Behold the Man Read online

  The city, still packed with tens of thousands of Passover pilgrims, was just waking. The shofar blew from the Temple pinnacle. The single note seemed to be joined by ten thousand others as the echo resounded across the land, announcing the beginning of a new day.

  Philo suddenly appeared through the gates. Claudia spotted him dashing—skipping!—over the paving stones. The boy’s eager face turned upward toward the parapet where Claudia watched.

  Just behind him a troop of soldiers clambered along in broken formation. Even at this distance, Claudia could see something was terribly wrong with the troop. In spite of the shouts of their commander, they struggled to stand at attention. Instead of marching, they stumbled forward, turning to peer back over their shoulders in terror as though they had been routed by a fierce enemy.

  Claudia straightened, clasped her hands, and gazed heavenward in joy as the last blast of the shofar died away. “So it is true. Oh, Lord, it is true!”

  When she looked down, she again located Philo running ahead of the soldiers. He scattered a small flock of sheep being moved toward the meat market.

  “Philo,” she called, “it is three days!”

  “Mother!” Philo shouted up to her as he rounded the corner. “It is all just as he promised. Jesus is not dead, but alive! I have seen him. Jesus is risen!”29

  Notes

  CHAPTER 13

  1. Read the story and message of John the Baptizer in Luke 3:1–20

  CHAPTER 20

  2. Isaiah 7:14

  3. Micah 5:2

  4. Isaiah 9:6 KJV

  CHAPTER 30

  5. Isaiah 35:5–6 NASB

  6. Isaiah 35:4

  7. Isaiah 35:6

  CHAPTER 32

  8. Matthew 6:24–32

  9. See Matthew 8:1–4

  10. See Matthew 5:43–44; Luke 6:31, 45

  CHAPTER 33

  11. See Matthew 8:5–13

  CHAPTER 35

  12. Matthew 18:23–35 NKJV

  CHAPTER 36

  13. See Matthew 13:1–35; Mark 4:26-29

  CHAPTER 38

  14. See Matthew 26:52

  15. See Matthew 16:13–20

  CHAPTER 40

  16. Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

  17. See Matthew 21:12–13

  18. Psalm 69:4, 9 NASB

  CHAPTER 41

  19. See Matthew 24

  20. Matthew 24:4–6, 9, 14–16, 21–22, 29–31, 36, 42 NKJV

  21. Matthew 25:31–46 NKJV

  22. See Matthew 26:1–2

  CHAPTER 43

  23. See Luke 22:47–53

  CHAPTER 44

  24. See Luke 22:66–23:23

  CHAPTER 45

  25. See Matthew 27:33–56

  CHAPTER 46

  26. See Matthew 27:57–60

  27. See Matthew 27:51–53

  28. See Matthew 27:62–66.

  EPILOGUE

  29. See Matthew 28:1–15

  Authors’ Note

  Jesus clearly believed in the power of stories. He told parables—stories—to stretch the minds and transform the hearts of his listeners. We too believe in the life-changing power of stories, and that’s why we’re passionate about writing fiction.

  In every work of our fiction, there is truth, based on research, and there is imagination, based on our minds and perspectives. We weren’t here, on this earth, as Jesus walked among the people, but through the verses of Scripture and our imagination, we have portrayed to the best of our ability what he might have said and the way in which he might have said it. Behold the Man is how we imagine the events might have happened for Claudia, for Philo, for Marcus, for Carta, for Josephus the Elder, and for all the other characters in this story whose lives, bodies, and hearts were transformed by Jesus. It also traces the path of Jesus’ days on earth, including some of his miracles and words, as well as his arrest, trial, and crucifixion.

  Can lives, bodies, and hearts truly be transformed today as they were in the days when Jesus walked the earth? With Jesus, anything is possible! Through Behold the Man, may the Messiah come alive to you . . . in more brilliance than ever before. And may you look forward someday to the realm of heaven, where the desires of your heart will be met and your questions answered.

  Bodie & Brock Thoene

  Discussion Questions

  1. In what ways is Claudia held captive by her circumstances? How does she choose to make the best of them?

  2. Have you ever felt trapped by the parameters of your own life? If so, how did you handle that situation? If you are in the midst of difficulties right now, how does Claudia’s story encourage you to have a long-term perspective?

  3. Philo and Jono rescue a bird with a broken wing. “She may grieve so much for her family, who have all flown south by now, that her heart may break like her wing. There is no mending a broken heart,” Jono says.

