[Music]
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--One of the things that
I'm absolutely loving about this
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conversation is that we are not
just sort of randomly going here
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and there and this text and that
text, not that there's not a
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value in that, but the story is
unfolding in a way that's very
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textual, very biblical.
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--And natural, it's a
natural outplay of the story.
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--Where I think we're at right
now, because we've spent time
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talking about how Jesus was, we
talked about the birth, that he
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was baptized, tempted in the
wilderness, we walk through his
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preaching ministry, his healing
ministry, cleansing of the
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temple.
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We are now right up against
a very important, in fact,
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arguably, the most important
thing that is going to happen in
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the life of Jesus, and that is
that he's going to die and he's
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going to raise again from the
dead, we're hard up against that
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now.
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And Jesus anticipated this, he
announced that this was coming,
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much to the incredulity and the
confusion of the disciples, who
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didn't get it at all, but what I
wanna do and what I think would
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be well for us to do is to go to
one of those parables, maybe the
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parable more than any other that
communicates Jesus's own self
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understanding of where
this story is going, where it's
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tending, and that parable
is in the gospel of Matthew.
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So, let's go there, Matthew
chapter 21 and what's gonna
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happen here is that we're gonna
sort of get a feel for this,
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Matthew chapter 21 and it's
going to, if we're doing this in
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the way that I think we're
hoping it goes, it's gonna segue
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into what will, in some ways,
form the latter third of this
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series.
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We've got 13 parts and about,
what, 4 or something to go, and
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that's gonna be getting into
Paul's understanding, or for
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lack of a better term, Paul's
theology of the story, of the
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events, and so, it's all...
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--Everything he wrote was to
explain what we're talking about
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here.
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--This is like, if this is
the symphony, we're in the final
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movement here.
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We're getting to the thing that
is going to announce the grand
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climax and point of the story,
which is gonna be the death and
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resurrection of Messiah.
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Okay, so, we're in Matthew
chapter 21, and why doesn't
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someone just read, just read 33,
and we'll just sort of comment
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as we go.
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--So, he says, here, another
parable, there was a certain
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land owner who planted a
vineyard and set a hedge around
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it, dug a winepress in it, and
built a tower, and he leased it
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to vine dressers and
went into a far country.
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--Okay, comment, by the
way, he's quoting from Isaiah 5.
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--With the analogies used
of, what more could I have done?
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--There you go.
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--Verse 34 says, now when
vintage time drew near, he sent
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his servants to the vine
dressers that they might receive
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its fruit, and the vine dressers
took his servants, beat one,
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killed one, and stoned another.
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Again, that would be
the prophets, wouldn't it?
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Again, he sent other servants,
more than the first, and they
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did likewise to them, then last
of all, he sent his son to them,
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saying, they will respect my
son, but when the vinedressers
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saw the son, they said among
themselves, this is the heir,
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come let us kill him
and seize his inheritance.
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So, they took him, they cast him
out of the vineyard, and they
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killed him.
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--Okay, now, just stop there,
Jeffery, if you don't mind,
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because verse 40 is gonna be
the question that Jesus asks the
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basis of the parable.
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So, let's just paint the picture
here, what is this story about?
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I mean, it's obvious,
but let's say it anyway.
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What's this story about?
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The parable about?
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--It's about Israel
and their reaction to...
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--And let's just add that the
entire New Testament is about
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Israel.
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--In this particular story, you
brought out that it's Isaiah 5,
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so the language that Jesus is
using here is not foreign to the
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audience to whom he's speaking.
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--This is their history.
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This is a historical
sweep of everything done.
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--They're
immediately thinking Isaiah 5.
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--One of the things that you
have to love about Jesus is the
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economy of words
that he employed.
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I mean, this is basically, he's
telling the Old Testament story
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here in about how
many verses is it?
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Seven verses.
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Now, the amazing thing is,
though, is that as he's telling
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his story, while they may have
been aware that it was Isaiah 5,
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to some degree, they're
not making the connection.
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The synapse and the neuron
are not touching, to themselves,
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right, because...
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--They're like,
this sounds familiar.
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--That is kinda familiar,
because the servants are sent
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the prophets, they're
beaten, stoned, and killed, more
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servants are sent, saying,
beaten, stoned, and killed, and
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finally here
comes the son, right?
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And then Jesus has a question
for them on a basis of the
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parable that he's just
told, which is, again, an
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encapsulation of their
history in about 7 verses.
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Okay, what's the
question, verse 40.
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--Therefore, when the owner of
the vineyard comes, what will he
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do to those vinedressers?
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--That is so incredible.
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--Absolutely amazing.
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--It's a setup.
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Jesus is basically telling them
a story in order to invoke in
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their mind a sense of the truth
and the justice of the situation
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and before they even know what's
happening to them, they're
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caught up in the story
and they're passing judgment,
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they're discerning
exactly what the owner would do.
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--It's like with the prophet
told David, remember King David?
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--Of course.
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--What would happen?
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You are the man.
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--And I loved the words you used
there, Ty, he's trying to evoke
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justice, you
said, and another one.
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Anyway, but the idea is
he's even creating a sense of
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outrage.
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Who are these
people to do such a thing?
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And the whole time
he's out flanking them.
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He's intellectually outflanking
them because they don't see
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what's, they don't see
the pennies are ready to drop.
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--Against themselves, against
their own better judgment, in
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verse 41, they articulate,
they vocalize the judgment, they
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said, then they said to him,
he will destroy those wicked men
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miserably and lease his vineyard
to other vine dressers who will
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render to him the
fruits in their season.
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So, what have they just
said, what have they just done?
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--They passed
judgment on themselves.
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Something that came to me there
is what is the purpose of a
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vineyard?
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--Well, to produce grapes.
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--To produce
grapes, to produce fruit.
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If this is the history of
Israel, this is an encapsulation
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of Israel's history, what
was God's design for them?
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--Fruitfulness.
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--Fruitfulness in what sense?
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--The whole world
being encompassed.
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--Exactly.
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--And becoming the vineyard.
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--And there's no fruit.
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In fact, quite the opposite,
there's an isolationism over and
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against the very ones that they
should've been bearing fruit
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among, and they passed judgment
on themselves and then Jesus, in
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a moment of what must've been,
we shouldn't treat this too
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academically or intellectually,
this must've been deeply painful
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and poignant for him.
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Have you never read, he says.
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In your own scripture, in your
own story, your own history,
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your own legacy, verse
42, have you never read in the
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scriptures, and he quotes from
one of the Psalms, the stone
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which the builders rejected has
become the chief cornerstone.
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This was the Lord's doing
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
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Now, just to sort of pause here
for a moment, in ancient times
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when a building was built,
you would often go looking for a
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stone, a large stone, preferably
large and preferably the right
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angle so that you could put that
what was called the cornerstone,
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it was the stone that was placed
first and around which, the rest
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of the building was built.
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The foundation stone.
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This is the one that if this is
right, when the other stones are
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built off of it and upon it, it
will make the symmetry and the
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strength of the
architecture sound.
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But if it's a bad stone or not
the right kind of stone, you try
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to build a building around
that, it's not gonna work.
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So, this is a stone, you can
just imagine in your mind's eye,
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a bunch of people looking for
the stones, no, we don't need
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that, that's not the one,
and then they find one, and then
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they throw it out, and he says,
the stone, that one that was
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rejected by the builders, he
says, that's the one that has
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become the chief cornerstone.
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The kind of building that you're
building is the wrong building
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because the kind of building
that you should be building in
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terms of your understanding,
your self-understanding of who
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you are is actually built
around this seemingly unshapely,
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seemingly inappropriate,
seemingly out of place stone,
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and that stone is me.
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--Jesus doesn't fit in
their construct of God or of
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themselves or of the world.
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--He doesn't fit.
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--Which answers an important
question, why didn't the people
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get it?
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Right, I mean, the whole story
of the Old Testament is, this is
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a people that are waiting in
anticipation of the coming of
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the Messiah, yet he
comes and nobody gets it.
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How would they miss it?
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--We read that earlier where,
I think it was in, what is it,
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John 1 or somewhere in
there where it says that all the
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people were going to see him but
no one believed his testimony.
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So, he was very
popular but very misunderstood.
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--And I think the point you made
is powerful because they were
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reading according to their own,
they had their own lens, yeah,
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their own version of the thing,
and their version of the thing
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was wrong, so when you're
looking for the wrong thing,
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you'll find the wrong thing.
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Someone like
asking the wrong question.
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In essence, they're
asking the wrong questions.
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--Jesus didn't meet
their expectation because their
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expectation didn't fit with
God's original plan for Israel.
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They had completely derailed
from the original plan, and so
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now they're expecting
the conquest of the Romans.
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They're expecting a leader, a
Messiah who will be a military
00:10:01.10\00:10:05.90
leader, a violent leader,
someone who will marshal forces
00:10:05.90\00:10:10.33
and basically, bring about
political liberation, but more
00:10:10.33\00:10:14.70
than political liberation, they
were expecting that Israel would
00:10:14.70\00:10:20.23
be exalted above all the nations
to basically fulfill their
00:10:20.23\00:10:25.76
aspiration.
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--In a favoritism,
like, in a patriotic sense.
00:10:28.23\00:10:30.03
Exactly.
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Now, here's what Jesus says
in verse 43 on the basis of the
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foregoing parable and the
question and the answer that has
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been given, he then has a
conclusion, and the conclusion
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is mind-blowing.
00:10:43.53\00:10:45.06
In verse 43, he says, therefore,
I say to you, on the basis of
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this preceding, the anteceding
conversation, guess what.
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The kingdom of God will be taken
from you and given to a nation
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bearing the fruits of it.
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I mean this is one of
the most, totally astounding.
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This is one of the most explicit
texts in the New Testament where
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Jesus plainly describes the
transition from what was to what
00:11:06.76\00:11:10.86
is coming.
00:11:10.86\00:11:13.36
There's a transition taking
place here, and then he even
00:11:13.36\00:11:16.10
goes back to Daniel, he goes and
calls on the very language of
00:11:16.10\00:11:20.13
Daniel, Daniel chapter 2 in this
case, in verse 44, whoever falls
00:11:20.13\00:11:24.06
on this stone will be broken,
this cornerstone, this rejected
00:11:24.06\00:11:27.36
stone, this stone that doesn't
quite fit, but on whoever it
00:11:27.36\00:11:31.10
falls, it will
grind him to power.
00:11:31.10\00:11:32.63
That's the image of Daniel
chapter 2, where it grinds the
00:11:32.63\00:11:34.90
other nations into power,
and Jesus is like, yeah, that's
00:11:34.90\00:11:37.10
gonna happen.
00:11:37.10\00:11:37.90
But not like you think.
00:11:37.90\00:11:40.03
Not in the way that you think,
and I just wanna throw this out
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there, I see you turning in
your bible, Ty, if you've got
00:11:42.60\00:11:44.36
something, jump in there.
