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Flipping Tables and Eternal Life - The Gospels · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And when he had made a scourge
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  Speaker 1: of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple,
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  Speaker 1: and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money,
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  Speaker 1: and overthrew the tables. John 2.15 I confess today that
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  Speaker 1: zeal for your house has consumed me. Move in my life.
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  Speaker 1: so that I can stand for what is righteous. Help
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  Speaker 1: me so that I can stand for what is godly.
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  Speaker 1: Move in my life and allow me to understand heavenly matters.
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  Speaker 1: As I look at you, Jesus, help me to understand
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  Speaker 1: that God loved me so much that he sent you
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  Speaker 1: as a bridge to connect me back into his loving arms.
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  Speaker 1: I praise you, Lord. that as I believe in Jesus Christ,
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  Speaker 1: I will have access to eternal life. I thank you
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  Speaker 1: that you did not send Jesus to condemn me, but
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  Speaker 1: to rescue me from my sins and from myself. I
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  Speaker 1: declare that I am new and restored, because I now
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  Speaker 1: have you in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks
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  Speaker 1: for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear
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  Speaker 1: the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the Bible
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  Speaker 1: in a Year. Brought to you by Bibleinayear.com.
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  Speaker 2: You know your principles, priorities, and practical health care needs
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  Speaker 3: Flipping Tables and Eternal Life In our last story, Jesus
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  Speaker 3: performed his first of many miracles at a wedding in Cana.
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  Speaker 3: By the request of his mother, Jesus blessed a wedding
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  Speaker 3: by turning water into wine. Although the guests were not
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  Speaker 3: aware of this miracle, the servants and disciples knew. They
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  Speaker 3: awed at the humble power of Christ. They knew even
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  Speaker 3: more that he was the promised Messiah. Now we witness
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  Speaker 3: the righteous anger of Jesus. When the greed of men
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  Speaker 3: seeps into the temple gates, Jesus violently empties its courtyard.
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  Speaker 3: He drives out corruption, then speaks of eternal life and
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  Speaker 3: why he has come. Inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with another episode of
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  Speaker 4: the Bible in a Year podcast. We have now seen
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  Speaker 4: Jesus calling his disciples to himself. Men who believed that
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  Speaker 4: he was from God, even if they didn't fully understand
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  Speaker 4: his purpose or the path that he would take as
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  Speaker 4: the Messiah, but they were compelled to the call. They
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  Speaker 4: dropped everything and began following Jesus. We also heard the
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  Speaker 4: last time how Jesus performed his first miracle in Cana
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  Speaker 4: of Galilee, turning water into wine. It is a symbol
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  Speaker 4: of the power of Christ to transform our lives. The
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  Speaker 4: miracle further strengthened the disciples' faith in Jesus. Today, we'll
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  Speaker 4: hear how Jesus shows a righteous anger at the dishonoring
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  Speaker 4: and the disrespectfulness of God's house by greedy men who
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  Speaker 4: were seeking personal gain at the temple gates. Christ will
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  Speaker 4: act swiftly and forcefully to cleanse his temple, showing the
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  Speaker 4: disciples that he was zealous for his Father's house and
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  Speaker 4: serious about calling out wickedness and hypocrisy wherever it presented itself.
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  Speaker 4: Most of the religious leaders will look on this act
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  Speaker 4: with scorn. But one man will seek Jesus out, in secret,
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  Speaker 4: wanting to know more. Let's listen now to the reading
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  Speaker 4: of God's Word.
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  Speaker 3: It was Passover in Jerusalem. Men, women, and children from
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  Speaker 3: many nations gathered in the temple courtyards to make a
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  Speaker 3: sacrifice to the Lord. It was a widely celebrated time,
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  Speaker 3: a time for reflection on the goodness of God, a
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  Speaker 3: time for prayer and thanksgiving, a time to contemplate the
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  Speaker 3: saving power of God. However, when Jesus walked into the
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  Speaker 3: temple gates, he did not see people celebrating the Lord.
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  Speaker 3: He saw money changers and lenders haggling with foreigners. He
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  Speaker 3: saw temple clerks charging extra money for people to buy sacrifices.
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  Speaker 3: Worst of all, he saw the courtyard of the Gentiles
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  Speaker 3: filled with money-hungry salesmen. Money changers were purposefully hiking up
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  Speaker 3: exchange rates so the Gentiles had to pay more money
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  Speaker 3: for sacrifices. People outside the family of God had come
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  Speaker 3: to Jerusalem to seek forgiveness. Instead, they were met with
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  Speaker 3: payments and fees. The religious leaders were making people pay
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  Speaker 3: to access forgiveness. The deep fury of God welled up
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  Speaker 3: within Jesus. Silently, Jesus grabbed some cords from a nearby cart.
