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The Story of the New Testament – From the Birth of Jesus to the Apocalypse · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: The most incredible story of all time began over two
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  Speaker 1: thousand years ago when heaven touched the earth. After centuries
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  Speaker 1: of silence, God chose to speak to his people once more.
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  Speaker 1: The world was going through hard times. The people of
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  Speaker 1: Israel were under Roman rule. Many were waiting for a savior,
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  Speaker 1: someone who would set them free. And it was precisely
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  Speaker 1: in that moment that God sent his son into the world.
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  Speaker 1: A story that began with a baby in a manger
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  Speaker 1: and forever changed the course of humanity. A light broke
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  Speaker 1: into the darkness and brought hope. The New Testament tells
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  Speaker 1: us this amazing story full of love, miracles, and transformation.
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  Speaker 1: Let's discover how it all began. It all started with
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  Speaker 1: a young woman named Mary who lived in the small
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  Speaker 1: town of Nazareth. She was engaged to a good man
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  Speaker 1: named Joseph. One day, something extraordinary happened. In Luke one
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  Speaker 1: twenty six thirty three, we read how the Angel gave
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  Speaker 1: Gabriel appeared to Mary with an astonishing message. In the
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  Speaker 1: sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the Angel Gabriel
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  Speaker 1: to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged
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  Speaker 1: to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant
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  Speaker 1: of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went
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  Speaker 1: to her and said, greetings, you, who are highly favored.
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  Speaker 1: The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at
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  Speaker 1: his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be,
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  Speaker 1: But the angel said to her, 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: Though confused, Mary accepted God's will. I am the Lord's servant,
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  Speaker 1: she replied to the angel. May your word to me
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  Speaker 1: be fulfilled. When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he
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  Speaker 1: planned to quietly break off the engagement, but God had
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  Speaker 1: other plans. In Matthieu not One twenty two twenty one,
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  Speaker 1: we read an angel of the Lord appeared to him
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  Speaker 1: in a dream and said, Joseph's son of David, do
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  Speaker 1: 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 the angel and
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  Speaker 1: took Mary as his wife, but did not consummate the
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  Speaker 1: marriage until after the child was born. At that time,
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  Speaker 1: Emperor Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should
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  Speaker 1: be taken throughout the Roman Empire. Everyone had to return
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  Speaker 1: to their ancestral town to be registered. Since Joseph was
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  Speaker 1: a descendant of David, he had to go to Bethlehem,
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  Speaker 1: the city of David. Luke two four to seven tells
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  Speaker 1: us so Joseph also went up from the town of
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  Speaker 1: Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to Bethlehem, the town of David,
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  Speaker 1: because he belonged to the house and line of David.
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  Speaker 1: He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged
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  Speaker 1: to be married to him and was expecting a child.
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  Speaker 1: While they were there, the time came for the baby
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  Speaker 1: to be born, and she gave birth to her first born,
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  Speaker 1: a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him
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  Speaker 1: in a manger because there was no guest room available
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  Speaker 1: for them. Jesus being born in Bethlehem was no coincidence.
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  Speaker 1: Centuries earlier, the prophet Micah had already foretold it in
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  Speaker 1: Micah five two. But you, Bethlehem, Ephraitha, though you are
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  Speaker 1: small among the clans of Judah, out of you will
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  Speaker 1: come for me one who will be ruler over Israel,
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  Speaker 1: whose origins are from of old from ancient times. That night,
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  Speaker 1: shepherds were watching over their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem.
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  Speaker 1: Suddenly an Angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
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  Speaker 1: the glory of the Lord shone around them. The shepherds
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  Speaker 1: were terrified Luke two ten fourteen recounts, But the Angel
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  Speaker 1: said to them, do not be afraid. I bring you
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  Speaker 1: good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
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  Speaker 1: To day. In the town of David, a savior has
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  Speaker 1: been born to you. He is the Messiah, the Lord.
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  Speaker 1: This will be a sign to you. You will find
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  Speaker 1: a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly,
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  Speaker 1: a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the Angel,
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  Speaker 1: praising God and saying glory to God in the highest
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  Speaker 1: Heaven and on earth, Peace to those on whom His
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  Speaker 1: favor rests. The shepherds rushed to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: and the baby lying in the manger, just as the
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  Speaker 1: Angel had told them. They went out and shared everything
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  Speaker 1: they had seen and heard about this child. Some time
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  Speaker 1: after Jesus was born, wise men from the east saw
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  Speaker 1: a special star in the sky. They were scholars of
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  Speaker 1: the stars and knew that this one signaled the birth
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  Speaker 1: of a great king. Matthieu two one too tells us
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  Speaker 1: after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the
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  Speaker 1: time of King Herod, Maji from the East came to
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  Speaker 1: Jerusalem and asked, where is the one who has been
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  Speaker 1: born King of the Jews. We saw his star when
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  Speaker 1: it rose and have come to worship him. When King
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  Speaker 1: Herod heard this, he was disturbed. He gathered the chief
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  Speaker 1: priests and teachers of the law and asked them where
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  Speaker 1: the Messiah was to be born in Matthieu two five
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  Speaker 1: to six. They answered, in Bethlehem in Judea. They replied,
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  Speaker 1: for this is what the prophet has written. But you, Bethlehem,
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  Speaker 1: in the land of Judah, are by no means least
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  Speaker 1: among the rulers of Judah. For out of you will
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  Speaker 1: come a ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel. Herod
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  Speaker 1: secretly met with the magi and asked when the star
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  Speaker 1: had first appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
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  Speaker 1: go and search carefully for the child. As soon as
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  Speaker 1: you find him, report to me so that I too
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  Speaker 1: may go and worship him. But Herod was lying. He
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  Speaker 1: wanted to kill the child. The magi continued on their way.
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  Speaker 1: The star they had seen in the east went ahead
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  Speaker 1: of them until it stopped over the place where the
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  Speaker 1: child was. Matthew two ten eleven describes when they saw
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  Speaker 1: the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house,
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  Speaker 1: they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they
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  Speaker 1: bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures
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  Speaker 1: and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and murr.
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  Speaker 1: These gifts were deeply symbolic. Gold represented kingship Jesus is
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  Speaker 1: the King, frankincense symbolized divinity, Jesus is God. And Mrrh
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  Speaker 1: used for burial, pointed to the sacrifice Jesus would make
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  Speaker 1: on the cross. God warned the magi in a dream
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  Speaker 1: not to return to Herod, so they went back to
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  Speaker 1: their country by another route. After they had gone. In
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  Speaker 1: Matthew two thirteen fifteen, an angel of the Lord appeared
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  Speaker 1: to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take
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  Speaker 1: the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay
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  Speaker 1: there until I tell you, for Herod is going to
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  Speaker 1: search for the child to kill him. So he got up,
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  Speaker 1: took the child and his mother during the night, and
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  Speaker 1: left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod,
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  Speaker 1: and so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through
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  Speaker 1: the prophet. Out of Egypt, I called my son. When
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  Speaker 1: Herod realized that he had been deceived by the Magi,
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  Speaker 1: he was furious. In Matthew two sixteen, he ordered the
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  Speaker 1: killing of all boys two years old and under in
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  Speaker 1: Bethlehem and the surrounding area. When Herod realized that he
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  Speaker 1: had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and
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  Speaker 1: he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem
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  Speaker 1: and its vicinity who were two years old and under,
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  Speaker 1: in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
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  Speaker 1: After Herod's death, an angel of the Lord appeared in
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  Speaker 1: a dream to Joseph in Egypt. Matthew two nineteen to
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  Speaker 1: twenty three recounts after Herod died, an angel of the
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  Speaker 1: Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
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  Speaker 1: get up, take the child and his mother, and go
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  Speaker 1: to the land of Israel, for those who were trying
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  Speaker 1: to take the child's life are dead. So he got up,
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  Speaker 1: took the child and his mother and went to the
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  Speaker 1: land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was
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  Speaker 1: reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he
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  Speaker 1: was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,
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  Speaker 1: he withdrew to the region of Galilee, and he went
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  Speaker 1: and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled
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  Speaker 1: what was said through the prophets that he would be
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  Speaker 1: called a Nazarene. Jesus grew up in the small town
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  Speaker 1: of Nazareth, hidden from the eyes of the world, but
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  Speaker 1: always under God's way, watchful care. Luke two forty summarizes
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  Speaker 1: his childhood. And the child grew and became strong. He
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  Speaker 1: was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was
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  Speaker 1: on him. Years past, when the time was right, God
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  Speaker 1: raised up a man to prepare the way for Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: His name was John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives
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  Speaker 1: of Mary. John's birth was also announced by an angel
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  Speaker 1: in Luke one thirteen to seventeen. The angel said to Zechariah,
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  Speaker 1: do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard.
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  Speaker 1: Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
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  Speaker 1: are to call him John. He will be a joy
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  Speaker 1: and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of
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  Speaker 1: his birth, for he will be great in the sight
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  Speaker 1: of the Lord. He is never to take wine or
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  Speaker 1: other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Even before he is born. He will bring
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  Speaker 1: back many of the people of Israel to the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: their God. And he will go on before the Lord
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  Speaker 1: in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the
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  Speaker 1: hearts of the parents to their children, and the disobedient
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  Speaker 1: to the wisdom of the Righteous, to make ready a
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  Speaker 1: people prepared for the Lord. John grew strong in spirit
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  Speaker 1: and lived in the wilderness until the beginning of his
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  Speaker 1: public ministry. Luke three one to three marks the start
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  Speaker 1: of his mission in the fifteenth year of the reign
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  Speaker 1: of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilot was governor of Judea
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  Speaker 1: Herod Tetrarch of Galilee. His brother Philip Tetrarch of Ituaea
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  Speaker 1: and Trachonitis and Lysanius, Tetrarch of Abilene. During the high
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  Speaker 1: priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came
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  Speaker 1: to John's son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went
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  Speaker 1: into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism
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  Speaker 1: of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John dressed simply,
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  Speaker 1: wearing clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt.
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  Speaker 1: His diet was basic locusts and wild honey. His lifestyle
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  Speaker 1: made it clear his message was far more important than
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  Speaker 1: comfort or appearances. People came from Jerusalem, all Judea, and
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  Speaker 1: the entire region around the Jordan to hear him. In
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  Speaker 1: Matthew three two, he declared repent for the Kingdom of
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  Speaker 1: Heaven has come near. Many confessed their sins and were
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  Speaker 1: baptized by him in the Jordan River. Matthew three five
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  Speaker 1: to six says people went out to him from Jerusalem
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  Speaker 1: and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan,
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  Speaker 1: confessing their sins. They were baptized by him in the
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  Speaker 1: Jordan River. John spoke boldly. He didn't hesitate to confront
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  Speaker 1: even the religious leaders In Matthew three seven to ten,
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  Speaker 1: when he saw Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he
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  Speaker 1: was baptizing, he said, you, brood of vipers who wore
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  Speaker 1: you to flee from the coming wrath, produce fruit in
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  Speaker 1: keeping with repentance, and do not think you can say
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  Speaker 1: to yourselves we have Abraham as our father. I tell
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  Speaker 1: you that out of these stones God can raise up
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  Speaker 1: children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root
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  Speaker 1: of the trees, and every tree that does not produce
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  Speaker 1: good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
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  Speaker 1: People asked John if he was the Christ. He always
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  Speaker 1: made it clear that he was not. In John one
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  Speaker 1: nineteen to twenty three, when the Jews in Jerusalem sent
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  Speaker 1: priests and levites to ask him who he was, John confessed,
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  Speaker 1: I am not the Messiah. They asked him, then, who
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  Speaker 1: are you? Are you Elijah? He said, I am not.
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  Speaker 1: Are you the Prophet? He answered no. Finally, they said,
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  Speaker 1: who are you? Give us an answer to take back
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  Speaker 1: to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?
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  Speaker 1: John replied, in the words of Isiah the Prophet, I
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  Speaker 1: am the voice of one calling in the wilderness makes
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  Speaker 1: straight the way for the Lord. John knew exactly what
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  Speaker 1: his mission was, to prepare the way for someone far greater.
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  Speaker 1: In John one twenty six to twenty seven, he said,
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  Speaker 1: I baptize with water. But among you stands one you
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  Speaker 1: do not know. He is the one who comes after me,
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  Speaker 1: the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.
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  Speaker 1: When Jesus was about thirty years old, he left Galilee
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  Speaker 1: and went to the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
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  Speaker 1: He came to be baptized by John. In Matthew three
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  Speaker 1: thirteen to fifteen we see John's reaction. Then Jesus came
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  Speaker 1: from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John,
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  Speaker 1: but John tried to deter him, saying, I need to
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  Speaker 1: be baptized by you, and do you come to me.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus replied, let it be so. Now it is proper
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  Speaker 1: for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then
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  Speaker 1: John consented. Jesus didn't need to repent, for he had
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  Speaker 1: no sin, but he chose to be baptized to fulfill
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  Speaker 1: all righteousness and to identify with humanity, the very people
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  Speaker 1: he came to redeem. The baptism of Jesus was an
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  Speaker 1: extraordinary moment. In Matthew three sixteen seventeen, as soon as
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  Speaker 1: Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.
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  Speaker 1: At that moment, heaven was opened, and he saw the
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  Speaker 1: Spirit 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. All
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  Speaker 1: three persons of the Trinity were present, the Father speaking
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  Speaker 1: from heaven, the Son being baptized, and the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: descending like a dove. Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was
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  Speaker 1: led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted
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  Speaker 1: by the devil. Matthew four one two says, then Jesusesus
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  Speaker 1: was led by the spirit into the wilderness to be
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  Speaker 1: tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty knights,
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  Speaker 1: he was hungry. The devil tempted Jesus three times, but
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  Speaker 1: each time Jesus responded with the word of God. In
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  Speaker 1: Matthew four three four we read of the first temptation.
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  Speaker 1: The tempter came to him and said, if you are
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  Speaker 1: the son of God, tell these stones to become bred.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus answered 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. After the second and third temptations, Jesus
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  Speaker 1: once again used scripture to resist. In Matthew four ten eleven,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus said to him, away from me, Satan, for it
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  Speaker 1: is written, worship the Lord your God, and serve him. Only.
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  Speaker 1: Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
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  Speaker 1: After the temptations, Jesus began his public ministry. When he
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  Speaker 1: heard that John had been imprisoned, he returned to Galilee
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  Speaker 1: in Matthew four thirteen seventeen, leaving Nazareth, he went and
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  Speaker 1: lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the
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  Speaker 1: area of Zebulun and Naftali. To fulfill what was said
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  Speaker 1: through the prophet Isaiah, land of Zebulun and land of Naftali,
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  Speaker 1: the way of the sea beyond the Jordan Galilee of
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  Speaker 1: the Gentiles. The people living in darkness have seen a
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  Speaker 1: great light on those living in the land of the
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  Speaker 1: shadow of death, a light as dawned. From that time on,
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  Speaker 1: Jesus began to preach repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven
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  Speaker 1: has come near. Jesus began his mission in a region
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  Speaker 1: considered less important, far from the religious center of Jerusalem,
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  Speaker 1: he went to Galilee, where many non Jews lived. This
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  Speaker 1: showed that his message was meant for all people. To
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  Speaker 1: carry out his mission, Jesus began calling ordin hen people
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  Speaker 1: to follow him. While walking by the Sea of Galilee,
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  Speaker 1: he saw two fisherman brothers. In Matthew four eighteen to twenty,
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  Speaker 1: as Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he
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  Speaker 1: saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
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  Speaker 1: They were casting a net into the lake, for they
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  Speaker 1: were fishermen. Come follow me, Jesus said, and I will
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  Speaker 1: send you out to fish for people. At once, they
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  Speaker 1: left their nets and followed him. Going further, Jesus saw
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  Speaker 1: two other brothers, James and John, sons of Zebedee. They
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  Speaker 1: were in a boat with their father, preparing their nets.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus called them, and they immediately left the boat and
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  Speaker 1: their father to follow him. The calling of Matthew, a
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  Speaker 1: tax collector, was especially significant. Tax collectors were hated by
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  Speaker 1: the people, seen as traitors working for the Romans. In
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  Speaker 1: Matthew nine nine, as Jesus went on from there, he
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  Speaker 1: saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.
