Podcast appearances and mentions of John the Baptist

Together, with Fr. Mike, we examine the mysteries of Jesus' Baptism and temptation in the wilderness. Fr. Mike unpacks how Jesus' Baptism is yet another Epiphany or manifestation of Christ as Messiah. We also explore Christ's acceptance of his mission as God's suffering servant. Fr. Mike emphasizes that Jesus' temptations in the desert mirror the temptations of Adam in the garden, but, unlike Adam, Jesus does not succumb to these temptations. He remains faithful to the Father. Through this obedience to the Divine Will, he conquers the Devil, and in our own obedience, we are participating in this victory. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 535-540. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

John 1:6-8You might like to get some copies of The Lightning-Fast Field Guide to the Bible for yourself and for others - here's a link that gets TMBH a little kickback: https://amzn.to/4pEYSS9Thanks to everyone who supports TMBH at patreon.com/thetmbhpodcastYou're the reason we can all do this together!Discuss the episode hereMusic by Jeff Foote

What does it mean to prepare for God's work in your life? How do you know if your heart is truly changing? And what does repentance really look like? In today's episode, Tanya shares how Luke 3:1–20 shows that John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to the kind of heart change only God can provide. Read the Bible with us in 2026! This year, we're exploring the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passage: Luke 3:1-20

We all know someone who has a quote on their wall. Maybe it's Churchill, maybe it's C.S. Lewis, maybe it's that one about smiling while you still have teeth. Those little phrases are supposed to orient us — to remind us who we are and what we're here for. But what if the most important thing you could put on your wall wasn't about you at all? In John chapter 1, we meet John the Baptist — a man so compelling that crowds were flooding out of Jerusalem to hear him speak. Religious authorities sent a formal delegation to interrogate him. The whole country was buzzing. And when they asked him, "Who are you?" — he had every opportunity to lean into the hype. He didn't. Instead, he said something that sounds almost countercultural today: I am not the one you're looking for. I'm just a voice. He's the one. In a world that tells us to build our brand, grow our platform, and make a name for ourselves, John the Baptist modeled something radically different. His entire identity was wrapped up not in who he was, but in who Jesus is. Today, Pastor Jeff Bucknam walks us through John 1:19–34 with a message titled "It's Not Me. It's Him." Let's listen in. Executive Producer: Flavius Herlo Speaker: Pastor Jeff Bucknam Sound design, mixing, and editing: Bryan Tripp Graphic Design: Wesley Cassford Social Media: Bryan Spahr Producer: Dave Putnam WE INVITE YOU TO CONNECT WITH US: • Website: https://www.harvestbible.org/ WE INVITE YOU TO FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: • Instagram: @harvestbiblechapel • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harvestbiblechapel/

Our passage this morning takes us back to the very beginning of Christ's official ministry on earth. Just to recap briefly, since it has been a minute since we have been in Mark, the story in Mark picks up in chapter 1, verse 1, with John the Baptist's ministry, and then it quickly progresses through Jesus's baptism and his temptation in the wilderness, and then today into the beginning of his ministry and the calling of the first disciples.

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. That You May Believe, Part 7 John 3:22-36 John 3:22-36 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). 25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.   John 3:22-24 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for John had not yet been put in prison). John 3:25-26 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John 3:27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. John 3:28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.' John 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. Colossians 1:15-17 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. John 3:32-34 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. Hebrews 1:1-2 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. John 3:35-36 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.   John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. The joy of seeing others following Jesus. 3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Colossians 1:28-29 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. The joy of walking in humility. 1 Corinthians 4:7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?   Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 1 Peter 4:10-11 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Matthew 11:11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. The joy of trusting in Jesus.   Colossians 1:18-20 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.   Colossians 1:21-23 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 1 Peter 1:8-9 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post John: That You May Believe appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

Saturday, 14 March 2026   An explanation of the overall pictorial contents of Matthew 17.   Chapter 17 of Matthew completes a picture that has been ongoing for several chapters. In Chapter 14, there was a snapshot of Israel's history in relation to the law. Chapter 15 then gave a picture of what is going on in the world from the time Jesus fulfilled the law until the rapture. Chapter 16 revealed a passage that petitions the Jews of the end times to consider who Jesus is based on their own history, comparing it to how He is portrayed in Scripture.   Chapter 17 began with the words “after six days.” It is a reference to the six days of creation, which mirror the six thousand years of man's time before the millennium, the seventh day, the day of God's rest on earth –   “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10   Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain. Peter is the apostle to the circumcision (Galatians 2:7), James was the first apostle to die, and John was the last. This is an honor that James and John had sought, but in a different way –   “Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?' She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.'” Matthew 20:20, 21   In one respect, Jesus granted the request concerning the placement of apostolic honor. These three men form a triad of witnesses to the Jews. There on the high mountain, Jesus metamorphosed before them. Moses and Elijah, representing the law and the prophets as well as the living and the dead, appeared along with Jesus.   Peter, whose epistles are strategically placed after Paul's, indicating they are addressed to the end times Jews after the church age, offered to build three tabernacles, dwelling places, for them. The voice of the Father came out of the cloud, noting that it is His Son, Jesus, in whom He is well pleased, and that they were to hear Him.   It is the final lesson of the end times. The law and prophets are not what the Jews are to focus on, but Jesus. It is His glory alone that will take them into the millennium, the law being finally removed from Israel (see Hebrews 8:13).   While descending the mountain, the disciples asked Him why the scribes said that Elijah was to come first. Jesus said, “Elijah indeed, he comes first, and he will reconstitute all” (17:11). Elijah is literally coming back to witness to Israel. However, Jesus also noted that Elijah had come already. The disciples understood this to mean John the Baptist.   The indication is that Israel will understand from these two appearances that they missed the ball, and the troubles they have faced were a self-inflicted wound. Verses 14-17 detail the healing of the man's son. No names of people or locations were given, just a description of the boy being moonstruck and suffering badly because he frequently fell into the fire and f  requently into the water.   It is a picture of Israel in their history before the Lord, completely untreatable, even by the disciples (their witness to Israel) –   “Your affliction is incurable, Your wound is severe. 13 There is no one to plead your cause, That you may be bound up; You have no healing medicines.” Jeremiah 30:12, 13   See also Micah 1:8,9.   Jesus called them a faithless and perverse generation, something that exactingly describes Israel. It is a point stated to the Jews by Peter in Acts 2:40. Despite their failure, it says that Jesus rebuked the demon, and it left the child that very hour. Israel's wound will be cured immediately at the return of Christ.   When the disciples asked why they couldn't cast it out, Jesus said it was because of their unbelief and that that kind could only go out by fasting and prayer. Jesus doesn't say who must fast and pray. Rather, He says it is a part of such healing.   Fasting is a sign of mourning and repentance toward God. Prayer is the means by which God is petitioned.  In the future, at the time of Christ's return, Israel will, like ancient Nineveh, fast and pray to the Lord. When they do, they will be healed.   The final verses of the chapter referred first to them “overturning” in the Galilee (verse 22). The word was anastrephó. As explained, one can return without any intent or change in the way things are, or one can return while considering, making changes, redirecting to something new, etc. It is also used as a word indicating contrast.   It is the state of Israel after having been healed. There is a return with a considered change, redirecting them to something new. They will enter the New Covenant, returning to God in a new way. That wording is based on Jesus' words about the Son of Man being betrayed into the hands of men, being killed, and being raised on the third day (verse 23).   That is the exact gospel Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. Israel will be overturned in their thinking by finally accepting, as Paul says, “the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved” (1 Corinthians 15:1,2).   In verse 24, it says that they came to Capernaum. The name is derived from kaphar, to cover, as in atonement, and Nahum, the name of the prophet. However, Nahum is derived from nakham, to sigh. The sense of the word extends to regretting, feeling sorry, and being or getting comfort.   All three of these are tied up in the thought of salvation. While in this location, those who received the temple tax asked if the Teacher paid the tax. Peter's answer in verse 25 was that He did. The tax, as explained, was based on the ransom money (silver) described in Exodus 30:11-16. It is the money representing salvation through Christ's sacrifice, ransoming man from the power of the devil.   Still in verse 25, Jesus preanticipated Peter by asking about paying such taxes, does that come from the king's sons or from unfamiliars (those outside the family). The word used was prophthanó, to get an earlier start on a matter.   Jesus didn't just speak of the matter of Israel's salvation before they asked for it. He spoke of the matter before they could ask. In other words, the Bible has clearly proclaimed that Israel will once again be God's people. Their ransom money had been procured long before they knew there was a need for it. This was preanticipated by God in Christ.   Peter's response to Jesus about the tax was from unfamilars. Jesus said, “Hence, the sons, they are exempt.” It is a point that will apply to Israel after the Lord returns. Being sons of God (as a nation), once again, they will be free from such payment.   Verse 27 described the manner in which Peter would find such a coin to pay the taxes. It was provided by Jesus in a miraculous way. Likewise, Israel will not pay anything for their ransom. Rather, it will be provided by Christ's all-sufficient payment at the cross of Calvary.   The final words of the chapter recorded Jesus' words to Peter, “That, having taken, you give to them for Me and you.” Jesus' work leading to His resurrection is what validated both His and Israel's sonship.   For Jesus, that is recorded in Romans 1:4, where it says, “and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” See also Hebrews 1:5.   For Israel of the end times, pictured by Peter, the apostle to the circumcision, it is belief in the gospel that will bring about their state of sonship. The tax is paid through the miracle-working power of God in Christ.   Life application: Chapter 17 of Matthew clearly indicates that there is a future for Israel, the people. They are restored to the land of Israel as prophesied in God's word. They will never be uprooted from it again, according to that same word –   “‘I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. 15 I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them,' Says the Lord your God.” Amos 9:14, 15   This is good news for Israel. However, for Israel at this time, the news is not so good. They are not currently God's people (Hosea 1:9, 10 & Romans 9:25, 26). Not being God's people, they are also not sons of God. That right has been stripped from them at this time.   Rather, Jesus clearly notes that their father is the devil –   “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:44-47   To reject Jesus is to reject God because Jesus is God and the Son of the Father. Jesus calls Israel during this dispensation a “synagogue of Satan” in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. Calling them God's people at this time does a disservice to them. What they need is evangelism, not coddling, sycophancy, fawning, or flattering.   They are not right with God, and not to evangelize them, when you have the opportunity to do so, can only continue them down the path leading to the Lake of Fire. This is important. Israel needs Jesus. Without Him, they are like any other nation on the planet that lacks Jesus Christ. Be bold in your proclamation of Jesus Christ to all people, Jew and Gentile alike.   Lord God, help us to think rightly about our conversations with others. Help us to remember that without Jesus, they are on a one-way path to eternal condemnation. May we boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all people. Amen.

