The Source of His Passion

By E. L. Osbrink

This book is a collection of 7 fictional stories about the life of Jesus of Nazareth.(1) "Lumiel's Mission" In the misty eons before time, the Almighty Deity of heaven decided to send the Son to earth with a peace-making agenda for the inhabitants. The angelic citizens feared not only for the success of the mission, but more especially for the safe return of their Prince. Lumiel, a non-musical angel, was surprised to be chosen to take part in the project. But his task was not explained. "You will know what to do when you get there," God assured him. It was an unusual assignment. (2) "When God Came Down" finds Joseph and Mary arriving in Bethlehem in time for Jesus' birth. They had planned to make it their first home; it was a good environment to raise a family. They were concerned about living so close to the political center of Roman rule in Jerusalem. The tyrant Herod posed a continual threat to any who might question his power. Would Herod be a problem for our family, Joseph wondered. We are citizens and have paid our tax. And the baby would certainly be harmless. Wouldn't he? (3) "One Day at a Time" One can only guess how Jesus at age ten might have spent his days. Surely,he was expected to be his father's right hand man, learning the traditional trade of the family. So there were hours of work in Joseph's carpentry shop to be done. In addition, tribal law required every father to be responsible for the religious instruction of his son. So we can expect time to be set apart for learning. And did children play? Of course! But one can always be surprised by the unexpected. (4) "My Father, My Father" leads up to the death of Joseph following long bedside conversations between family members. They tried to imagine how the family routines might change with Joseph gone. Jesus' profound reverence for Joseph turned to brooding--so many things to consider. How could he manage to keep this family on an even keel?(5) Ten years later,"Finding Some Answers" brings us to the banks of the Jordan River where Jesus meets John the Baptizer. Although Jesus had no sins to confess, his baptism was inevitable. Following a too brief visit with John, Jesus heads into the desert to meditate and get a clear vision of the message he was to proclaim. How could he make those ancient promises made to God's wandering people vital and powerful to his own generation?(6) "A Singular Sabbath" The horror and panic of Jesus death the night before was fresh and sickening. Each disciple had fled resorting to his closest refuge, only to find in the morning light that their fear and sorrow were as bitter as ever. One by one without design they returned to the upper room where they had shared supper together. It was a desperate attempt to make some kind of order out of their sudden chaos. It was not a joyful gathering; leaderless they had no sense of direction. Were they to return to their former occupations? What good was the vision of God's new kingdom now? Besides they knew their own inadequacies. What was the point of trying to stay together? Oh God, why this ending?(7) "Despair to Faith" At the foot of the cross where disciple John had led her, Mary collapsed with bitter tears. She wailed and begged for God's mercy. Hardly aware of the words falling from the lips of her dying son, she fainted. John caught her, and with the aid of Salome and Mary Anna, bore her to her temporary residence with Anna and Clopas. They watched over her tenderly and prayed for her recovery, but she slept on. Their anxiety grew as she remained unresponsive for three days. Would they lose her, too? And when the disciples' hearts were bursting with joyful news, how could they share it with her?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1452882045
• ISBN13: 9781452882048
• Release Date: August 2011
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 242 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.6" x 6.0"