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  Speaker 1: Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and
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  Speaker 1: followed him. Jesus didn't call influential or highly religious individuals.
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  Speaker 1: He chose ordinary men, fishermen, a tax collector, workers, people
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  Speaker 1: the world overlooked, but whom God chose to change history.
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  Speaker 1: After some time, with many followers around him, Jesus decided
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  Speaker 1: to choose twelve to be his apostles, those who would
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  Speaker 1: be trained more closely. In Luke six twelve to thirteen.
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  Speaker 1: One of those days, Jesus went out to a mountainside
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  Speaker 1: to pray and spent the night praying to God. When
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  Speaker 1: morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose
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  Speaker 1: twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles. Jesus didn't
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  Speaker 1: make the decision impulsively. He spent the entire night in
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  Speaker 1: prayer before choosing them. In Mark three fourteen fifteen, we
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  Speaker 1: see the purpose behind the choice. Pointed twelve that they
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  Speaker 1: might be with him and that he might send them
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  Speaker 1: out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.
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  Speaker 1: The names of the twelve apostles are listed in Matthew
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  Speaker 1: ten two four. These are the names of the twelve Apostles.
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  Speaker 1: First Simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
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  Speaker 1: James son of Zebedee and his brother John, Philip and
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  Speaker 1: Bartholomew Thomas and Matthew the tax Collector, James son of
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  Speaker 1: Alphaeus and Thadeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Is Scariot,
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  Speaker 1: who betrayed him. These men were very different from one another.
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  Speaker 1: Peter was impulsive, John more reflective. Matthew was a tax collector.
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  Speaker 1: Simon the Zealot was a nationalist who hated the Romans.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus formed a diverse team, showing that his kingdom was
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  Speaker 1: for everyone. The disciples left everything to follow Jesus. In
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  Speaker 1: Mark ten twenty eight, Peter said, we have left everything
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  Speaker 1: to follow you. Following Jesus meant giving up comfort and security.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: In Luke nine fifty seven fifty eight, as they were
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: walking along the road, a man said to him, I
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied, foxes have
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: dens and birds have nests, but the son of Man
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: has no place to lay his head. The disciples didn't
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: understand everything right away. Jesus had the patience to teach
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: them even when they were slow to grasp things. They
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: witnessed Jesus up close, his miracles, his compassion, his wisdom.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: They were with him both in public and private moments.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: They learned not just from his words, but from his example.
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: Jesus was an incredible teacher. He used simple stories called
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: parables to teach deep truths about the Kingdom of God.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: The parables used every day elements people could relate to seeds, plants, coins, sheep.
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: In Matthew thirteen thirty four thirty five, Jesus spoke all
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: these things to the crowd in parables. He did not
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: say anything to them without using a parable, so was
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet. I will open
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: the creation of the world. One of the first parables
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: was the parable of the sour In Mark four three eight,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, listen, a farmer went out to sow his seed.
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path,
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: on rocky places where it did not have much soil.
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: when the sun came up the plants were scorched, and
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: that they did not bear grain. Still, other seed fell
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times. Later,
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: when he was alone with his disciples, Jesus explained the
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: The different types of soil represent how people receive the message.
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: Some reject it immediately path Others receive it enthusiastically but
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: shallowly rocky ground. Others get distracted by worldly concerns among thorns,
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: and some receive it and bear fruit good soil. Jesus
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: also taught about the value of the Kingdom of Heaven
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: in Matthew thirteen forty four to forty six. The Kingdom
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: a man found it, he hid it again, and then,
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: in his joy, went and sold all he had and
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: bought that field again. The Kingdom of Heaven is like
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: of great value, he went away and old everything he
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: had and bought it. These parables show that the Kingdom
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: of God is worth more than anything we might give
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: up to gain it. Jesus also taught about God's mercy
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: using the parable of the lost sheep in Luke fifteen four,
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: Sir seven, suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: nine in the open country and go after the lost
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says,
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: rejoice with me, I have found my lost sheep. I
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: tell you that in the same way, there will be
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents than
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: In another parable, Jesus emphasized the importance of forgiving others
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: in Matthew eighteen twenty three twenty seven. Therefore, the Kingdom
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: that he and his wife and his children, and all
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: that he had be sold to repay the debt. At
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: this the servant fell on his knees before him. Be
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt,
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: and let him go. Jesus continued the parable by showing
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: that this servant, upon finding some one who owed him
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: much less, refused to forgive. When the king found out,
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: he was furious and handed the servant over to be
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: tortured until he repaid all he owed. In Matthew eighteen
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: thirty five, Jesus concluded, this is how my heavenly Father
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: or sister from your heart. Jesus parables were simple in
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: form but deep in meaning. They made people think, challenged
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: their values, revealed the heart of God, and described the
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: nature of his kingdom. Jesus not only spoke with authority,
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: but also demonstrated power over nature, disease, and even death.
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: His miracles were signs that confirmed who he was and
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: proclaimed the arrival of the Kingdom of God. In John two,
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: Jesus performed his first public miracle at a wedding in
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: Cana of Galilee. The wine ran out, which would have
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: been a major embarrassment for the newlyweds. Mary jesus mother,
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: went to him and told him about the problem. In
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: John two to six two ten, nearby stood six stone
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: the servants, filled the jars with water, so they filled
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: them to the brim. Then he told them, now draw
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: some out and take it to the master of the banquet.
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: the water that had been turned into wine. He did
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: not realize where it had come from, though the servants
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: bridegroom aside and said, everyone brings out the choice wine first,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: too much to drink. But you have saved the best
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: till now. Jesus showed compassion for the couple's situation and
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: turned the water into high quality wine. This marked the
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: beginning of his miraculous signs. One of the most striking
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: miracles was the healing of a man with leprosy. Leprosy
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: was a dreadful disease that rendered someone unclean under the law,
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: forcing them to live in isolation. In Mark one forty
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: forty two, a man with leprosy came to him and
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: begged him on his knees, if you are willing, you
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: can make me clean. Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: his hand and touched the man. I am willing, he said,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: be clean. Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Jesus not only healed the man, but touched him, something
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: no one would dare do with a leper, showing that
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: his compassion went beyond social norms. In Capernaium, Jesus healed
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: the servant of a Roman centurion, an officer from the
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: occupying army, showing that his mission extended beyond Israel. In
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: Matthew eight eight ten, the centurion said, Lord, I do
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: not deserve to have you come under my roof, but
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: For I myself am a man under authority with soldiers
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: under me. I tell this one go and he goes,
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: and that one come and he comes. I say to
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: my servant, do this, and he does it. When Jesus
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, truly,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: I tell you I have not found any one in
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: Israel with such great faith. Jesus also showed power over nature.
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: On one occasion, while crossing the Sea of Galilee with
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: his disciples, a violent storm arose. Despite many of them
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: being seasoned fishermen, they were terrified. While Jesus slept peacefully.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: In Mark four thirty seven forty one, a furious squaw
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: came up and the waves broke over the boat, so
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern,
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: to him, teacher, don't you care if we drown. He
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves quiet,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: be still. Then the wind died down and it was
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: completely calm. He said to his disciples, why are you
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: terrified and asked each other, who is this? Even the
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: wind and the waves obey him. This miracle made it
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: clear that Jesus had authority over creation, something only God possesses.
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: The disciples began to realize he was more than just
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: a great teacher or prophet. In another powerful moment, Jesus
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: demonstrated authority over evil spirits. In Mark five or two
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: two and fifteen, he encountered a man possessed by demons.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: This man lived in the tombs, and no one could
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: bind him any more, not even with a chain, for
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: he had often been chained hand and foot. But he
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and
• 30:00
  Speaker 1: day among the tombs and in the hills, he would
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: knees in front of him. He shouted, at the top
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: of his voice, what do you want with me, Jesus,
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: son of the Most High God, in God's name, don't
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: torture me. Jesus cast out the demons, which then entered
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: a herd of pigs that rushed down a steep bank
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: into the sea. The man, who had lived like a
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: wild beast among the tombs, was soon found clothed and
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: in his right mind, sitting at Jesus feet. One of
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: the most moving miracles was the resurrection of a widow's
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: only son in the town of Nine in Luke seven
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: twelve fifteen. As he approached the town gate, a dead
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: person was being carried out, the only son of his mother,
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: and she was a widow. A large crowd from the
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: heart went out to her, and he said, don't cry.
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: Then he went up and touched the bier they were
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said,
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: young man, I say to you, get up. The dead
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: him back to his mother. No elaborate ritual was needed.
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: Jesus simply spoke and death obeyed. People were amazed and said,
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: a great prophet has appeared among us, and God has
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: come to help his people. Jesus also healed a man
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: who had been blind from birth. In John nine one seven.
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: As he went along he saw a man blind from birth.
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned this man or
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: his parents that he was born blind. Neither this man
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: nor his parents sinned, said Jesus. But this happened so
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: that the works of God might be displayed in him.
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: As long as it is day, we must do the
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: works of him who sent me. Night is coming when
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: no one can work. While I am in the world,
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: I am the light of the world. After saying this,
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva,
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: and put it on the man's eyes. Go. He told
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: him wash in the pool of siloam. This word means scent.
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: So the man went and washed and came home. Seeing
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: this miracle caused great controversy because it was performed on
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: a Sabbath. Instead of rejoicing over the healing, the Pharisees
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law. This revealed how
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: religious formalism could blind people to the very work of God.
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: A miracle that revealed not only jesus power, but also
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: his generosity was the Feeding of the five thousand in
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: Matthew fourteen fifteen to twenty one. As evening approached, the
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: saint disciples came to him and said, this is a
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: remote place and it's already getting late. Send the crowds
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: away so they can go to the villages and buy
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: themselves some food. Jesus replied, they do not need to
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: go away them something to eat. We have here only
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: five loaves of bread and two fish, they answered. Bring
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: them here to me, he said, and he directed the
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: people to sit down on the grass, Taking the five
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: left over. The number of those who ate was about
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: five thousand men, besides women and children. Through these miracles,
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God was drawing near.
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: He brought healing to the sick, freedom to the oppressed,
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: sight to the blind, food to the hungry, and even
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: life to the dead. His miracles were signs of God's
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: power and mercy, pointing to a new reality that was beginning.
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: One day, when he saw the crowds Jesus went up
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: on a mountainside and began to teach his disciples. What
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: followed was the most revolutionary speech in history, known as
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: the Sermon on the Mount. In it, Jesus presented the
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: values of the Kingdom of God, which often stand in
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: stark contrast to the values of the world. Jesus began
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: with the Beatitudes, describing a kind of happiness quite different
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: from what the world seeks. In Matthew five three to twelve.
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful,
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: for they will be called children of God. Blessed are
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you,
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: is your reward in heaven. For in the same way
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: they persecuted the prophets who were before you, Jesus turned
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: common expectations upside down. In the Kingdom of God, it
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: is the humble, the merciful, and the peacemakers who are
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: truly blessed. He then spoke about the impact his followers
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: should have on the world in Matthew five thirteen sixteen.
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: You are the salt of the earth. But if the
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again.
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: It is no longer good for anything, except to be
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: of the world. A town built on a hill cannot
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand,
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: and it gives light to every one in the house.
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: In the same way, let your light shine before others,
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: Father in heaven. Jesus taught a new understanding of God's law,
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: not to abolish it, but to fulfill its true purpose.
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: He showed that the law addresses not just external actions,
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: but the heart itself. In Matthew five twenty one twenty two.
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: You have heard that it was said to the people
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: long ago, you shall not murder, and any one who
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: will be subject to judgment. Regarding adultery, Jesus taught in
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: Matthew five twenty seven twenty eight. You have heard that
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Jesus
• 37:07
  Speaker 1: also taught on divorce oaths, and then address the law
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: of retaliation, I for iye, instead of returning evil for evil,
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: he proposed something truly radical. In Matthew five thirty eight
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: forty two. You have heard that it was said I
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: for eye and tooth for tooth. But I tell you
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt,
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: hand over your coat, as well. If anyone forces you
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: to the one who asks you, and do not turn
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: Even more surprising was Jesus teaching about loving enemies in
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: Matthew five forty three two to forty five. You have
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: heard that it was said love your neighbor and hate
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: your enemy. But I tell you love your enemies and
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: pray for those who persecute you, that you may be
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: children of your father in heaven. He causes his son
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: to rise on the evil and the good, and sends
• 38:13
  Speaker 1: rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus also taught
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: the right way to practice righteousness, not to seek human recognition.
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: He spoke about giving to the needy, prayer and fasting,
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: advising that these should be done in secret, so the
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: reward would come from God, not people. He taught his
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: disciples to pray with what is now known as the
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: Lord's prayer in Matthew the sixth nine to thirteen. This, then,
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: is how you should pray our Father in heaven. Hallowed
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: be your name, your Kingdom. Come. Your will be done
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: also have forgiven our debtors, and lead us not into temptation,
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: but deliver us from the evil one. Jesus spoke out
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: against anxiety and excessive worry about material things in Matthew
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: six twenty five twenty six. He said, Therefore, I tell you,
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: do not worry about your life what you will eat
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: or drink, or about your body what you will wear
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: is not life more than food, and the body more
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: than clothes. Look at the birds of the air. They
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: much more valuable than they? Jesus taught that we should
• 39:35
  Speaker 1: seek first the Kingdom of God, trusting that our other
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: needs would be provided for. In the Sermon on the Mount,
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: Jesus also spoke against hypocritical judgment, urged people to ask
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: God with confidence, and warned about the narrow gate. He
• 39:51
  Speaker 1: ended with the parable of the two Builders found in
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: Matthew seven twenty four two twenty seven. Therefore, every one
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: who hears these words words of mine and puts them
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: into practice, is like a wise man. Who built his
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose,
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: it did not fall, because it had its foundation on
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: and does not put them into practice is like a
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: The Sermon on the Mount was the manifesto of the
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven. In it, Jesus revealed what it looks
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: like to live under God's rule. The values of this
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: kingdom were radically different from those of the world. Love
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: instead of hate, forgiveness instead of revenge, generosity instead of greed,
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: humility instead of pride. Those who heard and practice his
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: teachings would be building their lives on solid rock foundations
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: strong enough to withstand any storm. As jesus fame spread,
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: so did the opposition from religious leaders. They watched his
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: every move looking for reasons to accuse him. One of
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: the first confrontations occurred when Jesus healed a man on
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: the Sabbath in Mark three, Jesus entered the synagogue and
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: saw a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees were
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: watching to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: Knowing their thoughts, Jesus told the man stand up in
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: front of everyone. Then he asked which is lawful on
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: the sabbath, to do good or to do evil? To
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: save life, or to kill? But no one answered. Mark
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: tells us that Jesus looked around at them in anger,
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. Then he said to
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: and it was completely restored. Instead of rejoicing at the miracle,
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: the Pharisees were outraged and began plotting how to kill Jesus.
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: What should have been a moment of joy a man
• 42:12
  Speaker 1: being healed became a reason for hatred and plans of murder.
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: In another episode, the Pharisees criticized jesus disciples for not
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: washing their hands before eating, as was the tradition of
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: the elders. Jesus used the opportunity to show how certain
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: human traditions nullified God's word. In Mark seven, Jesus replied
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: it is written, these people honor me with their lips,
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: but their hearts are far from me. They worship me
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: in vain. Their teachings are merely human rules. You have
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: let go of the commands of God and are holding
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: on to human traditions. Jesus, your to revolutionary truth. It's
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: not what goes into a person that makes them unclean,
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: but what comes out. It's not food or the lack
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: of ritual hand washing that defiles a person before God,
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: but the evil thoughts, words, and actions that come from
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: the heart. One of the most intense confrontations happened when
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: Jesus drove out the merchants from the temple in John two.
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: He found people in the temple court selling cattle, sheep,
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. Jesus
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: made a whip out of cords and drove all of
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: them out. To those selling doves, he said, get these
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: out of here. Stop turning my father's house into a market.
