THE STORY OF
JONATHAN & JENAY
“Jon! Jen! We need to go!”
“Coming, Mother!” they both replied.
“Where are we going?” asked Jenay, who was always up for an adventure.
“There’s work to be done. We need to go into Jerusalem to prepare the Passover Seder for Mr. Jesus,” said Mother. Jonathan and Jenay knew the Seder was a very special meal celebrated by the Jews each year during the Passover Festival.
“Mr. Jesus has appointed Cousin Peter and Uncle John to go and prepare the lamb, so we will help prepare the rest of the meal. Abba will come later with Mr. Jesus. You two will be the only kids, but there’s a lot of things you can do to help.”
“We are the only kids left! Everyone else is gone,” complained Jonathan, who really missed his group of friends.
“It’s okay Jon, you’ve still got me!” said Jenay cheerfully. Jenay was perfectly satisfied being Jonathan’s twin, and didn’t really care whether she had anyone else, as long as Jon was there to play with her. But Jonathan was grieving the group of friends who played together as they and their parents followed Mr. Jesus. Many of them had left and were no longer following Mr. Jesus, and others were visiting relatives for the Passover festival.
“Okay, I think I have everything I need. Do you two have your traveling bags? We will camp in Jerusalem tonight.”
“Yes, Mother. How far is it to Jerusalem from here?”
“Only six miles. Oh, there’s Mrs. Lois and Mrs. Magda. Good morning, you two. May we join you?”
“Certainly. It seems like such an honor to be preparing the Passover Seder for a King. Wasn’t last Sunday exciting?” said Mrs. Magda.
The ladies chatted while Jenay and Jonathan ran ahead and then stopped and waited for the ladies to catch up. Soon Cousin Peter and Uncle John joined them and thanked them for their help. That made their ministry team complete. The rest of the group would be celebrating the Passover with friends or family in or near Jerusalem.
“At least we don’t have to plan the menu. The Seder meal has been the same for hundreds of years, so I think we can figure this out. Do you want me to supervise, or do you want to each take a dish and be responsible for it?” asked Mrs. Lois.
Uncle John said that they would take care of preparing the lamb if the ladies would take care of everything else. Then he very politely apologized to Jonathan.
“Actually, I don’t cook — I’m the taster!” said Jonathan, and everyone laughed.
It was agreed that each one would prepare a portion of the meal so that there wouldn’t be too much work for anyone. But they also agreed that Mrs. Lois should probably oversee it and be in charge.
They would need to prepare for 22 people since they were planning on serving Jesus, the apostles, themselves and four young men who would arrive later to help set up the rooms.
Each lady figured out which dishes she would prepare. Soon they found themselves at the city walls.
It was really crowded at the city gates because of Passover, and hard to stay together as a group. “So, where are we setting up this Seder meal?” Mrs. Lois asked.
“Well, it’s a mystery,” said Uncle John. “Jesus said that as we came into the city of Jerusalem, we should watch for a man carrying a water jar. When we see him, we are to ask him if we can use his guest room to prepare the Seder for Jesus.”
“Oh, I like mysteries!” said Jenay.
“And Jesus always provides just what we need. So, I suppose there will be an oven to bake the bread, as well as space to prepare everything else that we’ll need,” said Mrs. Lois, who was in charge of making the unleavened bread that was an essential part of the Seder meal.
In a few minutes, Jonathan spotted the man and ran back to point him out to Uncle John and Cousin Peter so that they could do the talking.
The man took them to an upstairs room that was perfectly suited for their group. There was a large dining room for Jesus and the apostles to eat their Seder, a preparation area for the food, a second dining room off to the side, and an outdoor cooking area in the back courtyard.
Cousin Peter and Uncle John left to go and purchase a couple of lambs. They would need to butcher them according to the Jewish Scripture and roast them over an open fire.
The women and Jenay and Jonathan headed to the market to purchase the supplies they would need for their particular dishes. They had found baskets in the cabinets and asked permission to use them at the market. They had to hurry because some of the dishes would need to cook all day.
Jenay’s and Jonathan’s mother, Kayla, was in charge of the fish sauce. They needed to find fresh fish and the right herbs and vegetables to season it. Jenay and Jonathan each carried a basket while Mother was able to juggle the rest in her bags.
The menu included the roasted lamb, a bean stew, olives and olive oil, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, the fish sauce, dates, and wine. As the women returned to the kitchen and began cooking, they seemed to find plenty of things for the kids to do to help.