00:11:44.36\00:11:46.00
--Well, there is, Paul also
quotes the cornerstone passage
00:11:46.00\00:11:51.56
in Romans chapter 9, but he adds
language and indicates that the
00:11:51.56\00:11:56.93
reason why national Israel
was not prepared to receive the
00:11:56.93\00:12:00.96
Messiah is because they had
gone about pursuing their own
00:12:00.96\00:12:05.06
righteousness.
00:12:05.06\00:12:06.36
And this series is on
righteousness by faith.
00:12:06.36\00:12:09.63
Verse 30 of Romans 9 and
onward, what shall we say then?
00:12:09.63\00:12:14.00
That gentiles who did not pursue
righteousness have attained a
00:12:14.00\00:12:18.73
righteousness, even the
righteousness of faith, but
00:12:18.73\00:12:21.30
Israel, pursuing the law of
righteousness, has not attained
00:12:21.30\00:12:24.76
to the law of righteousness, and
then verse 32, the question is
00:12:24.76\00:12:28.56
posed, well, why?
00:12:28.56\00:12:29.83
What gives, because they, that
is, Israel, did not seek it by
00:12:29.83\00:12:33.60
faith, but as it were by
the works of the law, for they
00:12:33.60\00:12:38.20
stumbled at that stumbling
stone, and then we're back to
00:12:38.20\00:12:41.03
Jesus.
00:12:41.03\00:12:42.26
--And he quotes, what does
he quote from there in the last
00:12:42.26\00:12:45.40
verse of Romans 9?
00:12:45.40\00:12:46.66
--As it is written, behold,
I lay on Zion a stumbling stone
00:12:46.66\00:12:48.43
and a rock of offense and
whoever believes on him will not
00:12:48.43\00:12:52.26
be put to shame.
00:12:52.26\00:12:54.06
--Jesus is the stumbling
stone, and that language...
00:12:54.06\00:12:57.96
--But why the stumbling?
00:12:57.96\00:12:59.30
That's the point
I'm trying to get at.
00:12:59.30\00:13:00.70
The stumbling is deeply
psychological and spiritual.
00:13:00.70\00:13:04.80
--It's due to
their own misconceptions.
00:13:04.80\00:13:06.03
--Well, they're building,
they're building a structure,
00:13:06.03\00:13:08.73
they're building a system of
religion, they're building an
00:13:08.73\00:13:11.36
identity, individually
and corporately, based on
00:13:11.36\00:13:13.80
righteousness by means of law.
00:13:13.80\00:13:18.23
But Jesus is proclaiming,
and the bible all along has been
00:13:18.23\00:13:23.83
proclaiming,
righteousness by faith.
00:13:23.83\00:13:26.20
Righteousness of a different
quality that is grounded in the
00:13:26.20\00:13:28.50
faithfulness of God, the
covenant keeping God of Abraham,
00:13:28.50\00:13:33.46
Isaac, and Jacob, but they want
righteousness on the premise of
00:13:33.46\00:13:36.03
their own works, they want
acceptance with God, they want
00:13:36.03\00:13:38.56
favor with God on the premise of
their own righteousness, and so,
00:13:38.56\00:13:42.93
that's the deep, psychological,
spiritual, emotional thing
00:13:42.93\00:13:46.93
that's going on here.
00:13:46.93\00:13:48.33
They can't see Jesus when
he comes as the Messiah because
00:13:48.33\00:13:53.06
he's offering
something they don't even want.
00:13:53.06\00:13:55.36
He doesn't fit.
00:13:55.36\00:13:56.96
--He's the stone
that doesn't fit.
00:13:56.96\00:13:58.53
--Yeah, he doesn't
fit with the structure.
00:13:58.53\00:14:01.73
--Something that I just read
recently that was really sort of
00:14:01.73\00:14:03.66
enlightening to me and really
helped me a lot was that one of
00:14:03.66\00:14:08.00
the reasons that the first
century Jews, and of course,
00:14:08.00\00:14:11.96
there's a whole history
here, we're dealing with the
00:14:11.96\00:14:14.13
destruction of their temple
and a series of subjugations to
00:14:14.13\00:14:18.43
pagan power.
00:14:18.43\00:14:19.63
So, there was a legitimate
psychological reason for them to
00:14:19.63\00:14:23.73
long for what
they were longing for.
00:14:23.73\00:14:25.83
Like, you can understand, when
you're a depressed, dehumanized
00:14:25.83\00:14:29.26
people, that you're longing.
00:14:29.26\00:14:30.76
But here's an interesting thing,
there were a lot of different
00:14:30.76\00:14:33.30
ways to sort of deal with the
dissonance of thinking, we're
00:14:33.30\00:14:35.80
God's people, but we're in you
know, continual subjugation to
00:14:35.80\00:14:39.00
pagan powers, and one of
those means was a radical
00:14:39.00\00:14:41.83
isolationism, an
internalization, we're gonna
00:14:41.83\00:14:45.53
turn inward, and the thing that
I read that was so helpful, it
00:14:45.53\00:14:48.60
was basically saying, when you
read much of what Paul has to
00:14:48.60\00:14:51.76
say, and we're gonna get there,
about the law, the law, and all
00:14:51.76\00:14:55.03
of that, it's not just that they
were gonna do the law in order
00:14:55.03\00:14:58.70
to be saved.
00:14:58.70\00:15:00.06
Now, that's an
oversimplification of what's
00:15:00.06\00:15:01.96
going on, what's, the deeper
thing is, is that they knew that
00:15:01.96\00:15:06.23
they were God's chosen people
by virtue of their genealogical
00:15:06.23\00:15:08.80
connection to Abraham, but the
law in their fastidious keeping
00:15:08.80\00:15:13.30
of the law was the thing that
guarded their social, cultural,
00:15:13.30\00:15:18.26
theological identity, and
it effectively sealed them away
00:15:18.26\00:15:22.63
from those that were around
them, and that became a kind of
00:15:22.63\00:15:26.16
salvation by works but it was
because it was preserving who
00:15:26.16\00:15:28.96
they were.
00:15:28.96\00:15:30.20
--You know, I like the way this
is summarized in the book of
00:15:30.20\00:15:31.80
Hebrews, if you will, you know,
we've talked about how that
00:15:31.80\00:15:34.33
really, Matthew 21, Jesus is
summarizing the whole story just
00:15:34.33\00:15:39.53
a few verses, the whole
history of Israel, etc, which I
00:15:39.53\00:15:42.46
think is really powerful.
00:15:42.46\00:15:44.06
He obviously had a very clear
understanding of the storyline,
00:15:44.06\00:15:48.80
of the way the story was working
out in the lives of his people
00:15:48.80\00:15:51.96
and the history
of the Jewish nation.
00:15:51.96\00:15:53.76
In the book of Hebrews, it's
down to 3 verses, and these 3
00:15:53.76\00:15:57.33
verses are saying the same thing
that's being said in Matthew 21,
00:15:57.33\00:16:00.80
but I want you to notice
one thing that I think is really
00:16:00.80\00:16:03.43
profound in the context
of what we've just concluded.
00:16:03.43\00:16:06.53
And I'm reading from the King
James, so it's gonna sound a
00:16:06.53\00:16:08.53
little bit archaic,
but I love this language.
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.06
God, who at sundry times and
in diverse manners, Jeffery, you
00:16:11.06\00:16:15.23
can tell me what that means
later, spake in the time passed
00:16:15.23\00:16:18.50
unto the fathers by the
prophets, so we got the same
00:16:18.50\00:16:20.90
thing taking place here, has in
these last days spoken to us by
00:16:20.90\00:16:25.00
his son, whom he has appointed
heir of all things by whom also
00:16:25.00\00:16:29.90
he made the worlds, who, being
the brightness of his glory and
00:16:29.90\00:16:33.90
the express image of his person
coming to dispel the light and
00:16:33.90\00:16:37.56
to give a
revelation of who he really is.
00:16:37.56\00:16:39.23
--Dispel the darkness.
00:16:39.23\00:16:40.33
--To dispel the darkness.
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.60
Disperse the light, dispel the
darkness, give a revelation of
00:16:41.60\00:16:43.56
who he really is, and upholding
all things, let me go back to
00:16:43.56\00:16:48.83
that, who being the brightness
of his glory and the express
00:16:48.83\00:16:50.70
image of his person upholding
all things by the word of his
00:16:50.70\00:16:53.60
power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, set down at the
00:16:53.60\00:17:00.23
right hand of the
majesty of the high.
00:17:00.23\00:17:02.50
By himself purged our sins.
00:17:02.50\00:17:03.80
This is the key point that we're
closing on right now in this
00:17:03.80\00:17:06.83
section.
00:17:06.83\00:17:08.10
We're closing in on this idea
that Jesus Christ, they came to
00:17:08.10\00:17:10.00
establish their own
righteousness, but Jesus Christ
00:17:10.00\00:17:12.16
came to show them, it's not
about your righteousness, it's
00:17:12.16\00:17:15.86
about what I'm gonna accomplish,
the Son of God, the Israel of
00:17:15.86\00:17:20.80
God is going to accomplish in
your behalf, new covenant, for
00:17:20.80\00:17:25.26
you, that which you
could not do for yourselves.
00:17:25.26\00:17:28.13
--We know that the, I love what
you say there, that Jesus is
00:17:28.13\00:17:31.76
clearly aware of the story, and
for Jesus, as well as for Paul,
00:17:31.76\00:17:35.40
the book of Daniel forms
an absolutely central piece.
00:17:35.40\00:17:39.50
We spent, like, I think at least
a whole program, maybe a program
00:17:39.50\00:17:41.63
and a half on Daniel 9, and
Jesus here, this whole story,
00:17:41.63\00:17:45.66
this parable of Matthew 21, this
summary of Israel's history, is
00:17:45.66\00:17:49.16
straight out of Daniel
9, because he's saying, when
00:17:49.16\00:17:51.76
Messiah is rejected, there
will, a destruction will come.
00:17:51.76\00:17:56.13
Messiah is rejected,
destruction will come.
00:17:56.13\00:17:58.56
In fact, when Jesus goes into
the temple for the last time, in
00:17:58.56\00:18:02.10
Matthew chapter 23, and we have
this impassioned, almost angry,
00:18:02.10\00:18:06.56
I mean, he is impassioned, he's
saying whoa to you, scribes and
00:18:06.56\00:18:09.93
Pharisees, whoa to you, he's
tried everything, he's tried
00:18:09.93\00:18:12.26
reasoning, he's tried healing,
he's tried tenderness, he's
00:18:12.26\00:18:15.36
tried prophecies, he's tried
parables, he's tried miracles, I
00:18:15.36\00:18:19.16
mean, everything, and this is,
you sense the desperation of the
00:18:19.16\00:18:21.70
moment in Matthew 23, where
Jesus is just like, grabbing
00:18:21.70\00:18:24.60
them, as it were, by the scruff
of the neck and saying, can't
00:18:24.60\00:18:26.76
you hear what's going on?