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: The Jews then demanded, what sign can you show us
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: to prove your authority to do all this? Jesus answered,
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: three days. They replied, it has taken forty six years
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: to build this temple, and you're going to raise it
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: in three days. But Jesus was speaking about the temple
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: of his body. These clashes between Jesus and the religious
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: leaders revealed a deep conflict between hollow religious formalism and
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: the true heart of God. Jesus didn't come to abolish
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: the law, but to fulfill it in its truest sense.
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: He came to show that religion without love, mercy, and
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: justice is empty. Jesus fame spread rapidly. People came from
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: all over to hear his teachings and be healed of
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: their illnesses. The crowds grew daily, following him wherever he went.
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: In John six, we see a large crowd following him
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: because they saw the miraculous signs he performed on the sick.
• 44:42
  Speaker 1: Jesus went up a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: It was nearly the time of the passover. When he
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: looked up and saw the great crowd coming toward him.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: He said to Philip, where shall we buy bread for
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: these people to eat? He asked this to test him,
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: for he already knew what he was going to do.
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: Philip answered, it would take more than half a year's
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: wages to buy enough bread for each one to have
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: a bite. Another disciple, Andrew, said, here is a boy
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: with five small barley loaves and two small fish. But
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: how far will they go among so many? Jesus said,
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: have the people sit down. There was plenty of grass
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: in that place, and they sat down. About five thousand
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: men were there. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks,
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: and distributed them to those who were seated as much
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: When they had all had enough to eat, he said
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: to his disciples, gather the pieces that are left over.
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and filled
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: left over by those who had eaten. After witnessing this miracle,
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: the people began to say, surely this is the prophet
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: who is to come into the world. Knowing that they
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: intended to come and make him king by force, Jesus
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: withdrew again to a mountain by himself. When evening came,
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: his disciples went down to the lake, got into a
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: boat and started across the water to Capernium. By now
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: it was dark and Jesus had not yet joined them.
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: After rowing about five or six kilometers, they saw Jesus
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: approaching the boat, walking on the water, and they were terrified.
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: But he said to them it is I. Don't be afraid.
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: In Matthew fourteen we see more details of this encounter.
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: Peter said, Lord, if it's you, tell me to come
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: to you on the water. Jesus replied, come. So Peter
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: got down out of the boat, walked on the water,
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind,
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, Lord,
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: save me. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him,
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: you of little faith, He said, why did you doubt?
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: The next day, in John the sixth, the crowd that
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: had stayed on the other side of the sea went
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: looking for Jesus. When they found him, he said, very truly,
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: I tell you you are looking for me not because
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: you saw the miraculous signs, but because you ate the
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food?
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: That spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: Jesus then gave a teaching saying that he was the
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: bread of life. Whoever came to him would never go hungry,
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: and whoever believed in him would never be thirsty. Many
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: of his disciples found this teaching difficult and stopped following him.
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked the twelve you do not want to leave? Two?
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: Do you? Simon? Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go?
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: You have the words of eternal life. These two miracles,
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: the multiplication of the loaves and the walking on water,
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: further revealed who Jesus truly was. He had authority over
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: nature and could provide for people's needs, but many followed
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: him only for what they could receive, not because they
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: genuinely believed in him. After many miracles and teachings, Jesus
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: wanted to reveal more of his true nature to some
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: of his closest disciples. In Matthew seventeen, we read that
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them. His
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: white as light. At that moment, Moses and Elijah appeared
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: talking with Jesus. Moses represented the Law and Elijah the prophets,
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: the two major sections of the Hebrew scriptures. This vision
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: showed that Jesus stood at the center of God's entire
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: plan revealed in scripture. Peter, excited but unsure of what
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: to say, spoke, Lord, it is good for us to
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters,
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them,
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: and a voice from the cloud said, this is my son,
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: whom I love. With him, I am well pleased listen
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: down to the ground, terrified, but Jesus came and touched them.
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: Get up, He said, don't be afraid. When they looked up,
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, don't tell any one
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: what you have seen until the Son of Man has
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: been raised from the dead. In Luke nine, we get
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: more detail about this event. Luke tells us that Jesus
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: went up the mountain to pray. As he was praying,
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: his face changed in appearance, and his clothes became bright
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: as light. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor,
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. The transfiguration was a
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: pivotal moment in jesus ministry. The disciples were given a
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: glimpse of his divine glory shining through his humanity. They
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: also heard the voice of God himself, confirming that Jesus
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: was his beloved son. After the Transfiguration, Jesus decided it
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: was time to go to Jerusalem, knowing that there he
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: would face the cross. In Luke nine, we read that
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: as the time approached for him to be taken up
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: to Heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. On the way,
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: he continued to teach his disciples what it truly meant
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: to follow him. In Mark eight, he called the crowd
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: and the disciples to him and said, whoever wants to
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: cross and fire. For whoever wants to save their life
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: will lose it. But whoever loses their life for me
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: and for the Gospel will save it. Jesus also began
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: to speak more openly about the suffering he would face.
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: In Mark nine, after coming down from the Mountain of Transfiguration,
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: he was teaching his disciples, saying, the son of Man
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: is going to be delivered into the hands of men.
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: But they didn't understand what he meant and were afraid
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: to ask. As they traveled, the disciples argued about who
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: among them was the greatest. Jesus sat down, called the
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: twelve and said, anyone who wants to be first must
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: be the very last and the servant of all. He
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: took a child, placed him among them, and taking the
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: child in his arms, said, whoever welcomes one of these
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: little children in my name, welcomes me in luke. Jesus
• 52:01
  Speaker 1: sent out seventy two disciples in pairs to every town
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: and place he was about to visit. He told them
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: the harvest is plentiful, but the workers a few. Ask
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: into his harvest field. The seventy two returned with joy
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: and said, Lord, even the demons submit to us in
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: your name. He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: snakes and scorpions, and to overcome all the power of
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: the enemy. Nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your
• 52:42
  Speaker 1: names are written in heaven. As he approached Jericho, a
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. Hearing the
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: him Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He began to shout, Jesus,
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: son of David, have mercy on me. Jesus stop and
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: ordered the man to be brought to him. When he
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: came near, Jesus asked him, what do you want me
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: to do for you? Lord? I want to see, he replied.
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: Jesus said to him, receive your sight. Your faith has
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: healed you. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus.
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: In Jericho, Jesus met Zachaus, a wealthy tax collector. Zachaus
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: had climbed a sycamore fig tree to see Jesus. Jesus
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: looked up and said, Zachaus, come down immediately. I must
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: stay at your house to day. So Zachius came down
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: at once and welcomed him gladly. All who saw this
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: began to grumble, he has gone to be the guest
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: of a sinner. But Zachius stood up and said to
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: the Lord. Look, Lord, here and now I give half
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: of my possessions to the poor. And if I have
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: times the amount Jesus said to him. Today, salvation has
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: come to this house. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he came
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: to Bethany, where his friend Lazarus lived, the same Lazarus
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: he had raised from the dead in John twelve. We
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: read that a dinner was held there in his honor.
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: Martha served while Lazarus was among those reclining at the
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: table with him. Then Mary took a jar of pure
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: nard and expensive perfume, poured it on jesus feet, and
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: wiped his feet with her hair. Tension was rising as
• 54:28
  Speaker 1: Jesus drew nearer to Jerusalem. The religious leaders were becoming
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: increasingly determined to eliminate him, and Jesus was preparing his
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: disciples for the events to come. The decisive hour was
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: drawing near. It was nearly time for the Passover, and
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: many people had gone up to Jerusalem to purify themselves
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: before the festival. They were looking for Jesus, and as
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: they stood in the temple courts, they asked one another,
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: what do you think. Isn't he coming to the festival
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: at all? But the chief priests and the pharisees had
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: report it so they could arrest him. In John twelve
• 55:13
  Speaker 1: we read that six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived
• 55:18
  Speaker 1: at Bethany. The next day, the great crowd that had
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: way to Jerusalem, so they took palm branches and went
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: out to meet him, shouting Hosanna, Blessed is he who
• 55:31
  Speaker 1: comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: King of Israel. In Matthew twenty one, we see how
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: Jesus prepared for his entry into the city. As they
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives,
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: Jesus sent two disciples ahead, saying to them go to
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: the village ahead of you, and at once you will
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: find a donkey tied there with her colt beside her.
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: Untie them and bring them to me. If any one
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them,
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: and he will send them right away. This took place
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet. Say to
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: daughter Zion, see your king comes to you, gentle and
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: a donkey. The disciples went and did as Jesus had
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: A large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: others cut branches from the trees and laid them on
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: the path. The crowds that went ahead of him and
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: those that followed shouted, Hosanna to the son of David.
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: Hosanna in the highest. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: city was stirred and asked who is this. The crowds answered,
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: this is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth. In Galilee. In
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: Luke nineteen some of the Pharisees in the crowd said
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: to Jesus, teacher, rebuke your disciples. He replied, I tell you,
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. As
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, Jesus wept over
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: it and said, if you even you had only known
• 57:18
  Speaker 1: on this day what would bring you peace. But now
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: upon you when your enemies will build embankments against you,
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: surround you and hem you in on every side. They
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: will dash you to the ground. You and the children
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another,
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: because you did not recognize the time of God's coming
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: to you. Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: all who were buying and selling. There. He overturned the
• 57:50
  Speaker 1: tables of the money changes and the benches of those
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: selling doves. It is written he said to them, my
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: house will be called a house of prayer, but you
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: are making it a den of robbers. The blind and
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: the lame came to him at the temple, and he
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: of the law saw the wonderful things he did, and
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: the children shouting in the temple courts Hosanna to the
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: son of David. They were indignant. In the days that
• 58:20
  Speaker 1: followed the triumphal entry, Jesus taught in the temple, directly
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: confronting the religious leaders with parables of judgment and warning.
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: In Matthew twenty one, Jesus told the parable of the
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: two sons. A man had two sons. He went to
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: the first and said, son, go and work to day
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: in the vineyard. The son answered, I will not, But
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: later he changed his mind and went. Then the father
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: went to the other son and said the same thing.
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: He answered, I will, sir, but he did not go.
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked which of the two did what his father
• 58:57
  Speaker 1: wanted the first. They answered. Jesus said to them, truly,
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: entering the Kingdom of God ahead of you. For John
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: came to you to show you the way of righteousness,
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: and you did not believe him, But the tax collectors
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: and the improstitutes did. Jesus then told the parable of
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: the wicked tenants. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: He put a wall around it, dug a wine press
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: in it and built a watch tower. Then he rented
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: the vineyard to some farmers and went on a journey.
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: the tenants to collect his fruit. But the tenants seized
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: Then he sent other servants to them, more than the
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: Last of all, he sent his son to them. They
• 59:54
  Speaker 1: will respect my son, he said. But when the tenants
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: saw the sun, they said to each other, this is
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: So they took him and threw him out of the
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: vineyard and killed him. Jesus asked, when the owner of
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants.
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, they replied,
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: Jesus said to them, have you never read in the scriptures?
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: The stone the builders rejected has become the corner stone.
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 1: The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: our eyes. Therefore, I tell you that the Kingdom of
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: God will be taken away from you and given to
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: a people who will produce its fruit. When the chief
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: priests and the pharisees heard jesus parables, they knew he
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: was talking about them. They looked for a way to
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd. The
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: festival of unleavened bread, called the Passover was approaching. Jesus
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: knew that his hour had come. In John thirteen, we
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: read that having loved his own who were in the world,
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: he loved them to the end. In Luke twenty two,
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 1: Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, go and make preparations
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: us to prepare it, they asked, He replied, as you
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: and say to the owner of the house the teacher asks,
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: where is the guest room where I may eat the
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: Passover with my disciples. He will show you a large
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there. When the time came,
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table, and he
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: in the Kingdom of God. Then he took a cup,
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: gave thanks, and said, take this and share it among yourselves,
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: for I tell you I will not drink again from
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: it to them, saying, this is my body given for
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: you do this in remembrance of me. In the same way,
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: after the supper, he took the cup, saying, this cup
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: out for you. That same night, as recorded in John thirteen,
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: Jesus gave the ultimate example of service. During the meal.
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: He got up from the table, took off his outer garment,
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: poured water into a basin and began to wash his
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: disciple's feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: around him. When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said, Lord,
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: are you going to wash my feet? Jesus replied, you
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: do not realize now what I am doing, but later
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: you will understand. Peter said, no, you shall never wash
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: my feet. Jesus answered, unless I wash you, you have
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: no part with me. After washing their feet, Jesus put
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: on his clothes and returned to his place. He asked them,
• 1:03:17
  Speaker 1: do you understand what I have done for you? You call
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: me teacher and lord, and rightly so, for that is
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: what I am. Now that I, your lord and teacher,
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: I have set you an example that you should do
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: as I have done for you. After finishing the Last
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: Supper and his final teachings, Jesus went out with his
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: disciples to a place he knew well, the garden of
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: gethsemone on the Mount of Olives. In Matthew twenty six
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: we read that he took Peter, James, and John, the
• 1:03:51
  Speaker 1: sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
• 1:03:56
  Speaker 1: Then he said to them, my soul is overwhelmed with
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: watch with me. Going a little farther, he fell with
• 1:04:06
  Speaker 1: his face to the ground and prayed, my father, if
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: it is possible, may this cup be taken from me?
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: Yet not as I will, but as you will. In
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty two, we see that Jesus prayed so earnestly
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: the ground. Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Couldn't
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: you keep watch with me for one hour? He asked, Peter,
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: watch and pray, so that you will not fall into temptation.
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. A
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: second time he went away and prayed, my father, if
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 1: it is not possible for this cup to be taken
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: away unless I drink it, may your will be done.
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: When he returned, he again found them sleeping because their
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: eyes were hea. So he left them and prayed a
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: third time, saying the same words. Then he returned to
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: the disciples and said to them, are you still sleeping
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: and resting? Look? The hour has come and the son
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise,
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: let us go. Here comes my betrayer. In John eighteen
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: we learned that Judas knew where to find Jesus, because
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas came
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: to the garden guiding a detachment of soldiers and some
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: officials from the chief priests and pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns,
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 1: to him, went out and asked them, who is it
• 1:05:45
  Speaker 1: you want, Jesus of Nazareth. They replied, I am he,
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, and Judas, the traitor, was standing there with them.
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: In Matthew twenty six, we're told that Judas had arranged
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: a signal with them, the one I kiss is the
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: man arrest him. Going at once to Jesus, Judas said greetings,
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: Rabbi and kissed him. Jesus replied, friend, do what you
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: came for. Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: arrested him. One of jesus companions, Simon Peter, drew his
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: sword and struck the servant of the high Priest, cutting
• 1:06:25
  Speaker 1: off his ear. In Luke twenty two, Jesus said, no
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: more of this, and he touched the man's ear and
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: healed him. Jesus then said to Peter, put your sword
• 1:06:36
  Speaker 1: back in its place, for all who draw the sword
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: call on my father and he will at once put
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: must happen in this way? Then all the disciples deserted
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: him and fled. Jesus was first taken to the house
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: of Annas, the father in law of Caiaphas, who was
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: the high priest that year, and Us had previously served
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: as high priest and still held considerable influence. He wanted
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: to question Jesus first, hoping to find some charge that
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: would hold up before the Roman authorities. In John eighteen,
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty one, the high priest questioned Jesus about his
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: disciples and his teaching. I have spoken openly to the world,
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: Jesus replied, I always taught in synagogues or at the
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: temple where all the Jews come together. I said nothing
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me.
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: Surely they know what I said. When Jesus said this,
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: one of the officials nearby struck him in the face.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: Is this the way you answer the High priest, he demanded.
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: Jesus calmly replied, if I said something wrong, testify as
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth,
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: why did you st like me? Then Annas sent him,
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: still bound to Caiaphas, the official High Priest. At Caiaphas's house,
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were assembled. Even
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: though it was the middle of the night. They had
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: already decided that Jesus must die. All they needed was
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: a legal justification. In Matthew the twenty six fifty nine
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: to sixty, the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: put him to death, but they did not find any,
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two men stepped
• 1:08:37
  Speaker 1: forward and declared. This man said, I am able to
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: Jesus remained silent in the face of the accusations. Frustrated,
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 1: the High priest stood up and said, to Jesus, are
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: you not going to answer? What is this testimony that
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent.