The owner of the building showed them where the nearest well was, and Jonathan and Jenay spent a lot of time carrying water jars to the preparation area and the outside kitchen.
Once Mother got the fish sauce prepared, Jenay could stir it over the fire while Mother and Jonathan made another trip to the market to get more supplies.
Jonathan talked with some boys who were playing in the street outside the courtyard. He was surprised to discover that for them, even though Passover started at sunset, they didn’t eat the Seder meal until the following evening.
Jonathan went to where his mother and the other ladies were working and asked why they celebrated the Seder earlier than other people. Mrs. Lois explained that according to the Jewish Scripture, the Seder meal was to be eaten on the first night of Passover. And most of the people who lived in Galilee had always done it that way. But the people in Jerusalem didn’t agree. They celebrated their Seder meal on the second night of Passover. Since Jesus and most of his disciples were from Galilee — they were celebrating tonight.
The four young men, Yanis, Mark, Enis, and Joel, arrived in plenty of time to set up the tables and reclining couches for Jesus and the apostles. Jesus had requested that he be allowed to share this meal alone with just his apostles. The rest of the disciples would eat their Seder in the second dining room.
Yanis, the son of a priest, would be leading their Seder meal there. So, they got that room all set up, too. Then the young men hung out in the courtyard with Cousin Peter and Uncle John as they finished roasting the lambs. Jonathan was proud to get to hang out with the “men.”
Jenay preferred being in the preparation room with the ladies, helping chop the vegetables and herbs.
All was finally ready, and Jesus and his apostles arrived just as the sun was setting. Jesus came into the preparation area and thanked the helpers before going to the table.
The ladies set all the dishes on the table for Jesus and the apostles so that they could be alone for this special Passover celebration as Jesus had requested. Then the ladies set a similar feast on the table in the other room, and all the helpers gathered there for their special meal.
Since Jonathan was officially the youngest, he got to ask the question, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” Yanis did a good job leading the group through their Seder. It was his first time to lead, and Mrs. Lois had to remind him of a few details, but everyone was relaxed and enjoyed their meal together.
The helpers in this room had been following Jesus for over three years, so they knew each other well. They felt like family and loved each other like brothers and sisters. They were all excited about Jesus announcing that he was the Messiah. They felt that Rome would soon be overthrown and Jesus would be crowned king. They could hear Jesus and the disciples talking in the other room, and they sounded more serious than usual.
When the helpers had finished their meal and enjoyed some leisurely conversation, Mrs. Lois reminded them that they were here to work and needed to clean everything up before leaving. The young men took care of cleaning up the outside kitchen and making sure no debris was left behind.
The women and children cleaned the preparation room and their dining room. They weren’t sure how much longer Jesus would be teaching his apostles, and since it was getting late, Joel and Mark walked with Mrs. Lois and Mrs. Magda to the olive garden to find a place to camp for the night.
Mother and Jonathan and Jenay would wait until Jesus was finished teaching, and then clean up their table. Yanis and Enis decided to wait with them so that they could hear more of Jesus’ teaching, help with the final cleaning, and then walk with the little family across the ravine to the olive garden.
They all sat quietly against the wall listening to Jesus teach. Jenay remembers him saying:
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”1
Z Z Z Z Z
Z Z Z Z Z Z
The next thing she remembered was Mother shaking her and Jonathan awake and saying it was time to leave.
Jesus and his apostles had already left, the table had been cleared and the dishes put away. Mother was trying to get Jenay and Jonathan awake enough to walk to the olive garden. They would camp there with the rest of the group.
When they finally arrived at the garden and found where the others were sleeping, they were surprised that Jesus and his disciples were not there. But it was so late and had been such a busy day that everyone was asleep within minutes.
Jenay and Jonathan had only been asleep about an hour when they were awakened by screaming men. They grabbed Mother’s hands and ran as fast as they could. But no one knew where they were running or what they were running from.
Some of those in the olive garden ran to friends or family in Jerusalem. Others ran to other camping spots that they had used around Jerusalem. Some ran all the way to Bethany to Martha and Mary and Lazarus’ house.
Jenay and Jonathan ran with their mother into the city and hid by a stream. They forgot their blankets and travel bags, so they just cuddled together trying to figure out what had happened.
It took a long time before Jenay and Jonathan could get calm enough to go back to sleep on Mother’s lap. But for Mother, there was no sleep. She wanted to know what happened and where Jesus was and where her husband, James, was. James was one of Jesus’ best friends and more than likely, he was wherever Jesus was.
