John's Story by Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins Page B

crowd, or even a small group, passed, he would begin to preach. I daresay that early on most considered him a madman, ranting and raving in the wilds.”
    “But you did not see him that way.”
    “At first we did. In fact, James and I were on our way to deliver some fish and had to move out of the road as an entourage passed coming from the other way. It was obviously some dignitary, his curtained carriage surrounded by servants and slaves and animals. They were kicking up quite the dust storm.
    “Well, just before they reached us, James nudged me and nodded in the direction of the strange man on the hillside, crouching by a rock and watching the road. In James’s eyes I read mischief. He probably thought the man a lunatic and considered making sport of him.
    “But when that caravan drew near us, the man began to shout and gesture. ‘Beware!’ he cried, ‘the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’
    “James raised his eyebrows and looked at me, on the verge of laughter. He whispered, ‘Oh, it is, is it?’ And as if the man had heard James, he shouted, ‘Yes, it is!’
    “James froze and stared as the man ventured down from the hillside and commanded the caravan to stop. The dignitary, I still know not who he was, demanded to know what was the holdup. Well, the man we eventually came to know as John the Baptizer took command. He stood at the side of the road proclaiming the imminent coming of the promised one, the Deliverer of Israel. And when the official commanded his people to move again, the baptizer roared, ‘You ignore the signs at your peril, for surely the day is coming when you will fall on your knees before the King!’
    “The master swept back the veil of his traveling chamber and glared out at John, demanding, ‘Are you a bandit? If you are, show your weapon so I may instruct my guards to kill you.’
    “John fired back, ‘You threaten the anointed one of God, the forerunner of the Messiah? You are a snake, a viper, a fornicator, a liar!’
    “‘Kill him!’ the diplomat yelled, but as his men drew their swords, John rushed forward, clearly unarmed.
    “‘Beware, for I come to you under the authority of the Most High God. You shall bring no harm to me. Examine yourself, O representative of Rome, and woe to you if you are found wanting at that great and terrible day!’
    “That must have scared even the official, because the caravan soon rumbled from sight. I was young, about the age you are now, and this wild man frightened me. I urged James that we should be about our business, but he was plainly curious. ‘You are anointed of God?’ he said.
    “‘Call me John,’ the baptizer said.
    “‘That is my name too,’ I managed.
    “‘And you are brothers,’ he said, ‘fishermen, on your way to market.’
    “Polycarp, I was taken aback. I said, ‘Surely you must be of God to know that.’ And with that the crazy man threw his head back and laughed loud and long.
    “He said, ‘It takes no otherworldly ability to divine this! You look alike, you smell of fish, you are carrying salted fish containers, and you are headed toward town in the middle of the day.’
    “I felt foolish, but I could not be angry, as he said this with such good humor. James had lost his mischief, and while the man looked all the more uncivilized the closer we got to him—uncut hair and unshaved beard—the more we sensed something in his eyes and in his voice. While he had rasped and growled while chastising the public official, his natural tone of voice was low and soothing. He was so earnest. He told James and me that he would be glad to tell us of the coming Messiah. We had heard of this for years in our synagogue school, and I confess that we did not believe him at first. But it didn’t take long being around him to know that he was no madman.
    “Word spread throughout the region that he was preaching in the wilderness and baptizing people, and they began to come from all over.
    “We spent many days with John,