Educational Department of the Moscow Metropolia of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church

The Holy Gospel Retold for Children #

Introduction

Dear fathers and mothers, and dear children!

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that this little book, in addition to the Holy Gospel—retold in simple and understandable language for children—also includes explanations from the Holy Fathers, which we have placed as footnotes for the parents. We believe that, having read the commentaries, parents will not only be able to reflect on what they’ve read themselves, but will also be able to help their children understand the more difficult passages of the Holy Gospel. That is why we have included here excerpts from the writings of holy men who were granted by the grace of the Holy Spirit the ability to explain the Holy Scriptures.

We have also consulted the works of scholars who, through various studies, have uncovered very interesting information concerning the history of biblical cities, Jewish customs, ancient terms, and other noteworthy Gospel details.

Before compiling this book, we reviewed, for reference, previously published retellings of the Holy Gospel for children, both from Old Believer and non–Old Believer sources. We also compared some passages with modern Russian translations of the Gospel itself. We believe that in the recent history of the Old Believer Church of Christ, this book is perhaps one of the first attempts to create an Old Believer children’s Gospel. The last similar work in the Church was undertaken by Father Grigory Karabinovich, who briefly summarized the entire biblical history in his book The Law of God for Old Believer Schools. That book was published at the beginning of the 20th century and is little known to today’s readers.

We hope that our humble labor will prove useful for reading and studying the Holy Gospel—especially for children! May the Lord help everyone!

Happy reading!

The Good News of the Birth of Saint John the Forerunner #

Many, many years ago, in a distant land called Palestine, there lived a pious family: the priest Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth. They deeply honored the law of God and lived righteously. But despite having lived a long life, they had no children. At that time, it was believed that if someone had no children, it meant they were being punished for a great sin. However, these devout spouses, although they considered themselves sinners, had no grievous sins for which the Lord would punish them so severely. And so, one day, the Lord heard their prayers…

One day, while Zacharias was serving in the temple of God, suddenly a messenger from God—the Archangel Gabriel—appeared to him. The Archangel said that his prayer had been heard and that Elisabeth would bear a son, who would turn many people back to God and would prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Savior. The Archangel announced the name of the future child:

“Thou shalt call his name John,” he said.

Zacharias began to doubt that his wife could bear a child, for Elisabeth was already very old, and at her age, women could no longer give birth. Because he did not believe in God’s power, Zacharias received a punishment from God:

“And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words,”¹ said the Archangel Gabriel.

Indeed, when the priest Zacharias came out to the people, he could not speak a word. He could only gesture with his hands, showing that something extraordinary had happened.

The Annunciation to the Most Holy Virgin Mary #

In the ancient and beautiful city of Nazareth lived two holy people: the elder Joseph and the Virgin Maiden Mary. They were descended from the righteous King David and were betrothed to one another. The righteous Joseph had been entrusted with the care of the holy Virgin.

In the sixth month after the angel appeared to the priest Zacharias, the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Nazareth. He appeared to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, and She was frightened. But he said to her:

“Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God. Thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.”² (Luke 1:30–32)

With these words, the Archangel proclaimed the joyful and good news of the birth on earth of the Eternal Son of God! But the holy Virgin did not understand how this could happen, for from her youth she had been dedicated to God and was not to enter into marriage.

So that Mary would not doubt, the Archangel told her that her kinswoman Elisabeth, already elderly and who had long given up hope of bearing children, would soon give birth to a son. Hearing this good news, the holy Virgin humbly said:

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38)

The Archangel revealed to the holy Mary that the long-awaited Savior—the Messiah—was soon to be born, and that she would be His Mother.

Mary decided to visit her kinswoman Elisabeth. There, another miracle occurred. When the Most Holy Virgin greeted Elisabeth, the child in Elisabeth’s womb—the future John the Forerunner—leapt within her. It pleased God to reveal to the righteous Elisabeth that Mary was carrying in her womb the Son of God—the Messiah. Elisabeth rejoiced and cried out with a loud voice:

“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42–43)

In response, the Most Holy Virgin Mary rejoiced and said:

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour; for He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” (Luke 1:46–48)

The Virgin Mary stayed with Elisabeth for about three months, and then returned to Nazareth.

The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist #

After some time, Elisabeth, the wife of Zacharias, gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her and suggested that the child be named after his father—Zacharias. But Elisabeth said:

“We shall name him John.”

Everyone was astonished, because there was no one in their family with that name.³ Then they made signs to the father, asking what he wanted to name his only son. Zacharias asked for a writing tablet and wrote on it: “His name is John.”⁴

And immediately the priest was healed of his muteness and was able to speak. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he began to prophesy. Zacharias proclaimed to all who had come to him that his son would be the Forerunner of the Savior—that is, he would prepare the people for the coming of Christ the Lord. John the Forerunner would call people to repent of their wrongdoings, to be cleansed, and to be reconciled with God.

From childhood, Saint John was led by an angel into the wilderness. There, with the help of God, the boy grew in spiritual strength, which he would need to preach to the people of Israel. His life in the desert was austere, for his food consisted only of locusts (or puzhie⁵—a special type of plant) and wild honey. He wore a garment made of camel’s hair and was girded with a leather belt.

The Nativity of Christ #

In those days, there was one ruler over all the earth—the Roman Emperor Augustus. He issued a decree that a census be taken, that is, that all the inhabitants of the lands under his rule be registered in special records.⁶ Each person had to go to the city of their ancestors to be enrolled. The holy Joseph and Mary were of royal lineage, and so they traveled from Nazareth to the city of Bethlehem, where the holy king and prophet David had been born.

But because so many people had come to Bethlehem for the census, there was no room for Joseph and Mary to stay the night. However, Joseph found a cave where shepherds would bring their sheep to rest overnight—and it was there that the holy family took shelter.

That night, the Most Holy Virgin gave birth to the Child Christ. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, for there was no cradle. A manger is a feeding trough for animals.

On that holy night, the shepherds of Bethlehem were keeping watch over their flocks outside the city, when suddenly a bright light shone around them, and an angel of the Lord appeared. The shepherds had never seen anything like this, and they were afraid. But the angel said to them:

“Fear not! I bring you good tidings of great joy: this night, in the city of David, Christ is born—He is the Savior and the joy of all people. Here is a sign for you, so that you may recognize Him: you will find the Child Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

After the angel spoke, a multitude of other angels appeared in the sky, glorifying God and singing:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!”

When the angels became invisible, the shepherds said to one another:

“Let us go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has made known to us.”

They hurried to the city and found the cave, where they saw the holy Joseph the Betrothed, the Virgin Mary, and the Divine Child Christ, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a simple manger. The shepherds bowed down to the Child and told what they had seen and heard from the angels of God. The holy Mary was amazed and filled with joy, and she kept all these things in her heart.

Eight days after the Savior’s birth, a priest performed the rite of circumcision, and He was given the name Jesus.⁷

The Worship of the Wise Men⁸ #

Not long after the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, there came wise men from the East unto Jerusalem.⁹ They journeyed from a far country of Persia to worship the newborn King of Heaven and to offer unto Him gifts. They knew not the way, but the Lord sent unto them an angel, who, in the likeness of a star, went before them and guided them on their way.¹⁰

Having travelled a long journey, they came unto King Herod and inquired of him, saying:

Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.¹¹ We beheld the heavens and marked His star. We understood that He is born of whom the ancient prophets spake. We are come to worship the new King. Where is He?

When Herod the king heard these things, he was troubled, and all the chief men of the Jews which dwelt at Jerusalem with him. For the king and those about him desired no other ruler over Israel save Herod himself. Then the king commanded that the chief priests and scribes should be brought before him, and he asked them:

Where should Christ be born?

And they answered him:

In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written in the Holy Scripture by the prophet Micah.¹²

Then Herod called the wise men privily, and learned of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he said unto them,

Go unto Bethlehem, and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again, that I also may come and worship Him.

But Herod lied unto the wise men. He sought only an opportunity to slay the Saviour while yet a little child, for he would not suffer any to reign in his stead.

Meanwhile the wise men went their way toward Bethlehem, and lo, the star which they had seen in the east appeared again, and went before them, guiding their steps. And when they came unto the city, the star drew nigh unto the place where the Saviour was born, and then came and stood over the Child Himself, shewing Him unto the wise men.¹³

And they fell down and worshipped the Divine Infant, and offered unto Him precious gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, which is a sweet ointment.¹⁴

After this, the wise men were minded to return unto Jerusalem and tell Herod what they had seen. But in a dream they were warned of God that they should return unto their own country another way.

The Slaughter of the Infants #

When King Herod perceived that the wise men would not return unto him, he was wroth, and he sent forth soldiers to slay all the male children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under.¹⁵ Thus did he hope that among those children the newborn Jesus Christ would be slain. The soldiers, obeying the king’s command, slew fourteen thousand innocent infants. Lamentation and great mourning filled Bethlehem—mothers refused to give up their children unto death, but the soldiers seized them and slew them without mercy—so was fulfilled the prophecy spoken by the prophet Jeremiah.¹⁶

But righteous Joseph, and the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus, escaped into Egypt. For thus were they commanded by the angel. And only after the death of Herod did the holy family return unto Nazareth.

The Presentation of the Lord #

According to the Law of the Lord, every firstborn male child in a family was to be dedicated unto God, and a sacrifice offered on his behalf in the temple. For this cause, they brought the child unto the temple in Jerusalem on the fortieth day. By the Law of Moses, the appointed offering was a lamb; but, as it is written in the book of Leviticus, the poor were permitted to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons.

Fulfilling this commandment of the Mosaic law, the Most Holy Virgin Mary and righteous Joseph brought the child Jesus into the temple and prepared two turtledoves for a sacrifice unto God.

At that time, there dwelt in Jerusalem a holy elder named Simeon, who had lived very many years. It had been revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ-child. One day, being moved by God, the elder came into the temple at the very hour when the child Jesus was brought in. He took the Saviour into his arms and said with joy:

Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy promise; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.

