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The Greatest Story of Jesus and the Early Church – This Video Will Strengthen Your Faith · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to this special video on our channel. Today, we're
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  Speaker 1: setting out on an extraordinary journey that spans over a
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  Speaker 1: century of history, perhaps the most transformative story ever lived
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  Speaker 1: by humanity. This video will be longer than usual, but
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  Speaker 1: for a very good reason. We're going to walk through
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  Speaker 1: the entire story of Jesus Christ and the early Church,
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  Speaker 1: from the humble birth in Bethlehem to the astounding spread
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  Speaker 1: of Christianity throughout the known world of that time. Get
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  Speaker 1: ready for a full narrative that begins with Messianic prophecies,
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  Speaker 1: moves through powerful miracles, revolutionary teachings, the sacrificial death on
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  Speaker 1: the Cross, the glorious Resurrection, the birth of the Church
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  Speaker 1: at Pentecost, Paul's missionary journeys, and the incredible perseverance of
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  Speaker 1: the first Christians, who, despite facing brutal persecution, transformed the
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  Speaker 1: world with the message of the Gospel. This is not
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  Speaker 1: just a history lesson. It's a living testimony of how
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  Speaker 1: God intervened in human history and continues to work even
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  Speaker 1: to day. My hope is that by the end of
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  Speaker 1: this video your faith will be strengthened as you witness
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  Speaker 1: how God's divine plan unfolded through ordinary people who said
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  Speaker 1: yes to his extraordinary calling. Let's begin this epic journey
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  Speaker 1: through the greatest story ever told. For hundreds of years,
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  Speaker 1: the people of Israel waited for the promised Messiah to come.
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  Speaker 1: Isiah seven fourteen tells us the Lord himself will give
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  Speaker 1: you a sign. The Virgin will conceive and give birth
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  Speaker 1: to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Mica five
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  Speaker 1: two even revealed the place of his birth. But you, Bethlehem, Ephraitha,
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  Speaker 1: though you are small among the clans of Judah, out
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  Speaker 1: of you will come for me one who will be
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  Speaker 1: ruler over Israel. The Jewish people look to the heavens
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  Speaker 1: each day, pleading for God to send the deliverer who
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  Speaker 1: would break the yoke of Roman rule. It was a
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  Speaker 1: time of great expectation. Every mother in Israel dreamed of
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  Speaker 1: being the one chosen to carry the Savior. It was
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  Speaker 1: in Nazareth, a small town in Galilee, that God's plan
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  Speaker 1: began to unfold. Luke one twenty eight describes how an
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  Speaker 1: angel appeared to a young woman named Mary, Greetings you,
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  Speaker 1: who are highly favored, The Lord is with you. Mary
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  Speaker 1: was confused by these words, but the angel continued. Luke
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  Speaker 1: one thirty thirty three records. Do not be afraid, Mary,
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  Speaker 1: you have found favor with God. You will conceive and
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  Speaker 1: give birth to a son, and you are to call
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  Speaker 1: him Jesus. He will be great and will be called
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  Speaker 1: the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
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  Speaker 1: give him the throne of his father David, and he
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  Speaker 1: will reign over Jacob's descendants forever. His kingdom will never end.
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  Speaker 1: But how could this happen? Mary was a virgin. Luke
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  Speaker 1: one thirty five gives the angel's explanation. The Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: will come on you, and the power of the Most
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  Speaker 1: High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be
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  Speaker 1: born will be called the Son of God. With simple faith,
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  Speaker 1: Mary responded, as we read in Luke one thirty eight,
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  Speaker 1: I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me
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  Speaker 1: be fulfilled. And in that moment the greatest miracle in
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  Speaker 1: history began to take shape within her. The Angel also
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  Speaker 1: mentioned that Elizabeth, Mary's older cousin, was already six months pregnant.
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  Speaker 1: Mary hurried to visit her in the hill country of Judea.
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  Speaker 1: Luke one forty two forty three describes what happened when
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  Speaker 1: Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, blessed are you among women? And
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  Speaker 1: blessed is the child you will bear? But why am
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  Speaker 1: I so favored that the mother of my Lord should
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  Speaker 1: come to me? Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months.
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  Speaker 1: During that time, she witnessed the birth of John the Baptist,
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  Speaker 1: the boy who would prepare the way for Jesus Zechariah.
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  Speaker 1: John's father, who had been mute due to his earlier doubt,
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  Speaker 1: finally spoke again. Luke one seventy six records his prophetic
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  Speaker 1: words over his son, and you, my child, will be
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  Speaker 1: called a prophet of the most High, for you will
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  Speaker 1: go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.
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  Speaker 1: Mary returned home, now visibly pregnant. Joseph, her fiancee, was
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  Speaker 1: a righteous man and didn't want to expose her to
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  Speaker 1: public disgrace, so he planned to quietly break off the engagement,
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  Speaker 1: but Matthew one twenty twenty one tells us how an
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  Speaker 1: angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. Joseph, son of David,
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  Speaker 1: do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
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  Speaker 1: because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: She will give birth to a son, and you are
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  Speaker 1: to give him the name Jesus, because he will save
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  Speaker 1: his people from their sins. Joseph obeyed immediately. Luke two
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  Speaker 1: two three describes what was happen at that time. Caesar
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  Speaker 1: Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken
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  Speaker 1: of the entire Roman world. This was the first census
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  Speaker 1: that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and
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  Speaker 1: everyone went to their own town to register. Because Joseph
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  Speaker 1: was a descendant of David, he had to travel to Bethlehem,
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  Speaker 1: the city of David. The journey was long and exhausting. Mary,
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  Speaker 1: in the final days of her pregnancy, rode a donkey
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  Speaker 1: for over one hundred and fifty kilometers about ninety miles
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  Speaker 1: on dusty, dangerous roads. Luke two six seven tells us
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  Speaker 1: what happened when they finally arrived. While they were there,
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  Speaker 1: the time came for the baby to be born, and
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  Speaker 1: she gave birth to her first born, a son. She
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  Speaker 1: wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger
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  Speaker 1: because there was no guest room available for them. The
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  Speaker 1: creator of the universe chose to be born in the
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  Speaker 1: humblest of places, a manger, a feeding trough for animals.
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  Speaker 1: There was no room prepared, no doctors, no comfort, only
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  Speaker 1: the love of Mary and Joseph and animals. Near by.
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  Speaker 1: In the fields near Bethlehem, shepherds were keeping watch over
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  Speaker 1: their flocks by night. Luke twot nine describes what suddenly happened.
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  Speaker 1: An Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
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  Speaker 1: glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified,
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  Speaker 1: but the Angel reassured them. Luke two ten twelve records
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  Speaker 1: his words, do not be afraid. I bring you good
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  Speaker 1: news that will cause great joy for all the people.
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  Speaker 1: Today in the town of David, a savior has been
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  Speaker 1: born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This
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  Speaker 1: will be a sign to you. You will find a
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  Speaker 1: baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke
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  Speaker 1: two fourteen tells us that a great multitude of the
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  Speaker 1: heavenly host appeared with the Angel, praising God and saying
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  Speaker 1: glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth,
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  Speaker 1: peaced to those on whom His favor rests. The shepherd
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  Speaker 1: said to one another, as we read in Luke two fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
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  Speaker 1: which the Lord has told us about. They hurried to
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  Speaker 1: the town and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, just
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  Speaker 1: as the angel had said. After seeing Jesus, they went
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  Speaker 1: out and told everyone what had happened, amazed by all
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  Speaker 1: they had witnessed. A few months later, wise men from
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  Speaker 1: the east arrived in Jerusalem. Matthew too, too, records their question,
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  Speaker 1: where is the one who has been born King of
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  Speaker 1: the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and
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  Speaker 1: have come to worship him. They had seen a special
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  Speaker 1: star and understood it to be a sign of the
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  Speaker 1: birth of a king. King Herod, a cruel and paranoid ruler,
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  Speaker 1: was deeply disturbed by this news. He summoned the chief
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  Speaker 1: priests and teachers of the law to find out where
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  Speaker 1: the Messiah was to be born. They quoted the prophecy
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  Speaker 1: of Micah, which pointed to Bethlehem. Herod then sent the
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  Speaker 1: wise men there, asking them to report back once they
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  Speaker 1: found the child, pretending that he too wanted to worship him.
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  Speaker 1: The star guided the wise men to the house where
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  Speaker 1: Jesus was. Matthew two eleven describes the moment. On coming
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  Speaker 1: to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,
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  Speaker 1: and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened
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  Speaker 1: their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense,
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  Speaker 1: and myrrh, gifts fit for a king, a deity, and
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  Speaker 1: a sacrifice. Warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
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  Speaker 1: the wise men went back by another route. Matthew two
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  Speaker 1: thirteen tells how an angel appeared to Joseph, get up,
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  Speaker 1: take the child and his mother, and escape to Egypt.
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  Speaker 1: Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going
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  Speaker 1: to search for the child to kill him. That very night,
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  Speaker 1: Joseph took the child and Mary and fled to Egypt,
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  Speaker 1: where they remained safely. Enraged at having been outwitted by
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  Speaker 1: the wise Men, Herod ordered the massacre of all boys
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  Speaker 1: two years old and under in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew two seventeen to eighteen explains, then what was said
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  Speaker 1: through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled. A voice is heard
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  Speaker 1: in Rama weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her
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  Speaker 1: children and refusing to be comforted because they are no more.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew two twenty tells us that after Herod's death, an
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  Speaker 1: angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
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  Speaker 1: In Egypt, get up, take the child and his mother,
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  Speaker 1: and go to the land of Israel, for those who
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  Speaker 1: were trying to take the child's life are dead. Joseph obeyed,
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  Speaker 1: but upon learning that Archelaus, Herod's son was reigning in Judea,
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  Speaker 1: he was afraid to go there. After receiving another divine
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  Speaker 1: warning in a dream, he went to Galilee instead. The
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  Speaker 1: family settled in Nazareth, filling what Matthew two twenty three
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  Speaker 1: records he will be called a Nazarene. There, Jesus grew
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  Speaker 1: up like any other Jewish boy, helping his father with
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  Speaker 1: carpentry and learning the trade that would sustain him until
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  Speaker 1: the beginning of his ministry. The only story we have
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  Speaker 1: from Jesus's childhood took place when he was twelve years old.
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  Speaker 1: Luke two forty one explains every year Jesus's parents went
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  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. That year,
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  Speaker 1: after the festival ended, Mary and Joseph began their journey home,
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  Speaker 1: unaware that Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem, assuming he
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  Speaker 1: was among their relatives or friends in the caravan, they
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  Speaker 1: traveled for a day. When they couldn't find him, they
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  Speaker 1: returned to Jerusalem to search for him. Luke two forty
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  Speaker 1: six forty seven describes where they found him. After three days,
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  Speaker 1: they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers,
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  Speaker 1: listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard
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  Speaker 1: him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. The
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  Speaker 1: most learned teachers in Israel were astonished by a twelve
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  Speaker 1: year old boy. When his parents saw him, they were overwhelmed.
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  Speaker 1: Luke two forty eight records Mary's words, son, why have
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  Speaker 1: you treated us like this? Your father and I have
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  Speaker 1: been anxiously searching for you. Jesus replied with a thought
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  Speaker 1: provoking question, as recorded in Luke two forty nine, Why
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  Speaker 1: were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had
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  Speaker 1: to be in my father's house. This was the first
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  Speaker 1: recorded moment where Jesus expressed awareness of his true identity
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  Speaker 1: and mission. Yet, Luke two fifty one fifty two tells us,
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  Speaker 1: then he went down to Nazareth with them and was
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  Speaker 1: obedient to them, And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature,
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  Speaker 1: and in favor with God and man. For nearly twenty years,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus lived in Nazareth, working as a carpenter and waiting
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  Speaker 1: for the right time to begin his public ministry. The
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  Speaker 1: people of Nazareth knew him simply as the carpenter's son,
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  Speaker 1: unaware that the savior of the world was growing up
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  Speaker 1: among them. When Jesus was about thirty years old, his
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  Speaker 1: cousin John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness of Judea.
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  Speaker 1: Matthew three two records his message, repent for the Kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of Heaven has come near. John wore clothing made of
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  Speaker 1: camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and
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  Speaker 1: his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. People came
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  Speaker 1: from all over to hear him and were baptized by
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  Speaker 1: him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. In Matthew
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  Speaker 1: three eleven, John declared, I baptize you with water for repentance.
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  Speaker 1: But after me comes one who is more powerful than I,
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  Speaker 1: whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will
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  Speaker 1: baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. One day
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  Speaker 1: Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized
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  Speaker 1: by John. Matthew three fourteen tells how John tried to
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  Speaker 1: deter him. I need to be baptized by you, and
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  Speaker 1: do you come to me? Jesus replied in Matthew three fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: Let it be so. Now it is proper for us
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  Speaker 1: to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew three sixteen
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  Speaker 1: to seventeen describes what happened next. As soon as Jesus
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  Speaker 1: was baptized, he went up out of the water. At
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  Speaker 1: that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit
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  Speaker 1: of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.
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  Speaker 1: And a voice from heaven said, this is my son
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  Speaker 1: whom I love. With him, I am well pleased. This
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  Speaker 1: was the divine confirmation of Jesus's whole identity. Immediately after
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  Speaker 1: his baptism, Matthew four one says Jesus was led by
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  Speaker 1: the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the
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  Speaker 1: devil for forty days and forty nights. He fasted. At
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  Speaker 1: the end of that time, when he was hungry, the
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  Speaker 1: emptor approached. In Matthew four three, he challenged him, if
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  Speaker 1: you are the son of God, tell these stones to
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  Speaker 1: become bred. Jesus answered with scripture, as seen in Matthew
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  Speaker 1: four four, it is written, man shall not live on
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  Speaker 1: bread alone, but on every word that comes from the
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  Speaker 1: mouth of God. Matthew four six tells how the devil
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  Speaker 1: took Jesus to the highest point of the temple in
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  Speaker 1: Jerusalem and said, if you are the son of God,
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  Speaker 1: throw yourself down, for it is written he will command
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  Speaker 1: his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up
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  Speaker 1: in their hands, so that you will not strike your
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  Speaker 1: foot against a stone. In Matthew four seven, Jesus responded,
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  Speaker 1: it is also written, do not put the Lord your
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  Speaker 1: God to the test. Finally, Matthew four nine recounts how
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  Speaker 1: the devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world
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  Speaker 1: and their splendor, and said, all this I will give
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  Speaker 1: you if you down and worship me. Jesus responded in
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  Speaker 1: Matthew four ten, away from me, Satan, for it is written,
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  Speaker 1: worship the Lord your God and serve him. Only. Then
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  Speaker 1: the devil left him, and angels came and attended to him.
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  Speaker 1: After hearing that John had been imprisoned, Jesus returned to Galilee.
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  Speaker 1: That's when he began calling his first disciples. Walking along
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  Speaker 1: the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two
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  Speaker 1: brothers Simon called Peter and Andrew, casting a net into
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  Speaker 1: the lake, for they were fishermen. Matthew four nineteen records
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  Speaker 1: Jesus invitation, come follow me, and I will make you
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  Speaker 1: fishers of men. At once they left their nets and
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  Speaker 1: followed him. Going a little father, Jesus saw two other brothers,
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  Speaker 1: James and John sons of Zebede, who were in a
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  Speaker 1: boat with their father, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,
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  Speaker 1: and immediately they left the boat and their father and
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  Speaker 1: followed him. It was a simple and unassuming beginning. Four
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  Speaker 1: ordinary fishermen became the first followers of the Messiah. They
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  Speaker 1: didn't know it yet, but they were about to witness
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  Speaker 1: events that would forever change their lives and the course
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  Speaker 1: of human history. The first miracle of Jesus took place
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  Speaker 1: at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. John two three
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  Speaker 1: tells us when the wine was gone, jesus mother said
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  Speaker 1: to him, they have no more wine. Jesus replied in
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  Speaker 1: John two four, woman, why do you involve me? My
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  Speaker 1: hour has not yet come. Trusting him, his mother said
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  Speaker 1: to the servants in John two five, do whatever he
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  Speaker 1: tells you. John two six seven sets the scene. Near
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  Speaker 1: by stood six stone water jars. The kind used by
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  Speaker 1: the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to
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  Speaker 1: thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, fill the jars
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  Speaker 1: with water. So they filled them to the brim. Then
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  Speaker 1: Jesus instructed them, as recorded in John two eight, now
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  Speaker 1: draw some out and take it to the master of
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  Speaker 1: the banquet. They did so, and the master of the
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  Speaker 1: banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine,
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  Speaker 1: unaware of where it had come from. He called the
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  Speaker 1: bridegroom aside and said in John two ten, everyone brings
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  Speaker 1: out the choice wine first, and then the cheaper wine
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  Speaker 1: after the guests have had too much to drink. But
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  Speaker 1: you have saved the best till now. John Oberleven explains
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  Speaker 1: the significance of this act. What Jesus did here in
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  Speaker 1: Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through
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  Speaker 1: which he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
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  Speaker 1: After that, Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
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  Speaker 1: John two fourteen to fifteen describes what he found in
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  Speaker 1: the temple courts. He found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,
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  Speaker 1: and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made
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  Speaker 1: a whip out of cords and drove all from the
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  Speaker 1: temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He scattered the coins
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  Speaker 1: of the money changes and overturned their tables with authority,
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  Speaker 1: he declared in John two sixteen, get these out of here.
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  Speaker 1: Stop turning my father's house into a market. His disciples
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  Speaker 1: remembered that it is written zeal for your house will
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  Speaker 1: consume me. During that same visit to Jerusalem, Jesus had
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  Speaker 1: a night time encounter with a pharisee named Nicodemus. John
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  Speaker 1: three one two introduces him. Now there was a pharisee,
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  Speaker 1: a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the
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  Speaker 1: Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, Rabbi,
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  Speaker 1: we know that you are a teacher who has come
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  Speaker 1: from God, for no one could perform the signs you
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  Speaker 1: are doing if God were not with him. Jesus replied
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  Speaker 1: with one of the most profound statements in the Bible,
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  Speaker 1: as we read in John three three. Very truly, I
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  Speaker 1: tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God
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  Speaker 1: unless they are born again. Confused, Nicodemus asked how someone
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  Speaker 1: could be born again when already old, Jesus explained in
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  Speaker 1: John three five six. Very truly, I tell you, no
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  Speaker 1: one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are
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  Speaker 1: born of water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh,
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  Speaker 1: but the spirit gives birth to spirit. And then Jesus
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  Speaker 1: spoke the famous words of John three sixteen. For God
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  Speaker 1: so loved the world that he gave his one and
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  Speaker 1: only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish,
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  Speaker 1: but have eternal life. Afterward, Jesus left Judea and passed
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  Speaker 1: through Samaria, where a remarkable encounter took place. John four
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  Speaker 1: to six seven recounts Jacob's well was there, and Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: tired as he was from the journey, sat down by
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  Speaker 1: the well. It was about noon when a Samaritan woman
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  Speaker 1: came to draw water. Jesus said to her, will you
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  Speaker 1: give me a drink? The woman was surprised, as Jews
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  Speaker 1: did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered in John four ten,
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  Speaker 1: if you knew the gift of God and who it
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  Speaker 1: is that asks you for a drink, you would have
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  Speaker 1: asked him and he would have given you living water. Intrigued,
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  Speaker 1: the woman asked where he would get such water, and
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: Jesus replied in John fourth thirteen to fourteen, everyone who
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: water I give them will become in them a spring
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: of water welling up to eternal life. The conversation shifted
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: when Jesus revealed he knew details of her personal life.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: She had had five husbands. Amazed, she said, Sir, I
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: can see that you are a prophet. When Jesus revealed
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: that he was the Messiah, she ran to the town,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: and many Samaritans believed in him because of her testimony.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus continued on to Galilee, where he began preaching his
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: core message. Matthew four seventeen sums it up. From that
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: time on, Jesus began to preach repent, for the Kingdom
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: of Heaven has come near. In Cana, a royal official
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: came to Jesus. John four forty seven tells us when
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: he went to him and begged him to come and
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: heal his son, who was close to death. Jesus said
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  Speaker 1: in John four point fifty go your son will live.
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  Speaker 1: The man believed him, and as he was on his
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: way home, his servants met him with the news that
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: his son was alive. He discovered the fever had left
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: at the exact moment Jesus had spoken, and he and
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: his entire household believed. In Capernaum, Jesus performed another striking miracle.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: Mark two three to four describes it. Some men came
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: Since they could not get him to Jesus because of
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: Jesus by digging through it, and then lowered the mat
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: the man was lying on. Jesus said to the paralyzed
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  Speaker 1: man in Mark two five, son, your sins are forgiven.
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  Speaker 1: Some teachers of the law thought this was blasphemy, since
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: only God can forgive sins. Aware of their thoughts, Jesus
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: asked in Mark two nine, which is easier to say
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: to this paralyzed man, your sins are forgiven, or to say,
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: get up, take your mat and walk. To prove his authority,
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Jesus said to the man in Mark two eleven, I
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: until you get up, take your mat and go home.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: The man got up, took his mat, and walked out
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: in full view of everyone, leaving the crowd amazed. During
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: this time, Jesus also called Matthew, a tax collector Matthew
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: nine nine records. As Jesus went on from there, he
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: followed him. Jesus later dined at Matthew's house with many
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees questioned the disciples about
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: why their teacher ate with such people. Matthew nine twelve
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: to thirteen records. Jesus response, it is not the healthy
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: who need a doctor, but the sick. Go and learn
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: what this means. I desire mercy, not sacrifice, for I
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: have not come to call the righteous but sinners. And
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: so began jesus public ministry. With simple words and powerful acts,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: he showed that he was more than a teacher, He
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: was God among men. His first actions already hinted at
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: the revolution of love and grace that would change the
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: world forever. As his ministry grew stronger in Galilee, Jesus
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: set out to teach his disciples and the crowds that
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: followed him. Matthew five one to two tells us, now,
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: mountain side and sat down. His disciples came to him,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: and he began to teach them there on the mountain.
