"There He comes," the people cried. I hurried to their side, wondering who was so important. It looked like the people were excited about a man on a donkey.

"What are you so excited about," I asked a woman standing next to me.

"You don't know?" she asked, quite surprised, "It is Jesus, the Christ, our Messiah."

"The Messiah?" I asked, "He's here, in Jerusalem?"

"Why, yes," the woman answered, "Have you been living in a cave somewhere?"

"Not quite," I answered.

I pushed myself through the crowd, wanting to hear more about the Messiah. I have heard people talk about Him, but I didn't believe it was true. Now I saw Him with my own eyes.

"Hosanna, hosanna," the people cried, "hosanna!"

When the donkey on which Jesus sat, stopped, a crowd of sick people crowded to Jesus, eager to have Him heal them.

I ran over to the man the people call the Messiah. I wondered if He really could heal those people. More sick people crowded to Him, eager to have Him heal them.

A woman with a blind child hurried to Jesus, He took the little boy's hand and held it.

He spat on the ground and picked up the newly-made mud. I watched closely as he smeared the mud over the little boy's eyes and told him to wash in a stream. The boy did as he was told. Running, he returned, tears flowing from his eyes and thanking Jesus. This was incredible!

I couldn't believe my eyes; I have never seen such a miraculous thing. My father, a priest of the temple probably had not even heard about Jesus. I could not wait to tell him.

I ran to our house and went inside. My father was sitting by the window, and he did not look very happy.

"Hi, father," I said.

"Hi, father?" my father angrily repeated and added, "You were there for the entrance . . . of that Nazarene. What am I to to make of it? I am a temple priest . . . and . . . and my son is there for the "grand" entrance of that man."

I was sincerely surprised at my father's attitude. I didn't believe he would be so bitter against a man who made the blind see.

"Father," I exclaimed, "I did not think, that you, of all people would hate such a man, I mean, he heals people. I watched at the roadside as he made the blind see, the lame walk, and the deaf hear."

Two days had gone by from the first time I saw the Messiah. From just two days experience, I noticed that the temple priests wanted nothing to do with Jesus, except kill him.

My father was back to his normal life, but my life took a drastic change. My father still hated the Messiah, but I have grown to love Him. I followed Him around, wanting to hear more of His words and to see more of His miracles.

Thursday morning was another of my normal days. After my hearty and healthy breakfast, I ran for the door and headed outside.

I went outside where people were hurrying here and there. It was already late in the morning, and the sun was high in the sky.

A while later, a small smile crept across my face because right in front of me stood the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus.

I smiled as big as I could. He was there, right in front of me. I felt so honored as I could ever be. Then Jesus spoke in His kind voice to me, "Markus, follow Me and do as I say."

"I will, my Lord, " I said, "I will always follow You."

Jesus' disciples stood all around him, wondering what He was doing. It was awesome seeing Him—seeing the Messiah.

"Markus, my boy, where have you been?" my father asked when I entered the house at dinner time, "Please, come sit down and eat."

I smiled at him and sat down. I was never so happy, I have seen the Messiah. My father wondered why I was staring into space and asked, "Markus, what's wrong?"

I smiled. I wanted to tell my father about seeing Jesus, but I knew he would not be happy about it. My smile faded away.

"Nothing, father," I answered, "Nothing at all."

He seemed convinced, so he sat back, ate his meal and said, "Good. I was just worried about you."

"Why so, father," I exclaimed, "I have never been better in my life."

My father looked awfully worried now. What was wrong with being loyal to Jesus? Why did my father and the priests at the temple think Jesus was a rebel? I could not figure out the many questions that upset my soul.

"Markus, have you been talking to this Jesus again?" my father asked unhappily.

My mother interrupted me as I was about to speak, "My dear, don't be so troubled. I too, have seen this man and I have listened to His words. Please, don't get angry with your son."

My father surprisingly listened to my mother's words and apologized.

My father looked at me in astonishment, "Markus, I'm sorry; I shouldn't have been so harsh with you. I was just surprised."