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 17 and the Book of Esther For BibleInTen.com – By DH – 14th March 2026 Welcome back to Bible in Ten. Today we come to Matthew 17, and in this series that leads us naturally to Book 17 of the Old Testament: Esther. And with an explanation of the overall pictorial contents of Matthew 17 provided in the previous episode, Matthew chapter 17 becomes much clearer and in this supplementary episode, we will see how Esther strengthens it as a supporting witness. Esther is not just a story about Jewish survival in Persia.  Esther is a book about the Lord hidden from open view, but still directing all things toward redemption. The book exists not mainly to magnify the Jews, but to show the unseen faithfulness of God in preserving them for the sake of His promises and ultimately for the sake of the Redeemer, the true subject of Scripture. The Esther Bible Study available on the Superior Word develops the following pictures: Ahasuerus pictures God, the ruler over the world. Vashti pictures disobedience and loss of access to the throne. Esther pictures the Gospel, especially in her mediating role before the king. Haman pictures Law, even law bringing wrath and death. Mordecai pictures Christ: hidden at first, then honored, then exalted, then clothed with authority, then writing with full power, then sending letters of peace and truth, and finally having his greatness recorded through all the realm. That makes Esther a strong support for what Matthew 17 is picturing. 1) “After six days” — the approach to kingdom rest Matthew 17 begins, “after six days.”  As was said this points toward the six-thousand-year course of man's time before the seventh-day rest, the millennial kingdom. Esther supports this by opening in a royal setting already marked by splendor, order, and throne-rule. Shushan is treated almost like a paradise-throne setting, and Ahasuerus is taken as picturing the divine throne-rule itself. So both chapters begin not with chaos, but with the king and the court already in view. 2) Christ revealed in glory before a select company On the mountain, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. That is the hidden unveiling of the King before His glory is openly seen by all. Esther supports this pattern through hiddenness before manifestation. The whole book works by concealed identity, concealed movements, and God working in the background long before the reversal appears.  The Lord is not named openly in Esther, yet He is there, hidden, moving everything toward the appointed outcome. So Matthew 17's select-company glory scene sits very comfortably beside Esther's hidden-providence structure. 3) Moses and Elijah testify that all prior revelation converges on Christ Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus, but not as equals. They are witnesses. That fits Esther's Christ structure too. The whole book drives toward one central exalted figure: not Vashti, not Haman, not even Esther by herself, but finally Mordecai in exaltation. And Mordecai is clearly picturing Christ Jesus, the one advanced to authority by the king. So just as Matthew 17 narrows the law and prophets toward Christ, Esther narrows all of its movements toward the greatness of Mordecai, a picture of the greatness of Christ. 4) “Hear Him” and “Jesus only” This is the heart of Matthew 17. The Father says, “Hear Him,” and the disciples then see “Jesus only.” That fits Esther, because Esther repeatedly moves the reader away from outward structures and toward the one through whom life and deliverance actually come. Esther is a picture of the beautiful Gospel message, but Mordecai is the Christ figure who ends up invested with the king's authority and acting with the signet.  The signet granted to Mordecai pictures the authority of Christ. So if Matthew 17 says, in effect, “Hear Him”, Esther says in its own symbolic way: the decisive authority now rests with the Christ-figure who bears the king's signet. 5) Hidden glory must wait for resurrection-grounded disclosure Jesus tells them not to publicise the vision until after resurrection. Again, Esther supports this because Esther is a book of timed disclosure. Esther conceals her identity, Mordecai watches from outside, and the hidden plan only comes into the open at the appointed hour. The Lord is working behind the scenes and the book's whole structure depends on that hiddenness. So Matthew 17 and Esther both teach: that public revelation comes only when the right moment arrives. 6) Elijah / restoration and Israel's future turning Matthew 17 speaks of Elijah in two ways at once: John the Baptist has already fulfilled an Elijah-like role, but Jesus' wording also leaves a still-future restoration role in view. Esther also supports a future restoration by showing that the covenant people are threatened but not discarded. Esther is treated as a book of redemptive history in which the Jews are preserved because God's promises to them stand, and because the Messiah must come and return in connection with them. Esther strengthens the Matthew 17 reading that Israel is not finally cast off. God is not finished with Israel chiefly through Jesus' future-tense words about Elijah restoring all things, and then reinforced through the picture of Israel's healing and restored sonship later in the chapter.” Though threatened and with God's face hidden from open view, they are brought through to preservation, mourning, reversal, and future blessing 7) The afflicted boy and Israel's incurable condition The Matthew 17 explanation treats the afflicted boy as picturing Israel in its historical condition: wounded, unstable, and untreatable by human means. Esther strongly confirms that pattern. The Jews stand under a decree of destruction that has to be properly and purposefully dealt with. Haman, picturing Law, has issued a death-word, and the people are trapped unless royal intervention occurs. In Matthew 17 the boy is incurable by the disciples. IN Esther the Jews are doomed under an irreversible decree. In both: the people cannot heal or save themselves. 8) Christ alone intervenes to heal and deliver In Matthew 17, Jesus heals what the disciples could not. In Esther, the same pattern appears through the Mordecai-Christ picture and the Esther-Gospel mediation. Matthew 17 pictures Israel's future restoration, healing, and restored sonship through Christ. The book of Esther supports that pattern by showing that although the first decree of death cannot be revoked, a new decree can be issued through Mordecai's royal authority that brings life to the threatened people. The old word of death cannot simply be revoked, but another word can be issued which grants life. That second word comes through Esther and Mordecai, and the edict issued by Mordecai is explicitly treated as a picture of the New Covenant. Mordecai, picturing Christ, receives the signet, acts with royal authority, and sends out the saving word. Thus Esther is supportive of Matthew 17's portrayal of Messiah Himself being the one who intervenes. 9) The cross remains central IN Matthew 17 Jesus speaks of betrayal, death, and resurrection. A portion of the notes by CG on this from Esther chapter 10 bear repeating:   Haman pictures Law, but Christ actually died. It was Christ who was nailed to the cross, and so in type and picture, Christ became our Haman, our Man under Law, if you will. It is no different at all than Christ equating Himself with the serpent on the pole in John 3:14, or Paul saying that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.    In the death of His body, the law died with Him for all who believe. For all who don't, Law, and thus the enmity, remains. This is where the marvelous symbolism of a very misunderstood passage in the book of John is explained. It says in John 20, “Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.” Many fanciful explanations have been made up about this, but the truth is revealed in what happened to Haman, when he was taken to be executed... they covered his face. The Law was to die. Christ died in fulfillment of the law. When He arose, the face covering was removed, and carefully folded. It was an intentional act of the Lord showing that the shame of death through Law had been removed for those who trust in Him. The people of Israel, the Jews, even to this day, celebrate Purim, and yet they are celebrating the exact opposite of what they think they are celebrating. They curse Haman, stamp their feet, and howl wildly as his name is read, and yet, he simply pictures Law that they are still under. Until they come to Christ, Haman will continue to come after them to destroy, to be killed, and to be annihilated because of the ministry of death, meaning Law (2 Corinthians 3:7). Why do the Jews celebrate Purim? It is because of what pur signifies. It is a lot, a broken piece, and thus Purim, the plural of pur, signifies broken pieces. Pur means “to break,” “frustrate,” “make ineffectual,” “annul,” “bring to naught.” This is what Christ has done concerning our covenant with death according to Paul – For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.   19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 The Jews cling to the law, but it is Christ who has defeated that enemy. The law is annulled in Christ. This is the message of Purim.   Life Application  There is also a striking present-day echo. In 2026, Purim began on the evening of March 2nd just 2 days after Israel was again in direct conflict with Iran. Just as Haman was also not himself Persian (he was Amalekite who gained influence at the heart of the palace and used imperial power against God's people).  In a similar way,  The Islamic Republic of Iran's rulers are militant usurpers who seized control of the land of Persia in 1979 and have held the nation in bondage ever since. Even the recent reports and speculation about Israeli intelligence using covert medical cover—dentists, hidden tracking, to coordinate a sudden destruction on the Supreme Leader —carry an Esther-like atmosphere.    Just for fun check out the link to a stop motion lego video about this by “Stop Motion Sam”! The deeper parallel is the same: the enemy appears secure, the plot seems advanced, yet unseen movements are already in motion, and when the appointed moment comes, the reversal is sudden.

How beautiful is God’s eternal purpose through Christ presented by the prophets and the preparation by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. What a study!

Jesus understands that life can be confusing. He sees you in your time of trial, and He's compassionate. He loves you! Toda,y Pastor JD will remind you that even men of faith like Peter and John the Baptist had their moments of questioning God's goodness, but in the end, they were willing to trust. Jesus is worthy of your faith, no matter what you're going through today!

Our reading opens with an account of Paul finding some former disciples of John the Baptist who have been baptized by John but have not yet been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. After a brief conversation with Paul they are baptized into the name of Christ and are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul continues teaching, and after being rejected in the synagogue he begins speaking to both Jews and Greeks in the hall of Tyrannus. He stays there to teach for two years. Later, some Jewish exorcists try to use Jesus' name to expel demons, with surprisingly poor results. Finally, when silversmiths begin to lose money, they start a riot, and it turns out that most of the people involved don't even know what the riot is about. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Fields Ready for Harvest: Faith, Healing, and the Work of God – John 4:27–54 In this episode of Divine Table Talk, Jamie and Jane continue through the Gospel of John by exploring John 4:27–54, where two powerful themes unfold—the harvest of hearts ready to believe and the healing power of Jesus' word. After His encounter with the Samaritan woman, Jesus reminds His disciples that the fields are already ripe for harvest, inviting them to see people through God's eyes. The chapter then closes with the healing of the official's son, revealing a faith that trusts Jesus' word even before seeing the result. Together, Jamie and Jane reflect on what it means to participate in God's harvest, trust Christ's authority, and recognize how belief grows when we step out in faith. This conversation encourages listeners to see the people around them as God does and to trust that His word still brings life and healing today. ____________________________________ Connect with Jamie: Website: www.jamieklusacek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacek Connect with Jane: Website: www.janewwilliams.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliams

We focus heavily on the turbulent history of the physical temple lot in Independence, Missouri, and the controversial figure of apostle Otto Fetting. Daniel Malone, a Sunday school teacher for the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) gives his insights. https://youtu.be/xqRZPoyaUqk Don't miss our other conversations on Hedrickites: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved The 1920s Influx and a Changing Church During the 1920s, the RLDS Church experienced a major schism over “supreme directional control,” which led to a massive influx of former RLDS members joining the Church of Christ. This sudden growth swelled the Independence congregation from roughly 250 to nearly 600 members. Amidst an era of intense theological debates, the Church of Christ made a monumental organizational change in 1925: they completely abolished the office of a presiding elder (or president), choosing instead to be led collectively by a Quorum of Twelve Apostles. However, Malone candidly admits that the early church had a “horrible track record” of electing apostles, resulting in numerous leaders leaving and taking factions of the church with them. Otto Fetting and the Masonic Blueprints One of the most notable apostles from this era was Otto Fetting, who joined around 1927 and claimed to receive a series of revelations from John the Baptist. Fetting instructed the church to build a temple and provided blueprints for a massive 180-by-90-foot structure that Malone describes as looking like a Masonic lodge. This directly contradicted Joseph Smith’s earlier instructions to build the Independence temple to match the dimensions of the Kirtland temple, which was much smaller. Fetting’s revelations eventually commanded that members be rebaptized, which was a bridge too far for the church. The Church of Christ ultimately rejected Fetting, redacted all of his revelations, and considers them non-binding8. Ironically, the 180-by-90-foot dimensions proposed by Fetting are the ones still marked out on the temple lot today. The Cornerstone Controversy While excavating the foundation for Fetting’s temple, workers unearthed cornerstones that are currently housed in the church’s visitor center. Malone expressed deep personal suspicion regarding these artifacts. While he acknowledges the possibility that Joseph Smith could have originally placed them there to mark the spot, Malone finds it highly convenient that they were discovered right as Fetting was attempting to legitimize his massive temple project, suggesting they could potentially be forgeries planted by Fetting. Current Temple Plans and “Closed Communion” Despite owning the property, the Church of Christ has absolutely no current plans to build a temple. They have money strictly earmarked and set aside for a temple, but they refuse to move forward unless they receive a direct, divine revelation from God commanding them to do so. We also addressed a rumor regarding a Brazilian restoration group attempting to merge with the Church of Christ to gain voting rights over the temple lot. Malone dismissed the likelihood of this, explaining that the church practices “closed communion” and requires all new members to be rebaptized directly into their organization. In fact, they stopped accepting priesthood and baptismal transfers from the RLDS Church back in the 1920s or 1930s due to stark differences in belief. Don't miss our other conversations on the Temple Lot group: https://gospeltangents.com/denominations/Hedrickites/ Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved 0:00 Otto Fetting/Temple Cornerstones 15:11 Brazil Group

Today's readings.. (Leviticus 20), (Psalm 19:129-176), (Luke 3)What an incredible impact the preaching of John the Baptist had!  We do not realize this at first – but there are clues here and there – look at Acts 18 v.25 and 19 v.3.  Paul comes across those at Ephesus who knew only the baptism of John– a vast distance from the Jordan.  What stood out in our chapter 3 in Luke today was the bluntness of John's message; it was far from being simply an appeal to love your neighbour as yourself – which is the substance of the preaching in many churches today.  They had to examine themselves and change their ways and “bear fruits in keeping with repentence” – to put it bluntly, to show they were repentant by actions – not just words. Many had a certain pride in being children of Abraham – some today feel they can at least say, ‘I have a Bible in my house – and I read it – sometimes.' John was the one sent to “prepare the way of the Lord” [v.4] of whom Isaiah (40 v.3-5) had prophesied.  John detailed what the Lord, the Messiah, was to accomplish  What he did not realize, in common with everyone else, was that the Messiah would have to come twice!  Only part of what John preached was accomplished by Jesus – the rest awaits the Messiah's now imminent second coming – and how awesome are the words that apply to that coming!  “His winnowing fork (used in harvesting) is in his hands to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” [v.17] Chaff are ears of wheat that are useless, they have failed to produce; how much chaff can God see in the world today!!  Let us make sure we are not among the chaff!  Let us all “bear good fruit” for John also preached, “Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”[v.9]  Bearing good fruit should – indeed – must be – a labour of love for our Lord – before the harvest time occurs.  What wonders then follow!

