As they returned to the land a very wonderful thing happened, for the
heavens opened above, and the Spirit of God, in the form of a dove,
descended, and alighted upon Jesus, whilst a voice was heard saying
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Then John went on his way, preaching more and more to the people, and
telling every one who would listen to him of the marvellous thing he had
seen; whilst Christ went away by Himself into a lonely place called a
wilderness, where, for forty days, and forty nights, He was tempted by
the devil in all manner of ways, but finding that, by the help of God
His Father, Jesus was enabled to resist all temptation to sin, and would
worship and serve none but the true God, the devil at length left Him,
and "Angels came and ministered unto Him."

[Illustration]

From that time, Jesus being then about thirty years of age, He began
to preach, and exhort to repentance as John had done before Him. One
day as He walked beside the sea of Galilee He saw two brothers named
Simon-Peter and Andrew, fishing by the shore. These men He called to Him
and bade them follow Him for He would make them fishers of men, and they
immediately left their nets and followed Him. Presently, as they walked
along the shore, they saw two other fishermen brothers--James and John,
the sons of Zebedee, in a boat with their father, mending the great,
brown nets with which they caught fish on the Syrian coasts, and called
them also, and they too left their nets and their father and followed
Him. They were the first four of the twelve disciples whom Jesus by
degrees gathered about Him, and who were His companions and assistants
in His future work. With His disciples Christ travelled over the whole