Search Results

We Villainize the Villains: Mistake #3 in Teaching the Bible Ministry Shannon Popkin Author & Podcast Host Live Like It's True Podcast Published On: January 18, 2024 Perhaps because Christians know that the Bible is where we find out exactly what is wrong or sinful, we tend to look down on the “bad” people in the Bible, rather than identify with them. We Bible teachers do this particularly well. It’s as if we—those standing in front of a group (of women in my case) holding our Bibles, pointing to a particular verse—are standing on some elevated platform as judge of the one whose sinfulness is smeared across the page. But we aren’t the judge; God is. And our teaching should invite others to bow before Him, not stand in judgment beside Him. When we—Bible teachers and leaders—take pride in wrinkling our noses at sin, we demonstrate an arrogance that mirrors some of the greatest villains in the Bible. Can you think of anyone more villainous than the Pharisees and religious leaders who plotted to murder Jesus? That was the crime of all crimes. Yet think of how they looked down their noses at other “sinners” while ignoring their own sin! As with the Pharisees, it’s impossible to participate in finger-pointing disgust without elevating ourselves. And elevating ourselves will not prove helpful for our own hearts or for the hearts of those we’re sharing Truth with. Instead of looking down on them, it’s far more constructive to help our listeners find common ground with the sinful people of the Bible. Rather than villainizing the villains, let’s put ourselves next to the biblical figure behaving badly, and ask, “Where do I do that?” Here are two examples: Example 1: A whiny king (1 Kings 21) King Ahab wanted the vineyard next door to the palace so he could plant a vegetable garden. But Naboth, the vineyard’s owner, refused. The land had history. It had been in his family for generations. It didn’t matter to Naboth that the king offered him a better vineyard or a large sum of money; to Naboth, this vineyard had no price tag. Upon hearing “no,” Ahab went home and sulked like a toddler. He lay in bed, refusing to eat. His wife came in and asked why he was upset. And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” ( 1 Kings 21:6 ) If you read the words of Ahab out loud, do you want to use your whiniest voice? I do. I want to paint Ahab like a whiny, entitled brat. Yet, doing so is not constructive. It exempts me from the text, rather than opening my heart to its message. Far more helpful—both for me and the women I teach—is to ask, “Is there ever a time that I act like Ahab?” Perhaps I pout when I don’t get my way. Or I storm off when somebody doesn’t give me what I want. I retreat to my room, where I sulk and stew. I recruit supporters by telling my version of the story—just like Ahab did. It’s far better to put myself next to Ahab than to villainize and look down on him. As I open my Bible, I can either look for a villain to criticize or a mistake to avoid. Either way, I’ll be sure to find it. Example 2: The hypocritical leaders (Matt. 6:1–18) When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, He didn’t call out the Pharisees and religious leaders by name. Still, everybody knew who He was talking about when He mentioned the “hypocrites,” especially when they heard the three examples Jesus gave: When you give, don’t blow a trumpet to announce it. ( Matt. 6:2 ) When you pray, don’t do so loudly on a street corner. ( Matt. 6:5 ) When you fast, don’t take extra measures to look really awful. ( Matt. 6:16 ) Here’s how I’m tempted to teach that passage: Blow a trumpet? You’ve got to be kidding me. Pray loudly on the corner of Broad and Main? Come on . Walk around looking haggard and gloomy to seem super spiritual? Good grief. Obviously these religious leaders were feeling a little needy, right? They wanted all eyes on them, and craved constant approval. It’s not helpful for me to put myself in some elevated position, standing in judgment over these Pharisees’ hypocrisy—or to invite the women I’m teaching to do the same. Why? Because our churches are filled with people who do the same things and our hypocrisy is far more serious than we might expect. Think of the religious leaders Jesus was warning. They were so invested in being admired and seen that they misinterpreted who Jesus was and why He had come. Instead of welcoming Him as their Messiah, they plotted against Him—the one everyone was looking at instead—perceiving Him as a threat. Rather than collapsing at His feet in repentance, they schemed to have Him nailed to a cross. Again, it’s tempting to think of them as the villains of all villains. But when we point with disgust at their trumpets and street prayers and haggard-faced fasting, we place ourselves above the Pharisees, not among them. We see ourselves as immune to their hypocrisy and pride, not prone to it. We look down on their hearts rather than examining our own. It’s far more constructive—as I counsel my own heart and the women I’m called to teach—to ask, “When do I act like these Pharisees?” Are there times I want everyone to look at me more than I want them to look at Jesus? Do I crave approval and attention—trumpeting the gifts I’ve generously given? Do I pray with flowery language and excessive wordiness, rather than from the heart? Do I call attention to how exhausted I am because of my devotion to church ministry? It’s better to place myself next to the Pharisees than to villainize the villains and point down at them. Placing Myself Among the Villains I love the song, “ How Deep the Father’s Love For Us .” I find these lyrics especially poignant and helpful: Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders; Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers. Painful as it is, I must find myself