[Music]
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[Music]
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--It's very interesting,
you guys, that as we look at the
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story of Israel, and we look at
Jesus as the fulfillment of that
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story, it becomes pretty obvious
that much of Christian thought
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and theology just skips right
over the life of Jesus, and much
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of the gospels and jumps
right into death, burial,
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resurrection.
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What's going on there?
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Why would there be a necessity,
not a necessity, but why would
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there be an inclination,
or a tendency to skip over the
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gospels and right to, well, not
the gospels as a whole, but jump
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right to the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus, when the
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gospel is preached, and to not
spend as much time on his actual
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life and the things that he did,
because he's enacting Israel's
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history, he's
redeeming that history.
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--There's gonna be several
reasons, I'm sure, but one is
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what you just said, I believe,
is that it's probably a lack of
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time and focus in the Old
Testament, because his life, as
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you say, it's a reenactment
of the history of Israel.
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So, if we understood the
significance of the story, then
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we would have an incentive
to carefully look at the life
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aspect of Jesus,
because it would be packed with
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significance.
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So, maybe it has to do with just
the fact that you were saying,
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that useless page in the bible
that divides the Old from the
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New Testament, that that's
indicative of our mentality, or
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maybe, indicative is too strong,
but that's representative of our
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mentality that there's this
distinction, but if we saw the
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Old Testament as Jesus saw
it, which is as a beautiful
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narrative, then when we looked
at his life, we would see more
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of those connections and we'd
realize the significance of the
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details of his life.
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--Much of the misunderstanding
of who Jesus is and what he came
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to do, even in contemporary
Christianity, is built around
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Jesus' refutation of a
misunderstanding of the story of
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Israel, but then that's
incorrectly assumed to be a
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refutation, or standing in
contradistinction to the Old
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Testament.
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Jesus is not against the
Old Testament, in fact, we've
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already quoted in Matthew
5, where he says, don't think I
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came to destroy the law of
the prophets, I came to fulfill.
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But we have this idea that
there's this, not we, but some
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have this idea that there's this
sort of arbitrary, archaic, you
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know, antiquated God in the Old
Testament who's really hard to
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understand and he does a lot of
strange things in strange ways,
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and then you come to the
New Testament, and you have this
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really easy to understand,
accessible God, his name is
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Jesus, he's sitting across the
table from you, he was eating
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bread, and all is well.
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So, if you fail to see the
narrative, as you said, if you
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fail to see the continuity of
the story, my point is is that
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there's an interpretive danger
that we need to be aware of and
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that is that we should not
interpret the Old Testament in a
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way differently than Jesus did.
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--And even Paul
and the apostles.
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--Of course, absolutely, because
they're taking their cues from
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Jesus, Jesus as the Messiah, and
just a word on that, we'll get
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to Paul, we'll spend a lot
of time in Paul, but Paul was
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initially, like all first
century Jews would've been,
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disinclined to see the Old
Testament narrative the way that
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Jesus saw it.
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As we already said, no man spoke
like this man, you know, it was
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astonishing the way that he
spoke, and Paul at first was a
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persecutor of this seemingly
incorrect and blasphemous and
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this incorrect perspective, but
when he actually went back, in
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fact, there's this crazy verse
in Paul that we'll eventually
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get to, you read it and you're
just like, Paul, you're talking
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out of both sides of our mouth.
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It's in Galatians 2, and he
says, for I, through the law,
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died to the law, that I might
live to God through Christ in
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the context.
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What a weird thing to say.
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I, through the
law, died to the law.
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Well, when you understand
what Paul means by law is the
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writings of the Old Testament,
particularly the writings of
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Moses, he says, I had to
go back and read my own book.
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I, through the reading of
the Old Testament, through my
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reading of the scriptures upon
which my faith is based, I died
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to my old way of understanding
it so that I could live to the
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correct way of understanding
it, which is fulfilled in what
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Christ has done as the
climax of the narrative.
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--In 2 Corinthians 3, David,
Paul explicitly states that
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that's what's going on in his
own experience and that's what's
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going on in the experience
of corporate Israel, because he
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says, in 2 Corinthians 3,
even in the reading of the Old
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Testament scriptures, the veil
is upon their minds, speaking of
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Israel, himself included, until
the point of his paradigm shift,
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but the veil is upon their mind
to this day, Paul says, in the
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reading of the Old Testament,
and then he says something very
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fascinating.
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He says, but that
veil is removed in Christ.
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When Jesus is introduced into
the picture as the fulfillment
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of Israel's history, then
you begin to read the scriptures
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with an
entirely new perspective.
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You see it all with new eyes.
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--I wonder, Ty, if, I know that
this is, you know, this is Jesus
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in the gospels part 2, but
I wonder if that wouldn't be a
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great way to start this
conversation, to actually go
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read those texts.
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--Which ones?
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--Inside Corinthians 3, because
that is, that is absolutely
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normative for Paul's
understanding, the disciples'
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understanding, and thus, our
understanding for how to read
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the Old Testament.
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--Take us there.
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--Okay, let's just do it.
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I mean, you basically walked us
through it, but I think that's
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something that you know, that
James knows, that Jeffery knows,
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and David knows, but we should
not rush over that because many
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listeners are, what was that?
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What was he saying there?
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--2 Corinthians 3.
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--If you just start sort of
in verse 13, and just kinda tell
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the story.
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--Can you just read the passage
through and then we'll comment
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on it.
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--Sure, so unlike Moses, who put
a veil over his face so that the
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children of Israel could not
steadily look at the end of what
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was passing away.
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Right, so let's
just pause there.
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Paul here is taking an actual
historical event in the history
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of Israel.
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Moses went up onto a mountain,
he was with God, face to face
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for 40 days and 40 nights,
and when he came down, scripture
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says that his face was so
luminous, incandescent, that the
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children of Israel said,
hey, put a veil over your face
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because we can't look at you.
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So, what he does is,
is Paul says, metaphor.
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That's a perfect symbol and
illustration of what's happening
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to Israel today, because just
as the Jews are going into the
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synagogue to open the writings
of Moses, he's saying, just as
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Moses was veiled back then,
he says, now Moses is veiled.
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So, so far, so good.
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--The writings of Moses.
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--The writings
of Moses are veiled.
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Verse 14, but their minds were
blinded, for until this day, the
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same veil remains unlifted in
the reading of the Old Testament
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because the veil is
taken away in Christ.
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But, even to this day, when
Moses is read, a veil lies on
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their heart.
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Nevertheless, when one turns
to the Lord, the veil is taken
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away, and here it is, verse 17,
now the Lord is the spirit and
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where the spirit of the
Lord is, there is liberty.
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Not just liberty in any generic
sense, but in a couple very
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specific senses, one of which is
a liberty to understand your own
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story in the way it was
intended to be understood.
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And then, secondarily, at least,
a liberty to experience, the
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opportunity to experience
the liberty that Jesus came to
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offer, which you kept
using language in our last
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conversation of a new
Exodus, that's exactly the right
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language, a new Exodus, a new
Exodus, not just from Egypt, but
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from sin and death and, so what
Paul is saying here is, when we
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go read the Old Testament,
we can't read it like this.
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We cannot read it as
if Jesus had never come.
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We have to read and look, where
is Jesus, as we've seen it and
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as we did in the first, you
know, 5, 6, 7, 8 sessions of
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this conversation, it's like,
there he is, there he is, there
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he is, there he is, there he is.
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No wonder when Jesus was walking
with the disciples on the road
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to Emmaus there and they were
blinded because they, you know,
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Jesus has been crucified, he's,
you know, we thought he was the
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Messiah, you know,
basically a pity party.
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Jesus draws near to them
and says, oh, fools, and slow of
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heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken.
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And then it says, he opened the
bible, and in the law, and in
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the Psalms, and in the prophets,
he's like, let me show you how
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to read your own book.
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--But David, even in the early
Christian creeds, we see a gap,
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and it's glaring.
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Obviously, it wasn't glaring to
those who composed those creeds,
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but it's a glaring gap that you
notice when you begin to read
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the New Testament with this
grounding in Israel's history
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because what you have in
the creeds is you have, you have
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creation referenced and then
it jumps right over the life of
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Christ, his teachings, his
miracles, the entire reenactment
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of Israel's history.
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All of that's skipped right
over, and it's creation, and
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then Jesus died and
rose again for our sins.
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--It's a whole lot of skipping.
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--Ty, I want you to talk
at least briefly about why you
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think that is, but I have here,
on my iPad, the actual creed.
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I won't read the whole
thing, but let me just read the
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Germaine part.
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--For those who are sitting in
on the conversation, what time
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frame are we dealing with?
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--The Nissian creed was
formulated by the early church
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in AD 325, okay, so about 300
years after the time of Jesus,
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and it was basically, I won't go
into the history, but it was a
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creed that was designed to
solidify the teaching of who
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Christ was in his
relation to the father.
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And, there's a variety of
reasons that the Nissian creed
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was necessary, we could
talk about the conversion of
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Constantine, but
that's not our point.
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--But they're intending to
encapsulate what the gospel is.
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--That's right, so,
now, listen to this.
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By the way, there's not gonna
be anything in here that you're
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gonna disagree with.
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It's not the presence of
something that's wrong, it's the
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absence of something.
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So, listen, this
is how it starts.
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We believe in one God.
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The Father, the Almighty, Maker
of heaven and earth, of all that
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is seen and unseen.
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Okay, we believe in one Lord,
Jesus Christ, the only Son of
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God, eternally begotten of the
Father, God from God, light from
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light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, of one being
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with the Father.
00:10:29.43\00:10:30.60
Through him, all things
are made, for us and for our
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salvation, he
came down from heaven.
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I know this really well because
we used to recite it every
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single Sunday in
the Episcopal Church.
00:10:36.26\00:10:38.60
So, that's sort of the theology.
00:10:38.60\00:10:40.10
Now, listen, here's
the Germaine point for us.
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For us and our salvation, he
came down from heaven, by the
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power of the Holy Spirit, he
became incarnate from the Virgin
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Mary, and was made man, for
our sake, he was crucified under
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Pontius Pilot, he suffered death
and was buried and on the third
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day, he rose again, in
accordance with the scriptures,
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and he ascended to heaven.
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That's the point.
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He was born of a
virgin, he was killed by Pilot.
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And that, ladies and
gentlemen, is the story.
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No, hello.
00:11:04.33\00:11:06.96
I mean, you understand that a
creed has inherent limitations,
00:11:06.96\00:11:09.26
it's not gonna be a novel, it's
not gonna be a whole book, but
00:11:09.26\00:11:12.76
the point is, is that it's as if
the life of Jesus didn't happen.
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I mean, it's as if he could've
just been born in the manger,
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right there, and then somebody
could've, Pilot could've just
00:11:20.86\00:11:23.10
walked up and, you know, not to
be indelicate here, but could've
00:11:23.10\00:11:25.56
just killed him there in the
manger and the gospel would've
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been the same.
