The Alumni College

Jesus is with his disciples in the olive grove of Gethsemane. The apostolic group talks about the Gentiles who are interested in Jesus, which creates misgivings among some Israelites. The discussion then turns to the idolatry of the Romans, but also to the idolatries in everyone's hearts. Later, everyone withdraws, except John, Simon the Zealot and Jesus. The Master has kept his two apostles close to him because Nicodemus wants to see him, and while John goes to fetch him, Christ confides to Simon that he will be leaving Jerusalem for a while. Nicodemus then arrives and tells them that he and Joseph of Arimathea are his disciples in secret, the better to know what the Sanhedrin wants to do against him. The Sanhedrin is hostile to him, and Jesus lets him know that he will be moving away from Jerusalem. This devastates Nicodemus, who thinks he's done the wrong thing by talking to him, and Simon the Zealot confirms to the old man that Jesus was already planning to leave the Holy City, even before their meeting.

Lazarus gives the Savior a house to stay in for a while. Then the Pharisee comes along, grieving that he doesn't believe as simply as John and Simon, and Jesus confides in him that they have been spiritually reborn. He confirms that there is no such thing as reincarnation, and gives his speech as found in John 3:1-21: "Amen, amen, I say to you: no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit", and so on.

At La Belle-Eau, Jesus gives a talk on the Commandment: "Thou shalt not kill". He explains that to measure a sinner's guilt, we must ask ourselves this question: "Whom have I struck? What did I hit? Where did I strike? With what means did I strike? Why did I strike? How did I strike? When did I strike? After answering all these questions, he speaks of the master who makes his slaves suffer gratuitously. This leads to a confrontation between the Master and Doras, the Pharisee. The latter dies on the spot, to the amazement of the apostles.