among the scoffers at the foot of the cross, because until I see that my sin was the cause of Jesus’ death, I won’t see my need for Him as my Savior. I share the condition of every villain in the Bible. I harden my heart like Pharaoh. I am self-focused like Ahab. I betray like Judas. I deny like Peter. I am a hypocrite like the Pharisees. I scoff like those who crucified Jesus. As I open the pages of my Bible, it’s good for me to see myself among the villains because there I receive the warning and instruction I need. It’s there, among the villains, that I see my desperate need for Jesus—and there my listeners will, too. Here are a few more tips to help you refrain from villainizing the villains in your message prep: Make a list. Start by compiling a list of flaws you see in your Bible villain, then notice how these flaws are common to people today. Cain loathed being outdone. Achan was a liar and a thief. Nebuchadnezzar was his own god. Judas was a lover of money. Your people will be able to relate to each of these. Find yourself first. Humble yourself and find commonality with the villains yourself before asking your listeners to do so. A broken teacher who says, “We should humble ourselves . . .” is more effective than a puffed-up teacher who says, “You should . . .” Don’t sidestep. It might be tempting to skip past some grievous sins of the Bible, painting them as sins of the past but not the present. Think of the story of Lot’s daughters, getting their father drunk so that he’ll sleep with them ( Gen. 19:30–38 ). That one might be easier to skip, but don’t we skip over our own sins as well? Could there be someone in your group who is thinking about compromising sexually rather than waiting for God to provide a spouse in His good timing? Do you see why it would be helpful for them to hear about Lot’s daughters? Be wary of disgust. Don’t teach with a “We would never” attitude. Actually, we would. When we’re tempted to be shocked or horrified by the villains of the Bible, we have to recognize that we’re equally blind to our own sinfulness. Think of Pharaoh, who murdered all the newborn baby boys in Exodus 1:22 . Do you wonder how he could have justified such a ruling? Think about how you have justified some of your own selfish, sinful behaviors. These stories of deeply sinful people of the past are meant to lead deeply sinful people of today to God—where they find grace forgiveness and hope. Always lead the conversation about sin back to Jesus. Yes, sin is grievous and disastrous. But we have a Savior who came to save us. He took every single ounce of our sin’s load and carried it up Golgotha’s hill. Jesus died, was buried, and rose to new life—and we can, too. Are you ready to get back to your Bible study prep? As you encounter the villains of the Bible, don’t villainize them. Instead, help women find common ground with sinful people from the past who needed salvation as desperately as we do today. Read Mistake #1 in Teaching the Bible: Killing the Characters Read Mistake #2 in Teaching the Bible: We Villainize the Villains More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

Myrrh; Jesus is Savior Sermon Series: Fit for a King Kevin Harney Lead Pastor Shoreline Community Church Main Passage: Matt 2:11, John 10:22-31 Transcript Well, I'm pretty sure you've recognized by now that this is a time where a lot of gifts are given and gifts are received It seems like it's Christmas and birthdays Where gifts are kind of the thing so I want you to think for a minute. What is a memorable gift that you've received? Sometimes Christmas or birthday a memorable gift. It doesn't have to be a fun or a good gift It could be like I can't believe I got that But what's what's the gift you'll never forget or a memorable gift that you've received, and then find someone around you real quickly and tell them what's a gift that you'll never forget or a gift you remember receiving that was meaningful to you. Turn and tell somebody around you. Go. And if you're if you're kind of getting rolling and telling a longer story I hit the pause button and Take that back to the service after the service finish that story If it's something you don't know share that story after the service to get to know I get to know one of your neighbors a little bit better for me. What came to my mind when I thought about that was my 40th birthday. My wife said to me. Here's your gift I am cooking you Mexican food every day for the next week And I love Mexican food and she invited friends over for each of those meals. So we had like a little personal friend party every day for seven days. And great homemade salsa, tacos, guacamole. Okay, I'm back. I'm back. But you know, you know how memories work. You can just, I mean, I can pick it for a whole, that, that was a great gift. And as I began thinking about that Christmas and how you have Christmas gifts and you have birthday gifts, I started thinking about, it'd be kind of hard to be born on Christmas, because then people try to get away with going, well, this is your Christmas and birthday gift all in one. Anybody here born on Christmas Day? There was one in the first service, one in the second service. I know somebody born on Christmas Day. Actually, Jesus. And you do, too, hopefully. Right. Jesus was born on Christmas Day and and Jesus got some gifts and they were kind of unique gifts. Right. And so two weeks ago, Pastor Ryan talked about how these these these three gifts are. It doesn't say in the Bible each one represents this. But when you read that all of the scope of the Old New Testament and who Jesus was, you can begin to see how each of these gifts is a picture, is kind of a foreshadowing or a pointing to who Jesus was. And so when he received gold, a gift for a king, for royalty. When he received frankincense, it was a