JERUSALEM, AD 27: John is an unassuming sixteen-year-old living quietly with his widowed mother in the heart of the city. Then life for him and all the Jewish community changes for ever: the long-awaited Messiah is proclaimed--and is closer to John than he could ever have dreamed. The young man is caught up in the whirlwind of the next three years as Jesus of Nazareth fulfils his divine destiny. John and his close friend, Jonas of Bethany, witness the Ministry and miracles of Christ, and their lives become more and more entwined with the momentous events around them. John weaves his moving personal tale through the religious and political turmoil of the time, and gives fresh insight into well-loved words and familiar actions. As the narrative unfolds, taking us to Cana in Galilee, to Nazareth, Capernaum and Jericho, we walk with the disciples and share their hopes and fears. This sympathetic retelling of the Gospel Story will appeal to anyone who has ever asked John's question: Why did Jesus have to die?