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--The life of Christ is
completely skipped over.
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--You know, I like this, the way
we're going, the direction we're
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taking here, because it reminds
me of this big picture of the
00:11:34.46\00:11:38.00
story and you know, I know, we
all know that a story has many
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perspectives.
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For example, when there's an
accident, let's just say there's
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an accident and a police officer
comes, you know, to investigate
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the accident, and of course, he
wants to get the story, he wants
00:11:49.70\00:11:54.10
to get the story of how this
happened, and he's gonna collect
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the information
from different sources.
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He's gonna ask the people who
were involved in the accident,
00:11:58.63\00:12:01.76
perhaps the driver of one car
and the driver of another car,
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and the people who were in the
cars, and then he's gonna ask
00:12:05.40\00:12:07.56
maybe people who were in other
cars who saw it, or pedestrians,
00:12:07.56\00:12:10.90
and he's going to get
perspectives, but that's part of
00:12:10.90\00:12:14.96
the story is these perspectives
and they're all gonna be
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different based
upon what they saw.
00:12:17.33\00:12:19.06
So, a story is based
partly on information.
00:12:19.06\00:12:22.10
It's also based
on your perspective.
00:12:22.10\00:12:24.26
If you were in this car and not
that car, if you were connected
00:12:24.26\00:12:26.83
to this person,
not to that person.
00:12:26.83\00:12:28.36
So, you've got information,
you've got perspective, but then
00:12:28.36\00:12:30.60
you've got motive.
00:12:30.60\00:12:32.33
Part of the story's gonna be
based on the motive of those who
00:12:32.33\00:12:37.20
are involved.
00:12:37.20\00:12:38.70
Are they just walking by and
they want, they just want the
00:12:38.70\00:12:40.66
truth to get out, oh, I
saw exactly what happened.
00:12:40.66\00:12:44.13
Or, are they the ones who
actually were at fault and they
00:12:44.13\00:12:49.73
want to cover up as much as
possible of why it happened in a
00:12:49.73\00:12:54.13
certain way so as not to be
found at fault, and you look at
00:12:54.13\00:12:58.06
that in this, just translate
that to these texts, to what
00:12:58.06\00:13:02.23
we're reading.
00:13:02.23\00:13:03.43
You talked, you asked the
question, Ty, well, why did we
00:13:03.43\00:13:05.80
skip over that?
00:13:05.80\00:13:06.63
Why was that skipped over?
00:13:06.63\00:13:07.90
Well, one of the answers to that
is because the story begins with
00:13:07.90\00:13:10.33
deception and the being that
deceived is continuing in the
00:13:10.33\00:13:15.50
story.
00:13:15.50\00:13:16.56
So, when we look in 2
Corinthians, for example,
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.46
chapter 3, the very next
thing Paul says, and there's no
00:13:18.46\00:13:21.50
chapter break in his original
letter, the very next thing he
00:13:21.50\00:13:24.10
says in chapter 4 is, he says,
but if our gospel, verse 3, be
00:13:24.10\00:13:29.53
hid, it is hid to them that are
lost, in whom, verse 4, the god
00:13:29.53\00:13:32.76
of this world has blinded the
minds of them which believe not.
00:13:32.76\00:13:36.23
You've got the same person, the
same being that is continuing in
00:13:36.23\00:13:41.76
the story to blind minds.
00:13:41.76\00:13:43.60
Now, notice this, he continues
this same theme, Paul does in 2
00:13:43.60\00:13:46.76
Corinthians 11, and he wants us
to bear with him, that's how he
00:13:46.76\00:13:52.30
begins the chapter.
00:13:52.30\00:13:54.36
Chapter 11 begins, of 2
Corinthians, he says, I want you
00:13:54.36\00:13:57.16
to bear with me in my folly, I'm
wanting to share this with you,
00:13:57.16\00:14:00.66
verse 2, because I'm jealous
over you with a godly jealousy.
00:14:00.66\00:14:03.13
Now, I just wanna
pause there for a second.
00:14:03.13\00:14:06.03
There are 2 types of jealousies
in the bible, there is jealousy
00:14:06.03\00:14:10.36
of, you know, I saw you with
another person or you're having
00:14:10.36\00:14:14.46
something that I don't have, and
I'm jealous because I want that.
00:14:14.46\00:14:17.13
That's the natural, carnal
jealousy that I'm left out of
00:14:17.13\00:14:22.13
this, that I'm affected by it.
00:14:22.13\00:14:23.96
Then, there's a godly jealousy,
and the godly jealousy is kinda
00:14:23.96\00:14:26.80
like this, I'm jealous over you
because I love you and I don't
00:14:26.80\00:14:30.16
want you to get hurt, and this
is the kind of jealousy that God
00:14:30.16\00:14:33.20
has, this is the kind
of jealousy that Paul has.
00:14:33.20\00:14:35.83
I have a godly jealousy for you
because I'm afraid something's
00:14:35.83\00:14:38.50
gonna happen and I don't want
that to happen to you because I
00:14:38.50\00:14:40.26
love you.
00:14:40.26\00:14:41.40
And he says, this is the
jealousy I have, and he says in
00:14:41.40\00:14:44.46
verse 3, but I'm afraid, and
then he goes all the way back to
00:14:44.46\00:14:47.56
the beginning of the story, and
he connects this storyline of
00:14:47.56\00:14:52.30
the serpent beguiling Eve
through his subtlety to the
00:14:52.30\00:14:55.56
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:14:55.56\00:14:57.66
He says, I'm afraid that, just
like the serpent beguiled Eve
00:14:57.66\00:15:00.40
through his subtlety, so your
minds would be corrupted from
00:15:00.40\00:15:03.23
the simplicity that is in
Christ, because he that comes,
00:15:03.23\00:15:06.80
verse 4, might preach another
Jesus or you might have another
00:15:06.80\00:15:10.70
spirit, or you might receive
another gospel, and you might go
00:15:10.70\00:15:15.16
along with it.
00:15:15.16\00:15:16.76
You see?
00:15:16.76\00:15:18.03
So, the whole picture here, it's
powerful because the issue here
00:15:18.03\00:15:21.86
is that you have the story,
you have information, you have
00:15:21.86\00:15:25.06
perspective, you have motive,
and then you have people in the
00:15:25.06\00:15:28.06
story who are trying to
blind our minds by giving us a
00:15:28.06\00:15:31.36
different perspective, by
misrepresenting God, by leaving
00:15:31.36\00:15:35.20
out some information, that's
what we're looking at when we
00:15:35.20\00:15:38.13
look at the whole
picture of the bible.
00:15:38.13\00:15:39.36
--So, the veil is there
deliberately, that Satan is
00:15:39.36\00:15:42.53
throwing a veil over the Old
Testament scriptures, because he
00:15:42.53\00:15:45.53
wants to perpetuate the
distorted picture of God that
00:15:45.53\00:15:50.83
he's trying to perpetrate on
the human race, and part of that
00:15:50.83\00:15:55.13
picture is that he doesn't
want us to see that Jesus is the
00:15:55.13\00:16:01.43
magnification of the character
of God in the process of
00:16:01.43\00:16:04.20
salvation and our liberation.
00:16:04.20\00:16:06.46
He wants us to think of God
in the narrow, limited sense of
00:16:06.46\00:16:10.26
appeasement for sin and God
making demands that need to be
00:16:10.26\00:16:17.76
met in order for him to adopt a
position of favor toward us, so
00:16:17.76\00:16:23.16
I think that there might be
something to this that the deep
00:16:23.16\00:16:27.70
dark secret of why the creeds
inadvertently skip over the life
00:16:27.70\00:16:33.56
of Christ as the new Israel and
the fulfillment of Israel, is
00:16:33.56\00:16:37.20
because those Christians in
that part of church history are
00:16:37.20\00:16:45.50
skipping right to the penal
substitution aspect of the plan
00:16:45.50\00:16:50.83
of salvation because they're
locked into a picture of God
00:16:50.83\00:16:56.00
that misrepresent the character
of God, not intentionally, but
00:16:56.00\00:17:03.26
as James is sharing, there's
something going on behind the
00:17:03.26\00:17:05.90
scenes.
00:17:05.90\00:17:06.96
So, there's no sense of
necessity for the life of
00:17:06.96\00:17:09.60
Christ.
00:17:09.60\00:17:10.83
There's no sense of necessity
for him fulfilling Israel's
00:17:10.83\00:17:13.30
history in any sense.
00:17:13.30\00:17:16.00
You see, I'm not getting, I'm
not achieving a high level of
00:17:16.00\00:17:18.23
clarity because I'm just
beginning to sense this myself
00:17:18.23\00:17:21.36
as we're sitting at this table.
00:17:21.36\00:17:22.60
But, is there something there?
00:17:22.60\00:17:24.46
--There's something very
much there, in fact, two of the
00:17:24.46\00:17:27.03
factors, and this may be
shifting the conversation in the
00:17:27.03\00:17:30.46
same direction, but I think we
should loop back to the gospels,
00:17:30.46\00:17:33.16
but I do wanna say that it's a
well-known fact that one of the
00:17:33.16\00:17:37.46
major, two of the major factors
that shape the early Christian
00:17:37.46\00:17:40.96
church, especially in the sort
of second, third, and fourth
00:17:40.96\00:17:43.43
centuries was what is called by
scholars, a dejudaization, that
00:17:43.43\00:17:48.16
just means an unjewishing
of the New Testament, and of an
00:17:48.16\00:17:51.83
understanding of
the Christian way.
00:17:51.83\00:17:54.06
And, that, as that ground
was being yielded, the loss of a
00:17:54.06\00:17:57.96
thing, that ground was
being acquired by what's called
00:17:57.96\00:18:00.40
Hellenization, which is a
greeking of an understanding.
00:18:00.40\00:18:04.06
So, what you have is an ebbing
of one thing, or the ebb and
00:18:04.06\00:18:08.03
flow, one thing is increasing,
the other thing is decreasing,
00:18:08.03\00:18:09.46
and what was decreasing was
an appreciation for the rich,
00:18:09.46\00:18:13.06
Jewish heritage story, the
prophecies, the proverbs, the
00:18:13.06\00:18:17.03
psalms, the great story, the
narrative, the package that is
00:18:17.03\00:18:21.20
Israel's history, to skip to a
largely gentile understanding of
00:18:21.20\00:18:27.00
the gospel, a Greek
understanding of the gospel.
00:18:27.00\00:18:28.96
Not entirely, but largely.
00:18:28.96\00:18:30.13
Now, there's reasons for that.