gift that pointed to his divinity, that he was Emmanuel, God with us. But when Jesus was given myrrh, it's kind of unique. This is myrrh. That's it right there. And myrrh came from a tree. You see a picture of the tree there. In very arid areas. And the way you would get the myrrh out of the tree, and I read a couple of different commentators and scholars who were kind of explaining some of this, and one of them worded it in a very poignant way. One of them said, when you wound the tree, it bleeds. And what it bleeds is myrrh. And it says sometimes it almost looks like tears. You can see on that myrrh tree, you can see the dripping down there. They said so when you wound the tree, it bleeds. And that bleeding can look like tears. Keep that in mind when we get to the cross of Jesus. Because when He was wounded, He bled blood and grace. And And he shed tears for us. And so then when you take myrrh and you break it, it's real hard, it's like a resin, you break it up, it looks kind of like that. And so it's really, it has kind of a pungent smell, not bad, not good, just kind of different. So if you want to smell myrrh, look at myrrh, it'll be right here after the service. It's interesting stuff. But I want you to be thinking about that because myrrh shows up three times in the gospel stories, the story of Jesus's life. And we're going to look at all, it shows up, we know, Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh, we know it shows up in the manger, but it also shows up when Jesus is on the cross. And it also shows up when he's being buried. And we're going to look at all three of those. We're going to begin in Matthew chapter two. If you have your Bible, turn to Matthew chapter two. If you have your Bible app on your phone, if you follow on your phone, get to Matthew two. I'm going to read a portion, then we're going to pause there, but keep your Bible open in front of you because we're gonna come back and finish that passage All right, so we're gonna walk through this this passage in two different parts Matthew chapter 2 beginning in verse 1 I want you to notice whenever you read the Bible notice key words Notice things that jump out at you. Don't just read the Bible study it dig deep into it I want you to notice the word King How King shows up in this passage if you have your own Bible and you're a highlighter or you're a note-taker Underliner you might want to circle or underline King because it's very interesting how it fits into this passage Matthew 2 beginning in verse 1 Matthew 2:1-12 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. If you understand the Roman-Jewish conflict at this time in the first century, if you understand what's going on, this would be problematic. There is a King, but these wise men come and say, oh, we hear there's another King that's going to show up. For we saw his star when it rose, and we have come to worship him. When he heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Why were they troubled? What's the problem? Well, let me ask you if you know your history a little bit here. Do you know in the ancient world, generally speaking, in the ancient world, when someone was king and another person was going to come and maybe take over their throne or become the new king, oftentimes what the king on the throne would do to the new potential rival king, what would they often try to do to them? Anybody know? Kill them! Not give them gifts, not give them a warm welcome. It was a... and for the kids here, that's brutal, that's terrible, but that's the ancient world. That was what was going on in Jesus' day, and if you read on through the Gospels, you see how this unfolds. We won't get into all those details today. But... so, so, he was troubled when he heard this and all Jerusalem with him and assembling all the chief priests the religious leaders and the scribes of The people he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Where is he supposed to be born? Why do you think Herod wanted to know where he would be born? He's getting data. He's getting information. He wants to find this potential rival King and deal with him All right They told him in Bethlehem of Judea for so it is written and now they quote from Micah the prophet written about eight centuries earlier pointing to where the Messiah would be born and you will Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for from you shall come a ruler a king who will shepherd my people Israel then herald some of the wise men secretly and ascertain from them what time the star appeared. He wants to find out where this kid's gonna be and he wants to find out right about when the star came, when he could have been born, so he can get the right age, so he can cause some problems. All right, that's what's going on here. So hit the pause button right there. If you have your Bible open, keep it on your lap in front of you. If you have your Bible app open, keep it open. We're gonna come right back to that in a moment. But this is all going on and what we need to understand is there's more going on than meets our eye as we read further in This passage we're gonna find some things that someone in the first century would have gone Ooh, I kind of know where this is going Or I have a suspicion where this might be going in the Bible and in lots of different areas. It's called this is called foreshadowing Foreshadowing is when you get a piece of information and when you get that information you go. Oh, I kind of know what's coming next Now we have that in our culture today. There's foreshadowing. And you get it. You know what I'm talking about, even though you might not know exactly how it connects with the word foreshadowing. Here's an example of foreshadowing. If I'm sitting with some kids and I'm going to read a story, and I begin the story like