Page 378 - Bible History

THE REDEEMER AMONG MEN 351
perish, but would have life everlasting. He foretold that the Son of God would one day be lifted up, even as the serpent was lifted up by Moses in the desert, that all who would look upon Him might be saved. He
told him of the new life of grace, which is found in the sacrament of Baptism. "Amen, amen, I say to thee," said the Savior, "unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom
of Heaven."
Nicodemus admired Jesus and His teachings, but at
ibis time he did not have the courage to follow Him openly. ::
Among the followers of Jesus was Mary Magdalen. l She was so called because she lived in the town of Magdala, on the Sea of Galilee. Before she had met = our Lord, Mary Magdalen was known throughout the country as a very sinful woman.
One day, a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to dine with him. Mary Magdalen had heard the people speaking of this young Prophet from Nazareth. Per­
haps she herself had seen Him and listened to His message. Anyhow, when she heard that Jesus was at dinner with the Pharisee, she came into the room where they were eating and fell on her knees at the feet of the Savior. Filled with sorrow for her sins, she wept bitterly. She bathed His feet with her tears and wiped them with her beautiful long hair. She kissed them and anointed them with some precious ointment which she had brought with her.
When Simon saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, He would surely know what man-