In honor of this Christmas season now officially upon us, let’s go back to the beginning.
In this PODCAST, you will hear from the one, the prediction of whose birth shattered 400 years of a deafening silence and started the Christmas ball rolling—our old and dearly beloved friend, John the Baptizer.
This is his compelling story, as told in his own voice.
Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play.
As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, Jesus is in every book, 39 out of 39 books, in the OT.
Genesis: Jesus is the Seed of the woman (3). Exodus: Jesus is the Passover Lamb (12). Leviticus: Anointed High Priest (8). Numbers: Brazen serpent (21). Deuteronomy: The Promised Prophet (18). Joshua: Captain of the Lord’s angelic army (5). Judges: Angel of the Lord (2). Ruth: Our Kinsman-Redeemer (2). 1 Samuel: The coming Messiah (2). 2 Samuel: Seed of David (7). 1 Kings: Thick cloud of God’s glory (8). 2 Kings: The Lord God of Israel (19). 1 Chronicles: The God of our salvation (16). 2 Chronicles: The God of our fathers (20). Ezra: Lord of heaven and earth (1). Nehemiah: God who keeps His Covenant (1). Esther: The God of providence (Esther). Job: Our Risen Redeemer (19). Psalms: The King of glory (24). Proverbs: Personification of wisdom (8). Ecclesiastes: The God to be obeyed (12). Song of Solomon: The one who loves selflessly (SoS). Isaiah: The Suffering Servant (53). Jeremiah: The Lord our righteousness (23). Lamentations: The faithful / compassionate God (3). Ezekiel: Lord who dwells with His people (48). Daniel: The Son of Man (7). Hosea: Picture of God’s redemptive love (3). Joel: Giver of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2). Amos: The plumb-line by which all is measured (7). Obadiah: Destroyer of the wicked (1). Jonah: The God of second chances (2). Micah: Messiah to be born in Bethlehem (5). Nahum: The Lord who is slow to anger (1). Habakkuk: The Rock of our salvation (1). Zephaniah: The King of Israel (3). Haggai: The One who will bring peace (2). Zechariah: King riding on a donkey (9). Malachi: The sun of righteousness (4).
No wonder, then, that as Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:2 (NASB),
“Like newborn babies, (we) long for the pure milk of the word (including the so-called OT!), so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”
It is the single saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, that statement, purposely given with the present tense “is,” is true today.
It was equally true for Peter’s original Jewish readers.
One day each year, indelibly imprinted on the collective psyches of our Jewish friends then and now.
“It is today as it was then.”
A day which reads in English, “the ninth day of the month of Av” (usually around our month of August).
In Hebrew it is called, Tisha B’Av.
If we don’t understand what this day is all about, we will not understand what the closing verses of 1 Peter 1 are all about. For Peter’s original readers. And for us!
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As you will hear in this PODCAST, an insightful play-on-words that we miss to our peril.
Coming as it does from Peter’s pen, I can assure you that this play-on-words is most-intentional. Pregnant with meaning poignantly personal to Peter, and to us as well.
This play-on-words is a bit of a pun—not humorous at all, but serious in the extreme—that goes straight to the heart of what it means to be committed-Christ-follower now, today, in our current Christian culture.
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“…searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances (of the predicted) sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.”
That time had now come. And as you are about to hear in this PODCAST, it was amazing!
Last week, we made the point that the portrait of Jesus painted in the Old Testament, by the Old Testament prophets, was dramatically detailed and stunningly complete. Just reading the Old Testament leaves the reader with nothing left to the imagination as far as Jesus is concerned.
Oh sure. The New Testament adds a bit of color here, some contours there. Think of the Old Testament as a black & white photo of Jesus in contrast to a New Testament color image—vivid color at that!
The New Testament is not so much new revelation about Jesus—His incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection—as it is a magnifying glass that allows us to see a bit more detail that was already there on the canvas of Old Testament.
So we are now going to unveil for you that Old Testament canvas, allowing you to see it in all its prophetic glory.
Imagine a blank canvas before you. With each biblical brushstroke, a bit more of the portrait will gradually emerge. Are you ready?
We’ll start with this stunner, right out of the gate.
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As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, eight times in only three verses—1 Peter 1:10-12—Peter draws our focused-attention to “the Prophets.” Referring, of course, to the Old Testament Prophets.
Individuals—many of whom paid for their prophecies literally with their lives.
Individuals to whom we owe our heritage as committed followers of Jesus.
Individuals who painted a stunningly complete portrait of exactly who Jesus is centuries before a certain baby boy was born in Bethlehem.
Individuals worthy of our time and attention.
Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play.
As you will hear in this PODCAST, the exact same question that I asked of a couple of hundred of the best high school students you’d ever want to meet. Here’s my question:
Do you want to live your life in the midst of God’s blessing?
If your answer to that question is “Yes,” THIS is what God’s blessing means; THIS is what a God-blessed life looks like.
Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play.
Gifts of Gratitude: If interested in expressing your gratitude in this biblical, tangible way--by giving a gift directly to me, OR giving a gift to a friend or loved-one-in-need in my name--please click on the Gifts of Gratitude tab at the top of this page. Thank you!!!