00:18:30.13\00:18:32.26
One of the major reasons is that
as the gospel began to go to the
00:18:32.26\00:18:34.46
Gentiles, many of the new
converts, thus many of the new
00:18:34.46\00:18:37.13
apologists, theologians,
etc in the second and third
00:18:37.13\00:18:39.40
centuries were Gentiles.
00:18:39.40\00:18:41.16
Right, they were
Greeks, they weren't Jews.
00:18:41.16\00:18:43.63
And I read a great book a number
of years ago by one of the great
00:18:43.63\00:18:46.40
church historians of modern
times, Jaroslav Pelikan, in
00:18:46.40\00:18:48.93
which he says that basically,
you can think of it this way,
00:18:48.93\00:18:52.16
the apostles Paul and the New
Testament writers, they related
00:18:52.16\00:18:56.66
to Judaism, right, to the
Old Testament as their mother.
00:18:56.66\00:19:01.93
Right, this is their mother,
this is the thing that gave them
00:19:01.93\00:19:04.30
birth.
00:19:04.30\00:19:05.53
Where the church of the second,
third, and fourth centuries
00:19:05.53\00:19:08.43
related to Judaism
as their mother in law.
00:19:08.43\00:19:12.43
You see?
00:19:12.43\00:19:14.06
There is a relationship
there, but it's not.
00:19:14.06\00:19:16.36
--If you're
married, you should see that.
00:19:16.36\00:19:19.00
--So, and no offense to any
mother in laws, but you get the
00:19:19.00\00:19:20.26
idea that basically, there's a
big difference between...hey, I
00:19:20.26\00:19:25.10
have a really
cool mother in law.
00:19:25.10\00:19:27.00
--Me, too.
00:19:27.00\00:19:28.23
--But you get the idea that
there's a way that you relate to
00:19:28.23\00:19:30.63
your mom, she's your mom, she's
the one that gave birth to you,
00:19:30.63\00:19:33.13
she's the one that was up with
you when you were sick at night,
00:19:33.13\00:19:35.30
and then there's the mother
in law, in the context of this
00:19:35.30\00:19:37.13
little quotation, someone that
you don't really relate to, that
00:19:37.13\00:19:39.86
you're not really connected to,
that's not really a part of your
00:19:39.86\00:19:42.33
family.
00:19:42.33\00:19:43.56
That's how some people would
feel, and that's a great point,
00:19:43.56\00:19:46.13
because as that umbilical cord
is being cut, right, in the sort
00:19:46.13\00:19:50.76
of, you can just think of a
balloon, a helium balloon that's
00:19:50.76\00:19:53.36
drifting away.
00:19:53.36\00:19:54.60
What's drifting away is the
Jewish heritage and roots and
00:19:54.60\00:19:57.83
stories and prophecies that
makes the New Testament even
00:19:57.83\00:20:00.56
make sense.
00:20:00.56\00:20:01.80
--Which makes sense, so when
Paul writes like the letter to
00:20:01.80\00:20:04.43
the Hebrews without that
background, it would make sense,
00:20:04.43\00:20:07.63
right?
00:20:07.63\00:20:08.93
--So, increasingly
post-apostolic Christianity
00:20:08.93\00:20:13.43
begins sensing or feeling a
need for salvation or a kind of
00:20:13.43\00:20:20.43
salvation or salvation on
a level that the bible is not
00:20:20.43\00:20:24.83
super aware of or focused on.
00:20:24.83\00:20:29.66
--So, you have to
flesh that out a little bit.
00:20:29.66\00:20:31.33
--Yeah, because what you have
taking place is, the question
00:20:31.33\00:20:36.00
is, how do I get out of trouble
with God and into heaven?
00:20:36.00\00:20:40.73
--Now, that's clarity.
00:20:40.73\00:20:41.96
--How is it that I can have some
kind of solution to the fact
00:20:41.96\00:20:49.10
that God is angry and have that
resolved so that I can go to
00:20:49.10\00:20:55.30
heaven when I die, basically.
00:20:55.30\00:20:56.56
And that's not to say, by the
way, that God isn't angry about
00:20:56.56\00:21:01.50
sin, it's not to say that there
isn't heaven, it's not to say
00:21:01.50\00:21:04.86
that there isn't punishment for
sin, and there isn't rewards,
00:21:04.86\00:21:07.43
but it's to say that there's a
larger context and a picture and
00:21:07.43\00:21:13.06
a beautiful perspective on the
liberation and salvation that
00:21:13.06\00:21:17.20
the bible is communicating that
is inclusive of far more than
00:21:17.20\00:21:21.63
merely getting me out of trouble
with God so that I can go to the
00:21:21.63\00:21:25.43
good place when I die.
00:21:25.43\00:21:26.53
--And how self-centered is that?
00:21:26.53\00:21:28.63
I was gonna say ethno-centered,
but how personally-centered is
00:21:28.63\00:21:30.56
that?
00:21:30.56\00:21:31.83
That at the end of the day, the
whole thing is about me and my
00:21:31.83\00:21:34.16
salvation and my personal
internal experience with God,
00:21:34.16\00:21:37.43
etc it's not that
that's not a part of it.
00:21:37.43\00:21:40.23
It's that that's, there's a
larger story that's being told
00:21:40.23\00:21:43.10
here of God's love, not just for
you, Ty, and not just for me,
00:21:43.10\00:21:46.93
David, but God's love, and not
just for the Jews and not just
00:21:46.93\00:21:49.46
for the church, but God's love
for the world, and Jesus in this
00:21:49.46\00:21:53.56
grand, overarching, his actions,
his words, his healings, he's
00:21:53.56\00:21:58.20
sending the
message, God loves people.
00:21:58.20\00:22:00.73
When he sat down with
Nichodemus, Nichodemus, he
00:22:00.73\00:22:02.46
basically said, he encapsulated
the whole thing, he's like, this
00:22:02.46\00:22:04.80
is what it's about.
00:22:04.80\00:22:06.03
For God so loved the world
that he, and he tells the story.
00:22:06.03\00:22:08.80
Rather than, just man, I'm
in trouble with God and, this is
00:22:08.80\00:22:11.40
actually a very primitive and
pagan way of thinking about God.
00:22:11.40\00:22:15.06
--I think we've used the term...
00:22:15.06\00:22:17.13
--Yeah, we've used the term
virgins and volcanos, right?
00:22:17.13\00:22:19.46
We gotta go find, you know,
an innocent person to throw into
00:22:19.46\00:22:22.80
the volcano so that
there'll be rain on our fields.
00:22:22.80\00:22:25.23
That's not the God of scripture.
00:22:25.23\00:22:26.83
--In our conversation here,
we're trying to validate and to
00:22:26.83\00:22:30.46
include the idea that there
is trouble and that there is
00:22:30.46\00:22:35.96
substitution.
00:22:35.96\00:22:37.93
There is a penal aspect to the
whole thing, but then even that
00:22:37.93\00:22:40.90
can be framed
in one of two ways.
00:22:40.90\00:22:42.80
Either it's framed in the light
of the idea that there needs to
00:22:42.80\00:22:47.13
be a third party whipping boy,
the virgin and the volcano so to
00:22:47.13\00:22:50.93
speak, a third party whipping
boy that God vents on to get me
00:22:50.93\00:22:54.20
out of trouble, or...
00:22:54.20\00:22:55.46
--I'm really angry at you, but
I'm gonna whip this guy and I'll
00:22:55.46\00:22:58.86
let you off the hook.
00:22:58.86\00:23:00.13
--Yeah, or we continue the
trajectory that we've learned in
00:23:00.13\00:23:03.13
the Old Testament scriptures and
we say no, no, no, God himself
00:23:03.13\00:23:06.73
is putting himself in the place
of suffering on our behalf.
00:23:06.73\00:23:11.66
He's absorbing in himself the
suffering, the guilt, the sin.
00:23:11.66\00:23:17.93
So, you have a two party view of
the atonement, not a three party
00:23:17.93\00:23:22.33
view, not there's God, and
there's man, and then there's a
00:23:22.33\00:23:25.40
third party whipping boy that
God vents on for appeasement
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.83
purposes, but rather, you
have man who has sinned and is
00:23:27.83\00:23:30.60
guilty, is
guilty, we are in trouble.
00:23:30.60\00:23:33.80
We are guilty before God.
00:23:33.80\00:23:35.86
Is he legitimately
angry about our sin?
00:23:35.86\00:23:38.36
He ought to be.
00:23:38.36\00:23:39.60
--Well, I'm angry about sin.
00:23:39.60\00:23:41.30
I see things that happen in the
world and I'm like, what's going
00:23:41.30\00:23:43.16
on?
00:23:43.16\00:23:44.13
--But there's only two parties.
00:23:44.13\00:23:45.36
There's the sinner and then
there's God, and the one that's
00:23:45.36\00:23:47.93
hanging on the cross, the
one who's doing the suffering is
00:23:47.93\00:23:50.93
God.
00:23:50.93\00:23:52.13
He's exercising the most
monumental level of self-control
00:23:52.13\00:23:56.46
rather than venting.
00:23:56.46\00:23:59.46
--You know, I gotta tell you
kind of a funny story that kinda
00:23:59.46\00:24:01.66
sums up most of what
we talked about here.
00:24:01.66\00:24:03.90
When I first became a Christian
30 years ago, I wasn't connected
00:24:03.90\00:24:06.70
to any denomination so to speak,
I was raised Catholic, but I was
00:24:06.70\00:24:10.86
at work, and there was a
guy that I worked with who had
00:24:10.86\00:24:13.73
become a born again Christian,
and was witnessing to me, and it
00:24:13.73\00:24:17.53
was through his witnessing that
I accepted Christ as my savior.
00:24:17.53\00:24:20.40
We were going to a
nondenominational church, it was
00:24:20.40\00:24:22.60
really cool, and both of us
were, you know, we were isolated
00:24:22.60\00:24:26.13
in our department.
00:24:26.13\00:24:27.40
Everyone else in our department,
you know, they were basically
00:24:27.40\00:24:29.53
partiers, this, that, and the
other, even our boss, and so it
00:24:29.53\00:24:33.33
was just us two, and when
we would get together, we would
00:24:33.33\00:24:35.53
connect on a swing shift, I
would work the late shift, he
00:24:35.53\00:24:37.53
was working the afternoon, the
evening, and I was working the
00:24:37.53\00:24:39.40
evening to night.
00:24:39.40\00:24:40.63
And we connect together, and
we would talk, you know, about,
00:24:40.63\00:24:44.00
first, when he first started,
you know, became a Christian, I
00:24:44.00\00:24:46.63
didn't want anything to do
with him, but after I became a
00:24:46.63\00:24:48.03
Christian, we just talked about
Christ and different things, and
00:24:48.03\00:24:50.73
eventually, I was really getting
into the whole bible, the whole
00:24:50.73\00:24:54.93
story, and reading it.
