Chapter 497: Jerusalem's Passover

Yu Lin's departure marked several years of spring and autumn, and no word returned to Nazareth.

Time passed, and the child Jesus who once reached out his small hand before the devil has now grown into a twelve‑year‑old boy.

The years have left clear marks upon him.

In the past four years, Priest Rod faithfully fulfilled his promise, imparting the essence of his own learning.

From the orthodox Jewish law Torah, the complex interpretation of the Prophetic Books, Exorcism Rituals and Prayer, to Astronomy Knowledge, Herb Identification, and even some basic Roman and Greek Philosophical Speculation, he taught them all without reservation.

In fact, in just two years Jesus's astonishing comprehension and memory have already absorbed all the knowledge Rod stored.

In the following two years, it was Rod himself who fell into a "teaching anxiety."

He deeply feels that, as the Future Saint's enlightenment teacher, his responsibility is great, always thinking his learning is not broad or deep enough, fearing he would delay Jesus.

Thus, while continuing to teach Jesus to consolidate his learning, he also studied hard, visiting sages across the lands, constantly improving himself.

Consequently, he rose from an ordinary priest to become Chief Priest.

Until this year, Rod repeatedly examined his knowledge base, confirming he had taught Jesus all the solid, orthodox knowledge he could reach, and the great weight in his heart finally lifted.

He feels it is time to return Jesus to Yu Lin.

Thus, with a hint of ease from completing his mission and much lingering reluctance, he bid farewell to Yuese, Mary, and Jesus, and left Nazareth where he had lived for four years.

Before departing, he deliberately lingered before Yu Lin's small house, hoping to see the Eastern man who had altered his life's path, to say goodbye in person and hand over.

However, the Wooden Door remained tightly shut, the interior silent, as if the owner had never returned.

Rod could only, with deep regret, bow before the closed door, turn, and disappear at the far end of Nazareth's alleys.

…………

Today, the sun is warm.

The Wooden Door, silent for years, is finally pushed open from outside.

Entering is the now twelve‑year‑old Jesus.

He is much taller than four years ago, still slender, yet carries the youthful uprightness.

His face has shed the child's roundness, the features are sharp, the nose bridge straight.

The most striking remains his eyes, whose color is slightly deeper than in childhood, yet increasingly profound, rarely showing strong emotional swings.

If Yu Lin saw him, he would know that the divinity in him has become ever stronger............

He steps inside, his gaze calmly scanning the surroundings.

Surprisingly, despite years of vacancy, the interior is not the dust‑filled, cobweb‑laden scene one would imagine.

The tables, chairs, bookshelves, even the windowsill are spotless as new, as if someone cleans them carefully every day.

The air bears no musty smell, only a faint, clean scent like sun‑warmed wood.

This abnormal cleanliness does not make Jesus show surprise.

He seems already accustomed, or rather, it is not strange in his perception.

Nothing that happens to Yu Lin would be strange.

His gaze drifts slowly, finally resting on the old wooden chair Yu Lin often sat on.

The long‑maintained calm expression finally shows a faint crack.

A very faint, human longing and melancholy, like ripples from a stone dropped into a deep pool, flickers in his eyes and gently spreads.

He walks to the old wooden chair, extends a finger, and the fingertip brushes the smooth armrest.

"Aren't you coming back yet?"

He murmurs to himself, "It's been four years…"

Four years, for a child, is almost half of the growth years.

For Jesus, these four years are a rapid accumulation of knowledge, swift mental maturity, and parting from friends.

"Jesus—!"

Outside, Mother Mary's urgent call comes, interrupting his brief thoughts.

"We must go! If we're later we'll miss departing with the others!"

Jesus withdraws his hand, the ripple in his eyes quickly settles, returning to his usual calm.

He turns, and replies toward the door, "I'll be right there."

Giving the house, which holds many special childhood memories, one last glance, he steps out, gently closes the door, locking the silence and cleanliness behind him.