People come up to John the Baptist and say, “What is your identity? What is your self-understanding?” That has a very contemporary ring to it. And it has quite a bit to do with us.  We're looking at the life of Jesus and who Jesus is. In the second half of John 1, in this encounter with John the Baptist, we learn that Jesus is the Lamb of God. So we ask, “What does that mean for us?”  Let's take a look at 1) John's view of himself, 2) John's view of Jesus, 3) the resulting personality and character that flows from those two views, and 4) what that means for us. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 12, 2014. Series: Seeing Jesus. Scripture: John 1:19-34. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Prepare the way of the Lord.

Episode 2.89Mark's Sandwiches: How the Gospel of Mark Uses Interruptions to Teach TheologyIn this episode of Narrative Juxtaposition: How the Bible Speaks Through Story Placement, Michael and Zach examine one of the most distinctive literary techniques in the Gospel of Mark—often called the “Markan sandwich.”Readers frequently notice that Mark begins one story, suddenly interrupts it with another, and then returns to the original narrative. At first glance the structure can feel abrupt or even chaotic. But when read carefully, these interruptions reveal deliberate narrative design. Mark places one story inside another so that each interprets the other.We explore several of the clearest examples. In Mark 5, the healing of the bleeding woman interrupts the urgent mission to save Jairus's daughter, showing that faith remains meaningful even when God's timing includes delay. In Mark 11, the cursing of the fig tree frames the cleansing of the temple, revealing the fig tree as a symbolic judgment on fruitless religion. And in Mark 6, the joyful mission of the Twelve is interrupted by the execution of John the Baptist, reminding readers that faithful proclamation often leads to suffering.Throughout the episode we show how Mark communicates theology not primarily through explanation but through narrative placement. The Gospel's structure forces the reader to slow down and hold multiple scenes together, allowing the stories themselves to interpret one another.By paying attention to how the stories are arranged, readers begin to see that the interruptions are not distractions—they are the interpretation.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/MmElw3Zd0fAMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Today's readings.. (Leviticus 17,18), (Psalm 19:41-80), (Luke 1) These words are taken from the inspired speech of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.  Because he did not believe the angel who appeared to him in the Temple he had been made dumb, then when the child is born and there is pressure to call him Zechariah, the father's “tongue is loosed and he spoke blessing God.  And fear came upon all their neighbours” [Luke 1 v.65]  The sense of ‘fear' does not mean being scared or afraid, but to be in awe.Today's chapter then tells us that “Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied …” [v.67]  It is a prophecy about the coming task of his newborn son “who will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways” [v.76]Compared to human expectations God's time frame for action  is exceedingly slow: it had been some 400 years since God had sent the last prophet (Malachi) to his nation, but, as Zechariah now says, “the Lord God … spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us …” [v.70,71]Because they rejected his Son, God delayed the fulfilment of this – to our days – but “time” from God's perspective is so different; but isn't it remarkable the deliverance that the re-born nation of Israel has experienced since 1948 in being “saved … from the hand of all who hate (them)”!!Deliverance needs to be assessed from several perspectives; there is deliverance from fear of evil men and deliverance from sin and death  John and then Jesus came to “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” [v.79] How clearly are we seeing the “light” and letting it “guide our feet”?   There are so many traps these days as to where we can put our “feet” – in a spiritual sense of course. How many appreciated the “light”  they were seeing in the words of John and Jesus?  They all stumbled and fell.  By his grace, those with genuine hearts were pulled to their feet again.  May we have genuine hearts and clearly see the light, only then can we “serve him without fear.” .

Journey w/ Jesus:  John the Baptist | Nate Winstead

John the Baptist reminds his disciples that Jesus must increase while he decreases.  A bigger view of God produces a healthier view of self.   Taught by Jose Zayas.

The life and ministry of John the Baptist are meant to reveal Jesus to the world. In the opening passage of Luke 3, we see that John's mission, message, and ministry are all about Him.

Year A – Third Sunday in Lent– March 8, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Exodus 17:1-7 John 4:1-42 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who is truly the Savior of the world. Amen. *** Many… many years ago, Bill and I had the privilege of attending my friend's wedding… she and her partner got married in the Valley of Fire in the Grand Canyon… at sunset. It was… spectacular!   Our little party was delivered to this magical location on helicopters, which flew us through the Canyon, across the incredible landscape that just… stretched on for as far as I could see.   As we flew, the walls of the Canyon were on either side of us, and yet, my brain couldn't make sense of the scale. Then the pilot pointed out a little dark spec that was way under us… he said, "That's the other helicopter."   Those four words… radically changed my perspective. I mean… sure, I could see that the place was well worth the title of 'Grand,' …but suddenly, 'Grand' couldn't even contain the full scope of where we were.   Nothing could… I don't think there is any word in our language that can truly encapsulate the landscape… the magnitude… of what we call… The Grand Canyon.   And the same is true… about God's love.   God's love is so grand… so deep and wide and never ending… that we bump up against the same inability to fully wrap our minds around the full scope… the full scale of what it really means… that God so loved the world.   On that helicopter… I didn't even begin to understand how big that landscape was until the pilot showed me what it meant… until he gave me a new perspective and showed me how Grand it really was.   And that's what's happening in our text today… Jesus is showing the disciples what it means… that God so loved the world.   Telling them isn't going to be enough… he must show them… which is why it was necessary for them to go through Samaria. Verse 4.   Our translation reads, "But he had to go through Samaria." …the Greek word is stronger than that, though… It was 'necessary' …it was imperative that he go through Samaria.   Why? …they were traveling north from Judea to Galilee… and Samaria is between those two places. But, as the text points out… something that everyone at the time would have understood… very clearly… the Jews and the Samaritans do not associate with each other.   It was an ancient family feud… they have the same ancestors… but different theology around the critical question of… where is God found?   For the Jewish people, God was found in the Temple in Jerusalem… in the Holy of Holies. That's where they went to worship.   For the Samaritans, God was found high on the top of Mount Gerizim. That's where they went to worship.   They had other differences as well, but this was the most pressing theological question of their time... the question that went back to the time of Moses, in the wilderness of Sin, when they were dying of thirst… Where is God? Is the Lord among us or not?   These are heavy questions… and modern denominations have split apart for less.   So, to avoid the tension and the feud, Jewish people traveling from Judea to Galilee would have taken the road that ran along the Jordan River Valley. They would not have climbed through the mountains of Samaria.   So why… why was it necessary for them to go through Samaria?   It was necessary… because Jesus needed to show his disciples the full scale and scope of his ministry… he needed to give them a new perspective.   Jesus needed to challenge their assumptions about who is in and who is out… he needed to widen their understanding of what sort of people Jesus was seeking… about whom he loved.   So he took them to the very place they would have assumed was excluded. Samaria.   Jesus needs to go there to find his first witness… he needs to find her… the unnamed, unmarried, powerless, Samaritan woman… discarded or widowed five times over… now living with the brother of her late husband in a Levirate marriage.   She is a nobody… an outsider among religious outsiders… visiting the well when no one else would have been there… at the hottest… and brightest time of the day.   Remember what I said about day and night in the Gospel of John?   She's there when the sun is at its brightest… and with this woman… Jesus proceeds to have the longest recorded conversation that he has with anybody… in any of the four gospels.   It was necessary for him to go through Samaria… to find… her.   Now, like anyone who talks to Jesus, she doesn't fully understand him at first, but she sticks with it… and she trusts him with her truth.   So, in response to her faith and her growing understanding around the coming Messiah… he shares his truth… He is… the I AM… the Great I AM… the same I AM from the burning bush and Moses…   I know our translation says that Jesus replies, "I am he" …but that's just added grammar for verbal flow. Jesus' response to her is only… I AM. …and his statement holds the power and weight of all the other I AM statements.   He reveals his true identity to her… before any of the disciples figured it out. And in her joy, she left her water jar at the well to run to share the good news with her neighbors…   She told them of her experience… of her encounter with this man… she shared her wondering… "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?"   And she invited them to come and see… come and meet him… come, and hear from him yourself. She shared her witness… her testimony… and then invited them to come and experience him for themselves.   And because of her witness, her town became followers of Jesus… and were the first to recognize that he was truly… the Savior of the world.   This… out-of-the-way place… in Samaria.   Its… incredible. And this is only chapter four! Jesus hasn't hardly done anything yet!   He was identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world. …then he called his first disciples…   …and they enjoyed a party at the Wedding at Cana, where, thanks to some strong encouragement from his mother, Mary, Jesus ensured there would be plenty of the very best wine for the happy couple and their guests.   After that, Jesus went to the Temple, where he… caused a scene. The other gospels have this Temple scene happening at the end of his ministry.   John, however, has it at the beginning… it gives Jesus quite the reputation.   And then Nicodemus came to visit him… at night. That's really all that has happened until this point, when he started heading back to Galilee and said it was necessary for them to go through Samaria.   Jesus was still seeking someone he could entrust his identity to… so he went to find this woman.   She taught the disciples… as she teaches us… how to be a witness… how to share our stories of encounter with God… with our Savior, Jesus Christ.   We don't need to fully understand every moment of meaning… only that meeting Jesus is to encounter God… the Holy Spirit… the Divine among us… and to be in relationship with him brings salvation.   We don't have to convince others… Jesus can do that… we just need to invite people to come and see… come and encounter a love so pure and inclusive, that it's hard to wrap our minds around.   Jesus was also seeking to demonstrate to his disciples… to give them a new perspective of just how grand God's love really was.   He needed to push all the boundaries and prejudices they held… and choose the most unlikely person to be the first one with whom he shared his truth.   She was his first witness… the first evangelist… starting the first church… first worshipping community… who understood that the answer to the most pressing theological question of their time… Where is God?   …that the answer was, God is with us, wherever we are.   Jesus needed to give them all some perspective… and we still need that today.   We like to draw boundaries… we like to know who's in and who's out… We like to think that this is all something we can fully wrap our minds around and have some certainty about it. …especially when it comes to God's approval… and God's love.   But it's hard to hold that kind of scope and scale in our minds… so we need this constant reminder… this continual renewal of our perspective… this pointing out of those people that we might be tempted to exclude…   God's love includes them, too.   For God so loved the world… will always be so much bigger than we can imagine, which is good news… because it means that no matter what, everyone is in.   Amen.      

2026-03-08

Matthew 16:13-20 English Standard Version Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c]in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. English Standard Version (ESV) The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.ESV Text Edition: 2025.

