Lamb of God: A Novel

Chapter 14

The Temple in Jerusalem

"So Jesus is also a preacher!" exclaims Caiaphas, hearing of Jesus again. He says to himself, "I wish I went myself with the others to silence Jesus when he got my moneychangers and merchants out the Temple complex."

The Pharisees all speak among themselves about this Jesus of Nazareth. "He's leading the people away from the Baptizer," remarks one. "And we thought John was getting the attention."

Joseph of Arimathaea speaks with Nicodemus, "And what do you think?"

Nicodemus replies, "John called him the Messiah. And Jesus also speaks about a change of heart."

All the Pharisees keep speaking. So do the Sadducees and the others. Finally, they all say to the president, "Jesus is winning more disciples than John has. He also baptizes people."

Annas shows concern as he turns to see Caiaphas' response. Caiaphas stands up. "Then Jesus is now a threat to our popularity. Something must be done about him!"

"HOLD UP!" says Nicodemus. "We should ask the question of why he is getting all the attention from the people. There are reports of his healings. I was there when Jesus was healing people at the courts after he cleared those same courts up."

"Healings?" asks Caiaphas. "He's claiming to be some prophet also. Remember what Moses said about prophets, be they true or false?"

He has in mind this portion of Scripture: If a prophet arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true. If he then speaks to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods and serve them," you shall not listen to the words of that prophet; but that prophet shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the YAHWEH your God, to seduce you from the way which the YAHWEH your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.

Being well-versed in the Law of Moses, they all know the passage Caiaphas is referencing. This is the passage used in testing people who claim to be prophets. What the high priest is saying is that they should test Jesus, to see whether he's a prophet sent from God or is just pretending to be one.

So it's time for testing the Rabbi.

Somewhere in Judea

Jesus realizes that there will be confusion concerning himself and John the Baptizer. There may be a division between his and John's disciples.

Wanting to avoid misunderstanding, he speaks to his disciples about heading back to Galilee.

"Very well," says John the son of Zebedee. "We'll all go."

So off they go. They depart from Judea, intending to go up north to Galilee.

Sychar

It just has to be so. The group has to pass through the Samaritan territory.

It is one hot dry day. They had been walking all morning, and Jesus is tired out by the trip. They arrive at the Samaritan city of Sychar. Nearby is the well which was said to be that of Jacob, one of the Jewish prophets.

The Samaritans also claim Jacob as one of their prophets.

Jews and Samaritans don't have a good history together. The Samaritans are half-Jewish people who won't convert fully to the Jewish religion. They have a separate religious system, a sacrificial system, a temple (or, had a temple), a separate edition of the Book of the Law, separate priests, and more. They're so bitter enemies against each other that the rabbis discouraged social intercourse with them.