00:18:26.76\00:18:27.96
Absolutely desperate.
00:18:27.96\00:18:29.90
And when Jesus leaves, you can
feel the pathos, the desperation
00:18:29.90\00:18:35.66
when he leaves the temple, oh,
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, he says.
00:18:35.66\00:18:39.93
The one who kills the prophets
and stones those who are sent to
00:18:39.93\00:18:41.33
her.
00:18:41.33\00:18:42.56
That's just the thing he was
saying 2 chapters later, in the
00:18:42.56\00:18:43.80
parable.
00:18:43.80\00:18:44.80
--Two chapters earlier.
00:18:44.80\00:18:45.76
--Two chapters
earlier, excuse me.
00:18:45.76\00:18:47.03
How often I wanted to gather
your children together as a hen
00:18:47.03\00:18:50.06
gathers her chicks under her
wings, but you are not willing,
00:18:50.06\00:18:51.96
and then, here's the word, this
is straight out of Daniel, your
00:18:51.96\00:18:55.13
house is left to you desolate.
00:18:55.13\00:18:57.93
For I say to you, you will see
me no more til you say blessed
00:18:57.93\00:19:00.50
is he that comes in
the name of the Lord.
00:19:00.50\00:19:02.33
Now, never mind the chapter
break, go right into the next
00:19:02.33\00:19:05.00
part, then Jesus went out,
he departed from the temple.
00:19:05.00\00:19:07.46
Last time he will ever
set foot in the temple.
00:19:07.46\00:19:10.36
And his disciples came to show
him the buildings of the temple,
00:19:10.36\00:19:12.40
and said, oh, Jesus, cheer up,
look at how beautiful the temple
00:19:12.40\00:19:14.46
is, it's gonna be okay, don't
worry, they'll accept you one
00:19:14.46\00:19:16.13
day.
00:19:16.13\00:19:17.13
And then he says,
don't you understand?
00:19:17.13\00:19:19.03
Don't you see this temple?
00:19:19.03\00:19:20.23
Assuredly, I say unto you,
there's not gonna be two stones
00:19:20.23\00:19:21.83
left upon another that will
not be, this thing will be flat,
00:19:21.83\00:19:28.26
absolutely leveled.
00:19:28.26\00:19:29.66
How does Jesus know that?
00:19:29.66\00:19:31.30
How does Jesus know that
the temple and the city will be
00:19:31.30\00:19:33.33
absolutely flattened?
00:19:33.33\00:19:35.33
--He knows because of Daniel 9.
00:19:35.33\00:19:36.66
--But it's not just the temple,
it's not just the building, it's
00:19:36.66\00:19:41.00
the entire system,
the entire psychoediphus.
00:19:41.00\00:19:45.56
--Because it's happened before,
the temple's been destroyed, but
00:19:45.56\00:19:48.30
it's been rebuilt.
00:19:48.30\00:19:49.43
--But now, the whole
thing is coming crumbling down
00:19:49.43\00:19:52.00
permanently because the
religious system can't bear
00:19:52.00\00:19:58.16
weight.
00:19:58.16\00:19:59.30
It can't sustain what it is
that God intends, and that's
00:19:59.30\00:20:03.56
primarily because
it can't sustain love.
00:20:03.56\00:20:07.56
It can't sustain an
acceptance of others.
00:20:07.56\00:20:10.13
It can't sustain.
00:20:10.13\00:20:11.73
--It's become a
part of the problem.
00:20:11.73\00:20:12.96
--It should be very clear to
say, not the temple correctly
00:20:12.96\00:20:14.73
understood.
00:20:14.73\00:20:17.13
--The temple pointed to
the Messiah, the one who would
00:20:17.13\00:20:22.63
fulfill.
00:20:22.63\00:20:23.86
--You said this a few sessions
ago, substance, what was it,
00:20:23.86\00:20:26.86
shadow, meet reality.
00:20:26.86\00:20:28.13
Because, before the temple
is destroyed, God is gonna take
00:20:28.13\00:20:30.86
that veil when Jesus dies, and
he's gonna tear that thing from
00:20:30.86\00:20:34.66
the top to the bottom saying,
okay, the old is passing away,
00:20:34.66\00:20:39.13
the new has come.
00:20:39.13\00:20:41.53
I got chills, actually, James,
just a moment ago when you said,
00:20:41.53\00:20:45.13
it will be destroyed.
00:20:45.13\00:20:46.60
Because you said it had happened
before and then you said, but
00:20:46.60\00:20:48.96
this is permanent, and here we
are 2,000 years later and there
00:20:48.96\00:20:53.53
is no temple.
00:20:53.53\00:20:54.83
Why?
00:20:54.83\00:20:56.10
--Til the
consummation, Daniel 9.
00:20:56.10\00:20:58.66
--It just sends chills down your
back to think that it's a very
00:20:58.66\00:21:03.16
difficult thing to imagine,
take the Jews right now.
00:21:03.16\00:21:06.50
The Jews who are alive today who
don't believe that Jesus is the
00:21:06.50\00:21:09.13
Messiah, who
don't understand that.
00:21:09.13\00:21:10.50
They have never
had a temple again.
00:21:10.50\00:21:13.83
You go to Jerusalem today,
you've been to Jerusalem, you've
00:21:13.83\00:21:15.96
been to Jerusalem,
you go there today.
00:21:15.96\00:21:17.83
--It's characterized by weeping.
00:21:17.83\00:21:19.36
--Conflict and weeping and
a longing for what was and my
00:21:19.36\00:21:23.10
heart breaks and Paul's heart,
when you get to Romans 9, you
00:21:23.10\00:21:25.66
were just there, he just,
his eyes are, he can't stop.
00:21:25.66\00:21:30.60
--They cannot
relate to it at all.
00:21:30.60\00:21:31.23
--We have to take a break.
00:21:31.23\00:21:34.16
We're pretty excited about this.
00:21:34.16\00:21:35.50
It's so clear that Jesus is
teaching something here that
00:21:35.50\00:21:43.70
upends the entire structure, but
something new and beautiful is
00:21:43.70\00:21:47.00
being built.
00:21:47.00\00:21:49.73
The kingdom of God is taking
on new form, new shape, but it's
00:21:49.73\00:21:53.96
the form and the shape that
God always intended from the
00:21:53.96\00:21:56.86
beginning.
00:21:56.86\00:21:58.60
And let's just
pursue that after the break.
00:21:58.60\00:22:00.60
[Music]
00:22:00.60\00:22:05.40
--This is the story of Niyima,
who took a bus to the doctor and
00:22:07.03\00:22:14.10
found a piece of paper with
words of hope about Jesus, which
00:22:14.10\00:22:19.16
was left by a church member who
unpacked a box that came from a
00:22:19.16\00:22:23.30
truck which drove in from Durban
where a ship was docked that
00:22:23.30\00:22:28.16
sailed from Seattle, loaded with
containers stacked high with
00:22:28.16\00:22:32.86
millions of tracts, trucked
in from the Light Bearers
00:22:32.86\00:22:36.40
Publishing House, where
more than 600 million pieces of
00:22:36.40\00:22:40.26
gospel literature have
been printed in 42 languages.
00:22:40.26\00:22:44.56
Here's the amazing thing,
Light Bearers distributes this
00:22:44.56\00:22:48.66
literature free of charge all
over the world, and each piece
00:22:48.66\00:22:53.36
costs only 5 pennies to
print, transport, and deliver.
00:22:53.36\00:22:59.53
Every day, millions of people
buy a $5 cup of coffee, $5 a
00:22:59.96\00:23:04.30
cup, 5 days a week.
00:23:04.30\00:23:07.63
It adds up fast.
00:23:07.63\00:23:09.80
But at just 5 cents apiece,
that same $25 can also ship 500
00:23:09.80\00:23:15.20
pieces of literature and give
hope to people like Niyima, who
00:23:15.20\00:23:21.83
shared that paper with a
classmate, who gave it to her
00:23:21.83\00:23:24.96
cousin, who shared it with
his boss, who passed it to her
00:23:24.96\00:23:29.36
grandmother, who left it on
another bus, where it will be
00:23:29.36\00:23:33.73
found by someone else.
00:23:33.73\00:23:36.93
And the story continues.
00:23:36.93\00:23:39.06
Five cents doesn't buy a lot
these days, but in other parts
00:23:39.06\00:23:43.70
of the world, your nickel
could change someone's life.
00:23:43.70\00:23:47.03
Your gift of $25 a month
sends out 6,000 pieces of gospel
00:23:47.03\00:23:52.60
literature each year.
00:23:52.60\00:23:54.30
Fifty dollars sends out 12,000,
and $100 a month sends out
00:23:54.30\00:23:59.63
24,000 messages of hope
every year, all over the world.
00:23:59.63\00:24:05.56
Empower Light Bearers
to continue the story.
00:24:05.56\00:24:09.83
Send your gift through
lightbearers.org, or by calling
00:24:09.83\00:24:13.40
877-585-1111.
00:24:13.40\00:24:18.33
Who knew 5 little
pennies could do so much?
00:24:18.33\00:24:21.66
--Before the break, we were
exploring the fact that there's
00:24:23.10\00:24:26.03
a transition taking place.
00:24:26.03\00:24:28.00
This is a very significant
transition where Jesus is
00:24:28.00\00:24:31.50
forming a new Israel, and
he's explained explicitly in the
00:24:31.50\00:24:35.30
parable of Matthew 21 that this
transition is underway, he told
00:24:35.30\00:24:39.36
them in plain language the
kingdom of God will be taken
00:24:39.36\00:24:43.96
from you and given to
another nation bearing the fruit
00:24:43.96\00:24:46.73
thereof.
00:24:46.73\00:24:47.96
John chapter 1 verse 11, similar
idea, different language, he
00:24:47.96\00:24:51.40
came unto his own and
his own received him not.
00:24:51.40\00:24:54.26
The question arises, were
there any of the Pharisees who
00:24:54.26\00:24:58.80
believed?
00:24:58.80\00:25:00.56
I mean, is this just the whole
nation that is rejecting the
00:25:00.56\00:25:06.80
vision that Messiah is casting,
or do we have any evidence in
00:25:06.80\00:25:11.13
scripture that some of the
Pharisees, or many, even, of the
00:25:11.13\00:25:15.76
Pharisees and
religious leaders of the time.
00:25:15.76\00:25:17.90
--We have tons of evidence, we
have tons of evidence that even
00:25:17.90\00:25:20.43
though Jesus lays out their
future and the way that they
00:25:20.43\00:25:24.40
would fulfill that future in
rejecting him, that our God has
00:25:24.40\00:25:29.13
always been a
god who pursues us.
00:25:29.13\00:25:31.80
The God of creation is counting
all of the people of this earth
00:25:31.80\00:25:36.23
as his children.