00:24:54.93\00:24:56.60
But, we got this bible
game that we used to play.
00:24:56.60\00:24:59.30
It was a bible game, where you
know, you answered questions and
00:24:59.30\00:25:03.33
you go around the board, and
so we played that for a couple
00:25:03.33\00:25:06.63
hours in our off
time when we were there.
00:25:06.63\00:25:08.66
So, we played this bible game
and eventually it would come,
00:25:08.66\00:25:12.93
you'd have the New Testament
questions, you have the Christ,
00:25:12.93\00:25:15.26
and then you'd have the
Old Testament questions.
00:25:15.26\00:25:17.23
And we'd be moving through
it and, you know, we're both new
00:25:17.23\00:25:18.90
Christians, and we get to
the Old Testament questions, and
00:25:18.90\00:25:21.03
boom, I'd leap ahead.
00:25:21.03\00:25:22.70
And he couldn't
answer, I'd answer every time.
00:25:22.70\00:25:24.06
And he got so frustrated, he
would throw up his arms and say,
00:25:24.06\00:25:27.50
how come you know so
much about the Old Testament?
00:25:27.50\00:25:29.36
You know, he was just that way.
00:25:29.36\00:25:31.03
And I would say, well, because,
I'm reading it, and I'm studying
00:25:31.03\00:25:34.16
it, and it's just, it's great.
00:25:34.16\00:25:35.80
But he was of the mindset, you
know, what are you doing the Old
00:25:35.80\00:25:39.60
Testament?
00:25:39.60\00:25:40.80
And you know, it was really
interesting, because of the
00:25:40.80\00:25:44.73
nature of the competition,
etc he started reading the
00:25:44.73\00:25:47.33
Old Testament.
00:25:47.33\00:25:48.86
[Laughter]
00:25:48.86\00:25:50.13
--Which is exactly what we're
doing, and we're finding a lot
00:25:50.13\00:25:51.56
of light there.
00:25:51.56\00:25:52.80
--So, remind me never to play
a bible trivia game with you.
00:25:52.80\00:25:56.30
--Okay, we have to take a break,
and we'll come back and continue
00:25:56.30\00:26:00.30
this
discussion, it's really fun.
00:26:00.30\00:26:02.46
--Amen.
00:26:02.46\00:26:04.70
[Music]
00:26:04.70\00:26:15.70
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[Music]
00:28:07.26\00:28:17.20
--It seems like in that last
session, we were really getting
00:28:17.20\00:28:20.96
into some deep theological
points, but we didn't know
00:28:20.96\00:28:24.06
exactly how to explain them
in the best possible way, but
00:28:24.06\00:28:27.60
that's the point of bible study.
00:28:27.60\00:28:29.70
The conversation is edifying,
and we're growing in our
00:28:29.70\00:28:33.73
understanding of these things,
but let's now continue drawing
00:28:33.73\00:28:38.73
the parallels with Jesus to
ancient Israel into the gospels,
00:28:38.73\00:28:45.50
so we talked about the fact
that Jesus gave the law in Mount
00:28:45.50\00:28:49.10
Saini, but something we
haven't mentioned is that Jesus
00:28:49.10\00:28:52.46
replicated the 12, the
number 12 is significant.
00:28:52.46\00:28:55.96
So, what's the significance
of the number 12, both in Old
00:28:55.96\00:29:00.16
Testament history and in
the New Testament history that's
00:29:00.16\00:29:05.16
unfolding now?
00:29:05.16\00:29:06.73
--Well, it's very clear in
the context of the 12 tribes.
00:29:06.73\00:29:09.33
In the Old Testament history,
you have the 12 sons of Jacob,
00:29:09.33\00:29:13.93
and those 12 tribes were the
basis, the foundation for God's
00:29:13.93\00:29:17.26
kingdom people.
00:29:17.26\00:29:19.00
In fact, so much so, that
they're actually brought into
00:29:19.00\00:29:21.80
the New Testament.
00:29:21.80\00:29:22.90
You see them in a
couple of places in the book of
00:29:22.90\00:29:24.26
Revelation, New Testament book,
you see them in Revelation 7,
00:29:24.26\00:29:27.30
the sealing of God's people, and
you see them in Revelation 21 in
00:29:27.30\00:29:30.53
relation to the New Jerusalem.
00:29:30.53\00:29:33.80
It has 12 gates and 12
foundations and the 12 gates
00:29:33.80\00:29:36.66
have the name, one of the names
of the 12 tribes all the way
00:29:36.66\00:29:39.20
around as well as the
foundations have the names of
00:29:39.20\00:29:41.36
the apostles.
00:29:41.36\00:29:42.46
--So, the point here is
that Jesus is not willy nilly
00:29:42.46\00:29:45.06
selecting 12 or
10 or 14 or whatever.
00:29:45.06\00:29:48.03
--He's following a pattern.
00:29:48.03\00:29:49.30
He's following a pattern, and
it's interesting because when
00:29:49.30\00:29:52.50
Steven, who would've been the
first martyr of the Christian
00:29:52.50\00:29:56.23
church, when he retells the
story of Israel, I'm just gonna
00:29:56.23\00:29:59.90
read something here in Acts
chapter 7, I think this in on
00:29:59.90\00:30:02.80
point with where we're going.
00:30:02.80\00:30:04.40
When he retells the story
of Israel, he uses a word to
00:30:04.40\00:30:08.00
describe Israel in the Old
Testament in Acts 7 and in verse
00:30:08.00\00:30:13.60
37, he says, this is that Moses
who said to the children of
00:30:13.60\00:30:19.83
Israel, and then he quotes, the
Lord your God will raise up for
00:30:19.83\00:30:23.16
you a prophet like me for your
brethren, him you shall hear.
00:30:23.16\00:30:28.36
You know, that's a
Messianic prophecy.
00:30:28.36\00:30:30.50
There would be another
prophet sent to another people.
00:30:30.50\00:30:33.33
--Like Moses, Moses was
the prophet of the Exodus.
00:30:33.33\00:30:36.03
--Of the Exodus, and Moses
was the leader of this people
00:30:36.03\00:30:38.63
Israel, but here's my point in
verse 38, this is he who was in
00:30:38.63\00:30:41.70
the...
00:30:41.70\00:30:43.26
--Wow, church.
00:30:43.26\00:30:44.70
--Now, your bible says church,
the King James, the New King
00:30:44.70\00:30:48.23
James will say congregation,
I like the word church better.
00:30:48.23\00:30:49.70
This is he who was in the church
in the wilderness with the angel
00:30:49.70\00:30:54.03
who spoke to him on Mount Sinai
with our fathers, the one who
00:30:54.03\00:30:58.43
received the living
oracles to give to us, the law.
00:30:58.43\00:31:03.56
So, the point here is that,
according to Steven, the first
00:31:03.56\00:31:06.06
Christian, the first martyr
of the Christian church that the
00:31:06.06\00:31:09.96
Israel of the Old Testament was
the church, that was the church,
00:31:09.96\00:31:13.83
so if Christ is coming
to repeat, what did you say,
00:31:13.83\00:31:19.03
tracing the steps, to
retrace the steps of Israel.
00:31:19.03\00:31:21.20
--To reenact.
00:31:21.20\00:31:22.76
--To reenact, it's curious that
he calls 12 that become now, the
00:31:22.76\00:31:29.00
church.
00:31:29.00\00:31:30.20
--So, could you say that
Jesus is founding a New Israel?
00:31:30.20\00:31:34.36
--Don't leave here,
though, don't leave here.
00:31:34.36\00:31:37.00
Notice this next verse, to whom
our fathers would not obey, but
00:31:37.00\00:31:40.73
thrust him from them.
00:31:40.73\00:31:43.10
Because that's exactly the same
thing that happens to Christ.
00:31:43.10\00:31:46.40
He comes, they don't obey, they
thrust him, they push him away.
00:31:46.40\00:31:50.53
In fact, in the very beginning
of the gospels, they try to
00:31:50.53\00:31:54.60
throw him over a cliff, they
won't listen to him, they thrust
00:31:54.60\00:31:56.56
him from them.
00:31:56.56\00:31:57.40
So, there's
another parallel there.
00:31:57.40\00:31:58.86
--So, Jesus is the prophet
of the Exodus, it's explicitly
00:31:58.86\00:32:04.46
there in Acts 7, Steven says
that he's the new Moses, right?
00:32:04.46\00:32:08.56
But Jesus is not only the
prophet of the Exodus, the
00:32:08.56\00:32:12.86
liberation, but he is also
founding a new Israel by calling
00:32:12.86\00:32:16.50
the 12, but what
do you think of this?
00:32:16.50\00:32:18.60
What is that New
Israel end up including?
00:32:18.60\00:32:22.16
Because you had referenced the
story of the centurion earlier.
00:32:22.16\00:32:26.60
I wanna call our attention to
something in Matthew chapter 8,
00:32:26.60\00:32:29.43
the story of the centurion that
we didn't even notice, because
00:32:29.43\00:32:33.46
Jesus is doing
something downright scandalous.
00:32:33.46\00:32:37.06
He is inaugurating, he
is launching a revolution.
00:32:37.06\00:32:41.33
Because here, you have
this centurion, i.e., a gentile.
00:32:41.33\00:32:45.76
--An outsider.
00:32:45.76\00:32:47.06
--An outsider.
00:32:47.06\00:32:48.10
--A Roman soldier, no less.
00:32:48.10\00:32:49.13
--A Roman soldier, no less.
00:32:49.13\00:32:50.80
The enemy...
00:32:50.80\00:32:51.86
--Of the hated,
of the hated people.
00:32:51.86\00:32:53.70
--Okay, so this centurion comes
to Jesus and he has a problem.
00:32:53.70\00:32:58.70
My servant is at home sick
with the palsy and Jesus is
00:32:58.70\00:33:04.40
approached by this centurion,
will you come and heal him?
00:33:04.40\00:33:06.60
Okay, we told
that part of the story.
00:33:06.60\00:33:08.16
Jesus does the healing,
but here's the scandalous part,
00:33:08.16\00:33:11.83
Jesus then points to this Roman
centurion, this gentile, and he
00:33:11.83\00:33:17.23
says to national Israel, to
biological Israel, he says, I
00:33:17.23\00:33:22.63
have not found such
great faith, no not in Israel.
00:33:22.63\00:33:27.16
Verse 10 of
chapter 8 of Matthew.
00:33:27.16\00:33:29.03
I have not found such
great faith, not even in Israel.
00:33:29.03\00:33:33.00
But that's not the
end of the scandal.
00:33:33.00\00:33:34.76
Right there, they're just,
their mouths are gaping open and
00:33:34.76\00:33:37.60
they're just blown away.
00:33:37.60\00:33:38.93
What in the world
are you talking about?