The Most Holy Theotokos marvelled at the words of the elder. And he said unto the Mother of God:

This Child shall be the cause of many disputes. Some shall believe in Him and be saved; others shall reject Him and perish. And a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also.

This was a prophecy of the voluntary sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And there was also present in the temple at that time a prophetess named Anna, who was very old. She was a widow, and had dwelt in the temple, serving God with fasting and prayer. When she beheld Joseph, Mary, and the Christ-child, she began to glorify God and to proclaim unto all the coming of the Messiah into the world.

The Boyhood of Jesus Christ #

According to the law of Moses, all the people of Israel were commanded to go up to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. This feast had been established by God Himself for the Jews, as a remembrance of how the Lord delivered them from bondage in Egypt.

In obedience to the law, righteous Joseph and the Most Holy Virgin Mary went every year to Jerusalem for this feast, and every year they brought with them their divine Son.

When Jesus was twelve years old, they came, as was their custom, to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover. After the feast was ended, they set out to return home with the other pilgrims, supposing that Jesus was among their kinsfolk and acquaintances in the crowd. But when they reached their lodging place for the night, they found Him not. They were troubled, and understood that He had remained behind in Jerusalem, for they found Him nowhere among their company.

They returned to Jerusalem, and for three days sought Him, but found Him not. At last, they entered into the temple and saw the boy Jesus sitting among the priests and scribes. He was conversing with them, asking them questions from the Holy Scriptures, and all were astonished at His wise words.

The Most Holy Virgin spoke to Him, saying:

Son, why hast Thou dealt thus with us? Behold, we have sought Thee sorrowing these three days.

Why did ye seek Me elsewhere? He replied. Know ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?

But they understood not His answer. Nevertheless, holy Mary kept all His words in her heart.¹⁷

Then they returned together unto Nazareth, and the boy Jesus lived in obedience unto them, growing in wisdom; and both God and man loved Him.

The Preaching of John the Baptist #

Saint John the Forerunner, as we have already said, was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness while yet a young boy, where he lived the strictest of lives. God had commanded him to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Saviour into the world. The holy Forerunner grew and was made ready for this ministry. And when he became a man, he began to preach in the regions round about the river Jordan, calling upon men to forsake evil deeds.

Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,¹⁸ said Saint John.

A great multitude came unto the prophet John, confessing their sins and being baptized of him in the river Jordan. And all who came to him he instructed to do good:

He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.

Publicans (that is, tax collectors) also came and asked him:

What shall we do?

Saint John taught them:

Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Soldiers likewise came, saying:

And what shall we do to please God?

The Forerunner answered:

Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages.

At one time, the elders of Israel came to John to be baptized. But these teachers were proud of their high estate and despised the common folk. For this, the prophet John rebuked them sternly:

O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?¹⁹ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, “We have Abraham to our father.” For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.²⁰

The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ #

Time passed, and our Lord Jesus Christ reached the age of thirty years. At that time, He came to be baptized of John in the river Jordan. Saint John the Forerunner considered himself unworthy to baptize the very Lord God. He said:

I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?

But the Saviour answered:

Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.

By this He meant: to fulfill the will of God.

John obeyed and baptized Him.²¹ And when Jesus Christ came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. And John heard a voice from heaven:

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

After His baptism, the Saviour withdrew into the wilderness, where He fasted forty days, taking no food. There He overcame the devil’s temptations and snares, showing an example to all Christians—that evil spirits may be conquered only by prayer and fasting. The devil, having been defeated, departed from Him, and the angels of God ministered unto Jesus Christ.

The First Disciples of Jesus Christ #

After forty days of fasting in the wilderness, the Lord came again unto John the Baptist by the banks of the Jordan. The prophet John, seeing Him afar off, said unto the people:

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!

Hearing the words of the Forerunner, two of his disciples—Andrew²² and John, the son of Zebedee—straightway followed Jesus Christ. Not long after, Andrew brought his elder brother Simon, to whom the Saviour gave a new name—Peter.

The number of Christ’s disciples began to increase, and from among them the Lord chose twelve who were closest to Him, and whom He later called apostles—that is, “those who are sent.” They were so called because the Saviour sent them to preach the Gospel unto all the ends of the earth.

The names of the twelve apostles who were closest to Jesus Christ were these: Andrew, Peter, James and John the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus (the Lord’s brother), Jude the son of James, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ unto death.²³

The First Miracle of Jesus Christ #

In Galilee, in the city of Cana, there was a wedding. The Saviour, His Mother, and His disciples were invited to this joyful event. As the guests sat at table, the Virgin Mary noticed that the steward of the feast had run out of wine.²⁴ Wishing in some way to help the newlyweds, she made request of her Son.

The Mother of God said to the servants at the feast:

Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.

In the house there stood six large stone waterpots. The Lord said unto the servants:

Fill the waterpots with water, even to the brim.

And they filled them.

Now draw out, and bear it unto the governor of the feast.

The servants bore it. The steward tasted the wine, which but a moment ago had been water, and marveled at its sweet taste. He called the bridegroom and said unto him:

Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now.

This was the first miracle wrought by Jesus Christ, after which His disciples believed on Him.

The Cleansing of the Temple²⁵ #

As the feast of Passover drew near, our Lord Jesus Christ came into the temple in Jerusalem. There He beheld, with righteous indignation, that oxen, sheep, and doves were being sold right within the temple, and money changers sat at their tables. This was entirely unbefitting, for the temple of God is the house of the Lord on earth, and to conduct trade therein is to show disrespect to the Master of the house.

The Saviour made a whip of cords and drove out all the merchants and money changers from the temple, saying:

Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Then the rulers of the temple asked Him:

What sign shewest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things?

Jesus answered them:

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

By “temple,” He meant His Body. His words were to be understood thus: that when He should be put to death, He would rise again from the dead on the third day. But the Jews understood Him not, and said:

Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days?

During the days of the Passover, which lasted several days, the Lord wrought many miracles, and many believed on Him.

The Conversation with Nicodemus #

One night, a man of high rank came to the Lord. His name was Nicodemus, and he was one of the elders of the Jews. Nicodemus believed that Jesus Christ had been sent from God. He wished to learn from the Saviour how to please God and how to save his soul.

The Lord revealed unto him the mystery of holy baptism, by which a man may be changed—to forsake evil deeds and to do good. The Saviour also foretold His sufferings upon the cross, which He was to endure for the salvation of all mankind.

Speaking of His death, He likened Himself to the brazen serpent which the prophet Moses had once lifted up on a wooden staff in the wilderness. Those who looked upon it were healed of the venomous serpent’s bite. Even so today: whosoever looketh with faith upon the crucified Jesus Christ shall receive healing of bodily afflictions and the forgiveness of sins.

Nicodemus would later become a secret disciple of Christ. After the Saviour’s sufferings upon the cross, he, together with Joseph of Arimathea, laid the body of Jesus in the tomb.

The Lord and the Samaritan Woman #

After preaching in Judea, the Lord needed to return once again to Galilee. His path led through the Samaritan town of Sychar. Near this town was a plot of land that the patriarch Jacob had given to his son Joseph. There, Jacob’s well had been preserved, and it was beside this well that the Savior, weary from His journey, stopped to rest. Meanwhile, His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

At that time, a woman came from the Samaritan town to draw water from the well. The Lord Jesus said to her:

— Give Me to drink.

The Samaritan woman asked in astonishment:

— How is it that Thou, being a Jew, speakest with me, a Samaritan woman? For the Jews have had no dealings with the Samaritans for a long time now!²⁶

Then Jesus Christ began, little by little, to reveal why He had chosen to speak with the Samaritan woman. He spoke of a special Living Water, which He would give to all who desired it and received Him. And the Living Water is His teaching—that is, the Holy Gospel, which tells us about the salvation of the soul—that is, how to enter paradise.

After hearing this, the woman thought that Jesus must be a prophet, for ordinary men do not speak in such a way. She said to Him:

— When the Messiah cometh, He will tell us all things.

Then the Lord revealed Himself:

— I that speak unto thee am He.

Hearing this, the Samaritan woman was filled with such joy that she ran into the town, leaving her water jug behind, and cried to all she met:

— Come to Jacob’s well and see the Messiah!

Thanks to the faith of one Samaritan woman, a multitude of the Samaritan people came to believe in the Savior.

The Healing of the Nobleman’s Son #

In Galilee, the Lord once again preached in the town of Cana, where not long before He had performed the miracle of turning water into wine. And in the city of Capernaum there lived a certain nobleman, whose son was seriously ill. When he learned that the Lord was staying in Cana, the father of the sick boy hastened to Him. Coming to Jesus, he said:

— Lord! Come and heal my son before he dies.

To this, the Savior calmly replied to the nobleman:

— Go thy way. Thy son liveth.

The father believed and went on his way home. The next day, on the road, he met his servants, who told him that his son had recovered. When the nobleman asked them at what hour this had happened, they answered:

— Yesterday, at the seventh hour, he began to recover.

Then the joyful father realized that his son had been healed at the very moment when the Lord had said to him, “Thy son liveth.”

This was the second miracle that the Lord performed in Galilee.

Jesus Christ in Nazareth #

As He passed through Galilee, our Lord Jesus Christ came to the town of Nazareth, where He had spent His childhood.²⁷ It was the Sabbath, and He entered the synagogue and began to read from the Holy Scriptures. For this, the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him, and the Lord opened it and read:

— The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me. He hath sent Me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

After reading this passage, the Savior explained:

— This prophecy is fulfilled today — and went on to clarify that it was fulfilled in Him.

All who were listening marveled at His words. They said to one another:

— Is this not Joseph’s son?

And they expected miracles from Him. But the Lord Jesus said:

— Truly I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. And that is why you do not accept Me. There were many widows in Israel in the days of the prophet Elijah, yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but only to a widow in Zarephath of Sidon. Likewise, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

By these words, Christ showed that He had been sent by God—and that it did not matter who His earthly parents were.

When they heard this, all those in the synagogue were filled with anger and fury. They seized the Lord, led Him out of the town, and sought to throw Him off a high cliff—but they could not. The Savior passed through the midst of them unseen, for the time of His suffering and death had not yet come.