She was also trying to figure out what to do next, and it looked like the best solution would be to go to her sister’s house. She lived in Jerusalem and always told them they were welcome. Her sister, Oprah, and her husband, Nehemiah, didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Kayla dreaded hearing the “I told you so!” But what else can I do? I don’t have a penny, or blanket, or travel pack. She had left everything in the garden, and she had two children to protect. Yes, when the sun came up, she would go to her sister’s house. Oprah would take them in.
Jenay and Jonathan were very tired, but when the sun came up, their mother insisted they get up and move around. They washed their faces in the stream and then Mother led them to Aunt Oprah and Uncle Nehemiah’s house.
Aunt Oprah welcomed them and fed them a good breakfast. She suggested that Jenay and Jonathan might want to take another nap since they had had such a rough night. They agreed. Mother tucked them in bed and then told them that she was going out to check on their Abba and see if she could find out what happened in the garden.
By mid-morning Jenay and Jonathan were awake. They played with their cousins and tried to relax — but they were always listening and watching for their mother to return and bring them news.
At noon, the sun suddenly quit shining and the children ran into the house. The servants lit lamps and it seemed like the middle of the night. No one could explain what was happening, but Jenay and Jonathan were worried. Where are Mother and Abba and our friends? Did everyone get out of the garden safely last night? And what is going on?
Mother arrived back at Aunt Oprah’s house after dinner and apologized for being gone so long. She also apologized to Oprah’s family for being such a poor guest, but asked if she could speak to Jenay and Jonathan alone for a few minutes. Oprah’s family could tell that she was upset and excused them. The three of them went upstairs to the bedroom. There, Mother began to cry, and the three of them just huddled together in a heap until she was able to tell them the terrible news.
“Mr. Jesus is dead. He has been crucified.”
Jenay and Jonathan were old enough to know about crucifixion — every Jew knew what a horrible, horrible death it was.
Mother had talked with Uncle John and he had assured her that everyone else had gotten out of the garden safely. He was sure they were in hiding somewhere, and that their Abba was safe. Mother assured them that Abba would find them soon.
Jenay and Jonathan stayed in the bedroom while their mother went downstairs to tell Aunt Oprah’s family the news. They just wanted to be alone and didn’t feel like playing games with their cousins.
All day on the Sabbath, Jenay and Jonathan and their mother were treated kindly at Aunt Oprah’s, but it wasn’t the same as being with their friends who loved Mr. Jesus.
They were eager to find their Abba and the other followers. Just as soon as the sun went down, Mother told Aunt Oprah and Uncle Nehemiah that they were going out to explore and see if they could find their Abba, but would return by bedtime.
“Where are we going, Mother?” asked Jenay.
“I know a couple of places where I think the others might be. Right now, let’s go to Mrs. Mary’s house — Mark’s mother. Her house is large enough to host the disciples, and I’m hoping we can find Abba there.”
“Do you think they might have gone to Mr. Lazarus’ house?” asked Jonathan.
“Hmm, might be. We’ll just take it one step at a time. I’m sure we’ll find them somewhere,” assured Mother.
Several of the followers of Jesus were gathered at Mrs. Mary’s house. It was good to be with others who were also grieving Jesus’ death, but the sadness was so hard. Each hug reminded them that Jesus was dead and that they were no longer his disciples.
Mrs. Mary told them that the apostles were hiding in the rented room where they had last seen him for the Passover Seder, but they had locked the doors and weren’t letting anyone in. So, Mother and Jonathan and Jenay went back to Aunt Oprah’s house for the night.
Mother agreed to meet Mrs. Mary and some of the other ladies to properly prepare Jesus’ body for burial at sunrise tomorrow. There hadn’t been time to properly wash and wrap the body in spices before the Sabbath.
On Sunday morning, Jenay and Jonathan were eating breakfast with their cousins when Mother returned. Her face was flushed, and she was yelling, “HE’S ALIVE! HE’S ALIVE! The stone was rolled away, and the angels say that Jesus is alive!”
Aunt Oprah was concerned that her sister had gone crazy. She encouraged her to sit down and drink a cup of juice. She insisted that all the stress of seeing the crucifixion had made her go insane. Jenay and Jonathan gathered around her and hugged her and asked her to tell them again what had happened.
“I met Mrs. Mary and the other ladies. There were about 10 of us who went to the tomb. But when we got there, the tomb was empty. Jesus wasn’t there, but two angels were. They reminded us that Jesus had told us that he would be killed, but on the third day, he would come alive.”