00:33:38.93\00:33:40.50
but then, you guys, look at
verse 11, Jesus encompasses the
00:33:40.50\00:33:44.80
whole world in the embrace of
the gospel here, he says, and I
00:33:44.80\00:33:48.83
say to you, that many will come
from the east and the west and
00:33:48.83\00:33:55.43
sit down with Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob in the kingdom of
00:33:55.43\00:33:59.63
heaven.
00:33:59.63\00:34:00.63
Isn't that incredible?
00:34:00.63\00:34:01.80
So, what's the
east and the west?
00:34:01.80\00:34:03.76
Well, this is Old Testament
speak for the outlying area of
00:34:03.76\00:34:10.16
beyond Israel, right?
00:34:10.16\00:34:11.20
--The whole world.
00:34:11.20\00:34:12.13
--It's east and west of Israel.
00:34:12.13\00:34:13.33
--It's east and west of Israel
specifically, and Jesus is
00:34:13.33\00:34:15.76
saying, yeah, Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, they'll be, as it
00:34:15.76\00:34:19.93
were, they're
under the tree of life.
00:34:19.93\00:34:22.06
But who's going to be there
with them, fellowshipping with
00:34:22.06\00:34:25.70
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob?
00:34:25.70\00:34:27.56
The gentile nations
will be there as well.
00:34:27.56\00:34:31.70
Now, watch this, you just come
right over to Galatians chapter
00:34:31.70\00:34:34.30
3 and verse 29 and Paul fills in
a little bit more language here,
00:34:34.30\00:34:39.03
he says, if you are Christ's, if
you're in Christ, if you belong
00:34:39.03\00:34:43.43
to Christ, if you've identified
with the New Israel, in other
00:34:43.43\00:34:47.00
words, Jesus Christ, then
you are Abraham's seed and heirs
00:34:47.00\00:34:51.46
according to the promise.
00:34:51.46\00:34:53.20
So, who is New Israel?
00:34:53.20\00:34:55.93
Jesus calls out the 12 apostles,
he's inaugurating a New Israel
00:34:55.93\00:35:03.06
with those apostles, and
then he's reaching out and he's
00:35:03.06\00:35:05.13
taking in the whole
world to be a part of Israel.
00:35:05.13\00:35:09.06
--Anyone who has the
faith of Father Abraham.
00:35:09.06\00:35:11.86
--And anyone who identifies with
Christ is a part of New Israel.
00:35:11.86\00:35:17.30
--That's still part of the
story, because when we looked at
00:35:17.30\00:35:19.86
Matthew chapter 1, we know that
the Gentiles were included in
00:35:19.86\00:35:22.43
that lineage.
00:35:22.43\00:35:23.63
--I understand what you're
saying and it's a great point,
00:35:23.63\00:35:26.73
about the New Israel, and we're
saying that to demarcate between
00:35:26.73\00:35:30.56
what Jesus is doing with
the calling of the 12 and the
00:35:30.56\00:35:33.00
national Israel
up to that point.
00:35:33.00\00:35:35.86
But in a very significant sense,
this is not, this is Israel.
00:35:35.86\00:35:39.86
--This is Israel, it's
what God intended all along.
00:35:39.86\00:35:41.80
--And I understand that
linguistically, we have to make
00:35:41.80\00:35:45.80
the distinction so we understand
what we're talking about, but
00:35:45.80\00:35:48.33
just so that those of us that
are listening in outside of the
00:35:48.33\00:35:51.16
conversation, this is not a new
thing that God is doing in the
00:35:51.16\00:35:54.50
sense that, oh, you know, that
didn't work out, let's come up
00:35:54.50\00:35:57.03
with something.
00:35:57.03\00:35:58.26
No, this is the thing all along,
in fact, I wanted to do this
00:35:58.26\00:36:00.50
about 4 programs ago, and I can
read really fast, so let me just
00:36:00.50\00:36:04.30
read this from Isaiah 56, just
listen to this, I'll just start
00:36:04.30\00:36:09.03
in verse 3, do not let the son
of the foreigner who has joined
00:36:09.03\00:36:12.50
himself to the Lord say, the
Lord has utterly separated me
00:36:12.50\00:36:15.90
from him people.
00:36:15.90\00:36:17.16
Don't let the eunuch say, I
am but a dry tree, for thus says
00:36:17.16\00:36:19.93
the Lord, the eunuchs who
keep my Sabbath and choose what
00:36:19.93\00:36:22.70
pleases me and hold fast my
covenant, even to them, I will
00:36:22.70\00:36:26.16
give in my house and within
my walls, a place and a name,
00:36:26.16\00:36:31.76
better than that of the sons and
the daughters, I will give them
00:36:31.76\00:36:34.60
an everlasting name
that will never be cut off.
00:36:34.60\00:36:37.23
Also, the sons of the foreigner
who join themselves to the Lord
00:36:37.23\00:36:40.10
to serve him and to love
the name of the Lord, to be his
00:36:40.10\00:36:42.60
servants, everyone who keeps
from defiling the Sabbath, and
00:36:42.60\00:36:45.90
holds fast my covenant, even
them I will bring to my holy
00:36:45.90\00:36:49.16
mountain, and make them joyful
in my house of prayer, their
00:36:49.16\00:36:52.93
burnt offerings and their
sacrifices will be accepted on
00:36:52.93\00:36:55.43
my altar, for my house will be
called a house of prayer for all
00:36:55.43\00:36:59.46
nations.
00:36:59.46\00:37:00.76
The Lord God who gathers the
outcast of Israel says, yet, I
00:37:00.76\00:37:03.63
will gather to him others
besides those who are gathered
00:37:03.63\00:37:06.80
to him.
00:37:06.80\00:37:07.73
This is, that's
what Jesus is doing.
00:37:07.73\00:37:10.56
In Matthew 8, when Jesus, rather
than chopping the head of the
00:37:10.56\00:37:14.20
centurion off, which would've
been the expectation, if you go
00:37:14.20\00:37:17.03
back and read about the Messiahs
in second temple Judaism, the
00:37:17.03\00:37:21.10
messiahs that were believed to
be messiahs, leading up to the
00:37:21.10\00:37:25.66
time of Jesus, and even
the people that claimed to be
00:37:25.66\00:37:27.53
messiahs after the time of
Jesus, I mean, Jesus was not one
00:37:27.53\00:37:29.80
messiah figure.
00:37:29.80\00:37:31.53
There were dozens and dozens and
dozens of messiah figures, some
00:37:31.53\00:37:34.43
made larger impact, and
others smaller impact, but the
00:37:34.43\00:37:36.66
expectation was always the same,
the messiah will come and he
00:37:36.66\00:37:40.36
will establish Israel, he will
cleanse the temple, or rebuild
00:37:40.36\00:37:45.00
it, whatever the case needed to
be, and he will give the nations
00:37:45.00\00:37:48.23
a good whacking.
00:37:48.23\00:37:50.06
--What you just said
about cleansing the temple.
00:37:50.06\00:37:51.60
When you were reading that, that
reminded me of what Jesus does
00:37:51.60\00:37:54.96
when he starts his ministry.
00:37:54.96\00:37:56.23
Because he does it twice, but he
does at the beginning, but when
00:37:56.23\00:37:58.26
he cleanses the temple as is the
expectation of the Messiah, he
00:37:58.26\00:38:01.73
goes in and cleanses the temple
and then what does he say?
00:38:01.73\00:38:03.96
He said, my house shall be
called a house of prayer for all
00:38:03.96\00:38:09.00
people.
00:38:09.00\00:38:09.86
He's quoting Isaiah 56.
00:38:09.86\00:38:11.46
He says, my house shall be,
you've made it a den of thieves,
00:38:11.46\00:38:13.70
but my house shall be called a
house of prayer for all people.
00:38:13.70\00:38:15.50
Yes.
00:38:15.50\00:38:16.70
So, it's not a new thing,
it is a continuation, as you're
00:38:16.70\00:38:19.96
saying.
00:38:19.96\00:38:21.23
--The thing that Jesus cleanses
the temple from, and here's the
00:38:21.23\00:38:23.00
remarkable thing, is not as in,
oh, sort of the period of about
00:38:23.00\00:38:26.40
200 years before when Antiochus
epiphanies was offering pigs in
00:38:26.40\00:38:31.43
the temple and that
needed to be cleansed of pagans.
00:38:31.43\00:38:33.50
Who is Jesus
cleansing the temple of?
00:38:33.50\00:38:35.76
Jews who had misunderstood
their own faith and their own
00:38:35.76\00:38:39.36
religion, which is why
when he's done, they are like,
00:38:39.36\00:38:41.26
incredulous.
00:38:41.26\00:38:42.46
Who gives you the authority?
00:38:42.46\00:38:44.53
Who do you think you are?
00:38:44.53\00:38:45.76
And then Jesus sets himself
in radical juxtaposition to the
00:38:45.76\00:38:49.20
temple, he says, you destroy
this temple, and in 3 days I'll
00:38:49.20\00:38:52.43
raise it up.
00:38:52.43\00:38:53.56
--In other
words, I am the temple.
00:38:53.56\00:38:54.86
--It took us 46
years to build this.
00:38:54.86\00:38:57.20
And then he's like, you'll see.
00:38:57.20\00:38:59.43
You will see.
00:38:59.43\00:39:01.03
So, that thing you're quoting
there of the centurion, Jesus
00:39:01.03\00:39:05.03
didn't come to chop the heads of
the Romans off, he came to save
00:39:05.03\00:39:08.16
the Romans as well, they're just
picking their jaws up off the
00:39:08.16\00:39:12.40
ground at every turn.
00:39:12.40\00:39:13.66
I mean, remember the story, just
very quickly, don't forget that,
00:39:13.66\00:39:16.83
when Jesus is talking to
this woman at the well, this
00:39:16.83\00:39:19.46
Samaritan woman, when the
disciples showed up, they're
00:39:19.46\00:39:21.53
like, what's he doing?
00:39:21.53\00:39:23.43
Why's he talking to her?
00:39:23.43\00:39:24.70
--Doesn't he know he's
not supposed to talk to her?
00:39:24.70\00:39:27.76
--But here's the incredible
thing that I don't wanna lose
00:39:27.76\00:39:31.10
sight of because, and all of
that is just so, my mind is just
00:39:31.10\00:39:36.10
spinning on this, but back
to the centurion and Jesus says,
00:39:36.10\00:39:39.60
many will come from the east
and the west, even in modern
00:39:39.60\00:39:42.76
Christianity, we're not as
inclusive in our perspective of
00:39:42.76\00:39:48.70
who God is interested in and who
he's embracing because, check
00:39:48.70\00:39:52.36
this out, when Jesus says, many
will come from the east and the
00:39:52.36\00:39:56.83
west, this is going back to
prophecies in the Old Testament,
00:39:56.83\00:39:59.63
you took us to chapter 56 of
Isaiah, but have you ever seen
00:39:59.63\00:40:03.86
this in Isaiah 49?