After these events, Jesus Christ settled in Capernaum, and from there He began to go out and preach in the towns and villages, saying:

— Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!²⁸

The Miraculous Catch of Fish #

Coming to the Sea of Galilee, Jesus Christ sat on the shore and began to teach the people. So many people gathered that the Savior stepped into the boat of the fisherman Simon and asked him to push out a little from the land, so that all could hear His preaching.

When He had finished speaking to the people, the Lord said to Simon that he should sail further out and cast his nets into the water. Simon, perplexed, replied to Jesus:

— Master! We have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Thy word, I will let down the nets.

They did as Christ had told them—and caught so many fish that the net began to break. Simon and his brother Andrew signaled to their friends in a nearby boat to come and help them carry the catch to shore.

The fishermen were greatly amazed at such a miraculous catch—Simon and all who were with him: his brother Andrew, and their friends James and John. Simon Peter fell at the Savior’s feet and said:

— Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man!

But the Lord looked at Simon Peter and said:

— Fear not! From this day forward thou shalt catch men.²⁹

These words of the Savior mean that the chief purpose of apostolic preaching is to bring all people to the Christian faith.

The Healing of the Paralytic at the Sheep³⁰ Pool #

The following year, at the feast of Pascha, Jesus Christ came to Jerusalem. There, by the Sheep Gate, was a pool called Bethesda, which means “house of mercy.” Around it were five large porticoes, where many sick people lay: the blind, the lame, and the withered.

Once a year, an angel of the Lord would descend into the pool and stir the water. All the sick waited for this moment, for whoever first entered the pool after the angel had stirred the water would be healed instantly.

By this pool lay a man who had been paralyzed for over thirty-eight years. He could not move without help. Seeing him, the Savior asked:

— Wilt thou be made whole?

The sick man answered:

— Yes, Lord, I want to be healed! But I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to crawl, someone else goes down before me.

Jesus said to him:

— Rise, take up thy bed, and walk!

The man was immediately healed, took up his bed, and walked. This miracle occurred on the Sabbath. The envious Jews said to the one who had been healed:

— Today is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.

But he answered them:

— He that healed me said to me, “Take up thy bed and walk.”

— Who is the man that healed thee? — the Jews asked. But he did not know who had healed him, for the Savior had slipped away into the crowd.

Later, Jesus Christ found the man in the temple and said to him:

— Behold, thou art made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

After this, the man went and told the people that it was Jesus who had healed him.

The leaders of the people envied the Savior and sought to destroy Him, for the common people loved Him greatly. Jesus Christ had healed a man on the Sabbath, and the Jews claimed that He had broken the ancient law of Moses, which forbade work on the Sabbath. But the Lord taught that while labor was forbidden on that day, it was always lawful to do good.

The Sermon on the Mount #

Seeing the wondrous miracles performed by Jesus Christ, many people followed Him. The Savior ascended a small mountain and gave the people His most important teachings:

The Beatitudes

Blessed and happy are those who are humble in heart and do not boast of their successes, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed and happy are those who weep over their wrongdoings, for God will forgive them.

Blessed and happy are those who endure insults and misfortunes with meekness and patience, for the Lord has prepared a reward for them even in this life.

Blessed and happy are those who sincerely long for righteousness and the justice of God, for the Lord shall fill them with His righteousness.

Blessed and happy are those who give alms to the needy, for on the Day of Judgment, the Lord will show them mercy.

Blessed and happy are those who, through prayer, have received a pure heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed and happy are those who not only harm no one but also strive to make peace among others, for such shall be called beloved children of the Lord.

Blessed and happy are you when others revile you, persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

On Almsgiving

When you give alms, do not tell everyone about it, like the proud and the hypocrites, who want to be praised by others. Truly I say unto you: they have already received their reward. But you, when you give alms, say nothing to anyone—not even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing—so that your almsgiving may be done in secret. And your Father, who sees your good deeds done in secret, will reward you openly.

God Cares for All People

The Lord continued His sermon:

— Do not worry too much about what you will eat or drink, or what you will wear. Look at the birds of the air! They neither labor nor store up money, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? And why are you so anxious about clothing? Look at the beautiful flowers—the lilies of the field—how they grow. They do not toil or spin. Yet I say unto you, even the richest king—Solomon—was not clothed like one of them! If God so clothes mere grass, will He not much more care for you?

Do Not Judge Others

Jesus Christ taught:

— Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you again. And why do you judge another for a small fault, while not seeing that you yourself act far worse? First correct yourself—and then you will know how to help your friend.

On Prayer

The Lord continued His teaching with instruction about prayer:

— Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone who asks of the Lord receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Is there any among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, would give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?

On Oaths

— Swear not at all: neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by Jerusalem, nor by thine own head. But let thy word be firm: if it is yes, then say yes; if no, then say no. For whatsoever is more than these comes of the evil one.

Not in Word, But in Deed

Concluding His sermon, the Lord Jesus Christ said:

— Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord!” shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only he that doeth the will of My Father.

Here the Lord calls us not merely to speak of His commandments, but to fulfill them in action. It is easy to speak, but to do good requires effort.

The Healing of the Centurion’s Servant #

After finishing His sermon to the people, the Lord Jesus Christ went to Capernaum. In that city, a centurion—that is, a commander over a hundred soldiers—came to Him and asked:

— Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and is grievously tormented.

The Savior replied:

— I will come and heal him.

The centurion had faith in God and considered himself a sinner. He said:

— Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof. But speak only the word, and my servant shall be healed. For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Do this,” and he does it.

Jesus, hearing these words, marveled and praised him before all who stood there:

— Verily I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel. Therefore I say unto you, many³¹ shall come from the east and the west and shall believe and do good works. They shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven and shall dwell there with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But those who were called “the children of the Kingdom”³² shall be cast out into outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Then the Lord turned to the centurion and said:

— Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.

And his servant was healed in that very hour.

The Raising of the Widow’s Son #

After preaching in Capernaum, the Lord went to a small town called Nain. Many people followed Him. Before He could enter the city, the Savior and His disciples saw a funeral procession coming out of the city gates: they were carrying out a young man who had died, the only son of a poor widow. His mother followed behind the coffin, weeping, and with her was a large crowd of mourners.

The Savior, seeing her sorrow, was moved with compassion and said:

— Weep not!

Then He approached the dead man and cried out:

— Young man, I say unto thee, arise!

The dead man immediately sat up and began to speak. All who witnessed this miracle were filled with fear. Then all the people began to glorify God, saying:

— A great Prophet has risen among us!

The Parable of the Sower #

Jesus Christ went through towns and villages, preaching. One day, having once again come to the Sea of Galilee, He sat by the shore and began teaching the people. After a little while, a great multitude gathered and pressed Him toward the sea. Then He entered into a boat and, sitting there, began to teach the crowd in parables³³—that is, by using examples from daily life:

— A sower went out to sow seed. As he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside and was trampled underfoot; the birds came and devoured it. Some fell upon stony ground, where there was little soil. It sprang up quickly, but later withered away, because it lacked moisture and could not put down deep roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it so that it could not grow. But some seed fell on good soil and brought forth abundant fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.

After finishing this parable, the Savior said:

— He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.³⁴

After the sermon, when the crowd had dispersed, the disciples asked Him:

— Why do You teach the people in parables?

The Lord answered:

— Unto you, My disciples, it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest it is not given. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because though seeing, they see not, and though hearing, they hear not, for they do not understand the mysteries of God.

The disciples then asked the Lord to explain the meaning of this parable. And Jesus Christ began to explain:

— This is what the parable means: the seed is the word of God. The sower is the one who preaches and teaches the word of God. The seed that fell by the wayside represents those who hear the word, but then the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts, so that they perish and are not saved. The seed that fell on stony ground represents those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but in times of trial they fall away and do not fulfill it. The seed that fell among thorns represents those who hear the word of God, but the riches and excessive cares of life choke it, and the seed bears no fruit. The seed that fell on good ground represents those who, having once heard the word of God, keep it diligently in their pure hearts and through patience bring forth much fruit.

With this parable, the Lord teaches not only to be hearers of the Holy Gospel, but also shows how important it is to do as many good deeds as possible.

The Parable of the Tares³⁵ #

Jesus Christ told another parable to His listeners:

— A man sowed wheat in his field. But during the night, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. After some time, the field began to sprout. But as the plants grew, it became clear that many weeds had sprung up along with the wheat.

Seeing this, the servants came to the master of the field and asked: “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? From whence then hath it tares?”

The master of the field answered them that an enemy had done this by night. Then the servants offered to go and pull up all the weeds in his field, but he forbade them, saying: “In pulling up the tares, you may uproot the wheat as well. I say unto you—let both grow together until the time of harvest. When that time comes, I will say to the reapers: gather first the tares and bind them in bundles to be burned. But gather the wheat into my barn.”

After the sermon, the Lord sent the people home, and the disciples asked Him to explain the parable of the tares. The Savior began to interpret:

— The man who sowed the wheat is the Son of Man³⁶ (thus humbly the Lord referred to Himself). The field is the world, in which the teaching of Christ is preached to all people. The enemy is the devil. The wheat represents those who live according to God’s commandments. The tares represent those who do not obey the will of God. The harvest is the end of the world. The reapers are the angels of God, who will gather all people for the final and Terrible Judgment. Those who have followed the devil’s will shall be cast into the fiery furnace of hell, where the wicked shall weep and gnash their teeth. But those who have done the will of God shall be brought into the Kingdom of Heaven, where they will shine like the sun.

The Calming of the Storm #

After the sermon, the Lord boarded a boat with His disciples and sailed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. A great storm arose, so fierce that the boat began to sink. But the Lord was asleep. The disciples, afraid, came and woke the Savior:

— Lord! Save us, we are perishing!

To this Jesus Christ calmly replied:

— Why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith?

Then the Lord arose and rebuked the wind and the sea. And there was a great calm.

The disciples were so astonished that they asked one another in amazement:

— What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?

