets up to get a cup of wine. "I'll act when something strange happens, Herodias."

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It is soon going to be the start of winter. So after a few months, the group of Antipas is heading back to Galilee. But the question remains: should John be taken on the way to the prison at Sepphoris?

"No way!" shouts Herodias. "His friends might attempt a rescue attempt!"

So it is set: the Baptizer will remain in the guarded prison—not that the guards were necessary. Herodias could have had him killed, but she knows Antipas would never let this happen. It's as if... he's afraid of him.

Joanna, in the pain of her heart, has to leave John behind. She does speak to John before they left. "I'll sure Jesus has already heard."

Cana of Galilee

Joanna dashes quickly to Cana of Galilee. She knows Jesus is there. She sees a crowd around this Man of wonders.

She gets close enough to Jesus for him to notice her. He cast a smile on his face. "Oh shalom, Joanna," he calmly says.

Jesus is right now with some more people in his inner circle. Including a woman.

This woman apparently came from Magdala, an infamous city with towers—hence the name Magdala, meaning "a tower"—of Rome and where Romans thrive. Here immorality reigns. But this woman was rescued from seven demons when John son of Zebedee brought her to Jesus' attention.

She has abandoned her old way of life to follow Jesus, her Deliverer—not of Rome, but of demons. For her, the demons are worse than the Romans.

Joanna now holds on to Jesus, like she's hugging him or something. "Oh, Master! Have you heard of John?"

"Joanna," says Jesus. He has heard. John's disciples had hurried to tell him earlier. "I have heard."

"Aren't you going to do something?"

"Joanna—"

"Can't you do something?"

"Joanna—Joanna." Jesus closes his eyes and breaths in and out, turning to the sky. Then he opens his eyes. "I... don't believe that's the will of God. But pray for him."

"That's it? Prayer?"

"Yes, Joanna. God is testing him."

Just then an officer in the tetrarch's service arrives. He had come from Capernaum, only a 17-mile trip away.

"Oh, Jesus! Jesus!" calls out the man as he closes up to Jesus.

All turn to this officer. "Yes?" asks Jesus.

"Oh, please! Please come down to Capernaum with me and heal my sick son! He's at the point of death!"

Jesus looks at the earnest man and guesses his thoughts... accurately. He says to the father, "And then will you believe who I am?"

Before letting the officer answer, Jesus turns to the people around, giving a disappointed sigh. He's real disappointed at his own people who only seek miracles from him in exchange for believing in him. He says to the nobleman, and to all, "Unless you all see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

The officer pleads forgiveness for his disbelief, but also exclaims, "Oh, sir, come down before the death of my son occurs. Please!"

Jesus understands the man's heart. He finally says, "Go then. Your son is healed. He will live."

The man looks up at Jesus' face. He isn't the sort of person to lie. Jesus indeed has been nicknamed "good old honest" by some in Nazareth during his years of silence. The man says, "I believe, Lord."

To prove his faith, the officer doesn't hurry on his way back. The following day, he is still on his way to Capernaum when some of his friends and servants come up. "Your son is healed!" calls out one servant to the officer.

"Jesus gave me his word. But tell me: at what time was he healed?"

"Yesterday, the seventh hour! That's when the fever left him!"

"It's just what Jesus said," said the officer, "and when he said my boy is healed!"

So the news of this miracle spread throughout Capernaum. Many are eager to see the man who can heal people from a distance. And what a distance—about 17 miles!

Road to Emmaus

Jesus prepares to head to Jerusalem. After all, it is almost time for another religious festival—the feast of Weeks.

As he's on his way to the main road that would lead to Emmaus, then to Jerusalem, he meets with a group of people also heading there. He speaks to them of God and his kingdom that is to come to earth.

Mary Magdalene says to Jesus on the way, "I hope you do meet my family in Bethany. I have a sister—Martha by name—and a brother—Lazarus by name—living over there."

After having driven the dreaded demons out of her, Jesus had said to her, "You must convert to a new being. You must be born again—born of water and of the Spirit." Now Mary wants her family to experience her newfound joy. She had been baptized by a disciple. Jesus says to Mary, "I'd like to."

Jesus does seem to remember hearing Martha and Lazarus before. Where, though?

+

Jesus draws close to Emmaus. There he meets with a young man speaking with another. He asks for who they are.

"My name is Matthias," says one. "Say, you're the one that the Baptizer pointed as Lamb of God!"

The other young man said, "I am Cleopas."

Then John the disciple says to Matthias, "Yes, I remember seeing you."

Jesus soon learns Cleopas was there when John the Baptizer was suddenly arrested. But soon they will be in Jerusalem for the festival. Jesus wins them both over. They come to believe Jesus must be the Messiah—although their idea is that the Messiah will deliver Israel from Roman oppression.