00:40:03.86\00:40:06.40
Isaiah 49 says, verse 1, listen,
oh coast lands, to me, coast
00:40:06.40\00:40:11.03
lands, that is outside of
Israel, listen to me and take
00:40:11.03\00:40:15.93
heed, you peoples
from afar, alright?
00:40:15.93\00:40:18.70
People from afar,
outside of Israel.
00:40:18.70\00:40:20.80
But then skip all the way down
to verse 12 and we see here that
00:40:20.80\00:40:24.40
the messiah is the messiah for
not only Israel, but watch this,
00:40:24.40\00:40:28.00
surely these shall come from
afar, look, those from the north
00:40:28.00\00:40:33.00
and the west, Jesus says east
and the west, and those from the
00:40:33.00\00:40:37.46
north and the west and
these from the land of Senem.
00:40:37.46\00:40:40.90
What is the land of Senem.
00:40:40.90\00:40:43.03
Well, the land of Senem is a
direct reference to China or to
00:40:43.03\00:40:47.30
Asia, yeah, the
far east from Israel.
00:40:47.30\00:40:51.40
Senem, even in modern language,
sinology is the study of things
00:40:51.40\00:40:56.76
Chinese.
00:40:56.76\00:40:58.36
American and seno talks is
political conversations between
00:40:58.36\00:41:03.50
America and China.
00:41:03.50\00:41:05.63
Senem is China.
00:41:05.63\00:41:07.13
We have here in the Old
Testament, God has a big vision
00:41:07.13\00:41:09.86
and he's had
that vision all along.
00:41:09.86\00:41:12.80
When we get into the kingdom,
as Jesus said, and we are just
00:41:12.80\00:41:16.20
kicking back under the tree
of life with Abraham, Isaac, and
00:41:16.20\00:41:19.66
Jacob, there are gonna be people
from every nation, kindred
00:41:19.66\00:41:23.10
tongue, and people there, I
mean, seriously, if we look back
00:41:23.10\00:41:28.23
in history, there are countless
people in areas of the world,
00:41:28.23\00:41:32.93
nations of the world, outside
of Israel, and even to this day,
00:41:32.93\00:41:37.06
outside of Christianity, who
never heard the name of Christ
00:41:37.06\00:41:41.03
per se, and yet, at the
same time, Jesus is explicitly
00:41:41.03\00:41:45.86
stating, there will be many
people from every culture and
00:41:45.86\00:41:49.83
nation in the
world in the kingdom.
00:41:49.83\00:41:52.36
Well, how in the
world did they get there?
00:41:52.36\00:41:54.03
They got there not because there
are two ways of salvation, Jesus
00:41:54.03\00:41:57.53
is the only savior, but he saves
people in ways that we never
00:41:57.53\00:42:03.56
imagined or dreamed of.
00:42:03.56\00:42:05.76
--And when he's born, those are
the type of people that come,
00:42:05.76\00:42:07.63
the wise men from the east.
00:42:07.63\00:42:09.60
And when everybody else missed
the point, the people who got it
00:42:09.60\00:42:14.40
were the people who
were coming from far away.
00:42:14.40\00:42:17.30
--When you go back and you look
at that text, that's an awesome
00:42:17.30\00:42:19.46
point that you brought up.
00:42:19.46\00:42:20.73
When you look at that text, it
says that when the wise men went
00:42:20.73\00:42:23.80
to Herrod and said, hey, we're
looking for this, there's a sign
00:42:23.80\00:42:26.40
in the east.
00:42:26.40\00:42:27.66
You know what it actually says,
the text says, I don't know if
00:42:27.66\00:42:28.93
it's Matthew, Mark, or Luke, it
says, when Herrod heard this, it
00:42:28.93\00:42:31.60
said, Herrod and
all Israel was troubled.
00:42:31.60\00:42:35.06
Like, who are these people
coming from outside telling us
00:42:35.06\00:42:38.96
about the
arrival of our messiah?
00:42:38.96\00:42:41.46
This gets back to the thing that
James brought up, it was either
00:42:41.46\00:42:43.53
last conversation or the
one before, and I loved it.
00:42:43.53\00:42:46.60
He said, when he was a
Catholic, it was Catholics and
00:42:46.60\00:42:49.03
non-Catholics.
00:42:49.03\00:42:50.30
When he was a Protestant, it was
Protestants and others, when he
00:42:50.30\00:42:52.36
was an Adventist, it
was Adventists and nons.
00:42:52.36\00:42:54.43
Jesus did not reinforce the
national prejudices of his...
00:42:54.43\00:43:00.40
--Countrymen.
00:43:00.40\00:43:02.73
--That's right, he was actually,
and point after point, tearing
00:43:02.73\00:43:06.26
down those walls, tearing down,
until eventually, and this is
00:43:06.26\00:43:09.76
skipping ahead, when the spirit
is poured out in the book of
00:43:09.76\00:43:12.70
Acts, Acts chapter 2, and the
Holy Spirit is poured out, you
00:43:12.70\00:43:16.66
see here an actual reverse of
the fragmenting of the nations
00:43:16.66\00:43:22.23
that took place back in Genesis
11, where the nations are
00:43:22.23\00:43:25.46
dispersed because of linguistic
separation, in Acts 2, when the
00:43:25.46\00:43:29.20
Holy Spirit's poured out, the
languages are coming back and
00:43:29.20\00:43:31.86
it's because of Jesus, and
here's the crucial point, they
00:43:31.86\00:43:34.30
were going to make a name for
themselves, and God said, no,
00:43:34.30\00:43:38.03
we'll spread that.
00:43:38.03\00:43:39.30
That's Genesis 11, but when God
brings them back together, the
00:43:39.30\00:43:42.93
linguistic bringing back
together, not just of Jew, but
00:43:42.93\00:43:45.66
eventually even of gentile
as well, it's to make a name for
00:43:45.66\00:43:47.93
God.
00:43:47.93\00:43:49.20
--Here's a beautiful prophecy
to kinda tie this off before the
00:43:49.20\00:43:52.06
break, in Zachariah chapter 13
verse 6, you have this picture
00:43:52.06\00:43:56.63
of people who are asking Jesus a
very interesting question in the
00:43:56.63\00:44:03.20
kingdom, what are
these wounds in your hands?
00:44:03.20\00:44:05.56
I mean, think about that.
00:44:05.56\00:44:06.83
You and I will never ask Jesus,
hey, why do you have wounds in
00:44:06.83\00:44:10.36
your hands?
00:44:10.36\00:44:11.30
Why?
00:44:11.30\00:44:12.56
Because we know the story, we're
post-Christ, we know the story
00:44:12.56\00:44:14.86
of Calvary, we see the scars
in his hands and we know why
00:44:14.86\00:44:17.80
they're there, but there will
literally be people there who
00:44:17.80\00:44:20.53
have to ask the
question, hey, what happened?
00:44:20.53\00:44:23.63
Why the wounds?
00:44:23.63\00:44:25.30
And Jesus, for the first time,
in the kingdom, will tell those
00:44:25.30\00:44:30.10
people, well, actually, I'm the
one that was nudging and wooing
00:44:30.10\00:44:34.53
and pursuing you heart all
along, I'm Jesus and I died for
00:44:34.53\00:44:39.66
you.
00:44:39.66\00:44:40.56
You died for me?
00:44:40.56\00:44:41.80
And Jesus will tell people
the story of redemption for the
00:44:41.80\00:44:46.33
first time in the kingdom, but
the amazing thing is, they're
00:44:46.33\00:44:51.00
there.
00:44:51.00\00:44:52.30
They're in the kingdom.
00:44:52.30\00:44:53.76
God's embrace of the human race
is so massive, he's interested
00:44:53.76\00:44:59.56
in all.
00:44:59.56\00:45:00.83
We have to take a break,
but this is exciting stuff.
00:45:00.83\00:45:03.53
This paints a picture of
God that is so beautiful and
00:45:03.53\00:45:06.20
irresistible, that as Jesus
said, all will be drawn to him.
00:45:06.20\00:45:11.80
So, let's just take a break.
00:45:11.80\00:45:13.13
[Music]
00:45:13.13\00:45:18.70
Truth is not merely a list
of theological facts, but rather
00:45:20.60\00:45:23.86
the revelation of God's
beautiful love in Jesus Christ.
00:45:23.86\00:45:27.26
Truth Link is a series of bible
study guides that magnify God's
00:45:27.26\00:45:31.30
love as the center
of every bible doctrine.
00:45:31.30\00:45:34.56
To receive your free copy of
lesson one, call 877-585-1111,
00:45:34.56\00:45:41.16
or write to Light Bearers 37457
Jasper Lowell Road, Jasper,
00:45:41.16\00:45:46.33
Oregon 97438.
00:45:46.33\00:45:48.83
Once again, to receive your free
copy of Truth Link, lesson one,
00:45:48.83\00:45:53.06
call 877-585-1111, or write
to Light Bearers 37457 Jasper
00:45:53.06\00:46:00.86
Lowell Road,
Jasper, Oregon 97438.
00:46:00.86\00:46:05.00
[Music]
00:46:05.00\00:46:11.83
--So, continuing the story line,
this is pretty exciting what
00:46:11.83\00:46:15.16
we're learning, and of
course, as is the nature of a
00:46:15.16\00:46:17.70
conversation, we're kinda all
excited and here and there and
00:46:17.70\00:46:20.56
everywhere but a
beautiful picture is emerging.
00:46:20.56\00:46:24.13
Jesus is forming a New Israel
and then we kinda wanted to
00:46:24.13\00:46:27.73
correct our language, this is
not in the strictest sense a New
00:46:27.73\00:46:32.03
Israel, this is Israel as God
always intended Israel to be.
00:46:32.03\00:46:35.86
--The original plan
is actually happening.
00:46:35.86\00:46:37.56
--The original plan is to
include all of humanity, or all
00:46:37.56\00:46:41.90
who will by faith, be a
part of this New Israel.
00:46:41.90\00:46:45.63
--Or at least to
invite all humanity.
00:46:45.63\00:46:46.90
--Invite all humanity, if you
are Christ, Paul says, you are
00:46:46.90\00:46:50.00
Abraham's seed, and
heirs according to the promise.
00:46:50.00\00:46:52.40
And that includes the centurion,
that includes Gentiles, that
00:46:52.40\00:46:55.96
includes anybody who, by faith,
wants to identify with Christ.
00:46:55.96\00:46:59.00
--You know what's so
interesting, we've spent a lot
00:46:59.00\00:47:00.66
of time in this centurion story,
but I think that's because it's
00:47:00.66\00:47:02.63
so representative of what Jesus
is doing in his ministry, and I
00:47:02.63\00:47:05.86
love the fact that when Jesus
says that people will come from
00:47:05.86\00:47:09.16
the east and the west, he very
purposefully and intentionally
00:47:09.16\00:47:12.06
says, and will sit down
with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
00:47:12.06\00:47:16.06
The very ones with, by whom God
identified himself in the Old
00:47:16.06\00:47:20.90
Testament.