“Mother, we’ve seen Mr. Jesus raise other people from the dead, couldn’t he raise himself?” asked Jenay.
“I believe he has!” said Mother.
Aunt Oprah continued to insist that it was just wishful thinking. But Mother was determined that they go to find Abba and see what was happening. They hoped to find Abba at the room where they had eaten the Passover Seder.
It was pure chaos there. The courtyard was packed. The rooms were packed. Cousin Peter and Uncle John had talked with an angel. The women had talked with two angels. Miss Mary Magdalena had actually talked with Jesus, and she was certain that it was really, really him. Everyone wanted to hear the stories over and over and over, and the joy was overflowing — mixed with so many questions.
Jenay and Jonathan were relieved to get to hug their Abba. Then they were sent outside to play in the courtyard. But even there, the crowds were getting bigger and bigger. Is it true? Is it just wishful thinking?
In the afternoon, Mother and some of the other women began to bake some bread and prepare a light meal for everyone to eat. Jenay and Jonathan were once again sent to the well to get lots of jars of water. Some of the older boys helped them. Disciples who lived close by brought in some fish and cheese so that no one would have to cook much. Someone brought a bucket of dates. They had to eat in shifts since there wasn’t enough room for everyone.
Gradually the crowd began to thin, and Mother said it was time for them to head back to Aunt Oprah’s. They were grateful to have a place to stay, but wished they could stay with the group like old times.
Everyone agreed that it was dangerous to stay together after dark. They were too afraid that the Roman soldiers would decide to attack all the followers of Jesus. Everyone felt safer staying hidden and scattered and behind locked doors.
On Monday morning, Jenay and Jonathan and Mother were eating breakfast with Aunt Oprah’s family when their Abba, James, arrived. He was glowing with joy. Even Aunt Oprah commented that he looked incredibly happy.
“I am happy. Jesus is alive, and it is true that he is the Messiah, the Lamb of God. I got to see him last night and talk with him and now I understand why he had to die.
“Nathaniel and Oprah, thank you so much for caring for my family during these hard days. We are going to be staying in Jerusalem for another week or so before we return to Galilee. I was wondering if you want me to find other lodging for my family, or should they plan to stay here with you?”
“Oh, that’s ridiculous!” said Aunt Oprah. “Of course they are welcome here anytime. I want to hear more about this Jesus that you follow and maybe we’ll have more time to talk this week.”
“Well, the reason I’m here is that I haven’t had any time with my family in several weeks, and so I thought we would go camping for a couple of days and just relax a bit. We’ll probably go over toward the Jordan and catch some fish. I promised the guys I would be back in town before the Sabbath. So, I will return them to you — if you are sure it’s okay.”
“Of course, it’s okay!” said Aunt Oprah and Uncle Nehemiah together.
Once they left Aunt Oprah’s, Mother reminded Abba that they had left all their traveling bags in the olive garden. They really owned nothing.
“I left mine, too,” said Abba. “We’ll stop by the market and find what we need before we leave town. Then I know a little camping site that’s not too far. Hopefully it won’t be crowded.”
Jenay and Jonathan were so happy to see Abba and Mother together again, walking hand in hand, and talking about all the events of the week. They had much to catch up on. And soon, they found the perfect place to camp.
The first thing Abba wanted to do was go fishing, so he and Jonathan headed to the Jordan River. Jenay and Mother laid out the new blankets and repacked the new travel bags, then they began to collect firewood to cook the fish. How good it felt to be doing “normal” things again as a family!
During dinner Jenay asked, “Abba, tell us about seeing Mr. Jesus alive.”
“Well, we were all in that room on Sunday night,” Abba began his story, and the others settled back on their blankets munching on the wonderful fish. “You three had left and most everyone else had gone, too. There were maybe 20 people still around the tables.
“After dark we locked the doors for fear the Romans would come after us. We posted a watchman downstairs to make sure no one surprised us.
“But boy, were we surprised!
“I just blinked and Mr. Jesus was standing right there looking at us.
“We asked him how he got in because the doors were locked. He said that doors and tombs could not hold him anymore. We thought he was maybe a ghost, but he insisted he wasn’t.
“Then he asked if we had any food left over. The ladies made him a plate and he sat and ate and talked with us just like old times. It was amazing.”
“So, did he really die?” asked Jonathan?
?
“Oh, yes. No one lives over a Roman crucifixion. Lots of people saw him die.”
“I saw him die,” Mother said softly. “And I saw two men put him in the tomb. I know he was dead.”