In this message from the Come + See series, Pastor Aaron teaches from John 3:22–36, where John the Baptist declares one of the most powerful statements in Scripture:“He must increase, but I must decrease.”When John's disciples became concerned that people were leaving their ministry to follow Jesus, John responded with humility, wisdom, and joy. Instead of competing with Jesus, John embraced his true calling—to point people to Christ.In this passage we discover what it means to live a life that magnifies Jesus:• Spend time with Jesus• Beware of division and comparison• Point people to Christ• Die to self so that Jesus can increaseThe goal of the Christian life is not building our own platform but lifting up the name of Jesus. When we decrease and allow Christ to increase, we discover the joy of living for what truly matters.#EncounterTheRealityOfJesusSupport the show

John 2:23-3:15 Born of the Spirit Please turn in your Bibles to the end of John chapter 2. Our sermon text is John 2:23 to 3:15. Chapter 2 so far has included Jesus' miracle, turning water into wine, and his cleansing of the temple. The narrative now shifts from Jesus' actions to his interactions. The end of chapter 2 introduces these interactions. You'll hear that Jesus knows the heart of man (he knows your heart and my heart). And then in chapter 3, we'll hear the first example of that. A man named Nicodemus. Reading of John 2:23-3:15 Prayer "Bullfrogs and butterflies, we've both been born again." I completely forgot about that children's song until Ed Sellers mentioned it this week in a conversation. He didn't even remember I was preaching on John 3. That song was a hit back in the late 1970s into the 80s. It was that same era that President Jimmy Carter called himself a "born again Christian." Billy Graham also used that title often to describe himself and his faith. It was a Christian cultural thing for a while. In some circles it is still used. And it comes right from John 3. I've been thinking a lot about that title "born again." It has not been my preference as far as a title for a Christian. In part, that's because of its typical association with a certain brand of Christianity. The phrase is also in a sense redundant. After all, every true Christian is born again. However, the more I've through about it, the more I appreciate it - maybe not as a title per-se, but at least as a description. It's true. After all someone who believes in Christ is a new creation in him, the old has passed, the new has come. We are tadpoles and caterpillars that have been transformed into bullfrogs and butterflies. It's a helpful description because being born again means that to be a Christian is more than just believing that Jesus existed. It's more than just knowing religious things. There is something deeper that has to happen in your life. And that is what Jesus is teaching here. As I was reading, you probably noticed there are a few things going on in these verses. ·      For one, at the end of chapter 2 we learn that Jesus is still in Jerusalem. It's still the Passover. He was performing miracles (you know, signs as John calls them). And people were believing. However, not everyone who said they believed in Jesus were truly transformed. That is why in chapter 2 verse 24 it says that Jesus "did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people." He knew their hearts. He knew what was truly on the inside. ·      The second thing we learn is related. We're learning more about Jesus. As we've already seen in the first two chapters and which will continue throughout, there's a deepening revelation of who he is… and why he came. In these verses, we come to understand that Jesus does knows the heart of man; furthermore, he has come down from heaven; and he will be lifted up. We'll get to those two things later. ·      And the third thing we learn about is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit plays a significant role here. We are to be born of the Spirit, as it says - water and Spirit. We'll get to that in a few minutes. So, there's a lot going on... But I think we can boil it down to two questions: How does one see the kingdom of God? You know, where should we look in order to find it? That phrase is there in verse 3. And then, how does one enter the kingdom of God? That's in verse 5. Well, the answers to those questions come through a dialogue. The conversation is between someone seeking answers - that's Nicodemus, an esteemed teacher of Israel, and Jesus - the one in whom the wisdom and knowledge of God is found. Ok, to give us a little structure, we'll consider these things in three points. You can see them on page 4: 1. A teacher who must be taught (3:1-2, 9-10) 2. A birth that must be given (3:3-8) 3. A testimony that must be believed (3:11-15) 1. A teacher who must be taught (3:1-2, 9-10) So, #1, again, a teacher who must be taught. I'm talking, of course, about Nicodemus. We're told that he was a Pharisee. Pharisees were prominent leaders known for their careful study of Jewish law. And it wasn't just the law of Moses which we have in the first 5 books of the Bible. But Pharisees were also experts in applying of the law. They had created additional rules with the goal to help people keep it. Pharisees get a bad rap, and often for good reason because many of them were "white washed tombs" as Jesus would call them. However, some really did desired to see reform and for God's people to strive for covenant faithfulness to God. It's just that for most, their emphasis focused on keeping the rules and not a heart love for God. That's one thing about Nicodemus. He is also called "a ruler of the Jews." So, he was more than just a Pharisee, he was a member of the ruling council, called the Sanhedrin. They had significant power. The Sanhedrin were like the Supreme Court and Congress combined into one council. And furthermore, in chapter 3 verse 10, Jesus referred to Nicodemus as a teacher of Israel. He not only had the knowledge, but he had the capability and authority to teach. He had the responsibility to instruct others in matters pertaining to God's law and the covenants and the history of Israel. So, added together, here was a man of great status and responsibility. He was like a lawyer, a judge, a senator, and a renowned professor all rolled into one. And he was there in Jerusalem observing Jesus and his signs. It's possible Nicodemus had even been at the temple when Jesus cleansed it. And notice that Nicodemus was searching. The text explicitly mentions that he came to find Jesus at night. The question is, did the interaction just happen to be at night? In other words, is the reference to night just because that's when it happened? I don't think so. Why would the apostle John mention night if didn't have significance? Most likely, Nicodemus wanted to talk Jesus but didn't want to attract a crowd. Or perhaps he did not want certain Pharisees or council members to know. After all, Jesus had just made a big ruckus at the temple. And so he goes at night and finds Jesus. And before asking any questions, Nicodemus opens with an observation. Verse 2 "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." Did you notice that he said "we" and not "I?" "We know." Nicodemus was there on behalf of some of the other Pharisees. And even though he didn't ask a question, there was an implicit question in his statement. They wanted to know, was Jesus from God? Now, remember, we were just told that Jesus knows what is in man. He knows Nicodemus's heart. And at this point in his life, Nicodemus was still in the dark. By the way, it's possible that the reference to "night" indicates more than just the time of day. The apostle John loves contrasts like light and darkness and life and death. Jesus had already been described as the Light of the world. Nicodemus was still in the darkness, but was searching for the light. He was not hostile, like most of the other Pharisees, rather, he was looking for the light. That is why Jesus responded " unless one is born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God." Nicodemus was looking but could not yet see. And so, Jesus explains to him how to see and how to enter the kingdom of God. We'll come back to Jesus' answer in point 2, but in the meantime, jump ahead to verse 10. Jesus made a very eye-opening statement to Nicodemus. He said, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?" Here's a man with tremendous credentials and social standing and responsibility. Nicodemus was in a sense a "Hebrew of Hebrews" as the apostle Paul described his own former life. Yet, Nicodemus did not understand. Now, you would have expected Nicodemus to react negatively. After all, Jesus had just accused him of ignorance. But Nicodemus didn't lash out in pride like we will see other Pharisees do. No, it appears that God's Spirit had been at work in his heart. He was a teacher who realized he needed to be taught. Now, we are never told that Nicodemus became born again. However, in chapter 7 he would stand up for Jesus before the chief priests. And in chapter 19, after Jesus' death, it is Nicodemus who brought 75 gallons of precious oils for Jesus' burial. It's kind of like the social media phrase today, "Tell me Nicodemus became a Christian without telling me Nicodemus became a Christian." But at this point… at this first encounter, Nicodemus had yet to understand. He was in the dark. He was a teacher who needed to be taught. 2. A birth that must be given (3:3-8) Which brings us to #2. A birth that must be given. Ok, so "born again." What does that mean? Well, for starters, the phrase "born again" can also be translated "born anew" or "born from above." I think the translation "born again" is the right one. After all, Nicodemus responded by asking, how can someone be born a second time from his mother? Born from above is true but that translation doesn't fit the dialogue. Now, think now about how radical that statement must have been to Nicodemus. Probably a majority of us have heard the phrase "born again" before. Or maybe you've read elsewhere in the Scripture that your heart needs to be regenerated… you needed to become a child of God, adopted into his family. Those ideas are related. But Nicodemus had none of that background. It was very unexpected. Born again? What do you mean? He asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" The question was not belligerent. Rather being born again just sounded impossible to Nicodemus. It's similar to what we considered last week. The Jews didn't understand how Jesus could raise a destroyed temple in 3 days. Here, Nicodemus didn't realize that Jesus had a deeper meaning, and so he simply asked the natural question. Jesus responded that to enter the kingdom of God, one needed to be born of water and Spirit. He went on to explain that what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Nicodemus, your credentials don't matter in the kingdom of God. Your efforts, your labor, your study, your status as a Pharisee nor your status as a member of the Sanhedrin will not get you into heaven. None of those flesh-oriented things get you into the kingdom of God. No, Nicodemus, you need to be born of water and the Spirit. The question is, what does that mean? What does it mean to be born of water and spirit? Well, let's tackle the easier one first. I think we can get our hearts and minds around being born of the Spirit… Jesus is referring to the Holy Spirit. It is God's Spirit who regenerates our hearts. He opens the eyes of our hearts to see and believe. He breathes new life into us as we sang earlier. We were dead and he made us alive. Furthermore, God's Spirit is like the wind, as verse 8 tells us. We can't see the wind, but we know it's there. Branches sway. Wind chimes make music. We hear rustling and whistling when wind passes through trees and in the grass. It's the same with the Holy Spirit. He moves in the hearts of mankind. We can't see him, but we can perceive his regenerating work in others and in our own heart. The Holy Spirit causes us to be born again. It's the water reference that is more difficult. I think, though, that if we consider the context, we can understand what water signifies. The reference to water is most likely the cleansing and renewal that comes with repentance.  Let me give you three reasons: ·      First, in chapter 1, John the Baptist was baptizing with water. It was a baptism of repentance and it signified our need for cleansing. In fact, John the Baptist and his water baptism will be revisited later in this chapter. ·      Second, earlier in chapter 2 we also came across a reference to water. The ceremonial pots were filled with water. Those pots were for purification… they were for cleansing. The water was turned to wine in part to signify our need for Jesus to cleanse us… not by the outward washing by water but by the inward cleansing of our sin. ·      And third, the connection between the symbolic cleansing of water and the Holy Spirit is elsewhere in Scripture. Take, for example, Ezekiel's prophecy in chapter 36. It says that the Lord will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness. It then goes on says the Lord will give us new hearts and put his Spirit within us. So, the cleansing of water and the Spirit. Or consider Titus 4. It says that Jesus Christ "saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness." In other words, we are not saved in our flesh, our works. Rather, it says, "by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit." So, the reference to water here is not talking about physical water. Rather it symbolizes our need to be cleansed from our sin. We need to be born of water and Spirit. Let me summarize: entrance into the kingdom of God comes through the cleansing ministry of Christ when the Spirit of God gives you new heart. He reveals your heart of sin and gives you a heart of repentance and faith. And all of it is God's work in us, not our work. To be born again is to be born of the Spirit and not the flesh. None of us here had anything to do with our natural birth.  It just happened to us. Well, new birth is similar in that way. It is God's Spirit who causes us to be born again.  3. A testimony that must be believed (3:11-15) #3. A testimony that must be believed. Well, that brings us to verses 11-15. Notice that at this point, the dialogue has stopped. Instead of a back and forth, Jesus now teaches the teacher of Israel. And what Jesus is now doing is he's pressing into Nicodemus about believing. I want to make a special note here. The "you" at the end of verses 11 and all the "you-s" in verse 12 are all plural. Remember, Nicodemus had come as a representative. He was inquiring on behalf of a group of Pharisees. So, while the Holy Spirit may have been softening Nicodemus's heart, that is not the case for some of the others. That is why Jesus asks a rhetorical question, " If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?." And immediately after saying that, Jesus revealed that he himself is from heaven. He was saying, if you all don't believe that you need to be born again, how will you believe in me, the Son of Man, come from heaven? We came across the Son of Man title at the end of chapter 1. It's a reference to Daniel's prophecy about the Messiah - Remember, the Son of Man was given dominion and power and a kingdom. In other words, Jesus was saying in order for someone to be truly born again, they first needed to believe in his testimony… that he is indeed is God in the flesh. But Jesus doesn't end it there. No he continued. To be born again requires not only belief in his identity, but also belief about his saving ministry. That is what verse 14 and 15 are talking about. It refers to Jesus being "lifted up." That is, lifted up on the cross. We read from Numbers chapter 21 earlier. In the wilderness, God's people had been grumbling against him. And because of that, the people had been inflicted with poisonous serpents. Many died who had been bitten. And so, God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and to hoist it up on a pole. From that point onward, anyone who had been bitten by a serpent could look upon the bronze serpent, and they would live. What God was revealing in the wilderness, is that he would send one who would be lifted up. This one, this Messiah, would spiritually heal sinners condemned to death. You see, it was another pattern that displayed Christ, and more specifically it foreshadowed the cross. So, to be born again is to not only to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but also to believe that he was lifted up on the cross to bring healing from sin. And, of course, when Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, the cross had yet to happen, so he was prophesying what would come. Conclusion So, a teacher who needed to be taught, a birth that must be given, and a testimony that must be believed. Let me conclude by circle back to the two questions being answered: How do we see the kingdom of God and how do we enter it? Well, Jesus has told us. We will not find the kingdom of God through our credentials or our religious knowledge. Nicodemus had all of that and yet he still could not see. No, the kingdom of God is spiritual, and we will only see it through spiritual eyes given to us by the Spirit. And we will only enter it when we are born again. That is, when we are cleansed by the ministry of Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the path into the kingdom does not come through our own efforts. You do not enter the kingdom of God because your parents are Christians or in Nicodemus's case because he was an Israelite, and a special one at that. No, rather, you need to be born again... You need a transformation from being a tadpole or a caterpillar into a bullfrog or a butterfly. You need a new heart - a heart of repentance that believes in the one who came down from heaven and was lifted up on the cross. Maybe you are like Nicodemus. You've come to Jesus at night because you are seeking. If that's you, pray to him and ask him that he would grant you to be born again… born by water and the Spirit… the cleansing ministry of Christ and new life given to you….