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  Speaker 3: He sat down and began to braid them. His disciples
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  Speaker 3: watched him curiously. They were used to seeing Jesus filled
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  Speaker 3: with joy and peace, yet there was a different expression
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  Speaker 3: on his face. Righteous anger. Jesus finished braiding a long
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  Speaker 3: braid of leather cords twice as long as himself. He
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  Speaker 3: stood up. Although Jesus was not a particularly tall man,
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  Speaker 3: his presence felt larger than the temple itself. Like lightning,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus swung his hips and whipped the braid towards the
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  Speaker 3: sheep and oxen. The livestock scattered and ran away as
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  Speaker 3: Jesus relentlessly drove them out of the temple. The sellers
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  Speaker 3: of the livestock ran after them. Jesus turned his eyes
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  Speaker 3: towards the money changer. With purpose, he marched toward the table,
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  Speaker 3: took the bags of temple currency, and threw them against
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  Speaker 3: the wall. Jesus turned towards the large stone tables with
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  Speaker 3: weights and scales. With godlike strength, Jesus flipped them over
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  Speaker 3: on their sides and let the gold spill over the edge.
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  Speaker 3: The money changers and salesmen were frantically trying to gather
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  Speaker 3: their goods when Jesus marched up the temple stairs. The
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  Speaker 3: people watched him closely and the entire courtyard fell silent.'
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  Speaker 3: It is written,' Jesus began to yell,' It is written,
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  Speaker 3: my father's house should be called a house of prayer.' Jesus'
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  Speaker 3: eyes were filled with furious compassion. But look at what
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  Speaker 3: is around you. Look closely. You have turned this house
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  Speaker 3: of prayer into a den of thieves. His disciples listened
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  Speaker 3: to his words. They could see the deep pain in Jesus' eyes.
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  Speaker 3: All he wanted was for people to worship God free
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  Speaker 3: from burdens. The prophecy of David resonated in their minds.
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  Speaker 3: Zeal for your house will consume me. The people looked
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  Speaker 3: at him with awe, but the religious leaders looked at
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  Speaker 3: him with contempt. What authority do you have to say
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  Speaker 3: these things? What sign will you show us? Jesus dropped
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  Speaker 3: the whip in his hands and pointed to the temple.
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  Speaker 3: Destroy this temple and I will show you. If you
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  Speaker 3: destroy it, I will raise it back up again in
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  Speaker 3: three days. A chuckle could be heard from the crowd.
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  Speaker 3: One of them scoffed at him and said, It took
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  Speaker 3: 46 years to rebuild that temple and you think you
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  Speaker 3: could do so in three days? Jesus shook his head
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  Speaker 3: and walked down the steps. He took his disciples and
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  Speaker 3: left the courtyard. What they did not know is that
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  Speaker 3: Jesus was not speaking of the actual temple. He was
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  Speaker 3: speaking of his body. He would be destroyed and raised
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  Speaker 3: again in three days' time, all for the sake of
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  Speaker 3: people worshiping God free from burdens. Many of the Pharisees
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  Speaker 3: scoffed at Jesus. They shook their heads and spat in
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  Speaker 3: his direction. They thought of him to be just another zealot.
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  Speaker 3: They were wrong. They were profoundly and dangerously wrong. Yet
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  Speaker 3: there was one among them who did not scoff. His
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  Speaker 3: curiosity about Jesus was piqued. In the dead of night,
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  Speaker 3: a Pharisee named Nicodemus entered into the home of Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: Nicodemus knocked on the door silently. He did not want
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  Speaker 3: to be seen speaking with Jesus in fear that it
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  Speaker 3: might ruin his reputation. Jesus opened the door and smiled.
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  Speaker 3: He greeted Nicodemus and allowed him to come in. A
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  Speaker 3: few of Jesus' followers were sitting beside the fire. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: sat Nicodemus down. He had been expecting him. How can
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  Speaker 3: I help you? Jesus asked, pouring Nicodemus a drink. Nicodemus
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  Speaker 3: began speaking. Rabbi, there is no doubt in my mind
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  Speaker 3: you are a teacher sent from God. No one can
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  Speaker 3: do these things that you have been doing otherwise. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: nodded in agreement. However, he was more than a teacher.
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  Speaker 3: Unless one is born again, he truly cannot see the
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  Speaker 3: kingdom of God, Jesus said. Nicodemus was confused at his statement.
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  Speaker 3: I'm not sure I follow, Rabbi. Are you suggesting that
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  Speaker 3: someone needs to re-enter his mother's womb and be born again?
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  Speaker 3: Jesus gave a gentle laugh.
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  Speaker 4: No, no.
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  Speaker 3: Listen, unless you are born of the Spirit, you cannot
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  Speaker 3: enter into the kingdom of God. We are all born
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  Speaker 3: in the flesh, yes. However, not all are born of
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  Speaker 3: the Spirit. Jesus could tell that Nicodemus was having difficulty understanding.