00:25:36.23\00:25:37.40
Some of them are children
of wrath, but they're still
00:25:37.40\00:25:39.30
children.
00:25:39.30\00:25:40.43
Some of them are prodigals
but they're still children.
00:25:40.43\00:25:41.63
And when you look at the
story, even when you look at the
00:25:41.63\00:25:43.50
crucifixion event, let's just
look there for a second, in Luke
00:25:43.50\00:25:46.43
chapter 23, we have post
trial of Jesus Christ, he's been
00:25:46.43\00:25:52.96
condemned to death by Pilot,
the Jews have brought these
00:25:52.96\00:25:57.10
accusations that he
under political pressure, has
00:25:57.10\00:26:00.66
confirmed, affirmed, Jesus is
being lead to Golgotha, Calvary
00:26:00.66\00:26:06.83
in verse 33 of Luke chapter 23,
and notice, he's hung between
00:26:06.83\00:26:11.83
two thieves here, one on the
left, one on the right, and in
00:26:11.83\00:26:17.03
that context, verse 34, this
is the key verse, Jesus said,
00:26:17.03\00:26:22.00
Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do.
00:26:22.00\00:26:27.43
Now, this is really
interesting language.
00:26:27.43\00:26:29.33
They don't know
what they're doing.
00:26:29.33\00:26:31.63
Jesus told them what they were
doing, he told them what they
00:26:31.63\00:26:33.70
would do.
00:26:33.70\00:26:35.66
And they perceived that
he was talking about them.
00:26:35.66\00:26:38.06
So, they knew what they were
doing, but they didn't know what
00:26:38.06\00:26:41.46
they were doing, and Jesus here
is praying, and I think this is
00:26:41.46\00:26:44.66
kind of an intercessory prayer,
Jesus is praying, this is,
00:26:44.66\00:26:47.20
hanging on the cross,
Jesus Christ is the gospel.
00:26:47.20\00:26:50.33
This is the gospel,
this is the good news.
00:26:50.33\00:26:52.20
This is about a God who pursues
us when we're hiding from him.
00:26:52.20\00:26:55.43
Who comes after us when we
want nothing to do with him.
00:26:55.43\00:26:59.33
Why accepts us
when we reject him.
00:26:59.33\00:27:02.23
So, this is the essence, this
is the final revelation of the
00:27:02.23\00:27:07.16
character of God, the full
revelation of God's character,
00:27:07.16\00:27:09.86
and as he says this, Father,
forgive them, for they don't
00:27:09.86\00:27:12.73
know what they do, and then it
says in verse 35, and the people
00:27:12.73\00:27:17.43
stood beholding, and the rulers
also derided him saying, he
00:27:17.43\00:27:21.63
saved others, let him save
himself if he be the Christ, the
00:27:21.63\00:27:23.73
chosen of God.
00:27:23.73\00:27:25.00
So, right here in the context,
you have these same rulers, you
00:27:25.00\00:27:27.66
have these same Pharisees,
you have these same people, but
00:27:27.66\00:27:30.23
regardless of the situation,
I think it's so beautiful that
00:27:30.23\00:27:33.63
this is set in this
bleak language, this bleak
00:27:33.63\00:27:36.70
environment, that
it's darker than dark.
00:27:36.70\00:27:39.63
In fact, the very presence
of the cross, the atmosphere was
00:27:39.63\00:27:42.03
just darkness, that you
have this light of the gospel
00:27:42.03\00:27:45.23
shining, and the answer to your
question begins here and that
00:27:45.23\00:27:49.90
takes us right into the New
Testament, because in the New
00:27:49.90\00:27:52.36
Testament, the book of Acts and
other places, you have hundreds,
00:27:52.36\00:27:57.23
dozens, many, it says, of the
Pharisees and the chief priests
00:27:57.23\00:27:59.73
believed.
00:27:59.73\00:28:00.66
--Yeah, I was
just reading that here.
00:28:00.66\00:28:01.60
--Okay, what do you got?
00:28:01.60\00:28:02.86
--Acts 6:7, and then the word of
God spread, Acts chapter 6 verse
00:28:02.86\00:28:06.40
7, and the number of the
disciples multiplied greatly in
00:28:06.40\00:28:08.33
Jerusalem and a great many of
the priests were obedient to the
00:28:08.33\00:28:11.46
faith.
00:28:11.46\00:28:12.30
--A great many.
00:28:12.30\00:28:13.26
--A great many.
00:28:13.26\00:28:14.40
So, even though they were
not seeing it in the various
00:28:14.40\00:28:16.33
parables, not just Matthew 21,
but through the whole ministry
00:28:16.33\00:28:19.66
of Jesus, who do
you think you are?
00:28:19.66\00:28:21.06
You have Jesus trial, they don't
get it, they don't get it, it's
00:28:21.06\00:28:24.00
just like, no, no, the penny, in
Australia, they would say, the
00:28:24.00\00:28:26.56
penny hasn't dropped.
00:28:26.56\00:28:27.93
But when the penny drops, you
know, you put the coin in the
00:28:27.93\00:28:30.60
machine and it, ding, ding,
ding, we have a winner, and one
00:28:30.60\00:28:34.00
of those that comes to believe,
this is Acts 6, it goes 7 is
00:28:34.00\00:28:37.76
Steven, 8 is Steven, 9 is the
conversion of a guy named Saul,
00:28:37.76\00:28:41.83
Saul of Tarsus, who will
become apart from Jesus the most
00:28:41.83\00:28:45.83
formative and significant
figure in the New Testament.
00:28:45.83\00:28:50.36
--Now, just pause for a second
there, let's not go past this,
00:28:50.36\00:28:52.40
and you know why Paul believes,
one of the reasons why he
00:28:52.40\00:28:54.83
believes is because the, we
don't know if he was standing in
00:28:54.83\00:28:58.03
front of the cross, but we know
he was standing next to Steven.
00:28:58.03\00:29:00.90
--Steven when he was stoned.
00:29:00.90\00:29:02.10
--And what Steven does is a
duplication of the act right
00:29:02.10\00:29:05.23
here.
00:29:05.23\00:29:06.10
--Steven recounts
the history of Israel.
00:29:06.10\00:29:07.20
--He recounts the history
of Israel, which is really
00:29:07.20\00:29:09.13
interesting, too.
00:29:09.13\00:29:10.36
Steven is not the Messiah,
but he reflects the love of God.
00:29:10.36\00:29:13.83
In other words...
00:29:13.83\00:29:14.90
--When he says, they
don't know what they, yeah.
00:29:14.90\00:29:16.56
--And then he looks up.
00:29:16.56\00:29:17.60
--Okay, you're
referring to when he praised.
00:29:17.60\00:29:19.30
--Lord, do not
charge them with this sin.
00:29:19.30\00:29:21.36
--He's doing the same
thing that we see right here.
00:29:21.36\00:29:25.20
So, that
reflection comes out to play.
00:29:25.20\00:29:28.33
It melts his heart.
00:29:28.33\00:29:29.30
He can't get rid of it.
00:29:29.30\00:29:31.00
--Who is this Saul?
00:29:31.00\00:29:34.63
Well, he self identifies
in Philippians chapter 3 as a
00:29:34.63\00:29:37.56
Pharisee.
00:29:37.56\00:29:38.86
--A persecutor.
00:29:39.46\00:29:40.83
--And I think that the point
that we're getting at here is
00:29:42.50\00:29:45.50
that they, Paul, which I've
mentioned before, he said, I had
00:29:45.50\00:29:50.13
to go back and
read my own story.
00:29:50.13\00:29:52.53
I had to go relearn my own
history, read my own prophecies,
00:29:52.53\00:29:55.70
my own Psalms, my own, the
things that were mine in terms
00:29:55.70\00:29:59.10
of by culture and by
birth, I misunderstood them.
00:29:59.10\00:30:03.66
He disappears.
00:30:03.66\00:30:06.43
After he's converted, he
disappears for like, what is it,
00:30:06.43\00:30:09.00
17 years, 14 years?
00:30:09.00\00:30:10.70
He's just gone, evaporates.
00:30:10.70\00:30:12.96
--He says he went to Arabia.
00:30:12.96\00:30:15.33
--Arabia.
00:30:15.33\00:30:16.10
What's he doing?
00:30:16.10\00:30:16.93
--He's sorting
the whole story out.
00:30:16.93\00:30:19.50
--He is learning.
00:30:19.50\00:30:20.50
The way I like to say
it is, he's unlearning.
00:30:20.50\00:30:24.20
He's got a lot to learn, but
before you can put the new in,
00:30:24.20\00:30:27.43
he's gotta get some old out,
and old what that traditional,
00:30:27.43\00:30:31.63
rabbinical interpretation of the
story, of Israel's history, of
00:30:31.63\00:30:36.60
the story of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, the whole thing.
00:30:36.60\00:30:38.40
--You know, it's really
interesting because when you
00:30:38.40\00:30:40.33
look at the storyline from
Matthew 21, you say, wow, how
00:30:40.33\00:30:44.30
could the Pharisees do that?
00:30:44.30\00:30:46.16
How could the rulers know that
Jesus was talking about them and
00:30:46.16\00:30:48.53
at the same time want to kill
him, wishing they could, but the
00:30:48.53\00:30:52.30
people were there and they
were afraid, and how could they
00:30:52.30\00:30:55.10
crucify him on the cross and
listen to him say, Father, how
00:30:55.10\00:30:58.16
could they hear the whole
history of their nation and then
00:30:58.16\00:31:02.23
turn around and stone Steven
to death, and yet, I find myself
00:31:02.23\00:31:04.56
doing the very same thing.
00:31:04.56\00:31:06.20
I know in my own experience when
I first became a Christian, I
00:31:06.20\00:31:10.63
had the same mentality, not so
much in wanting to kill anyone
00:31:10.63\00:31:16.76
because I believe that God, the
gospel was just real to me and
00:31:16.76\00:31:19.16
that was just powerful, but I
think about the stoning system,
00:31:19.16\00:31:22.30
I think about in relation to
stoning as in being critical or
00:31:22.30\00:31:29.53
negative, hurting other people
in maybe words or actions, it's
00:31:29.53\00:31:35.73
not killing them necessarily
in the sense of murder, but it's
00:31:35.73\00:31:38.53
just hurting and the first
inclination that I had, I mean,
00:31:38.53\00:31:43.03
the first things that I was
doing because I was, in a sense,
00:31:43.03\00:31:44.30
I was rejoicing this truth, but
in another sense, I was exalting
00:31:44.30\00:31:47.86
myself.
00:31:47.86\00:31:48.60
--Rejoicing that you were right.
00:31:48.60\00:31:49.46
--Right, and
everyone else was wrong.
00:31:49.46\00:31:50.86
--Which made you
wrong, by the way.
00:31:50.86\00:31:52.53
--It was March of 1985 and I was
on a plane, Northwest Airlines.