Luke 3:1-6 | There are two massive and connected statements regarding the life of John the Baptist. The first is something he said: "He must increase, and I must decrease."" The second is something Jesus said of him: "...among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist..." These realities are connected. John understood the best way he could spend his life was to humble himself in a way that exalted Jesus. This is the picture of true greatness. We begin a four week look at the life and ministry of John the Baptist seeking to understand what a life of decrease so Christ increases can look like. 

If the world feels unjust, is anyone truly in control? How will lost sinners ever be reconciled? Where does real hope begin? In today's episode, Patrick unpacks Luke 1:1–25 and explains how the birth announcement of John the Baptist signals that God is already at work—bringing life, healing, and ultimate restoration through Jesus. Read the Bible with us in 2026! This year, we're exploring the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passage: Luke 1:1–25

Read OnlineJesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned…” Matthew 21:33–34Jesus addressed this parable to the chief priests and elders of the people because He loved them. It concludes with Jesus prophesying the fate of these religious leaders: “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” The religious leaders were deeply rooted in their sins, and this parable was meant to uproot those sins, disturbing the soil of their hearts. Out of hope for their conversion, Jesus, in His mercy, took decisive action in a direct, clear, and bold way.This vineyard image comes from Isaiah 5:1–7, which identifies Israel as the “vineyard of the LORD of hosts.” The landowner is God, and the people of Judah were His “cherished plant.” God had planted, nurtured, and protected His people. The hedge, the wine press, and the tower all point to the care and providence God had for them, showing that they had been given everything they needed to flourish spiritually.The problem was the “tenants”—the chief priests and elders of the people who had been entrusted with the care of God's people. They neglected their duty to bear fruit for God's glory, perverting His Law and usurping His Kingdom for their own prestige, authority, and comfort. Jesus rebuked them harshly, identifying them as murderers, even of the landowner's son, a clear reference to Himself. Their attachment to power and outward religiosity blinded them to the deeper demands of justice, mercy, and faithfulness to God's covenant. This pride led to their rejection of the prophets, John the Baptist, and the Messiah.Though it might be initially unpleasant to do so, take some time to consider how you struggle with similar sins. Do you forcefully and jealously try to control the people in your life? Are you overly concerned about how people perceive you, elevating your public image dishonestly? Are you greedy, desirous of power for selfish gain, and attached to your own comforts? Or is charity at the forefront of your daily mission with people, especially those most difficult to love, avoiding rejection, rash judgment, and condemnation?Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His time so strongly because many of them suffered deeply from these sins. He knew that His rebukes would lead some to anger, but He hoped others would repent—and some did. Every rebuke Jesus made was an act of love, and the more deeply entrenched we are in our sins, the more we need this form of direct, confrontational love from our Lord.Even if the extreme pride of these chief priests and elders is not a major issue for you, pride is likely present in some form. Pride is often the last sin to be purged from our souls, as it is considered the “mother of all sin.” At its core, pride is selfishness, rather than selfless, sacrificial love.Reflect today on Jesus' firm rebuke of the religious leaders and His desire to rebuke you. Don't take offense at this form of love. Be open to it, be humbled by it, experience freedom from it, and rejoice as you see those sins—be they big or small—that keep you from fully surrendering your life to Christ.Most merciful Lord, though at times You are gentle with Your people, especially when they are broken, fearful, and confused, there are other times when Your love comes in the form of a holy rebuke. Please humble me, Lord, so that I can accept those rebukes and allow Your grace to root out every form of pride with which I struggle. Jesus, I trust in You.Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Dr. Ray Taylor storms into the Virtual Alexandria. He'll argue the radical claim that Jesus was not a Jewish messiah but a Mandaean teacher of light and spirit whose authentic message was suppressed to serve the interests of the Roman Empire. You'll discover the hidden cosmology of the “World of Light” and the true significance of John the Baptist, whose ancient river baptisms were intended as a continuous path to liberation rather than a one-time church ritual. By exposing the “cleanup job” of the New Testament, we'll reveal a deep-seated conspiracy to replace the gnostic wisdom of Simon Magus with the fabricated theology of rising Abrahamic religions. More on Ray: https://bishopraytaylorphd.substack.com/ Get The Occult Elvis: https://amzn.to/4jnTjE4 Virtual Alexandria Academy: https://thegodabovegod.com/virtual-alexandria-academy/ Gnostic Tarot Readings: https://thegodabovegod.com/gnostic-tarot-reading/ The Gnostic Tarot: https://www.makeplayingcards.com/sell/synkrasis Homepage: https://thegodabovegod.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aeonbyte AB Prime: https://thegodabovegod.com/members/subscription-levels/ Voice Over services: https://thegodabovegod.com/voice-talent/ Support with donation: https://buy.stripe.com/00g16Q8RK8D93mw288 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of Faith & Family Bible Study, Steve Wood explores how prodigal sons and daughters can return to a living relationship with Jesus through true repentance. Focusing on Gospel of Matthew Chapter 3, Steve explains John the Baptist's call to repentance as an inner change of heart that leads us back to God the Father. Drawing on Psalm 32 and the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Gospel of Luke Chapter 15, this episode shows that repentance is not despair, but hope—a movement from sinful self to the Father who welcomes His children home with mercy and joy. A powerful encouragement for anyone who feels far from God or longs for a fresh start in their faith. For more resources, visit us online at www.BibleforCatholics.com.

In this second live Q&A of our Lent 2025 series Jesus in Galilee, Dom works through nearly 40 questions from the more than 2,000 people in the class — and Dom is, as promised, brief. The conversation moves from Cyrus and the economic disruption of Roman Galilee, to the misplaced colon in Isaiah 40 that quietly rewrote John the Baptist's identity, to why Mark borrowed a Roman horror story about a prostitute at a banquet to tell the story of John's execution. Dom defends his claim that Jesus underwent a genuine conversion after John's death — bigger than Paul's, he says, because it involved a different vision of God entirely — and insists that the apocalyptic tradition of waiting for God to intervene is not just a theological mistake but, after 2,000 years, edges toward something harsher than delusion. As always, Dom leaves you with more to think about than when you started. To join the class and get access to all four visual lectures, head to CrossanClass.com. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube ONLINE LENT CLASS: Jesus in Galilee w/ John Dominic Crossan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What can we actually know about Jesus of Nazareth? And, what difference does it make? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This Lenten class ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠begins where all of Dr. John Dominic Crossan's has work begins: with history. What was actually happening in Galilee in the 20s CE? What did Herod Antipas' transformation of the "Sea of Galilee" into the commercial "Sea of Tiberias" mean for peasant fishing communities? Why did Jesus emerge from John's baptism movement proclaiming God's Rule through parables—and what made that medium so perfectly suited to that message? Only by understanding what Jesus' parables meant then can we wrestle with what they might demand of us now. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The class is donation-based, including 0, so join, get info, and join up here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ John Dominic Crossan, professor emeritus at DePaul University, is widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Historical Jesus, How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian, God and Empire, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, The Greatest Prayer, The Last Week, and The Power of Parable. He lives in Minneola, Florida. Previous Podcast Episodes with Dom & Tripp ⁠⁠A Tale of Two Gods: Why C.S. Lewis's Famous Argument Falls Apart⁠⁠ ⁠⁠From Iron Swords to Nuclear Bombs: Tracing 3,000 Years of Escalatory Violence⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paul, Christ, & the Mystery of Execution & Resurrection⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paul, Josephus, & the Challenge of Nonviolent Resistance⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paul, Rome, & the Violent Normalcy of Civilization⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paul & the Fictional History of Luke-Acts⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Paul & Thecla⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Ask JC Anything⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Andrew Lovette and Pastor Pat Kappenman reflect on John 3:22-36 after preaching, emphasizing the central point: Christ must increase as his servants decrease. They discuss John's purpose in writing—so people believe Jesus is the Christ and have life in his name—and how the Gospel is intentionally structured to show the meaning of events. Using the dispute over purification and John the Baptist's response, they contrast meaningful conversations with heated debates and warn against being distracted from Christ's centrality.

AMDG. Author, speaker, and Franciscan University theology professor John Bergsma joins the Kolbecast for a discussion you won't want to miss. From his conversion from Protestant pastor to Catholic theologian, to the stunning revelations that have emerged since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Dr. Bergsma brings the Catholic faith alive.    We ask Dr. Bergsma about the new wave of Catholic scholarship, the Essene Jews, St. John the Baptist, the origins of the Jubilee Year, and so much more. Whether you have followed Dr. Bergsma's work for years or are hearing his name for the first time, you are sure to learn something new about your faith in this episode!   Links mentioned & relevant:  Dr. John Bergsma's website, including a shop with his writings and talks  Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity  Jesus and the Jubilee: The Biblical Roots of the Year of God's Favor  Bible Basics for Catholics  A Catholic Introduction to the Bible  The St. Paul Center  Dr. Brant Pitre   Related Kolbecast episodes:  251 A Year of the Lord's Favor with Joan Watson  287 Emily Stimpson Chapman See the World through Catholic Eyes  Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.   We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

