The Last Days of Jesus

by Bill O'Reilly

  Jesus stops to look up and down the long, fingerlike row of piers, carefully studying the various fishing boats. He narrows his search to two empty boats. He has met their owners before and now sees them washing and stretching their twenty-foot-wide nets in preparation for the next trip. The two men take care to eliminate knots and tangles, while also replacing any sinker weights that have fallen off. Though he knows next to nothing about fishing, Jesus walks down the pier with confidence and steps into one of the empty craft. No one stops him.

  As he gazes back toward the shoreline, Jesus can see the raised central roof of the town synagogue a block from the water. It stands taller than the homes and waterfront administrative offices, reminding him that Capernaum’s citizens worship God and hold a teacher like himself in great reverence.

  A fisherman in his early twenties walks to the boat. Simon, as he is known, is a simple, uneducated, and impulsive man. He knows Jesus from a previous meeting during the summer. At the time, Jesus had called upon Simon and his brother Andrew to join him as he walked through Galilee preaching his message. He said they could save souls by becoming “fishers of men.” And while Simon initially accepted that call, he also has a wife and mother-in-law to care for. The task of being one of Jesus’s disciples and spreading the word is difficult to balance with his need to make a living. His commitment to Jesus has flagged.

  But now Jesus is back, standing before him in his boat.

  Simon doesn’t tell him to leave. He just asks Jesus what he wants. Jesus tells Simon to push the boat away from the dock and drop anchor a little way offshore. The spoken word will carry easily across the lake’s surface, and Jesus knows he will be heard by one and all if he teaches from a place on the water.

  Simon is exhausted and dejected. He has been up for twenty-four hours, sailing his small boat out onto the lake and dropping his nets again and again and again. His back aches from leaning over the side to pull those nets back in. Simon needs water and a meal. He needs a soft bed. But most of all, he needs to pay his taxes, and last night did nothing to help, for Simon did not catch a single fish.

  Perhaps Simon has nothing to do, or perhaps he can’t face the thought of returning home to his mother-in-law and wife empty-handed. Perhaps he hopes the teacher will say a few words that will lighten his burden. Or maybe he just feels guilty for going back on his original commitment to Jesus. Whatever the reason, Simon undoes the knot connecting his boat to its anchorage and pushes away from the pier.

  Jesus has been standing this whole while. But when Simon’s boat floats just far enough from the shore that Jesus can be clearly heard, he takes a seat, adopting the traditional pose for teaching.

  Sardines. [The Bridgeman Art Library]

  Thanks to Simon and his boat, Jesus is soon regaling the entire waterfront at Capernaum with his insightful words. As always, people are overcome by his charisma. One by one, they stop what they are doing to listen.

  “Put out into deep water,” Jesus tells the weary fisherman when he is finished speaking, “and let down the nets for a catch.”

  “Master,” Simon responds, “we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”

  Sending his boat out into the deep water is the last thing Simon wants to do, yet he also feels powerless to say no.

  So with Jesus sitting calmly, Simon hoists the small sail and aims his boat out into the deepest waters of the Sea of Galilee.

  A short time later, Jesus and Simon are catching so many fish that the sturdy linen nets start to break. The sheer volume of carp, sardines, and musht threatens to capsize his small craft, and Simon is forced to signal to James and John, the partners in his fishing cooperative, to come help.

  Rather than rejoice, Simon is terrified. Ever since the moment Jesus first stepped into his boat, something deeply spiritual about his presence has made Simon uncomfortable. He feels unholy in comparison. Simon throws himself onto his knees on top of the pile of writhing fish and begs Jesus to leave him alone. “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

  “Don’t be afraid,” Jesus tells Simon, “from now on you will fish for people.”

  And so it is that Simon—whom Jesus renames Peter, meaning “rock”—becomes Jesus’s first disciple, or follower. Peter cannot explain why Jesus has selected him for this honor. Why didn’t Jesus pick the local rabbi, or the most pious teachers in Capernaum, or even some of the more devout fishermen? Other disciples soon join Jesus, including Matthew, Capernaum’s despised local taxman.

  By early in the year 28, Jesus has selected twelve men to follow him and learn his teachings, so that they may one day go out alone into the world and preach his message.

  Carp. [Mary Evans Picture Library]

  Four—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—are fishermen. Jesus has specifically singled out men from this calling because their job requires them to be able to speak and understand many of the local languages—Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, and even a little Latin. This will allow them to spread the word to a wide group of potential followers.