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  Speaker 3: He leaned forward and touched Nicodemus' shoulder. Don't be confused
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  Speaker 3: by this, he said reassuringly. The wind blows and nobody
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  Speaker 3: can see it. It is the same with being born
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  Speaker 3: by the Spirit. But how can that happen? Nicodemus asked.
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  Speaker 3: Aren't you a teacher? Jesus replied. You should understand this.
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  Speaker 3: I have done many signs and given you earthly examples.
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  Speaker 3: You have seen and heard them, yet you and the
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  Speaker 3: rest of the Pharisees still do not believe. So how
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  Speaker 3: could I possibly explain heavenly matters to you? Jesus could
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  Speaker 3: see the look of disappointment. on Nicodemus' face. He had
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  Speaker 3: compassion on him and loved him for his heart. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: spoke of himself now, saying, The one who truly knows
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  Speaker 3: the things of heaven is the one who came from heaven.
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  Speaker 3: Just as Moses lifted the bronze serpent up in the
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  Speaker 3: wilderness for people to be healed, so people will look
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  Speaker 3: upon him and receive eternal life. Nicodemus knew that story,
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  Speaker 3: the story of the Israelites being saved in the wilderness
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  Speaker 3: from venomous snakes by gazing upon the bronze serpent. He
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  Speaker 3: was beginning to understand, slightly, what Jesus was telling him.
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  Speaker 3: The Lord smiled and leaned in closer to Nicodemus. For
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  Speaker 3: God so loved the world that he offered up his
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  Speaker 3: only begotten Son. And whoever believes in him shall not perish,
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  Speaker 3: but have everlasting life. And God did not send his
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  Speaker 3: Son to condemn the world, no. but that by him
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  Speaker 3: the world should be saved. There was a joyfulness in Jesus' voice.
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  Speaker 3: His disciples were behind him, hanging on his every word.
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  Speaker 3: His eyes glistened in the firelight. The light has come
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  Speaker 3: to the world, Jesus continued. But people love darkness rather
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  Speaker 3: than the light. Wickedness hates the light because it exposes it.
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  Speaker 3: But whoever knows and acts upon the truth steps into
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  Speaker 3: the light. With those words, Nicodemus left. He held the
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  Speaker 3: words of Jesus closely, regretting that he could not totally understand.
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  Speaker 4: Today we begin with Jesus once again at the temple
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  Speaker 4: during Passover. And this time we don't see Jesus sitting
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  Speaker 4: with teachers. In today's reading, we saw something that included
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  Speaker 4: a holy zeal and a righteous, fiery anger that comes
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  Speaker 4: from the Lord. God's temple is meant to be a
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  Speaker 4: house of worship, a place of prayer. a place where
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  Speaker 4: people are forgiven. But instead, the temple was being used
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  Speaker 4: by greedy businessmen and religious leaders taking advantage of people,
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  Speaker 4: charging exorbitant fees for them to access sacrifices and find forgiveness.
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  Speaker 4: We often think of the gentleness of Jesus, and truly
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  Speaker 4: Jesus is gentle and lowly of heart. His character is kind.
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  Speaker 4: But Jesus is also strong and never weak. He was
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  Speaker 4: always deeply devoted to the things of God Just like
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  Speaker 4: his predecessor, ancestor King David, was called to be strong
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  Speaker 4: as a warrior for the Lord, Jesus now rises up
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  Speaker 4: to defend the house of God. He was not silent,
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  Speaker 4: and this was not calm. It was violent. He was
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  Speaker 4: determined to set people straight. God's temple would not be
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  Speaker 4: defiled by thieves. He braided a whip and scattered the vendors.
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  Speaker 4: He turned over the tables of those charging money and
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  Speaker 4: taking advantage of the Gentiles. speaking with loud voices accusations
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  Speaker 4: against them. He would not allow this hypocrisy, this dishonesty
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  Speaker 4: to continue. This was not Jesus losing control of his emotion,
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  Speaker 4: flying off the handle and losing composure. This was clear
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  Speaker 4: and planned behavior. This was righteous indignation. We can only
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  Speaker 4: imagine how shocked the disciples must have been to see
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  Speaker 4: Jesus perform this act of cleansing the temple and behaving
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  Speaker 4: in this way. But they remembered the words of Psalm 69,
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  Speaker 4: which says, The zeal of your house will consume me.
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  Speaker 4: This is yet another sign that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
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  Speaker 4: But the religious leaders and other Jews did not see
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  Speaker 4: this so clearly. They challenged Jesus and asked what right
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  Speaker 4: he had, what authority he possessed to say and do
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  Speaker 4: these things. His response for them was confusing to those
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  Speaker 4: who heard it. In John 2, 19, Jesus answered them,
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  Speaker 4: Destroy this temple immediately. and I will raise it again
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  Speaker 4: in three days. They thought he was talking about the
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  Speaker 4: physical temple, the building, the temple of stone and mortar.