Don't Bow to the Beast (1) (audio) David Eells 3/4/26  I want to talk to you about refusing to bow to the Beast, but we will first go over a little background.  Many Christians are deceived about the Bride and the leadership of the church. We know God is raising up a new leadership, a Man-child ministry in these days that's going to be the first fruits of those to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 16 that He was going to come again as a baby, a Man-child, born to a woman. We read in Revelation 12 that the Man-child is born at the beginning of the Tribulation Period and that the Man-child leads the woman through the wilderness. In studying the Book of Esther, we've learned that “Mordecai” in Hebrew means “little man” and in Persian means “little boy.” Persia was the Beast kingdom that he was under at the time. Both of those mean “Manchild.” In Esther 2:5, it says that Mordecai was in Shushan, the palace. He wasn't just a commoner; he was a ruler, somebody under the king who probably had to do with ruling over God's people. In Esther 2:19-20, it says that he also sat in the “king's gate,” which was the place of government, where the rulers of the conquered nations gathered before the king. Mordecai raised up Esther as the Bride and he “nourished her,” the original word says. He prepared her for this time and he continued to guide her steps all the way through the Book of Esther, all the way through their tribulation. Also, Hegai, the king's chamberlain, was very pleased with Esther, and she required nothing but what Hegai provided. And we need nothing but what the Holy Spirit provides us with. (Rom.8:14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. This Bride and Man-child are the “sons of God” for whom the creation has been awaiting, the fullness of the sonship of Jesus Christ manifested in His people. In fact, the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, the Bride who was chosen from among all the fair virgins of the kingdom, was called his “perfect one” (Song of Solomon 5:2). God is going to perfect, to mature His people. Esther was chosen out of all the fair virgins of the kingdom “because the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her Queen” (Est.2:17). But even then she was under the guidance of Mordecai and in verse (20) … Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him. So we see that the job of the Man-child is to raise up the Bride and guide her. The Man-child is the head of the Bride, much like the False Prophet is the head of the Harlot. There is a corporate body of apostate people, called the Harlot, and the head of that body is its so-called Christian leadership, which is leading it astray. The Bride is Jerusalem and David was the head of Jerusalem. When Jesus came, He sat upon the throne of David and He was the head of the Bride. John the Baptist said, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom (Joh.3:29), as he saw Jesus leading the disciples. That's a short background, somewhat, and there's much more to the Book of Esther. (Est.3:1) After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. These princes were the people who ruled over the kingdoms over which Ahasuerus ruled, and among those princes was Mordecai, who was over the people of God. Now we see that Mordecai and Esther are two entities whom God uses to save the rest of the people of God from destruction by the Beast. The Beast that was to destroy them is represented here by Haman, who is a corporate body, just as Mordecai represents a corporate body of people. Why would God advance Haman above the other princes? Because throughout history, God has raised up a Beast kingdom over His people in times when His people were in apostasy. Why is God calling His people out of the Harlot? (Rev.18:4) … Come forth, my people, out of her…. It's because there is such an apostasy in the Church, and they've turned away from the Word; they've gone after religions. They are in apostasy and God is calling His people out of that.  This is what the Tribulation is for. Every time God's people have become a harlot, He raised up a Beast to come against them: from Egypt, to Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and now the end-time Rome. We're seeing a worldwide revived Roman Empire being raised up again for the purpose of sanctifying His people and bringing them to repentance. The raising up of Haman, with his authority to destroy the people of God, is what brings God's people to repentance. (Est.3:2) And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate (That's the place where government was, where all the representatives of the nations saw the face of the King.), bowed down, and did reverence to Haman (the Beast); for the king had so commanded concerning him. In Rom 13 we are told to submit to the powers that be. He had given Haman authority over God's people. People don't think that the Lord gives authority to evil in the earth, but He does, and it's for the purpose of bringing repentance. (Job2:10) … What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil… God does bring evil against His people as a chastening and a method to bring them to repentance.  So all the King's servants who were in the King's gate bowed down to the Beast, But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence (Est.3:2). I would say bowing down with reverence should be given nly to God. However, submitting to man's kingdoms is necessary to obey the Lord.  This is something we find all through the Scriptures. Mordecai, as a type of the man-child, refused to bow down to the Beast. We see the example of Joseph, who was sold into bondage by the Harlot, Potiphar's wife, and came to the position of authority like Mordecai. We see the example of Jesus, who didn't bow down to the Beast; and Moses, who didn't bow down; and Daniel – all these are types of the Man-child, who refused to bow down to the Beast.  (3) Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? (4) Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. Who is this accusing Mordecai to the Beast? You remember throughout history how the apostate brethren of Joseph persecuted and came against him and sold him into the hand of the Beast; and the apostate brethren of Jesus, the leadership of apostate Israel, accused Him to the Beast. We're seeing the same thing here; history keeps on repeating. We're not talking about rebellion against Constitutional, political authority here. We're talking about rebellion in terms of not bowing down religiously, of not worshipping the Beast as God. Today, there is a spirit of worship of the Beast by Christians, and there has been for many centuries. Patriotism, pledging allegiance, all these things that saints in past days would never have thought of doing, God's people today think nothing of. They don't understand that there's only one Kingdom – the Kingdom of God – which we should be representing. (5) And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. (6) But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. Notice that the head over all God's true people is represented here by Mordecai.  In the rest of the story, Mordecai and Esther save all of these Jews from the Beast. Does that mean that all of what we loosely call Christians are going to be saved from the Beast? No, but the true Jews, those who are circumcised in heart, not in flesh, are all going to be saved. All Israel (Romans 11:26) is going to be saved – everybody who is grafted into the olive tree called “all Israel.” They'll be saved from the Beast in one form or another. We see here that Mordecai is one of the princes who sat in the king's gate to represent his people. He was among the other princes who were accusing him. In Ezekiel 17, I've shared a revelation the Lord gave me concerning the Beast of D.S. Babylon, who has brought God's people into bondage. We know that when Babylon conquered the nations, it not only brought apostate Israel into bondage, but they brought people like Daniel and the Hebrews, who were appointed people of God in their time, under the thumb of the Beast kingdom. When we talk about Mordecai, we're talking about the good leadership, but what about the bad leadership that accused him? (Eze.17:2) Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; (3) and say, Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar: (4) he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. This represents the Great Eagle of America which is the head of D.S. Babylon, bringing the leadership of God's people into bondage. In the natural, it's happening; natural Israel is more and more under Kazarian D.S. dominion. Something else is also happening, and that is, that spiritual new testament Israel said to be circumcised in heart is being brought more and more under the dominion of the latest Beast government. Media-Persia of Cyrus/Trump is conquering Babylon, thank God. In fact, as we keep reading, it says (11) Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (12) Say now to the rebellious house…. Why is it that God is permitting  Beast governments to bring under their authority the spiritual people of God and the “letter” people of God, the natural Jews? It is because they are rebellious houses. The letter Israel is a type and shadow for spiritual Israel. They've rebelled against the covenant that God has given. (12) Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to him to Babylon. So the king and the princes of both spiritual and natural Israel have been under the dominion of Babylon. What makes a beast a beast? The flesh is in control over the spiritual. The Alliance of nations under Cyrus/Trump is about to be a GESARA covenant. Although we will benefit from this covenant to rebuild the Kingdom of God, it will not last. The next seven verses go on to talk about a covenant that was broken in the middle, exactly as we would expect if it were Daniel's 70th-week covenant of the end-time broken in the middle. God also rebukes them for breaking His covenant and then He talks about another leadership that He's raising up. We just saw the apostate leadership, the king and the princes, brought under the dominion of Babylon, but He talks about a new leadership here. (22) Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the l7ofty top of the cedar (An evergreen type of eternal life), and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain. That's referring to the mountain representing the Kingdom of God, spiritual Mount Zion. This was the same description (cropping off the topmost twigs) that God gave in verse four here, referring to the apostate leadership of Israel/Church, but now the Lord speaks of a type of the Israel/Church's new leadership. So, once again, He is talking about a new leadership, “the topmost twig.” (23) In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell. (24) And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it. God is bringing down a false leadership over the true people of God, and He's raising up a new leadership. This is just as it was in the days of Jesus and Moses, when the apostate leadership persecuted the Man-child Jesus and then His disciples. In the same way, in the end-time, God is going to bring down the high and the lofty and raise up the lowly to take that position who will walk in the steps of the Lord Jesus, the Man-child of Revelation 12. He came as a Lamb but now as a Lion. We just had a prophecy of the coming Lion, who come manifested in His Man-child body.  So we see here two groups in captivity. In the time of Esther, there were two groups in captivity, and the one persecuted the other, just as the False Prophet in Israel, the Sanhedrin, persecuted the Man-child ministry of Jesus. We see the same thing with Mordecai and these servants of the king who accused him to the Beast. Jesus was accused to the Beast by the corporate False Prophet of Israel. Also, we can go to Daniel and see that when Babylon took God's people into captivity, there was the good thrown in with the bad. (Dan.1:1) In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon (the “Great Eagle” in Eze 17.) unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. (2) And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god. (3) And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in [certain] of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal and of the nobles; (4) youths in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skilful in all wisdom, and endued with knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace…. There it is! These are people whom God is raising up who are spotless and blemishless, and they're not equated with the Jewish king and his princes, who were also taken captive. That's the way it was with Daniel. (6) Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. (7) And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave [the name of] Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, [of] Shadrach; and to Mishael, [of] Meshach; and to Azariah, [of] Abednego. Next, these four had to be proven because they wouldn't be defiled by eating the king's food. They wouldn't partake of the Babylonish king's dainties and, since they wouldn't be defiled, they also didn't bow down to the image of the Beast. It's important to know that what we eat is what we are, and if we partake of a beastly doctrine that enables our flesh to rule, we will become a member of the Beast. Our flesh is a member of the Beast kingdom – it is an enemy of God; it's at enmity with your spirit. Partaking of fleshly doctrines is partaking of the Beast's dainties. Anyway, there was nothing but good said about these four Hebrews. (17) Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. … (20) And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his realm. (21) And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. What we see in the Book of Daniel – twice, in chapters 3 and 6 – is exactly what we see concerning the accusations against Mordecai, the Man-child, by the other leaders. What happened in Jesus' day, when He was accused by the other rabbis, the apostates (and accused to the Roman Beast, too, by the way), we see also in Daniel. The three Hebrews represented the people who would not bow down. Daniel was obviously in leadership, but the three Hebrews refused to bow down to the image of the Beast in Daniel chapter three. It was the image of the Beast because it had the number of the Beast. (Dan.3:1) Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore (60 - there's “6”) cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits (there's “6-6”): he set it up in the plain of Dura…. “Dura” means “a circle,” which reminds us of the earth, and the Gematria for “the earth” or “the world” is 600. So there you have a representation of the world adding up to 666. We're talking about the image of the Beast, and it's made up of, if we look carefully in chapter two, all the peoples and all the kingdoms, one right after another.  Now notice who was commanding the people to bow down to this image: (4) Then the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages…. The word “herald” is the only Greek word in this text, and it's the New Testament word for “preacher.” So we have apostate preachers over the people of God, commanding them to bow down to the image of the Beast. This is like pledging allegiance. Not everybody bowed down, just as we saw with Mordecai. The other servants of the king who stood in the king's gate bowed down. This was the leadership of the apostate people of God, or the False Prophet. They bowed down to Haman, but Mordecai, the Man-child, refused. We see that they commanded them to bow down, and the people all bowed down, except for the three Hebrews. (8) Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews. They were accused because they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast. Now, God saved them and brought a witness through them of His power to save, even in the fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter, as in the seven years of the Tribulation Period. “Times” is used in Revelation 12:14, for instance, as in “a time, times, and half a time,” speaking of years. So “seven times” in this text speaks of the Tribulation Period. The three Hebrews refused to bow down. They served the king, obeyed and submitted to the government of the king, but when it came to bowing down, they refused. The world is going to demand this; they're going to make their generic god, and everyone is going to have to serve it and be at peace with others and not witness to others and so on. We have another witness of Daniel himself, who was a type of the Man-child. Daniel refused to bow down, and the same situation happened. There were others with him, who were leaders, who accused him before the Beast: (Dan.6:1) It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom; (2) and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one (“Throughout the whole kingdom” could be an application of what we loosely call “the Kingdom of God.”); that these satraps might give account unto them, and that the king should have no damage. (3) Then this Daniel was distinguished above the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. (4) Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault, forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Praise God! Those were the false prophets who corresponded to the false prophets in Jesus' day, who sought occasion for false witness against Jesus, and since He had committed no sin, they had to falsely accuse Him. It was the same with Daniel here. The head of the Harlot was the false prophets and false leaders who were accusing Jesus, How is the faithful city become a harlot! … (Isa.1:21). God's people had become a harlot because they had apostatized and were committing fornication with the world. They were receiving the seed of the world, the seed of the Beast kingdom. (Dan.6:5) Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. (6) Then these presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. (7) All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the counsellors and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a strong interdict, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel only bowed down to his God; he only asked of his God; he wasn't going to treat the king or the Beast as a god. (8) Now, O king, establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (9) Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the interdict. (10) And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his chamber toward Jerusalem;) and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. So he only knelt down to the God of Israel. He refused to bow down to the image of the Beast.  (11) Then these men assembled together, and found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God. (12) Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's interdict: Hast thou not signed an interdict, that every man that shall make petition unto any god or man within thirty days, save unto thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. (13) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the interdict that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. (14) Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to rescue him. Notice that it wasn't the Beast that wanted to destroy the Man-child; it was his own brothers. Joseph's brothers were the ones who sold him into bondage to the Gentiles. And, accordingly, Pilate wanted nothing to do with crucifying what he called Jesus, this righteous man (Mat.27:24).  The apostates twisted his arm, exactly as they are doing here. We are headed to the exact same time, when the false leadership over God's people is going to be used to persecute the true leadership. Although all of them are going to be under the same Beast government rule, the leadership of the apostate people of God, just as we saw with Mordecai, is going to bow down to the Beast. Amazingly, people whom you and I have called Christians and thought were Christians will be part of a great falling away. The 10 northern tribes worshipped the image of the beast and were part of a great falling away. They bowed down to the golden calf, or the image of a beast. Now the same thing is happening to what we loosely call Christianity; they have built and bowed down to their golden calf. It's a work of man's hands. It has nothing to do with God or His Word that He created in the very beginning, as far as Christianity is concerned. It's something that they have made themselves, and because it's their own, they're going to want to protect it and defend it and their livelihood along with it. The Man-child ministry is going to be a threat to that because of the truths that will come forth, just as they came out of Jesus. The Bible spoke about Jesus, how He opened His mouth, and things that were hidden from the foundation of the world were revealed. Things that have been hidden are going to be revealed, but also, things that have been hidden in God's people are going to be revealed by this great falling away and by the apostates' siding with the Beast against their brethren. They are Judases, sons of perdition, false prophets. The point here in Daniel is that he still refused to do anything but bow down only to the real, true God, not to just any ruler or generic god, not even to any god that they might call “Jesus.” Many religious images of Jesus are not Him at all. When we read the Bible, we see the true Jesus and His crucified life. That contrasts with what we see now in Christianity. Will the current leadership continue to bring a reproach on Christianity by living so lavishly and fleecing so many people? That's not walking in the steps of Jesus; that's not the crucified life. These people defend that lifestyle as spiritual, and it's a shame. How many airplanes can a person use? God is sending the Beast not only because of the leadership, but also because of the people who don't understand that they should not support people who do such things. The crucified life that Jesus and His disciples walked was a simple life without all the accoutrements of Babylon. They didn't have the fancy temple and the big synagogues, but they had the truth. That was part of the trial. There is a great apostasy, a rebellion, in the church. They're in love with the world, and the things of the world, and the Bible says, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (1Jn.2:15). God is proving just who it is who loves Him. The Bride, in the Song of Solomon, ran fanatically after the Bridegroom, so much so that she surprised the other queens, virgins, and concubines. They thought that one Jesus was just as good as another. But the other Jesus' are made by man. They give Jesus a character that's contrary to Scripture, a contrary doctrine, and so on.  Well, Daniel wouldn't bow down, so he had to be thrown into the lion's den and, as you know, God preserved him. God sent His angel. (Dan.6:18) Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him: and his sleep fled from him. (19) Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. (20) And when he came near unto the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? (21) Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. (22) My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. (23) Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he had trusted in his God. (24) And the king commanded, and they brought those men that had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces, before they came to the bottom of the den. That's very similar to Revelation 17:16, where the Beast devours the Harlot.  The apostate leaders who accused Jesus were then destroyed, and as we know, there's a great and terrible Day of the Lord coming, when that's exactly what's going to happen. The Beast is going to devour and destroy the Harlot and burn her flesh with fire. So the Beast was basically made a believer in the God of Daniel, just as in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; and, by the way, Daniel chapter seven speaks of the end-time. We know the timing of Daniel's Tribulation because he gets a revelation of the four Beasts, and from his time, which was the time of Babylon onward, is when his revelation started. His vision didn't start with the Egyptian and Assyrian Beasts, which were two that came before Babylon. The Beasts of Revelation, however, start with those two that came before Babylon. Daniel mentions the four Beasts that lead up to the end-time Beast. There was the lion with eagle's wings (Babylon) that was conquered by the Media-Persian bear, then by Greece, then Rome. He was prophesying again of the image of the Beast.  In today's end-times, these entities are still with us. The Lion with Eagle's wings is the British Empire, and the Eagle's wings are the present head of the British Empire and America. This is the Great Eagle, which was then and will be today conquered by the Medo-Persian Bear. So not only were these historic, from Daniel's day on, but they're also an end-time revelation of what's going to happen. We find that this last Beast that he talks about, which was Rome, devours the whole earth. The last Beast, he tells us, was headed up by 10 horns, exactly like Revelation 17. The 10 horns are the ten kings that rule over the Beast kingdom. Among those 10 horns comes up a little horn (Daniel 7:8) that's different, it says, from the rest of the horns. That little horn is a ruler among rulers that will be diverse from all of the 10, and it is the corporate False Prophet. (Dan.7:21) … The same horn made war with the saints…. There it is again! They'll make war on the Man-child and the saints, which is exactly what we see in the rest of the Book of Esther. (Dan.7:23) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth…. We have had the United Nations, whose place is being taken by the Alliance of nations. The whole earth is inside the body of the last Beast. GESARA Law was signed unanimously by all 209 countries in 2015. Remember that in Daniel's vision of the legs of the image of the beast, Rome lasted from the thighs all the way down to the toes – the iron that was mixed with the clay. It is different in these days because now it has covered; it has devoured, the whole earth. And among those 10 kings is the little horn that comes up to make war on the saints. (Dan.7:20) ... Before which three fell, even that [horn] that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. (21) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; (22) until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.  So we see the Beast has been given authority to crucify Christ once more. It says that he “prevailed against them.” This False Prophet and the Harlot beneath the False Prophet have been given authority to crucify the flesh of the saints. It doesn't necessarily mean that all will die; that's not the point here. The point is the crucifixion of the flesh of the saints. The Church is in rebellion because the flesh rules. The Beast, in a spiritual way, is ruling over them already because their flesh rules over them already. There has to be a crucifixion for us to bear fruit and come into the Kingdom; therefore, God is raising up this whole worldwide kingdom to come against His people. The little horn represents a religious entity because it's different from the other horns. They are corporate bodies of secular rulers, but the little horn is a corporate body of religious rulers who will bring God's people to their cross, much like they did to Jesus in His day. This is the seed of that same Sanhedrin that's being raised up in our day, no different from the earlier one. The Sanhedrin in natural Israel has been raised up again, and the Sanhedrin in spiritual Israel has been raised up again, too, to crucify the body of Christ again. God just repeats history in larger and larger ways. The spiritual man is not going to be conquered, and the quicker we learn to submit, the more we will be like Daniel, in that the lions' mouths will be closed. The Beast will not be able to devour Daniel. The fire of the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter, will not be able to devour the three Hebrews because they have refused to eat the king's dainties and they refused to bow down to the image of the Beast, just like Daniel. What we see in Esther is clearly a prophecy of the end-time. The persecution that was raised up against Mordecai, who was over all God's people of the kingdom, will be repeated in our day. Remember, the Beast decided to kill the people of Mordecai. The people of Mordecai, of whom we are speaking, include the Bride, but just as Jerusalem is only part of the Kingdom, the Bride is only part of the people of Mordecai. Not everybody in the Church is going to follow the Man-child. All the righteous Jews in the rest of the kingdom will be delivered from the Beast through the righteous leadership of Mordecai, the Man-child, and Esther, the Bride – a leadership that refused to bow down and a people that refused to bow down, respectively. The true people of God will not bow down. The rest will worship the image of the Beast; they will bow down. God is sending a separation in the form of this image of the Beast. The people who have no faith in their God, no commitment to their God, will find it easier to justify themselves and bow down to the image of the Beast, even change their doctrines, if necessary, and submit to the Beast kingdom. The true people of God are represented by the people of Mordecai, who discover that this leadership is truly the right leadership, like the people who followed Jesus in His day. This represented a people from among natural Israel who were a first fruits to follow Jesus diligently, just as it will be in our day. (Joh.3:29) He that hath the bride is the bridegroom…. Even if a person didn't come up to the standard of the Bride which Jesus raised up, He sent them forth unto every place He was about to go to fulfill the Great Commission. The apostles raised up the five-fold ministry as the leadership for the rest of spiritual Israel, just as the latter-day apostles will for the Church. We have some great days coming, some wondrous days. In Esther 3:7-8, it is also revealed that God's people had been rebellious, and that's the reason this is coming today. The best thing we can do is learn to serve the true and living God. Don't bow down to the Beast.

