Johann Quisumbing

An Adventure Story of Yeshua bar Yosef by JQuisumbing

‘Hee-haw, hee-haw,’ an ass brayed out frustratingly.

Yeshua turned to find a sight of a lad frustratingly pulling on the reins of a stubborn donkey comically sitting on its rump. No matter what the lad did, he couldn’t get the animal on its feet so they could ford the Jordan River. He could not help but to laugh out loud. 

Yeshua approached the animal and proceeded to loosen the ropes around the donkey’s middle. The ropes kept large packs on its back. When he loosened it, the bulky packs fell to the sides. Then he instructed the boy to pull the reins. He grabbed the tail and tugged at it three times. The donkey finally stood. Laughing with the boy, they placed the packs back on and re-tied them so as not to discomfort the animal. The lad then led his pack animal across the ford to where his family waited for him.

Yeshua was tempted to cross here, for just beyond was the Jezreel Valley and Nazareth, his home, which was about a day’s walk. But his way was to keep going north until he gets to the sea. Meanwhile, he lost sight of his two shadows. Two young men were trailing him since he left his cousin by the Jabbok as it spilled into the Jordan. They stayed a discrete distance as he walked the caravan route on the east bank of the Jordan. He lost sight of them when entered the city of Pella, a Greek settlement, one of the ten free cities not under the governance of the Romans. After getting food from the market area, he opted to wait for them by the river. By the tenth hour since sunrise, he saw them moving quickly up the trail that headed north to Galilee. 

Yeshua put his fingers into the side of his mouth and blew, producing a sharp loud whistle. This caused the two to turn in surprise. Seeing him, they were quick to jog their way to him. One was tall and wiry, very much looking like a farmer or fisherman. The other was younger, not as tall but quite handsome. His hair cut short like the Greeks. He liked what he saw of them.

When finally they stood before him, he said, “So, I expected you hours ago. What are you seeking? What is it that you desire?”

They looked at each other embarrassed. It was the younger who responded, “Rabbi, where are you staying?”

Yeshua smiled and said chuckling, “Well, Yohanen bar Zebedee and Andraus bar Yonah, come and see.”

Andraus asked, “Rabbi, how is it that you know us?”

“I asked my cousin to send you both.”

Yeshua led them to the river bank where they found a campsite. 

“Hail in the camp!” Yeshua called out. “Yair of Adora, may we approach?”

A portly man, definitely dressed as a merchant, emerged from the largest of two tents.

“So, Yeshua the storyteller, have you come to accept my invitation after all? My children have been crying for your tales all day.”

“Shalom! Far be it from me to deny them more tonight,” Yeshua greeted. Gesturing to the young men. “These two are traveling with me. Can they avail of your hospitality?” 

“Of course! Shalom! Come in! My tent is large and has plenty of room.”

---

“Rabbi Yeshua?” asked the 11 year old son of Yair.

“Yes, Doron.”

“What does the ‘Lamb of Adonai’ mean?”

Amused, Yeshua asked, chuckling, “Where did you hear that term, Doron?”

Doron sheepishly glanced at Andraus.

Yeshua turned his head to Andraus who looked a little guilty. “Ah, I see,” he said and winked back with a smile. “Come closer children and I will tell you a great old story.”

Yair had five children and Yeshua had them sit near him before the campfire. Then with theatrical flair, he started to tell his tale of when Adonai sent Moses to Egypt bringing ten devastating plagues so that the Pharaoh would let his people go. The children would follow his weaving hands as he described the river turning into blood; how the stubborn Egyptians had to contend with countless frogs, lice, locusts, pestering flies and 3 days of total darkness. Their eyes widened as he mimicked the sounds of dying livestock being stricken by pestilence or being pelted with hail. Then they were grim-faced when he described how every Egyptian was covered with painful boils.¹ 

“But the Lord Adonai was not yet finished, for the Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened and he refused to let the people go. So, Moses went to the king and declared,” Yeshua slowly rose to his feet, wrapped his blanket about him and pulled part of it over his head like deep hood and with an ominous voice, he said, “Thus saith the LORD, ‘About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.’ ”²   

“Rabbi, did that include our people as well?”

“Oh yes! All who are in Egypt will be touched! But wait!” Yeshua sat down. “To the people of Israel, Moses gave them good news. The Lord Adonai had given their first born the way of salvation. Every family of Israel took for themselves a male lamb, unblemished and of a year old. Then, on the 14th day of Abib,³ they slaughtered their lambs of which they brushed the blood on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they were to consume them. So, the Lord went throughout Egypt killing their first born, but whenever He saw the blood, no plague entered that household. The Lord passed over it, sparing the first born of Israel.”

Yeshua noticed that both Andraus and Yohanen were listening intently.

“Every year, our people gather together and we come to the holy city and before the Lord Adonai’ house, we reenact the offering of the lambs. Do you know why?”

Most of the children shook their heads. 

“Surely, it is not for our first born anymore. The Egyptian king who sought their lives was long dead. So, why do we continue to sacrifice?” Yeshua pointed at each of them. “It is because of the sin in all of you. The sin that was passed down since Adam. Every year, sacrifices are made for your forgiveness, but why every year? Because all of it is a shadow of things to come!⁴  Doron, what was the whole phrase that you heard?”

“The Lamb of Adonai who takes away the sin of the world!”⁵

“Ah, did you hear? One lamb! Only one… the one from Adonai… will take away the sin of not just of Israel but the entire world… once and for all.”

Then all the children excitedly asked at the same time, “WHO?!”

Yeshua locked eyes on Andraus and smiled, “That is a tale that is yet to be told.”

Footnotes: [1] First 9 plagues can be found in Exodus 7-10; [2] Exodus 11:4,5; [3] Last week of March or first week of April; [4] Hebrews 10:1; [5] John 1:29

Names: Yeshua [Jesus]; Yohanen [John]; Andraus [Andrew]

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