100. Beginner Bible Course: Jesus' second year of ministry

EPISODE 100.  The simple Bible overview of… JESUS' SECOND YEAR OF MINISTRY (GROWING POPULARITY, GROWING PUSH-BACK)

in this episode, we're going to trace the second year of Jesus' ministry. It was quite a year. It included the high point of his popularity and some of his greatest signs and wonders. It also included one of his greatest tragedies, the murder of his beloved boy, cousin, John, the baptizer sprinkled throughout was a whole lot of travel with his disciples and a focus on teaching the principles of his kingdom. It started out on a real high note. A Centurion sent a message to Jesus. His servant was deathly sick. He asked Jesus to heal him. Now, Centurion tips us off to both his race and his profession.

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He's a Roman soldier, a soldier in leadership over 100 Roman men. Jesus is happy to do so, but the century and had a better idea that Jesus would heal him from right where he stood. He had two reasons for this as a Gentile, a Roman, he was not worthy for rabbi Jesus to come under his roof. But the second reason was even more compelling. I'm a military man. I know how these chain of command things work. I tell my soldiers to go and they go and to come and they come rabbi Jesus. I know who you are. All you have to do is say the word and this disease will come out of my servant.

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When Jesus heard this, he was astonished. Never have I seen faith like this in all of Israel. Shortly after this, Jesus comes across a funeral procession in the village of Nane. I'm going to save this one for later, but let's just say it has a very, very happy ending for a widow. Jesus is invited into the home of a Pharisee named Simon, apparently right in the middle of dinner, a local outcast, a woman burst into the meal breaks, open a flask of perfume and begins to anoint Jesus' feet. Wiping them with her hair and kissing them. Jesus understood his thoughts and said, Simon, let me tell you a little story here.

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It comes a throw beside parable, a certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed him 500 days of wages. The other 50 neither could pay. So he forgave them both Simon. Which one do you think would love him more? Simon replies. I guess the one he forgave more spot on Simon. Do you see this woman here? When I came in you didn't greet me. You didn't give me a kiss of welcome. You. Didn't anoint my head with oil. You didn't even give me water to wash my feet. I think you know where I'm going here, Simon, right? She's washing my feet with her tears. She's annointing me with expensive perfume.

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She hasn't stopped kissing my feet. Since she came in the room, then Jesus says this little zinger, whoever has been forgiven much loves much. Then Jesus says this to the woman. Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved. You go in peace. Something that woman in Simon's house was, was Mary of Magdala Mary Magdalene. We're told by the gospel writers that Jesus cast seven demons out of her. And since we're on the subject of Mary Magdalene, did you know this? Mary, as well as two other named women, Joanna and Susanna were supporters of Jesus' ministry. Someone had to pay the bill for the traveling disciples.

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And several of those someones were prominent women who were all in on Jesus. And speaking of Jesus, casting out demons, not everybody concluded like Mary Magdalene. The Jesus was the son of man. The chosen one of God, the savior, many of the religious leaders concluded. He was of Satan. Jesus was ordering the demons around because they were under his authority. He was Satan's bell boy to these religious leaders. Jesus said something rather sobering. Be careful, gentlemen, you could commit a sin that God can never forgive. Some have dubbed this, the unpardonable sin, Jesus defined this as someone who blasts themes, the Holy spirit who attributes the work of God's spirit to Satan.

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You can criticize me all day and say terrible things about me, but you cross a line when you speak against God's spirit. And what God says about me a bit later, Jesus and his disciples find themselves back home by Capernum and the sea of Galilee. Jesus takes this opportunity to teach the large crowds and his disciples. More parable stories. One of those is repeated in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. That's pretty rare to get the same parable in all three gospel accounts. So it's pretty important. If you want to start a great discussion in a small group, read the parable of the soils and ask the question. How many of these soils represent people who respond properly to the gospel who are right with God who are saved, start that discussion and then step back and watch people argue about it.