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Jesus introduced a new way of living, starting with the Beatitudes.
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: In Matthew five three, he said, blessed are the poor
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. He
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: went on to speak of people not usually considered blessed,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger for righteousness,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: Jesus used simple imagery to describe the mission of his followers.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: In Matthew five thirteen fourteen, he declared, you are the
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: just as soul adds flavor and preserves and light shines
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: the way his followers were to improve the lives of
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: those around them. When it came to the law, Jesus
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: made his position very clear Matthew five p. Seventeen records
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: his words. Do not think that I have come to
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: to abolish them, but to fulfill them. He wasn't creating
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: a new religion, but revealing the true meaning behind God's commandments.
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Jesus went deeper than the surface of well known laws.
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: It wasn't enough to simply not murder. One had to
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: avoid anger. It wasn't enough to not commit adultery. One
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: had to guard against lustful thoughts. In Matthew five forty four,
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: Jesus said something truly radical. Love your enemies, and pray
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: for those who persecute you. This revolutionary teaching revealed a
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: divine standard, as he said in Matthew five forty eight,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Moving
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: into chapter six, Jesus taught about religious practices, giving to
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: the needy, praying, and fasting. The message was simple, do
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: these things to honor God, not to be seen by others.
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: In Matthew six six, he taught, but when you pray,
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: go into your room, close the door and pray to
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: your father, who is unseen. Then your father, who sees
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: what is done in secret, will reward you. It was
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: at this moment that Jesus gave the perfect model of prayer.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: Matthew six nine to thirteen records his words, This, then,
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: is how you should pray our Father in heaven, hallowed
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: be your name, your Kingdom. Come. Your will be done
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: on earth as it is in heaven. Give us to
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: simple prayer covers everything, worship, submission to God's will, daily
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: provision forgiveness and protection. In just a few lines, Jesus
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: showed how to genuinely speak with God. On fasting, Jesus
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: taught in Matthew six sixteen to eighteen when you fast,
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. But
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: when you fast, put oil on your head and wash
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: your face so that it will not be obvious to
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: others that you are fasting, but only to your father,
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: who is unseen. And your father, who sees what is
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: done in secret, will reward you. Jesus also addressed material
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: concerns and where we place our hearts. In Matthew six
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty one, he said, do not store up for
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: where thieves break in and steel. But store up for
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is there,
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: your art will be also. Instead of worrying about food
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: and clothing, Jesus urge people to trust God. In Matthew
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: six twenty six, he pointed to nature. Look at the
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: birds of the air. They do not sow or reap
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: He wrapped it up in Matthew six thirty three. But
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: things will be given to you as well. Jesus spoke
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: about judgment in Matthew seven one. Do not judge, or
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: you too will be judged. This didn't mean accepting everything
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: without discernment, but avoiding harsh condemnation based on standards we
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: ourselves don't live up to. In Matthews seven five, he said,
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: you hypocrite, first, take the plank out of your own eye,
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: from your brother's eye. To the end of the sermon,
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: Jesus gave the Golden rule in Matthew seven twelve. So
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: in everything due to others, what you would have them
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: do to you. For this sums up the law and
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: the prophets. This simple rule captures the heart of God's law.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Jesus finished with the parable of the two builders. The
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: one who puts his words into practice is like a
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: man who built his house on the rock. When storms came,
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: the house stood firm. But the one who hears and
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: doesn't act is like a man who built on sand.
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: When the storms came, everything collapsed. The people were amazed because,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: as Matthew seven twenty nine says, he taught them as
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: one who had authority, and not as their teachers of
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: the law. Jesus often taught using simple stories called parables.
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: These were comparisons drawn from every day life that revealed
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: profound truths about the Kingdom of God. One of the
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: most well known is the parable of the sour sitting
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: in a boat with the crowd on the shore. Jesus
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: told this story in Matthew thirteen three date a farmer
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: where it did not have much soil. It sprang up
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: quickly because the soil was shallow, but when the sun
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: on good soil, where it produced a crop one hundred,
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: sixty or thirty times what was sown. Later, the disciples
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: asked Jesus to explain the parable In Matthew the thirteen
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty three, he said that the seed is the
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: message of the kingdom, and explained the four types of soil.
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: The path represents those who here but don't understand, and
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: the evil one snatches away the message. The rocky ground
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: stands for those who receive it with joy, but fall
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: away when trouble comes. The thorns represent people who let
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: worries and wealth choke the word, and the good soil
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: is those who here understand and produce fruit. Jesus told
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: many other parables about the kingdom. In Matthew thirteen forty four,
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: he said, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: in a field. When a man found it, he hid
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: it again, and then, in his joy, went and sold
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: all he had and bought that field. Next. In Matthew
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: thirteen forty five forty six, he continued again, the Kingdom
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: When he found one of great value, he went away
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: and sold everything he had and bought it. These two
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: parables show the immense value of the kingdom. It's worth
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: Gith giving up everything to gain it. Luke fifteen tells
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: one of jesus most moving parables, The Parable of the
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: prodigal Son Jesus begins in Luke fifteen eleven to twelve.
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: There was a man who had two sons. The younger
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: one said to his father, father, give me my share
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: of the estate. So he divided his property between them.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: The younger son took everything and went to a distant country,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: where he squandered his wealth in wild living. When a
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: severe famine came, he began to be in need and
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: ended up taking care of pigs, even longing to eat
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: their food. In Luke fifteen seventeen to nineteen. We read
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: how he came to his senses and said, how many
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: here I am starving to death. I will set out
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: and go back to my father and say to him, Father,
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: like one of your hired servants. What happened next surprised everyone.
• 33:08
  Speaker 1: Luke fifteen twenty says, but while he was still a
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: long way off, his father saw him and was filled
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: his arms around him, and kissed him. The father ordered
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: his servants to bring the best robe, a ring, and sandals,
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: and to prepare a feast. In Luke fifteen twenty four,
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: he explained, for this son of mine was dead and
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: is alive again. He was lost and is found. This
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: parable shows God's unconditional love, always ready to welcome back
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: those who repent. On another occasion, a legal expert asked
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: Jesus who his neighbor was. Jesus replied with the parable
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: of the good Samaritan in Luke ten thirty thirty five.
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: He said, a man was going down from Jerusalem to
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: of his clothes, beat him, and went away, leaving him
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: half dead. A priest happened to be going down the
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: same road, and when he saw the man, he passed
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: by on the other side. So too a levite when
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: he came to the place and saw him pass by
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: came where the man was, and when he saw him,
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: he took pity on him. He went to him and
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: put the man on his own donkey, brought him to
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: an inn and took care of him. The next day
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: he took out two dinarii and gave them to the innkeeper.
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: Look after him, he said, and when I return, I
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: In Luke ten thirty six, Jesus asked, which of these
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: three do you think was a neighbor to the man
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: who fell into the hands of robbers. The expert replied,
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: the one who had mercy on him. Jesus told him
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: go and do Likewise, this parable teaches that we are
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: called to show love to every one, even those we
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: might see as enemies. In Matthew twenty five, Jesus shared
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: the parable of the talents. In Matthew twenty five fourteen fifteen,
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: we read again it will be like a man going
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: on a journey who called his servants and intrusted his
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: wealth to them. To one, he gave five talents, to another, two,
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: and to another one, each according to his ability. Then
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: he went on his journey. The servant who received five
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: talents invested them and gained five more. The one with
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: two also doubled his amount, but the one with one
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: talent dug a hole and hid the money. When the
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: master returned, he praised the first two. In Matthew twenty
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: five twenty one twenty three, he said, well done, good
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things.
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: I will put you in charge of many things. But
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: the third servant admitted he was afraid and hid the talent.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: The master called him a wicked, lazy servant, and in
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty five twenty eight commanded take the talent from
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: This parable teaches us to use the gifts God has
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: given us, not bury them out of fear or laziness.
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: Jesus teachings were often accompanied by remarkable displays of power.
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: One of his most famous miracles is the Feeding of
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: the five thousand. A huge crowd had followed Jesus to
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: a remote place. Mark six thirty five thirty six recounts
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: by this time it was late in the day, so
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: his disciples came to him. This is a remote place,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: they said, and it's already very late. Send the people away,
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: villages and buy themselves something to eat. In Mark six
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: thirty seven, Jesus replied, you give them them something to eat.
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: The disciples asked if they should spend a fortune on bread.
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked what they had, and they answered, five loaves
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: and two fish. Jesus had the crowd sit down in
• 37:14
  Speaker 1: groups on the grass. Mark six forty one. Forty four
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: describes taking the five loaves and the two fish, and
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: looking up to Heaven. He gave thanks and broke the loaves.
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: This miracle revealed jesus power over nature and his compassion
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: for people's basic needs. On another occasion, after feeding a
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: large crowd, Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him to
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: cross the Sea of Galilee by boat while he went
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: up a mountain to pray. Mark six forty eight to
• 38:02
  Speaker 1: fifty tells us. Shortly before dawn, he went out to
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: them walking on the lake. He was about to pass
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake,
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: they thought he was a ghost. They cried out because
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately Jesus
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: spoke to them and said, take courage, it is I.
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: Don't be afraid. Peter asked to come to Jesus on
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: the water. Jesus said come, and Peter began walking on
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: the water, but when he saw the wind, he became
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: afraid and started to sink. In Matthew fourteen thirty thirty one,
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: Peter cried out, Lord, save me, Jesus reached out his
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: hand and caught him, saying, you of little faith, why
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: did you doubt? During another trip across the sea, Jesus
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: was sleeping in the boat when a fierce storm arose
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: and waves swept over the boat. In Matthew eight twenty five,
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: the disciples were him up, shouting, Lord, save us, We're
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: going to drown. Jesus replied in Matthew eight twenty six
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: twenty seven, you of little faith, why are you so afraid?
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea,
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: and it became completely calm. The men were amazed and asked,
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: what kind of man is this? Even the winds and
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: the sea obey him. One of the most dramatic encounters
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: Jesus had was with a man possessed by demons in
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: the region of Gadara. Mark five two five describes when
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: him any more, not even with a chain, for he
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: had often been chained hand and foot. But he tore
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: day among the tombs and in the hills, he would
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: cry out and cut himself with stones. In Mark five nine,
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked him, what is your name? My name is Legion,
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: he replied, for we are many. The demons begged Jesus
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: not to send them out of the region, but into
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: a herd of pigs feeding near by. Jesus allowed it,
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: and the impure spirits came out of the man and
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: entered about two thousand pigs, which then rushed down the
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: steep bank into the sea and drowned. When the townspeople
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: came to see what had happened, they found the man
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: sitting there, dressed and in his right mind, as Mark
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: five fifteen says, they were so afraid that they asked
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus to leave the region. The man, who had been healed,
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: wanted to follow Jesus, but in Mark five nineteen, Jesus
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: told him go home to your own people and tell
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: them how much the Lord has done for you, and
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: how he has had mercy on you. On another occasion,
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: Jesus was interrupted by a synagogue leader named Gyros. In
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: Mark five twenty three, Gyros pleaded, my little daughter is dying.
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: Please come and put your hands on her, so that
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: she will be healed and live. Jesus went with him.
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: On the way. There was a woman who had been
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: suffering from bleeding for twelve years Mark five to twenty
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: six to twenty eight says she had suffered a great
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: deal under the care of many doctors and had spent
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: all she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: in the crowd and touched his cloak because she thought,
• 41:34
  Speaker 1: if I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: Immediately her bleeding stopped. Jesus felt that power had gone
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: out from him and asked in Mark five thirty who
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: touched my clothes? Trembling with fear, the woman fell at
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: his feet and told him the whole truth. In Mark
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: five thirty four, Jesus said to her daughter, your faith
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: has healed you. Go in peace and be free from
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: your suffering. While Jesus was still speaking, people came from
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: Gyrus's house, saying, in Mark five thirty five, your daughter
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore. Jesus ignored what
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: they said, and told Gyros in Mark five thirty six,
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: don't be afraid, just believe. At the house where people
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: were mourning loudly, Jesus said in Mark five thirty nine,
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: why all this commotion and wailing. The child is not
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: dead but asleep. They laughed at him. Jesus made everyone leave,
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: except the girl's parents and Peter, James and John. He
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: went in where the child was, took her by the
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: hand and said in Mark five forty one forty two
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: talither coomb, which means little girl, I say to you,
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: get up immediately. The girl, who was twelve years old,
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: got up and began to walk around. One of the
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: most controversial miracles was the healing of a man born blind.
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: John nine three records as he went along he saw
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi,
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: who sinned this man or his parents that he was
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: born blind. Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus.
• 43:16
  Speaker 1: But this happened so that the works of God might
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: be displayed in him. Jesus spat on the ground, made
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes.
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: In John ninety seven, he told him go wash in
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: the pool of Siloam. The man went washed and came
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: back seeing. The neighbors were shocked, and the pharisees began
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: to investigate. Since the miracle happened on a sabbath, some
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: of them said in John nine sixteen, this man is
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: They questioned the man's parents and the man himself, who
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: boldly defended Jesus, saying in John nine thirty three, if
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: this man were not from God, he could do no angry.
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: They threw him out of the synagogue. Jesus found him
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: and asked in John nine thirty five, do you believe
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: in the Son of Man? The man asked who he was,
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: and Jesus revealed himself in John nine thirty seven. You
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: have now seen him. In fact, he is the one
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: speaking with you. The man said, Lord, I believe, and
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: worshiped him. In John nine thirty nine, Jesus said, for judgment,
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: I have come into this world so that the blind
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: will see, and those who see will become blind. Some
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked, what
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: are we blind to. Jesus answered in John nine forty one,
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin.
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: But now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: As Jesus's fame spread, so did the tension with religious leaders,
• 44:53
  Speaker 1: especially concerning Sabbath observance. In Matthew twelve one to two,
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: we read at that time Jesus went through the grain
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began
• 45:05
  Speaker 1: to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, look, your
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: responded by reminding them how David ate the consecrated bread
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: when he was hungry, and how the priests work in
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: the temple on the Sabbath without being guilty. In Matthew
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: twelve eight, he added, for the son of Man is
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: lord of the Sabbath. On another Sabbath occasion, there was
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue. In
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: Matthew twelve ten, the Pharisees, looking for a reason to
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: accuse Jesus, asked him, is it lawful to heal on
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: the Sabbath? Jesus replied in Matthew twelve eleven twelve. If
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: any of you has a sheep and it falls into
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: a pit on the sabbath, will you not take hold
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: of it and lift it out? How much more valuable
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: is a person than a sheep. Therefore it is lawful
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: to do good on the sabbath. He said to the man,
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: stretch out your hand. The man stretched it out, and
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: it was completely restored. But the Pharisees went out and
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: began to plot how they might kill Jesus. Jesus also
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: confronted the Pharisees about their traditions. Matthew fifteen one two says,
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, why do your disciples break
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: the tradition of the elders They don't wash their hands
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: before they eat. In Matthew fifteen three, Jesus replied, and
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: why do you break the command of God for the
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: sake of your tradition. He explained how they used traditions
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: as an excuse to avoid honoring their parents, and he
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: applied Isiah's prophecy to them. In Matthew fifteen eight nine,
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: are far from me. They worship me in vain. Their
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: teachings are merely human rules. Jesus explained that what defiles
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: a person is not eating with unwashed hands, but what
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: comes out of the heart. In Matthew fifteen, nineteen twenty,
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: he said, for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: a person. In Matthew twenty three, Jesus pronounced a series
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: of woes against the hypocrisy of the teachers of the
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: law and the Pharisees. In Matthew twenty three twenty seven,
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: he said, woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: on the outside, but on the inside are full of
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: the bones of the dead and everything unclean. He accused
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: them of obsessing over minor things like tithing herbs, while neglecting,
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: as stated in Matthew twenty three twenty three, the more
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: important man of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. A
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: teacher of the law asked Jesus in Matthew twenty two
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: thirty six, teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law,
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: Jesus replied in Matthew twenty two thirty seven forty Love
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: the Lord your God with all your heart, and with
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: all your soul, and with all your mind. This is
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it,
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: prophets hang on these two commandments. The religious leaders repeatedly
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: tried to trap Jesus with tricky questions. On one occasion,
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: they sent their disciples along with the Herodians, to ask
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: him in Matthew twenty two seventeen, is it right to
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? If Jesus
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: answered yes, he risked losing favor with the people who
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: hated Roman taxes. But if he said no, he could
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: be accused of rebellion against Rome. Knowing their evil intent,
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: Jesus said in Matthew twenty two eighteen to nineteen, you hypocrites,
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: why are you trying to trap me? Show me the
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: coin used for paying the tax. They brought him a denarius,
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: and he asked, whose image is this and whose inscription Caesar's?
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: They replied, then in Matthew twenty two twenty one. He
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: told them, so give back to Caesar what is Caesar's
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: and to God what is God's. They were amazed at
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: his answer and went away. One of the most extraordinary
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: events of jesus ministry was the transfiguration Matthew seventeen one
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: to two recounts. After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James,
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: and John, the brother of James, and led them up
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them.
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: as white as the light. Suddenly, Moses and Eli Mejah
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: appeared talking with Jesus in Matthew seventeen four. Peter, overwhelmed, said, Lord,
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: it is good for us to be here. If you wish,
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: I will put up three shelters, one for you, one
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking,
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: cloud said, in Matthew seventeen five, this is my son,
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: whom I love. With him, I am well pleased listened
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: to him. The disciples fell face down to the ground, terrified,
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: but Jesus came and touched them saying in Matthew seventeen seven,
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: get up, don't be afraid. When they looked up, they
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: the mountain, Jesus commanded them in Matthew seventeen nine, don't
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: Man has been raised from the dead. As his ministry
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: in Galilee drew to a close, Jesus began to prepare
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: his disciples for what lay ahead. Matthew sixteen twenty one
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: says from that time on, Jesus began to explain to
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests,
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: and the teachers of the law, and that he must
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: In Matthew sixteen twenty two, Peter took him aside and
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: began to rebuke him. Never, Lord, this shall never happen
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: to you. Jesus turned and said to Peter in Matthew
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: sixteen twenty three, get behind me, Satan. You are a
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. Then he
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: said to his disciples in Matthew sixteen twenty four two
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: twenty five, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: whoever wants to save their life will lose it. But
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: whoever loses their life for me will find it. Jesus
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: also taught about humility. When the disciples asked who would
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: be the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven, he called
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: a little child and had him stand among them, saying
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: in Matthew eighteen three four, Truly, I tell you, unless
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: you change and become like little children, you will never
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly
• 52:27
  Speaker 1: position of this child is the greatest in the Kingdom
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: of heaven. Jesus also taught about forgiveness. When Peter asked
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: how many times he should forgive his brother, suggesting up
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: to seven times, Jesus replied in Matthew eighteen twenty two,
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven.
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: Jesus then told the parable of the unforgiving servant to
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: illustrate the importance of forgiveness. In Matthew eighteen twenty three,
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: twenty seven. He explained how a king forget gave an
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: enormous debt owed by a servant who begged for mercy,
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: But that same servant, as we see in Matthew eighteen
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: twenty eight thirty, found another man who owed him a
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: small amount, and instead of showing compassion, had him thrown
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: into prison. When the king heard about it, he summoned
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: the first servant and said, as recorded in Matthew eighteen
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: thirty two thirty three, you wicked servant, I canceled all
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: I had on you? In anger, he handed him over
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: to the jailers. Jesus concluded in Matthew eighteen thirty five,
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: this is how my heavenly father will treat each of
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: During his final days in Galilee, Jesus also taught about servanthood.
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: In Mark nine thirty five, he called the twelve and said,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: the one who wants to be first must be the
• 54:02
  Speaker 1: very last and the servant of all. On another occasion,
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: when his disciples were arguing about who among them was
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: the greatest, Jesus said in Luke twenty two twenty six
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: out at twenty seven. But you are not to be
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: the youngest, and the one who rules like the one
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: who serves. For who is greater the one who is
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: at the table or the one who serves? Is it
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: not the one who is at the table. But I
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: am among you as one who serves. Jesus called a child,
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: placed him among them, and said in Matthew eighteen three four, Truly,
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: in the Kingdom of Heaven. As his ministry in Galilee
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: came to a close, Jesus began teaching about the importance
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: of standing firm in faith and being ready for his return.
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: In Luke the twelve thirty five thirty six, he said,
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: be dressed ready for service, and keep your lamps burning
• 55:11
  Speaker 1: like servants waiting for their master to return from a
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: can immediately open the door for him. Jesus also spoke
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: about the hardships his followers would face. In John sixteen
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: thirty three, he said, I have told you these things
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: so that in me you may have peace. In this
• 55:31
  Speaker 1: world you will have trouble, But take heart, I have
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: overcome the world. One of Jesus's final and most important
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: teachings in Galilee was about the coming of the Holy Spirit.
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: In John fourteen sixteen to seventeen, he promised, and I
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: will ask the Father, and he will give you another
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: advocate to help you and be with you forever, the
• 55:53
  Speaker 1: Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him because it
• 55:57
  Speaker 1: neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him,
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: for he lives with you and will be in you.
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would be his representative
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: on earth, teaching and reminding the disciples of all he
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: had said. In John fourteen twenty six, he said, But
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: in my name, will teach you all things and will
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: remind you of everything I have said to you. Jesus
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: ministry in Galilee transformed lives and laid the foundation for
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God on earth. His teachings, parables and
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: miracles revealed a God of love, compassion, and justice. As
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: he prepared for his final journey to Jerusalem, Jesus had
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: planted the seeds of faith that would soon grow and
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: spread throughout the world. The moment had come. After three
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: years of ministry, Jesus was ready to enter Jerusalem for
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: the last time. As he approached the city, he stopped
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. John twelve one
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: tells us that six days before the Passover, Jesus came
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: to Bethany where Lazarus lived, the man he had raised
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: from the dead. With the city bustling with pilgrims for
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: the Passover festival, Jesus sent two disciples ahead of him.