  But Philo insists, “Mother will fix her wing. I will tend her heart . . . feed her and sing to her.”

  Do you believe it’s possible to mend a broken heart? If so, how? How might you be part of that “mending” in someone’s life today?

  4. Jono had every reason to hate Marcus. Their hand-to-hand battle spelled the end of Jono’s nation, and Marcus enslaved Jono, later giving him as a gift to serve Philo and Claudia. Why then does Jono consider Marcus as a friend and say, “Yes. I owe him everything”?

  How might the two friends’ story impact your treatment of those you consider enemies?

  5. It has been eight years since Claudia and Marcus pledged their love to each other, planned their escape, and were betrayed by Pilate—someone Marcus considered as a friend. Now, though Claudia and Marcus still love each other, they can only gaze at each other from afar.

  Have you ever loved—and lost—someone? Or been betrayed by a friend? If so, how has that experience influenced how you relate to others?

  6. Josephus says, “The choices made by ordinary men and women can profoundly alter the course of history. If true, then all words spoken and deeds, done or not done, may be important.” Do you agree? Why or why not? When has a single choice or a few words altered your life?

  7. Imagine you are one of the people hearing John the Baptist speak in the valley of the Jordan: “The time has come for you to change your hearts! Look inside. You know the truth about yourselves. Rend your hearts, and not your garments. The Almighty is giving you one last chance!” How would you respond to his challenge? Which of the people below would your response be more like, and why?

  • A Pharisee: “Watch how you speak. We are true sons of Abraham!”

  • Quintus: “This fellow’s more abusive than a nagging wife!”

  • Marcus: “He is no one Rome or Herod Antipas need worry about. . . . Son of David. It’s a myth. Nothing more.”

  • Carta: “Who is the Son of David?”

  8. Pilate’s first work as governor is to incite a riot by carrying foreign gods into Jerusalem. Pilate insists the people are rebels. Marcus counters, “They are simple folk. Simple folk who happened to be in the street when the Zealots struck.”

  Pilate shouts back, “What was I to do? Insult Caesar? Hide his images as if we were frightened to enter Jerusalem? This city belongs to Rome, and Tiberius is Rome. This is his property, isn’t it?”

  Marcus chose not to reply. If you had to reply, what would you have said?

  9. When Cassius and Marcus encounter a father, mother, and cr
ippled child on the way to the Sea of Galilee, the father tells them, “We hear a rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth is there. Teaching our people the ways of peace.”

  The mother adds, “They say he heals many diseases by the power of God . . . we are taking our son there.”

  If you were Marcus, would you have stayed to listen to Jesus, or ridden away, back to Jerusalem? Why?

  10. At first Marcus didn’t believe the claims of John the Baptist or the claims of Jesus. In chapter 23, what events changed Marcus’s mind about both? And led him to ride with Kuza all night so Jesus could work his miracle on Boaz?

  11. When Jesus says Boaz is healed, and tells Kuza to go home, Kuza believes him . . . and goes home. Miryam, who has seen the boy’s healing with her own eyes, flees Kuza and Joanna’s home. Marcus pleads with her: “Come with me, to see the power of this man. To hear him. Maybe he can help.”

  But she spats back, “Go see this healer yourself! I’m not sick. You’re the one, not me . . . I’m content with my life the way it is.”

  Why do you think Kuza and Miryam responded so differently? Which character most accurately reflects what your response would be? Explain.

  12. If you could ask Jesus for any miracle today, what would you ask for, and why?

  About the Authors

  BODIE and BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over seventy works of historical fiction. That these bestsellers have sold more than thirty-five million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards affirms what millions of readers have already discovered—that the Thoenes are not only master stylists but experts at capturing readers’ minds and hearts.

  In their timeless classic series about Israel (The Zion Chronicles, The Zion Covenant, The Zion Legacy, The Zion Diaries), the Thoenes’ love for both story and research shines. With The Shiloh Legacy and Shiloh Autumn (poignant portrayals of the American Depression), The Galway Chronicles (dramatic stories of the 1840s famine in Ireland), and the Legends of the West (gripping tales of adventure and danger in a land without law), the Thoenes have made their mark in modern history. In the A.D. Chronicles they stepped seamlessly into the world of Jerusalem and Rome, in the days when Yeshua walked the earth. Now, in the Jerusalem Chronicles, the Thoenes continue that journey through the most crucial events in the life of Yeshua on earth.