The Healing of the Demoniacs in the Country of the Gadarenes #

After crossing the sea, the Savior and His disciples came ashore in the country of the Gadarenes. There, near the shore, lived two men possessed by demons, who dwelt among the tombs.³⁷ They were so fierce that the people of the region were afraid to pass by that place. One of them was especially violent. He wore no clothing, tore apart the chains and shackles with which people had bound him, and no one was able to subdue him.

When the demons, who lived in these unfortunate men, saw the Lord Jesus Christ, they cried out in terror:

— What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Hast Thou come to torment us before the time?

The fiercest of the demoniacs cried out:

— I adjure Thee by God, do not torment me!

The Savior calmly asked him:

— What is thy name?

He replied:

— My name is Legion,³⁸ for we are many.

The demons begged the Savior not to send them into the abyss of hell, but to allow them instead to enter a herd of swine that was feeding nearby. The evil spirits came out of the men, entered into the swine, and drove the whole herd down a steep hill into the sea. All the swine drowned.³⁹

The people of that region heard what had happened. They came to Jesus Christ and began to beg Him to leave their land and not return again. They said this because they were greatly afraid, and they felt sorry for the swine. Then the Lord and His disciples prepared to depart from that area.

But one of the men who had been healed, from whom many demons had gone out, began to ask the Savior to let him come along. To this the Lord replied:

— Go to thine own house and tell everyone what great things God hath done for thee.

So he went throughout that region and preached, telling how great a miracle Jesus had worked for him!

The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter⁴⁰ #

After healing the demoniacs in the country of the Gadarenes, the Lord crossed back over the sea with His disciples and returned to Capernaum. As usual, a great multitude began to gather around Him. Among them came the ruler of the local synagogue⁽⁴⁰⁾ — Jairus. He fell at the feet of Jesus Christ and pleaded with tears:

— My daughter is grievously ill and may die. Come and lay Thy hands upon her, that she may live!

And the Savior set out for Jairus’s house to fulfill his request. But along the way, He was delayed. A woman afflicted with an issue of blood for many years, and who could find no cure, touched Him — and He healed her.

After this, a servant of Jairus came and said:

— Thy daughter is dead. Trouble not the Master; ask Him no more.

Jesus Christ then comforted Jairus:

— Fear not; only believe — and thy daughter shall be saved.

All the people followed the Lord to Jairus’s house. It soon became clear that the girl had indeed died — the relatives were weeping and lamenting. But the Savior said to them:

— Weep not. The maid is not dead. She sleepeth.

Some began to mock Jesus, for they knew that she had truly died. But the Lord sent them all out of the house and kept only the girl’s parents and His three disciples — Peter, James, and John. Together they entered the room where the girl lay.

The Savior took her by the hand and said:

— Damsel, I say unto thee, arise!

At once her spirit returned, and the girl arose. Her parents wept with joy. The Lord instructed them to give her something to eat and charged them to tell no one what had happened. But the report of so great a miracle spread throughout all the surrounding regions.

The Beheading of John the Forerunner #

At that time, while the Lord was preaching with His disciples throughout towns and villages, Saint John the Baptist was cast into prison by order of the Galilean ruler — King Herod. The reason was this: Saint John had openly rebuked the king for taking Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, as his own — even though Philip was still living. Herodias, filled with wrath, sought to have John put to death. But Herod would not consent, for he regarded John as a great prophet and feared the people. Yet, to please Herodias, he had John confined in prison.

One day, on the occasion of Herod’s birthday, the king held a feast. During the banquet, Herodias’s daughter, Salome, shamelessly danced before the guests. Her performance pleased the sinful company, and Herod himself was so captivated that he swore an oath to her:

— Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee — even unto the half of my kingdom!

The girl went out to her mother and asked her advice on what she should request. Then she returned to the king and said:

— Give me this moment the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed. But because he had made the vow before his guests, he did not wish to break his oath. He sent an executioner to the prison to behead the holy John and to bring his head on a platter. The executioner went and fulfilled the king’s command.

The severed, precious head of the saint was given to the shameless young woman, and she brought it to her mother.

The disciples of Saint John the Forerunner came and took the body of their teacher and buried it with reverence.

When the Lord Jesus Christ heard of the death of His friend, He was grieved and withdrew to a deserted place to pray.

The Feeding of the Multitude with Five Loaves #

When the people heard that the Lord had withdrawn into a desert place, they followed after Him from various towns. When Jesus Christ beheld the great multitude, He was moved with compassion for them, for they were as sheep having no shepherd. And the Savior spent the entire day teaching the people about the Kingdom of Heaven and healing the sick.

As evening drew near, the apostles came to the Lord and said:

— This place is desolate, and the hour is now late. Send the people away, that they may go into the nearby villages and buy themselves food.

But Jesus Christ answered them:

— Give ye them to eat.

The disciples, astonished, replied:

— We have here but five loaves and two small fishes. How can this suffice for such a multitude?

Then the Lord said:

— Bring them hither to Me.

He commanded the disciples to make the people sit down upon the grass in orderly groups, by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to heaven, blessed them, and broke them, and gave them to the apostles, who in turn distributed them among the people.

And a miracle took place! All did eat and were filled. Moreover, there remained an abundance of fragments, which the apostles gathered into twelve full baskets.

Thus did God wondrously feed about five thousand men — not counting the women and children!

The people, seeing such mighty works performed by the Savior, desired to make Him king. But the Lord, in His humility, withdrew to the mountain alone to pray. Meanwhile, He instructed His disciples to cross over by boat to the other side, to the city of Capernaum.

The Lord Walks upon the Waters #

The disciples set out across to the other side of the Sea of Gennesaret, just as Jesus had commanded them. Night fell. When the boat had reached the middle of the sea, a great storm arose, so fierce that the vessel was in danger of sinking. The storm raged through the night.

Toward dawn, the Lord Himself came to His disciples, walking upon the water. When they saw Him, they were terrified, thinking He was a spirit, and cried out in fear. But the Savior spoke to them:

— Be not afraid; it is I.

Then Peter cried out:

— Lord! If it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.

— Come, — replied Christ.

Peter climbed out of the boat and began walking on the water toward his Master. But when he saw the strong wind, he became afraid and began to sink. In fear he cried:

— Lord, save me!

Jesus Christ reached out His hand and said:

— O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

When the Lord and Peter entered the boat, the wind ceased. And the disciples fell down before Jesus Christ and said:

— Truly, Thou art the Son of God!

The Healing of the Canaanite Woman’s Daughter #

When they returned to Galilee, the Lord once more performed many miracles and taught the people. Later, He withdrew from those parts, because the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely and seeking to destroy Him. To avoid their wrath, Christ departed into the regions of the Gentile cities Tyre and Sidon. But even there He was not unnoticed.

One day, a Gentile woman⁴¹ came and cried aloud to Him, begging for the healing of her daughter:

— Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil!

But the Savior gave her no answer. In this way, He tested her faith. She, however, would not cease crying after Him and continued to follow. Then the disciples came to the Lord and pleaded with Him: — Help her, for she followeth us and crieth out after Thee.

The Savior answered them: — I am sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Yet the woman came and fell at Jesus’s feet, saying: — Lord! Help me!

He said to her: — Let the children first be filled, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.

— Truth, Lord, — replied the Canaanite woman humbly. — Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.

Then the Lord turned to her and said: — O woman! Great is thy faith! Be it unto thee even as thou wilt.

And by the word of the Lord, her daughter was healed that very hour.

The Apostle Peter Confesses Jesus as the Son of God #

After returning from the land of the Gentiles, Jesus Christ journeyed toward the region of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way, He asked His disciples: — Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

The apostles answered: — Some say John the Baptist. Others say the prophet Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the ancient prophets.

— But whom say ye that I am? — asked the Lord.

Simon Peter, speaking on behalf of all the apostles, replied: — Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!

— Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonah, — said Christ, — for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say unto thee: thou art Peter,⁴² and upon this rock — that is, upon this true confession of faith — I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

After this conversation, the Lord commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. For it was needful that He should go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the Jewish high priests, and be killed, and rise again on the third day.

The Transfiguration of the Lord #

The time of the saving Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ was drawing near. It was important that the disciples should not imagine Him to be merely a man dying upon the Cross. Christ therefore resolved to reveal to them His divine nature.

To this end, He ascended Mount Tabor to pray, taking with Him three of His disciples: Peter, James, and John.

As He prayed, the disciples, weary from the climb, fell asleep. After some time, they awoke to a radiance beyond all imagining — the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as snow. There appeared unto Him two prophets — Moses and Elijah⁴³ — who spoke with Him concerning His coming suffering and death in Jerusalem.

Peter, not yet grasping the meaning of the Lord’s Passion, exclaimed: — Lord! It is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Suddenly, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud came the voice of God the Father, thundering: — This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him!

The disciples, overcome with fear, fell to the ground. But Jesus came to them, touched them, and said: — Arise, and be not afraid.

When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus alone.

As they descended the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to speak of what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

By His Transfiguration upon the mountain, Christ revealed to His disciples that He is truly God.

The Lord’s Teaching on Forgiveness #

After revealing His divine glory to the disciples on Mount Tabor, the Lord set out for Jerusalem to undergo His voluntary suffering and death for the sins of mankind. A long journey lay ahead, and along the way the Savior continued to preach to the people.

He taught that one must forgive offenses. The disciples did not fully understand how often one should forgive those who wrong them. So the Apostle Peter asked the Savior: — Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?

Jesus Christ replied:

— I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

The Lord meant that we must forgive offenses without limit. And to make this teaching more understandable, the Savior told the following parable:

“There was a certain king who had many servants that owed him debts. One day, he decided to settle accounts with them. His officials brought before him a man who owed him ten thousand talents of gold. But since the man had nothing with which to pay, the king commanded that he be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, so that payment might be made.

The servant fell down at the king’s feet and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.’ The king had compassion on that servant, and instead of merely waiting, he forgave him the entire debt.

But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow-servants who owed him a hundred pence. He seized him by the throat and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay me what thou owest!’ His fellow-servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.’ But he would not listen. Instead, he cast him into prison until the debt should be paid.