00:31:52.53\00:32:01.23
--They are no more.
00:32:01.23\00:32:03.16
--And I was heading from
Washington, yep, and neither is
00:32:03.16\00:32:05.33
this, I hope, pray God, to
England, to London, England,
00:32:05.33\00:32:08.76
that's where my mother lives.
00:32:08.76\00:32:09.90
--This was '85.
00:32:09.90\00:32:10.83
--This was 1985.
00:32:10.83\00:32:11.86
--I was 3 years old.
00:32:11.86\00:32:14.93
--I wasn't born yet.
00:32:14.93\00:32:15.40
[Laughter]
00:32:15.40\00:32:21.60
--And so, but I remember, on
the way over, I had a library of
00:32:21.60\00:32:25.83
sermons, there were about 26
sermons, and I had this bible
00:32:25.83\00:32:28.90
right here.
00:32:28.90\00:32:29.73
--The very same one.
00:32:29.73\00:32:30.96
--Archaic King
James Version bible.
00:32:30.96\00:32:32.20
--That bible has been around.
00:32:32.20\00:32:34.66
--That belonged to John Wesley.
00:32:34.66\00:32:36.43
That's Wesley's bible.
00:32:36.43\00:32:38.13
--That's why I
don't get rid of it.
00:32:38.13\00:32:40.40
And I was marking all these
library sermons in there because
00:32:40.40\00:32:43.66
I was going to do war, I
was going with my stones.
00:32:43.66\00:32:45.50
--Ammo
00:32:45.50\00:32:47.70
--I had 26, it was so....
00:32:47.70\00:32:48.36
--Who were you doing war with?
00:32:50.23\00:32:51.06
--My mother.
00:32:51.06\00:32:51.83
--Oh.
00:32:51.83\00:32:53.83
[Laughter]
00:32:53.83\00:32:54.56
--Stop that
00:32:54.56\00:32:55.76
--He said he was flying to
England, yes, it was his mother.
00:32:55.76\00:32:58.26
--And seriously, as soon as I
got off the plane, because she
00:32:58.26\00:33:01.86
was doing the same thing, she
was chinking up the ammunition,
00:33:01.86\00:33:04.50
she was getting ready, and as
soon as I got off the plane, I
00:33:04.50\00:33:06.56
remember, we met and
immediately, it was just like,
00:33:06.56\00:33:09.83
you believe, yes, I believe
that, and I can show, and the
00:33:09.83\00:33:14.00
back and forth, back and
forth, back and forth it went.
00:33:14.00\00:33:16.03
So, it wasn't necessarily the
same in this sense that we see
00:33:16.03\00:33:19.53
here, but the
mentality was the same.
00:33:19.53\00:33:20.86
--In principle, it's
the same, Jesus said that.
00:33:20.86\00:33:23.46
You're angry, you're a murderer.
00:33:23.46\00:33:25.46
--I was out in the garden, okay,
and I had just, we'd just gone
00:33:25.46\00:33:29.16
through this thing, none of
us were getting anywhere very
00:33:29.16\00:33:31.66
quickly, I was out in the garden
and the Holy Spirit knocked on
00:33:31.66\00:33:34.03
my shoulder and the Holy Spirit
said, James, you need to live
00:33:34.03\00:33:39.93
it.
00:33:39.93\00:33:40.96
Live the gospel.
00:33:40.96\00:33:42.86
You need to reveal love to your
mom, not scripture verses, not
00:33:42.86\00:33:46.70
history, you don't need to show
her where she's wrong, where the
00:33:46.70\00:33:49.80
church is wrong, where
she's been mistaken, where she's
00:33:49.80\00:33:51.70
mistaken, you need to live the
gospel, and I think that's what
00:33:51.70\00:33:56.76
we see on the cross.
00:33:56.76\00:33:58.23
That's what we see in Steven,
and that's what finally won
00:33:58.23\00:34:00.93
Paul.
00:34:00.93\00:34:02.30
Paul heard the whole
dissertation from beginning to
00:34:02.30\00:34:04.63
end.
00:34:04.63\00:34:05.43
He heard all of the history.
00:34:05.43\00:34:06.70
--He heard the reasoning.
00:34:06.70\00:34:07.96
--And the Holy Spirit was there,
Steven was preaching under the
00:34:07.96\00:34:09.80
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:34:09.80\00:34:11.03
But when he saw Steven being
stoned to death, and in the very
00:34:11.03\00:34:15.00
act of being stoned.
00:34:15.00\00:34:17.00
--The grace, the enmity
that he treated his persecutors.
00:34:17.00\00:34:18.60
--Father, lay not
the sin of their charge.
00:34:18.60\00:34:20.30
He couldn't get rid of it.
00:34:20.30\00:34:21.83
He tried his best.
00:34:21.83\00:34:23.10
You know, the Pharisees reasoned
with him and tried to explain to
00:34:23.10\00:34:25.33
him, and for a bit, he was, but
then he just couldn't get rid of
00:34:25.33\00:34:28.63
that picture.
00:34:28.63\00:34:29.43
It was powerful.
00:34:29.43\00:34:30.66
--Everything in your story
and in the point you were making
00:34:30.66\00:34:35.16
where he had to experience it,
we're on Paul, we're trying to
00:34:35.16\00:34:37.36
make this transition to Paul,
and eventually we're gonna get
00:34:37.36\00:34:40.00
into the thought of Paul, but
I think since we're on Acts 9,
00:34:40.00\00:34:44.46
talking about his conversion,
I just wanted to point something
00:34:44.46\00:34:47.06
out here that it's not merely
a theoretical revolution that
00:34:47.06\00:34:51.83
happens in his mind, but also
God does something to him in
00:34:51.83\00:34:56.30
terms of how he's relating
to others, specifically to the
00:34:56.30\00:34:58.86
church.
00:34:58.86\00:35:00.20
You remember that in Acts 9 when
he's converted, he's on his way
00:35:00.20\00:35:04.43
to Damascus, is that right?
00:35:04.43\00:35:06.20
He's on the road to Damascus and
he's in possession of letters
00:35:06.20\00:35:10.10
and his errand is he's going
to this place in order to find
00:35:10.10\00:35:17.10
these Christians and to
persecute them, to literally
00:35:17.10\00:35:19.83
kill them, right?
00:35:19.83\00:35:21.10
And the point is, is that on his
way, as we're familiar with this
00:35:21.10\00:35:23.90
very common story, God appears
to him in the shining light, he
00:35:23.90\00:35:29.93
falls, I'm in Acts 9, you're
looking at, you know, 5, 6, 7,
00:35:29.93\00:35:33.16
all of that, the point is, he
falls down, he hears the voice,
00:35:33.16\00:35:37.56
and now he can't see,
he's blind, and I just picture,
00:35:37.56\00:35:40.73
here's Damascus here, and here's
the road, and he's over here
00:35:40.73\00:35:43.33
somewhere, right before he
gets to the gate, and now, the
00:35:43.33\00:35:47.76
instructions are, he's gonna
need this man named Ananias,
00:35:47.76\00:35:53.70
who's gonna have to take him
by the hand and basically escort
00:35:53.70\00:35:58.03
him in .
00:35:58.03\00:36:00.06
So, who is Ananias?
00:36:00.06\00:36:01.73
The very people that Paul was
going to persecute are now the
00:36:01.73\00:36:05.53
very people
that Paul depends on.
00:36:05.53\00:36:08.26
Right?
00:36:08.26\00:36:09.43
And it's so fascinating as
you're imagining Paul, he's
00:36:09.43\00:36:12.06
making his way in, he was gonna
enter the city with pomp, with
00:36:12.06\00:36:15.50
pride and all of this.
00:36:15.50\00:36:18.46
--Persecution.
00:36:18.46\00:36:19.63
--Yeah, and now, he's doing,
he's holding his hand, not
00:36:19.63\00:36:23.76
Ananias, but, my point is that
he is put in contact with the
00:36:23.76\00:36:29.70
very people he was gonna
persecute, now he has to hold
00:36:29.70\00:36:31.66
somebody's hand to
go inside the city.
00:36:31.66\00:36:33.46
So, essentially, the pride,
the self-centeredness is being
00:36:33.46\00:36:38.66
stripped away, and the very
people he's persecuting, he's
00:36:38.66\00:36:42.20
being with them.
00:36:42.20\00:36:43.43
--It's the process of being
served by the very people he...
00:36:43.43\00:36:45.13
--And going back to your point,
I think that also melts his
00:36:45.13\00:36:47.96
heart.
00:36:47.96\00:36:49.10
--What's the first word
that he hears after this whole
00:36:49.10\00:36:54.43
experience is done, when he's,
he's been blinded, he walks into
00:36:54.43\00:36:59.13
the city, he's in a house, God
appears to Ananias, says, hey,
00:36:59.13\00:37:02.23
go talk to this guy.
00:37:02.23\00:37:03.40
What, you
talking about that guy?
00:37:03.40\00:37:04.53
He's the one that persecuted.
00:37:04.53\00:37:05.76
No, no, go, just trust me,
I've got a plan for this guy.
00:37:05.76\00:37:07.40
What's the first word he hears?
00:37:07.40\00:37:08.60
--Brother.
00:37:08.60\00:37:09.50
--Brother.
00:37:09.50\00:37:10.73
Puts his hand on his shoulder,
Brother Saul, Brother Saul?
00:37:10.73\00:37:15.80
--That melts his heart.
00:37:15.80\00:37:17.10
--Reminiscent of Jesus with
Judas as Judas comes to betray
00:37:17.10\00:37:21.43
him, and he's about to plant the
kiss of betrayal on Jesus, Jesus
00:37:21.43\00:37:26.66
says, friend, are you betraying
the Son of God with a kiss?
00:37:26.66\00:37:32.33
--Which takes us
back to Zachariah 13:6.
00:37:32.33\00:37:34.26
When the question is asked, what
are those wounds in your hands,
00:37:34.26\00:37:37.86
the answer is, they with which
I was wounded in the house of my
00:37:37.86\00:37:43.13
friends, which is the you know,
we gotta get past just Israel
00:37:43.13\00:37:47.03
because Jesus died for
the sins of the entire world.
00:37:47.03\00:37:50.03
That my friends, it's
the Romans, it's the Jews.
00:37:50.03\00:37:54.06
--To understand Paul's thought
is important to understand his
00:37:54.06\00:37:56.80
experiential encounter.
00:37:56.80\00:37:59.06
--I think that the both of you
are so onto something and it's
00:37:59.06\00:38:01.43
frankly something I've not seen
before as you're bringing it out
00:38:01.43\00:38:03.46
here, that Paul's heart was
melted by the love that he was
00:38:03.46\00:38:08.10
shown, not just the
theology that persuaded him.
00:38:08.10\00:38:09.86
Because look at this, what it
says, in Acts 9 where it says,
00:38:09.86\00:38:13.53
Brother Saul, I just,
man, let that sink in.
