Page 232 - Christians Must Heed Jesus

Christians Must Heed
Jesus

tested by trials and tribulations. He believes this is how he will display
his sincerity toward God. This is an explicit truth that God sets out in
the Koran:
Or did you suppose that you would enter the Garden without fac-
ing the same as those who came before you? Poverty and illness
afflicted them and they were shaken to the point that the Mes-
senger and those who believed with him said, "When is God's
help coming?" Be assured that God's help is very near. (Koran,
2:214)

Since Jesus (pbuh) is a prophet and one who preaches the word,
he encountered difficulties because he called on people to believe in
God. This is revealed in several passages from the Gospel:

At once the Spirit sent him [Jesus] out into the wilderness, and he was in
the wilderness forty days, enduring temptations from satan. He was with
the wild animals, and angels attended him. (Mark, 1:12-13)
Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a re-
sult, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lone-
ly places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Mark, 1: 45)
Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his
disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this,
they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said,
"He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving
out demons." (Mark, 3: 20-22)
"Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of
James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?"
And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not
without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in
his own home." (Mark, 6: 3-4)
… "and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests
and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will

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