In this verse-by-verse Expository Bible study, Dave Bigler (at his home church of Adirondack Christian Fellowship) explores the powerful narrative of the Transfiguration of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 16.28–17.13. By comparing the synoptic gospels—including the accounts in Mark 9 and Luke 9— Dave provides a comprehensive look at this pivotal moment on the "sacred mountain," likely Mount Hermon. The teaching examines the symbolic appearance of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets, and the divine declaration from God the Father that solidifies Jesus as the Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old Testament.Beyond historical context, this Bible teaching offers practical spiritual applications for modern believers, focusing on the supremacy of Christ and the necessity of a disciplined prayer life. Dave breaks down the inductive Bible study method—observation, interpretation, and application—to help viewers recognize Jesus' voice in their own lives. Whether you are studying the Gospel of Matthew, interested in the connection between John the Baptist and Elijah, or looking for peace through spiritual retreat, this teaching provides essential insights into the glory of Jesus Christ and His role as our Savior.Adirondack Christian Fellowship:https://acfsaratoga.org/Outline:00:00 - Introduction Welcome and opening remarks.00:26 - Scripture Overview Introducing the primary text: Matthew 16.28 – 17.13.01:07 - Reading of Matthew 16.28 - 17.13.03:47 - The Value of Four Gospels Discussion on why we have different perspectives on the same events.09:39 - Verse Breakdown: The Promise of the Kingdom Analyzing the connection between Jesus' promise and the event of the Transfiguration.11:51 - Verse Breakdown: The High Mountain Exploring the geography of the Transfiguration (Mt. Tabor vs. Mt. Hermon).15:15 - Jesus is transfigured, revealing His divine glory. Precedent: Exodus 34 (Moses' face shining).20:34 - The Light of Heaven Revelation 21.23.20:56 - Moses and Elijah Appear Representing the Law and the Prophets talking with Jesus.22:31 - The Inductive Bible Study Method Briefly explaining the steps of Observation, Interpretation, and Application.27:51 - Peter's Response Peter offers to build three tabernacles (tents). Context: Exodus (The Tabernacle) and Leviticus (The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot).31:33 - The Voice from the Cloud, God the Father declares His approval and gives the command to listen to Jesus. 34:07 - "Do Not Be Afraid," the disciples' reaction and Jesus' comforting touch.37:04 - Jesus Found Alone "Solus Christus"—Christ alone remains.40:30 - Jesus instructs them to wait until after the Resurrection to share the vision.41:59 - Discussions on the return of Elijah and the role of John the Baptist. Malachi 4.5-6, Luke 1.13-17, Matthew 11.14.48:52 - Final Application: Solus Christus Three ways to respond: Making Christ first, listening to His Word, and finding time for regular retreat. John 14.6, Philippians 4.6-7, 1 Peter 5.7, 2 Peter 1.16-18.