I looked at him and then said, "Father, haven't you seen what Jesus does. I have only seen Him today, and I am ready to believe. Why can't you do the same?"

My father's kind and loving eyes changed all of a sudden. They were penetrated, full of question. He did not have the answer that I was expecting.

Instead he said, "Markus, I... I don't know what to say, only that today, you went outside a boy, but you returned a man. If this man, Jesus, did this, I can't complain, but in my position I cannot follow this Jesus. I would damage my reputation."

After he said this, I was greatly troubled.

After the meal, I ran outside, even though it was very dark. I was upset with what happened at our meal. As I usually do when I am upset, I ran to my friend's house and planned to talk to him until I felt better.

I arrived at his house, where I knocked on the door. A servant let me in, saying, "Come in, Markus. Benjamin is waiting for you."

"Thank-you," I said, eagerly to talk to him.

"Markus, I must tell you to be quiet," the servant said, "The Master and His disciples are in the spare room, eating their Passover meal."

I was so excited! The Christ was here! In this house! When I saw Benjamin, I wanted to tell him to go into the room where the Messiah was, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him.

"Benjamin," yelled his mother, "Could you come down here for a minute."

"Yes, mother," he said, "I will be right down."

He ran down the stone stairs, and returned a few minutes later with bread and some wine.

"Markus," I have to take this into the spare room where Jesus and His disciples are eating the Passover Feast. Could you help me?"

I smiled at him and answered, "Yes, I would be honored to."

It felt like my stomach was filling with butterflies as I spoke. I was going to take the bread and the wine to the Messiah, the Lord of all.

I slowly walked to the room, carrying the wine while Benjamin carried the bread. He slowly opened the door and crept in, not wanting to disrupt the Master and His disciple's supper.

"I will always go with You," said Peter, Jesus' disciple, "even to death."

Jesus looked at him and said, "Peter, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me."

Peter looked at Him in astonishment. Why would he, Peter, deny he knew the Master?

I slowly walked to Jesus, giving Him the wine. He looked at me, His eyes full of kindness. I wanted to sit down next to Him and listen to His words.

"Thank you," He said with the most kind voice I have ever heard. I smiled at Him and He at me, and then I had to leave.

"But I want to stay," I told Benjamin.

"I'm sorry, Markus, but you can't," said Benjamin.

"I know, my friend," I said, "But, when Jesus is in there, I want to be there as well."

"Let's go back in," I pleaded, "I want to see Him for just a minute."

"I'm sorry, Markus, my friend, but you can't go in. They've already left."

Feeling utterly sorry, my eyes nearly drowned in tears. I wanted to see Him again. Just for a minute, a short minute. I could not express myself to my friend, but after a while, I asked, "Where have they gone?"

"To the garden," he answered.

"To the garden?" I asked, "Which garden?"

"To the olive garden or Gethsemane," he said. I was filled with relief. The Garden of Gethsemane was not very far from Benjamin's house.

I dashed out the door, anxious to meet Jesus and his disciples at the garden. I slowly crept around some shrubs when I heard low and kind voices.

Jesus was speaking to His disciples, "Please stay here, but you Peter, James, and John, will you please come with Me further into the garden?"

Peter, James, and John followed Jesus further into the garden as I tried to catch up with their big steps. The three disciples fell asleep on the grassy bottom in the woods while Jesus went into the garden and prayed.

"Father," He prayed, "If it is possible, take this cup away from Me, but not My will, but Thine be done."

He stood up and went back to the three who were sleeping soundly. He awakened them, and said, "Will you not stay awake with Me for just an hour."

Three times Jesus went back and prayed to the heavenly Father. Because of His distress and worry, he even sweated blood. After the third time, He went back to His disciples, and said, "Behold, the betrayer is near."

At that instant, a whole swarm of temple guards, priests, and servants with torches and swords entered the garden where Jesus was.

And their leader was Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples.

I wanted to run out and do whatever is possible to keep them away from Jesus, but I didn't want to give away my hiding place.

