Lamb of God: A Novel

Chapter 25

"Yes! Yes!" goes James. "Did you not hear of what's up with him?"

Silence. Deep and profound silence.

James finally speaks up, "I'll tell you what I've been hearing about the 'Messiah'! First off, he prays way too often! There, first checked off. Whole nights in prayer! Whole nights, you hear! He gets crowded by people all day, and he barely has time to eat at all! Lack of sleep, lack of nurture! And worse: he defies the traditions! How dare he—oh, sorry. Sorry, I get too sensitive about the traditions."

"So we notice," says Judah, tired.

"Well, anyway, he contests the Pharisees to the face! And he asserts to be Messiah, too! Well, he must be beside himself!"

"You're right," says Judah. "We must speak to him, ask him to calm down."

"But he won't listen to us, that's the problem!" exclaims James.

"But perhaps to Mary," suggests James' brother Simon.

James pauses. "You're right. Perhaps to Mary, perhaps to—but what in the earth are we waiting for? Let's get this over this. I got sick and tired of getting bad-mouthed by the local leaders of the Jews because we are related to the so-called Messiah."

"It's been a year," says Joseph Jr. "Yes, let's convince Mary to be with us in this mission."

Macherus

Joanna and the others at Herod Antipas' group enter Macherus Fortress. Herodias can be heard saying, "At least we're done listening to a madman on the way."

Joanna says nothing. Nothing at all, nothing—but that nothing becomes something when she gets to the prison under the Fortress. She exclaims, "John! Have you heard what Jesus had said about you?"

A faint voice can be heard, "Oh yes, Joanna. Yes, he spoke well of me."

Joanna says, "I've heard Jesus say God is testing you."

"Eh, it figures," says John. "But I'm certain that Antipas will come to his senses and release me."

Joanna says, "There will be a festival for Antipas' birthday in a week. What a chilly climate. Well, it is winter, after all. I've talked with Antipas privately. I've convinced him to release you quietly. After his birthday party."

Capernaum

Meanwhile, Jesus is driving a demon out of a man. The man, restored, praises God.

So do the crowds. "This has got to be the Son of David!"

But not the Pharisees. "Wrong! Wrong!" They just have to shatter the moment. "He's not the Son of David! This man drives out demons using the prince of demons! He's possessed by the devil!"

Mary of Magdala shudders. How dare they? Jesus saved me from SEVEN demons, and yet here they are: saying Jesus is possessed!

Jesus, however, calls them over. "I must speak to you."

They come over, looking upset.

Jesus then asks them a question.

"How can Satan cast out Satan?

"A kingdom divided against itself cannot survive.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand.

"Satan divided against himself would be coming to an end."

Then Jesus adds, "And, if it is by Satan's help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your sons drive them out? Therefore they will themselves be your judges."

The Pharisees are in a difficult situation again. Then Jesus leads his discourse. "But, if it is by the help of the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God must already be upon you."

Clearly, his power to cast out demons proves God's kingdom is overthrowing Satan's kingdom. "This is war, and there's no middle ground," continues Jesus. "A person not with me is a person against me."

Then Jesus says that the Pharisees are close to committing an unpardonable sin—cutting off the branch they are sitting at. "You can still be forgiven if you blaspheme the Son of Man," he says, setting himself as God, "but not if you blaspheme away the Holy Spirit. You can't hope either in this world or the next—you're in danger of eternal condemnation. This I say because you say I drive out demons by the devil."

Jesus is crowded in, and so the mother and half-brothers of Jesus can't get into the house. So they try to send a message.

Meanwhile, Jesus says, "At Judgment Day, for every idle word you'll have to give an account. Your words will either acquit you or condemn you."

A Pharisee says, "We want a sign from you, teacher."

The disciples shake their heads in confusion. They literally earlier said the sign Jesus just did was from the prince of demons.

Jesus, however, answers, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Then someone crosses the crowds. He exclaims, "Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking for you."

Jesus says to him, "Who is my mother? And my brothers?"

Then he looks around at the people sitting in a circle about him, and says, "Take a look. Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever hears and does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

+

The Pharisees sure got upset on that day. Jesus—that heretic!—had reproved them for what they are! They are so upset that when they speak to each other on their own, it is clear they do not plan on repenting.

"Are we just going to let him expose us?" asks one, expecting a No.

"Jesus! A fraud! He's surely sent from the Devil!" says another, committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

"We are not 'an evil and adulterous generation'!" snaps a third.

"So we must put Jesus to death!"

"Yes! Death will help him!"

"Death! Death to the false Messiah!"

"Death to his cousin John too!"

"Oh! I don't think so. Antipas is protecting him in prison. I doubt he'll get killed! In fact I'm guessing he'll get released! Oh, just wait, friends!"