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty one two three records his instructions, go to
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: the village ahead of you, and at once you will
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: find a donkey tied there with her colt by her
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: Untie them and bring them to me. If any one
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them.
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: The disciples went and did exactly as Jesus had instructed.
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: on them, and Jesus sat on them. This fulfilled a
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: prophecy spoken centuries earlier. Matthew twenty one he four to
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: five explains this took place to fulfill what was spoken
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: through the prophet, Say to daughter Zion, see your king
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: on a colt the foal of a donkey. The news
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: that Jesus was coming spread quickly. The man who had
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: raised Lazarus from the dead was on his way into
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: the city. A large crowd took palm branches and went
• 58:17
  Speaker 1: out to meet him. John twelve thirteen says they shouted,
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: Hosanna blessed. Is he who comes in the name of
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: the Lord blessed is the king of Israel. People laid
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: their cloaks on the road and waved palm branches, as
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: if welcoming a triumphant king. Mark eleven eight to ten
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: describes it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road,
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
• 58:42
  Speaker 1: Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, Hosanna blessed.
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: Is he who comes in the name of the Lord
• 58:49
  Speaker 1: blessed is the coming kingdom of our father. David Hosanna
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: in the highest heaven, but not everyone was pleased. Luke
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine tells us that some of the fe
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: parrises in the crowd said to Jesus, teacher, rebuke your disciples.
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: They didn't want Jesus to be acknowledged as king. Jesus
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: replied in Luke nineteen forty I tell you, if they
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Nothing could stop
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: this moment from being celebrated. When Jesus saw the city
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: of Jerusalem, he wept over it. Luke nineteen forty one
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: forty four records as he approached Jerusalem and saw the city,
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: he wept over it and said, if you even you
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: had only known on this day what would bring you peace.
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: But now it is hidden from your eyes. The days
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: will come upon you when your enemies will build an
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in
• 59:49
  Speaker 1: on every side, because you did not recognize the time
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: of God's coming to you. Upon entering the city, Matthew
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: twenty one ten says that the whole city he was
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: stirred and asked, who is this. The crowd answered, this
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth. In Galilee. The first
• 1:00:09
  Speaker 1: place Jesus went was the temple. Mark eleven eleven tells
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 1: us Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts.
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: He looked around at everything, but since it was already late,
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: he went out to Bethany with the twelve. He was
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: observing the temple, preparing for what he would do the
• 1:00:29
  Speaker 1: next day. The next morning, as they returned to Jerusalem,
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: Jesus entered the temple again and began driving out all
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: those who were buying and selling there. Mark eleventh, fifteen
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: seventeen describes the scene. He overturned the tables of the
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: money changes and the benches of those selling doves, and
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: And as he taught them, he said, is it not written?
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: My house will be called a house of prayer for
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 1: all nations, But you have made it a den of robbers.
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: This was the second time Jesus cleansed the temple. The
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: first had taken place at the beginning of his ministry.
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: As recorded in John two. The temple was meant to
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: be a place of prayer, but it had turned into
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: a noisy market place where people were being exploited. The
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: religious leaders were furious. Mark eleven eighteen says the chief
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: priests and the teachers of the law heard this and
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: began looking for a way to kill him, for they
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: feared him because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: In the days that followed, Jesus continued teaching at the temple,
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: engaging in confrontations with the religious leaders. In Matthew twenty one,
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: he told the Parable of the Two Sons and the
• 1:01:49
  Speaker 1: Parable of the Wicked Tenants, exposing how the leaders had
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: rejected God's prophets and were now rejecting God's own son.
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: The Pharisees and Sadducees tried to trap him with tricky
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: questions about Roman taxes, the resurrection, and which commandment was
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: the greatest. Matthew twenty two fifteen says, then the Pharisees
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: went out and laid plans to trap him in his words,
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: but Jesus answered wisely, leaving them speechless. In Matthew twenty three,
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: Jesus pronounced seven woes against the religious leaders, condemning their hypocrisy.
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: It was a direct confrontation, and they became even more
• 1:02:30
  Speaker 1: determined to kill him. As Jesus was leaving the temple,
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: his disciples pointed out the beauty of its buildings. Matthew
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: twenty four one two tells us Jesus left the temple
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: and was walking away when his disciples came up to
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: him to call his attention to its buildings. Do you
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: see all these things? He asked, Truly, I tell you,
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 1: not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: will be thrown down. This led to a long conversation
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus spoke about the
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: destruction of Jerusalem and the signs of his second coming.
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty four and twenty five record this discourse, in
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: which Jesus warned his disciples to always be prepared because
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: no one knows the day or hour of his return.
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: The first day of the festival of Unleavened Bread had arrived,
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty two seven eight says, then came the day
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: of unleavened Bread, on which the Passover Lamb had to
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 1: be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, go and
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: make preparations for us to eat the passover. They asked
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: where they should prepare it, and Jesus gave them specific instructions.
• 1:03:42
  Speaker 1: In Luke twenty two ten to twelve, as you enter
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: the city, a man carrying a jar of water will
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: and say to the owner of the house the teacher asks,
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: where is the guest room where I may eat the
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: Passover with my disciples. He will show you a large
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there. Peter and John
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: went and found everything just as Jesus had said. They
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: prepared the passover meal, and that evening Jesus arrived with
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 1: the other disciples. While they were at the table, Jesus
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: said something that took them by surprise Luke twenty two,
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: fifteen to sixteen records, and he said to them, I
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: have eagerly desired to eat this passover with you before
• 1:04:31
  Speaker 1: I suffer, for I tell you I will not eat
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 1: it again until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus knew this would be his final meal with them
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: before his death. John thirteen one explains it was just
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that the hour had
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 1: come for him to leave this world and go to
• 1:04:52
  Speaker 1: the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world.
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 1: He loved them to the end. What Jesus did next
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: shocked every one. John thirteen four to five says, So
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 1: he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing,
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he
• 1:05:10
  Speaker 1: poured water into a basin and began to wash his
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: disciples feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: around him. Washing feet was a servant's job, not a master's.
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: When he came to Peter, Peter objected, Lord, are you
• 1:05:24
  Speaker 1: going to wash my feet? Jesus replied in John thirteen
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: seven eight. You do not realize now what I am doing,
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: but later you will understand. Peter said, no, you shall
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: never wash my feet. Jesus answered, Unless I wash you,
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: you have no part with me. After washing all their feet,
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked in John thirteen twelve fifteen, do you understand
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: what I have done for you? You call me teacher
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: and lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am.
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: Now that I, your lord and teacher, have washed your feet,
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: you also should wash one another's feet. I have set
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: you an example that you should do as I have
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: done for you. Jesus was teaching a powerful lesson about
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 1: humility and service. True leaders must be servants of others.
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: During the meal, Jesus also revealed that he would be betrayed.
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty six twenty one twenty two says, and while
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: they were eating, he said, truly, I tell you, one
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: of you will betray me. They were very sad and
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: began to say to him, one after the other, surely
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: you don't mean me, Lord Jesus replied in Matthew twenty
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: six to twenty three to twenty four. The one who
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: betray me. The son of man will go just as
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 1: it is written about him. But woe to that man
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: who betrays the son of man. It would be better
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: for him if he had not been born. Judas, the
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: betrayer asked, surely you don't mean me, Rabbi Jesus answered,
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: you have said so. Then Jesus did something extraordinary. Luke
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 1: twenty two, nineteen twenty records and he took bread, gave thanks,
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: and broke it and gave it to them, saying, this
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: is my body given for you do this in remembrance
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: of me. In the same way. After the supper, he
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: took the cup, saying, this cup is the new covenant
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: in my blood, which is poured out for you. Jesus
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: was establishing a new celebration for his followers, what we
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: now call communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist. The
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: bread symbolized his body, which would be broken on the cross.
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 1: The wine symbolized his blood, which would be poured out
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: to establish a new covenant between God and humanity. After
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: the meal, Jesus gave his final instructions to the disciples.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: In John fourteen to seventeen, we find his farewell discourse,
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: where he promised to send the Holy Spirit as the
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: comforter and urged them to remain united. In John thirteen
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: thirty four thirty five, he gave a new commandment, a
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: new command I give you love one another as I
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: have loved you, So you must love one another. By this,
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: everyone will know that you are my disciples if you
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: love one another. Jesus also announced that Peter would deny him.
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty six thirty one thirty five recounts, then Jesus
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 1: told them, this very night, you will all fall away
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: on account of me, For it is written, I will
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: ahead of you into Galilee. Peter replied, even if all
• 1:08:41
  Speaker 1: fall away on account of you, I never will, truly,
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: I tell you. Jesus answered, this very night, before the
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: rooster crows, you will disown me three times. But Peter declared,
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: even if I have to die with you, I will
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: never disown you. And all the other disciples said the same.
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: With a heavy heart over what was to come, Jesus
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: and his disciples sang a hymn and went out to
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: the Mount of Olives. Jesus knew that his hour had come.
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: After the Last Supper, he went with his disciples to
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: a place called Gathsemone. Matthew twenty six thirty six to
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: thirty eight says, then Jesus went with his disciples to
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: a place called Gathsemone, and he said to them, sit
• 1:09:25
  Speaker 1: here while I go over there and pray. He took
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 1: Peter and the two sons of Zebede along with him,
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: said to them, my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: Jesus went a little father, fell with his face to
• 1:09:45
  Speaker 1: the ground, and began to pray. Matthew twenty six thirty
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: nine records his prayer, My father, if it is possible,
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: may this cup be taken from me? Yet not as
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: I will, but as you will. The agony was so
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: intense that but Luke twenty two forty four tells us,
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: and being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Matthew
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: twenty six forty to forty one says, then he returned
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: to his disciples and found them sleeping. Couldn't you men
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: keep watch with me for one hour? He asked Peter,
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: prayed two more times, each time finding the disciples asleep.
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: When he returned on the third time, he said in
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty six forty five to forty six, are you
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: still sleeping and resting? Look? The hour has come, and
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: the son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise,
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: let us go. Here comes my betrayer. While Jesus was
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: still speaking, Judas appeared with a large crowd, armed with
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: of the people. Matthew twenty six forty eight to forty
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: nine says, now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them.
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: The one I kiss is the man arrest him. Going
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: at once to Jesus, Judas said, greeting's rabbi and kissed him.
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: The kiss, normally a symbol of friendship and respect, was
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: turned into a signal of betrayal. Jesus said in Luke
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: twenty two forty eight, Judas, are you betraying the son
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: of Man with a kiss? The men stepped forward, seized
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: Jesus and arrested him. Peter, trying to defend his master,
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: drew his sword. John eighteen ten reports then Simon Peter,
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: who had a sword, drew it and struck the high
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: was Malchus. Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew twenty six fifty
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: two to fifty four. Put your sword back in its place,
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: Do you think I cannot call on my father and
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: he will at once put at my disposal more than
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: twelve legions of angels? But how then would the scriptures
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty two fifty one adds an important detail. But
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: Jesus answered, no more of this, and he touched the
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: man's ear and healed him. Even in his arrest, Jesus
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: showed compassion toward his enemies. Jesus then spoke to the
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: crowd in Luke twenty two fifty two fifty three, am
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: I leading a rebellion? That you have come with swords
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: and clubs? Every day I was with you in the
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me.
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 1: But this is your hour when darkness reigns. Matthew twenty
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 1: six fifty six concludes, But this has all taken place,
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 1: that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: all the disciples deserted him and fled, Just as Jesus
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 1: had foretold. They all abandoned him in the moment of crisis,
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: Jesus was first taken to the house of Annas, the
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 1: former High Priest and father in law of Caiaphas, the
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: High priest that year. John eighteen thirteen two to fourteen
• 1:13:14
  Speaker 1: explains they brought in first to Annas, who was the
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: father in law of Caiaphas, the High priest that year.
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 1: that it would be good if one man died for
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: the people. Us questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 1: Jesus answered in John eighteen twenty twenty one, I have
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: spoken openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: or at the temple where all the Jews come together.
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 1: who hurt me, surely they know what I said. When
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: Jesus said this, one of the officials struck him in
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: the face, saying, is that any way to answer the
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: High priest. Jesus replied in John eighteen twenty three, if
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: I said something wrong, testify as to what is wrong.
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 1: But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: Annas then sent Jesus, still bound to Caiaphas, the High Priest. There,
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: the chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law, the
• 1:14:22
  Speaker 1: full Sanhedrin were assembled. Mark fourteen fifty five fifty six
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: says the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: to death, but they did not find any. Many testified
• 1:14:40
  Speaker 1: falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Finally,
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: Mark fourteen to fifty seven to aunt to fifty nine
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: reports then some stood up and gave this false testimony
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: against him. We heard him say, I will destroy this
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: temple made with human hands, and in three days will
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: build another not made with hands. Yet even then their
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: testimony did not agree. Jesus remained silent in the face
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: of false accusations. Mark fourteen sixty sixty two continues. Then
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: the High Priest stood up before them and asked, Jesus,
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: are you not going to answer? What is this testimony
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 1: silent and gave no answer. Again, the high Priest asked him,
• 1:15:28
  Speaker 1: are you the Messiah, the son of the blessed one?
• 1:15:32
  Speaker 1: I am, said Jesus, and you will see the son
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: of man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: One and coming on the clouds of heaven. This response
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: was everything the High Priest wanted to hear. Mark fourteen
• 1:15:46
  Speaker 1: sixty three sixty four says the High Priest tore his clothes.
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: Why do we need any more witnesses? He asked, you
• 1:15:54
  Speaker 1: have heard the blasphemy? What do you think? They all
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: condemned him as worthy of death. While Jesus was on trial,
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: Peter was in the courtyard, having followed Jesus at a distance.
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: John eighteen sixteen to eighteen explains that John the Beloved
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: Disciple was known to the High Priest, and spoke to
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: the servant girl guarding the door, allowing Peter to come in.
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: The girl asked, Peter, you aren't one of this man's
• 1:16:21
  Speaker 1: disciples too, are you? I am not, he replied. While
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: Peter was warming himself by the fire, he was questioned
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: two more times, and both times he denied knowing Jesus.
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: John eighteen twenty seven says again Peter denied it, and
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: at that moment a rooster began to crow. Looke twenty
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: two sixty to sixty two adds a moving detail. Peter replied,
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: man I don't know what you're talking about. Just as
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: Lord had spoken to him before the rooster crow's today
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: you will disown me three times, and he went outside
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: and wept bitterly. After being condemned by the Sanhedrin, Jesus
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: was taken to the Roman governor Pontius Pilot, because the
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: Jews had no authority to carry out the death penalty.
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: John eighteen twenty eight thirty says, then the Jewish leaders
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor.
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness,
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 1: they did not enter the palace because they wanted to
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: be able to eat the passover. So Pilot came out
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 1: to them and asked, what charges are you bringing against
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: this man? If he were not a criminal, they replied,
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: we would not have handed him over to you. Pilot
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: questioned Jesus, asking in John eighteen thirty three, are you
• 1:17:51
  Speaker 1: the king of the Jews. Jesus replied that his kingdom
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 1: was not of this world, and Pilot concluded in John
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: eighteenth thirty eight, I find no basis for a charge
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: against him. Luke twenty three five to seven tells us
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 1: the Jews insisted he stirs up the people all over
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 1: come all the way here. When Pilot heard this, he
• 1:18:19
  Speaker 1: asked if Jesus was a Galilean. Upon learning that Jesus
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: was also in Jerusalem at the time. Herod was delighted
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: to see Jesus because he had long wanted to meet
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: him and hoped to see him perform a miracle. He
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 1: asked many questions, but Jesus gave no answer. Luke twenty
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: three eleven says. Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: mocked him, dressing him in an elegant robe. They sent
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: him back to Pilot. Pilot then called together the chief priests,
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: the rulers, and the people, saying, in Luke twenty three
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: fourteen to sixteen, you brought me this man as one
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: him in your presence and have found no basis for
• 1:19:07
  Speaker 1: your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: him back to us. As you can see, he has
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: done nothing to deserve death. Therefore I will punish him
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: and then release him. It was Pilot's custom to release
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: a prisoner during the Passover festival. Matthew twenty seven, fifteen
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: eighteen says, Now, it was the governor's custom at the
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 1: festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At
• 1:19:34
  Speaker 1: that time they had a well known prisoner whose name
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: was Barabas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilot asked
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 1: them which one do you want me to release to you, Jesus,
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: who is called the Messiah, or Barabas, For he knew
• 1:19:49
  Speaker 1: it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: over to him. Why shall Pilot was sitting on the
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: judge's seat. His wife sent him a message, don't have
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: anything to do with that innocent man, for I have
• 1:20:01
  Speaker 1: suffered a great deal to day in a dream because
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: of him Matthew twenty seven nineteen. But the chief priests
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: and to demand jesus execution. Matthew twenty seven twenty two
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: to twenty three says, what shall I do then with Jesus,
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: who is called the Messiah? Pilot asked. They all answered,
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: crucify him. Why what crime has he committed? Asked Pilot,
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: But they shouted all the louder, crucify him. When Pilot
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: saw that he was getting nowhere and that an uproar
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: was starting, instead, he took water and washed his hands
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: in front of the crowd, saying, Matthew twenty seven twenty
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: four twenty five, I am innocent of this man's blood.
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: It is your responsibility. All the people answered, his blood
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: is on us and on our children. So Pilot released
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 1: Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 1: over to be crucified. After Jesus was flogged, the Roman
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: soldiers took him into the pretorium and gathered the whole
• 1:21:06
  Speaker 1: company of soldiers around him. Matthew twenty seven twenty eight
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: thirty describes they stripped him and put a scarlet robe
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns
• 1:21:17
  Speaker 1: and set it on his head. They put a staff
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: him and mocked him. Hail, King of the Jews, they said,
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 1: they spit on him and took the staff and struck
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: him on the head again and again. After mocking him,
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: they removed the robe and put his own clothes back
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 1: on him. Then they led him away to be crucified.
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: On the way they met a man from Syren named Simon.
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: Mark fifteen twenty one says a certain man from Syrin, Simon,
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 1: the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: his way in from the country, and they forced him
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: to carry the cross. Jesus, weakened by the brutal flogging,
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 1: could no longer carry his cross. Simon was compelled to
• 1:22:03
  Speaker 1: carry it for him. Luke twenty three twenty seven to
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: thirty one adds that a large number of people followed him,
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 1: including women who mourned and wept for him. Jesus turned
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: and said to them, daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep
• 1:22:18
  Speaker 1: for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children. For
• 1:22:22
  Speaker 1: the time will come when you will say, blessed are
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: the childless women, the wombs that never bore, and the
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 1: breasts that never nursed. Then they will say, to the
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: mountains fall on us, and to the hills cover us,
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: for if people do these things when the tree is green,
• 1:22:41
  Speaker 1: what will happen when it is dry. They arrived at
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: a place called Golgotha, which means place of the Skull.
• 1:22:49
  Speaker 1: Mark fifteen twenty three to twenty four says. Then they
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not
• 1:22:57
  Speaker 1: take it, and they crucified him, dividing up his clothes.
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: They cast lots to see what each would get. It
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 1: was nine in the morning when they crucified him Luke
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: twenty three to thirty three to thirty four ADS. When
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: they came to the place called the skull, they crucified
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: him there along with the criminals, one on his right,
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 1: the other on his left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them,
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: for they do not know what they are doing. And
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The cross,
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: one of the cruelest execution methods ever devised, subjected its
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: victims not only to excruciating pain, but also to public humiliation.
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 1: The soldiers drove large nails through jesus wrists and feet
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: to fasten him to the cross. Above his head, they
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: placed the written charge against him, as recorded in John
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: nineteen nineteen two twenty two, Pilot had a notice prepared
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: and fastened to the cross. It read Jesus of Nazareth,
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: the King of the Jews. Many of the Jews read
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin,
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilot,
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 1: do not write the King of the Jews, but that
• 1:24:16
  Speaker 1: this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Pilot answered,
• 1:24:20
  Speaker 1: what I have written, I have written. Matthew twenty seven
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: thirty nine to forty four describes how Jesus was mocked
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: on the cross. Those who passed by hurled insults at him,
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: shaking their heads and saying, you who are going to
• 1:24:34
  Speaker 1: destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself.
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: Come down from the cross if you are the son
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: of God. It in the same way the chief priests,
• 1:24:44
  Speaker 1: the teachers of the law, and the elders mocked him.
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: He saved others, they said, but he can't save himself.
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: He's the king of Israel. Let him come down now
• 1:24:54
  Speaker 1: from the cross, and we will believe in him. He
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: wants him, for he said, I am the son of God.
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: In the same way, the rebels who were crucified with
• 1:25:08
  Speaker 1: him also heaped insults on him. Even on the cross,
• 1:25:12
  Speaker 1: Jesus showed compassion. Luke twenty three thirty nine forty three
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 1: tells us that one of the criminals hurled insults at him,
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 1: aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself? And thus? But the
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: other criminal rebuked him. Don't you fear God? He said,
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: since you are under the same sentence. We are punished justly,
• 1:25:33
  Speaker 1: for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, Jesus, remember
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, truly,
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 1: I tell you to day you will be with me
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: in Paradise. Another deeply moving moment is recorded in John
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty five to twenty seven. Near the cross of
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister Mayor, the wife
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 1: of Clopus, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother
• 1:26:04
  Speaker 1: there and the disciple, whom he loved, standing nearby, he
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 1: said to her woman, here is your sun, and to
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: the disciple, here is your mother. From that time on,
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: this disciple took her into his home. Even in his agony,
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: Jesus cared for his mother, intrusting her to John's care.