"Greetings, Master," Judas said, kissing Jesus.

Jesus answered, His eyes filled with sadness, "Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?"

Jesus looked at Him, wondering why he would do this to Him. I too wondered why Judas was so inconsiderate. All he wanted was his money to soothe his greed that the priests offered to give him if he led them to Jesus. At this instant, Peter took out his sword, waving it around.

"Owwww," came an agonizing cry. Peter held his sword in his hands. The sword was dripping with blood. He had cut the High Priest's servant's ear clean off his head.

"Peter, put your sword back," said Jesus,"for he who uses a sword will die by it."

Jesus took the servant's ear and placed it on his head, good as new. What a miracle. The servant looked at Him, thanking Him with all his heart and soul.

"Be quiet, you fool," said a solider, "We came to arrest this Man, not praise Him."

"Whom are you looking for?" asked Jesus.

"Jesus from Nazareth," came the answer.

"I am He," said Jesus.

All of a sudden, all of the servants and soldiers were on the ground, bowing to Jesus.

"Stand up, you fools," said one of the priests, "We came to arrest Him, not bow to Him."

"But He said, 'I Am He,'" they answered.

"Arrest Him," said a priest. He was not very satisfied of having the soldiers bow to Jesus, the Lord of all.

I slowly followed Him into the city, wondering what they were going to do with the Messiah. At first, they took Him to Kaiphas, the High Priest, and to the Sanhedrin.

They called together the whole council, wanting to have Jesus killed before the Sabbath.

"I heard Him say that He will destroy the temple that is made by hands and rebuild it in three days without hands."

A gasp ran through the crowd. While many witnessed against Him, not many people could agree with the other's, and because of this, they were unable to sentence Him, and even if they did find that a man committed a crime, they did not have the power to sentence a man to death, only the Romans had that authority.

Benjamin's mother, a believer of Jesus, ran up to me. She saw the concern in my face, "Markus, there might still be a chance. Jesus did nothing to offend the Romans, and only Pilate can sentence a man. There is still hope."

"I hope there is. God wouldn't let His son be killed. He was supposed to become the Ruler of Israel and drive those pagan Romans out of our land. I don't think He will die," I said.

"Neither do I," she said, "God wouldn't send His son to the Earth to let Him be killed. It's impossible."

We agreed on the "impossible." Benjamin's mother seemed more relieved than when she walked up to me.

Benjamin's mother left, leaving me standing outside the High Priest's palace. I listened in as they tried accusing Him, but Jesus, as innocent as a lamb, just sat there, not saying anything. Wasn't that even a clue that He is the Messiah?

"Jesus of Nazareth, what do you say against these accusations?" asked Caiaphas.

Jesus still sat there, not saying anything.

"I charge You by the living God," exclaimed Caiaphas, "Jesus of Nazareth, are you the Messiah, Son of the Blessed One."

"I am," replied Jesus, "and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the throne of God."

The whole committee was in a rage.

"That's blasphemy!" cried Caiaphas, "What more proof do we need?"

Temple guards blindfolded Him and hit him saying, "Prophesy, Messiah, who hit You."

They spat in His face and slapped Him. Caiaphas, enjoying the moment, demanded, "Take Him to Pilate."

Jesus was bound and taken to the governor, Pontius Pilate who questioned Him about being the King of the Jews.

"You said it," answered Jesus. The chief priests accused Him of blasphemy, so Pilate asked Jesus himself of the charges against Him.

"You do not answer?" Pilate questioned Jesus.

But Jesus still did not answer.

"I do not find any reason to sentence this man," said Pilate. The high priests stated, "You do not find any reason to charge this man? Why, He started a revolt in Galilee, and He told the people not to pay taxes to Caesar."

Hearing the name Galilee, Pilate sent Jesus to King Herod, who was visiting from Galilee.

Herod had wanted to see a miracle from Jesus, but Jesus ignored Him, and therefore, Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, hit Him, and spat in His face, and then sent Him back to Pilate.