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were deeply troubled, and they went and told the king everything. Then the king summoned the unmerciful servant and said to him, ‘O thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all that debt because thou didst beg me. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?’ And in his wrath, the king delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was owed.

— So likewise shall My Heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

The Parable of the Good Samaritan #

One day, a Jewish lawyer, well-versed in the Law, came to the Lord to test Him and asked:

— What must I do to inherit eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven?

The Lord pointed him to the commandments — to love God and to love one’s neighbor. Then the Jew asked: — And who is my neighbor?

In response, Jesus Christ told the following parable:

“A certain Jew was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way, he fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothing, beat him severely, and left him half-dead.

By chance, a Jewish priest was traveling the same road. He saw the man but passed by without helping. Later, a Levite⁴⁴ also came along, looked at the wounded man, but likewise passed on.

Then a certain Samaritan⁴⁵ came along that same road. When he saw the wounded Jew, he was moved with compassion. He approached the man, bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine,⁴⁶ set him upon his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and cared for him.

The next morning, the Samaritan gave the innkeeper two coins and said: — Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I return, I will repay thee.”

After finishing the parable, the Lord asked the lawyer: — Which of these three, thinkest thou, was a neighbor to the man who fell among the thieves?

— He that showed mercy on him, — he replied.

— Go, and do thou likewise, — said Jesus Christ.

Through this parable, the Savior teaches us to help every person in need, regardless of whether we know them or not.

The Lord in the House of Martha and Mary #

Not far from Jerusalem was the village of Bethany, where lived two sisters, Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Jesus Christ dearly loved this family.

On one occasion, He came to their house and sat down to speak with them. Mary seated herself at His feet and listened intently. But Martha, being concerned with providing a great meal, busied herself in the kitchen. She could not manage everything on her own and was upset that her sister was not helping her. So she came to Christ and complained: — Lord! Dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

The Savior answered her with gentle sorrow: — Martha, Martha! Thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

In this way, the Lord teaches us that care for the salvation of the soul is the most important thing.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep #

Our Lord Jesus Christ earnestly desires that sinful people become good. In ancient Israel, there were tax collectors — known as publicans — who were considered very sinful, for many of them took more money from the people than was required.

These very publicans and other sinners came to Christ. But the Pharisees and scribes, who envied the Lord, reproached Him, saying to His disciples: — Why doth your Master eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

In response, the Lord told them a parable:

“What man among you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine, and go after that which is lost until he find it? And when he hath found it, how great is his joy! He layeth it on his shoulders and, returning home, calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’

Even so, there is joy in heaven among the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”

Thus the Lord made it clear that He enters the homes of sinners for their salvation — that they might repent of their evil deeds.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son #

The Lord told the following parable:

“There was a certain man who had two sons. One day, the younger son came to his father and said, ‘Father, give me the portion of the inheritance that falleth to me.’ Thus he sought to begin a life of independence, apart from his father. When the father granted his request, the son departed into a far country, and there he wasted all his substance in riotous living.

Soon after, a great famine arose in that land, and the young man began to be in want. To survive, he hired himself out to feed swine, and he would gladly have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat.

Then he came to himself and said, ‘How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and say unto him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants.”’

So the younger son arose and began the journey back to his father’s house. And while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion. He ran to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him.

The son began to say, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’ But the father interrupted him and said to his servants, ‘Bring forth the best robe and clothe him; place a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and be merry⁴⁷ — for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’

While the feast was underway, the elder son came in from the field. He heard music and dancing, and asked one of the servants what it meant. The servant answered, ‘Thy brother is come home, and thy father hath made a feast because he hath returned safe and sound.’

Then the elder son became angry and refused to enter the house. His father came out and pleaded with him, but he said, ‘Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I thy commandment at any time — yet thou never gavest me even a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this thy son came, who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.’

The father replied, ‘Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’

Through this parable, our Lord Jesus Christ showed that God loves all people, even the most sinful. The Savior is ready to forgive with joy anyone who comes to Him with sincere repentance for their sins.”

The Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee #

Christ told another parable, addressing the Pharisees, who considered themselves righteous and despised others:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one was a Pharisee,⁴⁸ and the other a publican.⁴⁹ The Pharisee stood in the front of the temple and prayed thus: ‘God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are — extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ But the publican stood afar off and would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, for he was deeply aware of his sins. Smiting his breast, he said only: ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’”

— “I tell you,” said the Lord when He finished the parable, “this man went down to his house justified before God, rather than the proud Pharisee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Through this parable, the Savior revealed that He loves those who are humble and meek of heart, and not the proud or self-loving.

The Blessing of the Children #

Our Lord Jesus Christ loves all people upon the earth. But He has a special love for little children, because of their simplicity and innocence.

One day, after the Savior had finished preaching, Jewish women brought their children to Him. They desired that Jesus Christ should lay His hands upon them and bless them. But the disciples tried to keep the children away, thinking that the Master was weary.

Then Christ said:

“Let the little children 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 God as a little child, shall not enter therein.”

The Savior called the children to Himself, laid His hands upon them, and blessed them.

By these words, Christ teaches adults that they must become as kind and simple-hearted as children.

The Conversion of Zacchaeus #

To save sinners who were willing to repent, the Lord spared no effort. He journeyed to the city of Jericho. In that city lived a man named Zacchaeus, a chief among the tax collectors, and he was a rich man. He desired to see Jesus of Nazareth, of whom reports had spread throughout all the land of Judea.

In Jericho, a great multitude followed the Savior. But Zacchaeus was short in stature, and in order to see the Lord, he climbed up into a tree near the road along which Jesus was passing. The Savior looked up and said to him: “Zacchaeus! Make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”

The publican Zacchaeus quickly came down from the tree and joyfully received the Savior into his home. But all the people who saw this began to murmur — why had Jesus Christ entered the house of such a sinner?

Meanwhile, something wondrous occurred in the house of the publican. Seeing the Lord’s love and mercy — that He did not scorn to enter the home of a great sinner — Zacchaeus cried out:

“Lord! The half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold!”

“Salvation is come to this house today,” the Lord said joyfully, “for Zacchaeus also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost!”

The Raising of Lazarus #

Martha and Mary had a brother named Lazarus who fell seriously ill. The sisters sent word to the Lord, asking Him to come and heal him. When this sorrowful news reached Jesus, He said only: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.”

Two days passed, and then He said again to His disciples: “Let us go into Judea, for our friend Lazarus sleepeth. I must go to awaken him.”

The apostles did not understand that the Savior was speaking of His friend’s death. In confusion, they said: “Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.”

Then Jesus told them plainly: “He is dead.”

So, shortly before the Feast of the Passover, Christ set out with His disciples for Bethany, which was near Jerusalem. As the Lord was drawing near to the village, Martha ran out to meet Him. With sorrow in her heart for her dead brother, she said:

“Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died. And yet, even now I believe that whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.”

Jesus said to her: “Thy brother shall rise again.”

“I know,” she replied, “that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

“I am the resurrection, and the life,” said the Savior. “He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Believest thou this?”

“Yes, Lord,” Martha answered, “I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

Martha went to call her sister, saying that the Lord was asking for her. As soon as Mary heard that the Savior had come, she quickly went to Him. Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was waiting outside for Mary to arrive.

Meanwhile, many people had gathered in the sisters’ house to comfort them, for they knew well the love and kindness of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Seeing Mary rise up and go out, the people followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. But Mary went to Jesus and fell at His feet, saying the same words as Martha:

“Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

Seeing their grief and sorrow, the Lord Himself wept, and He asked: “Where have ye laid him?”

Then they went to the cave in which Lazarus’s body had been placed. The Savior commanded that the stone be rolled away from the entrance of the tomb. Martha did not yet understand what He intended to do, and she said:

“Lord, by this time he stinketh,⁵⁰ for he hath been dead four days.”

“Did I not say unto thee,” Jesus Christ replied, “that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

So they rolled the stone away from the tomb. The Lord lifted His eyes to heaven and began to pray, saying:

“Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always. But because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.”

When He had finished praying, the Savior cried out with a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth!”

And the dead man came forth, alive, bound hand and foot with graveclothes. Jesus Christ said that they should loose him and let him go.

After so great a miracle, many people believed in the Lord. But the envious Pharisees gathered together and resolved to destroy the Savior. They feared that all the people would believe in Him, and that no one would honor them anymore as teachers and priests. So they determined to kill Jesus Christ — and Lazarus also, who had been raised from the dead.

The Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem #

On the day after the raising of Lazarus, Jesus Christ set out for Jerusalem. There remained six days until the Jewish Passover. A great multitude followed the Savior. Stopping near the Mount of Olives, He said to His disciples Peter and John:

“Go into the village over against you, and there ye shall find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them unto Me. And if any man ask you what ye do, say unto him — ‘The Lord hath need of them.’”

The disciples went and did all as the Lord had commanded. They laid their garments upon the young colt, and the Savior sat thereon and made His way toward Jerusalem with His disciples.

At that time, many people had gathered in Jerusalem. All were preparing for the feast of Passover. Many had heard that the Lord had raised Lazarus from the dead and came to see both of them. When they saw Jesus Christ entering the city upon the colt, they began to take off their garments and spread them along the road. Others cut down palm branches, carrying them in their hands and casting them before Him.

Even the little children, who could not yet speak, began miraculously to glorify the Savior, crying out: “Hosanna⁵¹ to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

But the envious Pharisees and scribes began to forbid the people from praising Jesus Christ. They said to the Lord: “Master, rebuke Thy disciples!”

“If these should hold their peace,” Christ answered, “the very stones would cry out and glorify the Son of God!”

Yet the Lord knew that those who praised Him that day would soon cry out for His death. Jesus Christ was sorrowful, knowing that the faith of most of these people was not from the heart, but stirred by the wonders He had worked.

The Cleansing of the Temple #

Upon entering Jerusalem, the Lord went straightway to the Temple. The faith of the Jewish people — and even of the priests themselves — had grown cold, and the Temple had become like a market. There, sacrificial animals were sold, and money was exchanged — the entire Temple court was crowded with merchants.