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  Speaker 4: But Jesus was speaking here about himself. He was the temple.
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  Speaker 4: He was the very presence of God. The glory of
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  Speaker 4: God was upon him. And one day he would be destroyed.
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  Speaker 4: His temple, his physical body would die, but he would
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  Speaker 4: be raised to life on the third day. Here Jesus
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  Speaker 4: begins prophesying his own death and resurrection. The Pharisees tried
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  Speaker 4: to laugh this off, failing to see the one who
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  Speaker 4: was standing before them. All they knew is that they
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  Speaker 4: despised this man who spoke with such authority and challenged
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  Speaker 4: their position in power. But Jesus was not seeking personal
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  Speaker 4: power and pride and prominence. He was calling people to repentance.
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  Speaker 4: He was calling people to himself and a brand new life.
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  Speaker 4: There was one leader among them, who wanted to know
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  Speaker 4: more about this Jesus. Perhaps he was afraid to ask
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  Speaker 4: in the broad daylight, to ask openly. So, at night,
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  Speaker 4: this man came to Jesus. His name was Nicodemus. He
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  Speaker 4: wanted to know more about this man. Is he the Messiah?
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  Speaker 4: Is he more than a man? Is he more than
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  Speaker 4: a teacher from God? Jesus then told Nicodemus that to
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  Speaker 4: enter the kingdom of God, one must be born again.
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  Speaker 4: Nicodemus was confused. So he asked for clarification. How is
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  Speaker 4: it possible to be born again? The Lord explained to
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  Speaker 4: him that he was not talking about physical birth, but
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  Speaker 4: birth in the spirit, heavenly birth, to be born again
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  Speaker 4: from above. This is the new life that Jesus promises
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  Speaker 4: to all who will be born again. Jesus then gave
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  Speaker 4: Nicodemus and us an illustration. He talked about Moses and
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  Speaker 4: the Israelites who looked to a bronze serpent, a brazen
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  Speaker 4: serpent in the wilderness and to be saved from the
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  Speaker 4: bites of snakes. This was a story that Nicodemus knew well.
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  Speaker 4: And Jesus explained to him that this is a picture
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  Speaker 4: of God's love, that God sent his only son, Jesus,
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  Speaker 4: into the world, and that whoever would believe in him
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  Speaker 4: would not perish, but have everlasting life. This, of course,
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  Speaker 4: is one of the key verses in all of the Bible,
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  Speaker 4: John 3.16. For God so loved the world that he
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  Speaker 4: gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him
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  Speaker 4: would not perish but have everlasting life. His words clearly
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  Speaker 4: stuck with Nicodemus. Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
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  Speaker 4: religious people like Nicodemus and irreligious people even like you
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  Speaker 4: and me. Whoever you are, God loves you and has
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  Speaker 4: a wonderful plan for your life. And if you will
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  Speaker 4: trust in Christ and Christ alone as your Savior and Lord,
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  Speaker 4: you will be given eternal life. Not only will your
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  Speaker 4: sins be forgiven, but Jesus will live in your life
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  Speaker 4: and you will live with the hope of eternal life
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  Speaker 4: with you now and forever. I want to invite you
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  Speaker 4: and encourage you to be born again. If you have
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  Speaker 4: never put your faith and trust in Jesus, do it
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  Speaker 4: right now. Simply pray a prayer and invite Christ into
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  Speaker 4: your life. Be willing to turn from your sins, that's repentance,
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  Speaker 4: and receive Jesus as your Lord and follow him as
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  Speaker 4: your Savior. And if you will do this, you will
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  Speaker 4: have a brand new life now and forever. Pray something
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  Speaker 4: like this. Jesus, I ask you to come into my life,
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  Speaker 4: to be my Savior and my God, my Master and friend.
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  Speaker 4: In the power of your Spirit, I will live for
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  Speaker 4: you all the days of my life, and I will
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  Speaker 4: live with you forever in heaven. Lord, thank you for
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  Speaker 4: giving me a brand new life today. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 4: Once again, thank you for listening to today's Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas.
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  Speaker 4: Let me encourage you to download the Pray.com app and
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  Speaker 4: make Bible study and prayer a real priority in your life.
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  Speaker 4: And if you are enjoying this podcast, share it with
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  Speaker 4: someone you know, someone you care about, because sharing God's
• 18:22
  Speaker 4: Word has a powerful impact upon people's lives. And if
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  Speaker 4: you want more resources as to how you can Find faith,
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  Speaker 4: grow in your faith, develop as a disciple and follower
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  Speaker 4: of Jesus. Be sure to visit me at jackgram.org. We
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  Speaker 4: have plenty of resources that will encourage you and equip
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  Speaker 4: you for life. God bless you.