this, once upon a time, if I start that way, if you know how those kind of stories work, in your mind you're thinking you're gonna see a princess if there's if there's a frog in the story that I begin with once about a time and and the the princess kisses the frog what usually happens how would you know that how would you know that foreshadowing once we say once upon a time you're like I know where this is going and at the end of the story it will often end something like this and if you know help me along sometimes land this way and they all lived. That's creepy. How would you know that? How do you know that? Because when you start a story once upon a time, you know the kind of story it is. That's called foreshadowing. That's what's happening in our passage today. Here's another example. If you go to the movies at the beginning of the movie, this epic music starts and scrolling words a long time ago and a galaxy far far away are you in your mind kind of you have a sense of what's coming next right and if what comes next is like cute little kittens wrestling and playing with yarn you might go that's cute but timeout you threw me off here because you started with a long time you expect Sith you know evil Sith and you expect Jedi and you expect epic space battles if you begin a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, you've set the tone for something. One more example. I want you to understand that foreshadowing is really a common thing, and in the ancient world it was common, but sometimes we'll read there, we'll read there once upon a time, and we don't, we're not used to it, so we don't know where it's going, right? But there's something pointing forward here. Here's one more example. Husband and wife are talking. Wife says, I got this chance to go out and do something with my friends on Friday night, but I got, you know, the kids and stuff and the husband I'll watch him and she's like yeah but she knows him and so she's a little nervous about Lee he's like this trust me just go have fun we'll be fine so she goes out she has a great night she comes back first thing she says to her husband says she says well how did things go and he says these words to her what do you want to hear first the bad news of the good news now when anybody says what do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news, the bad news or the good news, what are they setting up for? Bad news. Nobody says that with good news in mind, right? Well, they knocked over this thing and it was broken and this is what happened. It wasn't anyone's fault, right? But there are certain things that when you say them, it's a preamble. It's foreshadowing, all right? So as we continue on in this passage, as we continue on in Matthew chapter 2 There's some foreshadowing we're going to see and here's what I always tell people Every text has a context every text of the Bible has a context in the ancient world Murr had meaning We're gonna get to Myrrh. We looked at gold last two weeks ago Frankincense last week Myrrh today Myrrh had meaning But if we don't know that meaning we don't see the foreshadowing. We don't see where it's going. And every text has a context. Every passage you read, it has a context right where it sits in the Bible, in that book of the Bible, in the whole scripture. It has a context within history. So you've got to kind of understand what's going on. So as we read this passage, we need to get some context because we don't see the foreshadowing the way it's there. By the time we're done today, you will. So now, again, Herod has now sent the wise men. He's asked them about when, about where, about when. It continues on in verse 8 of Matthew 2. And he, Herod, sent unto Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him. Liar, liar, pants on. Thank you for helping out. This is a participation Sunday. All right. No, that's he didn't want to go worship him. He's lying We know what's going on here. So it continues after listening to the king They went on their way and behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was When they saw the star they rejoiced and exceed exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary's mother. And watch this now. And they fell down and worshipped him. They didn't just honour him as a king, they worshipped him. Amazing. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And they wanted a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. Now, we know if you keep reading the Gospels that Herod still is a mess. That's another sermon. But Herod still went about trying to do all he could to get rid of this potential upcoming king. But when the wise men came, they brought interesting gifts. Gold. That guy can work with that one. Frankincense, all right. Myrrh, embalming material. Embalming material. When someone died in the ancient world, one of those common things that myrrh was used for with myrrh and aloes and spices, they would put it around, as they wrapped someone's body up, they would use myrrh. Who gives a newborn baby embalming materials? Doesn't make a lot of sense. Last night, late last night, my little brother Jason, my only brother, he and his wife Mindy have six kids. They're first born. Clara got married. I got to do her wedding a couple of years ago. She just delivered her first born child late last night, early this morning. I just got pictures this morning when I woke up. Very excited for that. And so I want you to imagine I go to meet this newborn child and I bring a gift. I brought this, you know, Jason and Mindy, I brought this for your newborn baby. And they open it up. And here's what's in this little box. Handcuffs and a harmonica. I said, why, what, what? Explain, please. I said, well, I just have this feeling your kids have spent a lot of time in jail. Harmonica, you just teach