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Jesus, wasn't looking to cause an argument. He clearly was teaching his disciples in the crowd, received the good news and grow with fruit. As my apprentice follower, many of the parables he taught one day were about faith and trust. When it became evening that night, he said to the disciples, come on, let's take a little Moonlight trip to the other side of the Lake. These men started rowing across and Jesus took the opportunity for a nap in the back of the boat. A storm stirred up a big one. So big that even for experienced fishermen on the boat, Peter and Andrew, John and James were terrified. They went to the back of the boat where Jesus was resting, shook him awake and said, don't you even care?

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We're perishing. Save us Jesus off the sleep, looked at them and said, why are you so fearful? You have little faith having just given them a day's lectures on parables of faith. These disciples flunked the exam out on the Lake. Then Jesus addresses the storm. Peace be still. And the sea became greatly calm. It was the kind of comm for fishermen had never seen on this Lake before they mutter to each other, who is he? That even the wind and waves obey him. We next meet the wild man of the gear scenes.

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Wild man is putting it tamely. He was a naked shrieking lunatic. They tried to chain and shackle him up, but it was useless during the night. He'd shriek like a coyote from this wilderness area. And during the day he'd cut himself and shriek. Some more Jesus gets off the boat and makes a beeline for this madman. What's your name? Jesus asked Jesus, wasn't talking to him. But through him Legion, there are many of us in here. They knew what Jesus was about to do. Set free the captive. So they begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss.

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We'll get to what that is. Later. They asked to be sent into a herd of pigs, grazing on the hillside and Jesus gave them permission. The gospel writers give us a hint that just how many demons were in this madman. 2000 pigs went crazy shrieking and ran into Lake Galilee and drown themselves. The commotion brought the locals out of their village. When they arrived, they saw the shrieking madman sitting with clothes on and having an intelligent conversation with Jesus and the disciples. They became seized with violent fear and big Jesus to leave. The former madman also asked, can I follow you as your apprentice?

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Jesus thinks for a moment and says, I've got a better idea. Go back to your area and tell the people what great things God has done for you in Copernum. Jesus is invited to a large dinner party. Matthew is at it and evidently had invited some of his former public and friends, the local religious people turn up their noses and wonder why an honorable rabbi would ever eat with people like that. Jesus' response boys. It's the sick that need a physician, right? Pharisees in the area. Then ask him, Hey, how come you and your disciples are never seen fasting. Jesus replies. Have you ever seen fasting at a wedding? The bride here?

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Why would they fast gyrus an official or the Capernaum? Synagogue comes to Jesus in a hurry. His little girl is desperately ill. We're going to get to that story in a future episode too, while he's in Copernum followers of his boy, cousin, John, the baptizer. Come to him with a question from John, a little backstory shortly after John baptized Jesus. He stuck his nose into a political matter. Herod the King had gone to his brother Phillip's house, maybe for a holiday meal, Herod and Phillip's wife. Herodias started digging on each other. The quick story is her odious dumped Philip for her other Herod.

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When they got married, John, the baptizer couldn't leave it alone. He spoke up. This is adultery, pure and simple. You have your brother Phillip's wife. It wasn't long before Herod through John into prison. If her odious had her way, they'd be throwing John into a grave. Now sitting in prison, John sends his disciples with a question for his boy, cousin, Jesus, it's simply this, are you the promised one who's coming? Or should we look for another? How do you think Jesus is going to respond to this while it might surprise you? He sends the messengers back to John saying, tell him what you've seen. The blind can see the cripples are walking.

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The lepers are clean. The deaf can hear the dead are being raised and the little people are being proclaimed. The good news, go back and tell them that that'll be enough for my boy, cousin. This didn't seem to bother Jesus at all. After the messengers left, Jesus pays John. The ultimate compliment. He's a great prophet. He's the prophet promised to come before the King, among men who have been born of women. That would be all of us. There's never been anyone greater than John. John knowing his days were numbered. Just had to be sure he hadn't put his money on a dead horse. And the message that comes back, lets him know he hadn't.