00:38:13.53\00:38:16.13
--What verse are you in?
00:38:16.13\00:38:17.16
--I'm in 17.
00:38:17.16\00:38:18.43
Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who
appeared to you on the road as
00:38:18.43\00:38:22.56
you came has sent me that you
might receive your sight and be
00:38:22.56\00:38:24.33
filled with the Holy Spirit
immediately they fell, there
00:38:24.33\00:38:27.20
fell from his eyes something
like scales and he received his
00:38:27.20\00:38:30.30
sight at once and he
arose and was baptized.
00:38:30.30\00:38:32.86
--Love helps people see.
00:38:32.86\00:38:34.70
--His eyes were opened,
but also his heart was opened.
00:38:34.70\00:38:38.80
--And when your heart opens and
now you can see with your eyes.
00:38:38.80\00:38:41.30
--And you don't have to go very
far, look at this, look at this,
00:38:41.30\00:38:42.83
here we go, verse 20, this
transitions us exactly where
00:38:42.83\00:38:45.06
we're headed,
which is into Paul.
00:38:45.06\00:38:47.03
Immediately he preached the
Christ in the synagogues that he
00:38:47.03\00:38:51.66
is the Son of God.
00:38:51.66\00:38:53.83
So, in answer to the broad
question, where there any that
00:38:54.23\00:38:56.10
believed?
00:38:56.10\00:38:57.80
There were a lot that believed,
but none more important, at
00:38:57.80\00:39:01.30
least in terms of the actual
canon of the New Testament, than
00:39:01.30\00:39:03.50
Paul.
00:39:03.50\00:39:04.70
I mean, he's converted, he's
befriended, and he begins to
00:39:04.70\00:39:08.03
preach Christ.
00:39:08.03\00:39:09.83
But he had to
relearn his own religion.
00:39:09.83\00:39:11.16
He had to go back
and learn his own faith.
00:39:11.16\00:39:13.30
--And the reason for that
is because, as we're realizing
00:39:13.30\00:39:16.53
here, there is a direct
connection, there's direct
00:39:16.53\00:39:19.93
linkage between
theology and experience.
00:39:19.93\00:39:24.26
He's on a persecution mission.
00:39:24.26\00:39:26.46
James is talking about his
experience, which I can identify
00:39:26.46\00:39:28.86
with, and I think all of us can,
where there is condemnation and
00:39:28.86\00:39:34.10
there is judgment in the context
of religion, in the context of
00:39:34.10\00:39:37.80
the name of Jesus.
00:39:37.80\00:39:39.53
How can that be?
00:39:39.53\00:39:42.06
Well, Saul's on a
mission of persecution why?
00:39:42.06\00:39:44.30
Because, psychologically, we all
tend to act out our picture of
00:39:44.30\00:39:51.43
God.
00:39:51.43\00:39:52.66
Which is simply to say that
theology dictates relationship
00:39:52.66\00:39:56.30
and experience.
00:39:56.30\00:39:57.90
And this radical transformation
in Saul's thinking about God is
00:39:57.90\00:40:05.00
affected by contact with people
who are now accepting him.
00:40:05.00\00:40:10.70
God is using human beings
as a medium of acceptance and
00:40:10.70\00:40:14.10
forgiveness and love, which, in
turn, reacts upon him, and now
00:40:14.10\00:40:17.46
he becomes a man of
peace, and the persecution...
00:40:17.46\00:40:21.36
--Preaching a gospel of peace.
00:40:21.36\00:40:22.90
--Yeah, he's so intent on
persecution, but there is no,
00:40:22.90\00:40:25.53
there is no compulsion to
persecute, to condemn, to judge
00:40:25.53\00:40:30.23
anymore when the gospel
takes hold of the human heart.
00:40:30.23\00:40:33.86
Jeffery, you go, and
then we take a break.
00:40:33.86\00:40:35.93
--We're gonna take a break right
here, but, and then, now that
00:40:35.93\00:40:39.50
he's, his heart is melted
by the very people he's out to
00:40:39.50\00:40:42.26
persecute, he receives
a conversion experience,
00:40:42.26\00:40:44.53
immediately, he begins to
preach, not only does he preach
00:40:44.53\00:40:46.70
to the gentiles, he also
ministers to the Christian
00:40:46.70\00:40:50.43
believers.
00:40:50.43\00:40:51.70
Very quickly, in Galatians 1,
verse 23, don't turn there, but
00:40:51.70\00:40:54.30
it says here, this is the
reaction when the brethren hear
00:40:54.30\00:40:57.70
that this guy, Saul, now Paul,
is one of us now, they're like,
00:40:57.70\00:41:01.70
it says here, and this is Paul
writing, Galatians 1:23, but
00:41:01.70\00:41:05.03
they were hearing only, quote,
he who formerly persecuted us,
00:41:05.03\00:41:11.70
now preaches the faith which he
once tried to destroy, in verse
00:41:11.70\00:41:16.40
24, and they
glorified God in me.
00:41:16.40\00:41:20.76
--In Paul.
00:41:20.76\00:41:21.83
--The believers are
saying, now that's beautiful.
00:41:21.83\00:41:23.60
--So, now, they're listening
to the very man that was
00:41:23.60\00:41:26.53
persecuting them.
00:41:26.53\00:41:27.96
--We don't want to, but we have
to stop right there, just for a
00:41:27.96\00:41:31.90
break, though,
we're coming right back.
00:41:31.90\00:41:33.10
[Music]
00:41:34.93\00:41:38.23
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00:42:27.43\00:42:30.83
[Music]
00:42:32.20\00:42:34.56
--Before the break, we
were basically discussing Paul's
00:42:36.06\00:42:39.36
conversion in the book of Acts
and the remainder of the book of
00:42:39.36\00:42:43.56
Acts is basically the story
of Paul preaching the gospel.
00:42:43.56\00:42:47.70
His theology has now gotten off
the ground, it's taken shape and
00:42:47.70\00:42:51.00
we see in the remainder of
the New Testament, much of it is
00:42:51.00\00:42:55.63
written by the apostle
Paul, and what is he doing?
00:42:55.63\00:42:58.73
He's articulating the
gospel, which is to say, he is
00:42:58.73\00:43:02.63
reconfiguring his thinking
regarding his own scriptures, as
00:43:02.63\00:43:07.23
a Jew, and he's recasting the
vision in the light of Christ.
00:43:07.23\00:43:11.50
--And he's writing many of these
letters, Romans and Galatians
00:43:11.50\00:43:16.30
and other places, two churches
that he himself either planted
00:43:16.30\00:43:19.40
or played a
significant role in growing.
00:43:19.40\00:43:22.90
There's a beauty in that.
00:43:22.90\00:43:24.20
He was gonna persecute
and now he's growing, now he's
00:43:24.20\00:43:27.53
nurturing, now he's ministering,
and that's just the, it's a
00:43:27.53\00:43:30.80
gospel within the gospel.
00:43:30.80\00:43:33.03
--I love the way this whole
picture introduces Paul because
00:43:33.03\00:43:37.40
while it gives the history of
him persecuting, it transitions
00:43:37.40\00:43:40.80
quickly to this revelation,
it takes place on the road to
00:43:40.80\00:43:44.80
Damascus and this prophecy that
God gives to Ananias, and I just
00:43:44.80\00:43:48.86
wanna touch on this verse right
here in Acts chapter 9, verse
00:43:48.86\00:43:51.40
16, God is speaking and he's
saying, I've chosen Paul, that's
00:43:51.40\00:43:55.83
the context, to be a vessel unto
me, to take my name, to bear my
00:43:55.83\00:43:59.46
name, to reveal my character, if
you will, to the gentiles, and
00:43:59.46\00:44:03.56
to the kings and the children
of Israel, so it's all inclusive
00:44:03.56\00:44:06.60
again, that's the big story, the
big picture that we're looking
00:44:06.60\00:44:09.16
at, and then it says in verse
16, and here's the prophecy, I
00:44:09.16\00:44:12.50
will show him how great things
he must suffer for my sake.
00:44:12.50\00:44:17.50
I'm gonna show him how much he's
going to suffer for my sake, and
00:44:17.50\00:44:21.23
if this is a picture, if Paul's
experience is grounded in the
00:44:21.23\00:44:26.76
Calvary event, and if the
Calvary event is a summation of
00:44:26.76\00:44:30.76
the story, if Calvary is a
picture of the story of the
00:44:30.76\00:44:35.53
heart of God, then what we see
in Calvary, what we see in this
00:44:35.53\00:44:39.13
prophecy is the heart of God.
00:44:39.13\00:44:41.66
The heart of God is suffering,
the heart of God is agonizing,
00:44:41.66\00:44:45.73
the heart of God is in pain,
and Paul has been chosen, and
00:44:45.73\00:44:48.96
actually, you and me and Jeffery
and David have been chosen,
00:44:48.96\00:44:54.23
prophesied, called by God to
reveal the heart of God, and so,
00:44:54.23\00:45:00.13
when we think about
Christianity, we think about,
00:45:00.13\00:45:02.46
you know, preaching, we
think about being a part of this
00:45:02.46\00:45:05.13
movement, sometimes we think
about it in different terms.
00:45:05.13\00:45:07.70
In other words, I believe that
it's very possible for us today
00:45:07.70\00:45:11.73
to be thinking
like the Jews think.
00:45:11.73\00:45:13.80
Oh, glory, manifestation of all
these positive blessings and all
00:45:13.80\00:45:19.50
of these things that we're
going to do that are gonna be so
00:45:19.50\00:45:21.90
great, you know what I'm saying.
00:45:21.90\00:45:23.53
And yet, right when Paul is
chosen, God makes it very, very
00:45:23.53\00:45:27.33
clear why I have chosen him, and
this, we see this fulfilled in
00:45:27.33\00:45:29.70
Romans 9, Paul talks about
it, he's chosen him to suffer
00:45:29.70\00:45:34.73
because Paul is going to reveal
to the gentiles and to Israel,
00:45:34.73\00:45:39.06
to the entire world,
he's going to reveal my heart.
00:45:39.06\00:45:41.33
And my heart, in relation to the
sin problem, is a heart that's
00:45:41.33\00:45:45.20
been suffering, that's
been filled with the anguish of
00:45:45.20\00:45:49.16
fallen humanity from the very
inception of sin, and I want
00:45:49.16\00:45:51.83
that to be revealed through you.
00:45:51.83\00:45:54.16
--Well, that's a good
launch pad into Paul's theology.
00:45:54.16\00:45:57.43
What is Paul's theology?
00:45:57.43\00:46:00.36
How has he recast the vision?
00:46:00.36\00:46:02.36
How is he thinking at this
point, post-conversion, what is
00:46:02.36\00:46:07.73
the gospel
according to the apostle Paul?