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: Then Caaphus asked the decisive question, I charge you under
• 1:09:04
  Speaker 1: oath by the Living God. Tell us if you are
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: the Messiah, the son of God. Jesus replied, you have
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: said so, But I say to all of you, from
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: now on you will see the son of Man seated
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: on the clouds of heaven. The high priest, in a
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: dramatic gesture, tore his robes and declared, he has blasphemed,
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: why do we need any more witnesses. You've all heard
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: the blasphemy. What do you think he deserves to die?
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: They all replied. Then they began to spit in Jesus's
• 1:09:38
  Speaker 1: face and punch him. Others slapped him and mocked prophesy
• 1:09:42
  Speaker 1: to us, Messiah, who hit you. Meanwhile, Peter was in
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: the court yard warming himself by the fire. A servant
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: girl came up and said, you also were with Jesus
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: of Galilee, but Peter denied it before them all, I
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: don't know what your talk king about. A little later,
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: another servant girl saw him and said, this man was
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: with Jesus of Nazareth. Again Peter denied it, this time
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: with an oath. I don't know the man. Soon after,
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: those standing near by came to Peter and said, surely
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: you are one of them. Your accent gives you away.
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: Then Peter began to call down curses and swatter them.
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: I don't know the man. At that moment, a rooster
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: crowed in Luke twenty two sixty one sixty two. The
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 1: the word the Lord had spoken to him before. The
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: rooster crows to day you will deny me three times,
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: and he went outside and wept bitterly. At daybreak, all
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: the chief priests and the elders of the people came
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him,
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: led him away, and handed him over to Pilot, the
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: Roman governor. Pilot had the authority to impose the death penalty,
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: something the Jews weren't allowed to do under Roman rule.
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: In John eighteen twenty nine thirty. Pilot came out to
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: them and asked, what charges are you bringing against this man?
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: If he were not a criminal, they replied, we would
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: not have handed him over to you. Pilot said, take
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: him yourselves and judge him by your own law. But
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: we have no right to execute any one, the Jewish
• 1:11:26
  Speaker 1: leaders responded. Pilot then went back inside the palace, summoned
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: Jesus and asked him, are you the king of the Jews?
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 1: Is that your own idea? Jesus asked, or did others
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: talk to you about me? Am I a Jew? Pilot replied,
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: your own people and the chief priests handed you over
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: to me. What is it you have done, Jesus said,
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: My kingdom is not of this world. If it were,
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: So you are a king, then, said Pilot. Jesus answered,
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: you say that I am a king. In fact, the
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: reason I was born and came into the world is
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: to testify to the truth. Every one on the side
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: of truth listens to me. What is truth? Pilot asked.
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: With that, he went out again to the Jews and said,
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: I find no basis for a charge against him. When
• 1:12:30
  Speaker 1: Pilot learned that Jesus was from Galilee, a region under
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: in Jerusalem at the time. In Luke twenty three eight, nine.
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased because for
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: a long time he had wanted to see him from
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 1: what he had heard about him. He hoped to see
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. The
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: chief priests and the teachers of the law stood there,
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: vehemently accusing him. Herod and his soldiers mocked and ridiculed Jesus.
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: to Pilot. Pilot called together the chief priests, the rulers,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: and the people, and said to them, you brought me
• 1:13:20
  Speaker 1: this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion.
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: I have examined him in your presence and have found
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod,
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 1: for he sent him back to us. As you can see,
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: he has done nothing to deserve death. It was Pilot's
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: custom at the festival to release one prisoner of the
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 1: people's choosing. That year, there was a well known prisoner
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: named Barabbas, a murderer who had taken part in a rebellion.
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: The crowd came up and began to ask Pilot to
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: do for them what he usually did. Do you want
• 1:13:56
  Speaker 1: me to release the king of the Jews, asked Pilot. No,
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: it was out of envy that the chief priests had
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: up the crowd to ask for Barabas instead. What shall
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 1: I do then with Jesus, who is called the messiah?
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 1: Pilot asked, crucify him. They all shouted, Why? What crime
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: has he committed? Asked Pilot, But they shouted all the louder,
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: crucify him. Seeing that he was getting nowhere and that
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: an uproar was starting, Pilot took water and washed his
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: hands in front of the crowd. I am innocent of
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 1: this man's blood, he said, It is your responsibility. All
• 1:14:38
  Speaker 1: the people answered, let his blood be on us and
• 1:14:41
  Speaker 1: on our children. Then Pilot released Barabas to them. He
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: The governor's soldiers took Jesus into the pretorium and gathered
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 1: and put a scarlet robe on him. They twisted together
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: a crown of thorns and set it on his head.
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: They put a staff in his right hand, and, kneeling
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: before him, mocked him, Hail, King of the Jews in
• 1:15:13
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty seven thirty thirty one. They spit on him
• 1:15:17
  Speaker 1: and took the staff and struck him on the head
• 1:15:19
  Speaker 1: again and again. After they had mocked him, they took
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: off the robe and put his own clothes on him.
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: Then they led him away to crucify him. As they
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: were going out, they met a man from Syreene named Simon,
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: and they forced him to carry the cross. They came
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: to a place called Golgotha, which means the place of
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: the Skull. There they offered Jesus wine mixed with gall
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 1: but after tasting it, he refused to drink it in
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: Mark fifteen twenty four to twenty five, and they crucified him.
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: each would get. It was nine in the morning when
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: they crucified. Above his head they placed the written charge
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 1: against him, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: insults at him. Shaking their heads and saying, you who
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: are going to destroy the temple and build it in
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 1: three days, save yourself. Come down from the cross if
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: you are the son of God. In the same way,
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: elders mocked him. He saved others, they said, but he
• 1:16:32
  Speaker 1: can't save himself. He's the king of Israel. Let him
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 1: come down now from the cross, and we'll believe in him.
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: he wants him, For he said, I am the son
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 1: of God. In Luke twenty three thirty nine to forty three,
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 1: one of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him,
• 1:16:55
  Speaker 1: aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us? But the
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 1: other criminal rebut duked him. Don't you fear God? He said,
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: since you are under the same sentence. We are punished justly,
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: for we're getting what our deeds deserve. But this man
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: has done nothing wrong. Then he said, Jesus, remember me
• 1:17:14
  Speaker 1: when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, truly,
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: I tell you to day you will be with me
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: in Paradise. Jesus, seeing his mother there and the disciple
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: whom he loved, standing near by, said to is mother, woman,
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: here is your son. Then he said to the disciple,
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: here is your mother. From that time on, the disciple
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: took her into his home. At noon, darkness covered the
• 1:17:43
  Speaker 1: entire land and remained until three in the afternoon. No
• 1:17:47
  Speaker 1: one understood what was happening. The sun had completely darkened,
• 1:17:51
  Speaker 1: as if nature itself were mourning what was taking place
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 1: on that cross. At around three o'clock, Jesus cried out
• 1:17:58
  Speaker 1: in a loud voice, eloi eloi Lama sabachthani, which means
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? These words,
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: taken from Psalm twenty two, revealed the deep spiritual anguish
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: Jesus was experiencing in that moment. Some of those standing
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: near by said, he's calling Elijah, knowing that everything had
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: now been completed and so that scripture would be fulfilled.
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, I am thirsty. In John nineteen twenty nine
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: to thirty, we read a jar of wine vinegar was there,
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 1: on a stalk of the hissop plant, and lifted it
• 1:18:39
  Speaker 1: to jesus lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said,
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: it is finished. With that, he bowed his head and
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 1: gave up his spirit. Luke adds that Jesus called out
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: in a loud voice, Father, into your hands, I commit
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 1: my spirit. Having said this, he breathed his last. At
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: that moment, something extraordinary happened. According to Matthew twenty seven
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: fifty one fifty three, the curtain of the Temple was
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 1: torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook,
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: the rocks split, and the tombs broke open. The bodies
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 1: They came out of the tombs after Jesus's resurrection and
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 1: went into the Holy City and appeared to many people.
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: The temple curtain, which separated the Holy Place from the
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: most Holy Place, was a thick and tall veil. Its
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: tearing from top to bottom symbolized that access to God,
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: once reserved only for the high priest once a year,
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: was now open to everyone through Jesus. The Centurion and
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: those with him who were guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: and all that had happened, were terrified and exclaimed surely
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: he was the son of God. Many women were watching
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: care for him. Among them were Mary Magdalen, Mary the
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 1: mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: sons of Zebede. Since it was the day of preparation,
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 1: that is, the day before the Sabbath, the Jews did
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath,
• 1:20:19
  Speaker 1: especially because that Sabbath was a high holy day, so
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: they asked Pilot to have the legs of the crucified
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers broke the
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus,
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: and then those of the other, but when they came
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 1: to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they
• 1:20:43
  Speaker 1: did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers
• 1:20:47
  Speaker 1: pierced Jesus's side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: of blood and water. This fulfilled the scriptures that say,
• 1:20:55
  Speaker 1: not one of his bones will be broken, and they
• 1:20:58
  Speaker 1: will look on the one they have pierced. That Friday afternoon,
• 1:21:02
  Speaker 1: as the sun began to set and the sabbath approached,
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: a wealthy and respected man from the city of Arimathea
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: decided to take a bold step. His name was Joseph,
• 1:21:14
  Speaker 1: a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. Unlike
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: most of his peers, he was a good and upright
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: man who had not agreed with their decision or actions.
• 1:21:26
  Speaker 1: As recorded in Luke twenty three fifty fifty one, now
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: there was a man named Joseph, a member of the council,
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: a good and upright man who had not consented to
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: their decision and action. He came from the Judean town
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: of Arimathea and was waiting for the Kingdom of God.
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus, afraid of the
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: Jewish leaders, but now seeing his master's body hanging on
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: the cross, he found the courage to act. Mark fifteen
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 1: forty three tells us Joseph of our Mathea, a prominent
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: member of the council, who was himself waiting for the
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: Kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilot and asked for
• 1:22:07
  Speaker 1: jesus body. Pilot was surprised to hear that Jesus was
• 1:22:11
  Speaker 1: already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked if Jesus had
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: already died. When the centurion confirmed it. Pilot gave the
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: body to Joseph. Joseph was not alone in this task.
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 1: According to John nineteen thirty nine forty, he was accompanied
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 1: Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about seventy
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: five pounds. Taking Jesus's body, the two of them wrapped
• 1:22:42
  Speaker 1: it with the spices in strips of linen. This was
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 1: in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: garden a new tomb in which no one had ever
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: and the tomb was near by, they laid Jesus there.
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty seven fifty nine sixty recounts Joseph took the body,
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: in his own new tomb that he had cut out
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 1: of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 1: Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, saw where he
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: was laid. The women who had come with Jesus from
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his
• 1:23:31
  Speaker 1: body was placed in it. Then they went home and
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: prepared spices and perfumes to anoint the body. But they
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 1: rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. The
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: next day, the one after preparation day, the chief priests
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: and the Pharisees went to Pilot in Matthew twenty seven
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: sixty three sixty five. They said, Sir, we remember that
• 1:23:55
  Speaker 1: while he was still alive, that deceiver said, after three
• 1:23:59
  Speaker 1: days I will rise again. So give the order for
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 1: the tomb to be made secure until the third day.
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: Tho the wise his disciples may come and steal the
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: body and tell the people that he has been raised
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: from the dead. This last deception will be worse than
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: the first. Pilot replied, take a guard. Go make the
• 1:24:21
  Speaker 1: tomb as secure as you know. How So they went
• 1:24:24
  Speaker 1: and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 1: posting the guard. Jesus body now lay in a cold,
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: dark tomb, sealed with an official Roman seal and guarded
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: by soldiers. To the disciples, all seemed lost their dreams
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: and Hopes were buried with their master. But while they mourned,
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: something amazing was about to happen. The first day of
• 1:24:49
  Speaker 1: the week was just beginning to dawn. The sun had
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 1: barely risen over the horizon when Mary Magdalene, Mary the
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 1: mother of James, and Salome set out toward the tomb.
• 1:25:02
  Speaker 1: They were carrying fragrant spices they had prepared to anoint
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: the body of Jesus. As they walked, they spoke anxiously
• 1:25:11
  Speaker 1: to each other, who will roll the stone away from
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: the entrance of the tomb? For us it was a
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 1: very large and heavy stone, one they knew they couldn't
• 1:25:20
  Speaker 1: move on their own. But when they arrived they saw
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: that the stone had already been rolled away, as Mark
• 1:25:26
  Speaker 1: sixteen four says. But when they looked up, they saw
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 1: that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 1: Suddenly the earth began to shake. According to Matthew twenty
• 1:25:38
  Speaker 1: eight two to four, there was a violent earthquake, for
• 1:25:41
  Speaker 1: an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and,
• 1:25:44
  Speaker 1: going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat
• 1:25:47
  Speaker 1: on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes
• 1:25:50
  Speaker 1: were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: him that they shook and became like dead men. Upon
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: seeing the open tomb, Mary Magdalen ran immediately to tell
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: the disciples. The other women, however, went inside, as described
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 1: in Luke twenty four three to four. But when they
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. The women
• 1:26:21
  Speaker 1: were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. But
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 1: the men said, why do you look for the living
• 1:26:26
  Speaker 1: among the dead. He is not here. He has risen.
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 1: Remember how he told you while he was still with
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: you in Galilee, the son of Man must be delivered
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: into the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the
• 1:26:39
  Speaker 1: third day be raised again. Then they remembered jesus words.
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: Leaving the tomb, they ran, filled with fear and great joy,
• 1:26:47
  Speaker 1: to tell the disciples. On their way, Jesus appeared to
• 1:26:51
  Speaker 1: them and said greetings. They approached him, took hold of
• 1:26:55
  Speaker 1: his feet, and worshiped him. Jesus said to them, do
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 1: not be afraid, go and tell my brothers to go
• 1:27:00
  Speaker 1: to Galilee. There they will see me. Meanwhile, Mary Magdalen
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 1: had already reached Peter and John. As we read in
• 1:27:08
  Speaker 1: John twenty two, they have taken the Lord out of
• 1:27:11
  Speaker 1: the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him.
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 1: Peter and John ran together toward the tomb. John, being younger,
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: out ran Peter and arrived first. He bent over and
• 1:27:24
  Speaker 1: saw the linen strips lying there, but did not go in.
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 1: Then Peter arrived and went into the tomb. He saw
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: the linen strips and also the cloth that had been
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: around jesus head. The cloth was not lying with the linen,
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: but was folded up by itself separate. Then John also
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: went in. He saw and believed. Until that moment they
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: still hadn't understood from scripture that Jesus had to rise
• 1:27:50
  Speaker 1: from the dead. The disciples went back to their homes,
• 1:27:54
  Speaker 1: but Mary remained outside the tomb, weeping. As she wept,
• 1:27:58
  Speaker 1: she bent over to look into the tomb and saw
• 1:28:01
  Speaker 1: two angels in white seated where jesus body had been,
• 1:28:05
  Speaker 1: one at the head and the other at the foot.
• 1:28:08
  Speaker 1: They asked her, woman, why are you crying? She replied,
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: where they have put him. At this, she turned around
• 1:28:20
  Speaker 1: and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn't recognize him.
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: Jesus asked her, woman, why are you crying? Who is
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: it you're looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir,
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: if you have carried him away, tell me where you
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 1: have put him, and I will get him. Jesus said
• 1:28:39
  Speaker 1: to her Mary. She turned toward him and cried out
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: in Aramaic raboni, which means teacher. Jesus said, do not
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 1: hold on to me, for I have not yet returned
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 1: to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell
• 1:28:53
  Speaker 1: them I am returning to my father and your father,
• 1:28:56
  Speaker 1: to my God and your God. Mary Magdalen went to
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: the disciples with the news I have seen the Lord,
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 1: and she told them what he had said to her.