  All the disciples are from Galilee, except one. He is from a town called Carioth—or “Iscariot,” as it will one day be translated into the Greek of the Gospels. His name is Judas. He speaks with the polished accent of Judea’s southern region and is so good with money that Jesus selects him as the group’s treasurer instead of Matthew. Jesus chooses him as one of his twelve disciples and refers to him openly as a friend. One day that will change.

  Musht, also called St. Peter’s fish. [The Bridgeman Art Library]

  CHAPTER 11

  THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

  SPRING/SUMMER, AD 27 OUTSIDE CAPERNAUM

  Galilee is a small region, measuring just thirty by forty miles. Its cities are connected by a series of ancient highways and Roman roads plied daily by traders, pilgrims, and travelers. Jesus chooses Capernaum as his headquarters—and it is a smart choice. The fishing community is constantly sending out its product to far-flung markets, and those who hear Jesus speak in and around that city spread the news about his ministry when they travel from place to place selling their baskets loaded with salted fish.

  On some days, Jesus ventures out from Capernaum to preach. The crowds that find him increase as the months pass, and his popularity grows. He teaches in synagogues and in open fields, in private homes and along the lakeshore. Men and women abandon their labors to hear him speak, and vast audiences crowd close together to hear his simple message of God’s love and hope.

  The Mount of Beatitudes in Capernaum, thought to be the site of the Sermon on the Mount. [Mary Evans Picture Library]

  Not everyone adores him, however. It would seem that a lone man preaching such a noncombative message would not present a problem for Rome. But word has reached the Roman governor, Pilate, about his potential Jewish rebel. The spies of Herod Antipas are also keeping a close eye on Jesus, whom they perceive to be a successor to John the Baptist.

  And the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem and Galilee, particularly the Pharisees who make sure people obey religious law, are now watching Jesus closely for any violation. When news of supernatural healings performed by Jesus begins to make the rounds in Galilee, the religious authorities become even more alarmed.

  Today the Church of the Beatitudes sits on the hill above the Sea of Galilee. [Richard T. Nowitz/Corbis]

  But Jesus does not back down.

  Instead, he becomes even more assertive. For the poor and oppressed people of Galilee, the sermon he will soon preach from a mountainside outside Capernaum will define their struggle in a way that will never be forgotten.

  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus begins.

  “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.

  “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
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br />   “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

  “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

  Jesus is sitting, letting his powerful speaking voice carry his words out to the massive crowd. There are Pharisees among the people. And they are no doubt stunned as Jesus sets forth his own interpretation of religious law. The sermon is intended to remind the men and women of Galilee, who feel oppressed and hopeless, that their current circumstances will not last forever.

  The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic and Hebrew in the contemporary Pater Noster Chapel in Jerusalem. [Alamy]

  “This, then, is how you should pray,” Jesus tells them. No one speaks. The crowd leans forward, straining to listen.

  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

  The crowd is stunned as Jesus finishes. For the peasants of Galilee, his words offer solace for their life under Roman rule: the need to rely on God, the worry about daily nourishment, the constant struggle to stay out of debt, and finally a reminder that in the midst of this cruel life, succumbing to the temptation to lie, cheat, or steal will only lead the people farther and farther away from God.

  The powerful words will become known as the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord’s Prayer.

  The crowds follow Jesus down the mountain that day, through the tall spring grass and small limestone boulders, past the fields of new wheat, trailing him all the way back to Capernaum.

  There, soon after entering the city, a most amazing thing happens: the Roman military officer in charge of Capernaum declares himself to be a follower of Jesus.

  Jesus is astonished. This admission could end the soldier’s career, or even get him killed. Jesus turns to him. “Truly I tell you,” he says with emotion, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

  Legionnaires in regulation armor. Relief. [The Bridgeman Art Library]

  CHAPTER 12

  MARY OF MAGDALA

  FALL, AD 27 CAPERNAUM

  Three months after the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is in the home of a Pharisee. He has been invited to dinner to discuss his teachings. The Pharisee, Simon, does not like Jesus. And he is demonstrating his contempt by not playing the role of a good host. Though Jesus walked the four dusty miles from Capernaum to Magdala in sandals to be here, Simon has not provided him with water to wash the dust from his feet, as is the custom. Simon hasn’t offered Jesus a respectful kiss of greeting on the cheek, nor rubbed his forehead with olive oil, a common practice of respect to a guest.

  There are some six thousand Pharisees in Judea, and their name means “separated ones”—this refers to the way they hold themselves apart from other Jews. The Pharisees, who have appointed themselves guardians of Jewish religious law, believe that their interpretations of Scripture are the only right ones. But now Jesus has chosen to interpret the Scriptures himself. And the Pharisees are threatened as they watch the people of Galilee eagerly listen to his ideas. So Simon the Pharisee has invited Jesus to dinner with friends to see if they can trap him into saying something blasphemous.