them to sing songs like Nobody Knows the Trouble I Seen, Nobody but My Jesus, you know, just get them ready, because I just got a feeling. I t's like, that's creepy. Who would do that? Who gives myrrh, embalming materials, to a newborn baby? It makes no sense. It makes no sense. Unless that baby is the King of Kings. Unless that baby is the King of Kings. Unless that baby is God with us. And unless that baby was born to die and to bear our sins. Unless there's a foreshadowing at his birth that he came on a mission and that mission would end up with his sacrificial death. Then it starts to make sense. We might miss that because we didn't live in that culture. But don't miss it as we go forward. Lord Jesus, we pause right now as we open your word, as we dig into your scriptures, as we think together about what you've done for us and the meaning of myrrh in your story. And we ask you to speak to us and you'll teach us, Lord, that we will love you more, we'll encounter you and experience you more profoundly and deeply in some way today and through this Christmas season. Speak to us and meet us in this time We pray Jesus in your name Amen. In the manger the myrrh gives us this picture that the one born in the manger is the Savior of the world He came to die for us. He came to lay his life down He came to sacrifice himself and we need to see that need to understand that. Look at Matthew 2, 8 through 12. He has clearly come to offer his life. So Herod has lied and now Jesus has been born and we're walking through his life. And so we also see a picture of who this Jesus is by his very name. The name alright the name Jesus the name Jesus means God is salvation God is salvation that's his name there's couple iterations through history you have Hoshua, Hoshua and then Joshua and then Jesus same name Hoshua Joshua Jesus iterations of the same name through time God is salvation that's his name that's who he is so when you think about Myrrh and when you think about the manger, here's a great theological word for you, incarnation. Think about the incarnation of Jesus, the coming of God among us. His incarnation, His coming, the King has come among us. And the Myrrh gives us a picture of how this King, how this Savior, will one day die for us. So here's my question for you this morning. Do you recognize this baby as the only one who can save lost and broken people? Do you realize that the baby born in the manger isn't just a decoration for Nativity? Isn't just a cute little picture of a baby? But this one born in the manger came to save lost people and he's the only one who can do it. I love Nativity scenes, but here's the problem with the Nativity scene. If you have it up in your living room or in your dining room or your entry to your house in June, it looks kind of weird. At some point, everyone takes their nativity scene and they pack it up and they take a little baby Jesus and they kind of wrap baby Jesus up, they put him in a box and they put him in a closet somewhere. You can't wrap up the real Jesus. You can't tuck him away. He is King of Kings, He is Lord of Lords, He is God with us, Emmanuel, and He is the Savior who offered His life. And so in the manger we see incarnation that God Almighty came among us as one of us. We've got to recognize that and see that. Let's move to the next time we find Myrrh in the Gospels. And we learn here that the one bleeding on the cross was not dying for his own sins or wrongs. The next time we see Myrrh, Jesus is hanging on the cross. But he's not dying for his sins. In the Roman world they would execute people for their crimes. Jesus committed no crime. He committed no sins. So look with me at Mark, chapter 15, beginning in verse 21. Now 33 years have gone by since Jesus was born. Now Jesus is carrying the crossbeam of the cross up the hill towards Golgotha. And we read this in verse 21 of Mark 15. And they compelled a pastor by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross, to carry Jesus' cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha, which means place of a skull. Now watch this closely and again, we don't understand how myrrh worked, so we've got to kind of get the background to see the foreshadowing here. And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. We're going to come right back to that in a minute, but let's finish the passage. And they crucified him. They nailed him to the cross, divided his garments among them, casting lots for them to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, the King of the Jews. There's that word King again. They were mocking. They didn't believe he was the King of the Jews. They're saying, a king stripped naked and beaten? A king? A king breathing his last breath? That's a king? That's your king? They're mocking. Well, they didn't understand that in their mocking, they were actually declaring the truth. He was not only the King of the Jews, he was the King of all who would receive. He's the King of the universe. But they put the sign over him, the King of the Jews. Look at verse 23. What's going on here? And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh. And he said, no thank you. I don't want it. In the ancient world, they believed that with wine and myrrh mixed together, when you would take it, when you would take it into your body, it would have a numbing effect. It would soften the pain. It would take the edge off the pain. And somebody was trying to show him mercy. And he said, no. Why? Why would he refuse something that would take the edge off the pain that he was experiencing and he would continue to experience for hours? Why? See, if it was you, if it was me, and we were going through excruciating pain, and we could avoid it by taking something? It's like, give me some thank you and may I have another. Right? I mean, who