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: At noon, something extraordinary occurred. Luke twenty three forty four
• 1:26:31
  Speaker 1: forty five says it was now about noon, and darkness
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: for the sun stopped shining and the curtain of the
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: temple was torn in two. This supernatural darkness lasted three hours.
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 1: During those hours, Jesus felt the full weight of the
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: world's sin and the separation from God. Matthew twenty seven
• 1:26:56
  Speaker 1: forty six records about three in the afternoon, Jesus cried
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: out in a loud voice, Eli Eli lemmas abachthani, which
• 1:27:05
  Speaker 1: means my God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: John nineteen twenty eight to thirty describes the final moments. Later,
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 1: knowing that everything had now been finished and so that
• 1:27:16
  Speaker 1: scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty. O
• 1:27:21
  Speaker 1: jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: the hissup plant, and lifted it to jesus lips. When
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: he had received the drink, Jesus said, it is finished.
• 1:27:34
  Speaker 1: With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty three, forty six ads. Jesus called out with
• 1:27:40
  Speaker 1: a loud voice, Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: When he had said this, he breathed his last. At
• 1:27:49
  Speaker 1: that moment, several supernatural events took place. Matthew twenty seven
• 1:27:54
  Speaker 1: to fifty one to fifty three recounts at that moment,
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: the curtain of the temple was torn in two from
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 1: top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, and
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: who had died were raised to life. They came out
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: of the tombs after jesus resurrection and went into the
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: Holy City and appeared to many people. The Roman centurion,
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: overseeing the crucifixion, was awe struck by what he witnessed.
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty three forty seven says the centurion, seeing what
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: had happened, praised God and said, surely this was a
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: righteous man. Matthew twenty seven fifty four adds, when the
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: the earthquake and all that had happened. They were terrified
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: and exclaimed surely he was the son of God. To
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: insure the condemned died before sunset, since the next day
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: was a special sabbath, the soldiers broke the legs of
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 1: the two criminals to hasten their deaths. John nineteen thirty
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 1: three thirty four tells us, but when they came to
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced
• 1:29:07
  Speaker 1: Jesus's side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 1: blood and water. This fulfilled two prophecies that not one
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: of his bones would be broken like the passover lamb,
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: and that they would look upon the one they had pierced.
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 1: As the sun was setting and the sabbath was beginning,
• 1:29:25
  Speaker 1: there was urgency to remove jesus body from the cross
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 1: and bury him. John nineteen thirty eight to forty says
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 1: later Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilot for the body of Jesus. Now,
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilot's permission, He came and
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: a mixture of myrh and aloes about seventy five pounds.
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: Taking jesus body body, the two of them wrapped it
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: with the spices in strips of linen. This was in
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: accordance with Jewish burial customs. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected
• 1:30:11
  Speaker 1: member of the Sanhedrin who had not agreed to jesus condemnation,
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: owned a new tomb he had carved out of rock
• 1:30:18
  Speaker 1: in a nearby garden. John nineteen forty one to forty
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: two says at the place where Jesus was crucified there
• 1:30:27
  Speaker 1: was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb
• 1:30:30
  Speaker 1: in which no one had ever been laid. Because it
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: was the Jewish day of preparation, and since the tomb
• 1:30:36
  Speaker 1: was near by, they laid Jesus there. After laying jesus
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: body in the tomb, Joseph rolled a large stone across
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 1: the entrance. Luke twenty three fifty five to fifty six
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: recounts the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 1: was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared
• 1:30:59
  Speaker 1: sp vices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: in obedience to the commandment. The Jewish leaders, remembering that
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: Jesus had said he would rise on the third day,
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: asked Pilot to take measures to prevent the disciples from
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: stealing the body. Matthew twenty seven sixty five sixty six
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: records Pilot said to them, take a guard. Go make
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: the tomb as secure as you know how. So they
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: and posting the guard. On the first day of the week,
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 1: early in the morning, something extraordinary happened. Matthew twenty eight
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 1: one four says after the Sabbath a dawn on the
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: first day of the week, Mary Magdalen and the other
• 1:31:45
  Speaker 1: Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a
• 1:31:48
  Speaker 1: violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: from heaven, and going to the tomb, rolled back the
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 1: stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning,
• 1:32:00
  Speaker 1: and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: so afraid of him that they shook and became like
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: dead men. When the women arrived at the tomb, they
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Luke
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: twenty four four eight recounts while they were wondering about this,
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: beside them. In their fright. The women bowed down with
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: their faces to the ground. But the men said to them,
• 1:32:30
  Speaker 1: why do you look for the living among the dead.
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: He is not here. He has risen. Remember how he
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: told you while he was still with you in Galilee,
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: the son of Man must be delivered over to the
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 1: be raised again. Then they remembered his words, the women
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: ran to tell the disciples. John twenty two says, So
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: Mary Magdalen came running to Simon, Peter and the other
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 1: decided the one Jesus loved, and said, they have taken
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 1: the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know
• 1:33:06
  Speaker 1: where they have put him. Peter and John ran to
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: the tomb. John arrived first, looked in and saw the
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: linen strips. Peter arrived afterward, entered the tomb and saw
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: not only the linen, but also the cloth that had
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: been around Jesus's head, folded separately. John twenty eight to
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 1: nine says, finally, the other disciple, who had reached the
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed they
• 1:33:35
  Speaker 1: still did not understand from scripture that Jesus had to
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: rise from the dead. After Peter and John went back home,
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 1: Mary Magdalen stayed near the tomb weeping. John twenty eleven
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: sixteen narrates Now Mary stood outside the tomb, crying. As
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 1: she wept. She bent over to look into the tomb
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus's boy
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 1: he had been, one at the head and the other
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: at the foot. They asked her, woman, why are you crying?
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: They have taken my lord away, she said, and I
• 1:34:09
  Speaker 1: don't know where they have put him. At this she
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, woman,
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for,
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 1: Thinking he was the gardener, She said, sir, if you
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: have carried him away, tell me where you have put him,
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 1: and I will get him. Jesus said to her Mary.
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic raboni,
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: which means teacher. Jesus told Mary not to cling to him,
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: as he had not yet ascended to the Father. He
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: instructed her to tell the disciples that he was soon
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 1: ascending to my father and your father, to my God
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: and your God. John twenty seventeen. That same day, jes
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: appeared to two disciples walking to Emmaeus, but they didn't
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: recognize him. Luke twenty four, fifteen sixteen says as they
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 1: came up and walked along with them, but they were
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: kept from recognizing him. Jesus asked what they were discussing,
• 1:35:20
  Speaker 1: and they shared about his crucifixion and the reports of
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: the empty tomb. Luke twenty four, twenty five twenty seven records,
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: he said to them, how foolish you are, and how
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 1: slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did
• 1:35:35
  Speaker 1: not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then
• 1:35:39
  Speaker 1: enter his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 1: he explained to them what was said in all the
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: scriptures concerning himself. When they arrived in Immaeus, they invited
• 1:35:51
  Speaker 1: Jesus to stay with them. During the meal, he took bread,
• 1:35:55
  Speaker 1: gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: them Luke twenty four thirty one thirty two, who says,
• 1:36:00
  Speaker 1: then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, were
• 1:36:07
  Speaker 1: not our hearts burning within us? While he talked with
• 1:36:10
  Speaker 1: us on the road and opened the scriptures to us,
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: They immediately returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered.
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty four thirty three thirty five recounts they got
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: the eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying,
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: it is true the Lord has risen and has appeared
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: to Simon. Then the two told what had happened on
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: he broke the bread. While they were still talking, Jesus
• 1:36:44
  Speaker 1: appeared among them and said peace be with you. Luke
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: twenty four thirty six. They were startled, thinking they were
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: seeing a spirit. Jesus showed them his hands and feet
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: and said in Luke twenty four thirty nine. Look at
• 1:36:59
  Speaker 1: my hands and feet. It is I myself. Touch me
• 1:37:03
  Speaker 1: and see a ghost does not have flesh and bones
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 1: as you see I have. As they still couldn't believe it.
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: Because of their joy, Jesus asked for something to eat.
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty four forty two forty three says they gave
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it
• 1:37:21
  Speaker 1: and ate it in their presence. Er Thomas, one of
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: the Twelve, wasn't with the disciples when Jesus appeared. John
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five says, so the other disciples told him
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: we have seen the Lord. But he said to them
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 1: unless I see the nail marks in his hands and
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: put my finger where the nails were and put my
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 1: hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later,
• 1:37:46
  Speaker 1: the disciples were together again, and Thomas was with them.
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 1: John twenty twenty six twenty nine says, though the doors
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 1: were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 1: peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, put
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: your finger here see my hands. Reach out your hand
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: Thomas said to him, my Lord and my God. Then
• 1:38:11
  Speaker 1: Jesus told him, because you have seen me, you have believed.
• 1:38:16
  Speaker 1: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: Over the next forty days, Jesus appeared to the disciples
• 1:38:25
  Speaker 1: many times. On one occasion, he appeared to more than
• 1:38:29
  Speaker 1: five hundred people at once, as Paul mentions in war
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: Corinthians fifteen six. In one of these appearances, Jesus gave
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: his final instructions to the apostles. Matthew twenty eight eighteen
• 1:38:42
  Speaker 1: to twenty records his words, all authority in heaven and
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 1: on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 1: make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: of the Father and of the Son and of the
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: commanded you. And I am with you always to the
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: very end of the age. This great commission became the
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: central mission of the Church, to take the message of
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: Jesus to all nations. Jesus also promised power to fulfill
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 1: that mission. In Acts one eight, he said, but you
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you,
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 1: and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in
• 1:39:24
  Speaker 1: all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
• 1:39:29
  Speaker 1: Forty days after his resurrection, Jesus took his disciples near Bethany.
• 1:39:34
  Speaker 1: Looke twenty four fifty to fifty one says when he
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 1: had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 1: lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 1: blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 1: Acts one nine eleven adds. After he said this, he
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 1: was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: men dressed in white stood beside them, men of Galilee.
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 1: They said, why do you stand here looking into the sky?
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: This same Jesus who has been taken from you into
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: heaven will come back in the same way you have
• 1:40:15
  Speaker 1: seen him go into heaven. The disciples returned to Jerusalem
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: filled with joy, praising God. Just as Jesus had instructed,
• 1:40:25
  Speaker 1: they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 1: came upon them on the day of Pentecost. The great
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 1: moment arrived on the day of Pentecost, a Jewish feast
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: held fifty days after Passover. The Jews celebrated both the
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 1: harvest and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: On this day, God chose to give a new law,
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: not written on stone tablets, but written on human hearts
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: through the Holy Spirit. Acts two one four describes what
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: happened when the day of Pentecost came. They were all
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 1: whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed
• 1:41:08
  Speaker 1: to be tongues of fire that separated and came to
• 1:41:11
  Speaker 1: rest on each of them. All of them were filled
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: tongues as the Spirit enabled them. The sound was so
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: loud it drew a crowd. Jerusalem was full of Jews
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: from many nations who had come for the festival. Acts
• 1:41:30
  Speaker 1: two five six explains, now there were staying in Jerusalem,
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment because
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 1: each one heard their own language being spoken. Imagine the scene,
• 1:41:46
  Speaker 1: people from all over the world hearing simple Galileans speaking
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: fluently in their native languages. Acts two seven eight captures
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: their amazement. Utterly amazed, they asked, aren't all these who
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 1: are speaking Galilee Laans, then how is it that each
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: of us hears them in our native language. The list
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: of places they came from shows how far reaching this
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 1: event was. Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea
• 1:42:15
  Speaker 1: and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and
• 1:42:20
  Speaker 1: the parts of Libya near Syrene. Visitors from Rome, both
• 1:42:24
  Speaker 1: Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, Acts two
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: ninety eleven. Everyone was amazed hearing the wonders of God
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: spoken in their own languages. Yet some mocked them, saying
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: the disciples were drunk. That's when Peter stood up with
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: the eleven and, raising his voice, addressed the crowd. First,
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: he clarified in Acts two fifteen, these people are not
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: drunk as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning.
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: Then he explained that what they were witnessing was the
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. In Acts two seventeen to eighteen,
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 1: he quoted in the Last Days, God says I will
• 1:43:04
  Speaker 1: pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 1: daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, your
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 1: men and women. I will pour out my spirit in
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: those days, and they will prophesy. Peter went on to
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: preach about Jesus, his life, his death, and his resurrection. Boldly.
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 1: He challenged his listeners in Acts two thirty six, Therefore,
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: let all Israel be assured of this. God has made
• 1:43:34
  Speaker 1: this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah. Peter's
• 1:43:40
  Speaker 1: words pierced their hearts. Acts two thirty seven says when
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 1: the people heard this, they were cut to the heart
• 1:43:47
  Speaker 1: and said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what
• 1:43:51
  Speaker 1: shall we do. Peter answered in Acts two thirty eight
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 1: thirty nine, Repent and be baptized, every one of you
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 1: your sins, and you will receive the gift of the
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children,
• 1:44:08
  Speaker 1: and for all who are far off, for all whom
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 1: the Lord our God will call. The result was incredible.
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 1: Acts two forty one records those who accepted his message,
• 1:44:19
  Speaker 1: were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: number that day. In a single day, three thousand people
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: became followers of Jesus. This was the official birth of
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: the church, not as a building or institution, but as
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 1: a community of people transformed by the Holy Spirit. After Pentecost,
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 1: a new community began to take shape in Jerusalem. This
• 1:44:44
  Speaker 1: first church set the standard that would inspire generations to come.
• 1:44:48
  Speaker 1: Acts two forty two outlines four key practices. They devoted
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: themselves to the apostles, teaching and to fellowship, to the
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 1: breaking of bread, and to prayer or elements learning. Fellowship,
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 1: breaking of bread, which included shared meals in the Lord's Supper,
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 1: and prayer became the foundation of their communal life. A
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: sense of awe filled everyone. The apostles performed many signs
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: and wonders, showing that the same power that was in
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 1: Jesus now worked through them. One of the most striking
• 1:45:22
  Speaker 1: features of this community was their generosity and mutual care.
• 1:45:27
  Speaker 1: Acts two forty four to forty five says all the
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 1: believers were together and had everything in common. They sold
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
• 1:45:38
  Speaker 1: This wasn't a case of forced communism, but rather voluntary
• 1:45:42
  Speaker 1: sharing motivated by love. People weren't obligated to sell everything,
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 1: but many did so out of love for their needy
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters. They gathered daily at the temple and
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: also in their homes. Acts two forty six forty seven
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: describes every day they continued to meet together in the
• 1:46:02
  Speaker 1: temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate
• 1:46:05
  Speaker 1: together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 1: the favor of all the people. And the Lord added
• 1:46:13
  Speaker 1: to their number daily those who were being saved. The
• 1:46:16
  Speaker 1: result was a daily growth of the community. The church
• 1:46:20
  Speaker 1: grew not just in number, but in spiritual maturity and
• 1:46:24
  Speaker 1: social impact. Acts four thirty two to thirty five gives
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 1: more details about this community. All the believers were one
• 1:46:32
  Speaker 1: in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: had with great power. The apostles continued to testify to
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's grace was
• 1:46:46
  Speaker 1: so powerfully at work in them all that there were
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: no needy persons among them. For from time to time,
• 1:46:53
  Speaker 1: those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the
• 1:46:57
  Speaker 1: money from the sales and put it at the apostles feet,
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: and it was distributed to anyone who had need. A
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: beautiful example was Barnabas, a Levite from Cyprus. Acts four
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 1: thirty seven says that he sold a field he owned,
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: and brought the money and put it at the apostle's feet.
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 1: On the other hand, a couple named Anonius and Sapphira
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 1: tried to deceive the community by pretending to donate the
• 1:47:24
  Speaker 1: full amount of a property sale while secretly keeping part
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 1: of it. Both died instantly when confronted by Peter, showing
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 1: how seriously honesty was taken in the Christian community. During
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 1: this early period. The apostles performed many signs and wonders
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 1: among the people. Acts five twelve records the apostles performed
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 1: many signs and wonders among the people. Their reputation spread
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 1: so widely that, according to Acts five fifteen to sixteen,
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 1: people brought the sick into the streets and laid them
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 1: on beds and mats, so that at least Peter's shadow
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 1: might fall on some of them as he passed by.
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their
• 1:48:10
  Speaker 1: sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 1: them were healed. The church was growing and thriving, fulfilling
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: Jesus promise that his followers would do even greater works
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: than he did. The rapid growth of the church soon
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: caught the attention of the religious authorities. The same opposition
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: Jesus had faced now turned against his followers. A notable
• 1:48:33
  Speaker 1: incident was the healing of a paralyzed man at the
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: temple gate. Peter and John were on their way to
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: the temple for afternoon prayer when they encountered a man,
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 1: lame from birth, who was placed there daily to beg
• 1:48:48
  Speaker 1: in Acts three six. Peter said to him silver or
• 1:48:52
  Speaker 1: gold I do not have, But what I do have,
• 1:48:55
  Speaker 1: I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of
• 1:48:58
  Speaker 1: Nazareth Wark. Peter took him by the right hand and
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: helped him up. Instantly, the man's feet and ankles became strong.
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then
• 1:49:08
  Speaker 1: he went with them into the temple courts, walking and
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 1: jumping and praising God. Everyone recognized him as the beggar
• 1:49:15
  Speaker 1: who used to sit at the gate, and they were amazed.
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: A crowd gathered at Solomon's colonnade, and Peter seized the
• 1:49:23
  Speaker 1: moment to preach about Jesus. This healing and Peter's message
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 1: drew the attention of the religious leaders. Acts four one
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 1: three reports the priests and the captain of the temple
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 1: guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John
• 1:49:39
  Speaker 1: while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people proclaiming in
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John,
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: and because it was evening, they put them in jail
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: until the next day. The next day, Peter and John
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 1: were questioned by one, what power or what name did
• 1:50:02
  Speaker 1: you do this? Acts four seven. Filled with the Holy Spirit,
• 1:50:07
  Speaker 1: Peter boldly replied, in Acts four ten to twelve, know this,
• 1:50:11
  Speaker 1: you and all the people of Israel. It is by
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: but whom God raised from the dead, that this man
• 1:50:20
  Speaker 1: stands before you. Healed salvation is found in no one else,
• 1:50:25
  Speaker 1: for there is no other name under Heaven given to
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: mankind by which we must be saved. The leaders were
• 1:50:32
  Speaker 1: astonished at the boldness of these ordinary men and realized
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 1: they had been with Jesus. Seeing the healed man standing there,
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 1: they couldn't deny the miracle. After threatening them, they ordered
• 1:50:45
  Speaker 1: them not to speak or teach in Jesus name. Peter
• 1:50:48
  Speaker 1: and John replied in Acts four nineteen twenty, which is
• 1:50:52
  Speaker 1: right in God's eyes to listen to you or to him.
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: You be the judges. As for us, we cannot help
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 1: speaking about what we have seen and heard. Once released,
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 1: they joined the other believers and reported everything that had happened.
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 1: Then they all prayed together, asking for boldness to keep preaching.
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 1: Acts four thirty one says After they prayed, the place
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: where they were meeting was shaken, and they were all
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 1: filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 1: God boldly. The authorities tried again to stop the apostles.
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 1: Acts five seventeen to eighteen recounts. Then the High Priest
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: and all his associates, who were members of the party
• 1:51:37
  Speaker 1: of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 1: apostles and put them in the public jail. But during
• 1:51:45
  Speaker 1: the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison
• 1:51:48
  Speaker 1: doors and told them to go to the temple and
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 1: keep preaching. In the morning, when the Sanhedrin assembled and
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 1: sent for them, the guards discovered the prison was empty,
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 1: even though the doors were locked and the guards still
• 1:52:01
  Speaker 1: standing watch. Someone reported that the apostles were in the
• 1:52:05
  Speaker 1: temple teaching the people. They were arrested again and brought
• 1:52:10
  Speaker 1: before the Sanhedrin. The high priest scolded them for disobeying
• 1:52:14
  Speaker 1: the order not to teach in that name. Peter and
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 1: the other apostles responded in Acts five twenty nine thirty two,
• 1:52:22
  Speaker 1: we must obey God rather than human beings. The God
• 1:52:26
  Speaker 1: of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead, whom you
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: to his own right hand as prince and savior, that
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 1: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the
• 1:52:44
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.
• 1:52:48
  Speaker 1: The leaders were furious and wanted to kill them, but
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: a respected pharisee named Gamaliel urged caution, saying in Acts
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 1: five thirty eight thirty nine, leave these men alone. Let
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: them go for If their purpose or activity is of
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 1: human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God,
• 1:53:09
  Speaker 1: you will not be able to stop them. You will
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: only find yourselves fighting against God. The leaders agreed, They
• 1:53:16
  Speaker 1: flogged the apostles, ordered them not to speak in the
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 1: name of Jesus, and release them. Acts five forty one
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 1: forty two says the apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because
• 1:53:28
  Speaker 1: they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name.
• 1:53:32
  Speaker 1: Day after day in the temple courts and from house
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 1: to house, they never stop teaching and proclaiming the good
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: news that Jesus is the Christ. A turning point in
• 1:53:43
  Speaker 1: the persecutions came with the martyrdom of Stephen. He was
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 1: one of the seven men chosen to help distribute food daily.
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: Acts six point eight describes him. Now Stephen, a man
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: signs among the people. He was falsely accused of blasphemy
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 1: and brought before the Sanhedrin. There he gave a long
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: speech recounting the history of Israel, pointing out how the
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: people had constantly resisted the Holy Spirit and persecuted the prophets.