  Bodie, who has degrees in journalism and communications, began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News & World Report, The American West, and the Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!”

  Brock has often been described by Bodie as “an essential half of this writing team.” With degrees in both history and education, Brock has, in his role of researcher and story-line consultant, added the vital dimension of historical accuracy. Due to such careful research, the Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles series are recognized by the American Library Association, as well as Zionist libraries around the world, as classic historical novels and are used to teach history in college classrooms.

  Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake, Luke, and Ellie—and nine grandchildren. Their children are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audio books. Bodie and Brock divide their time between Hawaii, London, and Nevada.

  www.thoenebooks.com

  www.familyaudiolibrary.com

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSICS™

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC HISTORICALS

  BY BODIE AND BROCK THOENE

  Gold Medallion Winners*

  The Zion Covenant

  Vienna Prelude*

  Prague Counterpoint

  Munich Signature

  Jerusalem Interlude

  Danzig Passage

  Warsaw Requiem*

  London Refrain

  Paris Encore

  Dunkirk Crescendo

  The Zion Chronicles

  The Gates of Zion*

  A Daughter of Zion

  The Return to Zion

  A Light in Zion

  The Key to Zion*

  The Shiloh Legacy

  In My Father’s House*

  A Thousand Shall Fall

  Say to This Mountain

  Shiloh Autumn

  The Galway Chronicles

  Only the River Runs Free*

  Of Men and of Angels

  Ashes of Remembrance*

  All Rivers to the Sea

  The Zion Legacy

  Jerusalem Vigil

  Thunder from Jerusalem

  Jerusalem’s Heart

  Jerusalem Scrolls

  Stones of Jerusalem

  Jerusalem’s Hope

  A.D. Chronicles

  First Light

  Second Touch

  Third Watch

  Fourth Dawn

  Fifth Seal

  Sixth Covenant

  Seventh Day

  Eighth Shepherd

  Ninth Witness

  Tenth Stone

  Eleventh Guest

  Twelfth Prophecy

  Zion Diaries

  The Gathering Storm

  Against the Wind

  Jerusalem Chronicles

  When Jesus Wept

  Take This Cup

  Behold the Man

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC ROMANCE

  BY BODIE THOENE

  Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC AMERICAN LEGENDS

  Legends of the West

  BY BROCK AND BODIE THOENE

  Legends of the West

  VOLUME ONE

  Sequoia Scout

  The Year of the Grizzly

  Shooting Star

  Legends of the West

  VOLUME TWO

  Gold Rush Prodigal

  Delta Passage

  Hangtown Lawman

  Legends of the West

  VOLUME THREE

  Hope Valley War

  The Legend of Storey County

  Cumberland Crossing

  Legends of the West

  VOLUME FOUR

  The Man from Shadow Ridge

  Cannons of the Comstock

  Riders of the Silver Rim

  Legends of Valor

  BY JAKE THOENE AND LUKE THOENE

  Sons of Valor

  Brothers of Valor

  Fathers of Valor

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC CONTEMPORARY

  BY BODIE, BROCK, AND LUKE THOENE

  Icon

  THOENE CLASSIC CONTEMPORARY

  BY BODIE AND BROCK THOENE

  Beyond the Farthest Star

  THOENE CLASSIC NONFICTION

  BY BODIE AND BROCK THOENE

  Little Books of Why

  Why a Manger?

  Why a Shepherd?

  Why a Star?

  Why a Crown?

  Writer-to-Writer

  Making the Call

&nbs
p; LANCE EASLEY, WITH BROCK THOENE

  Face to Face with Jesus

  SAMAA HABIB, WITH BODIE THOENE

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC SUSPENSE

  BY JAKE THOENE

  Chapter 16 Series

  Shaiton’s Fire

  Firefly Blue

  Fuel the Fire

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSICS FOR KIDS

  Sherlock Holmes & The Baker Street Detectives

  BY JAKE THOENE AND LUKE THOENE

  The Mystery of the Yellow Hands

  The Giant Rat of Sumatra

  The Jeweled Peacock of Persia

  The Thundering Underground

  The Last Chance Detectives

  BY JAKE THOENE AND LUKE THOENE

  Mystery Lights of Navajo Mesa

  Legend of the Desert Bigfoot

  The Vase of Many Colors

  BY RACHEL THOENE

  THOENE FAMILY CLASSIC AUDIOBOOKS

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