“And now he’s alive. It’s a miracle just like the little girl he brought back to life — only this is even better!” Jenay clapped her hands with happiness.
“Yes, this is even better because Mr. Jesus died as the Lamb of God to pay for our sins. Do you kids know what ‘Messiah’ means?” asked Abba.
“I know that he’s the promised one,” said Jenay.
“I think it means he’ll conquer Rome or something like that,” said Jonathan.
“Yes, he is the promised one and someday he will conquer Rome and rule the whole world, but that’s not what the Messiah is. A Messiah is someone who rescues us from danger,” explained Abba.
“What danger, Abba?” asked Jenay.
“The danger is our sins. If our sins are not paid for — then we can’t be near to God. And there’s no way we can pay for our sins!” said Abba.
“God has been promising to send us a Messiah to pay for our sins for over 1700 years. All of us have sins. Mr. Jesus was the Lamb who paid for everyone’s sin — the Jews and the Gentiles. He paid for your sins and my sins. He paid for your past sins and your future sins. He paid for everybody’s sins.
“Now that Mr. Jesus has died and sin has been paid for, there’s only one thing that people have to decide.”
“What’s that, Abba?” asked Jenay.
“They have to decide whether they want to follow Mr. Jesus and let him pay for their sins, or whether they want to live their own way.”
“You followed Mr. Jesus, didn’t you, Abba?” asked Jonathan.
“Yes, when Mr. Jesus asked me to follow him, I did. I didn’t understand a lot about what that meant, but every day he’s taught me more and more about what it means to follow him.”
“Mother, when did you decide to follow Mr. Jesus?” asked Jenay.
“Well, when your Abba came home and told me that he was going to follow Mr. Jesus, I made the choice to follow your Abba. But I didn’t really understand who Mr. Jesus was until I listened and learned some more.
“One day I was listening to him teach and I realized that I wanted Mr. Jesus to be my rabbi. I wanted to follow him and obey him and learn to be like him. Now I know that he’s my Messiah.”
“I want to follow Mr. Jesus, too,” said Jenay.
“Me, too,” said Jonathan.
“That makes your mother and me very happy. We know that you don’t understand everything about Mr. Jesus — we don’t either — but we are happy that you want to be obedient to Mr. Jesus and learn to do things his way — the new way,” said Abba.
“You’ve heard Mr. Jesus teach a lot. He said that if we loved him, we would obey him. What are some things you think he wants you to do right now to show that you are following him?” asked Mother.
Jenay asked, “Do you remember the night after the Seder when we were waiting for Mr. Jesus to finish teaching so that we could clean up the table?”
“Yes,” said Mother.
“Well, the last thing I heard Mr. Jesus say on that night at the Seder was to love one another the way he loves us,” said Jenay. “I want to learn to love everyone the way Mr. Jesus does.”
“Mr. Jesus was always reminding us kids to obey and honor our parents. I want to do that,” said Jonathan.
“Those sound like great ways to get started following Mr. Jesus. I’m glad you’ve both made your decision to follow him. And remember, if you have any questions, your mother or I, or actually anyone in the group, would be glad to help you.”
“What’s going to happen now?” asked Jenay.
“Will the group get back together?” questioned Jonathan.
“You said we were going back to Galilee. Will everything get back to normal then?” asked Mother.
“I don’t know for sure. But Jesus said he would meet us in Galilee at the end of the month, so I assume he’ll teach us more there and resume the ministry.” That made everyone feel happy.
The family had a relaxing few days camping together. On Thursday they hiked back to Aunt Oprah’s house and said goodbye to Abba again. He would be staying with the apostles at the rented room.
Jenay and Jonathan enjoyed playing with their cousins, and Mother enjoyed answering Aunt Oprah’s questions about Jesus. On Wednesday, Abba stopped by to visit and said they should be ready to leave for Galilee on Friday after breakfast. Aunt Oprah invited Abba to come for breakfast on Friday, and she asked Abba some more questions about Jesus.
On Friday morning, just as soon as Abba arrived, Aunt Oprah announced that she believed that Jesus was the Messiah and wanted to be his follower, too. Abba, Mother, Jonathan and Jenay were thrilled with her decision. Abba gave her directions to Mary’s house (Mark’s mother). He told her to go there to meet with the other followers. Breakfast was a sweet time of celebration even though they were saying “goodbye.” They were already looking forward to their next visit in a few weeks and promised to tell her everything that happened in Galilee.