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: He concluded by accusing them of betraying and murdering the
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 1: righteous one. Acts seven fifty four fifty eight describes the
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 1: reaction when the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 1: were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen,
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 1: full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 1: saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: right hand of God. Look, he said, I see heaven open,
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: and the Son of Man standing at the right hand
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 1: of God. At this they and covered their ears, and
• 1:54:54
  Speaker 1: yelling at the top of their voices. They all rushed
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 1: at him, dragged him out of the city, and began
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: to stone him. As he was being stoned, Stephen prayed,
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts seven fifty nine sixty Lord Jesus
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: received my spirit, Lord, do not hold this sin against them,
• 1:55:12
  Speaker 1: And with that he fell asleep. A young man named
• 1:55:16
  Speaker 1: Saul was there, giving his approval to Stephen's death. Stephen's
• 1:55:21
  Speaker 1: death marked the beginning of a great persecution against the
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: Church in Jerusalem. Acts eight one three tells us on
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: that day a great persecution broke out against the Church
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: Judea and Samaria. But Saul began to destroy the church.
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 1: Going from house to house, he dragged off both men
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 1: and women and put them in prison. Something remarkable happened
• 1:55:50
  Speaker 1: because of this persecution. Acts eight four says those who
• 1:55:54
  Speaker 1: had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. What
• 1:55:59
  Speaker 1: seemed to be a tragedy became the very means by
• 1:56:02
  Speaker 1: which the Gospel began to spread beyond Jerusalem. Philip, another
• 1:56:06
  Speaker 1: one of the Seven chosen alongside Stephen, went to Samaria
• 1:56:10
  Speaker 1: and preached there, converting. Many others traveled to Phoenicia, Cyprus,
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: and Antioch, taking the message of Jesus with them. What
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: the enemies of the church intended for its destruction ended
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: up fueling its growth and expansion. As a Christian writer
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: would later say, the blood of the martyrs is the
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 1: seed of the church. Persecution did not stop the advance
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 1: of the Gospel. On the contrary, it propelled it into
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 1: new frontiers, fulfilling precisely what Jesus had said in Acts
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: one NTE, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: the earth. After Stephen's death, the church in Jerusalem faced
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: intense persecution. One of the main persecutors was a young
• 1:56:59
  Speaker 1: Jew named Sie. Saul from Tarsus. Acts eight three shows
• 1:57:02
  Speaker 1: how he acted. But Saul began to destroy the church.
• 1:57:06
  Speaker 1: Going from house to house, he dragged off both men
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 1: and women and put them in prison. He was driven
• 1:57:11
  Speaker 1: by a religious zeal that made him believe he was
• 1:57:14
  Speaker 1: serving God by trying to destroy this new sect. Not
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: content with persecuting Christians only in Jerusalem, Saul set out
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 1: to expand his hunt. Acts nine one to two tells us. Meanwhile,
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.
• 1:57:34
  Speaker 1: He went to the high priest and asked him for
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 1: letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 1: found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men
• 1:57:44
  Speaker 1: or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
• 1:57:49
  Speaker 1: With letters in hand and accompanied by others, Saul departed
• 1:57:53
  Speaker 1: for Damascus, a city about two hundred and forty kilometers
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty miles from Jerusalem. The journey would
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 1: take about a week, giving Saul time to plan the arrests,
• 1:58:05
  Speaker 1: but God had different plans for him. As he neared Damascus,
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. Acts nine, three of four says as
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 1: he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 1: heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and
• 1:58:22
  Speaker 1: heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why do
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: you persecute me? Falling to the ground and blinded by
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 1: the intense light, Saul asked, who are you Lord? The
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: answer would change his life forever. Acts nine five tar
• 1:58:37
  Speaker 1: six records it, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: Now get up and go into the city, and you
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 1: will be told what you must do. The men traveling
• 1:58:46
  Speaker 1: with Saul were stunned. They heard the sound but saw
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 1: no one. As Acts nine seven notes, the men traveling
• 1:58:54
  Speaker 1: with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the sound, but
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: did not see any one. When Saul got up and
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 1: opened his eyes, he couldn't see a thing. His companions
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: had to take him by the hand and lead him
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 1: into Damascus. Instead of entering the city as a powerful persecutor,
• 1:59:12
  Speaker 1: Saul arrived as a blind and bewildered man. For three days,
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: he remained blind without eating or drinking anything. Acts nine
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 1: to nine puts it simply, for three days he was
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: blind and did not eat or drink anything. Imagine what
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 1: must have gone through Saul's mind during those days. His
• 1:59:33
  Speaker 1: whole world view had been turned upside down. Jesus, the
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 1: one he thought was a fraud, was alive and had
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 1: personally confronted him. Meanwhile, in another part of the city,
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: God was speaking to a disciple named Anonius. Acts nine
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: ten to twelve recounts in Damascus there was a disciple
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: named Anonius. The Lord called to him in a vision. Anonius, yes, Lord,
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 1: he answered. The Lord told him go to the house
• 2:00:03
  Speaker 1: of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man
• 2:00:06
  Speaker 1: from Tarsus named Saul, For he is praying in a
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 1: vision he has seen a man named Anonius come and
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: place his hands on him to restore his sight. Anonaius hesitated,
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 1: he knew who Saul was and why he had come
• 2:00:22
  Speaker 1: to Damascus. Acts nine thirteen fourteen reveals his concern. Lord
• 2:00:28
  Speaker 1: Anonius answered, I have heard many reports about this man
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: and all the harm he has done to your saints
• 2:00:34
  Speaker 1: in Jerusalem, and he has come here with authority from
• 2:00:37
  Speaker 1: the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 1: But God had chosen Saul for a special mission. In
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 1: Acts nine fifteen sixteen. The Lord said to Anonius, go,
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 1: this man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 1: to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 1: of Israel. I will show him how much which he
• 2:01:00
  Speaker 1: must suffer for my name. Anonius obeyed. He found Saul,
• 2:01:05
  Speaker 1: and placing his hands on him, said Acts nine seventeen, Brother, Saul,
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 1: as you were coming here, has sent me so that
• 2:01:16
  Speaker 1: you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately,
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained
• 2:01:24
  Speaker 1: his sight. Acts nine eighteen to nineteen says something like
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 1: He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food,
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: he regained his strength. Saul, the persecutor, was now a
• 2:01:41
  Speaker 1: follower of Jesus. The transformation was so complete that he
• 2:01:45
  Speaker 1: immediately began preaching in the synagogues of Damascus, declaring that
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 1: Jesus is the Son of God. Acts nine twenty states
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 1: at once he began to preach in the synagogues that
• 2:01:57
  Speaker 1: Jesus is the Son of God. Those who heard him
• 2:02:00
  Speaker 1: were astonished. Acts nine twenty one records their reaction. All
• 2:02:05
  Speaker 1: those who heard him were astonished and asked, isn't he
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: call on this name? And hasn't he come here to
• 2:02:14
  Speaker 1: take them as prisoners to the chief priests. Meanwhile, Saul
• 2:02:19
  Speaker 1: grew more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 1: by proving that Jesus is the Christ. But this soon
• 2:02:26
  Speaker 1: stirred up hostility. Acts nine twenty three to twenty four
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 1: tells us after many days had gone by, there was
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 1: a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, but Saul
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: learned of their plan. Day and night. They kept close
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 1: watch on the city gates in order to kill him.
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 1: The situation became so dangerous that the disciples had to
• 2:02:47
  Speaker 1: arrange an escape. Acts nine twenty five describes what happened,
• 2:02:52
  Speaker 1: but his followers took him by night and lowered him
• 2:02:55
  Speaker 1: in a basket through an opening in the wall. Thus
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: ended the first feareays of Saul's ministry in Damascus. The
• 2:03:03
  Speaker 1: persecutor had become the persecuted, and the escape through the
• 2:03:07
  Speaker 1: wall in a basket was just the beginning of the
• 2:03:09
  Speaker 1: many hardships he would face for the name of Jesus.
• 2:03:13
  Speaker 1: As Saul, who would later be known as Paul, began
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 1: his journey as a follower of Jesus. God was preparing
• 2:03:21
  Speaker 1: Peter to take another important step, bringing the Gospel to
• 2:03:25
  Speaker 1: the Gentiles. Until then, the message of Jesus had been
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 1: preached primarily to Jews. Many Christians believed that one had
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 1: to convert to Judaism before following Jesus. God needed to
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 1: change that mindset. Peter was staying at the house of Simon,
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: a tanner in Jopper. Around noon, while waiting for a
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 1: meal to be prepared, he went up to the rooftop
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 1: to pray. Acts ten nine to ten tells us. The
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 1: next day, about noon, as they were approaching the city,
• 2:03:57
  Speaker 1: Peter went up on the roof to pray, became hungry
• 2:04:01
  Speaker 1: and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 1: being prepared, he fell into a trance. During this trance,
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 1: Peter had a vision. Acts ten eleven to twelve describes it.
• 2:04:12
  Speaker 1: He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet
• 2:04:15
  Speaker 1: being let down to earth by its four corners. It
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 1: contained all kinds of four footed animals, as well as
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 1: reptiles and birds. A voice told him get up, Peter,
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 1: kill and eat. Peter, being a devout Jew who observed
• 2:04:30
  Speaker 1: the dietary laws, was shocked by this command. Acts ten
• 2:04:34
  Speaker 1: fourteen records his reply, surely not, Lord, I have never
• 2:04:38
  Speaker 1: eaten anything impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him
• 2:04:42
  Speaker 1: a second time, do not call anything impure that God
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 1: has made clean. This happened three times, and then the
• 2:04:49
  Speaker 1: sheet was taken back to heaven. Peter was left wondering
• 2:04:53
  Speaker 1: about the meaning of the vision. While Peter was still
• 2:04:57
  Speaker 1: thinking about it, the Holy Spirit spoke to him. Acts
• 2:05:00
  Speaker 1: ten nineteen to twenty says Peter, three men are looking
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 1: for you, So get up and go downstairs. Do not
• 2:05:06
  Speaker 1: hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.
• 2:05:09
  Speaker 1: Peter went down and met the men, who had been
• 2:05:12
  Speaker 1: sent by a Roman centurion named Cornelius. They explained that Cornelius,
• 2:05:17
  Speaker 1: a god fearing man, had received instructions from an angel
• 2:05:21
  Speaker 1: to send for Peter. The next day, Peter went with
• 2:05:25
  Speaker 1: them to see Syria, where Cornelius lived. When he arrived,
• 2:05:28
  Speaker 1: he found the house full of people, friends and relatives
• 2:05:31
  Speaker 1: of Cornelius, who had been invited to hear what Peter
• 2:05:34
  Speaker 1: had to say. Acts ten twenty five two twenty six
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 1: recounts as Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: fell at his feet in reverence, but Peter made him
• 2:05:47
  Speaker 1: get up. Stand up, He said, I am only a
• 2:05:50
  Speaker 1: man myself. Peter explained that as a Jew, he was
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: not supposed to enter a gentile's house, but God had
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 1: shown him otherwise. In Acts ten twenty eight, he says,
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 1: you are well aware that it is against our law
• 2:06:04
  Speaker 1: for a Jew to associate with or visit a gentile.
• 2:06:08
  Speaker 1: But God has shown me that I should not call
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 1: any one impure or unclean. Cornelius then shared his vision,
• 2:06:15
  Speaker 1: and Peter began to speak about Jesus. Acts ten thirty
• 2:06:19
  Speaker 1: four thirty five records his opening words, I now realize
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: how true it is that God does not show favoritism,
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: but accepts from every nation the one who fears him,
• 2:06:30
  Speaker 1: and does what if? Write. Peter then shared the story
• 2:06:33
  Speaker 1: of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection, and how everyone
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 1: who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins. As he
• 2:06:41
  Speaker 1: was speaking, something extraordinary happened. Acts ten forty four forty
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 1: six describes it. While Peter was still speaking these words,
• 2:06:50
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
• 2:06:53
  Speaker 1: The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 1: that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured
• 2:06:59
  Speaker 1: out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: in tongues and praising God. It was a repeat of
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 1: what had happened at Pentecost, only now with gentiles. Peter
• 2:07:10
  Speaker 1: immediately grasped the significance. Acts ten forty seven forty eight says.
• 2:07:16
  Speaker 1: Then Peter said, surely no one can stand in the
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: way of their being baptized with water. They have received
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit just as we have. So he ordered
• 2:07:26
  Speaker 1: that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 1: When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him
• 2:07:34
  Speaker 1: for entering a gentile's house and eating with them. Acts
• 2:07:38
  Speaker 1: eleven two to three reports. So when Peter went up
• 2:07:42
  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, you
• 2:07:47
  Speaker 1: went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.
• 2:07:52
  Speaker 1: Peter explained the entire story in detail, the vision of
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: the sheet, Cornelius's summons, and how the Holy Spirit had
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 1: come upon the Gentiles in the same way he had
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 1: upon the Jews at Pentecost. He concluded in Acts eleven seventeen.
• 2:08:09
  Speaker 1: So if God gave them the same gift he gave us,
• 2:08:12
  Speaker 1: who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: to think that I could stand in God's way? When
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 1: they heard this, the critics were silenced. Acts eleven eighteen records.
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 1: When they heard this, they had no further objections and
• 2:08:28
  Speaker 1: praised God, saying, so then, even to gentiles, God has
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: granted repentance that leads to life. This marked a turning
• 2:08:37
  Speaker 1: point in church history. The Gospel wasn't just for the Jews,
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 1: it was for all people, regardless of nationality or culture.
• 2:08:45
  Speaker 1: After his conversion, Saul, now known as Paul, spent some
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 1: time in Jerusalem, then went to Tarsus, his hometown, and
• 2:08:53
  Speaker 1: eventually to Antioch, where the church was growing rapidly. It
• 2:08:58
  Speaker 1: was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first
• 2:09:02
  Speaker 1: called Christians. One day, while the leaders of the Antioch
• 2:09:05
  Speaker 1: Church were worshiping and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke Acts
• 2:09:09
  Speaker 1: thirteen two says. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me, barnabas and soul,
• 2:09:17
  Speaker 1: for the work to which I have called them. After
• 2:09:20
  Speaker 1: fasting and praying, they laid hands on them and sent
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 1: them off, And so began Paul's first missionary journey. Accompanied
• 2:09:28
  Speaker 1: by Barnabas and John Mark, he set sail for Cyprus,
• 2:09:32
  Speaker 1: Barnabas's homeland. In Salamis, they preached in the Jewish synagogues.
• 2:09:37
  Speaker 1: Then they traveled across the island to Paphos, where they
• 2:09:40
  Speaker 1: encountered a Jewish sorcerer named bar Jesus who worked for
• 2:09:44
  Speaker 1: the Roman governor. When the governor wanted to hear the
• 2:09:47
  Speaker 1: word of God, bar Jesus tried to stop him. Paul,
• 2:09:51
  Speaker 1: filled with the Holy Spirit, confronted the sorcerer. Acts thirteen
• 2:09:56
  Speaker 1: ten eleven records his words, you are a child of
• 2:10:00
  Speaker 1: the devil and an enemy of everything that is right.
• 2:10:03
  Speaker 1: You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery.
• 2:10:07
  Speaker 1: Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord.
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You
• 2:10:13
  Speaker 1: are going to be blind for a time, not even
• 2:10:16
  Speaker 1: able to see the light of the sun. Immediately the
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 1: man went blind and groped about, looking for someone to
• 2:10:23
  Speaker 1: lead him. Seeing what had happened, the governor believed from Cyprus,
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 1: they sailed to Asia Minor modern day Turkey. John Mark
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 1: left and returned to Jerusalem, while Paul and Barnabas continued
• 2:10:36
  Speaker 1: on to Pisidian Antioch. There, Paul gave a powerful message
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 1: in the synagogue, summarizing Israel's history and showing how Jesus
• 2:10:46
  Speaker 1: fulfilled God's promises. Many Jews and converted Gentiles were interested
• 2:10:52
  Speaker 1: and asked Paul to speak again the following Sabbath. On
• 2:10:56
  Speaker 1: the next Sabbath, nearly the whole city came to here.
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 1: Seeing the crowd the Jews were filled with jealousy. Acts
• 2:11:04
  Speaker 1: thirteen forty five says When the Jews saw the crowds,
• 2:11:08
  Speaker 1: they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what
• 2:11:11
  Speaker 1: Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Paul and
• 2:11:15
  Speaker 1: Barnabas responded boldly Enacts thirteen forty six, Tart forty seven.
• 2:11:21
  Speaker 1: We had to speak the word of God to you first,
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 1: since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy
• 2:11:27
  Speaker 1: of eternal life. We now turn to the gentiles, for
• 2:11:31
  Speaker 1: this is what the Lord has commanded us. I have
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: made you a light for the gentiles, that you may
• 2:11:38
  Speaker 1: bring salvation to the ends of the earth. The Gentiles
• 2:11:42
  Speaker 1: were thrilled. Acts thirteen forty eight records. When the Gentiles
• 2:11:47
  Speaker 1: heard this, they were glad and honored the word of
• 2:11:49
  Speaker 1: the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
• 2:11:54
  Speaker 1: The word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region,
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: but opposition also intensified. The Jews stirred up persecution against
• 2:12:02
  Speaker 1: Paul and Barnabas, who were eventually expelled from the region.
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: They moved onto Iconium, then to Listra and Derbey. In
• 2:12:11
  Speaker 1: each city, more people came to faith, despite fierce resistance.
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: In Listre, Paul was stoned and left for dead, but
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 1: miraculously recovered by the end of the first journey. Paul
• 2:12:25
  Speaker 1: and Barnabas returned to Antioch and reported all that God
• 2:12:28
  Speaker 1: had done through them, especially how he had opened a
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 1: door of faith to the Gentiles Vax. Fourteen twenty seven.
• 2:12:35
  Speaker 1: Soon a major controversy arose in the church. Some converted
• 2:12:39
  Speaker 1: Jews insisted that gentile believers had to be circumcised and
• 2:12:44
  Speaker 1: obey the Law of Moses to be saved. Paul and
• 2:12:48
  Speaker 1: Barnabas strongly disagreed. The issue was crucial was salvation by
• 2:12:54
  Speaker 1: grace through faith or did it require adherents to Jewish law.
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 1: To set the matter, Paul and Barnabas were sent to
• 2:13:02
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem to consult with the apostles and elders. A significant
• 2:13:07
  Speaker 1: debate followed. Peter spoke of his experience with Cornelius and
• 2:13:11
  Speaker 1: how God had accepted the Gentiles. James, the leader of
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 1: the Jerusalem Church, proposed a solution. Acts fifteen nineteen to
• 2:13:20
  Speaker 1: twenty records his judgment. It is my judgment therefore, that
• 2:13:24
  Speaker 1: we should not make it difficult for the gentiles who
• 2:13:27
  Speaker 1: are turning to God. Instead, we should write to them
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 1: telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from
• 2:13:35
  Speaker 1: sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
• 2:13:40
  Speaker 1: This decision was accepted and communicated to the churches in
• 2:13:43
  Speaker 1: a letter. It was a clear affirmation Gentiles didn't need
• 2:13:48
  Speaker 1: to become Jews to be Christians. Salvation came through the
• 2:13:51
  Speaker 1: grace of Jesus, not by keeping the law of Moses.
• 2:13:55
  Speaker 1: After the council, Paul and Barnabas planned a second missionary
• 2:13:59
  Speaker 1: journey to revisit the churches they had established, but a
• 2:14:03
  Speaker 1: disagreement arose between them about whether to take John Mark,
• 2:14:07
  Speaker 1: who had left them during the first journey, the dispute
• 2:14:10
  Speaker 1: was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark
• 2:14:14
  Speaker 1: to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas as his new partner.
• 2:14:19
  Speaker 1: Paul and Silas traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 1: churches from the first journey. In Listra, Paul met a
• 2:14:27
  Speaker 1: young man named Timothy, who became his disciple and co worker.
• 2:14:32
  Speaker 1: Act sixteen five sums up the result. So the churches
• 2:14:36
  Speaker 1: were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
• 2:14:39
  Speaker 1: After passing through Phrygia and Galicia, Paul had a vision
• 2:14:43
  Speaker 1: one night. Act sixteen nine says during the night, Paul
• 2:14:48
  Speaker 1: had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and
• 2:14:50
  Speaker 1: begging him come over to Macedonia and help us. They
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: understood this as a divine call and immediately set out
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: for Macedonia, a province in northern Greece. It was the
• 2:15:02
  Speaker 1: first time the Gospel reached Europe. In Philippi, the first
• 2:15:07
  Speaker 1: city of Macedonia, they visited, Paul and Silas baptized Lydia,
• 2:15:11
  Speaker 1: a dealer in purple cloth, along with her household, but
• 2:15:15
  Speaker 1: they soon ran into trouble when Paul cast out a
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 1: spirit of divination from a slave girl, angering her owners,
• 2:15:24
  Speaker 1: who had been profiting from her fortune telling. Paul and
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: Silas were arrested, beaten, and thrown into the inner cell
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: of the prison with their feet fastened. In stocks, Act
• 2:15:36
  Speaker 1: sixteen twenty five recounts what happened around midnight. About midnight,
• 2:15:40
  Speaker 1: Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
• 2:15:44
  Speaker 1: and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there
• 2:15:48
  Speaker 1: was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the
• 2:15:51
  Speaker 1: prison were shaken. All the doors flew open, and everyone's
• 2:15:55
  Speaker 1: chains came loose. The jailer woke up and, seeing the
• 2:15:59
  Speaker 1: prison doors open, was about to kill himself, thinking the
• 2:16:03
  Speaker 1: prisoners had escaped, but Paul shouted, don't harm yourself. We
• 2:16:07
  Speaker 1: are all here. Trembling, The jailer asked, sirs, what must
• 2:16:11
  Speaker 1: I do to be saved? In Acts sixteen thirty one,
• 2:16:16
  Speaker 1: Paul replied, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 1: be saved, you and your household. That same night, the
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: jailer and his entire family were baptized from Philippi. Paul
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 1: and his companions traveled to Thessalonica, then to Berea, and
• 2:16:32
  Speaker 1: eventually to Athens, the intellectual center of the Greek world.