00:47:20.90\00:47:21.83
I'm the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
00:47:21.83\00:47:23.53
In other words, what he's doing
is he's sending a message to the
00:47:23.53\00:47:26.03
people who identified, they
thought they identified with the
00:47:26.03\00:47:28.86
story, with the history, with
the legacy of Abraham, Isaac,
00:47:28.86\00:47:31.50
and Jacob, and he's like, look,
this is not an exclusivity.
00:47:31.50\00:47:33.96
This is a broad, universal, God
is doing something bigger, and
00:47:33.96\00:47:40.03
he was always
doing it through Abraham.
00:47:40.03\00:47:41.93
--Wow, he's literally saying
that the story of Abraham,
00:47:41.93\00:47:45.16
Isaac, and Jacob is
the story of all humanity.
00:47:45.16\00:47:49.63
That story belongs to everybody.
00:47:49.63\00:47:52.10
--Remember, because God's
original covenantal promise to
00:47:52.10\00:47:55.73
Abraham was, Abraham, we're
gonna get you back the land that
00:47:55.73\00:47:58.83
was lost in Eden, and I'll
give you people to fill it.
00:47:58.83\00:48:02.46
The same thing he said to
Adam and Eve, be fruitful and
00:48:02.46\00:48:04.60
multiply.
00:48:04.60\00:48:05.73
Same thing he said to
Noah, be fruitful and multiply.
00:48:05.73\00:48:06.96
He says to them, you'll get
the land and you'll fill it with
00:48:06.96\00:48:09.10
people.
00:48:09.10\00:48:10.23
In fact, all the families
of the earth will be blessed.
00:48:10.23\00:48:12.30
But that universality was lost
for a variety of reasons we've
00:48:12.30\00:48:15.93
not fully developed,
that's beside the point.
00:48:15.93\00:48:17.86
When we come to the New
Testament, there's this sense of
00:48:17.86\00:48:20.16
isolationism, social purity,
ritual purity, ceremonial
00:48:20.16\00:48:24.03
purity, just we're gonna be sort
of cloistered away here, and
00:48:24.03\00:48:27.23
Jesus just starts to, he's not
washing his hands at the right
00:48:27.23\00:48:30.33
time, he's touching lepers.
00:48:30.33\00:48:31.63
What is he doing?
00:48:31.63\00:48:32.86
--And by referencing Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, he's even
00:48:32.86\00:48:35.20
telling them, you
missed, you lost the plot.
00:48:35.20\00:48:37.80
--That's right, you
missed your own story.
00:48:37.80\00:48:40.00
--Your own ancestors, your
own heritage, you've missed it.
00:48:40.00\00:48:44.46
--And when we come to the book
of Revelation, the whole world,
00:48:44.46\00:48:48.06
planet earth, is redeemed, the
land is returned, and there's
00:48:48.06\00:48:52.16
only one city.
00:48:52.16\00:48:53.40
Is Jerusalem is the one
city, and check this out, every
00:48:53.40\00:48:57.43
nation, kindred, and tongue and
people of those who are redeemed
00:48:57.43\00:49:00.73
are a part of Israel.
00:49:00.73\00:49:03.03
Everybody ultimately, this
just dawned on me, everybody,
00:49:03.03\00:49:06.56
ultimately, is a part of one of
the 12 tribes that are named in
00:49:06.56\00:49:10.10
Revelation.
00:49:10.10\00:49:11.36
--Yeah, that's why the phrase,
every nation, kindred, tongue,
00:49:11.36\00:49:13.33
and people is a radical,
revolutionary statement for any
00:49:13.33\00:49:15.96
fundamentalist.
00:49:15.96\00:49:16.93
It's radical.
00:49:16.93\00:49:18.20
--Okay, say that all again,
that was a lot of syllables.
00:49:18.20\00:49:19.63
--The phrase, every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people is
00:49:19.63\00:49:22.26
purposefully put in the book
of Revelation because it's a
00:49:22.26\00:49:24.73
radical statement
for any fundamentalist.
00:49:24.73\00:49:27.76
Anyone who believes we're the
group, no, we're the group, no,
00:49:27.76\00:49:30.16
we're the group,
no, it's our group.
00:49:30.16\00:49:32.03
That phrase, used over and over
again, every nation, kindred,
00:49:32.03\00:49:34.96
tongue, we just take it
for granted, oh, every nation,
00:49:34.96\00:49:37.00
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:49:37.00\00:49:38.23
No, that's a radical
revolutionary statement.
00:49:38.23\00:49:40.13
--You know, that's interesting
because when I would read that,
00:49:40.13\00:49:41.66
you referenced Revelation and
how the names of the tribes...
00:49:41.66\00:49:44.83
--And the names of the apostles.
00:49:44.83\00:49:47.13
--Specifically with the tribes,
I would often think, man, we're
00:49:47.13\00:49:50.90
back to that?
00:49:50.90\00:49:52.13
Like, what, the Jesus thing,
like, he came and then the door
00:49:52.13\00:49:56.30
swung open and then the
Gentiles, like, I'm a gentile,
00:49:56.30\00:49:58.26
why are we back to that?
00:49:58.26\00:50:00.13
And then you realize you want
those names there because, from
00:50:00.13\00:50:03.40
the beginning, those names
represented me, those names
00:50:03.40\00:50:08.00
represented the
whole human race.
00:50:08.00\00:50:10.00
So, we're not back to, we're
not back to any of that, it was
00:50:10.00\00:50:13.83
never really there.
00:50:13.83\00:50:14.90
It was always inclusive.
00:50:14.90\00:50:16.50
--Every person who enters the
city New Jerusalem, enters the
00:50:16.50\00:50:20.20
city through one of the 12 gates
over one of the 12 foundations
00:50:20.20\00:50:23.56
and therefore is identified with
Israel and identified as Israel.
00:50:23.56\00:50:28.73
--That's why Paul, when the
church is scattered abroad, I
00:50:28.73\00:50:31.66
shouldn't say Paul, I should
say James, that's why when this
00:50:31.66\00:50:34.40
church is scattered abroad,
James writes this epistle and he
00:50:34.40\00:50:37.50
says to the 12
tribes scattered abroad.
00:50:37.50\00:50:39.70
--Oh, wait a
minute, what is that?
00:50:39.70\00:50:41.13
--James 1.
00:50:41.13\00:50:42.10
--Twelve tribes
scattered abroad.
00:50:42.10\00:50:44.36
--So he's addressing...
00:50:44.36\00:50:45.56
--The church as the New
Testament church, the New
00:50:45.56\00:50:47.66
Testament church.
00:50:47.66\00:50:48.60
--Wow, that's something.
00:50:48.60\00:50:51.70
--One of the things that we have
talked not a lot about, but is
00:50:51.70\00:50:54.56
always a part of what Jesus is
doing in the gospels is healing.
00:50:54.56\00:50:58.66
I've heard it said, I don't know
if it's precisely mathematically
00:50:58.66\00:51:02.10
correct, but for every, every
time we see Jesus preaching,
00:51:02.10\00:51:04.50
he's healing at least twice.
00:51:04.50\00:51:06.06
In other words, healing is
a huge part of what Jesus is
00:51:06.06\00:51:09.26
doing.
00:51:09.26\00:51:10.13
--He did more
healing than preaching.
00:51:10.13\00:51:11.06
--That's a
simpler way to say it.
00:51:11.06\00:51:12.40
And when Mark introduces, we've
spent a lot of time in Matthew,
00:51:12.40\00:51:15.33
sometime in John, when Mark
introduces the healing ministry
00:51:15.33\00:51:18.76
of Jesus, he sets the tone
for what all of Jesus's healings
00:51:18.76\00:51:23.66
ultimately meant or stood for.
00:51:23.66\00:51:25.90
They weren't just magic tricks,
they weren't just, you know,
00:51:25.90\00:51:29.13
watch me pull a rabbit out of
a hat or saw a woman in two kind
00:51:29.13\00:51:32.00
of a thing, no, there's
something going on here.
00:51:32.00\00:51:34.00
The opposite, unsaw.
00:51:34.00\00:51:36.13
--I had this visual.
00:51:36.13\00:51:38.10
--Sorry about that, I
shouldn't have said all that.
00:51:38.10\00:51:39.93
In Mark chapter 2, Jesus has the
audacity to say, in verse 5, to
00:51:39.93\00:51:46.83
a person, son,
your sins are forgiven.
00:51:46.83\00:51:51.13
--You're in
chapter 2 of Mark what?
00:51:51.13\00:51:53.10
--Mark 2:5.
00:51:53.10\00:51:54.10
Jesus says, your
sins are forgiven.
00:51:54.10\00:51:56.00
And some of the scribes
were sitting there and they were
00:51:56.00\00:51:58.40
reasoning in their hearts and
they're like, why does this man
00:51:58.40\00:52:00.83
speak blasphemies like this, who
can forgive sins but God alone?
00:52:00.83\00:52:04.56
Jesus discerns.
00:52:04.56\00:52:05.70
Immediately, when Jesus
perceived in his spirit that
00:52:05.70\00:52:08.10
they reasoned thus within
themselves, he said to them, why
00:52:08.10\00:52:09.60
are you thinking about
these things in your hearts?
00:52:09.60\00:52:13.03
Or why do you reason this way?
00:52:13.03\00:52:14.33
What's easier to
say to the paralytic?
00:52:14.33\00:52:16.56
Your sins are forgiven you?
00:52:16.56\00:52:18.00
Or to say, arise,
take up your bed and walk?
00:52:18.00\00:52:20.86
And then he says, here's the
key, verse 10, but you may know
00:52:20.86\00:52:23.76
that the Son of Man has power on
earth to forgive sins, that is,
00:52:23.76\00:52:26.33
to bring restoration, so that
you know that I can lead this
00:52:26.33\00:52:31.40
New Exodus out of
sin and out of death.
00:52:31.40\00:52:33.70
He said to the paralytic, I say
to you, arise, take up your bed,
00:52:33.70\00:52:37.36
and go to your house.
00:52:37.36\00:52:38.76
Immediately, he arose, took
up his bed and went out in the
00:52:38.76\00:52:42.03
presence of them all, so
that they were all amazed and
00:52:42.03\00:52:44.66
glorified God, saying, we've
never seen anything like this.
00:52:44.66\00:52:47.03
So, not only was Jesus talking
in a way that no one had ever
00:52:47.03\00:52:50.20
heard, he was healing and doing
things that no one had ever
00:52:50.20\00:52:53.20
seen.