  An alabaster vase and a pottery vase from ancient Lebanon; dates unknown. [Library of Congress LC-M32-7594]

  A young woman enters the room silently. She is a prostitute who has heard Jesus speak and who has been invited by Simon to appear this night as part of his elaborate plan to test Jesus. The moment is obviously awkward, for rarely does a sinful woman enter the home of a holy Pharisee. Nevertheless, Mary of Magdala—or Mary Magdalene, as she will go down in history—now stands behind Jesus. In her hands, she holds a very expensive alabaster jar of perfume.

  It is well known how Mary makes her living, for there are few secrets in the small villages and towns of Galilee. But Mary has come to believe in the love and acceptance preached by Jesus. Now, overcome with emotion, she bends down to pour the aromatic perfume on his feet. But she begins to sob before she can open the jar. Mary’s tears flow freely and without shame, and her face is pressed close to the feet of the Nazarene, which are still dirty and coated in road dust from his walk to the Pharisee’s house.

  Mary’s tears continue and mix with the perfume she applies to Jesus. She then dries his feet with her long hair, even as she kisses them as a sign of love and respect.

  Jesus does nothing to stop her.

  “Simon, I have something to tell you,” Jesus says as Mary opens the alabaster jar and pours more perfume on his feet. The smell is enchanting and powerful, filling the room with its flowery sweetness.

  “Tell me, teacher,” Simon replies smoothly.

  “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet,” Jesus tells the Pharisee. “You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

  Jesus looks at Mary. She lifts her eyes to see his face. “Your sins are forgiven,” Jesus tells her.

  If Simon was looking for a chance to catch Jesus in a theological trap, now is the moment. Sins can be forgiven only through sacrificial offerings. In the eyes of the Pharisees, even baptisms performed in the Jordan River do not officially forgive sins. And now Jesus is saying that he has the authority to obliterate sin.

  The other friends of Simon who have come to dinner this evening are dumbfounded by Jesus’s words, particularly since he spoke them in the presence of such a prominent Pharisee. “Who is this who even forgives sins?” they ask one another.

  “Your faith has saved you,” Jesus tells Mary of Magdala. “Go in peace.”

  She goes, but not for long. Mary isn’t selected by Jesus to serve as one of his twelve disciples, but she follows them as they travel, and she never returns to the life she once knew. At the end, Mary will be a powerful witness to the last days of Jesus of Nazareth.

  CHAPTER 13

  JOHN THE BAPTIST IS MURDERED

  AD 27–29 MACHAERUS, OVERLOOKING THE DEAD SEA

  Far away, in the dungeons of Machaerus, John the Baptist waits. He has been imprisoned for two long years on this mountaintop in the middle of the desert. The dank cells of the prison have been carved into the rocky hillside, and, in fact, some are nothing more than caves. The floors, ceilings, and walls are impenetrable rock. There are no windows, and the only light comes through small slits in the thick wooden door. It is a place of solitude and silence, damp and chill, where hope is hard to maintain through month after month of sleeping on the ground, and the skin grows pale from never feeling the warmth of sunlight. It has been so long that John is beginning to doubt his initial faith in Jesus as the Messiah. He desperately wants to get word to Jesus and be reassured by him.

  View of the hill Machaerus on which Herod’s fortress was built. [dbajurin/123RF]

  The months in isolation have given John time to reflect on his ministry. He is still a young man, not yet forty. But the longer he remains in prison, the more it appears that he might eventually be executed. His life’s work has been to tell people about the coming of the Messiah, and he needs to know that it has not been in vain.

  Now and then, John’s disciples are allowed to visit him. He sends a message to Jesus with one of them: “Ask him,” the Baptist says, “are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

  Weeks pass with no word. The journey from Machaerus to Galilee is just four days. John prays as he waits patiently for more news about Jesus.

  Finally, he hears the shuffle of sandals outside the
prison door. His disciples have returned, bringing with them some very specific words from Jesus. “He told us, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’”

  John is relieved. This is the affirmation he was hoping to hear. Now he can finally find some semblance of peace as he languishes in prison. Jesus is once again claiming that he is the person John publicly proclaimed him to be: the Son of God.

  But there’s more. The eager disciples go on to tell John that Jesus not only alluded to his own virgin birth, as foretold by Scripture, but also extended a warm compliment to John as a reminder to stand strong. The moment came as Jesus was teaching to a crowd within earshot of John’s disciples. In fact, they were just about to leave when Jesus made sure they heard these words: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” he asked the crowd in reference to John. “A reed swayed by the wind? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’