It took them only three days to reach Capernaum after a restful Sabbath. It was mostly downhill and they were experienced travelers. And besides, you can always walk faster when you are headed home. They had rented out their house, so they would be staying with Grandpa Zebedee and Grandmother Salome. They would see lots of cousins and aunts and uncles while they were there, besides neighbors and friends. It would be great to be back.
Jenay and Jonathan loved being in Capernaum. They played at the beach, and sometimes Grandpa Zebedee put them to work picking up rocks or driftwood for his fishing nets.
There was a small row boat that they were allowed to play in, as long as an adult was on the beach to make sure they didn’t get too far out to sea. They spent hours rowing — mostly round and round in circles because Jenay’s arms weren’t as strong as Jonathan’s.
It was a nice change from being in Jerusalem for the past month. They soaked up the sunshine and loved being near the sea.
One night when they arrived home for dinner, they found that their Abba had gone out with some of the other apostles on a fishing trip. “I wish he’d invited me,” whined Jonathan. “I would like to go on a real fishing trip.”
“Maybe next time,” said his mother. “I think this trip was just for the apostles. They need time together. You ought to ask Grandpa Zebedee if he will take you fishing next time we visit.”
“Oh, that would be cool! Can I go ask him now?”
“No, because he’s probably already gone tonight and it’s time for dinner. But maybe tomorrow afternoon you could ask him if he’ll take you the next time we visit. Don’t ever wake him up in the mornings!”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Your Abba will also need to sleep tomorrow morning after a night of fishing, so you two need to plan to play at the beach or at least stay outside.”
“Okay, Mother. Grandpa Zebedee wanted us to collect rocks for his fishing nets, and we’ve been piling them up. We’ve got some pretty big mountains of rocks. Do you want to come and see them tomorrow?”
“Sure! That sounds like a good way to let your Abba sleep,” said Mother.
But the next morning, Abba didn’t come home at sunrise as expected. Grandmother Salome let Jenay and Jonathan go ahead and eat breakfast without him, but they could tell that Mother was worried. Usually fishing trips ended at dawn, then the fishermen cleaned their nets and were home in time for breakfast.
When it was almost noon, Mother said, “Let’s walk down to Grandpa Zebedee’s shop and see if he knows where Abba and the rest of the men are. I just want to make sure their boat is back safely.”
When they talked with Grandpa Zebedee, he assured them that all was well. He pointed to a cove that was about a mile down the beach and they could plainly see the boat floating close to the beach. He was sure the men were just enjoying time together and there was nothing to worry about.
Jenay and Jonathan were showing Mother their piles of rocks when the men arrived. The men brought Grandpa Zebedee a huge net filled with fish. He asked if they were still fresh and they assured him that they had taken them out of the water only long enough to count them and then put them back. Abba and Uncle John, Cousin Peter and Cousin Andrew had all fished for Grandpa long enough to know the rules. He wouldn’t sell or process fish that had been out of the water too long. “You must have had a great night of fishing. That’s quite a haul!”
“You could say that,” said Cousin Peter, looking at the other guys and laughing.
“Jon! Jen!”
“Yes, Abba?”
“Your mother and I are going home and I’m going to take a nap. Grandmother is planning a special dinner for us, so don’t be late.”
“Okay, Abba,” they replied together.
Jonathan and Jenay continued to play on the beach, and watched as their cousin Benji and his helpers Samson and Solomon cleaned and checked the nets to prepare them for the fishermen. They knew not to bother the boys while they worked.
Grandpa Zebedee sent the boys home early and closed up the shop since this was going to be a family get-together for Jenay and Jonathan’s last night there. Benji and his dad, Uncle Jonas, walked home with them, too. All four of Grandpa Zebedee’s sons and their families would be there for the farewell dinner.
After a bountiful feast, everyone settled on cushions around the courtyard, and Uncle John and Abba began to share about their night of fishing.
“Dad, do you remember the day that Jesus called us to follow him?” asked Abba.
“How could I forget?” replied Grandpa Zebedee. “I thought I was ruined — three boats that brought in nothing. I’ve never seen anything like that. Then Jesus came along, and I had more fish than I’ve ever caught. Oh, yes, I remember it well.”
“Well, it happened again,” said Abba.
“What happened again?” everyone wanted to know.
Uncle John told the story:
“There were seven of us fishing in the large boat, so we were using a round net. We fished and we fished and caught nothing. Some of the guys had never been deep-water fishing, so they were disappointed, and it really made us look bad. We are supposed to be fishermen.