Once again, as He had done before, the Savior drove out all those who bought and sold in the Temple, saying to them: “The house of God is a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves!”

The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen #

On the following day, the Lord returned again to the Temple and began to teach. He wished to speak of His coming Passion and of the fact that the Pharisees and scribes were seeking His death. But the Savior desired that the people should understand this for themselves, and so He spoke to them in parables: “There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard. He hedged it round about, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country.

When the time of the harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. But the husbandmen seized his servants — one they beat, another they stoned, and a third they killed.

Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise unto them. Last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, ‘They will reverence my son.’ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and seize on his inheritance.’ So they took him, cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.”

The Lord then looked upon those who hated Him and asked: “When the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?”

“He will miserably destroy those wicked men,” they answered Him, “and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”

“Therefore,” Christ said in conclusion, “the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

The wicked priests and scribes perceived that the Lord had spoken this parable against them. Yet they were not ashamed. Instead, they sought to lay hands on Jesus Christ — but they feared the multitude, for many people were gathered around Him.

The Parable of Those Invited to the Wedding Feast #

The Lord gave the people another parable: “There was a certain king who had a son. The king arranged a wedding for his son, prepared a great feast, and sent his servants to call the honored guests. But they refused to come.

Then the king sent other servants to different people, saying that everything was now ready for the feast. Yet these also would not come, for they were busy with their own affairs — one went to his work, another to his trade. And some of those who had been invited seized the king’s servants and killed them.

When the king heard this, he was enraged. He sent forth his army, punished the evildoers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding feast is prepared, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid them to the marriage.’

The servants did as the king had commanded. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man who was dressed in filthy garments. At first, he thought perhaps the servants had failed to give him the fine wedding garment that had been given to the others. So the king came up to him and asked: ‘Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?’ But the man said nothing — for he had chosen not to put on the king’s gift, and had deliberately come to the royal wedding in unclean attire!

Then the king commanded that this man be taken away and cast into prison, into a place where no light may enter.”

“So then,” the Savior said, concluding the parable, “many are called, but few are chosen.”

In this parable, Christ once again reveals the ignorance of the wicked Jews — represented by those who refused to come to the wedding feast. But the parable also applies to all people who make no effort to live according to God’s commandments. And the man who did not perform good works for the salvation of his soul is like the one who came to the feast in filthy clothing.

The Widow’s Mite #

After speaking these parables to the people, the Lord departed from the temple and sat down opposite the treasury.⁵² He observed how people were placing their offerings into the collection box for the temple. Many wealthy individuals came and put in large sums of money. Then a poor widow came and cast in two small copper coins⁵³ — all she had.

The Savior called His disciples to Him and said: “This poor widow hath given more than all the others. For they gave a small portion out of their abundance, but she hath given all that she had — even that which she needed to buy her daily bread.”

With these words, the Lord taught His disciples that God does not look upon the greatness of the gift, but upon the heart with which it is offered.

The Discourse on the End of the World #

When the Lord had finished His teaching, He prepared to leave the city. But the disciples, desiring to show Him the beauty of the city and its temple, pointed it out to Him. Jesus Christ answered them: “Do ye see all this splendor? Truly I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

That evening, the Savior sat with His disciples on the Mount of Olives. Remembering His words, and suspecting that He had spoken of the destruction of Jerusalem and of His Second Coming, they asked Him: “Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?”

Then the Savior answered them: “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many deceivers shall come, saying, ‘I am Christ,’ and many shall believe them. There shall be wars, incurable diseases, famine throughout the earth, and earthquakes in many places — but all these are only the beginning. Then shall all people hate you and persecute you for My name’s sake. In those days, the love of many shall grow cold, and people shall hate and betray one another. But whosoever endureth to the end, without becoming a murderer or a thief, the same shall be saved. And when the Gospel hath been preached throughout all the earth, then shall the end come. On that day, all shall see the Son of Man appearing in the heavens with great glory. His coming shall be as the lightning that shineth from the east unto the west, and all the earth shall behold it.

Let the fig tree be your example of My coming: when its branches grow tender and leaves begin to sprout, ye know that summer is near. In the same way, when ye see all these things come to pass, know that the end is near.

Truly I say unto you — the end shall not come until all that I have spoken is fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.”

The Vision of the Last Judgment #

When the end of earthly life shall come, the Lord will appear to all people. He will come in great glory. In a single moment, all the nations of the earth shall be gathered before Him. On that day, the Savior will separate the righteous from the sinners, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the righteous at His right hand, and the sinners at His left.

To the righteous He will say:

“Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.”

Then the righteous will ask in wonder: “Lord! When saw we Thee an hungered and fed Thee? Or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger or sick?”

The King of Heaven will answer: “Verily I say unto you: inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”

After this, the King will turn to the sinners, saying: “Depart from Me, ye proud ones, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Then the sinners too will ask: “Lord! When saw we Thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or sick, and did not minister unto Thee?”

The King of Heaven will reply: “Verily I say unto you: inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.”

And the sinners shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.

In these words about the end of the world, the Savior draws our attention to the love we must have for all people. He teaches us to help the poor and the hungry, the sick and the strangers. In serving them, we serve God Himself.

Christ in the House of Simon the Leper #

On Wednesday, Jesus Christ and His disciples were invited to the house of Simon the Leper, whom the Savior had recently healed of the terrible disease of leprosy.⁵⁴

During the meal, a woman entered the room and began to wash Jesus’ feet with her tears and anoint them with precious ointment. This woman was a sinner. Yet she had great faith in the mercy of Christ. She did not come like others who sought bodily healing; rather, she came seeking forgiveness of sins — and this is the most important thing for any person.

For this good desire, the Lord forgave her sins, showing us how essential it is for a person to repent sincerely, to resolve to abandon evil deeds, and to correct his life.

The Betrayal by Judas #

The chief priests and the elders of Israel did not wish to believe that Jesus Christ was the True God. They not only did not love Him, but sought to kill Him. Their malice grew especially fierce after the resurrection of Lazarus. Because of this great miracle, as we have said earlier, many of the people believed in Jesus.

Yet the Pharisees could not seize Jesus Christ openly, for a great multitude of people followed Him. Therefore, they sought an opportune moment to do so.

One day, one of Christ’s disciples came to them. This disciple was Judas Iscariot. He loved money very much — more than his own Teacher. Judas asked the elders of Israel: “What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?”

And they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From that time forth, Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus Christ to death.

In remembrance of this sorrowful event, the Holy Church has appointed Wednesday as a day of fasting. (A fast day is likewise observed on Friday, when Christ was crucified upon the Cross.)

Holy Thursday #

On Thursday morning, just before the feast of the Passover, the disciples came to the Lord and asked: “Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Passover?”

Jesus said to Peter and John: “Go into the city. There shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in, and say unto the goodman of the house: ‘The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with My disciples.’”

The Washing of the Disciples’ Feet

The disciples did exactly as the Lord had commanded them and prepared the Passover meal. Afterward, the Lord sat down with His disciples and partook of the Passover supper. Then Jesus rose and poured water into a basin. He began to wash the feet of His disciples — even the feet of Judas the betrayer, who had already resolved to deliver the Savior to death.

By washing the feet of His disciples, the Lord set an example of humility. In ancient times, such washing was a duty performed only by servants. After He had finished washing their feet, the Lord said: “Know ye what I have done to you? I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Whosoever would be first among you, let him be last of all; and whosoever would be lord, let him be servant unto all.”

The Rebuke of the Betrayer

Then they continued the supper, and Jesus Christ foretold that one of those sitting with Him would betray Him unto death. All the disciples were greatly sorrowful and began to come near, each asking: “Lord, is it I?”

Even shameless Judas came forward and asked: “Master, is it I?”

To which the Lord quietly replied: “Thou hast said.”

But no one else heard these words.

Peter, burning with fervent love for the Savior and trusting in his own strength, said: “Lord, though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended.”

The Savior, desiring to root out the self-reliance of His disciple (for when a man trusts in himself and not in the help of God, he falls), foretold to him: “Verily I say unto thee, that before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.”

The Apostle John the Theologian, whom the Lord especially loved, leaned upon the breast of the Savior. Peter then beckoned to John, that he should ask who among them would be the betrayer.

John asked: “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered: “He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.”

And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, saying: “What thou doest, do quickly.”

Judas then went out immediately. But the disciples thought that Jesus had sent him to buy something for the feast, or to give something to the poor, for Judas kept the special box for alms into which the people placed their offerings.

The Institution of the Mystery of Communion

Having fulfilled the Old Testament Passover, Jesus Christ took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: “Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you, for the remission of sins.”

Then He took the cup of wine and gave it to them, saying: “Drink ye all of it: for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This do in remembrance of Me.”⁵⁵

By these words, our Lord Jesus Christ established the Mystery of Holy Communion. This Mystery is performed in the Holy Church of Christ in obedience to the commandment of our Savior. Partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are cleansed from our sins — from evil thoughts and deeds.

The Arrest of Jesus Christ #

After instituting the Mystery of Communion, the Savior prayed to God together with His disciples, singing psalms, and then went out to the Mount of Olives. Upon this mountain was the Garden of Gethsemane,⁵⁶ a place where Jesus Christ often came with His disciples to pray. This place was well known to Judas the betrayer.

There, in the garden, the Lord said to His disciples: “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.”

Great sorrow overwhelmed His soul, for the hour of His death for the human race was drawing near. The Savior took with Him only Peter, James, and John to pray. Having withdrawn a little from them, He knelt down, fell upon His face to the ground, and prayed, saying: “O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

His prayer was so fervent that drops of bloody sweat fell to the ground.

When the Savior had finished His prayer, Judas arrived in the garden, bringing with him a multitude of soldiers and servants of the high priests. They came armed with swords, staves, and lanterns. Judas had beforehand instructed them, saying: “Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He; hold Him fast.”

Approaching Jesus, Judas said: “Hail, Master!” — and kissed Him.

The soldiers then seized the Lord and bound Him, and led Him away to the high priests. The apostles, overcome with fear, fled in different directions, just as the Savior had foretold beforehand.