wouldn't? Why would Jesus say no to something that was meant to alleviate his pain? And here's the answer. He said no to myrrh on the cross because he wanted every sense alive, and he wanted to feel every pain and every sorrow and the weight of our sin Completely and totally because he was dying in our place for our sins The murder he rejected on the cross the theological word you want to lock into your mind is this substitution Substitution he was dying in our place for our sins, bearing the pain. And he refused to have anything take that pain away. He felt the full emotional pain, physical pain, spiritual pain, all of that that I would have felt or you would have felt. Some years ago, when I was a youth pastor, this young girl, Tricia, Tricia grew up in a non-believing home, she didn't grow up around the Bible at all. She had become a Christian, she had come to meet and know and love Jesus, kind of like some of the young people you saw on the video today, she just fell in love with Jesus. She was growing in her faith, starting to read her Bible. She came to me one day, and I knew in her heart the hardest thing about the Christian faith for her was the idea that Jesus had to suffer for her. It broke her heart that Jesus would take her pain. So she came to me one day, she said, Pastor Kevin, I was thinking about Jesus dying on the cross and I think I figured something out. When a junior high kid comes to tell you they've been reading their Bible and they figure something out, you listen, you go, I wanna hear what they're thinking, right? I think I just maybe some insight from this young girl. Here's what she said to me. She said, she said to me, Jesus was God, right? I said, yeah, he was God. She said, so here's what I think he did. I think because he was God, he made it so he wouldn't feel any pain at all. Then he could go through all that and it wouldn't So what are you saying? I had to tell her the truth. I looked right into her little junior high eyes and I said, Trisha, you have to understand that Jesus felt everything you would have felt if they put the nails through you, if they put you on a cross, if they beat you. He felt everything you would have felt. And he also felt all the shame you would have felt and he felt all the embarrassment you would have felt. And I said, he also felt all the punishment you would have felt if you paid for your sins. He felt it all, and all of mine, and all of yours, and yours, and yours, and yours. I had to tell her the truth, and her eyes just welled up with tears. But she got it. I said, Tricia, Jesus would not let anything numb his pain, because it was your pain and he was taking it. Substitution. It would have been cheating to make the pain go away. He bore our sins, he took our shame, he took our punishment, and by his stripes, by his wounds, we are healed. So here's a theological question for you. Do you know whose sins put Jesus on the cross? Who's wrong? Who ultimately put Jesus on the cross? There's all kinds of theories. Some people will say the Romans. I mean, they're the ones that nailed Him to the cross. Even though the Jews knew they couldn't do a crucifixion legally, but they could appeal to the Romans, and the Romans would do it on their behalf. Somebody said, well, the Romans were the ones who put Him through this mock trial. The Romans were the ones who nailed Him. So the Romans put Jesus on the cross, and they bear the brunt of it. Well, is that true? Partially. They bore some of the responsibility, but not ultimately. It was not ultimately the Romans. Some people say, well, it was the Jewish leaders, the Sanhedrin, these people that put him through these false trials that brought mock witnesses in. It was the Jewish leaders. They're the ones that put Jesus on the cross, because they, you know, kind of set all the stuff up against him. So they bear the weight of that. Is that the answer? Partially, but not ultimately. If it wasn't the Romans, if it wasn't the Jewish leaders, here's what some people will say, it's my sin, my sin put Jesus on the cross. Well, is it true that Jesus died for our sins? Yes, but did our sins put Jesus on the cross? In one sense, yes, but ultimately, again, I'm going to say no. You see, the Romans didn't have power to put Jesus on the cross. He was God in human flesh. The Jews didn't have power to put Jesus on the cross. You and I don't have power to put Jesus on the cross. Only one has the power to do that, and it's Jesus himself. Jesus chose to go to the cross, to not let the pain be numbed, to feel everything so he could die in our place for our sins and be the substitute to pay the price for our shame and our judgment. It was Jesus's choice. Listen to these words from John chapter 10. If you're going, I don't know how to process that entirely. Listen to Jesus's words in John 10 when he says this, he says, I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know my Father. Now listen closely, this is verse 15 of John 10. I lay down my life for the sheep. Jesus, I lay my life down for my sheep. It's my choice. He goes on in verse 17. Jesus is still speaking. The reason my father loves me is that I lay down my life Only to take it up again. That's the death of Jesus. That's the resurrection and he had power over all of it Only to raise it up again verse 18 and this now if you're if you don't have it yet He's gonna be really crystal clear. No one takes it from me. No one takes my life from me I lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my father. Jesus chose to go to the cross knowing the only way to pay for our sins was his substitution. And when they offered him something that would numb the pain and soften his senses, he said no. I need to feel it all, like you would have, because I'm doing it for you. Do you understand that? Do you see that? And so, in the manger, incarnation, God is coming among us, he's coming to die. On the cross, substitution, he's dying in our place. And the scriptures are filled with reminders of what Jesus did. Second Corinthians 521 says this, just listen to these words. It says, God made him, Jesus, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us. So then in him, we might become the righteousness of God. That's the gift of Jesus. First Peter 224 says this, he himself bore our sins. Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. For by his wounds you have been healed. And Peter actually quotes Isaiah 53. So now think back to Isaiah 53, centuries before the Messiah came. Isaiah prophesied these words of the coming Messiah, of Jesus. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. And the punishment that brought us peace was on Him. And by His wounds we are healed. Jesus took your place. He bore your sins. And He would not let anything numb a single ounce of the pain or the sorrow, because He did it as if He were you. Somebody say, Praise God. Try that again. Somebody say, Praise God. He is good. And so then, the final time we see Myrrh show up, we look at John chapter 19. Now we see that the one who stopped breathing, the one whose heart ceased from beating was not going to stay in the grave. Now we're going to see Jesus, he's in the grave and see we're on the other side of the death of Jesus, we're on the other side of the resurrection. We know how the story ends. But we're going to see that when he's in the grave, when they're going to bury him, Myrrh is there again. John 19 beginning in verse 38. After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, he asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 75 pounds in weight. That's a lot of myrrh and aloes. But they wrapped the body in myrrh and aloes and linen cloths around him. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. If we don't know that, we don't see the foreshadowing back in the manger when Jesus was born, right? But they knew that in this time. This was the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. They laid him there. And Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, no breath in his lungs, no heartbeat, for three days, He was dead. And on the third day, He rose again. Someone say Amen! Much better for the first try. Well done. Yeah, praise God. And so here's my final question for you today. Have you encountered the risen and victorious Lord Jesus Christ? Have you encountered this Jesus, born in the manger, died on the cross, died and was buried, and rose again in glory. Have you encountered Jesus Christ? I'm not asking, do you go to church? I'm not asking, do you read your Bible? I'm not asking, do you give offering? By the way, I'm a pastor. All those things are good to do. Do all those things. That's not what I'm asking you. I'm asking you, have you encountered the risen Jesus Christ? Have you seen His face? Have you seen His glory? Because He is alive today, even as He was then. And He is present, and He is powerful, and He is glorious. Have you met Him? Have you walked with Him? In the manger, there's myrrh pointing ahead. It's the incarnation, God with us. The only one who could pay the full price for our sin against Holy God is God Himself. Incarnation. On the cross, substitution. He took our place. He bore our shame and took our pain and took our penalty. In the tomb, in the garden tomb in the resurrection, surrender. He surrendered his life for our sake and now we surrender our lives to follow Him. We walk with Him, we love Him, we live for Him. And so the one who came is Savior. The real question is, have you received Him as your Savior? See, the gold can point us to Jesus being King, but here's the question, is He your King? Is He your Sovereign? Do you bow down? Do you follow Him? It's one thing to say Jesus is King. It's another thing to say, He's my King. I hope this Christmas you can declare, He is the King of Kings in my life. The frankincense reminds us that He is God, the Divine One. You can say Jesus is God, or you can say like Thomas after Jesus rose, My Lord and My God. You can worship Him as God. The myrrh reminds us that He is Savior and you can say Jesus is the Savior or you can say he is My Savior my king my God This Christmas season dwell on that think about it Do you believe it? Do you declare it? Do you experience it Lord Jesus? This is our prayer. As we thought together about these gifts fit for a king, as we thought about how you, Jesus, came, God, with us, how you died in our place for our sins, the perfect substitution, how you rose again in glory, and how we are called to just surrender day by day and moment by moment to your leading. Jesus, meet with us. I pray this Christmas season, over these next seven and eight days, for every person online, every person on campus listening today, that they will dwell on who you are, not just as King, but their King, not just as God, but their God, not just as Savior, but their Savior. Help us to worship you and celebrate you this Christmas season, that we would enjoy the gifts that we share with each other, but most of all, we would enjoy the gift that you've given of yourself. And just keeping your heart in a place of worship, I actually asked if we could close with this last song. I know not everyone here knows it, but if you don't know it, just listen to the words. Just keeping your heart in a place of worship, I'm going to ask you to stand with me, just still being very worshipful. If you know the song, sing along. It's about the kingship of Jesus, about worshiping Him as King. If you don't know it, by the time it's done, you'll start catching on. Jump in and make this your declaration. Jump in and make this your declaration. Make this your worship.