• 1:29:06
  Speaker 1: At the same time, some of the guards went into
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: the city and reported to the chief priests everything that
• 1:29:12
  Speaker 1: had happened. According to Matthew twenty eighth twelve to fifteen,
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 1: when the chief priests had met with the elders and
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: of money, telling them, you are to say his disciples
• 1:29:28
  Speaker 1: came during the night and stole him away while we
• 1:29:30
  Speaker 1: were asleep. If this report gets to the governor, we
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 1: will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble. So
• 1:29:37
  Speaker 1: the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed,
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 1: and this story has been widely circulated among the Jews
• 1:29:44
  Speaker 1: to this very day. That same day, the day of
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: the Resurrection, two disciples were walking to a village called Emmaeus,
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: about eleven kilometers from Jerusalem. They were discussing everything that
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: had happened. As they talked and debated, Jesus himself came
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: up and walked along with them, but they were kept
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: from recognizing him. In Luke twenty four to seventeen nineteen,
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: He asked them, what are you discussing together as you
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them,
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 1: named Cleopus, asked him, are you the only visitor to
• 1:30:22
  Speaker 1: Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened
• 1:30:25
  Speaker 1: there in these days? What things? He asked about Jesus
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: of Nazareth, They replied he was a prophet, powerful in
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: word and deed before God and all the people. They
• 1:30:39
  Speaker 1: explained how they had hoped he would be the one
• 1:30:41
  Speaker 1: to redeem Israel, but it had already been three days
• 1:30:45
  Speaker 1: since he was crucified. They also mentioned how some women
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: had amazed them, saying they didn't find his body and
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: had seen angels who told them he was alive. Jesus
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: said to them, how foolish you are, and how slow
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter
• 1:31:07
  Speaker 1: his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: he explained to them what was said about himself in
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: all the scriptures. As they approached the village they were
• 1:31:18
  Speaker 1: heading to, Jesus acted as if he were going farther,
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: but they urged him strongly stay with us, for it
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: is nearly evening. The day is almost over. So he
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: went in to stay with them. When he was at
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 1: the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it,
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: and began to give it to them. Then their eyes
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 1: were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from
• 1:31:43
  Speaker 1: their sight. They asked each other, were not our hearts
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: burning within us? While he talked with us on the
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: road and opened the scriptures to us, They got up
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: eleven and those with them a semi together and saying,
• 1:32:01
  Speaker 1: it is true the Lord has risen and has appeared
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 1: to Simon. Then the two told what had happened on
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: the way and how Jesus was recognized by them when
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: he broke the bread. While they were still talking about this,
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: Jesus himself stood among them and said, peace be with you.
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 1: They were startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost.
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 1: He said to them, why are you troubled, and why
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 1: do doubts rise in your hearts? Look at my hands
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 1: and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see.
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 1: A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: see I have. When he had said this, he showed
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: them his hands and feet, and while they still did
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them,
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: do you have anything here to eat? They gave him
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and
• 1:32:53
  Speaker 1: ate it in their presence. In John twenty twenty four
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 1: twenty five, Thomas, one of the Twelve also called Didymus,
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 1: was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: other disciples told him we have seen the Lord. But
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: he said to them, unless I see the nail marks
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: in his hands and put my finger where the nails were,
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: and put my hand into his side. I will not believe.
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: A week later, his disciples were in the house again,
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: and Thomas was with them, though the doors were locked.
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 1: Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be
• 1:33:30
  Speaker 1: with you. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger
• 1:33:33
  Speaker 1: here see my hands. Reach out your hand and put
• 1:33:36
  Speaker 1: it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 1: to him, my Lord and my God. Then Jesus told him,
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 1: because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: those who have not seen and yet have believed. After this,
• 1:33:53
  Speaker 1: some of the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
• 1:33:57
  Speaker 1: Among them were Simon, Peter, Nathaniel, the sons of Zebede,
• 1:34:02
  Speaker 1: and two other disciples. In John twenty one three to six,
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 1: Simon Peter said I'm going out to fish, and they
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: said we'll go with you. So they went out and
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 1: got into the boat. But that night they caught nothing.
• 1:34:16
  Speaker 1: Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but
• 1:34:19
  Speaker 1: the disciples did not realize it was Jesus. He called
• 1:34:22
  Speaker 1: out to them, friends, do you have any food? No,
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: they answered, He said, throw your net on the right
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: side of the boat, and you will find some. When
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: they did, they were unable to haul the net in
• 1:34:37
  Speaker 1: because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple
• 1:34:41
  Speaker 1: whom Jesus loved, said to Peter, it is the Lord.
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 1: As soon as Simon Peter heard him say it is
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 1: the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him, for
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: he had taken it off, and jumped into the water.
• 1:34:56
  Speaker 1: The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: full of fish. When they landed, they saw a fire
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 1: of burning coals with fish on it and some bread.
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish you
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 1: have just caught. Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the
• 1:35:15
  Speaker 1: net ashore. It was full of large fish, one hundred
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: and fifty three in all, but even with so many,
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 1: the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, come
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 1: and have breakfast. None of the disciples dared ask him,
• 1:35:29
  Speaker 1: who are you? They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came,
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 1: took the bread and gave it to them, and did
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: the same with the fish. After they had eaten, Jesus
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: said to Simon Peter, Simon's son of John, do you
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: love me more than these yes, Lord, he said, you
• 1:35:45
  Speaker 1: know that I love you. Jesus said, feed my lambs. Again,
• 1:35:49
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, Simon's son of John, do you love me?
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: He answered, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: Jesus said, take care of my sheep. The third time,
• 1:36:01
  Speaker 1: he said to him, Simon's son of John, do you
• 1:36:03
  Speaker 1: love me. Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the
• 1:36:06
  Speaker 1: third time, do you love me? He said, Lord, you
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said,
• 1:36:13
  Speaker 1: feed my sheep. Jesus also appeared to more than five
• 1:36:17
  Speaker 1: hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time,
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: as Paul later recorded in First Corinthians fifteen to six.
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of
• 1:36:32
  Speaker 1: whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. For
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: forty days after his resurrection, Jesus continued to appear to
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: his followers, teaching them about the Kingdom of God. In
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: Acts one three, after his suffering, he presented himself to
• 1:36:49
  Speaker 1: them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: He appeared to them over a period of forty days
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: and spoke about the Kingdom of God. These appearances made
• 1:37:01
  Speaker 1: it unmistakably clear that Jesus had conquered death. His disciples,
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 1: who had fled in fear when he was arrested, were
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 1: now being transformed by their encounters with the risen one.
• 1:37:14
  Speaker 1: Those once frightened men and women soon became bold witnesses,
• 1:37:18
  Speaker 1: willing to die for the truth they had seen and heard.
• 1:37:22
  Speaker 1: Jesus is alive. As the forty Days came to an end,
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: Jesus gathered his disciples on the Mount of Olives near
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: Bethany for final instructions and his farewell in Acts one
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 1: four five. On one occasion, while he was eating with them,
• 1:37:40
  Speaker 1: he gave them this command, do not leave Jerusalem, but
• 1:37:43
  Speaker 1: wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have
• 1:37:46
  Speaker 1: heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 1: in a few days you will be baptized with the
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked, Lord,
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: are you at this time going to restore or the
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: kingdom to Israel. He said to them, it is not
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: for you to know the times or dates the Father
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 1: has set by his own authority, But you will receive
• 1:38:09
  Speaker 1: power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you
• 1:38:13
  Speaker 1: will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 1: then gave what became known as the Great Commission. In
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: Matthew twenty eighth eighteen twenty, then Jesus came to them
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: and said, all authority in heaven and on earth has
• 1:38:35
  Speaker 1: been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
• 1:38:42
  Speaker 1: and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 1: surely I am with you always to the very end
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: of the age. In Mark sixteen fifteen to eighteen, Jesus added,
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: go into all the world and preach them the Gospel
• 1:39:00
  Speaker 1: to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: signs will accompany those who believe in my name. They
• 1:39:13
  Speaker 1: will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues.
• 1:39:16
  Speaker 1: They will pick up snakes with their hands, and when
• 1:39:19
  Speaker 1: they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all.
• 1:39:23
  Speaker 1: They will place their hands on sick people and they
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 1: will get well. After saying this, Jesus raised his hands
• 1:39:30
  Speaker 1: and blessed them. In Luke twenty four fifty one. While
• 1:39:33
  Speaker 1: he was blessing them, he left them and was taken
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: up into heaven. In Acts one nine to eleven, it
• 1:39:40
  Speaker 1: says after he said this, he was taken up before
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 1: They were looking intently up into the sky as he
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 1: was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 1: beside them, men of Galilee. They said, why do you
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: stand here looking into the sky. This same Jesus who
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: has been taken from you into heaven, will come back
• 1:40:06
  Speaker 1: in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: The disciples worshiped Jesus, and filled with joy, returned to Jerusalem.
• 1:40:16
  Speaker 1: Luke twenty four fifty two to fifty three says, then
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
• 1:40:23
  Speaker 1: and they stayed continually at the temple praising God. In Jerusalem,
• 1:40:28
  Speaker 1: the disciples gathered in the upper room where they used
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: to stay. There were Peter, John James, and Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew,
• 1:40:37
  Speaker 1: and Matthew James, son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas,
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer,
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: along with the women Mary, the mother of Jesus, and
• 1:40:49
  Speaker 1: his brothers. The ascension marked the end of jesus physical
• 1:40:53
  Speaker 1: presence on earth, but it was far from the end
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: of his story. The disciples understood that this was not
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: the conclusion, but a new beginning. Jesus had conquered death
• 1:41:05
  Speaker 1: and ascended into heaven, but he had also promised to return.
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: In the meantime, they had a mission to fulfill, to
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 1: be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. The
• 1:41:17
  Speaker 1: promise of Jesus's return gave the disciples a living hope.
• 1:41:22
  Speaker 1: They knew that what they had witnessed, the risen Jesus
• 1:41:25
  Speaker 1: ascending into heaven, was only a prelude to what was
• 1:41:29
  Speaker 1: to come. Jesus would return in the same way you
• 1:41:33
  Speaker 1: saw him go. This certainty empowered them to preach the
• 1:41:38
  Speaker 1: gospel boldly, even in the face of persecution and death.
• 1:41:43
  Speaker 1: After Jesus' ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem full of joy,
• 1:41:49
  Speaker 1: Obeying the Master's instructions. They remained in the city waiting
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: for the Father's promise for ten days around one hundred
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: and twenty followers of Jesus gathered regularly in prayer in
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: the upper room of a house. When the day of
• 1:42:03
  Speaker 1: Pentecost came fifty days after Passover, they were all together
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: in one place Acts two two four says Suddenly a
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from
• 1:42:18
  Speaker 1: heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
• 1:42:22
  Speaker 1: They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that
• 1:42:24
  Speaker 1: separated and came to rest on each of them. All
• 1:42:28
  Speaker 1: of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began
• 1:42:31
  Speaker 1: to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled them.
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: At that time, Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews from
• 1:42:39
  Speaker 1: every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a
• 1:42:43
  Speaker 1: crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard them
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 1: speaking in his own native language. Amazed, they asked one another,
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then? How is
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: it that each of us hears them in our native language?
• 1:42:58
  Speaker 1: But some made fun of them, and Stas said they
• 1:43:00
  Speaker 1: have had too much wine. Peter, who had once denied
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: knowing Jesus, now stood up with the other eleven apostles
• 1:43:08
  Speaker 1: and raised his voice to address the crowd. In Acts
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: two fourteen seventeen, he said, fellow Jews and all of
• 1:43:15
  Speaker 1: you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you.
• 1:43:19
  Speaker 1: Listen carefully to what I say. These people are not
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 1: drunk as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning. No,
• 1:43:27
  Speaker 1: this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel in
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: the last days. God says, I will pour out my
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: your young men will see visions, your old men will
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 1: dream dreams. Peter then boldly proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth,
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 1: whom they had crucified, had been raised by God in
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 1: fulfillment of David's prophecies. He concluded with words that pierce
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 1: their hearts. Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this.
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 1: God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord
• 1:44:02
  Speaker 1: and Messiah. When the people heard this, they were deeply
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: moved and asked Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 1: shall we do. Peter replied in Acts two thirty eight
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: thirty nine, repent and be baptized, every one of you
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: your sins, and you will receive the gift of the
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children,
• 1:44:27
  Speaker 1: and for all who are far off, for all whom
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: the Lord our God will call. With many other words,
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: Peter warned and pleaded with them. Those who accepted his
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: message were baptized, and that day about three thousand were
• 1:44:42
  Speaker 1: added to their number. A new movement had begun the church,
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: the Community of Jesus Followers, was beginning its journey. The
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: new believers devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching to fellowship,
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 1: to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. A deep
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 1: sense of awe came aim over everyone, and many wonders
• 1:45:03
  Speaker 1: and signs were performed by the apostles. One striking characteristic
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: of this new movement was the love members showed for
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: one another. In Acts two forty four to forty five,
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: all the believers were together and had everything in common.
• 1:45:18
  Speaker 1: They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: had need. Day by day they met together in the
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: temple courts and in their homes. They shared meals with
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 1: glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor
• 1:45:33
  Speaker 1: of all the people. A spirit of generosity and unity
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: defined this community. For instance, As four tells us about
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: a man named Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas, which
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: means son of encouragement. He was a Levite from Cyprus
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: who owned a field. He sold it, brought the money
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: and laid it at the apostle's feet to be distributed
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 1: to those in need. This way of living deeply impressed
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 1: them people of Jerusalem. Acts two forty seven says they
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 1: were praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people,
• 1:46:07
  Speaker 1: and the Lord added to their number daily those who
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 1: were being saved. The number of followers grew rapidly. Soon,
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: as we read in Acts four to four, many who
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: heard the message believed, so the number of men who
• 1:46:21
  Speaker 1: believed grew to about five thousand, including women and children.
• 1:46:26
  Speaker 1: The community already numbered in the thousands. The apostles continued
• 1:46:30
  Speaker 1: to perform signs and wonders among the people. People brought
• 1:46:35
  Speaker 1: the sick into the streets and laid them on beds
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: and mats, so that at least Peter's shadow might fall
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. However,
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: not everything was perfect in that community. In Acts five,
• 1:46:59
  Speaker 1: a supple named Anonius and Saphira tried to deceive the
• 1:47:03
  Speaker 1: apostles and the community. They sold a piece of property,
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: but secretly kept part of the money while claiming to
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 1: donate the full amount. Peter confronted Anonius, how is it
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 1: that Satan has so filled your heart that you have
• 1:47:19
  Speaker 1: lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for yourself some
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: of the money you received for the land. Didn't it
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 1: belong to you before it was sold? And after it
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 1: was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 1: you think of doing such a thing. You have not
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 1: lied just to human beings, but to God. When Anonius
• 1:47:39
  Speaker 1: heard this, he fell down and died. A few hours later,
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: his wife Saphira, unaware of what had happened, came in
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 1: and also lied to Peter. She too fell dead. Great
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 1: fear seized the whole church and all who heard about
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 1: these events. Despite this incident, the church kept growing. In
• 1:47:59
  Speaker 1: Acts seven, it says the word of God spread. The
• 1:48:03
  Speaker 1: number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 1: number of priests became obedient to the faith, but growth
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: brought challenges. A complaint arose from the Greek speaking Jews
• 1:48:15
  Speaker 1: against the Hebrew speaking Jews because their widows were being
• 1:48:19
  Speaker 1: overlooked in the daily food distribution. The Apostles realized they
• 1:48:23
  Speaker 1: needed help handling practical matters. In Acts six two two four,
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: they said, it would not be right for us to
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 1: to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 1: from among you who are known to be full of
• 1:48:41
  Speaker 1: the spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 1: to them and will give our attention to prayer and
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 1: the ministry of the Word. The community chose seven men,
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: including Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: The apostles prayed and laid their hands on them. This
• 1:49:00
  Speaker 1: it marked the beginning of the ministry of deacons, who
• 1:49:02
  Speaker 1: took care of the community's practical needs so the apostles
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: could focus on teaching and prayer. So in just a
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 1: few years, the small group of Jesus followers had become
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: a vibrant movement that grew daily. Their mutual love, fellowship,
• 1:49:20
  Speaker 1: bold witness, and generosity amazed everyone who saw them. It
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 1: was the beginning of a spiritual revolution that would change
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 1: the world. The rapid growth of the Church began to
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 1: unsettle the religious authorities in Jerusalem. The same leaders who
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 1: had persecuted Jesus now turned their attention to his followers.