The Trial before the High Priests⁵⁷ #

That night, Jesus Christ was brought before Annas, the former high priest. Annas began questioning the Lord about His teaching and about His disciples. He hoped to find some accusation against Him, but the Savior remained silent and did not answer him. Then a servant of Annas struck the Lord, to which Christ meekly replied: “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou Me?”

Then Annas sent the Lord to his kinsman, the high priest Caiaphas.

The Denial of the Apostle Peter #

When our Lord Jesus Christ was taken into custody, two of His closest disciples — Peter and John — followed after Him.

It was a cold night, and the servants of the high priest had kindled a fire in the courtyard and were warming themselves. Peter also stood by the fire to warm himself. A maid came near, looked at him closely, and said:

“I know thee! Thou also wast with Jesus!”

Peter replied: “I know not what thou sayest.”

Later, one of those standing nearby said to him: “Surely thou also art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee.”

Then the Apostle Peter denied it again with indignation, saying that he did not know the Man.

Shortly thereafter, one of the servants of the high priest, a kinsman of him whose ear Peter had cut off, came and said: “Did I not see thee in the garden with Him?”

Peter once more denied it, saying: “I know not and understand not what thou sayest.”

And immediately, while Peter was still speaking, the cock crowed. At that very moment, the Lord turned and looked upon Peter from afar, and Peter remembered how he had already three times denied his Teacher.

The apostle, going out from the courtyard of the high priest, wept bitterly.

The Trial before the High Priest Caiaphas

Early on Friday morning, the elders of the people, the chief priests, and the scribes gathered at the house of the high priest Caiaphas. They assembled with one purpose only: to find an accusation against the Savior and to put Him to death. But they could find no evil in the works of the Lord.

Then the chief priests summoned many wicked and dishonest men, who, for money, bore false witness against the Savior. Yet all their accusations were mere fabrications and insufficient to condemn the Lord.

In anger, the high priest Caiaphas rose up and cried out: “Art Thou the Christ,⁵⁸ the Son of God? Answer us!”

The Lord answered modestly yet firmly: “Thou hast said it. And ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Then Caiaphas rent his garments and exclaimed: “What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy! He hath made Himself the Son of God! What think ye?”

And all cried out with one voice: “Let Him be put to death!”

Then all those present began to mock, revile, beat Jesus Christ, and spit in His face. They inflicted upon the Savior many other insults as well, but He bore it all silently, with patience and humility.

After this, the Jews again assembled and passed the final sentence of death upon Him. However, they could not carry out the execution without the permission of the Roman authorities, for at that time the Jews were ruled by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.⁵⁹

The Trial of the Lord Jesus Before Pilate #

That same morning, the chief priests and scribes brought the Lord Jesus to Pilate. The Jewish leaders wanted the Roman governor to confirm the death sentence. Pilate came out to them and asked, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” They answered, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to thee.” Pilate replied, “Then take Him and judge Him according to your law.” But they said, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”⁶⁰

Then the Jews began to slander the Lord, saying that He stirred up the people, forbade giving tribute to the Roman emperor, and called Himself a king. Having questioned the Savior, Pilate found no fault in Him. Pilate understood that Jesus Christ had been delivered up out of envy, and he turned to the people, saying, “You have a custom that I should release to you one prisoner at the Passover. Whom do you wish that I release to you: Barabbas or Jesus, who is called Christ?” Barabbas was known to all as a notorious robber who had done much evil.

But the people, having been taught by the Jewish leaders, cried out, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Pilate, amazed, asked, “What then shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?” The crowd, stirred up by the wicked chief priests, cried out, “Let Him be crucified!” Pilate, astonished, asked, “But what evil hath He done?” In order to calm the enraged crowd, and still hoping afterward to release Jesus, Pontius Pilate commanded his soldiers to scourge the Lord, but not to put Him to death.

The soldiers led Christ inside the courtyard and, having bound Him to a pillar, began to beat Him. In mockery, they clothed Him with a purple robe, the color of royalty. They placed upon His head a crown woven of thorns, to resemble a king’s crown. In His right hand they put a reed, to represent a royal scepter, and they began to mock Him. They knelt before the Lord, bowing down to Him in mockery, and struck Him upon the head.

After all these mockeries of the infinitely patient Savior, Pilate once again brought Him out before the people. The Roman governor hoped that the crowd had now calmed down and that he could release this strange Prisoner. Pointing to the Lord, he said to the Jews, “Behold the Man!” But the enraged Jews cried out again, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate, indignant, answered, “Take ye Him and crucify Him yourselves.” He realized that he was unable to release Jesus, for the furious crowd would not listen to reason. Therefore Pilate, in front of all the people, took water, washed his hands, and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this Just Man — you see how I wash my hands.” The people answered with one voice, “His blood be on us and on our children!”⁶¹

Then Pilate commanded that Jesus Christ be put to death along with the other condemned prisoners. At that time, criminals were nailed to wooden crosses. Thus it was also done to our Great Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Repentance and Death of Judas #

Thus was the judgment over the Savior completed. Meanwhile, Judas the betrayer realized his guilt and repented. But his repentance was incomplete, for he fell into despair and no longer hoped for mercy from God. He came to the temple, brought back the thirty pieces of silver, and said to the chief priests, “I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent Blood.” Judas then threw the money into the temple and went and took his own life. The chief priests, having consulted together, decided to buy with that money a small plot of land to bury strangers. Thus yet another ancient prophecy was fulfilled.⁶²

The Crucifixion of the Lord #

The Roman soldiers led the Savior to a hill outside the city. This place was called Golgotha,⁶³ or the Place of the Skull. The soldiers gave the Savior the wooden cross which He was to carry to His death. Weakened by suffering, our Lord Jesus Christ often fell under the weight of the cross. As they were coming out of the city, the soldiers encountered a certain countryman, Simon of Cyrene, and they compelled him to carry the cross of the Lord.

Upon reaching the Place of the Skull, the soldiers crucified the Savior and two robbers alongside Him. When they nailed His hands to the cross, the Savior prayed to the Father on behalf of those crucifying Him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Above Christ’s head they fastened a placard stating the charge for which the Lord was crucified: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” This inscription was written in three languages — Hebrew, Greek, and Latin — so that all could read it. The chief priests were displeased with this inscription. They came to Pilate and requested, “Do not write ‘King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘He said, I am the King of the Jews.’” But Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written,” and refused to change anything.

The soldiers who crucified the Lord divided His outer garment into four parts and cast lots for His tunic.⁶⁴ This event — the dividing of the garments — had been foretold by King David centuries before the Lord’s Incarnation.⁶⁵

Some of the people passing by the cross of Christ mocked Him, saying, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save! If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe Thee!” The chief priests and the soldiers said the same. Even one of the robbers crucified with the Lord railed at Him, saying, “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.” But the other robber proved wiser and rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man hath done nothing amiss.”

Then the wise robber turned to Christ with a plea, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom!” And the Savior answered him, “Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.”

As the Lord suffered upon the cross, His Mother and His beloved disciple John stood near among others. Jesus Christ, showing His care for His Mother, said to Her, “Behold thy son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold thy Mother.” And from that hour the apostle John took the Mother of God into his home.

The Death upon the Cross #

At about the ninth hour,⁶⁶ the Lord cried out from the cross: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?!”⁶⁷ With these words, the Lord reveals to us that His sufferings were intense and long-endured.

Our Lord Jesus Christ understood that the hour of death was drawing near. He had already hung upon the cross for a long time. The burning sun scorched His weakened body. And now Christ perceived that death was at hand. Then He uttered but a single word: “I thirst.”

At that moment, one of the soldiers standing by the cross brought to His lips not water, but a sponge soaked in vinegar mixed with gall. Thus was fulfilled the ancient prophecy that to the Savior they gave not water, but bitter and sour drink.⁶⁸

After Christ had borne all the sufferings, He cried out with a loud voice: “It is finished!”

And lifting His eyes toward heaven, He said: “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit!”

Then He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. Thus ended the earthly life of our Savior. And at that very moment, the ancient veil in the temple at Jerusalem was torn in twain, from top to bottom. There was a great earthquake in the mountains, on the hills, and throughout the land, so that tombs opened, and the righteous dead arose and appeared in Jerusalem.

These dreadful events moved the heart of the centurion (the commander of a hundred soldiers). Standing before the crucifixion, he glorified God and said: “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

And likewise, “some of the Jews smote their breasts, and reproaching the crucifiers, openly confessed Jesus to be a righteous man.”⁶⁹

The impious chief priests did not wish for the bodies of the crucified to remain on the crosses through the Sabbath. For that year, the most solemn feast—the Passover—coincided with the Sabbath. Therefore, the elders of the Jews requested of Pilate that the legs of the crucified be broken, that their death might be hastened. And the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves first. Then, coming to the Lord, they saw that He was already dead. So one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there flowed forth blood and water (John 19:34).⁷⁰

The Taking Down from the Cross and the Laying in the Tomb #

There were not a few secret followers of the Savior, for many feared the Jewish elders who had crucified the Lord. Among these secret disciples was Joseph of Arimathea, a man of holy and righteous life, and very wealthy. He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin,⁷¹ yet he had taken no part in condemning the Savior to death.

On that same Friday evening, he came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, that he might bury it. Pilate was astonished to hear that Jesus was already dead. He summoned the centurion and asked whether the Lord had truly died. Once he was assured of it, he gave Joseph of Arimathea permission to take the holy body of Christ.

The noble Joseph and Nicodemus, another secret disciple of the Savior, took down the body of Jesus from the cross. They laid Him in a new tomb, wherein no man had yet been buried. The tomb had been hewn out of a rock. The Lord’s body they wrapped in burial linens with spices. The All-Holy God-bearer Mary and the holy Apostle John the Theologian also took part in the taking down from the cross. With them were many of the women who had followed the Savior.

Having returned from the burial, the women prepared spices so that they might anoint the body of the Lord Jesus after the Sabbath had passed.