There’s Nothing Here... We can’t find the page you’re looking for. Check the URL, or head back home. Go Home

That's a Good Question That's A Good Question is a podcast that answers questions you have about the Christian faith from pastors at Peace Church. This podcast is published on Tuesdays each week. Listen to the podcast October 14, 2024 Understanding Judgment Day, the Sabbath, and Christian Living Jon Delger & Mitchell Leach Listen September 17, 2024 Exposing the Truth Behind "As Long as it Doesn't Hurt Someone Else" Jon Delger & Logan Bailey Listen May 7, 2024 Spiritual Inquiries: Biblical Insights on Meditation, Hypnosis, and Upholding Beliefs in Relationships Jon Delger & Logan Bailey Listen October 7, 2024 Faith and Politics: Challenging the Lie That Christians Should Stay Silent Jon Delger & Mitchell Leach Listen September 10, 2024 Debunking "Live Your Truth": Navigating a Culture of Relativism Jon Delger & Mitchell Leach Listen April 30, 2024 Decoding the Divine: Exploring Profound Biblical Passages Jon Delger & Stephanie Delger Listen September 30, 2024 The Deceitful Heart: Why "Following Your Heart" Leads You Astray Jon Delger & Mitchell Leach Listen May 21, 2024 Mystery of the Nephilim: Decoding the Giants of Genesis Jon Delger & Cheyenne Werner Listen April 21, 2024 Paradise Explored: Biblical Insights on Heaven Jon Delger & Cheyenne Werner Listen September 24, 2024 Defining Love: Exposing the "Love is Love" Lie Through a Biblical Lens Jon Delger & Mitchell Leach Listen May 14, 2024 Chains of Time: Defining Biblical Slavery Jon Delger & Ryan Kimmel Listen April 14, 2024 Divine Inspiration: Unveiling the Origins and Authors of Scripture Jon Delger & Logan Bailey Listen 1 2 3 4 1 ... 1 2 3 4 ... 4

Mom Guilt Mom Guilt is a podcast that addresses the guilt that every mom feels throughout the week. It's a conversation between two friends about parenting and living burdened-free lives that can only come through the gospel. Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Live Like It's True On the Live Like It's True Bible podcast, Shannon Popkin and her guests talk through some of the most interesting and astonishing stories of the Bible—and how to live like each one is true. Each biblical narrative gives you new ways to refute the false narratives of the world, and rehearse what is true. Come be inspired to know the Story, share the Story, and live like it's true! Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Retiring and Aspiring "Retiring and Aspiring" is a unique podcast that bridges the wisdom of experience with the enthusiasm of ambition. Hosted by Mitchell Leach, a pastoral candidate with a vision to lead, this podcast delves into the insightful world of retired pastors who have completed their journey in church leadership. Each episode features candid conversations with these seasoned leaders, uncovering the rich tapestry of their experiences, challenges, and triumphs. Listeners, whether aspiring pastors or those interested in the dynamics of spiritual leadership, will find a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. The podcast not only celebrates the legacy of retired pastors but also offers guidance and wisdom for the next generation of church leaders, making it a valuable resource for personal growth and spiritual enrichment in the realm of pastoral leadership. Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Bridge Radio BRIDGE Radio is a weekly Christian podcast that aims to bring awareness to classic and contemporary Christian books through author interviews. We have had the pleasure of interviewing guests such as D.A Carson, Joel Beeke, R.C Sproul Jr., J. Warner Wallace, Gary Habermas, James White, Douglas Wilson, Rosaria Butterfield and more. Our prayer is that through our podcasts, God would stir the heart of His people to pick-up and read great theology from gifted preachers and teachers of His church. Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100

Live Leadership Welcome to the Live Leadership Podcast, where authenticity meets practicality in church leadership. Join Ryan Kimmel and Jon Delger, the lead pastor and Executive Pastor of Peace Church, as they take you behind the scenes of their dynamic roles in leading a growing church. Get ready to go beyond leadership theories and dive into the real conversations they face on a daily basis. Gain valuable insights into the challenges, victories, and lessons learned from the front lines of church leadership. Discover the authentic journey of leadership, where transparency and vulnerability are key. Through candid discussions, Ryan and Jon aim to provide you with encouragement and a sense of camaraderie, reminding you that we're all in this together. Listen to the podcast 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 ... 100