• 2:16:36
  Speaker 1: In Athens, Paul addressed the philosophers at the Areopagus. His speech,
• 2:16:41
  Speaker 1: recorded in Acts seventeen twenty two thirty one, is a
• 2:16:45
  Speaker 1: brilliant example of how to adapt the Gospel message to
• 2:16:48
  Speaker 1: a different audience, even quoting Greek poets. Paul then went
• 2:16:53
  Speaker 1: to Corinth, where he met Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish
• 2:16:57
  Speaker 1: couple who had been expelled from Rome. Like them, Paul
• 2:17:01
  Speaker 1: was a tent maker by trade, and he worked with
• 2:17:04
  Speaker 1: them while preaching in the synagogues. Paul stayed in Corinth
• 2:17:07
  Speaker 1: for eighteen months, establishing a strong church there. After a
• 2:17:12
  Speaker 1: brief visit to Ephesus, Paul returned to Antioch, thus completing
• 2:17:16
  Speaker 1: his second missionary journey. His third journey began after spending
• 2:17:21
  Speaker 1: some time in Antioch. He traveled through Galatia and Phrygia,
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 1: eventually arriving in Ephesus, where he stayed for about three years.
• 2:17:30
  Speaker 1: Ephesus was a significant city known for the famous Temple
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: of Diana, also known as Artemis. In Ephesus, Paul's ministry
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: was so powerful that, according to Acts nineteen eleven two twelve,
• 2:17:46
  Speaker 1: God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs
• 2:17:50
  Speaker 1: and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick,
• 2:17:54
  Speaker 1: and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: This had such a man massive impact that many who
• 2:18:01
  Speaker 1: practice sorcery publicly burned their scrolls. Acts nineteen twenty summarizes
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: the effect. In this way, the word of the Lord
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 1: spread widely and grew in power. The gospel success in
• 2:18:14
  Speaker 1: Ephesus provoked a violent reaction from the craftsman who made
• 2:18:18
  Speaker 1: images of Diana. Fearing a loss of prophet, a silversmith
• 2:18:22
  Speaker 1: named Demetrius stirred up a riot that nearly turned into
• 2:18:25
  Speaker 1: a lynching. Only the intervention of the city clerk prevented
• 2:18:29
  Speaker 1: a tragedy. After the uproar, Paul said good bye to
• 2:18:33
  Speaker 1: the believers and left for Macedonia. Then traveled to Greece,
• 2:18:37
  Speaker 1: where he stayed for three months. Planning to sail to Syria.
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 1: He learned of a plot against him and decided to
• 2:18:43
  Speaker 1: return through Macedonia instead. On his way back to Jerusalem,
• 2:18:49
  Speaker 1: Paul stopped in Miletus and called for the elders of
• 2:18:52
  Speaker 1: the church in Ephesus to give them an emotional farewell.
• 2:18:56
  Speaker 1: In his speech recorded in Acts twenty eighteen to thirty five,
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: Paul reminded them of how he had served the Lord
• 2:19:02
  Speaker 1: with humility, tears, and trials. He warned them that they
• 2:19:07
  Speaker 1: would never see his face again and cautioned them about
• 2:19:10
  Speaker 1: false teachers who would arise. Paul ended with words that
• 2:19:15
  Speaker 1: sum up his ministry, quoted in Acts twenty twenty four. However,
• 2:19:20
  Speaker 1: I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only
• 2:19:23
  Speaker 1: aim is to finish the race and complete the task
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 1: to the good news of God's grace. When he finished speaking,
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 1: they all knelt and prayed together. Acts twenty thirty seven
• 2:19:39
  Speaker 1: thirty eight describes the farewell. They all wept as they
• 2:19:42
  Speaker 1: embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was
• 2:19:46
  Speaker 1: his statement that they would never see his face again.
• 2:19:49
  Speaker 1: Then they accompanied him to the ship. Paul's three missionary
• 2:19:52
  Speaker 1: journeys spanned roughly ten years and thousands of kilometers. He
• 2:19:58
  Speaker 1: established churches in four Roman provinces, Galicia, Macedonia, Achiah, and Asia,
• 2:20:05
  Speaker 1: and laid the foundation for the spread of Christianity throughout
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 1: the Roman world. As he traveled and founded churches. Paul
• 2:20:13
  Speaker 1: also wrote letters to guide and encouraged new believers. These letters,
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 1: or epistles, became a central part of the New Testament
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 1: and were essential for establishing Christian doctrine. Paul's earliest letters
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 1: were written to the churches in Thessalonica, likely during his
• 2:20:30
  Speaker 1: stay in corinth on his second missionary journey. In First
• 2:20:34
  Speaker 1: Thessalonians three six, Paul explains the reason for the letter,
• 2:20:39
  Speaker 1: but Timothy has just now come to us from you
• 2:20:42
  Speaker 1: and has brought good news about your faith and love.
• 2:20:45
  Speaker 1: The letter encouraged the believers to keep growing in faith
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 1: and addressed concerns about the second coming of Christ. While
• 2:20:53
  Speaker 1: in Ephesus during his third journey, Paul wrote Verse Corinthians
• 2:20:57
  Speaker 1: to address several issues that had arisen in the Corinthian Church,
• 2:21:02
  Speaker 1: such as divisions, immorality, law suits among believers, and abuse
• 2:21:06
  Speaker 1: of the Lord's Supper. He also answered questions about marriage,
• 2:21:11
  Speaker 1: food offered to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection. In
• 2:21:16
  Speaker 1: Verse Corinthians one ten, Paul makes a heartfelt appeal for unity.
• 2:21:21
  Speaker 1: I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name
• 2:21:24
  Speaker 1: of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree
• 2:21:28
  Speaker 1: with one another in what you say, and that there
• 2:21:31
  Speaker 1: be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 1: united in mind and thought. In Verse Corinthians thirteen, Paul
• 2:21:39
  Speaker 1: wrote one of the most famous passages about love. It
• 2:21:42
  Speaker 1: begins in verses one to three. If I speak in
• 2:21:45
  Speaker 1: the tongues of men or of angels, but do not
• 2:21:49
  Speaker 1: have love, I am only a resounding gong or a
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 1: clanging symbol. If I have the gift of prophecy and
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 1: have a faith that can move mountains, but do not
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 1: have love, I am nothing. If I give all I
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 1: possess to the poor, and give over my body to hardship,
• 2:22:10
  Speaker 1: that I may boast, but do not have love, I
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 1: gain nothing. After leaving Ephesus, Paul wrote Second Corinthians, expressing
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: joy that the first letter had led to repentance, while
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 1: also defending his apostleship against critics who questioned his authority.
• 2:22:29
  Speaker 1: The Letter to the Romans was written when Paul was
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: about to visit Jerusalem with the offering collected for the
• 2:22:35
  Speaker 1: poor Christians. In this letter, the most theological of them all,
• 2:22:40
  Speaker 1: Paul thoroughly explains the Gospel of grace, the universal condemnation
• 2:22:45
  Speaker 1: because of sin, justification by faith, and how to live
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 1: a Christian life. In Romans one, sixteen seventeen, Paul sums
• 2:22:55
  Speaker 1: up the central theme of the letter. I am not
• 2:22:58
  Speaker 1: ashamed of the God Gospel, because it is the power
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 1: of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 1: to the jew, then to the gentile. For in the Gospel,
• 2:23:10
  Speaker 1: the righteousness of God is revealed, a righteousness that is
• 2:23:14
  Speaker 1: by faith, from first to last, just as it is written,
• 2:23:18
  Speaker 1: the righteous will live by faith. During his first imprisonment
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 1: in Rome, Paul wrote what are known as the prison
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 1: epistles Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philimon. In Ephesians, Paul describes
• 2:23:34
  Speaker 1: the nature of the Church as the body of Christ
• 2:23:37
  Speaker 1: and explains how Christians should live united in love. Ephesians
• 2:23:41
  Speaker 1: two eight nine contains one of the clearest statements on
• 2:23:45
  Speaker 1: salvation by grace, For it is by grace you have
• 2:23:48
  Speaker 1: been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves.
• 2:23:52
  Speaker 1: It is the gift of God, not by works. So
• 2:23:55
  Speaker 1: that no one can boast. The letter do the Philippians
• 2:23:59
  Speaker 1: is filled with joy and gratitude. Even though Paul was
• 2:24:03
  Speaker 1: in prison. In Philippians four to four he exhorts rejoice
• 2:24:07
  Speaker 1: in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice.
• 2:24:12
  Speaker 1: And in Philippians four thirteen he confidently declares, I can
• 2:24:17
  Speaker 1: do all this through Him who gives me strength. Colossians
• 2:24:22
  Speaker 1: was written to confront false teachings that were threatening the church.
• 2:24:25
  Speaker 1: In coloss A, Paul emphasizes the supremacy of Christ. In
• 2:24:30
  Speaker 1: Colossians one fifteen to sixteen, the Son is the image
• 2:24:35
  Speaker 1: of the invisible God, the first born over all creation,
• 2:24:39
  Speaker 1: for in him all things were created, things in heaven
• 2:24:43
  Speaker 1: and on earth. Phylimon is a personal letter addressed to
• 2:24:46
  Speaker 1: a wealthy Christian asking him to welcome back his runaway
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 1: slave Onesimus, who had now become a believer. In philimon
• 2:24:55
  Speaker 1: one fifteen to sixteen, Paul writes, perhaps the reason he
• 2:25:00
  Speaker 1: I was separated from you for a little while was
• 2:25:02
  Speaker 1: that you might have him back forever, no longer as
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 1: a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.
• 2:25:10
  Speaker 1: The pastoral epistles mum One and the Second Timothy and
• 2:25:14
  Speaker 1: Titus were lightly written after Paul's release from his first
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 1: imprisonment in Rome. They contained guidance on church organization and leadership. Conduct.
• 2:25:24
  Speaker 1: In One Timothy three point fifteen, Paul explains the purpose
• 2:25:28
  Speaker 1: of the letter. If I am delayed, you will know
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 1: how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which
• 2:25:35
  Speaker 1: is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and
• 2:25:38
  Speaker 1: foundation of the truth. In Second Timothy, written during Paul's
• 2:25:44
  Speaker 1: second and final imprisonment, he is aware that his end
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 1: is near. In Second Timothy four six two eight, he
• 2:25:52
  Speaker 1: writes with calm assurance, for I am already being poured
• 2:25:56
  Speaker 1: out like a drink offering, and the time for my
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 1: departure is near. I have fought the good fight. I
• 2:26:02
  Speaker 1: have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now
• 2:26:05
  Speaker 1: there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
• 2:26:09
  Speaker 1: which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me
• 2:26:12
  Speaker 1: on that day, and not only to me, but also
• 2:26:15
  Speaker 1: to all who have longed for his appearing. Galatians, another
• 2:26:19
  Speaker 1: key letter, was written to oppose the idea that gentile
• 2:26:22
  Speaker 1: Christians needed to obey the Law of Moses to be saved.
• 2:26:26
  Speaker 1: Paul argues that salvation comes by faith in Christ, not
• 2:26:30
  Speaker 1: by adherents to the law. In Galatians five one, he
• 2:26:34
  Speaker 1: exhorts it is for freedom that Christ has set us free,
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: stand firm then, and do not let yourselves be burdened
• 2:26:42
  Speaker 1: again by a yoke of slavery. In addition to Paul,
• 2:26:47
  Speaker 1: other apostles also wrote letters that became part of the
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 1: New Testament. Peter wrote two letters. In verse Peter, he
• 2:26:55
  Speaker 1: encourages Christians who are suffering persecution. In verse Peter five ten,
• 2:27:00
  Speaker 1: he offers comfort and the God of all grace, who
• 2:27:03
  Speaker 1: called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and
• 2:27:10
  Speaker 1: make you strong, firm, and steadfast. In Second Peter, the
• 2:27:14
  Speaker 1: apostle warns against false teachers and reminds believers that the
• 2:27:19
  Speaker 1: Lord will return even if it seems delayed. In Tewo
• 2:27:23
  Speaker 1: Peter three nine, he explains the Lord is not slow
• 2:27:27
  Speaker 1: in keeping his promise as some understand slowness. Instead, he
• 2:27:32
  Speaker 1: is patient with you, not wanting any one to perish,
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 1: but every one to come to repentance. John wrote three letters.
• 2:27:40
  Speaker 1: In First John, he emphasizes love as the defining mark
• 2:27:44
  Speaker 1: of a true believer. In First John four seven eight,
• 2:27:47
  Speaker 1: he writes, dear friends, let us love one another, for
• 2:27:51
  Speaker 1: love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born
• 2:27:55
  Speaker 1: of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does
• 2:27:59
  Speaker 1: not know God God, because God is love. Meggan John
• 2:28:03
  Speaker 1: and Threatened John are brief letters addressed to a chosen lady,
• 2:28:07
  Speaker 1: possibly a church, and to a leader named Gius, respectively. James,
• 2:28:13
  Speaker 1: likely the brother of Jesus and a leader in the
• 2:28:16
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem Church, wrote a very practical letter about living out
• 2:28:20
  Speaker 1: one's faith in James two seventeen. He states plainly, in
• 2:28:25
  Speaker 1: the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
• 2:28:27
  Speaker 1: accompanied by action, is dead. Jude, another brother of Jesus,
• 2:28:33
  Speaker 1: wrote a short letter warning against false teachers and urging
• 2:28:37
  Speaker 1: believers to remain faithful to the doctrine passed down from
• 2:28:41
  Speaker 1: the apostles. All of these letters, written to address specific
• 2:28:45
  Speaker 1: situations in the early Christian communities, have become treasured guides
• 2:28:49
  Speaker 1: for the church throughout the centuries, helping believers understand and
• 2:28:54
  Speaker 1: apply the teachings of Jesus in their lives. Besides Paul,
• 2:28:59
  Speaker 1: other apostles also wrote letters that became part of the
• 2:29:03
  Speaker 1: New Testament. Peter wrote two letters Invernt Peter, he encourages
• 2:29:08
  Speaker 1: Christians who were facing persecution Infirnt Peter five ten. He
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 1: offers comfort and the God of all grace who called
• 2:29:17
  Speaker 1: you to his eternal glory in Christ. After you have
• 2:29:20
  Speaker 1: suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make
• 2:29:24
  Speaker 1: you strong, firm, and steadfast. In Second Peter, the apostle
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: warns against false teachers and reminds believers that the Lord
• 2:29:32
  Speaker 1: will return even if it seems delayed. In Second Peter
• 2:29:36
  Speaker 1: three nine, he explains the Lord is not slow in
• 2:29:41
  Speaker 1: keeping his promise as some understand slowness. Instead, he is
• 2:29:45
  Speaker 1: patient with you, not wanting any one to perish, but
• 2:29:49
  Speaker 1: every one to come to repentance. John wrote three letters.
• 2:29:53
  Speaker 1: In First John, he emphasizes love as the defining mark
• 2:29:57
  Speaker 1: of a true believer. In First John four seven eight,
• 2:30:01
  Speaker 1: he writes, dear friends, let us love one another, for
• 2:30:06
  Speaker 1: love comes from God. Every One who loves has been
• 2:30:10
  Speaker 1: born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love
• 2:30:13
  Speaker 1: does not know God. Because God is Love is heard.
• 2:30:18
  Speaker 1: John and three John are brief letters addressed to a
• 2:30:21
  Speaker 1: chosen lady, possibly a church, and to a leader named Gius, respectively. James,
• 2:30:29
  Speaker 1: likely the brother of Jesus and a leader in the
• 2:30:31
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem Church, wrote a practical letter about living outman's faith daily.
• 2:30:37
  Speaker 1: In James two seventeen. He clearly states in the same way,
• 2:30:40
  Speaker 1: faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
• 2:30:44
  Speaker 1: is dead. Jude, another brother of Jesus, wrote a short
• 2:30:49
  Speaker 1: letter warning against false teachers and urging believers to remain
• 2:30:53
  Speaker 1: faithful to the teachings passed down from the Apostles. All
• 2:30:58
  Speaker 1: of these letters, written in response to specific situations in
• 2:31:02
  Speaker 1: the early Christian communities, became treasured guides for the Church
• 2:31:07
  Speaker 1: throughout the centuries, helping Christians understand and apply Jesus teachings
• 2:31:12
  Speaker 1: in their lives. After his third missionary journey, Paul returned
• 2:31:17
  Speaker 1: to Jerusalem, even though he knew danger awaited him. In
• 2:31:22
  Speaker 1: Acts twenty one four we read that the disciples entire
• 2:31:26
  Speaker 1: through the Spirit urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem,
• 2:31:31
  Speaker 1: and in Caesarrea, a prophet named Agabus predicted that Paul
• 2:31:36
  Speaker 1: would be arrested. Still, Paul was resolute. In Acts twenty
• 2:31:40
  Speaker 1: one thirteen, he says, why are you weeping and breaking
• 2:31:44
  Speaker 1: my heart? I am ready not only to be bound,
• 2:31:47
  Speaker 1: but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of
• 2:31:50
  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Paul met with
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 1: James and the elders of the church, who rejoiced at
• 2:31:58
  Speaker 1: the news of Gentile conversions. But there was a problem.
• 2:32:03
  Speaker 1: Many Jewish believers had heard rumors that Paul was teaching
• 2:32:06
  Speaker 1: Jews living among the Gentiles to abandon the Law of Moses.
• 2:32:12
  Speaker 1: To prove this was false, the leaders suggested Paul join
• 2:32:15
  Speaker 1: in a purification ritual at the temple with four men
• 2:32:19
  Speaker 1: who had taken a vow. Paul agreed, but during the
• 2:32:24
  Speaker 1: purification week, some Jews from Asia saw him at the
• 2:32:28
  Speaker 1: temple and stirred up a crowd. Acts twenty one, twenty
• 2:32:32
  Speaker 1: eight to twenty nine recounts. They shouted, fellow Israelites, help us.
• 2:32:36
  Speaker 1: This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our
• 2:32:40
  Speaker 1: people and our law and this place. And besides, he
• 2:32:43
  Speaker 1: has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.
• 2:32:48
  Speaker 1: They had previously seen Trophymus the Ephesian in the city
• 2:32:51
  Speaker 1: with Paul, and assumed that Paul had brought him into
• 2:32:54
  Speaker 1: the temple. The whole city was in an uproar. The
• 2:32:58
  Speaker 1: crowd dragged Paul out of the temple and began beating him,
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 1: trying to kill him. When the Roman commander heard about it,
• 2:33:05
  Speaker 1: he rushed in with soldiers and centurions and arrested Paul,
• 2:33:09
  Speaker 1: putting him in chains. Realizing that Paul was a Roman citizen,
• 2:33:15
  Speaker 1: the commander allowed him to speak to the crowd. Paul
• 2:33:18
  Speaker 1: shared the story of his conversion, but when he mentioned
• 2:33:21
  Speaker 1: being sent to the Gentiles, the crowd irrupted again. The
• 2:33:26
  Speaker 1: commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and
• 2:33:29
  Speaker 1: flogged to find out why the crowd was so furious,
• 2:33:33
  Speaker 1: but once they learned that Paul was a Roman citizen
• 2:33:36
  Speaker 1: by birth, the soldiers backed off, knowing it was illegal
• 2:33:40
  Speaker 1: to flog a Roman citizen without a trial. The next day,
• 2:33:47
  Speaker 1: the commander assembled the Sanhedrin and brought Paul before them. Paul,
• 2:33:52
  Speaker 1: seeing that the group was divided between Sadducees and Pharisees,
• 2:33:56
  Speaker 1: declared in Acts twenty three six, my brothers, I am
• 2:34:01
  Speaker 1: a Pharisee descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because
• 2:34:06
  Speaker 1: of the hope of the resurrection of the dead. This
• 2:34:10
  Speaker 1: statement sparked a heated dispute, since the Sadducees did not
• 2:34:14
  Speaker 1: believe in resurrection. The conflict became so intense that the
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 1: commander had to order his troops to rescue Paul and
• 2:34:22
  Speaker 1: bring him back to the fortress. That night, the Lord
• 2:34:25
  Speaker 1: appeared to Paul and said, in Acts twenty three eleven,
• 2:34:29
  Speaker 1: take courage, as you have testified about me in Jerusalem,
• 2:34:33
  Speaker 1: so you must also testify in Rome. The following day,
• 2:34:37
  Speaker 1: more than forty Jews took an oath not to eat
• 2:34:40
  Speaker 1: or drink until they had killed Paul. They planned an
• 2:34:43
  Speaker 1: ambush for when Paul would be brought before the Sanhedrin again,
• 2:34:47
  Speaker 1: but Paul's nephew heard of the plot and warned the
• 2:34:50
  Speaker 1: commander to insure Paul's safety. The commander arranged a large
• 2:34:55
  Speaker 1: escort two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spe
• 2:35:00
  Speaker 1: sieerman to take Paul by night to Caesarea, where Governor
• 2:35:03
  Speaker 1: Felix could hear his case. Five days later, the high
• 2:35:07
  Speaker 1: priest Annonius and some elders went to Caesarea with a
• 2:35:11
  Speaker 1: lawyer named to Tullus to present charges against Paul. Paul
• 2:35:16
  Speaker 1: defended himself, denying the accusations and stating that he was
• 2:35:21
  Speaker 1: on trial because of his belief in the resurrection. Felix,
• 2:35:26
  Speaker 1: who was well informed about the way as Christianity was called,
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 1: postponed the trial, saying he would wait for the commander
• 2:35:33
  Speaker 1: Lysius to arrive. Over the next two years, Paul remained
• 2:35:37
  Speaker 1: imprisoned in Caesarea. Felix often spoke with him, hoping to
• 2:35:42
  Speaker 1: receive a bribe. When Felix was replaced by Portius Festus,
• 2:35:47
  Speaker 1: he left Paul in prison to please the Jews. Three
• 2:35:50
  Speaker 1: days after taking office, Festus went to Jerusalem. The Jewish
• 2:35:55
  Speaker 1: leaders requested that Paul be transferred to Jerusalem, planning to
• 2:35:59
  Speaker 1: kill him on the way, but Festus refused, saying Paul
• 2:36:03
  Speaker 1: would be tried in caesar rear. When the trial began,
• 2:36:06
  Speaker 1: the Jews brought many serious charges they couldn't prove. Paul
• 2:36:10
  Speaker 1: defended himself, saying in Acts twenty five eight, I have
• 2:36:13
  Speaker 1: done nothing wrong against the Jewish law, or against the temple,
• 2:36:17
  Speaker 1: or against Caesar. Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 1: Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem
• 2:36:24
  Speaker 1: to stand trial. Paul knew that would be risky, so
• 2:36:28
  Speaker 1: he exercised his right as a Roman citizen in Acts
• 2:36:31
  Speaker 1: twenty five ten at eleven, I am now standing before
• 2:36:35
  Speaker 1: Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have
• 2:36:38
  Speaker 1: not done anything wrong against the Jews, as you yourself
• 2:36:42
  Speaker 1: know very well. If I am guilty of doing anything
• 2:36:45
  Speaker 1: deserving death. I do not refuse to die. But if
• 2:36:49
  Speaker 1: the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true,
• 2:36:53
  Speaker 1: no one has the right to hand me over to them.