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: The first wave of persecution began when the apostles Peter
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: and John healed a man who had been lame from birth.
• 1:49:50
  Speaker 1: The miracle drew a crowd, and Peter took the opportunity
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: to speak about Jesus. In Acts three fifteen sixteen, he said,
• 1:49:59
  Speaker 1: you killed the author of life, but God raised him
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 1: from the dead. We are witnesses of this by faith
• 1:50:05
  Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus. This man, whom you see
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 1: and know, was made strong. It is Jesus name and
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 1: the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him,
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 1: as you can all see. While Peter and John were
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: still speaking, the priests, the captain of the Temple God,
• 1:50:22
  Speaker 1: and some sadducees came up to them. They were disturbed
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 1: because the apostles were teaching that in Jesus there is
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 1: resurrection from the dead. They arrested Peter and John and
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: held them in custody until the next day. The next day,
• 1:50:37
  Speaker 1: the religious leaders questioned them, by what power or what
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 1: name did you do this? Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
• 1:50:46
  Speaker 1: boldly replied in Acts four ten twelve, No, in this
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: you and all the people of Israel, it is by
• 1:50:54
  Speaker 1: the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 1: but whom God raised from the dead, that this man
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 1: stands before you. Healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected,
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 1: which has become the corner stone. Salvation is found in
• 1:51:10
  Speaker 1: no one else, for there is no other name under
• 1:51:13
  Speaker 1: Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 1: The leaders were amazed at Peter and John's courage, ordinary
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 1: men with no formal education. They realized these men had
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 1: been with Jesus. Since they couldn't deny the miracle as
• 1:51:29
  Speaker 1: the healed man was standing right there, they only threatened
• 1:51:32
  Speaker 1: them and ordered them not to speak any more in
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: Jesus name. Peter and John replied, which is right in
• 1:51:38
  Speaker 1: God's eyes to listen to you or to him. You
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 1: be the judges. As for us, we cannot help speaking
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 1: about what we have seen and heard. After more threats,
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 1: they were released. They returned to their community and reported
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 1: everything that had happened. Together, they prayed for even more
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: boldness to proclaim God's word. The place where they were
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 1: meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with the
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, speaking the word of God boldly. Persecution intensified
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 1: as the apostles continued to perform signs and wonders. In
• 1:52:15
  Speaker 1: Acts five, the High Priest and his associates, who were sadducees,
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put
• 1:52:24
  Speaker 1: them in the public jail. But during the night, an
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: them out, saying, go stand in the temple courts and
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 1: tell the people all about this new life. Obediently, they
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: went into the temple at dawn and began teaching the people.
• 1:52:43
  Speaker 1: When the High Priest and his associates called together the
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: Sanhedrin and sent for the apostles, the guards didn't find
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: them in the prison. They came back and reported, we
• 1:52:53
  Speaker 1: found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at
• 1:52:56
  Speaker 1: the doors, but when we opened them, we found no
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 1: one in the Perplexed, the leaders soon got word that
• 1:53:04
  Speaker 1: the men they had arrested were in the temple courts
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 1: teaching the people. The apostles were brought in and questioned,
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: we gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,
• 1:53:15
  Speaker 1: yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 1: determined to make us guilty of this man's blood. In
• 1:53:21
  Speaker 1: Acts five twenty nine thirty two, Peter and the other
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 1: apostles replied, we must obey God rather than human beings.
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead,
• 1:53:35
  Speaker 1: whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God
• 1:53:38
  Speaker 1: exalted him to his own right hand as prince and savior,
• 1:53:41
  Speaker 1: that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 1: We are witnesses of these things, and so is the
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.
• 1:53:53
  Speaker 1: The members of the Sanhedrin were furious and wanted to
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 1: kill them, but a pharisee named Gamaliel, a respected teacher
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 1: of the law, advised caution, men of Israel, consider carefully
• 1:54:06
  Speaker 1: what you intend to do to these men. If what
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 1: they are doing is from God, you will not be
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 1: able to stop them. You will only find yourselves fighting
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: against God. The council agreed with him. They called in
• 1:54:19
  Speaker 1: the apostles, had them flogged and ordered them not to
• 1:54:22
  Speaker 1: speak in the name of Jesus any more. Then they
• 1:54:25
  Speaker 1: let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 1: they had been considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the name.
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: Day after day in the temple courts and from house
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming that Jesus
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: is the Christ. Meanwhile, Stephen, one of these seven deacons chosen,
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: stood out for his faith and power. In Acts six eight, Stephen,
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: a man full of God's grace and power, performed great
• 1:54:55
  Speaker 1: wonders and signs among the people. Some Jews from the
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 1: Synagogue of the Freedmen began to argue with Stephen, but
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 1: they couldn't stand up against the wisdomen the spirit by
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: which he spoke. So they secretly persuaded some men to say,
• 1:55:09
  Speaker 1: we have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and
• 1:55:13
  Speaker 1: against God. They stirred up the people, the elders and
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 1: him before the Sanhedrin, where they presented false witnesses who said,
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: this man never stop speaking against this holy place. And
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 1: against the law. For we have heard him say that
• 1:55:31
  Speaker 1: this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change
• 1:55:35
  Speaker 1: the customs Moses handed down to us. All who were
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 1: saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
• 1:55:46
  Speaker 1: Then the High Priest asked, Stephen, are these accusations true.
• 1:55:51
  Speaker 1: Stephen responded with a long speech recounting the history of
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 1: Israel from Abraham to Solomon, showing how the people had
• 1:55:58
  Speaker 1: repeatedly resisted did God's messengers. He ended with strong words
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 1: in Acts seven fifty one fifty three, You stiff necked people,
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 1: like your ancestors. You always resist the Holy Spirit. Was
• 1:56:16
  Speaker 1: there ever a prophet Your ancestors did not persecute. They
• 1:56:20
  Speaker 1: even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.
• 1:56:23
  Speaker 1: And now you have betrayed and murdered him, You who
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: have received the law that was given through angels, but
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 1: have not obeyed it. When they heard this, they were
• 1:56:33
  Speaker 1: enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full
• 1:56:37
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: hand of God. In Acts seven fifty five fifty six,
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: he said, look, I see heaven open, and the Son
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 1: of Man standing at the right hand of God. At
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: this they covered their ears and yelling at the top
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 1: of their voices. They all rushed at him, dragged him
• 1:56:59
  Speaker 1: out of the city, and began to stone him. The
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 1: witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed,
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus received my spirit. Then he fell to his
• 1:57:13
  Speaker 1: knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold this sin
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 1: against them. When he had said this, he fell asleep.
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 1: Stephen became the first martyr of the Church. His death
• 1:57:24
  Speaker 1: marked the beginning of a great persecution against the Church
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: in Jerusalem. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout Judea
• 1:57:34
  Speaker 1: and Samaria, But rather than weakening the Church, this dispersion
• 1:57:38
  Speaker 1: led to the spread of the Gospel beyond the borders
• 1:57:41
  Speaker 1: of Jerusalem. Stephen's death intensified the persecution against the Church
• 1:57:47
  Speaker 1: in Jerusalem, and no one was more zealous in this
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: persecution than a young pharisee named Saul of Tarsus in
• 1:57:55
  Speaker 1: Acts eight three, Saul began to destroy the church. Going
• 1:57:59
  Speaker 1: from house to house, he dragged off both men and
• 1:58:02
  Speaker 1: women and put them in prison. Not content with persecuting
• 1:58:05
  Speaker 1: Christians only in Jerusalem, Saul decided to extend his campaign
• 1:58:10
  Speaker 1: to other cities. In Acts nine one to two, Saul
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 1: was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.
• 1:58:20
  Speaker 1: He went to the high priest and asked him for
• 1:58:22
  Speaker 1: letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 1: or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: On the road to Damascus, something extraordinary happened. As Saul
• 1:58:37
  Speaker 1: approached the city. Suddenly, a light from heaven flashed around him.
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: He fell to the ground and heard a voice say
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Who
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 1: are you? Lord? Saul asked, I am Jesus, whom you
• 1:58:54
  Speaker 1: are persecuting. The voice replied, Now get up and go
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: into the city, and you will be told what you
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 1: must do. The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless.
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 1: They heard the sound but did not see any one.
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 1: his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him
• 1:59:14
  Speaker 1: by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind,
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: and he did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus
• 1:59:22
  Speaker 1: there was a disciple named Anonius. The Lord called to
• 1:59:26
  Speaker 1: him in a vision. Anonius, yes, Lord, he answered. The
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 1: Lord told him go to the house of Judas on
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul.
• 1:59:38
  Speaker 1: He is praying in a vision he has seen a
• 1:59:41
  Speaker 1: man named Anonius come and place his hands on him
• 1:59:44
  Speaker 1: to restore his sight. In Acts nine thirteen to sixteen,
• 1:59:49
  Speaker 1: Annius answered, Lord, I have heard many reports about this
• 1:59:53
  Speaker 1: man and all the harm he has done to your
• 1:59:55
  Speaker 1: saints in Jerusalem, and he has come here with authority
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 1: from the chief priests to arrest all who call on
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: your name. But the Lord said to Anonaius, go, this
• 2:00:05
  Speaker 1: man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to
• 2:00:09
  Speaker 1: the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: I will show him how much he must suffer for
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: my name. Then Anonius went to the house, entered it,
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 1: placed his hands on Saul, and said, brother, Saul, the
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 1: Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 1: you were coming. Here has sent me so that you
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately,
• 2:00:37
  Speaker 1: something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could
• 2:00:41
  Speaker 1: see again. He got up and was baptized, and after
• 2:00:44
  Speaker 1: taking some food, he regained his strength. The transformation was complete.
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 1: The persecutor had now become a follower. In Acts nine twenty,
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 1: at once he began to preach in the synagogues that
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 1: Jesus is the Son of God. All who heard him
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 1: were astonished and asked, isn't he the man who raised
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 1: havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?
• 2:01:11
  Speaker 1: And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 1: to the chief priests. But Saul grew more and more
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 1: powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 1: that Jesus is the Christ. After many days had gone by,
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 1: the Jews conspired to kill him. They kept watch on
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: the city gates day and night in order to kill him,
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 1: but his disciples took him by night and lowered him
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: in a basket through an opening in the wall. When
• 2:01:40
  Speaker 1: he came to Jerusalem, Saul tried to join the disciples,
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 1: but they were all afraid of him. Not believing that
• 2:01:47
  Speaker 1: he was really a disciple. Then Barnabas took him and
• 2:01:51
  Speaker 1: brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 1: had seen the Lord on the road, and that the
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he
• 2:02:00
  Speaker 1: had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: stayed with them and moved about freely. In Jerusalem, speaking
• 2:02:08
  Speaker 1: boldly in the name of the Lord, he talked and
• 2:02:10
  Speaker 1: debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.
• 2:02:15
  Speaker 1: When the Believers learned of this, they took him down
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus, his home town. Later,
• 2:02:24
  Speaker 1: as we see in Acts thirteen nine, Saul became known
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: as Paul. From a persecutor of the Church, he became
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 1: its most passionate advocate and the great apostle to the Gentiles.
• 2:02:37
  Speaker 1: Under his new identity, Paul would embark on missionary journeys
• 2:02:42
  Speaker 1: that would take the Gospel to much of the Roman world.
• 2:02:45
  Speaker 1: The conversion of Saul Paul was one of the most
• 2:02:49
  Speaker 1: significant events in the history of the early Church. The
• 2:02:53
  Speaker 1: one who had been the fiercest enemy of the Gospel
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 1: became its most eloquent preacher and defender. The one who
• 2:03:00
  Speaker 1: sought to destroy the Church would help expand it across
• 2:03:04
  Speaker 1: the known world. The persecution that began with the martyrdom
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 1: of Stephen scattered the believers beyond Jerusalem in Acts eight four.
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 1: Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went.
• 2:03:18
  Speaker 1: Though painful, this dispersion served God's purpose of spreading the Gospel. Philip,
• 2:03:24
  Speaker 1: another of the seven Deacons, went to a city in Samaria,
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: and proclaimed Christ there in Acts eight six eight. When
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he performed,
• 2:03:36
  Speaker 1: they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks,
• 2:03:40
  Speaker 1: evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and
• 2:03:43
  Speaker 1: cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 1: Even the Samaritans, long despised by the Jews, were receiving
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 1: the Gospel. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 1: had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and
• 2:04:00
  Speaker 1: John there. They prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: Then they laid their hands on them and they received
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. After this ministry and Samaria, Philip was
• 2:04:12
  Speaker 1: led by the spirit to meet a high ranking Ethiopian
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 1: official who was returning from Jerusalem reading the Book of Isaiah.
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 1: Philip explained the scripture to him, speaking about Jesus, and
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: the Ethiopian asked to be baptized. After they came up
• 2:04:29
  Speaker 1: out of the water, the spirit of the Lord suddenly
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 1: took Philip away, and the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing.
• 2:04:36
  Speaker 1: He likely carried the gospel back to Ethiopia, one of
• 2:04:40
  Speaker 1: the first African countries to receive the Christian message. Meanwhile,
• 2:04:46
  Speaker 1: after his conversion, Paul remained in Tarsus. The church enjoyed
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 1: a time of peace, growing in numbers and living in
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 1: the fear of the Lord. Encouraged by the Holy Spirit,
• 2:04:59
  Speaker 1: Peter travel through the region came to the city of Lida,
• 2:05:02
  Speaker 1: where he healed a paralyzed man named Eneus. In Joppa,
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: he raised a disciple named Tabitha or Dorcas from the dead.
• 2:05:11
  Speaker 1: She was known for her good works and acts of charity.
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 1: Because of these miracles, many turned to the Lord. It
• 2:05:19
  Speaker 1: was in Joppa that one of the most pivotal events
• 2:05:21
  Speaker 1: in early church history took place. In Acts ten, Peter
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 1: had a vision while preying on the rooftop of a house,
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 1: he saw Heaven opened and something like a large sheet
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 1: being let down to earth. Held by its four corners.
• 2:05:36
  Speaker 1: It contained all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds. Then
• 2:05:40
  Speaker 1: a voice told him, get up, Peter, kill and eat.
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: Peter replied, surely not, Lord, I have never eaten anything
• 2:05:48
  Speaker 1: impure or unclean. The voice spoke to him a second time,
• 2:05:53
  Speaker 1: do not call anything impure that God has made clean.
• 2:05:56
  Speaker 1: This happened three times, and then the sheet was take
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: and back to Heaven. While Peter was still wondering about
• 2:06:03
  Speaker 1: the meaning of the vision, messengers arrived from a Roman
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: centurion named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea. He was a
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 1: righteous and god fearing man, respected by all the Jewish people.
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 1: An angel had told him to send for Peter. Led
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: by the spirit, Peter went with them. When he arrived
• 2:06:22
  Speaker 1: at Cornelius's house, he found many people gathered there. Peter
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: said to them, you are well aware that it is
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 1: against our law for a Jew to associate with or
• 2:06:32
  Speaker 1: visit a gentile. But God has shown me that I
• 2:06:36
  Speaker 1: should not call any one impure or unclean. Peter then
• 2:06:40
  Speaker 1: began to speak about Jesus, his ministry, death, and Resurrection
• 2:06:45
  Speaker 1: in Acts ten thirty four thirty five, He said, I
• 2:06:48
  Speaker 1: now realize how true it is that God does not
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who
• 2:06:55
  Speaker 1: fears Him and does what is right. While Peter was
• 2:06:58
  Speaker 1: still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard
• 2:07:02
  Speaker 1: the message. The Jewish believers who had come with Peter
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 1: were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had
• 2:07:07
  Speaker 1: been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard
• 2:07:11
  Speaker 1: them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,
• 2:07:15
  Speaker 1: can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
• 2:07:26
  Speaker 1: When the apostles and believers throughout Judea heard that the
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 1: Gentiles had also received the word of God, the circumcised
• 2:07:34
  Speaker 1: believers criticized Peter, saying, you went into the house of
• 2:07:38
  Speaker 1: uncircumcised men and ate with them. But Peter explained everything
• 2:07:42
  Speaker 1: that had happened, concluding, so if God gave them the
• 2:07:45
  Speaker 1: same gift he gave us, who believed in the Lord
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could
• 2:07:52
  Speaker 1: stand in God's way. When they heard this, they had
• 2:07:57
  Speaker 1: no further objections and praised God, saying so then, even
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 1: to gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life. Meanwhile,
• 2:08:07
  Speaker 1: those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke
• 2:08:10
  Speaker 1: out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus,
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. But some
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: of them men from Cyprus and Syrene, went to Antioch
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 1: and began speaking to Greeks, also telling them the good
• 2:08:27
  Speaker 1: news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them,
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: and a great number of people believed and turned to
• 2:08:36
  Speaker 1: the Lord. The Church in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch.