“We were coming in a little before sunrise, and I was just steering the boat in the shallows close to the coast, when a man called out from the beach. It was too dark to see his face, but he called out to us:
“...‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’....2
“We told him ‘No’ and he said:
“...‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’....3
“We were in fairly shallow water, but we obediently dropped our net. Suddenly, it was so full of fish, we couldn’t lift it; we had to drag it. It took all of us to push the load onto the shore.
“The minute I saw the net full of fish, I knew it was Jesus. Peter did, too, and he just jumped overboard and started running toward him. I had to steer the boat, or I would have jumped in, too. Jesus said to bring him some fish and we had a big ol’ fish fry right there on the beach. It was great.”
Long after the women and children had gone home and been tucked into beds, the four brothers and their dad Zebedee talked into the night. Uncle John and Abba shared with them that Jesus was leaving the ministry with the apostles and would be returning to Heaven soon.
They told them that Jesus had said there would continue to be trouble with the Pharisees and Rome, and many of the followers would be killed. The three men encouraged Abba and Uncle John to remain faithful and to know that they would care for their families if necessary.
There was much love shared between these brothers and their dad, and all wanted to be obedient followers of Jesus.
At sunrise the next morning, Jenay and Jonathan were sad to leave their grandparents’ home again, but they were headed to Jerusalem and that meant they would get to see Aunt Oprah again. Grandmother had invited all the apostles to breakfast before they got on the road to Jerusalem. Somehow that made it easier to say goodbye to Grandmother Salome and Grandpa Zebedee.
By Monday afternoon the group of disciples was close to Bethany. Cousin Peter and Mr. Thomas ran ahead to ask Lazarus about lodging for the group for the night. They hoped to spend the night before going into Jerusalem tomorrow.
By the time the rest of the group arrived, Martha and Mary had prepared a nice dinner for them and arranged lodging. Jenay and Jonathan were excited that their family was assigned to Simon the Leper’s house since they were told that there were kids to play with there.
Soon after dinner, Miss Martha walked with Mother, Jenay, and Jonathan to Mr. Simon and Mrs. Keturah’s house so they could get settled. Jenay and Jonathan immediately liked Gabriela and her older brothers. Her little brothers were only four years old and were already in bed. Jenay was excited to sleep in Gabriela’s room, but Jonathan slept in the courtyard with Gabriela’s two older brothers to make room for their parents. At the first sign of sunlight, Jonathan woke up with two four-year-old boys jumping on top of him to welcome him.
Jabet and Jared were identical twins and there was no way for Jonathan to keep up with which was which. “My sister is my twin — but you can tell us apart!”
“I’m glad God didn’t make Jared a girl!” said Jabet.
“I’m glad God made Jenay a girl — because we don’t get confused as to who is who!” laughed Jonathan.
“We don’t get confused!” said either Jabet or Jared.
“We just have fun confusing everyone else,” said the other.
“Who is ready for breakfast?” Mrs. Keturah called.
“Me! Me! Me!” came the replies. The two older boys had already eaten and left for Hebrew school.
After breakfast Tuesday morning, Mother and Jenay and Jonathan thanked their hostess and said goodbye. They went back to Miss Mary, Miss Martha, and Mr. Lazarus’ home thinking that they would be traveling into Jerusalem. But when they walked in the door, Mr. Jesus was there.
Mr. Jesus knelt down and hugged first Jonathan and then Jenay. He knelt with one arm around each of them as he talked with them for just a few minutes. He told them that he was proud of them for being his youngest followers and that he would always love them. Jenay threw her arms around Mr. Jesus and hugged him tightly. She told him how glad she was that he was alive.
He smiled and said, “Me, too!” He hugged them both again.
When Jesus stood up, he told the group that he needed to change the plans. He wanted to go camping overnight with just the apostles. Kayla and the children could stay an extra day to visit with Mary and Martha and Keturah. They quickly agreed, and the men said their goodbyes and were out the door. Jesus said they would be back sometime on Wednesday — probably late.
All day Tuesday the women visited and enjoyed being together. They knew that the men were happy because they were with Jesus, and the children were happy to have friends. They were content, and it felt like a holiday. Chores were left undone and they snacked on leftovers.
Early Wednesday morning, Gabriela asked permission to take Jenay and Jonathan, and of course her two little brothers Jared and Jabet, on a hike up the mountain behind Mrs. Martha’s house. There was a nice trail that wasn’t too steep, and there was a stream where they liked to skip rocks. Since Jenay and Jonathan were so used to camping out, their mother felt it should be perfectly safe. The mothers packed them a bag of snacks and sent them on their way — grateful that they were happily entertained.
