Explore "The Greatest Story Ever Told" by Fulton Oursler on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Scared though they were at times, as rumors and threats of police interference increased, the Twelve Apostles remained with Jesus. But many other followers, at first loud in their zeal, began to fall away. Some found the doctrine He preached, the discipline He advocated, too severe. Some were afraid of offending the palace. But the Master's increasing claims also seemed to many of them preposterous. For those were the days when He began to be most specific about His identity.
As long as He had been vague, they could interpret His words and still follow Him. When He became explicit-as He did in his famous Bread of Life oration and the whole series of speeches that followed it-making it clear that He offered Himself as the Son of God; well, then a man had to be careful! The very idea that He would be a sacrifice for their sins-no more need of burning lambs and doves-frightened. them. What if Jerusalem were to hear such talk? Birds and lambs were big business in the capital.