• 2:36:55
  Speaker 1: I appealed to Caesar. Festus conferred with his counsel and
• 2:36:59
  Speaker 1: then replied, you have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar, you
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: will go. A few days later, King Agrippa and his
• 2:37:07
  Speaker 1: sister Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
• 2:37:12
  Speaker 1: Since Agrippa was Jewish and well acquainted with Jewish customs,
• 2:37:17
  Speaker 1: Festus told him about Paul's case, and the king expressed
• 2:37:20
  Speaker 1: interest in hearing Paul himself. The next day, Paul had
• 2:37:25
  Speaker 1: the opportunity to speak before King Agrippa, Bernice, and all
• 2:37:29
  Speaker 1: the city's prominent leaders. He shared his story his life
• 2:37:33
  Speaker 1: as a Pharisee, his persecution of Christians, his dramatic conversion
• 2:37:38
  Speaker 1: on the road to Damascus, and his calling to preach
• 2:37:42
  Speaker 1: to the Gentiles. When Paul spoke about the resurrection, Festus
• 2:37:46
  Speaker 1: interrupted him, saying in Acts twenty six twenty four, you
• 2:37:50
  Speaker 1: are out of your mind, Paul. Your great learning is
• 2:37:54
  Speaker 1: driving you insane. But Paul replied that he was speaking
• 2:37:58
  Speaker 1: true and reasonable words and turned directly to a gripper.
• 2:38:02
  Speaker 1: The king is familiar with these things, and I can
• 2:38:05
  Speaker 1: speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of
• 2:38:08
  Speaker 1: this has escaped his notice, because it was not done
• 2:38:11
  Speaker 1: in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?
• 2:38:14
  Speaker 1: I know you do, Agrippa responded in Acts twenty six
• 2:38:18
  Speaker 1: twenty eight. Do you think that in such a short
• 2:38:21
  Speaker 1: time you can persuade me to become a Christian? At
• 2:38:24
  Speaker 1: the end of the hearing, Agrippa said to Festus in
• 2:38:27
  Speaker 1: Acts twenty six to thirty one to thirty two, this
• 2:38:30
  Speaker 1: man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.
• 2:38:34
  Speaker 1: He could have been set free if he had not
• 2:38:36
  Speaker 1: appealed to Caesar, but the appeal to Caesar could not
• 2:38:39
  Speaker 1: be withdrawn. Paul would be sent to Rome. Paul was
• 2:38:43
  Speaker 1: handed over, along with other prisoners, to a centurion named
• 2:38:47
  Speaker 1: Julius from the Imperial Regiment. They boarded a ship from
• 2:38:50
  Speaker 1: Adramytium that was sailing along the ports of the province
• 2:38:54
  Speaker 1: of Asia. Luke, the author of Acts, and Aristarchus, a
• 2:38:58
  Speaker 1: Macedonian from the Thessalonica, accompanied Paul the journey began smoothly.
• 2:39:05
  Speaker 1: Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to visit friends
• 2:39:10
  Speaker 1: in Sidon, but then they faced contrary winds and had
• 2:39:14
  Speaker 1: to sail under the shelter of Cyprus. When they reached
• 2:39:17
  Speaker 1: Myra in Lycia, they transferred to an Alexandrian ship sailing
• 2:39:21
  Speaker 1: for Italy. The sailing became difficult due to the opposing winds.
• 2:39:26
  Speaker 1: When they arrived at fair Haven's in Crete, Paul advised
• 2:39:29
  Speaker 1: them to stay there for the winter, as it was
• 2:39:32
  Speaker 1: late in the season and dangerous to sail. Acts twenty
• 2:39:35
  Speaker 1: seven ten records his warning, men, I can see that
• 2:39:40
  Speaker 1: our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great
• 2:39:43
  Speaker 1: loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.
• 2:39:47
  Speaker 1: But the Centurion paid more attention to the pilot and
• 2:39:50
  Speaker 1: the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.
• 2:39:54
  Speaker 1: Since the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority
• 2:39:57
  Speaker 1: decided to sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix, a better
• 2:40:01
  Speaker 1: harbor in Crete. When a gentle south wind began to blow,
• 2:40:05
  Speaker 1: they thought they had achieved their goal and set sail,
• 2:40:08
  Speaker 1: staying close to the coast of Crete, But soon a
• 2:40:12
  Speaker 1: violent wind called the northeaster swept down from the island.
• 2:40:16
  Speaker 1: Unable to face the wind, they let the ship be
• 2:40:19
  Speaker 1: driven along. After several days of being violently tossed by
• 2:40:23
  Speaker 1: the storm, the crew began to throw the cargo and
• 2:40:26
  Speaker 1: equipment overboard. The storm was so severe that, as Acts
• 2:40:30
  Speaker 1: twenty seven twenty says, when neither sun nor stars appeared
• 2:40:34
  Speaker 1: for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally
• 2:40:38
  Speaker 1: gave up all hope of being saved. After a long
• 2:40:41
  Speaker 1: time without food, Paul stood up and said in Acts
• 2:40:44
  Speaker 1: twenty seven twenty one twenty five, men, you should have
• 2:40:48
  Speaker 1: taken my advice not to sail from crete. Then you
• 2:40:51
  Speaker 1: would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. But now
• 2:40:54
  Speaker 1: I urge you to keep up your courage, because not
• 2:40:57
  Speaker 1: one of you will be lost, only the ship will
• 2:41:00
  Speaker 1: be destroyed. Last night, an angel of the God to
• 2:41:05
  Speaker 1: whom I belong and whom I serve, stood beside me
• 2:41:09
  Speaker 1: and said, do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand
• 2:41:12
  Speaker 1: trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the
• 2:41:16
  Speaker 1: lives of all who sail with you. So keep up
• 2:41:19
  Speaker 1: your courage, men, for I have faith in God that
• 2:41:22
  Speaker 1: it will happen just as he told me. On the
• 2:41:26
  Speaker 1: fourteenth night, they sensed they were approaching land. To avoid
• 2:41:31
  Speaker 1: running aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from
• 2:41:34
  Speaker 1: the stern and prayed for daylight. Some sailors tried to
• 2:41:38
  Speaker 1: escape by lowering the lifeboat under the pretense of laying
• 2:41:41
  Speaker 1: anchors from the bow. Paul warned the centurion in Axe
• 2:41:45
  Speaker 1: twenty seven thirty one, unless these men stay with the ship,
• 2:41:49
  Speaker 1: you cannot be saved. So the soldiers cut the ropes
• 2:41:52
  Speaker 1: and let the lifeboat drift away. Just before dawn, Paul
• 2:41:57
  Speaker 1: urged everyone to eat. In ACTE twenty seve seven thirty
• 2:42:00
  Speaker 1: three thirty four, he says, for the e last fourteen days,
• 2:42:04
  Speaker 1: you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food.
• 2:42:08
  Speaker 1: You haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take
• 2:42:10
  Speaker 1: some food you needed to survive. Not one of you
• 2:42:14
  Speaker 1: will lose a single hair from his head. Then he
• 2:42:17
  Speaker 1: took some bread, gave thanks to God in front of them,
• 2:42:20
  Speaker 1: all broke it and began to eat. Everyone was encouraged
• 2:42:24
  Speaker 1: and ate some food themselves. When daylight came, they saw
• 2:42:28
  Speaker 1: a beach and decided to run the ship aground. There
• 2:42:31
  Speaker 1: they cut loose the anchors, untied the rudder ropes, hoisted
• 2:42:36
  Speaker 1: the foresail to the wind and made for the beach,
• 2:42:39
  Speaker 1: but they struck a sand bar and ran the ship aground.
• 2:42:43
  Speaker 1: The bough stuck fast and wouldn't move, and the stern
• 2:42:46
  Speaker 1: was broken apart by the pounding waves. The soldiers planned
• 2:42:50
  Speaker 1: to kill the prisoners to prevent any from swimming away
• 2:42:52
  Speaker 1: and escaping, but the centurion wanted to spare Paul and
• 2:42:56
  Speaker 1: stopped them. He ordered those who could swim to jump
• 2:43:00
  Speaker 1: overboard first and get to land, followed by the rest
• 2:43:03
  Speaker 1: on planks or debris from the ship. Acts twenty seven
• 2:43:06
  Speaker 1: forty four concludes. In this way everyone reached land safely.
• 2:43:12
  Speaker 1: They discovered they had landed on the island of Malta.
• 2:43:15
  Speaker 1: The local people showed extraordinary kindness. They built a fire
• 2:43:19
  Speaker 1: and welcomed everyone because of the rain and cold. As
• 2:43:24
  Speaker 1: Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on
• 2:43:27
  Speaker 1: the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened
• 2:43:31
  Speaker 1: itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake
• 2:43:34
  Speaker 1: hanging from his hand, they said to one another, this
• 2:43:38
  Speaker 1: man must be a murderer. Though he escaped from the sea,
• 2:43:42
  Speaker 1: justice has not allowed him to live. But Paul shook
• 2:43:45
  Speaker 1: the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.
• 2:43:49
  Speaker 1: The locals expected him to swell up or suddenly drop dead,
• 2:43:53
  Speaker 1: but after waiting a long time and seeing that nothing
• 2:43:56
  Speaker 1: happened to him, they changed their minds and said he
• 2:43:59
  Speaker 1: was a god. The chief official of the island, named Publius,
• 2:44:04
  Speaker 1: welcomed Paul and his companions and hosted them for three days.
• 2:44:08
  Speaker 1: Publius's father was sick with fever and dysentery. Paul prayed
• 2:44:12
  Speaker 1: for him, laid hands on him, and healed him. After that,
• 2:44:17
  Speaker 1: others who were sick on the island came and were
• 2:44:20
  Speaker 1: also healed. After three months, they set sail on an
• 2:44:24
  Speaker 1: Alexandrian ship that had wintered on the island. They arrived
• 2:44:28
  Speaker 1: in Syracuse in Sicily and stayed there for three days.
• 2:44:32
  Speaker 1: From there they sailed to Reggium and a day later
• 2:44:35
  Speaker 1: to Puteoli, where they found some fellow believers who invited
• 2:44:38
  Speaker 1: them to stay for a week. Finally, they reached Rome. Thus,
• 2:44:46
  Speaker 1: believers in Rome had heard about Paul and came to
• 2:44:48
  Speaker 1: meet him on the road at the Forum of Appius
• 2:44:51
  Speaker 1: and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked
• 2:44:55
  Speaker 1: God and felt encouraged. In Rome, Paul was allowed to
• 2:44:59
  Speaker 1: live by himself, though under guard by a soldier. Three
• 2:45:04
  Speaker 1: days after his arrival, he called together the local Jewish
• 2:45:08
  Speaker 1: leaders to explain his situation. They told him they hadn't
• 2:45:12
  Speaker 1: received any letters from Judea concerning him, but were curious
• 2:45:15
  Speaker 1: to hear his thoughts about this sect, which was widely
• 2:45:19
  Speaker 1: spoken against. A day was set and many came to
• 2:45:24
  Speaker 1: Paul's house. From morning till evening. He explained and testified
• 2:45:29
  Speaker 1: about the Kingdom of God, trying to convince them about
• 2:45:32
  Speaker 1: Jesus using the Law of Moses and the prophets. Some
• 2:45:36
  Speaker 1: were persuaded, others refused to believe. Before they left, Paul
• 2:45:41
  Speaker 1: made a final statement, quoting Isaiah about the hardening of
• 2:45:45
  Speaker 1: the people's hearts, and concluded in Acts twenty eight twenty eight, Therefore,
• 2:45:51
  Speaker 1: I want you to know that God's salvation has been
• 2:45:53
  Speaker 1: sent to the gentiles, and they will listen. Acts twenty
• 2:45:57
  Speaker 1: eight thirty thirty one closes the book with thee words.
• 2:46:01
  Speaker 1: For two whole years, Paul stayed there in his own
• 2:46:04
  Speaker 1: rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.
• 2:46:07
  Speaker 1: He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the
• 2:46:10
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. According
• 2:46:16
  Speaker 1: to tradition, Paul was released from this first imprisonment in
• 2:46:19
  Speaker 1: Rome and continued his missionary work for a time. Eventually
• 2:46:24
  Speaker 1: he was arrested again during the persecution under Nero. This
• 2:46:28
  Speaker 1: time he was condemned to death and executed, likely by beheading,
• 2:46:33
  Speaker 1: some time between a d. Sixty six and sixty eight,
• 2:46:37
  Speaker 1: sealing with his blood the testimony he had lived out.
• 2:46:41
  Speaker 1: In the sixties a d. The Young Christian Church faced
• 2:46:45
  Speaker 1: its first major wave of imperial persecution. It began when
• 2:46:50
  Speaker 1: a massive fire devastated Rome in July of sixty four
• 2:46:54
  Speaker 1: a d. The Emperor Nero needed a scapegoat to appease
• 2:46:58
  Speaker 1: the enraged population, who suspected his involvement in the disaster.
• 2:47:03
  Speaker 1: The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that Nero chose the
• 2:47:06
  Speaker 1: Christians as his target. They were already distrusted by many,
• 2:47:11
  Speaker 1: accused of hatred of the human race because they refused
• 2:47:14
  Speaker 1: to participate in pagan worship. Nero blamed them for the
• 2:47:18
  Speaker 1: fire and launched a brutal crackdown. Christians were dressed in
• 2:47:22
  Speaker 1: animal skins and throned to wild dogs. Others were crucified
• 2:47:27
  Speaker 1: or turned into human torches to light Nero's gardens at night.
• 2:47:31
  Speaker 1: The apostle Peter himself was martyred during this persecution. Meanwhile,
• 2:47:36
  Speaker 1: in Judea, tensions between the Jews and Romans were rising.
• 2:47:41
  Speaker 1: Jesus had prophesied this situation decades earlier. In Matthew twenty
• 2:47:46
  Speaker 1: four one to two, we read Jesus left the temple
• 2:47:50
  Speaker 1: and was walking away when his disciples came up to
• 2:47:53
  Speaker 1: him to call his attention to its buildings. Do you
• 2:47:56
  Speaker 1: see all these things? He asked, Truly, I tell you,
• 2:48:00
  Speaker 1: not one stone here will be left on another. Everyone
• 2:48:04
  Speaker 1: will be thrown down. In Luke twenty one twenty twenty one,
• 2:48:08
  Speaker 1: Jesus gave specific instructions to his followers. When you see
• 2:48:12
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its
• 2:48:16
  Speaker 1: desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea
• 2:48:19
  Speaker 1: flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out,
• 2:48:22
  Speaker 1: and let those in the country not enter the city.
• 2:48:26
  Speaker 1: In sixty six a d a Jewish revolt broke out
• 2:48:29
  Speaker 1: against Roman rule. At first, the rebels were successful, defeating
• 2:48:34
  Speaker 1: the Roman garrison in Jerusalem, but that victory would be
• 2:48:37
  Speaker 1: short lived. Emperor Nero sent his general Vespasian to crush
• 2:48:43
  Speaker 1: the rebellion. The Christians in Jerusalem, remembering Jesus words, saw
• 2:48:48
  Speaker 1: the Roman armies as a sign to flee. According to
• 2:48:52
  Speaker 1: the historian Eusebius, they escaped to the city of Pella,
• 2:48:56
  Speaker 1: beyond the Jordan River. This timely flight saved the Christstian
• 2:49:00
  Speaker 1: community from the destruction to come. Meanwhile, the Romans methodically
• 2:49:05
  Speaker 1: advanced through Judea. In sixty nine A d. Vespasian was
• 2:49:10
  Speaker 1: declared emperor and left his son Titus to finish the campaign.
• 2:49:15
  Speaker 1: In seventy a d. Titus surrounded Jerusalem with four legions.
• 2:49:20
  Speaker 1: The city was packed with pilgrims who had come for
• 2:49:23
  Speaker 1: Passover and overflowing with refugees from surrounding regions. After a
• 2:49:28
  Speaker 1: brutal five month siege, the Romans broke through the city walls.
• 2:49:34
  Speaker 1: The Temple, the heart of Jewish religious life, was set
• 2:49:38
  Speaker 1: on fire and utterly destroyed. Not even the foundations were spared.
• 2:49:43
  Speaker 1: The city was raised, and its people were either killed
• 2:49:47
  Speaker 1: or sold into slavery. Jesus prophecy was fulfilled to the letter.
• 2:49:52
  Speaker 1: Not one stone was left upon another. The destruction of
• 2:49:55
  Speaker 1: the temple marked a turning point for both Judaism and
• 2:49:59
  Speaker 1: Christian Dianity. The Jews lost their center of worship and
• 2:50:03
  Speaker 1: had to reshape their religion around the synagogue and Torah study.
• 2:50:08
  Speaker 1: For Christians, the catastrophe confirmed Jesus words and further accelerated
• 2:50:13
  Speaker 1: the growing divide between the two faiths. After seventy a d,
• 2:50:18
  Speaker 1: Christianity and Judaism followed increasingly separate paths. Christians, already scattered
• 2:50:25
  Speaker 1: throughout the Empire by missionary efforts of Paul and others,
• 2:50:29
  Speaker 1: continued to drift away from Jewish practices. Meanwhile, rabbinic Judaism
• 2:50:34
  Speaker 1: began to take shape, and around eighty five AD, prayers
• 2:50:38
  Speaker 1: against heretics, including Christians, were added to synagogue liturgies. The
• 2:50:45
  Speaker 1: destruction of Jerusalem marked the end of one era and
• 2:50:48
  Speaker 1: the beginning of another. The young Church, no longer centered
• 2:50:51
  Speaker 1: in Judea, was now poised to spread throughout the known world.
• 2:50:56
  Speaker 1: The first of the apostles to suffer martyrdom was James,
• 2:50:59
  Speaker 1: the brother of d. John Acts twelve on one to
• 2:51:02
  Speaker 1: two tells us about that time King Herod arrested some
• 2:51:07
  Speaker 1: who belonged to the Church, intending to persecute them. He
• 2:51:11
  Speaker 1: had James, the brother of John put to death with
• 2:51:14
  Speaker 1: the sword. This took place around a d. Forty four,
• 2:51:18
  Speaker 1: during the reign of Herod Agrippa, the first grandson of
• 2:51:21
  Speaker 1: Herod the Great. James's death was only the beginning. One
• 2:51:26
  Speaker 1: by one, the apostles would face similar fates, sealing their
• 2:51:30
  Speaker 1: testimony with their own blood. Peter, the Fisherman Jesus called
• 2:51:34
  Speaker 1: to be a fisher of men, was crucified in Rome
• 2:51:38
  Speaker 1: during Nero's persecution. According to tradition, Peter requested to be
• 2:51:44
  Speaker 1: crucified upside down, believing himself unworthy to die in the
• 2:51:49
  Speaker 1: same manner as his master. Although the Bible doesn't describe
• 2:51:53
  Speaker 1: his death, Jesus had foretold it in John twenty one
• 2:51:56
  Speaker 1: eighteen to nineteen. When you were younger, you dressed yourself
• 2:52:00
  Speaker 1: and went where you wanted. But when you are old,
• 2:52:02
  Speaker 1: you will stretch out your hands, and some one else
• 2:52:05
  Speaker 1: will dress you and lead you where you do not
• 2:52:07
  Speaker 1: want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the kind
• 2:52:10
  Speaker 1: of death by which Peter would glorify God. Paul, the
• 2:52:14
  Speaker 1: Great missionary to the Gentiles, was also martyred in Rome
• 2:52:19
  Speaker 1: under Nero. As a Roman citizen, he couldn't be crucified,
• 2:52:23
  Speaker 1: so he was beheaded instead. In his final letter two
• 2:52:27
  Speaker 1: Timothy four six to eight, he wrote with calm assurance,
• 2:52:31
  Speaker 1: for I am already being poured out like a drink offering,
• 2:52:35
  Speaker 1: and the time for my departure is near. I have
• 2:52:38
  Speaker 1: fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I
• 2:52:41
  Speaker 1: have kept the faith. Now there is in store for
• 2:52:43
  Speaker 1: me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge,
• 2:52:47
  Speaker 1: will award to me on that day. Ancient traditions tell
• 2:52:51
  Speaker 1: us about the fate of the other apostles, though many
• 2:52:54
  Speaker 1: details aren't confirmed in scripture. Andrew, Peter's brother is said
• 2:52:59
  Speaker 1: to have preached in the Black Sea region and in Greece,
• 2:53:02
  Speaker 1: where he was crucified on an ex shaped cross. Philip
• 2:53:06
  Speaker 1: is believed to have taken the gospel to Phrygia modern
• 2:53:09
  Speaker 1: day Turkey, where he was martyred. Bartholomew, also called Nathaniel,
• 2:53:15
  Speaker 1: is said to have ministered in India and Armenia, where
• 2:53:18
  Speaker 1: he was flayed alive. Thomas, known for initially doubting the resurrection,
• 2:53:23
  Speaker 1: is believed to have traveled farther than any other apostle,
• 2:53:27
  Speaker 1: reaching India, where he was killed by spears. Matthew, the
• 2:53:31
  Speaker 1: former tax collector and author of the First Gospel, is
• 2:53:34
  Speaker 1: thought to have preached in Ethiopia, where he was slain
• 2:53:37
  Speaker 1: by the sword. James, son of Alphaeus is believed to
• 2:53:41
  Speaker 1: have ministered in Syria, where he was stoned and then
• 2:53:45
  Speaker 1: beaten to death. Simon the Zealot is said to have
• 2:53:48
  Speaker 1: preached in Egypt and Persia, where he was either sorn
• 2:53:51
  Speaker 1: in half or crucified. Jude Thadeus is believed to have
• 2:53:55
  Speaker 1: taken the Gospel to Mesopotamia, where he was killed by
• 2:53:59
  Speaker 1: arrows In per Measia, John the Beloved Disciple was the
• 2:54:03
  Speaker 1: only one who apparently died of natural causes. He was
• 2:54:07
  Speaker 1: exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the
• 2:54:10
  Speaker 1: Book of Revelation and later lived to old age in Ephesus. Matthias,
• 2:54:16
  Speaker 1: chosen to replace Judas Iscariot, is believed to have preached
• 2:54:20
  Speaker 1: in Ethiopia, where he was martyred. The apostles martyrdom stands
• 2:54:26
  Speaker 1: as one of the most powerful testimonies to the truth
• 2:54:29
  Speaker 1: of Jesus resurrection. They died not for an abstract idea
• 2:54:34
  Speaker 1: or a legend they had heard, but for something they
• 2:54:36
  Speaker 1: claimed to have seen with their own eyes. As Tertullian,
• 2:54:41
  Speaker 1: one of the early Christian theologians wrote, the blood of
• 2:54:45
  Speaker 1: the martyrs is the seed of the Church. Far from
• 2:54:48
  Speaker 1: extinguishing the faith, persecution only served to strengthen and spread
• 2:54:53
  Speaker 1: it further. As persecution intensified within the Roman Empire, Christianity
• 2:54:59
  Speaker 1: was quietly spreading beyond its borders. Merchants, soldiers, and travelers
• 2:55:05
  Speaker 1: carried their faith to places Roman armies had never reached.