00:46:07.73\00:46:11.43
--That's funny, I
started turning my page and I'm
00:46:11.43\00:46:13.80
thinking, wait a minute, you
haven't given me a bible verse
00:46:13.80\00:46:15.86
yet.
00:46:15.86\00:46:16.93
--The perfect for that
would be 1 Corinthians 15.
00:46:16.93\00:46:19.16
--Take us there, Jeffery.
00:46:19.16\00:46:20.36
--1 Corinthians 15, where,
I mean, loaded chapter, by the
00:46:20.36\00:46:24.83
way, but in 1 Corinthians 15,
it begins with this in verse 1,
00:46:24.83\00:46:28.16
I'll just read
the first 3, 4 verses.
00:46:28.16\00:46:31.20
Moreover, brethren, I declare to
you the gospel, and then later
00:46:31.20\00:46:37.00
on, he's gonna define that.
00:46:37.00\00:46:38.53
The gospel which I preached to
you, which also you received and
00:46:38.53\00:46:42.50
in which you stand, verse 2, by
which you also are saved, if you
00:46:42.50\00:46:48.80
hold fast, that word which
I preached to you unless you
00:46:48.80\00:46:51.73
believed in vain, for I
delivered to you first of all
00:46:51.73\00:46:54.80
that which I also received, and
here it is, that Christ died for
00:46:54.80\00:47:00.86
our sins
according to the scriptures.
00:47:00.86\00:47:03.20
And that he was buried and
that he rose again the third day
00:47:03.20\00:47:09.20
according to the scriptures.
00:47:09.20\00:47:10.40
That's a beautiful definition of
the gospel, that Christ died for
00:47:11.56\00:47:15.70
our sins according to the
scriptures, he was buried, and
00:47:15.70\00:47:18.03
that he rose again the third
day according to the scripture.
00:47:18.03\00:47:20.56
Everything is sandwiched with
according to the scriptures.
00:47:20.56\00:47:23.73
--Yeah, and it's
the first of all.
00:47:23.73\00:47:25.73
I like that phrase that he uses,
I don't know how your bible says
00:47:25.73\00:47:28.40
it, but mine, it's the first,
it's the foundation of the
00:47:28.40\00:47:31.60
gospel, it's the first of all,
I'm gonna describe to you, here
00:47:31.60\00:47:34.73
it is, here's the
first, here's the foundation.
00:47:34.73\00:47:37.06
--Okay, I have a
question for you.
00:47:37.06\00:47:38.36
So, how is the death, burial,
and resurrection of Christ the
00:47:38.36\00:47:44.36
gospel?
00:47:44.36\00:47:45.23
What makes it good news?
00:47:45.23\00:47:46.70
How does that event constitute
the gospel, in what sense?
00:47:46.70\00:47:51.66
--Well, one of the ways
it constitutes the gospel, I
00:47:51.66\00:47:54.53
believe, is if you go all the
way back to the beginning of the
00:47:54.53\00:47:56.50
story, and we see that God has
been obscured, his light, his
00:47:56.50\00:48:01.53
love, his heart has been
obscured, he got, Satan got into
00:48:01.53\00:48:04.43
our psych, and caused us
to look at God in a way...
00:48:04.43\00:48:09.00
--So, man's heart
has been obscured.
00:48:09.00\00:48:10.40
--God is self-serving.
00:48:10.40\00:48:11.46
The gospel's been obscured.
00:48:11.46\00:48:12.56
Did I say something different?
00:48:12.56\00:48:13.66
--You said God.
00:48:13.66\00:48:14.90
--God has been obscured, the
gospel's been obscured, we have
00:48:14.90\00:48:18.50
looked at God as self-serving,
God is out to serve himself, so
00:48:18.50\00:48:23.03
the very first thing that
I see here is that the gospel
00:48:23.03\00:48:26.16
according to the death of Jesus
Christ reveals a selfless God, a
00:48:26.16\00:48:31.26
God that is other centered,
a God that is willing to give
00:48:31.26\00:48:33.86
himself for us who counts us
more valuable, I should say, who
00:48:33.86\00:48:38.50
has given his life in exchange
for us, who says, basically, I
00:48:38.50\00:48:41.16
would rather have them live,
I would rather die for them then
00:48:41.16\00:48:44.30
lose them.
00:48:44.30\00:48:45.70
--Well, later on in the chapter,
and I totally agree with that,
00:48:45.70\00:48:50.63
that is happening here for sure,
let me add something to it later
00:48:50.63\00:48:52.76
on in the chapter, verses
21 through 26 approximately and
00:48:52.76\00:48:56.70
then 45 and 47, you have
Adam brought to light here, and
00:48:56.70\00:49:02.50
there's a sense in which Paul is
saying that Jesus is the second
00:49:02.50\00:49:05.73
Adam, he's the second man,
so what we see here is that the
00:49:05.73\00:49:11.53
death, burial, and resurrection
of Jesus Christ, that Jesus
00:49:11.53\00:49:14.53
Christ himself, the Christ event
rewrites human history, going
00:49:14.53\00:49:19.96
all the way back to Genesis.
00:49:19.96\00:49:21.23
--Adam was the representative of
our race, now Christ becomes the
00:49:21.23\00:49:24.46
new representative
for the human race.
00:49:24.46\00:49:26.33
--So we have somebody
else to identify with now.
00:49:26.33\00:49:27.50
We have a new
history to identify with.
00:49:27.50\00:49:30.30
Adam's history is a fallen
history that derailed the plan
00:49:30.30\00:49:36.03
that he became a sinner.
00:49:36.03\00:49:37.83
Well, we have a new Adam now,
we have a new man who rewrites
00:49:37.83\00:49:41.10
history and creates a new
package of objective facts,
00:49:41.10\00:49:48.83
history that we
can identify with.
00:49:48.83\00:49:51.30
He lived a perfect life in
harmony with God's covenant
00:49:51.30\00:49:54.83
love.
00:49:54.83\00:49:56.10
He died on the cross, he rose
again, he ascended to the throne
00:49:56.10\00:50:00.23
on high and that encapsulates
God's plan for all of us as
00:50:00.23\00:50:06.20
human beings.
00:50:06.20\00:50:07.43
--We gotta touch on this for
just a second because history is
00:50:07.43\00:50:10.76
huge.
00:50:10.76\00:50:11.90
What you identify with
genetically in your history is
00:50:11.90\00:50:15.80
huge, it can have
a huge impact on you.
00:50:15.80\00:50:17.46
I talked to you in an earlier
session about how I look at my
00:50:17.46\00:50:20.40
genetic history, and I look
at alcoholism, it's there, it's
00:50:20.40\00:50:22.83
there, it's there, it's there.
00:50:22.83\00:50:24.13
Something I didn't tell you
that I, you know, have, that has
00:50:24.13\00:50:28.93
impacted me, my
grandfather on my mother's side.
00:50:28.93\00:50:32.16
Now, my father and my
mother were never married.
00:50:32.16\00:50:34.90
So, my father's name is Miller,
my mother's name is Rafferty.
00:50:34.90\00:50:39.50
And on my mother's side, my
grandfather, her father, his
00:50:39.50\00:50:42.93
name was James Rafferty,
it's kinda strange to go to a
00:50:42.93\00:50:46.90
gravestone and see
your name written there.
00:50:46.90\00:50:49.03
--My uncle's name
was David Ascherick.
00:50:49.03\00:50:51.43
--Look at that.
00:50:51.43\00:50:52.56
Now, something that's
interesting, as I went through
00:50:52.56\00:50:55.30
my early teen history and
gravitated into alcoholism very
00:50:55.30\00:50:59.53
naturally tended into
that direction, I remembered my
00:50:59.53\00:51:03.96
grandmother who told me in
later years that even though my
00:51:03.96\00:51:06.63
grandfather, her first husband,
owned a pub in Ireland and
00:51:06.63\00:51:10.96
alcoholism was rampant through
our whole family on that side
00:51:10.96\00:51:13.86
and on the other side, my
grandfather, James Rafferty, she
00:51:13.86\00:51:17.40
said, never
drank, he didn't drink.
00:51:17.40\00:51:20.56
--Does that impact
you to just hear that?
00:51:20.56\00:51:22.13
--It impacted me.
00:51:22.13\00:51:23.40
No, it impacted me, and at that
time especially, because I was
00:51:23.40\00:51:26.10
deep into it by that time,
it impacted me and I was just
00:51:26.10\00:51:29.36
thinking about that in relation
to this story, this second Adam
00:51:29.36\00:51:32.50
story.
00:51:32.50\00:51:33.76
Yes, we're all born under this
guilt and this weight of this
00:51:33.76\00:51:37.93
first Adam and how he was
deceived and misunderstood God,
00:51:37.93\00:51:41.36
but now we have
this second Adam.
00:51:41.36\00:51:43.33
In other words, Paul was saying,
hey, you have a new genetic
00:51:43.33\00:51:45.63
history that's been
written for you in Jesus Christ.
00:51:45.63\00:51:47.76
--Your own cultural background,
you know, we all know it defines
00:51:47.76\00:51:51.83
who you are, how you talk, how
you relate to things, what your
00:51:51.83\00:51:55.40
interests are.
00:51:55.40\00:51:56.73
--That's why you sound so Miami.
00:51:56.73\00:51:58.86
--You know, listen, when we
were in school, we'd wear these
00:51:58.86\00:52:02.53
little flags, our flag, like,
we'd wear bead and we'd put our
00:52:02.53\00:52:06.36
flag into beads, you know,
in the shape, and we'd wear that
00:52:06.36\00:52:08.90
with pride because that's your
identity, that's your history,
00:52:08.90\00:52:10.96
that's your heritage.
00:52:10.96\00:52:12.43
I don't have one right now.
00:52:12.43\00:52:14.00
I put it back on after the set,
but basically, you know, that's
00:52:14.00\00:52:18.66
powerful, how you said, he wrote
a new history, we have a new
00:52:18.66\00:52:21.93
history to identify with.
00:52:21.93\00:52:23.86
--Jesus is a
rewrite of human history.
00:52:23.86\00:52:26.43
--And there are specific
instances in which that history
00:52:26.43\00:52:31.30
is, comes in very sharp focus.
00:52:31.30\00:52:36.16
For example, the first
Adam was unfaithful in a garden.
00:52:36.16\00:52:41.96
The second Adam, Christ, was
faithful, he made the decision
00:52:41.96\00:52:45.63
to be faithful
until death in a garden.
00:52:45.63\00:52:47.90
The first.
00:52:47.90\00:52:49.13
--Gethsemane.
00:52:49.13\00:52:50.06
--The garden of Gethsemane.
00:52:50.06\00:52:51.33
The first Adam had a rib removed
from his side that became the
00:52:51.33\00:52:55.23
thing that made his bride, Eve.
00:52:55.23\00:52:59.60
The second Adam, Christ,
was pierced in his side, and
00:52:59.60\00:53:02.56
scripture says, out
comes blood and water.