Who is this? “Who is Jesus?”  Is he just a historical figure, a religious leader, a philosopher, or a teacher? Was he a revolutionary and a political rebel? Is he an imaginary person and a myth? Or is Jesus the Messiah, the King of the Jews, a Savior, and God in the flesh?Main Points:1. This is the most important question you will ever be asked. It's a personal question, with eternal implications… “Who is Jesus?”2. This is so important because to be almost right about Jesus is to be totally wrong.  Why? Because we cannot be saved by good opinions about Jesus. We are not saved because we like Jesus and have good feelings about him. We are not saved because we like his moral teaching about loving one another. That is not enough. 3. This is the most important question you will ever be asked. A good man? A great teacher? A revolutionary leader? Or is he the Christ, the Son of the Living God?  Who was he? Who is he? Your eternal destiny hangs on your answer. May God open your eyes to see Jesus as the Son of God. May you have the courage today to put your faith in him and trust him as the savior of your soul.Today's Scripture Verses:Mark 4:41 - “They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”Matthew 16:13-16 - “When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

Matthew 3:1–17, introduces us to John the Baptist. He is the forerunner preparing the way for the coming King. John's call is clear and urgent: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." John's ministry in the wilderness fulfills prophecy and confronts empty religion, reminding us that true preparation for Christ begins in the heart.    Pastor Maiola shows us that repentance is more than feeling sorry; it is a turning away from sin and a turning toward God. A turning from what is sinful and disgusting and a turning towards God - walking in His light and freedom. When repentance is genuine, it produces real fruit - a transformed life shaped by ongoing surrender and sanctification. We are encouraged when we remember our salvation does not hinge on our lineage or our good works, but rather on Jesus' finished work on the cross.

This week, Ben walks us through John 1:19-34, which shows how John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.

In this episode of Weekend Debrief, Dave and Wes are back from an unplanned break from podcasting. They answer three questions sent in during the last couple of weeks on John the Baptist, baptism, and Jesus. They also share two new recommendations on Pastors' Palate and recommend two great podcasts they've been listening to. Send questions/comments to ⁠(971) 301-2414⁠ or ⁠⁠podcast@graceindallas.org⁠⁠. Podcast Recommendations: Rambles with Ronnie The Bulletin: US and Israel Attack Iran Pastors' Palate Recommendations: Dave's Pick: The Ram in Willsonville Wes' Pick: Squatchsami - The Outpost in Lincoln City Recommended Links: Missions Partner Highlight for February (Mercy Church) - https://mercychurchutah.com/ Spotify Podcast Link - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/graceindallas Apple Podcast Link - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grace-church-dallas-oregon/id414919476 Podcast Sponsor: Silver Falls Coffee - ⁠https://silverfallscoffee.com Christian Online Bookstore: 10 of Those - https://us.10ofthose.com/ Pastors' Palate - Dave's Pick: The Ram in Willsonville Wes Millercommented 2 hours ago Wes' Pick: Squatchsami - The Outpost, Lincoln City

Finding the way forward when life feels out of control starts with the promises of God. Pastor Jordan Hansen explores Luke 1:57-80 at Christian Life Center, focusing on the miraculous birth of John the Baptist and the faithfulness of Zechariah. Discover strength through obedience, pointing others toward Jesus, and depending on the Holy Spirit. Even in the valley, a shepherd leads with peace and light. This community in Dayton Ohio invites all to lean into the Word and experience the tender mercy of a Savior who makes a way. Pastor: Jordan Hansen Series: The Gospel Of Luke: Spirit Led Jesus (3) Title: The Way Forward (Luke 1:57-80) Date: 2026.02.28+3.01   LINKS:

Even the greatest prophet had a moment of uncertainty. But rather than condemn John, Jesus gave a response that may surprise some of us. Notes: Luke 7 John, in a moment of doubt, sent a message to Jesus,“Are You the One, or should we look for another?” Doubt is a sign that someone is thinking. A French proverb says, “He who knows nothing doubts nothing.” “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.” #1 Moses was ready to quit. Numbers 11:14–15"I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me now." #2 Elijah was ready to quit.(1 Kings 19:4) #3 Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. #4 Paul the Apostle was deeply discouraged.(2 Corinthians 1:8) #5 David wrote half the Psalms while angry, confused, or feeling abandoned by God. #6 John the Baptist was discouraged and entertained doubts. Read Luke 7:18–28 John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. John was in prison because of his bold preaching to King Herod. In John’s mind, Jesus the Messiah would organize a revolt. John was expecting political deliverance.Jesus was bringing spiritual deliverance. Sometimes we misunderstand God and His word. Jesus understood John’s questions and his doubt. Jesus answered John’s doubt with evidence and clarification, not condemnation. Galatians 5:15But if you are always biting and devouring one another,watch out! Beware of destroying one another. It is easier to critique than create.It is easier to tear down instead of build up. Jesus loves you and understands your questions, too. Psalm 10:1Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:16 (a)The LORD is king forever and ever. Jesus defended John publicly,when John criticized Jesus privately.(Luke 7:24) You have immeasurable value because you are God’s creation.(1 Peter 2:9) Ephesians 2:10For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross so you could have a relationship with Him. Doubt is a matter of the mind. Unbelief is a matter of the will. John was doubting, but he still believed. Jesus refocused John’s priorities. John’s doubts were answered by Scripture.(Luke 7:22) Stay the course when you don’t see the plan.(Luke 7:23) Luke 7:28I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is! John was a part of the Old Testament economy.You are a New Testament believer. John was a friend of the Bridegroom.You are the bride of the Bridegroom. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even the greatest prophet had a moment of uncertainty. But rather than condemn John, Jesus gave a response that may surprise some of us. Notes: Luke 7 John, in a moment of doubt, sent a message to Jesus,“Are You the One, or should we look for another?” Doubt is a sign that someone is thinking. A French proverb says, “He who knows nothing doubts nothing.” “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.” #1 Moses was ready to quit. Numbers 11:14–15"I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me now." #2 Elijah was ready to quit.(1 Kings 19:4) #3 Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. #4 Paul the Apostle was deeply discouraged.(2 Corinthians 1:8) #5 David wrote half the Psalms while angry, confused, or feeling abandoned by God. #6 John the Baptist was discouraged and entertained doubts. Read Luke 7:18–28 John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. John was in prison because of his bold preaching to King Herod. In John’s mind, Jesus the Messiah would organize a revolt. John was expecting political deliverance.Jesus was bringing spiritual deliverance. Sometimes we misunderstand God and His word. Jesus understood John’s questions and his doubt. Jesus answered John’s doubt with evidence and clarification, not condemnation. Galatians 5:15But if you are always biting and devouring one another,watch out! Beware of destroying one another. It is easier to critique than create.It is easier to tear down instead of build up. Jesus loves you and understands your questions, too. Psalm 10:1Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:16 (a)The LORD is king forever and ever. Jesus defended John publicly,when John criticized Jesus privately.(Luke 7:24) You have immeasurable value because you are God’s creation.(1 Peter 2:9) Ephesians 2:10For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. God loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross so you could have a relationship with Him. Doubt is a matter of the mind. Unbelief is a matter of the will. John was doubting, but he still believed. Jesus refocused John’s priorities. John’s doubts were answered by Scripture.(Luke 7:22) Stay the course when you don’t see the plan.(Luke 7:23) Luke 7:28I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of God is greater than he is! John was a part of the Old Testament economy.You are a New Testament believer. John was a friend of the Bridegroom.You are the bride of the Bridegroom. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The answer? EVERYONE!  The Holy Spirit is found in the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the Spirit came mainly to specific people for specific purposes, but there was the foretelling of the Spirit being poured out in abundance - an age of the Holy Spirit ushered in by Jesus. Jesus the Messiah ushers in the Age of the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:7-8 John the Baptist tells us, "And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:8 Jesus tells us, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 2:16-17 "this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "'In the last days, God says,
 I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
 Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
 your young men will see visions,
 your old men will dream dreams." One of Jesus' teachings on the Holy Spirit is found in Luke 11:9-13: A.S.K.: Ask - for the Holy Spirit and you will receive Seek - the Holy Spirit and you will find it Knock - and the door will be opened Jesus' desire is that the Holy Spirit is moving in each of our lives.  Then Jesus ends this teaching with Luke 11:13 "So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him." Jesus is not rebuking us - He's inviting us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. His desire is to have the Holy Spirit poured out on all of us. The Holy Spirit in the disciple's life:     1.    Romans 8:5-6. "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." We are to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and direct our lives. We are invited to let go and let the Spirit of God take control of our thoughts, behaviors, prayers and lives.     2.    1 Corinthians 3:1 "Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ." We do not want to remain spiritual babies. We need to rely upon God through the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We are called to new life through the Holy Spirit governing how we think, behave and live.     3.    Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."  We can ask ourselves if we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Since the Holy Spirit brings us to Christ, changes our minds, changes our behavior as we listen to Him so let us keep in step with Him and allow the fruit to blossom in our lives.     4.    Ephesians 5:18-20 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."   We are to be filled with the Spirit, and to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit.  We are called to a God-focused life, to a life of purpose, meaning, joy and peace. We are called to go through this life with the assurance of what lies ahead. And what lies ahead for the believer is life with God forever when Jesus returns! We are called to live in the light of that truth, to make music in our hearts to God, to sing praises and to live a life that matters and to live in a what that reflects the Lord Jesus.  THAT is a life empowered by the Holy Spirit! Pastor closes with a prayer stating in faith the desire to be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit and to be empowered by the Spirit to call others to knowing Jesus. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

John 3:22-26

Living Water: The Woman at the Well – John 4:1–26 In this episode of Divine Table Talk, Jamie and Jane walk through John 4:1–26, the powerful encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. What begins as a simple conversation about water becomes a life-changing revelation about worship, identity, and living water that never runs dry. Together, they explore how Jesus meets us in unexpected places, crosses cultural and personal barriers, and speaks directly to our deepest thirst. This passage reminds us that no past is too complicated, no question too bold, and no heart too far for the transforming presence of Christ. If you've ever felt unseen, unqualified, or spiritually dry—this conversation is for you. ____________________________________ Connect with Jamie: Website: www.jamieklusacek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacek Connect with Jane: Website: www.janewwilliams.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliams

Topics:  Wisdom, A Challenge From Spike, John the Baptist, Contentment, Words, Super Bowl BONUS CONTENT: Super Bowl & The Camera   Quotes: "God's wisdom comes with meekness." "We have to be careful who's actually influencing us." "You're playing from a strong hand when you trust the Lord." "So it's just always the Super Bowl?" . . . Holy Ghost Mama Pre-Order! Want more of the Oddcast? Check out our website! Watch our YouTube videos here. Connect with us on Facebook!

Today’s Bible Verse: “When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” — Matthew 11:2–3 Matthew 11:2–3 gives us an honest picture of faith under pressure. John the Baptist, who boldly proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah, now sits in prison and asks a raw question: Are You really the One? His circumstances didn’t match his expectations, and doubt crept in. “Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ MEET YOUR HOST: Chaka Heinze at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Chaka Heinze is a writer, speaker, and lover of the Bible. She is actively involved in her local church on the Prayer and Healing team and mentors young women seeking deeper relationships with God.After personally experiencing God's love and compassion following the loss of her eleven-year-old son, Landen, Chaka delights in testifying to others about God's unfathomable and transformative love that permeates even the most difficult circumstances.Chaka and her husband of twenty-six years have five children ranging from adult age to preschool. Trained as an attorney, she’s had the privilege of mitigating sibling disputes for twenty-plus years.Follow her on Chakaheinze.com. Join the Conversation Where have your circumstances made you question what you once felt sure about? Share your reflection with #LifeAudio as we learn to bring honest faith to Jesus. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

My friend Butch Briggs has been the beloved coach for the swim teams at a local high school for fifty-one years. Out of curiosity, I asked him how many state championships he’d won during his five decades. In his trademark gentle tone he quipped, “I’ve not won a single championship because I’ve never swum in a single race.” Trying again I asked him, “How many championships have your swimmers won?” He happily responded, “Thirty-nine.” Butch taught me a valuable lesson. A coach plays an important role, but he didn’t want to take credit for what his swimmers accomplished. Butch’s humility reminds me of how John the Baptist saw his role. John was tasked with pointing people to Jesus as the Messiah—the one who fulfilled God’s promise to send a rescuer. But John garnered so much attention that the religious leaders wanted to find out exactly who he was. In response, Scripture records that John “confessed freely, ‘I am not the Messiah’ ” (John 1:20). Even when they pressed him, John was clear that his role was to announce Jesus’ arrival (vv. 21-23). Jesus was the one they’d longed for (v. 27). This aspect of humility—not taking more credit than is due—is a way we can keep a proper perspective regarding our accomplishments while recognizing others for the assignments or roles they’ve been given.