• 2:08:41
  Speaker 1: When he arrived and saw what the grace of God
• 2:08:43
  Speaker 1: had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to
• 2:08:46
  Speaker 1: remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Then
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 1: Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul, and when
• 2:08:54
  Speaker 1: he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 1: whole year they met with the Church and taught great
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: numbers of people. It was in Antioch that the Disciples
• 2:09:04
  Speaker 1: were first called Christians. The church in Antioch, now a
• 2:09:08
  Speaker 1: major Christian center, would become the launching point for the
• 2:09:11
  Speaker 1: greatest expansion of the Gospel up to that time. In
• 2:09:15
  Speaker 1: Acts thirteen one to three, we read now in the
• 2:09:18
  Speaker 1: church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon
• 2:09:23
  Speaker 1: called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Mannayan, who had been brought
• 2:09:27
  Speaker 1: up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. While they were
• 2:09:31
  Speaker 1: worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set
• 2:09:35
  Speaker 1: apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to
• 2:09:38
  Speaker 1: which I have called them. So after they had fasted
• 2:09:41
  Speaker 1: and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent
• 2:09:44
  Speaker 1: them off. This marked the beginning of Paul's in first
• 2:09:48
  Speaker 1: missionary journey. Accompanied by Barnabas and at first John Mark,
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 1: Paul set sail for the island of Cyprus. In Paephos,
• 2:09:56
  Speaker 1: they converted the Proconsul Sergius Paulas, after confronting a sorcerer
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 1: named Elimas, who had tried to prevent the proconsul from
• 2:10:05
  Speaker 1: accepting the faith. From Cyprus, they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: where John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Continuing
• 2:10:14
  Speaker 1: their journey, they arrived in Pisidian Antioch, On the Sabbath,
• 2:10:19
  Speaker 1: Paul spoke in the synagogue, presenting Jesus as the promised Savior.
• 2:10:24
  Speaker 1: His message had a powerful impact. The following Sabbath, almost
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 1: the entire city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 1: When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with
• 2:10:35
  Speaker 1: jealousy and began contradicting Paul, opposing what he was saying.
• 2:10:41
  Speaker 1: Paul and Barnabas responded boldly in Acts thirteen forty six
• 2:10:45
  Speaker 1: to forty seven, we had to speak the word of
• 2:10:48
  Speaker 1: God to you first, since you reject it and do
• 2:10:51
  Speaker 1: not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life. We now turn
• 2:10:54
  Speaker 1: to the gentiles. For this is what the Lord has
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 1: commanded us. I have made you a light for the gentiles,
• 2:11:01
  Speaker 1: that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
• 2:11:06
  Speaker 1: Hearing this, the Gentiles rejoiced and accepted the word of
• 2:11:10
  Speaker 1: the Lord. But the Jews incited some of the prominent
• 2:11:15
  Speaker 1: god fearing women and the leading men of the city.
• 2:11:18
  Speaker 1: They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled
• 2:11:22
  Speaker 1: them from their region. The two of them then traveled
• 2:11:25
  Speaker 1: to Iconium, where they continued preaching a great number of
• 2:11:29
  Speaker 1: Jews and gentiles believed. Once again, opposition arose and they
• 2:11:35
  Speaker 1: had to flee to Listra. In Listra, Paul healed a
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 1: man who had been lame from birth. The crowd began shouting,
• 2:11:43
  Speaker 1: the gods have come down to us in human form.
• 2:11:46
  Speaker 1: They called Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus brought bulls and
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 1: garlands to the city gates, intending to offer sacrifices to them.
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: When Paul and Barnabas heard this, they tore their clothes
• 2:12:01
  Speaker 1: and rushed into the crowd, shouting, friends, why are you
• 2:12:05
  Speaker 1: doing this? We too are only human like you. We
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 1: are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from
• 2:12:12
  Speaker 1: these worthless things to the living God who made the
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
• 2:12:19
  Speaker 1: Even with these words, they had a hard time stopping
• 2:12:23
  Speaker 1: the crowd from offering sacrifices to them, But soon some
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and persuaded the crowd
• 2:12:31
  Speaker 1: to stone Paul. They dragged him outside the city, thinking
• 2:12:35
  Speaker 1: he was dead, but when the disciples gathered around him,
• 2:12:39
  Speaker 1: he got up and went back into the city. Paul
• 2:12:41
  Speaker 1: and Barnabas then went on to Derby, where they made
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 1: many disciples. Afterward, they returned to Listra, Iconium and Pisidian Antioch,
• 2:12:52
  Speaker 1: strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain in the faith.
• 2:12:57
  Speaker 1: In each church, they appointed elders with prayer and fasting,
• 2:13:01
  Speaker 1: committing them to the Lord. Thus ended their first missionary journey.
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 1: As they returned to Syrian Antioch. Some time later, a
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 1: controversy arose in the church. In Acts fifteen one, it
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: says certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and
• 2:13:18
  Speaker 1: were teaching the believers. Unless you are circumcised, according to
• 2:13:22
  Speaker 1: the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved. Paul
• 2:13:27
  Speaker 1: and Barnabas got into sharp dispute and debate with them.
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 1: So the church decided to send Paul, Barnabas and some
• 2:13:35
  Speaker 1: others to Jerusalem to discuss this matter with the apostles
• 2:13:38
  Speaker 1: and elders. What followed became known as the Council of Jerusalem.
• 2:13:43
  Speaker 1: After much discussion, James, a leader in the Jerusalem Church,
• 2:13:48
  Speaker 1: made a final decision. Gentile converts did not need to
• 2:13:53
  Speaker 1: be circumcised or follow the law of Moses. They were
• 2:13:56
  Speaker 1: simply asked to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, blood
• 2:14:02
  Speaker 1: meet from strangled animals, and sexual immorality. After this council,
• 2:14:07
  Speaker 1: Paul suggested to Barnabas that they returned to visit the
• 2:14:10
  Speaker 1: cities where they had preached to see how the believers
• 2:14:13
  Speaker 1: were doing. Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along, but
• 2:14:17
  Speaker 1: Paul disagreed since Mark had abandoned them during the first journey.
• 2:14:22
  Speaker 1: The disagreement was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas
• 2:14:26
  Speaker 1: took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas
• 2:14:30
  Speaker 1: as his new companion and set out on his second
• 2:14:33
  Speaker 1: missionary journey. In Listre, they met a young disciple named Timothy,
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: whom Paul wanted to take along. Paul had him circumcised
• 2:14:42
  Speaker 1: because of the Jews in that region, since they all
• 2:14:45
  Speaker 1: knew that Timothy's father was Greek. They continued their travels,
• 2:14:49
  Speaker 1: delivering the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: After traveling through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they
• 2:14:58
  Speaker 1: were kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word
• 2:15:01
  Speaker 1: in the province of Asia. They tried to enter Bithynia,
• 2:15:05
  Speaker 1: but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them, so
• 2:15:09
  Speaker 1: they passed by Messiea and went down to Troas. During
• 2:15:12
  Speaker 1: the night, Paul had a vision of a man of
• 2:15:14
  Speaker 1: Macedonia standing and begging him come over to Macedonia and
• 2:15:19
  Speaker 1: help us. After seeing the vision, Paul and his companions
• 2:15:23
  Speaker 1: concluded that God had called them to preach the gospel
• 2:15:26
  Speaker 1: in Macedonia, and so the Gospel reached Europe. In Philippi,
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: they converted a merchant of purple cloth named Lydia, along
• 2:15:36
  Speaker 1: with her entire household. Paul also cast out a spirit
• 2:15:39
  Speaker 1: of divination from a young slave girl. Her owners, who
• 2:15:43
  Speaker 1: had made a lot of money from her fortune telling,
• 2:15:45
  Speaker 1: were furious. They brought charges against Paul and Silas before
• 2:15:49
  Speaker 1: the authorities, who had them beaten and thrown into prison.
• 2:15:54
  Speaker 1: Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns
• 2:15:58
  Speaker 1: to God and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there
• 2:16:02
  Speaker 1: was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the
• 2:16:05
  Speaker 1: prison were shaken. All the doors flew open, and everyone's
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 1: chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and, seeing the
• 2:16:13
  Speaker 1: prison doors open, drew his sword to kill himself, thinking
• 2:16:17
  Speaker 1: the prisoners had escaped, but Paul shouted, don't harm yourself,
• 2:16:21
  Speaker 1: we are all here. In Acts sixteen thirty thirty one,
• 2:16:25
  Speaker 1: the jailor fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then
• 2:16:29
  Speaker 1: brought them out and asked, sirs, what must I do
• 2:16:32
  Speaker 1: to be saved? They replied, believe in the Lord Jesus,
• 2:16:36
  Speaker 1: and you will be saved, you and your household. That
• 2:16:40
  Speaker 1: same hour of the night, the jailer washed their wounds,
• 2:16:44
  Speaker 1: and he and his entire household were baptized. After being
• 2:16:48
  Speaker 1: set free, Paul and Silas continued their journey, visiting Thessalonica, Berea,
• 2:16:54
  Speaker 1: and Athens. In Athens, Paul spoke at the Areopagus, the
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: cities intellectual hub, introducing the philosophers to the unknown God,
• 2:17:05
  Speaker 1: whom they worshiped without knowing. Some mocked him when they
• 2:17:08
  Speaker 1: heard about the resurrection of the dead, but others said,
• 2:17:11
  Speaker 1: we'll hear you again on this matter. A few became believers.
• 2:17:16
  Speaker 1: From Athens, Paul went to Corinth, where he met Aquila
• 2:17:20
  Speaker 1: and Priscilla, a Jewish couple who had been expelled from Rome.
• 2:17:25
  Speaker 1: They were tent makers by trade, just like Paul, so
• 2:17:28
  Speaker 1: he stayed with them and worked alongside them On Sabbaths,
• 2:17:32
  Speaker 1: he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jews
• 2:17:36
  Speaker 1: and Greeks. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and
• 2:17:40
  Speaker 1: a half teaching the word of God. Then he sailed
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 1: for Syria, taking Aquila and Priscilla with him. In Ephesus,
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 1: he left them behind and continued his journey, passing through Caesarea, Jerusalem,
• 2:17:53
  Speaker 1: and finally returning to Antioch, thus completing his second missionary journey.
• 2:17:59
  Speaker 1: After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out on
• 2:18:03
  Speaker 1: his third missionary journey, traveling throughout the region of Galatia
• 2:18:08
  Speaker 1: and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. He eventually arrived in Ephesus,
• 2:18:13
  Speaker 1: where he met some disciples who only knew John the
• 2:18:16
  Speaker 1: Baptist's baptism. He taught them more fully about the Gospel
• 2:18:20
  Speaker 1: and they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
• 2:18:23
  Speaker 1: Paul stayed in Ephesus for over two years. God performed
• 2:18:28
  Speaker 1: extraordinary miracles through him. Even handkerchiefs and aprons that had
• 2:18:32
  Speaker 1: touched him were taken to the sick and their illnesses
• 2:18:35
  Speaker 1: were cured and evil spirits left them. A major uproar
• 2:18:40
  Speaker 1: also took place in Ephesus, stirred by the silversmiths who
• 2:18:44
  Speaker 1: made shrines of the goddess Artemis. They feared losing business
• 2:18:49
  Speaker 1: due to the spread of Christianity. The riot was only
• 2:18:52
  Speaker 1: quelled by the intervention of the city clerk. After these events,
• 2:18:57
  Speaker 1: Paul left for Macedonia and Greece, where he stayed for
• 2:19:00
  Speaker 1: three months. Just as he was about to set sail
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 1: for Syria, he learned of a plot against him by
• 2:19:07
  Speaker 1: some Jews, so he decided to return through Macedonia. In Troas,
• 2:19:12
  Speaker 1: while Paul was speaking to the community late into the night,
• 2:19:16
  Speaker 1: a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in a window,
• 2:19:20
  Speaker 1: fell into a deep sleep. He tumbled from the third
• 2:19:23
  Speaker 1: story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, embraced
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: him and said, don't be alarmed, he's alive. The young
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 1: man was taken home alive, and everyone was deeply encouraged.
• 2:19:34
  Speaker 1: Paul continued on to Miletus, where he summoned the elders
• 2:19:38
  Speaker 1: of the church in Ephesus for a heartfelt farewell. He
• 2:19:42
  Speaker 1: was determined to go to Jerusalem, fully aware that imprisonment
• 2:19:45
  Speaker 1: and suffering awaited him there. In acts twenty twenty four.
• 2:19:49
  Speaker 1: He said, however, I consider my life worth nothing to me.
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: My only aim is to finish the race and complete
• 2:19:57
  Speaker 1: the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task
• 2:20:00
  Speaker 1: of testifying to the good news of God's grace. Upon
• 2:20:04
  Speaker 1: arriving in Jerusalem, Paul was warmly received by the brothers
• 2:20:08
  Speaker 1: and sisters. He shared in detail what God had done
• 2:20:12
  Speaker 1: among the gentiles through his ministry, But trouble soon followed.
• 2:20:18
  Speaker 1: Some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in
• 2:20:21
  Speaker 1: the temple and stirred up the crowd. They seized him, shouting,
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 1: fellow Israelites, help us. This is the man who teaches
• 2:20:28
  Speaker 1: every one everywhere against our people and our law in
• 2:20:32
  Speaker 1: this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the
• 2:20:35
  Speaker 1: temple and defiled this holy place. The whole city was
• 2:20:39
  Speaker 1: thrown into chaos. They seized Paul and dragged him out
• 2:20:43
  Speaker 1: of the temple and were trying to kill him. When
• 2:20:46
  Speaker 1: the Roman commander heard that all Jerusalem was in an uproar,
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: he immediately took soldiers and centurions and rushed into the crowd.
• 2:20:55
  Speaker 1: When they saw the commander and his troops, they stopped
• 2:20:59
  Speaker 1: beating Paul the commander arrested Paul and ordered him to
• 2:21:03
  Speaker 1: be bound with two chains. When the crowd grew more violent,
• 2:21:07
  Speaker 1: he ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. This
• 2:21:11
  Speaker 1: marked the beginning of a long period during which Paul
• 2:21:14
  Speaker 1: would remain under Roman custody, first in Jerusalem, then in Caesarea,
• 2:21:19
  Speaker 1: and eventually in Rome. As he traveled planting churches, Paul
• 2:21:24
  Speaker 1: stayed in contact with these communities through letters known as epistles.
• 2:21:28
  Speaker 1: These letters are filled with deep theological teaching, practical advice, corrections,
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 1: and encouragement. They became a vital part of the New
• 2:21:38
  Speaker 1: Testament and the doctrinal foundation of the Christian faith. One
• 2:21:43
  Speaker 1: of his earliest letters was to the Galatians. Some people
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 1: were teaching a different gospel, insisting that gentile Christians be
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 1: circumcised and follow the law of Moses. In Galatians one
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: six to seven, Paul wrote, I am astonish that you
• 2:22:00
  Speaker 1: are so quickly deserting the one who called you by
• 2:22:03
  Speaker 1: the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel,
• 2:22:07
  Speaker 1: which is really no gospel at all. Evidently, some people
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 1: are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert
• 2:22:14
  Speaker 1: the Gospel of Christ, Paul strongly defended justification by faith,
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: not by the works of the law. In Galatians two sixteen,
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 1: he declared, we know that a person is not justified
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: by the works of the law, but by faith in
• 2:22:31
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in
• 2:22:34
  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in
• 2:22:37
  Speaker 1: Christ and not by the works of the law, because
• 2:22:41
  Speaker 1: by the works of the law, no one will be justified.