Today is the day their family sets out for Jerusalem—to celebrate Passover.

Passover is one of Judaism's most important festivals, beginning at twilight on the 14th day of the month Nisan (usually between March and April in the Gregorian calendar).

The festival originates from the Exodus account: when Prophet Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, God commanded them to slaughter a lamb and smear its blood on the doorposts as a sign.

When the angel executing the death of Egypt's firstborn passes, houses marked with blood are "passed over" and spared.

Thus the Israelites were preserved.

To commemorate God's salvation and guidance out of bondage, Jews have kept this festival through generations, recalling history and thanking God for redemption.

Later, many churches ceased observing this festival.

Because in AD 325, under Constantine's direction, a Christian ecumenical council called the Council of Nicaea was convened.

Among its discussions were related debates.

The result, of course, was that the Roman Church abolished Passover, deciding to keep only Easter, setting its date on the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox.

Were there those who did not obey the Roman Church?

Certainly, and they were labeled heretics, persecuted, forced to hide while still observing Passover.

And in this council, one must also mention an interesting matter.

That is, when Christianity generally accepted the doctrine of the Trinity.

A sect called the Arius Sect publicly asserted that Christ is neither truly God nor truly man, but a demi‑god between God and humanity, the first and highest of the created.

Aliwu insists that Christ differs in every respect from the essence and attributes of God, that Christ also differs from humans, that Christ lacks a human soul; Jesus is subordinate to God, being a created being, and the Holy Spirit is even lower than the Holy Son.

As a result, the sect was denounced as heretical and later expelled and persecuted.

That digression will be set aside for now.

Going to the Jerusalem Temple to celebrate Passover is an annual event for every devout Jewish family.

Nazareth is not very far from Jerusalem—only a few hundred li—so one must set out early to join the pilgrimage group of fellow townsfolk and travel together.

Jesus steps out of the house, and Yuese has already bound the modest luggage onto the back of a gentle donkey.

Mary carries a basket of dry provisions and water, anxiously looking around.

When she saw Jesus emerge, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hurry, child, everyone is waiting,"

Jesus nodded and silently walked to his parents' side.

The three of them merged into the growing stream of pilgrims gathering in Nasalecheng.

People, dressed in festive attire, wore faces of devotion and anticipation, greeting one another and discussing the upcoming journey and the celebrations at the Temple.

Children ran excitedly through the crowd, gently scolded and pulled back by adults.

Jesus walked between his parents, his gaze calmly sweeping over familiar and unfamiliar faces, while his ears heard the clamor of voices, the braying of donkeys and horses, and the faint bleating of distant sheep.

He seemed to be immersed in this bustling torrent, yet a thin invisible membrane appeared to separate him slightly from the surrounding pure revelry and noise.

His thoughts perhaps still lingered in that clean yet empty house, on a figure whose whereabouts were unknown; or perhaps they had already drifted toward the distant Holy City, toward the ritual soon to be held in the Temple.

It was not until the afternoon three days later that the dust‑laden pilgrimage group finally caught sight of Jerusalem.

The nearer they approached the Holy City, the denser the crowd on the road became, like countless rivers converging into the sea.

Jews from all over Youtaidi and even farther places, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, hurried with livestock laden with luggage.

In front of Jerusalem's city gate, the din of voices was even louder.

Roman soldiers performed routine checks at the gate, and the streets inside the city had already been packed with pilgrimage crowds surging in like a tide, shoulder to shoulder, with no way through.

Yuese held the laden donkey with one hand, clutched Mary tightly with the other, and kept turning back now and then to make sure Jesus was keeping up.

In this surging crowd, a moment's inattention could cause one to be swept away.

"There are so many people..." Mary panted lightly, wiping the fine sweat from her brow with her hand.

Yuese strained to discern direction amid the crowd, raised his voice, and said to Mary and Jesus beside him:

"Brother Felix should still be at the old spot; let's go meet him first, put down the luggage, and settle in before anything else,"

"Let's go."