"Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the entrance of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre." Esther 5:1-2 ASV
<p>Illustration of Esther, dressed in the finest robes, approaching the throne of the king. The king reaches out for her. A handmaid holds the train of Esther's robes. A small boy stands next to the king, with a crown on a pillow. The room is richly decorated with curtains and columns.

Esther Approaches the King and is Welcomed

"Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner…

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him." Luke 10:33-34 ASV
<p>Illustration of the Good Samaritan kneeling next to the injured man. He wraps a cloth across the front of the man. The two men are placed in front of a large tree. A donkey stands next to the tree, behind the men. A city is in the background. Two travelers, one of the left and one on the right, are pictured in the background.

The Good Samaritan Helps an Injured Man on the Road

"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with…

"Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;" Ezra 2:1 KJV

The Return of the Jews from Captivity

"Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been…

Egyptian captivity and forced labor of the Jews.

Captivity of the Jews: Laborers

Egyptian captivity and forced labor of the Jews.

Egyptian captivity and forced labor of the Jews as masons.

Captivity of the Jews: Masons

Egyptian captivity and forced labor of the Jews as masons.

"And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they." Acts 15:7-11 ASV
<p>Illustration of Peter, standing before the rest of the apostles, explaining to them that Jesus made no distinction between Jew and Gentile and that all should be saved by their belief and not by their adherence to the old law. The apostles and the ancients at the council decided that circumcision would no longer be required.

Peter and the Apostles Decide Not to Impose Circumcision on Christians

"And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that…

Peter preaches to a group of people of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. There are men, children, and women, There are soldiers, common men, Jews, and Gentiles. Peter is informing them that all can become Christians through baptism and the Holy Spirit.

Peter Preaches to Jews and Gentiles

Peter preaches to a group of people of different ages, genders, and backgrounds. There are men, children,…

"Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified." Matthew 27:22-23 ASV
<p>Illustration of Pontius Pilate asking the people what he should do with Jesus. Jesus' hands are bound by rope, he's holding a reed, and he's wearing a crown of thorns. Pilate is dressed in a typical Roman short tunic and is wearing a laurel crown. They are standing on a high balcony and the people can be seen yelling and waving their hands down below. Two soldiers and three men are standing behind Jesus. A woman, perhaps Mary, his mother, is standing on a distant balcony.

Pilate Brings Jesus Before the People and They Ask for His Crucifixion

"Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him…

So the band and the chief captain, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him,and led him to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year." John 18:12-13 ASV
<p>Illustration of Jesus with his hands bound behind his back, being led before Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas, the High Priest. The surrounding text confirms it is Annas and not Caiaphas. Annas sits on an elevated platform. Other robed men sit on benches to his right and left. A servant holds the ropes binding Jesus.

The Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus - He is Taken Before Annas, the Former High Priest

So the band and the chief captain, and the officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him,and led…