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Jesus was the real deal. Jesus. Then heads down to Jerusalem for one of the national holidays. It's here. He meets a man. Who's been an invalid for 38 years. The man is lying by the pool of Bethsaida. There's a legend that if the water is unnaturally stirred, it's God visiting. And anyone who's into the pool first will be healed. This lame guy has been laying there in desperate hope. And apparently he's not alone. Even if the water was stirred, somebody's going to get in there quicker than him. Jesus says to him, take up your pallet and get out of here. And the man does. And as you might expect, if you've been following along with us, this happened on wait for it.

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The Sabbath, the religious leaders already seeking to kill him, just came unglued. But Jesus wasn't finished. He says several very unsettling things in Jerusalem that day here's one of them. My father is working. And so am I, whatever I see my father doing. That's what I do. The father loves the son and he shows the son all the things that he is doing on a summer day. Have you ever seen a dad out mowing lawn and his little boy or girl right behind him pushing a little plastic push mower. Isn't that what Jesus is saying? Then Jesus pushes the envelope with this.

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It's not the father, but the son who makes people alive. And he does it to whomever he will, an hour is coming. And now is when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God. And those who have heard will live and an hour is coming. When all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth some to resurrection life and some to a resurrection of judgment. Jesus adds the father. Doesn't judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the son. So all men should honor the son, even as they honor the father, Oh my, those are some shocking statements.

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And if they are not true, they probably do need to get rid of him and quickly Jesus then offers them for proofs. That what he's saying is true proof. One, the testimony of John, the baptizer, the one they were filling up the valleys and knocking down the Hills and making the way straight that King was coming. It's Jesus. And not only that behold, he's the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Evidence to the voice from heaven, everybody at the Jordan that day heard it. You are my beloved son in you. I am well-pleased evidence three. The very works that I'm able to do.

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You attribute them to Satan, but any reasonable person would attribute this to the power of God and evidence for the scriptures. You guys search the scriptures because in them you believe you'll find eternal life. Those scriptures are speaking of me, the intensity of the opposition and hatred among the Jerusalem leaders skyrocketed. So Jesus heads back home to Galilee. He stops for a second time in his hometown Nazareth. Apparently he wasn't invited to be their chapel speaker this time again, they gross about him just being the local carpenter boy. And again, Jesus could not, or possibly would not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

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And it made him shake his head in wonder, perhaps realizing the amount of work to be done. And the limited time he had, or perhaps just to give them some experience on the road, Jesus divides his 12 disciples up into six teams of two with some instructions. He sends them out in his name with his authority to do the very things he was called to do to preach the good news to heal and to cast out demons shortly after their tour ended. And they were back together. Jesus gets his tragic news. His boy, cousin, John appetizer has been murdered by Herod and for the most senseless reason, Harriet has a party.

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He drinks too much. His daughter dances. He tells her daddy so proud. I'll give you anything you asked and having been coached by her mother. She breaks out her. Give me John's head on a platter. Herod doesn't have the humility or the guts to refuse her. And within minutes, Jesus boy, cousin John's head is on a silver platter. When Jesus gets the news, it hits him remarkably hard. As we learned in episode 85, growing up, Jesus, Jesus was fully like us. He understands senseless, tragic loss of loved ones. He says to his disciples guys, we got to get away for awhile.

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I need to regroup. But the crowds were everywhere. The emotional reserves Jesus had left were moved with compassion toward these crowds. He spends all day ministering to these people. And in the evening feeds all 5,000 of them, all this from five loaves and two fish, a miraculous act of creation. He did it just because they had a need, but while this feeding of the 5,000 was a just cause me to need miracle, but because of what will happen the next day, Jesus will turn this miracle into a signpost, pointing the crowds to one of the most important characteristics about him.

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We'll learn about that signpost and that important characteristic of Jesus in our next wordpicture.