The kids took their time and enjoyed playing in the stream along the way.
Gabriela and her brothers told about seeing Mr. Lazarus raised from the dead.
Jenay and Jonathan told about their times of traveling with Mr. Jesus.
Gabriela told about Mr. Jesus healing her Abba, and the children were having a great time and were becoming best friends.
“S h h h h h ! Get down!”
whispered Jared and Jabet. All the kids quickly jumped off the trail and hid in the brush.
“What is it?” whispered Gabriela, who wasn’t at all sure whether there was something to hide from, or whether her brothers were just trying to scare them.
“Look!” said Jared.
Up ahead in a clearing stood Mr. Jesus and his apostles. Mr. Jesus was talking and the 11 men were all listening carefully.
“Let’s get closer and see if we can hear what they are talking about!” said Jabet.
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” said Jenay. “It’s probably private.”
Gabriela couldn’t decide whether to just stay on the trail and walk past them, or to turn around and go home. So, for just a minute or two the children stayed hidden, watching the men, but not being close enough to hear their conversation.
They were still trying to figure out what to do when they saw Mr. Jesus reach out and touch each apostle on the head like he was blessing him. Then, with his hands still stretched toward them, Mr. Jesus began rising up into the sky.
“Wow!” whispered the kids all at once.
They sat hidden in the bushes and watched as Mr. Jesus rose up and up and up into the sky. They watched until they couldn’t see him anymore.
When they looked back at the apostles, they saw two angels talking with them. They didn’t know what to do. Gabriela and Jenay were crying and Jonathan wiped tears off his cheeks. The younger boys were just watching in awe.
The angels were talking to the men and pointing up at the sky where Mr. Jesus had gone. The children couldn’t hear what was said, but they could see that the apostles were excited and happy.
Suddenly the angels were gone, and the men just stood and looked at each other. Then somebody began to sing songs of worship. They fell on their knees and praised God for what they had experienced.
The children stayed hidden and quiet in the bushes until one of the men started singing this Psalm of David:
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
Praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
Praise him with the harp and lyre,
Praise him with timbrel and dancing,
Praise him with the strings and pipe,
Praise him with the clash of cymbals,
Praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.4
Then one of the twins yelled, “I KNOW THAT ONE!” and burst out of his hiding place and raced toward the men to join in the singing. Of course, the other twin was right behind him and the three older children chased after them.
The older children felt certain that they would be in trouble for disturbing the men. But instead the apostles welcomed the children, and they began to dance and sing the Psalm over and over together.
As they finally ended the Psalm and sat on the grass together, Uncle John asked Jenay and Jonathan what they were doing up on the mountain. Jenay explained that they had packed a picnic and were letting Gabriela show them her beautiful mountain.
“A picnic sounds like a wonderful idea,” said Cousin Peter. “I believe we have a bag of apricots to share.” And the children and the men sat together eating snacks and sharing about their favorite times with Mr. Jesus.
One of the twins asked, “Where did Mr. Jesus go?”
?
And the other asked, “How did he do that?”
?
The apostles laughed and tried to explain that although Mr. Jesus was a human, he was filled with supernatural power from God. That’s why he could do miraculous and supernatural things.
“But where did he go?” insisted Jared.
?
”He went to Heaven to be with his Father, God,” said Cousin Peter.
“But I liked him!” pouted Jabet.
“Yes, we liked him, too,” agreed Mr. Thomas, “but he needed to go home. Hey, do you kids want to know a secret?”
They were eager to hear what Mr. Thomas had to tell them.
“Did you see the two angels that talked with us?”
All the kids nodded, “Uh-huh.”
“Those angels told us that someday Mr. Jesus will come to earth again. What do you think of that?”
“Cool!”
“Before Mr. Jesus died, he told us that someday he would come back and get us and take us to live in Heaven with him and his Father. He said he would prepare rooms for us so that we would feel welcomed. Mr. Jesus said:
“‘My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’”5
Everyone was dreaming of heavenly homes and wondering when Jesus would come back. It was a special memory for all of them as they enjoyed their picnic in the grass.
Jenay put her arm around her Abba and asked, “What are you thinking, Abba?”
He told her that he was thinking about how much he and the other apostles had changed in their three years with Mr. Jesus. They were learning to love all people, not just Jew or Gentile; or rich or poor; or healthy or sick. He said, “I remember Mr. Jesus teaching us:
“... ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”6
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