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 1: Two the Thessalonians, Paul wrote to strengthen the faith of
• 2:22:50
  Speaker 1: that young church in the face of persecution. In verse
• 2:22:54
  Speaker 1: Thessalonians one six to seven, he said, you became imitators
• 2:22:59
  Speaker 1: of Us and of the life Lord, for you welcomed
• 2:23:01
  Speaker 1: the message in the midst of severe suffering with the
• 2:23:05
  Speaker 1: joy given by the Holy Spirit, and so you became
• 2:23:08
  Speaker 1: a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achiah.
• 2:23:13
  Speaker 1: He also clarified questions about the return of Christ and
• 2:23:16
  Speaker 1: the fate of believers who had already died in birth.
• 2:23:20
  Speaker 1: Thessalonians four thirteen fourteen, he wrote, brothers and sisters, we
• 2:23:25
  Speaker 1: do not want you to be uninformed about those who
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 1: sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like
• 2:23:30
  Speaker 1: the rest of mankind who have no hope. For we
• 2:23:34
  Speaker 1: believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we
• 2:23:38
  Speaker 1: believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have
• 2:23:42
  Speaker 1: fallen asleep in him. To the Corinthians, Paul addressed letters
• 2:23:46
  Speaker 1: of correction, tackling numerous issues such as divisions within the church, immorality,
• 2:23:52
  Speaker 1: legal disputes among believers, questions about marriage and singleness, food
• 2:23:58
  Speaker 1: sacrificed to idols, worship practices, and even doctrinal confusion about
• 2:24:04
  Speaker 1: the resurrection. In first Corinthians one ten, he pleaded, I
• 2:24:08
  Speaker 1: appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of
• 2:24:12
  Speaker 1: our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with
• 2:24:15
  Speaker 1: one another in what you say, and that there be
• 2:24:17
  Speaker 1: no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 1: in mind and thought. When it came to immorality, Paul
• 2:24:26
  Speaker 1: was uncompromising. A man was living with his stepmother and
• 2:24:30
  Speaker 1: the church had taken no action. In verse Corinthians five
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 1: one to two, he wrote, it is actually reported that
• 2:24:37
  Speaker 1: there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind
• 2:24:40
  Speaker 1: that even pagans do not tolerate. A man is sleeping
• 2:24:44
  Speaker 1: with his father's wife, and you are proud shouldn't you
• 2:24:48
  Speaker 1: rather have gone into mourning and have put out of
• 2:24:51
  Speaker 1: your fellowship the man who has been doing this. Paul
• 2:24:55
  Speaker 1: also wrote about spiritual gifts and love as the most
• 2:24:58
  Speaker 1: excellent way. The famous Love chapter First Corinthians thirteen presents
• 2:25:03
  Speaker 1: love as superior to all spiritual gifts. If I speak
• 2:25:07
  Speaker 1: in the tongues of men or of angels, but do
• 2:25:10
  Speaker 1: not have love, I am only a resounding gong or
• 2:25:13
  Speaker 1: a clanging symbol. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies,
• 2:25:19
  Speaker 1: they will cease. Where there are tongues, they will be stilled.
• 2:25:23
  Speaker 1: Where there is knowledge, it will pass away. To the Romans,
• 2:25:27
  Speaker 1: Paul wrote his most systematic epistle, laying out a full
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 1: exposition of the Gospel. He begins by showing how all people,
• 2:25:36
  Speaker 1: both Jews and Gentiles, are sinners, and then explains justification
• 2:25:41
  Speaker 1: by faith in Christ in Romans three twenty three twenty four.
• 2:25:46
  Speaker 1: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory
• 2:25:49
  Speaker 1: of God, and all are justified freely by His grace
• 2:25:52
  Speaker 1: through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. To the Philippians,
• 2:25:57
  Speaker 1: a letter written from prison, Paul urged joy despite circumstances
• 2:26:03
  Speaker 1: In Philippians four to four. Rejoice in the Lord always.
• 2:26:08
  Speaker 1: I will say it again, Rejoice. He also shared his
• 2:26:11
  Speaker 1: personal secret to contentment in any situation. I have learned
• 2:26:15
  Speaker 1: the secret of being content in any and every situation.
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 1: I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
• 2:26:23
  Speaker 1: In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasized the unity
• 2:26:28
  Speaker 1: of the Church and the believer's identity in Christ in
• 2:26:32
  Speaker 1: Ephesians two, nineteen twenty two. Consequently, you are no longer
• 2:26:37
  Speaker 1: foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and
• 2:26:41
  Speaker 1: also members of His household, built on the fundation of
• 2:26:46
  Speaker 1: the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 1: chief cornerstone. In him, the whole building is joined together
• 2:26:54
  Speaker 1: and rises to become a holy temple. In the Lord
• 2:26:58
  Speaker 1: and in Him, you two are being built together to
• 2:27:01
  Speaker 1: become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit.
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: To the Colossians, Paul defended the supremacy of Christ against
• 2:27:11
  Speaker 1: false philosophies and ascetic practices that were influencing the church.
• 2:27:16
  Speaker 1: In Colosians two eight to nine. See to it that
• 2:27:20
  Speaker 1: no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,
• 2:27:24
  Speaker 1: which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces
• 2:27:29
  Speaker 1: of this world, rather than on Christ. For in Christ
• 2:27:32
  Speaker 1: all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form.
• 2:27:36
  Speaker 1: The letters to Timothy and Titus, known as the Pastoral Epistles,
• 2:27:41
  Speaker 1: contain instructions for young leaders on how to manage the churches.
• 2:27:47
  Speaker 1: They include qualifications for elders and deacons, advice on dealing
• 2:27:51
  Speaker 1: with false teachers, and exhortations to personal faithfulness. In two Timothy,
• 2:27:57
  Speaker 1: likely his final letter, Paul, for seeing his imminent death,
• 2:28:02
  Speaker 1: left a moving testimony in two Timothy four six to eight,
• 2:28:07
  Speaker 1: for I am already being poured out like a drink offering,
• 2:28:10
  Speaker 1: and the time for my departure is near. I have
• 2:28:13
  Speaker 1: fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I
• 2:28:16
  Speaker 1: have kept the faith. Now there is in store for
• 2:28:19
  Speaker 1: me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
• 2:28:23
  Speaker 1: will award to me on that day, and not only
• 2:28:26
  Speaker 1: to me, but also to all who have longed for
• 2:28:29
  Speaker 1: his appearing. Besides Paul's letters, other apostles also I wrote
• 2:28:35
  Speaker 1: to the churches. James, probably Jesus brother, emphasized that true
• 2:28:40
  Speaker 1: faith always manifests in works in James two seventeen. In
• 2:28:44
  Speaker 1: the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
• 2:28:47
  Speaker 1: accompanied by action, is dead. Peter wrote to comfort Christians
• 2:28:53
  Speaker 1: facing persecution, reminding them of the greatness of their salvation
• 2:28:58
  Speaker 1: and urging them to live holy lives in verse Peter
• 2:29:02
  Speaker 1: one six seven. In all this you greatly rejoice, though
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 1: now for a little while you may have had to
• 2:29:08
  Speaker 1: suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 1: so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater
• 2:29:16
  Speaker 1: worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire,
• 2:29:21
  Speaker 1: may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ
• 2:29:24
  Speaker 1: is revealed. John, in his letters, opposed heresies that deny
• 2:29:29
  Speaker 1: Jesus true humanity or promoted moral permissiveness. He emphasized love
• 2:29:35
  Speaker 1: as the essence of Christian life. In First John four
• 2:29:39
  Speaker 1: seven eight, Dear friends, let us love one another, for
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 1: love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 1: of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does
• 2:29:51
  Speaker 1: not know God, because God is Love. These letters circulated
• 2:29:56
  Speaker 1: among the churches, read publicly and copied, becoming vice tools
• 2:30:01
  Speaker 1: for maintaining doctrinal unity and offering pastoral guidance to Christian
• 2:30:05
  Speaker 1: communities spread across the Roman Empire. Many were written to
• 2:30:09
  Speaker 1: address specific issues, but they were preserved as part of
• 2:30:14
  Speaker 1: the New Testament canon, offering spiritual guidance for generations of believers.
• 2:30:20
  Speaker 1: After jesus death and resurrection, his followers faced increasing opposition. Initially,
• 2:30:26
  Speaker 1: persecution came mainly from Jewish authorities, but as Christianity spread
• 2:30:32
  Speaker 1: throughout the Roman Empire, Christians began to face hostility from
• 2:30:36
  Speaker 1: imperial authorities as well. In sixty four AD, during Emperor
• 2:30:42
  Speaker 1: Nero's reign, a great fire devastated Rome. Nero blamed the
• 2:30:48
  Speaker 1: Christians for the disaster and launched a brutal persecution. Roman
• 2:30:53
  Speaker 1: historian Tacitus wrote that Christians were covered in animal skins
• 2:30:57
  Speaker 1: and torn apart by dogs or crucive and burned to
• 2:31:01
  Speaker 1: serve as nighttime torches. In this context of growing suffering,
• 2:31:06
  Speaker 1: the apostle John, now an old man, was exiled to
• 2:31:10
  Speaker 1: the island of Patmos because of the Word of God
• 2:31:14
  Speaker 1: and the testimony of Jesus. There he received an extraordinary revelation,
• 2:31:19
  Speaker 1: which he recorded in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation
• 2:31:23
  Speaker 1: one ninety eleven, John wrote, I John, your brother and companion.
• 2:31:28
  Speaker 1: In the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are
• 2:31:31
  Speaker 1: hours in Jesus was on the island of Patmos because
• 2:31:35
  Speaker 1: of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
• 2:31:38
  Speaker 1: On the Lord's Day, I was in the spirit, and
• 2:31:41
  Speaker 1: I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
• 2:31:45
  Speaker 1: which said, write on a scroll what you see and
• 2:31:49
  Speaker 1: send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thiaterra, Sardis, Philadelphia,
• 2:31:56
  Speaker 1: and Laodicia. The book of Revelation begins with specific messages
• 2:32:01
  Speaker 1: to seven churches in Asia Minor, commending their strengths, warning
• 2:32:07
  Speaker 1: against their failures, and encouraging and them in the face
• 2:32:11
  Speaker 1: of persecution. To the church in Smyrna, which was enduring
• 2:32:15
  Speaker 1: intense persecution, the message was one of encouragement. In Revelation
• 2:32:20
  Speaker 1: two don ten, it says, do not be afraid of
• 2:32:22
  Speaker 1: what you are about to suffer. I tell you the
• 2:32:25
  Speaker 1: devil will put some of you in prison to test you,
• 2:32:28
  Speaker 1: and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful
• 2:32:32
  Speaker 1: even to the point of death, and I will give
• 2:32:35
  Speaker 1: you the crown of life. After the messages to the churches,
• 2:32:39
  Speaker 1: John is taken in the spirit into a vision of
• 2:32:41
  Speaker 1: heaven where he sees the throne of God and the
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 1: worship taking place there. In Revelation four eight, the four
• 2:32:50
  Speaker 1: living creatures day and night never stop saying Holy, Holy,
• 2:32:55
  Speaker 1: Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is
• 2:32:58
  Speaker 1: and is to come. John then sees a scroll sealed
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 1: with seven seals, which only the Lamb Jesus is worthy
• 2:33:06
  Speaker 1: to open. As each seal is opened, judgments are unleashed
• 2:33:11
  Speaker 1: upon the earth. These are followed by the judgments of
• 2:33:13
  Speaker 1: the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of God's wrath.
• 2:33:19
  Speaker 1: Using symbolic language, John describes a beast rising out of
• 2:33:23
  Speaker 1: the sea, representing a political power that persecutes Christians, and
• 2:33:28
  Speaker 1: another beast coming from the earth, symbolizing the false prophet
• 2:33:33
  Speaker 1: who deceives people into worshiping the first beast. These symbols
• 2:33:37
  Speaker 1: most likely referred to the Roman Empire and the Imperial cult.
• 2:33:41
  Speaker 1: In Revelation thirteen sixteen to seventeen, it says it also
• 2:33:47
  Speaker 1: forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free
• 2:33:51
  Speaker 1: and slave to receive a mark on their right hands
• 2:33:54
  Speaker 1: or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy
• 2:33:57
  Speaker 1: or sell unless they had the mark, which is the
• 2:33:59
  Speaker 1: ne of the beast or the number of its name.
• 2:34:02
  Speaker 1: Despite these intense images of judgment and persecution, Revelation is
• 2:34:07
  Speaker 1: fundamentally a message of hope. In glorious visions, John sees
• 2:34:13
  Speaker 1: the final victory of Christ over all forces of evil.
• 2:34:16
  Speaker 1: In Revelation nineteen eleven to sixteen, he describes Christ returning
• 2:34:22
  Speaker 1: as a victorious warrior. I saw heaven standing open, and
• 2:34:26
  Speaker 1: there before me was a white horse, whose rider is
• 2:34:29
  Speaker 1: called Faithful and True with justice. He judges and wages war.
• 2:34:35
  Speaker 1: Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with
• 2:34:38
  Speaker 1: which to strike down the nations. On his robe and
• 2:34:42
  Speaker 1: on his thigh he has this name written, King of
• 2:34:45
  Speaker 1: Kings and Lord of lords. After the final judgment and
• 2:34:49
  Speaker 1: the ultimate defeat of Satan, John sees a new heaven
• 2:34:55
  Speaker 1: and a new earth. In Revelation twenty one three and four,
• 2:34:59
  Speaker 1: he writes, and I heard a loud voice from the
• 2:35:02
  Speaker 1: throne saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people,
• 2:35:07
  Speaker 1: and he will dwell with them. They will be his people,
• 2:35:10
  Speaker 1: and God himself will be with them and be their God.
• 2:35:15
  Speaker 1: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will
• 2:35:17
  Speaker 1: be no more death or mourning, or crying or pain
• 2:35:21
  Speaker 1: for the old order of things has passed away. The
• 2:35:24
  Speaker 1: book concludes with an invitation and a promise. In Revelation
• 2:35:28
  Speaker 1: twenty two seventeen to twenty, the Spirit and the Bride say, come,
• 2:35:35
  Speaker 1: and let the one who hear say come. Let the
• 2:35:38
  Speaker 1: one who is thirsty come, and let the one who
• 2:35:40
  Speaker 1: wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
• 2:35:43
  Speaker 1: He who testifies to these things says, yes, I Am
• 2:35:46
  Speaker 1: coming soon. Amen, Come Lord. Jesus revelation brought comfort and
• 2:35:51
  Speaker 1: hope to Christians facing persecution. It reassured them that despite
• 2:35:56
  Speaker 1: current suffering, God was in control and Christ will and
• 2:36:00
  Speaker 1: ultimately triumph. Evil would be judged and God's faithful people
• 2:36:05
  Speaker 1: would be vindicated and rewarded. That message remains relevant for
• 2:36:09
  Speaker 1: Christians of every era who face hardship or persecution. The
• 2:36:15
  Speaker 1: book teaches that although the powers of this world may
• 2:36:19
  Speaker 1: seem to prevail for a time, the Kingdom of God
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 1: will ultimately triumph the Church. Christ's bride, though persecuted and
• 2:36:28
  Speaker 1: seemingly weak, will share in the final victory of her Lord.
• 2:36:32
  Speaker 1: And so the New Testament ends just as it began,
• 2:36:36
  Speaker 1: with the promise of the coming Kingdom of God. What
• 2:36:39
  Speaker 1: Jesus proclaimed at the start of his ministry. The Kingdom
• 2:36:43
  Speaker 1: of God is near, reaches its fulfillment in the vision
• 2:36:46
  Speaker 1: of Revelation, a new Heaven and a new Earth where
• 2:36:50
  Speaker 1: God will dwell with his people forever. This story isn't
• 2:36:56
  Speaker 1: just a tale from the past. It's alive to day,
• 2:37:00
  Speaker 1: transforming lives around the world. The same message that turns
• 2:37:03
  Speaker 1: Saul from a persecutor into an apostle can transform your
• 2:37:07
  Speaker 1: life too. If you enjoyed this content and want to
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