Johann Quisumbing

An Adventure Story of Yeshua bar Yosef by JQuisumbing

Yeshua was really weak from hunger. This day, the fortieth day, has been a very long day and it’s not yet over. His eyes followed the steep path that led up to the ridge where he would usually pray at night. But due to weakness and wobbly legs, he decided to stay by the campfire. Thank goodness, there was no sign of cooking meat that the Tempter was trying to tempt him with. He stoked the fire then sat by it cross-legged. 

He was gazing up at the waning sky, tracing the movement of a cloud the edge of which was painted reddish-orange by the setting sun, when a messianic psalm came to mind. He closed his eyes and began to sing.

“Why are the nations restless and the peoples plotting in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their shackles apart and throw their ropes away from us!”¹

Yeshua knew he was the Anointed and he wondered what shackles and what bindings would he put on them in the future? What would he ask of everyone except that to love ‘Adonai eloheykha’² with all that they could give of themselves? This is the first commandment. The second one would be the culmination of six out of the Ten Commandments given to Moses concerning how mankind should treat each other and that would be to ‘love your neighbor as themselves’. Before he could ask ‘why would they do it?’, the answer of Adam & Eve’s sin surfaced into mind. To love Adonai as well as loving one another by his Father’s holy standard is beyond any mortal by themselves. It is spiritually unattainable. His conscience, like a close friend giving a peek into a secret plan, hinted to him that this is why he was born.

“He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.”³

This line always seemed to humor him for he cannot imagine his Father in Heaven to even mock those who go out of their way to sin against Him. If anything, Scripture had always revealed that His Father had acted with tremendous patience. Then he remembered how the Prophet Elijah mocked mercilessly the 400 prophets of Baal as they crazily scream the name of their god to send fire until they had no voice; as they danced maniacally until exhaustion; and as their final act of desperation, they mutilated their bodies with their own knives. Yeshua believes that David, the author of this psalm, had written it this way to communicate to a stiff-necked generation the futility that they can never escape His reign.

“Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, but as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain,” Yeshua sang solemnly. “I will announce the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have fathered You. Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession.”⁴

“And ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,’ ” said the mocking voice of the Tempter. “‘You shall shatter them like earthenware.’⁵ Oh, Son of Adonai,” he snickered, “the things you will have to do to bring your way into the world. You would be like the Greek mythical character, Sisyphus, who was to roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll back down so that he would have to repeat the process again and again. 

“Do you think your own people will listen to you? Your own Father had even told Jeremiah that when he speaks no one will listen, when he prophecies no one will respond!⁶ I am sorry, Yeshua of Nazareth, but I fear that you will be going against the current all by yourself. The hardship you will have to endure, all the effort you will expel, for what? Creatures of ingratitude, that’s what they are. 

“I can see that you intend to proceed on nonetheless, regardless how painful. Well… I can definitely be of great help to you. You already are aware of my skills of persuasion. There are many ears among the leadership and teachers of the law in Jerusalem that I have in my pocket. Why, even among the Romans, I can sway to your favor like the way I did for the Egyptians, the Babylonians and from many many nations…” He clicked his fingers.

Then Yeshua found himself on top of what can only be described as an improbable mountain top that was so high that you can see the entire spherical shape of the world below him. Then he realized that though he could see strong winds pushing clouds to and fro, he felt no chill as what would be expected on the peak. Then materializing before him was an aerial view of Jerusalem. As a wisp of cloud flew over the city, it had doubled in size. Everytime another cloud flew by, the city would change. His peripheral caught a movement to his right. As he turned that way, before him was the coastal city of Alexandria in Egypt and that city was growing as well. He turned around and Rome was before him. He turned back to where he thought was Jerusalem, but instead found Athens. Without turning his head anymore, more cities kept materializing, growing and then disappearing. He lost count on how many cities were coming and going. Some he recognized most he did not. There were cities in deserts, cities in jungles. Some were on the clefts of canyon walls, others were built on water. Soon, the mountain where he stood a massive city grew. It started out with structures made of stone, clay and mortar. Then the buildings went taller and taller until he was surrounded by incredible spires made of shimmering glass. As he peered closely, he saw that men were transported on horseless vehicles, some as lengthy as snakes riding a track. Then more incredible, men achieved flight on giant crafts with wings. Then everything began to speed up until everything became a blur.

“So, Yeshua of Nazareth…” The Tempter appeared before him again dressed in glistening gold and on his head an elaborate crown. He was sitting on a massive throne that was floating in mid-air. “Do you see all these kingdoms, far and beyond? I can help you gain them all for they are mine to give. It is yours… if you bend the knee and…”

Then, the Tempter froze in mid-sentence and as Yeshua stared at him, the last part of the Psalm that he was singing came clearly to mind. With his inner voice, he sang, ‘Now then, you kings, use insight; Let yourselves be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way, For His wrath may be kindled quickly. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!’⁷

Yeshua looked directly at the frozen Tempter’s eyes. Again, he pitied him but then pity was not what needed to be displayed here. A powerful sense of righteous anger was building up in him. He could feel power emanating in him. 

Then, as time restarted again, the Tempter’s mouth formed ever so slowly words that he intended to say. “…and… and wor… worship… me,” he said less confidently. 

The Tempter’s were locked on his. Try as he might, he could not escape Yeshua’s penetrating stare. Fear was in his eyes.

Then, when Yeshua spoke, he did not just hear his voice, but the echoing voice of his Father in Heaven. 

“Be gone, Haasatan! For it is written: ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP ADONAI ELOHEYKHA² , AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’ ” 

Then everything around him went dark and Yeshua heard birds singing above him. When he opened his eyes, it was morning and he found himself in his shelter, under the tree looking at a pair of sparrows fleeting from one branch to another, singing to each other. Then he smelled freshly baked bread. He got up surprisingly refreshed and found just outside the shelter, a flat stone slab and lavishly laid out on it was a large loaf of bread still steaming, a jar of fresh honey and an assortment of fruit.

Yeshua felt the warm presence of his Heavenly Father inside him and heard, “Eat, my Son. Thy task is at hand.” 

Footnotes: [1] Psalm 2:1-3; [2] Lord your God; [3] Psalm 2:4; [4] Psalm 2:5-8; [5] Psalm 2:9; [6] Jeremiah 7:27; [7] Psalm 2:10-12; [8] Matthew 4:10

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