• 2:55:09
  Speaker 1: Among the most enduring traditions is Thomas's journey to India.
• 2:55:14
  Speaker 1: Though the Bible doesn't mention this mission, very old traditions
• 2:55:18
  Speaker 1: speak of his arrival on the Malabar Coast modern day
• 2:55:22
  Speaker 1: Kerala in a d fifty two. Thomas is said to
• 2:55:26
  Speaker 1: have converted several high caste Brahmin families and established seven churches.
• 2:55:31
  Speaker 1: To this day, a Christian community in India, known as
• 2:55:35
  Speaker 1: the Saint Thomas Christians, traces its origins to his ministry.
• 2:55:40
  Speaker 1: An ancient text called the Acts of Thomas tells how
• 2:55:43
  Speaker 1: the Apostle was sent to India after initially resisting, saying,
• 2:55:47
  Speaker 1: wherever you wish to send me, send me, but not
• 2:55:50
  Speaker 1: to India. I will not go to India. According to tradition,
• 2:55:54
  Speaker 1: Jesus appeared to an Indian merchant named Hban and sold
• 2:55:58
  Speaker 1: Thomas to him as a slave carpenter to serve King
• 2:56:02
  Speaker 1: Gondofores of India. In India, Thomas supposedly used the money
• 2:56:07
  Speaker 1: given to him for pallace construction to help the poor,
• 2:56:11
  Speaker 1: telling the king he was building a palace in heaven.
• 2:56:14
  Speaker 1: Armenia holds the distinction of being the first nation to
• 2:56:18
  Speaker 1: officially adopt Christianity as its state religion. Tradition credits the
• 2:56:23
  Speaker 1: apostles Thadius and Bartholomew with evangelizing Armenia. Centuries later, around
• 2:56:29
  Speaker 1: a d. Three oh one, King Teredates the third was
• 2:56:32
  Speaker 1: converted by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, leading the entire nation
• 2:56:37
  Speaker 1: to Christianity. The story of Christianities arrival in Ethiopia is
• 2:56:43
  Speaker 1: particularly fascinating. Acts eight twenty six forty tells of Philip's
• 2:56:48
  Speaker 1: encounter with an Ethiopian official returning from Jerusalem. This man,
• 2:56:53
  Speaker 1: the treasurer of Queen Candace of Ethiopia, was reading Isaiah
• 2:56:57
  Speaker 1: when Philip met him, explained the scriptures, and baptized him.
• 2:57:02
  Speaker 1: While this is the first Ethiopian convert mentioned in the Bible,
• 2:57:06
  Speaker 1: tradition holds that Matthew was the main evangelist to Ethiopia.
• 2:57:11
  Speaker 1: The Ethiopian Church, one of the oldest in the world,
• 2:57:15
  Speaker 1: maintains a unique form of Christianity, influenced by Jewish traditions.
• 2:57:21
  Speaker 1: North Africa became one of the most vibrant centers of
• 2:57:24
  Speaker 1: early Christianity. Alexandria Egypt was a major hub of Christian learning.
• 2:57:30
  Speaker 1: Tradition attributes the evangelization of Egypt to Mark, author of
• 2:57:35
  Speaker 1: the Second Gospel. From Alexandria, Christianity spread westward to Carthage
• 2:57:41
  Speaker 1: modern Tunisia, which produced key Christian leaders like Tertulian and Cyprian.
• 2:57:47
  Speaker 1: Christianity also spread eastward, reaching Persia and Mesopotamia modern Iran
• 2:57:52
  Speaker 1: and Iraq. Christian communities in these regions outside the Roman
• 2:57:57
  Speaker 1: Empire developed distinct traditions and avoided some of the persecution
• 2:58:02
  Speaker 1: faced by believers within imperial borders. The Church of the East,
• 2:58:07
  Speaker 1: sometimes called Nestorian, carried the Gospel even farther, reaching China
• 2:58:13
  Speaker 1: via the Silk Road. So even before Christianity became the
• 2:58:17
  Speaker 1: official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century,
• 2:58:20
  Speaker 1: it was already truly a global faith, present on three
• 2:58:24
  Speaker 1: continents and beyond the boundaries of any empire. As the
• 2:58:29
  Speaker 1: generation of the apostles began to pass away, preserving their
• 2:58:33
  Speaker 1: teachings became crucial. The earliest Christian writings were Paul's Letters,
• 2:58:38
  Speaker 1: written between fifty and sixty five a d. These circulated
• 2:58:43
  Speaker 1: among the churches and were read publicly during gatherings. In
• 2:58:47
  Speaker 1: Tewod Peter three, fifteen sixteen, we see that Paul's letters
• 2:58:51
  Speaker 1: were already being regarded as scripture. Bear in mind that
• 2:58:56
  Speaker 1: our Lord's patients means salvation, just as our dear brother
• 2:59:00
  Speaker 1: Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
• 2:59:04
  Speaker 1: He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking
• 2:59:07
  Speaker 1: in them of these matters. His letters contain some things
• 2:59:11
  Speaker 1: that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort,
• 2:59:16
  Speaker 1: as they do the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
• 2:59:20
  Speaker 1: The Gospels were written a bit later than Paul's letters. Mark,
• 2:59:24
  Speaker 1: considered by most scholars to be the earliest gospel, is
• 2:59:27
  Speaker 1: believed to have been written around sixty five seventy a d.
• 2:59:31
  Speaker 1: Matthew and Luke followed around eighty eighty five a D.
• 2:59:35
  Speaker 1: And John came last around ninety ninety five a D.
• 2:59:40
  Speaker 1: Each gospel presented Jesus from a slightly different perspective, tailored
• 2:59:45
  Speaker 1: to different audiences. Before these writings, Jesus teachings were passed
• 2:59:50
  Speaker 1: down orally. Luke one one to four mentions these oral
• 2:59:54
  Speaker 1: traditions many have undertaken to draw up an account of
• 2:59:57
  Speaker 1: the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as
• 3:00:00
  Speaker 1: they were handed down to us by those who from
• 3:00:02
  Speaker 1: the first were eye witnesses and servants of the Word.
• 3:00:06
  Speaker 1: The apostles and others who had known Jesus shared their memories,
• 3:00:10
  Speaker 1: and these stories were carefully preserved and retold. Oral transmission
• 3:00:15
  Speaker 1: didn't imply inaccuracy. In Jewish culture, memorization was a highly
• 3:00:20
  Speaker 1: developed skill. Rabbis and there disciples memorized long texts and
• 3:00:26
  Speaker 1: passed them on with great precision. Jesus teachings were often
• 3:00:30
  Speaker 1: structured to aid memorization, using techniques like parallelism, rhythm, and alliteration.
• 3:00:38
  Speaker 1: Over time, the churches began recognizing which writings were truly
• 3:00:42
  Speaker 1: Apostolic and inspired criteria such as apostolic origin, written by
• 3:00:47
  Speaker 1: an apostle, or their direct associate conformity to the rule
• 3:00:51
  Speaker 1: of faith. The core teaching received from the Apostles and
• 3:00:55
  Speaker 1: widespread use among churches determined which books would be accepted
• 3:01:00
  Speaker 1: as scripture. By the end of the second century, most
• 3:01:03
  Speaker 1: of the New Testament books were already widely accepted. The
• 3:01:07
  Speaker 1: Muratorian Fragment, dated to around one hundred seventy a D.
• 3:01:12
  Speaker 1: Lists the majority of today's New Testament books. In three
• 3:01:16
  Speaker 1: hundred sixty seven a d. Athanasius of Alexandria listed all
• 3:01:20
  Speaker 1: twenty seven books that now make up the New Testament.
• 3:01:24
  Speaker 1: Alongside the development of the canon, the early Church also
• 3:01:28
  Speaker 1: preserved apostolic succession, the transmission of authority from the apostles
• 3:01:33
  Speaker 1: to the bishops who succeeded them. In Verse Timothy four fourteen,
• 3:01:38
  Speaker 1: Paul refers to this transmission of authority, do not neglect
• 3:01:42
  Speaker 1: your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the
• 3:01:46
  Speaker 1: body of elders laid their hands on you. Ignacious of Antioch,
• 3:01:50
  Speaker 1: writing around one hundred ten a D. Already emphasized the
• 3:01:54
  Speaker 1: importance of the bishop as the center of unity in
• 3:01:57
  Speaker 1: each local church. Ayrhnaeus of Lyon, writing around one hundred
• 3:02:02
  Speaker 1: eighty a D. Listed the succession of bishops in Rome
• 3:02:06
  Speaker 1: from Peter as evidence that the Church had faithfully preserved
• 3:02:10
  Speaker 1: apostolic teaching. This combination of written scriptures and oral tradition
• 3:02:16
  Speaker 1: overseen by the apostles' successors allowed the Church to preserve
• 3:02:21
  Speaker 1: the message of Jesus in its purity, even in the
• 3:02:24
  Speaker 1: face of heresies and internal divisions. Christianity didn't just change
• 3:02:30
  Speaker 1: the religious beliefs of the ancient world, it also transformed
• 3:02:35
  Speaker 1: its social structures and cultural values. This transformation was gradual
• 3:02:39
  Speaker 1: but profound, creating a quiet revolution within Roman society. One
• 3:02:45
  Speaker 1: of the most significant impacts was on the view of
• 3:02:47
  Speaker 1: the family. In Roman society, the pati familius, head of
• 3:02:52
  Speaker 1: the household, had absolute power over his wife, children, and slaves,
• 3:02:58
  Speaker 1: including the power of life and death. Paul, writing in
• 3:03:02
  Speaker 1: Ephesians five twenty five, taught something radically different. Husbands, love
• 3:03:07
  Speaker 1: your wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave
• 3:03:10
  Speaker 1: himself up for her. This model of sacrificial love transformed
• 3:03:15
  Speaker 1: the family dynamic. Paul continues in Ephesians sixty four instructing fathers, fathers,
• 3:03:23
  Speaker 1: do not exasperate your children. Instead bring them up in
• 3:03:27
  Speaker 1: the training and instruction of the Lord. This perspective significantly
• 3:03:32
  Speaker 1: limited the absolute power of the Roman father and introduced
• 3:03:36
  Speaker 1: the concept of paternal responsibility as for slavery, While Christianity
• 3:03:42
  Speaker 1: didn't immediately abolish the institution, it planted the ideological seeds
• 3:03:47
  Speaker 1: that would eventually lead to its rejection. In Galatians three
• 3:03:53
  Speaker 1: twenty eight, Paul wrote, there is neither jew, nor gentile slave,
• 3:03:58
  Speaker 1: nor free male nor feel for you are all one
• 3:04:01
  Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus. Paul even wrote an entire letter, Philimmon,
• 3:04:07
  Speaker 1: asking a Christian master to receive his runaway slave back,
• 3:04:10
  Speaker 1: no longer as a slave, but better than a slave
• 3:04:14
  Speaker 1: as a dear brother, Philimmon one, sixteen. These ideas undermined
• 3:04:19
  Speaker 1: the foundations of slavery, even when they didn't directly confront
• 3:04:23
  Speaker 1: the institution. Women found in early Christianity a dignity rarely
• 3:04:29
  Speaker 1: granted to them in Greco Roman society. Jesus included women
• 3:04:33
  Speaker 1: among his followers, something highly unusual for a rabbi of
• 3:04:38
  Speaker 1: his time. Women were the first witnesses of the resurrection.
• 3:04:42
  Speaker 1: Paul mentioned several women as co workers in his ministry,
• 3:04:45
  Speaker 1: including Phoebe, described as a deacon of the church in
• 3:04:50
  Speaker 1: Centuryye Romans sixteen one. Early Christians also stood out for
• 3:04:55
  Speaker 1: their care for the marginalized. James one twenty seven says
• 3:05:00
  Speaker 1: religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless
• 3:05:03
  Speaker 1: as this, to look after orphans and widows in their distress,
• 3:05:07
  Speaker 1: and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
• 3:05:10
  Speaker 1: This wasn't just an ideal but a concrete practice. During
• 3:05:16
  Speaker 1: the epidemics that struck the Roman Empire in the second
• 3:05:19
  Speaker 1: and third centuries, Pagans often abandoned the sick to die
• 3:05:23
  Speaker 1: in the streets out of fear of contagion. Christians, on
• 3:05:27
  Speaker 1: the other hand, cared not only for their own sick,
• 3:05:30
  Speaker 1: but also for abandoned pagans. The Roman emperor Julian the Apostate,
• 3:05:35
  Speaker 1: who tried to revive paganism in the fourth century, lamented
• 3:05:39
  Speaker 1: the impious Galileans. Christians support not only their own poor,
• 3:05:44
  Speaker 1: but ours as well. Peaceful resistance in the face of
• 3:05:48
  Speaker 1: persecution was another hallmark of the early Christians. Instead of
• 3:05:53
  Speaker 1: taking up arms or plotting against the government, they patiently
• 3:05:57
  Speaker 1: endured suffering, following the example of Genesis. As Peter wrote
• 3:06:01
  Speaker 1: in First Peter two pousand, twenty one to twenty three,
• 3:06:05
  Speaker 1: to this you were called because Christ suffered for you,
• 3:06:09
  Speaker 1: leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.
• 3:06:12
  Speaker 1: He committed no sin and no Deceit was found in
• 3:06:16
  Speaker 1: his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him. He
• 3:06:19
  Speaker 1: did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats. Instead,
• 3:06:24
  Speaker 1: he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. This combination
• 3:06:29
  Speaker 1: of practical love, belief in the universal dignity of humanity,
• 3:06:35
  Speaker 1: and nonviolent resistance stood in sharp contrast to the dominant
• 3:06:39
  Speaker 1: culture and gradually transformed the ancient world from the inside out.
• 3:06:45
  Speaker 1: The impact of the early Church wasn't limited to the
• 3:06:49
  Speaker 1: first few centuries. Its spiritual legacy lives on today, influencing
• 3:06:54
  Speaker 1: billions of people across the globe. The faith that overcame
• 3:06:57
  Speaker 1: empires and persecution demonstrate did extraordinary resilience. Christianity survived ten
• 3:07:04
  Speaker 1: waves of persecution under the Roman Empire, culminating in the
• 3:07:08
  Speaker 1: Great Persecution under Diocletian three O three three thirteen a d.
• 3:07:13
  Speaker 1: Instead of being crushed, the Church emerged stronger from these trials,
• 3:07:18
  Speaker 1: eventually becoming the empire's dominant religion. As Jesus had promised
• 3:07:22
  Speaker 1: in Matthew sixteen eighteen, on this rock, I will build
• 3:07:26
  Speaker 1: my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail
• 3:07:30
  Speaker 1: against it. This promise was literally fulfilled when the Roman Empire,
• 3:07:35
  Speaker 1: which had tried to destroy the church eventually bowed before it.
• 3:07:39
  Speaker 1: The early Christian community created a model of shared life
• 3:07:44
  Speaker 1: that continues to inspire renewal movements throughout history. Acts two
• 3:07:49
  Speaker 1: point forty two forty seven describes this ideal community. They
• 3:07:54
  Speaker 1: devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching and to fellowship, to
• 3:07:58
  Speaker 1: the breaking of bread, and to prayers. They sold property
• 3:08:02
  Speaker 1: and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every
• 3:08:05
  Speaker 1: day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.
• 3:08:10
  Speaker 1: They broke bread in their homes and ate together with
• 3:08:13
  Speaker 1: glad and sincere hearts. This model of learning, fellowship, worship,
• 3:08:19
  Speaker 1: and generosity remains a standard for authentic Christian communities, even
• 3:08:23
  Speaker 1: in contexts far removed from the first century. Hope in
• 3:08:27
  Speaker 1: Christ's second Coming served as an anchor for early Christians
• 3:08:31
  Speaker 1: in times of tribulation. Paul comforted the grieving Thessalonians with
• 3:08:35
  Speaker 1: these words in First Thessalonians four sixteen to eighteen. For
• 3:08:40
  Speaker 1: the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a
• 3:08:44
  Speaker 1: loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with
• 3:08:47
  Speaker 1: the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
• 3:08:50
  Speaker 1: will rise first. After that, we who are still alive
• 3:08:54
  Speaker 1: and are left, will be caught up together with them
• 3:08:57
  Speaker 1: in the clouds to meet the Lord in the heir,
• 3:09:00
  Speaker 1: and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore,
• 3:09:04
  Speaker 1: encourage one another with these words. This hope in Christ's
• 3:09:08
  Speaker 1: final victory and the restoration of all things continues to
• 3:09:12
  Speaker 1: inspire Christians who face suffering and injustice to day. Love
• 3:09:18
  Speaker 1: as the defining mark of Jesus's followers, was emphasized by
• 3:09:22
  Speaker 1: the Master himself in John thirteen thirty four to thirty
• 3:09:27
  Speaker 1: five a new command. I give you love one another
• 3:09:30
  Speaker 1: as I have loved you, So you must love one another.
• 3:09:34
  Speaker 1: By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples
• 3:09:38
  Speaker 1: if you love one another. This love wasn't some abstract feeling.
• 3:09:42
  Speaker 1: It was concrete action that transformed lives and communities. Tertullian
• 3:09:47
  Speaker 1: once recorded that pagans amazed would say, see how they
• 3:09:51
  Speaker 1: love one another. Ultimately, the central message of the early
• 3:09:55
  Speaker 1: Christians that Jesus died for the sins of humanity and
• 3:09:59
  Speaker 1: rose again offering new life to all who believe, continues
• 3:10:04
  Speaker 1: to transform lives. Two thousand years later, Paul summed up
• 3:10:09
  Speaker 1: this essential message in First Corinthians fifteen three to four.
• 3:10:14
  Speaker 1: For what I received I passed on to you as
• 3:10:16
  Speaker 1: of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according
• 3:10:21
  Speaker 1: to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was
• 3:10:24
  Speaker 1: raised on the third day according to the scriptures. This
• 3:10:27
  Speaker 1: simple yet profound message, this Gospel or good News, remains
• 3:10:32
  Speaker 1: the heart of the Christian faith and the source of
• 3:10:35
  Speaker 1: its enduring influence in the world. We've come to the
• 3:10:39
  Speaker 1: end of this amazing journey through the history of Christianity,
• 3:10:43
  Speaker 1: from the birth of Jesus to the spread of the
• 3:10:46
  Speaker 1: early Church across the world. As we've seen, this simple message,
• 3:10:51
  Speaker 1: which began with a small group of fishermen in Galilee,
• 3:10:54
  Speaker 1: has forever changed the world. If you've been inspired by
• 3:10:58
  Speaker 1: this incredible state story of faith, courage, and perseverance, don't
• 3:11:02
  Speaker 1: keep it to yourself. Share this video with friends and
• 3:11:06
  Speaker 1: family who also need to hear this life changing story,
• 3:11:10
  Speaker 1: and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more
• 3:11:12
  Speaker 1: content like this exploring the biblical stories that strengthen our faith.
• 3:11:18
  Speaker 1: Turn on the notification bell so you don't miss a
• 3:11:21
  Speaker 1: single post. Thanks for watching all the way through. May
• 3:11:24
  Speaker 1: the story of the early Christians inspire your own walk
• 3:11:28
  Speaker 1: of faith to day. See you in the next video.