The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel

by Walter Wangerin Jr.

Kill? Did they say kill the calf? Mary began to tremble. Perhaps she had misunderstood them. Who could hate Jesus? For all the bad people in the world, why would anyone hate Jesus? And how could they talk of murder? Dangerous! Say it, do it! The word is the door to the deed. Oh, this was dangerous! Mary knew by experience the thrill one feels just to think of killing.

For just a moment Judas suffered a stark panic. The words might be words of a defiant messiah, but the tone was defeat. The tone was melancholy. Judas screamed out loud, “The kingdoms of the world, Master! The jewels of creation! Their power and their glory all are yours, if you will fight for them!”

Judas echoing/channeling Lucifer’s original wilderness temptation