00:52:53.20\00:52:54.46
But these healings, again, were
not just, like, to try and gain
00:52:54.46\00:52:55.60
popularity or to get a
following, they were always, in
00:52:55.60\00:52:58.70
fact, sometimes when Jesus would
heal, he would say, let's just
00:52:58.70\00:53:00.70
keep this between us.
00:53:00.70\00:53:01.70
Just between us.
00:53:01.70\00:53:02.90
He is saying, among other
things, what I'm doing here to
00:53:02.90\00:53:06.50
your physical person is a much
easier thing than the thing I
00:53:06.50\00:53:11.10
really wanna do, and
that's the healing of your...
00:53:11.10\00:53:14.06
--So, there's a direct parallel
between, he's saying there's a
00:53:14.06\00:53:16.56
parallel between the healing
of your body and the healing of
00:53:16.56\00:53:20.16
your soul, there's a parallel
between in the exact language
00:53:20.16\00:53:23.06
here, the healing of
your body and forgiveness.
00:53:23.06\00:53:25.40
--That's right.
00:53:25.40\00:53:26.66
--Especially in the mindset of
the Jews, because in the mindset
00:53:26.66\00:53:28.13
of the Jews, if you were sick,
if you were afflicted with some
00:53:28.13\00:53:31.20
kind of a disease, you were
under the condemnation of God,
00:53:31.20\00:53:34.43
you were under the
direct condemnation of God.
00:53:34.43\00:53:37.36
--Something was wrong.
00:53:37.36\00:53:38.20
--You had sinned.
00:53:38.20\00:53:39.60
You had
spiritual, you know, disease.
00:53:39.60\00:53:44.06
--That's right, leprosy.
00:53:44.06\00:53:45.13
--And therefore, you
had this physical disease.
00:53:45.13\00:53:47.56
The physical disease, which is
an indication of the spiritual
00:53:47.56\00:53:49.63
disease.
00:53:49.63\00:53:50.83
--You know, when you read
the story, a couple of things
00:53:50.83\00:53:52.86
occurred to me, number one,
we've been developing this idea
00:53:52.86\00:53:55.83
of covenant, covenant.
00:53:55.83\00:53:58.46
All through scripture, beginning
in Genesis, all the way through,
00:53:58.46\00:54:00.43
and we mentioned the fact that
the idea of covenant, the reason
00:54:00.43\00:54:05.30
God continually references
previous actions, previous
00:54:05.30\00:54:11.30
deliverances to Exodus and
things like that, the promises
00:54:11.30\00:54:14.16
made to Abraham, is because the
people are to take him seriously
00:54:14.16\00:54:18.96
on the basis of what
he's already done in the past.
00:54:18.96\00:54:21.66
So, just follow me with this,
his words illicit confidence
00:54:21.66\00:54:28.70
because they're
backed up by action, right?
00:54:28.70\00:54:31.66
--Say it again, say it again.
00:54:31.66\00:54:32.80
--So, his words illicit
confidence in the listener, in
00:54:32.80\00:54:36.23
the people, because his
words are backed up by actions.
00:54:36.23\00:54:39.90
So, here in this story, what
he's essentially saying is, you
00:54:39.90\00:54:45.06
can have confidence in my saying
your sins are forgiven you
00:54:45.06\00:54:48.76
because, check this out,
I'm gonna back up my word with
00:54:48.76\00:54:52.53
action.
00:54:52.53\00:54:53.36
Now, here's the
interesting thing.
00:54:53.36\00:54:54.53
--The action is healing.
00:54:54.53\00:54:55.90
--Of course, but you can't see
somebody's sins being forgiven.
00:54:55.90\00:55:00.20
Like, I can tell you guys, I can
go up to James and say, James,
00:55:00.20\00:55:03.63
my brother, I
forgive your sins, it's done.
00:55:03.63\00:55:08.43
You can't prove the fact
that I didn't just do that.
00:55:08.43\00:55:11.13
You can't falsify that because
no one can observe his sins
00:55:11.13\00:55:15.16
being forgiven, so what Christ
is doing is he's giving us
00:55:15.16\00:55:17.30
something physical, tangible,
observable in order to back up
00:55:17.30\00:55:21.50
what you can't see.
00:55:21.50\00:55:23.40
What is not observable, right?
00:55:23.40\00:55:25.33
And I just love that whole
thing, he's giving us actions by
00:55:25.33\00:55:28.96
which to back up his words.
00:55:28.96\00:55:30.30
--Powerful, powerful point.
00:55:30.30\00:55:32.10
--Jesus actually says that,
in John chapter 14, he says,
00:55:32.10\00:55:34.33
believe me that I am in the
Father, and the Father in me,
00:55:34.33\00:55:39.30
and then he says, or else...
00:55:39.30\00:55:40.83
--Believe my actions.
00:55:40.83\00:55:43.00
--Believe the actions,
believe me for my work sake.
00:55:43.00\00:55:45.36
If you're
struggling, that's your point.
00:55:45.36\00:55:46.56
You can see what I'm doing.
00:55:46.56\00:55:48.00
--I love this in the context of
the cleansing of the 10 lepers
00:55:48.00\00:55:53.16
because there are actually 2
different words that are used
00:55:53.16\00:55:56.00
there.
00:55:56.00\00:55:57.26
When Jesus cleanses the lepers,
he cleanses them physically, all
00:55:57.26\00:56:02.86
10 of them are cleansed,
and that is the demonstration of
00:56:02.86\00:56:05.30
what God can do for us, sozo
what he can do for us in the
00:56:05.76\00:56:08.23
whole man.
00:56:08.23\00:56:10.10
And it's interesting because
it says that the 10 go, they're
00:56:10.10\00:56:13.63
cleansed, and one of them comes
back and the one that comes
00:56:13.63\00:56:16.73
back, by the way, interestingly,
David, is a Samaritan, because
00:56:16.73\00:56:19.86
Jesus actually says that,
he says, is this the only one?
00:56:19.86\00:56:23.50
And then he says, to the
Samaritan he says, go your way,
00:56:23.50\00:56:28.40
you're made whole.
00:56:28.40\00:56:32.00
Sozo, not cleansed,
it's a different word.
00:56:32.00\00:56:34.43
In other words, he came back to
glorify God and the revelation
00:56:34.43\00:56:39.23
of that response indicates that
he's not only been cleansed, but
00:56:39.23\00:56:44.90
he's been made whole,
which is the ultimate.
00:56:44.90\00:56:47.43
--That's salvation.
00:56:47.43\00:56:48.40
--Yeah, that's the goal.
00:56:48.40\00:56:49.56
--And that gets back to
something Ty mentioned about the
00:56:49.56\00:56:51.60
point, I think we've all
mentioned it, actually, that God
00:56:51.60\00:56:54.06
is not just out to rescue
our spirit, whatever that even
00:56:54.06\00:56:57.46
means, you know, to take, to get
rid of this old body and this
00:56:57.46\00:57:00.46
old earth and just get us
to some, you know, where we're
00:57:00.46\00:57:03.30
floating on clouds with
little beady eyes, I don't know.
00:57:03.30\00:57:05.56
--Beady eyes.
00:57:05.56\00:57:06.73
--We are social, physical,
emotional, you know, we are
00:57:06.73\00:57:13.10
mental beings, and what God
wants to heal is the person, the
00:57:13.10\00:57:17.40
whole person.
00:57:17.40\00:57:18.56
What you got?
00:57:18.56\00:57:19.70
--When he heals somebody
physically, in that society and
00:57:19.70\00:57:23.43
culture, he has healed them
emotionally and socially because
00:57:23.43\00:57:26.86
these people with illnesses,
particularly lepers, were cast
00:57:26.86\00:57:30.23
out of society.
00:57:30.23\00:57:31.20
Socially messed up.
00:57:31.20\00:57:32.96
When you're cast out of society,
you are emotionally messed up,
00:57:32.96\00:57:36.66
it has an effect on you.
00:57:36.66\00:57:37.66
--That's a sermon right there.
00:57:37.66\00:57:39.33
--So, by Christ, that is a
sermon, don't take that, none of
00:57:39.33\00:57:41.86
y'all, don't take that.
00:57:41.86\00:57:42.86
I'm taking that.
00:57:42.86\00:57:46.26
--But, no, that's a great point,
you opened with the parable of
00:57:46.26\00:57:50.16
Jesus, you opened with the
parable of Jesus making the
00:57:50.16\00:57:53.16
water into wine.
00:57:53.16\00:57:54.40
In addition to all the
theological implications and the
00:57:54.40\00:57:57.20
covenant and all that, what
Jesus is doing is, he's meeting
00:57:57.20\00:57:59.16
a social need there.
00:57:59.16\00:58:00.56
There is an actual
simple social need.
00:58:00.56\00:58:02.86
Hey, they need some food.
00:58:02.86\00:58:04.13
And that's another instance.
00:58:04.13\00:58:06.06
Hey, we need some food, hey we
need some wine, the party is, so
00:58:06.06\00:58:08.13
he does that.
00:58:08.13\00:58:10.20
In other words, Jesus was
not just this walking around,
00:58:10.20\00:58:12.66
floating on clouds and
not in touch with people, he's
00:58:12.66\00:58:16.06
accessible, he's real,
even the kids want access.
00:58:16.06\00:58:19.50
There's something about
this guy, he's beautiful.
00:58:19.50\00:58:22.16
--So beautiful.
00:58:22.16\00:58:23.30
Jesus is not preaching an
evacuation theology, so to
00:58:23.30\00:58:27.93
speak.
00:58:27.93\00:58:28.83
--The fire escape theology.
00:58:28.83\00:58:30.36
--Yeah, he's preaching a
present-tense here and now
00:58:30.36\00:58:34.46
deliverance healing,
wholeness, a present kingdom.
00:58:34.46\00:58:39.60
--Today, this
scripture's fulfilled.
00:58:39.60\00:58:41.06
--The kingdom of
God is within you.
00:58:41.06\00:58:44.40
--The kingdom of God is at hand.
00:58:44.40\00:58:45.63
It's right here, you're seeing
it in living action, you're
00:58:45.63\00:58:48.86
seeing it in motion.
00:58:48.86\00:58:50.13
So, what we're discovering is
that Jesus is the prophet of the
00:58:50.13\00:58:54.90
New Exodus and Jesus is the New
Israel, but the New Israel is
00:58:54.90\00:59:01.56
the Israel that God intended all
along and it's inclusive of the
00:59:01.56\00:59:07.13
whole human race, all who will,
anyone who's of thirst count.
00:59:07.13\00:59:10.40
--Amen.
00:59:10.40\00:59:11.46
--Hallelujah.
00:59:11.46\00:59:12.13
--Praise his name.
00:59:12.13\00:59:13.03
[Music]
00:59:13.03\00:59:14.03