00:53:02.56\00:53:04.73
The two things, the blood
of Jesus and the water of the
00:53:04.73\00:53:07.20
Spirit.
00:53:07.20\00:53:07.96
So there's just so much here.
00:53:07.96\00:53:09.76
That makes the church, these are
the things that make the church,
00:53:09.76\00:53:12.63
and there are others, but the
point here is that this isn't
00:53:12.63\00:53:14.73
just something that Paul's
like, hey, this is interesting.
00:53:14.73\00:53:17.13
There are touchstones, there are
instances where that history has
00:53:17.13\00:53:22.50
been recapitulated by Jesus
in the same way that we talked
00:53:22.50\00:53:25.20
about the
recapitulation of Israel.
00:53:25.20\00:53:27.43
--But you mentioned earlier
about Luke, the genealogy, that
00:53:27.43\00:53:30.06
he goes straight back to...
00:53:30.06\00:53:31.80
--As the son of God.
00:53:31.80\00:53:33.16
So and so, the son of so
and so, Adam, the son of God.
00:53:33.16\00:53:36.70
--Yeah, so he wants you to see
the link between Adam and Jesus.
00:53:36.70\00:53:38.96
--The two primary figures in the
Old Testament that are the Son
00:53:38.96\00:53:42.30
of God are Adam and Israel.
00:53:42.30\00:53:45.66
When Jesus comes on the scene,
you brought this out earlier,
00:53:45.66\00:53:48.13
Ty, when that term, son of
God is used, it's not just some
00:53:48.13\00:53:51.20
willy nilly term, and we should
just say here, it doesn't mean
00:53:51.20\00:53:54.06
the literal son of God in the
same sexual sense that it means
00:53:54.06\00:53:58.83
when I have a son and when you
have a son, in other words, in
00:53:58.83\00:54:01.50
terms of offspring.
00:54:01.50\00:54:03.56
And there's too many people
that misunderstand that, even
00:54:03.56\00:54:05.90
well-meaning sincere
people that come from a strong
00:54:05.90\00:54:08.73
non-Trinitarian perspective and
they'll say, wait a minute, but
00:54:08.73\00:54:11.26
Jesus is the son of God.
00:54:11.26\00:54:12.76
--Therefore, he had
to have a beginning.
00:54:12.76\00:54:14.36
--He had to have a beginning,
and he has to be chronologically
00:54:14.36\00:54:16.60
younger than his father, because
my sons are younger than me, my
00:54:16.60\00:54:20.66
father is older than me.
00:54:20.66\00:54:22.23
But what Jesus is, the term son
of God is not a chronological
00:54:22.23\00:54:26.53
term, it's a relational
term, it's a term of connection.
00:54:26.53\00:54:30.70
Right, so, in that sense, yes,
the son of God, he's Adam, he's
00:54:30.70\00:54:35.10
Israel.
00:54:35.10\00:54:36.93
So, he's rewriting not
only the history of Israel, he's
00:54:36.93\00:54:39.53
rewriting the history of Adam
and I think, Ty, we should just
00:54:39.53\00:54:42.86
read some of those verses in
1 Corinthians 15 where he says
00:54:42.86\00:54:45.66
that.
00:54:45.66\00:54:46.93
Let's just do it, he says there
in verse 20, but now Christ is
00:54:46.93\00:54:49.93
risen from the dead, and has
become the first fruits of those
00:54:49.93\00:54:53.30
who have fallen asleep.
00:54:53.30\00:54:54.66
He's the first one of those that
were asleep, asleep in the grave
00:54:54.66\00:54:57.76
that will be raised.
00:54:57.76\00:54:59.00
Verse 21, for since, by man
came death, by man also came the
00:54:59.00\00:55:03.66
resurrection of the dead.
00:55:03.66\00:55:05.00
Adam, Adam.
00:55:05.00\00:55:06.80
Verse 22, for as in Adam, all
die, even so in Christ shall all
00:55:06.80\00:55:10.60
be made alive, but
each one in his own order.
00:55:10.60\00:55:12.90
Christ, the first fruits, and
afterward, those who were at his
00:55:12.90\00:55:15.33
return, his coming, and he
goes on, but the point that he's
00:55:15.33\00:55:18.76
drawing out here is that Adam
did a thing, Jesus did a thing,
00:55:18.76\00:55:22.60
Adam did a thing,
Jesus did a thing.
00:55:22.60\00:55:24.23
--One clarification on
that first fruits, I think it's
00:55:24.23\00:55:26.03
important, too, to understand
that the first fruits were not
00:55:26.03\00:55:28.90
necessarily first, like you were
saying with this paternal thing,
00:55:28.90\00:55:32.50
in the sense of chronology, they
were the first in the sense that
00:55:32.50\00:55:36.03
they were the best.
00:55:36.03\00:55:37.13
--Because we know that
Moses was resurrected already.
00:55:37.13\00:55:38.53
--He was the best of those that
were resurrected, he was the
00:55:38.53\00:55:41.03
chief.
00:55:41.03\00:55:42.03
--Like the first lady.
00:55:42.03\00:55:43.30
--Yes, and another thing here
that I think is really powerful,
00:55:43.30\00:55:45.50
you know, when I was, just
to identify again, when I was a
00:55:45.50\00:55:47.66
kid, I was born in the States,
but I was raised in England.
00:55:47.66\00:55:52.30
My mother raised us in England,
so when I was 10 months old, off
00:55:52.30\00:55:55.43
we went to England, that's where
my sister and I, twin sister and
00:55:55.43\00:55:58.06
I were raised.
00:55:58.06\00:55:59.33
I remember in my early years in
England as I started to grow up,
00:55:59.33\00:56:01.20
knowing that I was American, but
I was being raised in England,
00:56:01.20\00:56:04.46
half Irish, I was interacting
with other kids, and back then,
00:56:04.46\00:56:08.33
this is the '60s, you know,
really, it's the '60s, the whole
00:56:08.33\00:56:11.86
time is the '60s, not even
the '70s, this is like 20 years
00:56:11.86\00:56:14.33
after the end of World War II, I
was raised in an environment in
00:56:14.33\00:56:17.53
England that was still
recovering from that, and I
00:56:17.53\00:56:19.20
remember kids saying things to
me about me being American about
00:56:19.20\00:56:24.20
the Americans having this
attitude, about all this kind of
00:56:24.20\00:56:28.50
stuff, I remember thinking, I
had never been to America, I had
00:56:28.50\00:56:32.86
no identity with America,
nothing, but I felt connected to
00:56:32.86\00:56:36.26
America.
00:56:36.26\00:56:37.53
It was like, I'm American, and
you don't say bad things about
00:56:37.53\00:56:40.10
us, you know what I'm saying?
00:56:40.10\00:56:41.93
There was an identity.
00:56:41.93\00:56:43.70
When Paul here identifies us
with Christ, there's something
00:56:43.70\00:56:50.50
that he's doing
here to our psyche.
00:56:50.50\00:56:53.13
He's saying you are
connected with this Adam.
00:56:53.13\00:56:55.83
--You know what I just wrote
down on this piece of paper
00:56:55.83\00:56:57.36
here, I wrote down, the holy
history, that is to say the holy
00:56:57.36\00:56:59.76
history of life, of the life,
death, and resurrection of Jesus
00:56:59.76\00:57:02.80
is your history.
00:57:02.80\00:57:04.36
And I think we're gonna talk
about that in our next session
00:57:04.36\00:57:07.23
or one of the sessions about
this universality of what Jesus
00:57:07.23\00:57:11.00
has done.
00:57:11.00\00:57:12.26
It's not just an individual, oh,
he did it for Ty and he did it
00:57:12.26\00:57:15.53
for James, he
did it for the world.
00:57:15.53\00:57:18.36
--David, it's right here in
the text that we just read in 1
00:57:18.36\00:57:20.93
Corinthians 15, for as
in Adam, all die, even so...
00:57:20.93\00:57:25.46
--You're in which verse?
00:57:25.46\00:57:26.90
--Verse 22, even so
shall all be made alive.
00:57:26.90\00:57:29.10
So, there is a universal sense
in which Jesus is now, can I use
00:57:29.10\00:57:35.43
this language, the new
representative head of the human
00:57:35.43\00:57:40.23
race.
00:57:40.23\00:57:42.06
So, again, it's not, Jesus
isn't dealing here with just
00:57:42.06\00:57:44.33
individual salvation, getting
each of us individually out of
00:57:44.33\00:57:47.16
trouble and...
00:57:47.16\00:57:49.30
--Because God is really angry.
00:57:49.30\00:57:50.96
--And getting us into heaven,
Jesus here is working something
00:57:50.96\00:57:54.80
out that has
universal implications.
00:57:54.80\00:57:57.16
--We respond
individually, of course.
00:57:57.16\00:57:59.90
--We respond individually,
absolutely, but there's only one
00:57:59.90\00:58:03.03
way to respond individually,
Jeffery, and that is if you have
00:58:03.03\00:58:06.43
something objective that you're
responding to that is applicable
00:58:06.43\00:58:10.53
for all.
00:58:10.53\00:58:11.80
For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son
00:58:11.80\00:58:13.80
that whosoever believes in
him shall not perish but have
00:58:13.80\00:58:16.53
everlasting life.
00:58:16.53\00:58:18.13
That text, John 3:16 says that
the love of God, by which the
00:58:18.13\00:58:22.30
sacrifice of Christ was made,
was for all, but the believing,
00:58:22.30\00:58:25.70
the subjective
part is individual.
00:58:25.70\00:58:29.00
In other words, put it this way,
that believers in Christ do not
00:58:29.00\00:58:32.86
manufacture the
facts of the gospel.
00:58:32.86\00:58:35.96
They apprehend them.
00:58:35.96\00:58:37.63
--They respond to
something that is already fact.
00:58:37.63\00:58:39.93
--They respond to an objective
reality that is worked out in
00:58:39.93\00:58:43.46
totality in Christ.
00:58:43.46\00:58:46.66
--Faith doesn't make facts,
faith takes hold of the facts.
00:58:46.66\00:58:49.80
--That's right.
00:58:49.80\00:58:50.93
It's so crucial that we
understand this and that's the
00:58:50.93\00:58:54.23
only way, really that you can
grasp that salvation is 110% by
00:58:54.23\00:59:02.43
grace through
faith alone in Christ.
00:59:02.43\00:59:05.76
There must be a solid, objective
foundation upon which subjective
00:59:05.76\00:59:12.30
faith...
00:59:12.30\00:59:13.56
--Is laying hold of it.
00:59:13.56\00:59:15.40
--That's exactly right.
00:59:15.40\00:59:16.80
So, boy, this is pretty
exciting, and we're just gonna
00:59:16.80\00:59:19.33
have to delve into it
in our next conversation.
00:59:19.33\00:59:26.16
--Awesome.
00:59:26.16\00:59:27.16