During this time, while the Savior’s body lay in the tomb, His soul descended into hades. There He proclaimed to all the souls of the dead the glad tidings of His victory over the devil and death. The Lord led out from hades into paradise the souls of those who had awaited His coming in faith and who believed in Him as God and the Savior of all mankind.

The Guard at the Tomb and the Seal upon the Stone #

On the Sabbath, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate and said:

“Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Command, therefore, that the tomb be guarded until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal away His body, and say unto the people, ‘He is risen from the dead.’”

The governor Pilate said to them: “Ye have a guard—go your way, make it as secure as ye know how.”

So they went to the tomb, sealed the stone that closed its entrance, and set a guard of soldiers nearby. It was the Great Sabbath, and the chief priests themselves violated the commandment of sabbath rest, though they had constantly accused our Savior of such things.

The Bright Resurrection of Christ #

The Appearance of the Risen Lord to His Most Pure Mother #

On the first day of the week, early in the morning, while it was still dark, there was a great earthquake, and the Angel of the Lord appeared. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. He rolled away the stone from the entrance of the tomb where the body of Jesus had lain. The guards standing by the tomb were so terrified that they fell to the ground as though dead.

After this, the Most Holy God-bearer and Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. They saw the Angel of the Lord, who brought them joyful tidings:

“I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here—He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see Him.”

At the word of the Angel, the two holy women ran to bring this joyful news to His disciples. Mary Magdalene ran ahead more swiftly, but to the Most Holy God-bearer the Lord Himself appeared!⁷² He said to His beloved Mother:

“Rejoice!”

The Most Holy Virgin recognized Him, and, falling at His feet, she embraced them and worshipped Him.

“Fear not. Go and tell My brethren to go into Galilee—there shall they see Me!”

After these words, the Most Holy God-bearer returned with joy to the disciples and told them all that had happened to her. But the apostles did not believe either her or Mary Magdalene. Fear and trembling had overtaken them after all the dreadful events surrounding the Savior’s crucifixion.

Nevertheless, two of the Lord’s closest disciples found the courage to go and see the tomb. These were the apostles Peter and John the Theologian. They ran to the tomb—to that very cave where the Lord’s Body had lain. John ran faster than Peter and was the first to reach the burial place. But Peter, coming shortly afterward, entered the tomb and found not the Body of Jesus Christ, but only the linen wrappings. Then John also entered. Seeing the grave clothes, he remembered the Savior’s words about His resurrection, and he believed. After this, the disciples returned again to their lodging.

The soldiers who had been guarding the tomb recovered and fled in fear. Then they went to the chief priests and told them about Christ’s Resurrection. The chief priests gathered in counsel and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money, instructing them to tell no one that the Lord had risen from the dead. And so it came to pass—the soldiers concealed the truth and spread the false tale that Jesus’s disciples had come by night and stolen His body while the guards slept.

The Appearance of the Risen Lord to Mary Magdalene #

For the second time, the holy Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, weeping bitterly. She could not yet bring herself to believe the words of the Angel—that the Lord had risen. And as she looked into the tomb, she saw two angels seated there. They said to her: “Woman, why weepest thou so bitterly?”

“Someone has taken away the body of my Lord Jesus,” Mary answered, “and I know not where they have laid Him.”

As she said this, she turned and saw the Savior Himself, but she did not recognize Him, thinking He was the gardener. Jesus asked her: “Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?”

Mary answered Him: “Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will come and take Him away.”

Then Christ, in the familiar tone of voice she knew so well, said: “Mary!”

At once she recognized the Lord God and ran to worship Him and to take hold of Him. But Jesus Christ stopped her, saying: “Touch Me not, for I must ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God. Go and tell My brethren.”

Saint Mary Magdalene went to the apostles and told them all that Christ had said. But not all believed her words.

The Appearance of the Risen Lord to Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus #

Two of Christ’s disciples—Luke and Cleopas—were on their way from Jerusalem to a small town called Emmaus. They left Jerusalem on the very same day the Lord had risen. As they walked along, discussing all the recent events that had befallen their Teacher, the Lord Himself drew near and walked with them. But they did not recognize Him.

He asked them: “What has happened? What are you talking about, and why are you sorrowful?”

Cleopas replied: “Art Thou the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know what has taken place here in the last few days?”

“What things?” the Lord asked.

“That which befell Jesus of Nazareth, who was a mighty prophet before God and all the people. How our chief priests delivered Him up to be condemned to death. We had hoped that He would be the one to redeem Israel. And now it is the third day since these things were done. But some of our women went early this morning to the tomb and saw an Angel of the Lord, who declared to them that Jesus Christ had risen. And some of our brethren went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but Him they did not see.”

Then Christ—whom they still did not recognize—was moved in spirit and said: “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the Scriptures have spoken!”

After this, the Savior, beginning from the ancient prophet Moses and continuing onward, began to explain the meaning of the ancient prophecies. He spoke of how all of Holy Scripture foretold the death of the Messiah and His resurrection.

They walked and conversed for a long time, until they came to Emmaus.⁷³ The Lord said that He must go further. But the two disciples urged Him to stay, pleading with Him to remain with them. He listened to them and stayed.

When they sat down to eat, the Savior took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to Luke and Cleopas. And in that very moment, they recognized and knew that the Stranger was their Messiah—Christ. But immediately Jesus became invisible to them. Then one said to the other: “Did not our hearts burn within us while He spoke to us on the road and opened to us the Scriptures?”

The apostles immediately set out to return to Jerusalem. And there the other apostles told them that Christ had appeared to the Apostle Peter and that He truly was risen! Then Luke and Cleopas began to tell how they had seen the Lord and how they recognized Him at the meal when He broke the bread.

The Appearance of the Risen Lord to the Ten Disciples #

While the apostles were listening to the account of Luke and Cleopas, suddenly the Lord Himself appeared in their midst and greeted them, saying: “Peace be unto you!”

The disciples were terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost, for the doors were shut, and no one could have entered. But Christ sought to calm them: “Be not afraid. It is I Myself! Behold My hands and My feet!”

Then the apostles rejoiced, for they had seen the Lord. And the Savior bestowed upon them the grace of the Holy Spirit, that they might receive men for confession. He breathed on the apostles and said: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost! Whosoever’s sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them; and whosoever’s sins ye retain, they are retained.”

The Assurance of the Holy Apostle Thomas #

When the Lord appeared to His disciples, one of the apostles was not with them. This was the holy Thomas. The disciples told him about the appearance of the Savior, but he exclaimed: “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in the hands of God and touch them—I will not believe in the Resurrection of Christ!”

Eight days after the Resurrection of the Savior, the disciples were gathered again, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, and once more Jesus Christ appeared to them and said:

“Peace be unto you!”

Then the Lord turned to Thomas: “Look upon My wounds. Touch them with thy hand. Be not faithless, but believing!”⁷⁴

The Apostle Thomas realized that it was Christ Himself standing before him, and joyfully he cried out: “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him: “Thou hast believed because thou hast seen Me. But blessed and happy are they that have not seen and yet have believed.”⁷⁵

The Appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Sea of Tiberias[^⁷⁶] #

After His Resurrection, the Savior was not constantly present with the disciples. So they returned to their familiar work—they went fishing on the sea. They labored all night but caught nothing. When morning came, they were disheartened and made their way toward the shore.

There on the shore the Lord Himself was waiting for them, though the disciples did not recognize Him. He asked them: “Children, have ye any meat?”

They answered Him: “We have nothing.”

Then Christ said to them: “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find.”

They cast the net—and behold, a wonder! They were now unable to draw it in for the multitude of fish. Then John the Theologian, recognizing Jesus Christ, said to Peter: “It is the Lord!”

When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he jumped into the sea and swam to shore. So great was his love for the Lord that he could not wait for the boat to reach land. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish behind them.

When the apostles came ashore, they saw a fire of coals laid, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus Christ told them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and He invited them to dine with Him.

The Apostle Peter went to the boat and drew the net to land, full of great fish—an hundred and fifty-three.⁷⁶ The Lord so ordered it that even the net was not torn.

When they had all dined, the Savior turned to Simon Peter and said: “Simon, lovest thou Me more than these?”

Peter replied: “Yes, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee.”

Jesus said to him: “Feed My lambs.”

Thus the Lord asked Peter three times, “Lovest thou Me?” because Peter had earlier denied Christ three times. Now, with a threefold confession, Peter responded:

“Lord, Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love Thee!”

For this, Jesus Christ restored him to the rank of apostle and gave him again the right to shepherd the faithful.

The Ascension of the Lord #

For forty days, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared to all the apostles and conversed with them. He instructed them in preparation for preaching the Gospel to the whole world.

And on the fortieth day after His Resurrection from the dead, He appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem. They went forth from the city to the Mount of Olives,⁷⁷ where Christ gave the apostles His final command:

“All authority is given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations to observe whatsoever I have commanded you. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Fear no one and nothing—for I am invisibly with you always, even unto the end of the world!”

After saying these words, the Savior lifted up His hands and blessed them. As He did so, He withdrew from them and began to ascend into heaven. The apostles, bowing before Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They spent much time in the temple, praying to God.

After the Lord’s Ascension, Christ’s disciples lived in fasting and prayer. And on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ—that is, ten days after the Ascension—the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles in the form of fiery tongues. Then the disciples of Christ began to speak in various languages. This, and many other gifts, they received in order to proclaim to all the people of the earth that Jesus Christ is God, and to pass on everything that He had taught them.

Afterword #

Glory be to our God, whom we worship in the Trinity! By His grace every good work begins and ends. And so this little book, The Gospel Retold for Children, by God’s help has found its readers.

Most Reverend bishops, honorable fathers, beloved brothers and sisters! For Christ’s sake, forgive us sinners if you find in this book anything unclear or erroneous, arising from our forgetfulness or poverty of mind. In accordance with the counsel of the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, correct all that is incomplete or inaccurately expressed.

This book was completed on the Feast of the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, the God-bearer,
by the most sinful Deacon Vasily Andronikov.
City of Moscow
August 28, 2017

Illustrator: Maria Chekushina
Proofreader: Ulyana Borodina
Editor: Reader Dionisy Ivanov
Managing Editor: Olga Zakharova