Partakers Christian Podcasts

Investigating Jesus - Part 35

Investigating Jesus Part 35

Jesus’ Last Night:
Jesus prepares (Luke 22)

The disciples needed a room within Jerusalem itself, and required food - a lamb, bread, bitter herbs and wine. Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' he will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. (Luke 22:7-13).

The Passover meal contains historical and theological symbolism regarding the death of Jesus. Therefore, this meal is the model for the central act of Christian worship, which is known as many things including Eucharist, Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.

• Opening Prayer
• First cup of wine and a dish of herbs and sauce.
• Story of the Passover was recited.
• Psalm 113 was sung
• Second cup of wine
• Prayer of Grace
• Main course of roast lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs
• A further prayer
• Third cup of wine.
• Psalm 114 to 118 were then sung.
• Fourth cup of wine.

Then Jesus goes on to serve, and that is what we look at in the next Podcast.

 

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!

Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Investigating Jesus - Part 34

Investigating Jesus Part 34

Jesus’ Last Night:
Jesus plans (Luke 22)

A lot of businesses and a lot of churches have mission statements. Here we have what is clearly Jesus’ Mission statement and after 3 years of ministry from that point, Jesus has preached the good news of God’s salvation. He has healed the sick. He will release the oppressed by his death on the cross. His mission will be fulfilled at the cross.

Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles were the three most important feasts in the Jewish calendar (Leviticus 21). All Jewish men were expected to visit Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Passover was to commemorate the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and it was a time for remembering and rejoicing (Exodus 11-12). In Luke 22, we come to Jesus’ last night before he goes to that cross.

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve, and Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. (Luke 22:1-6)

It was time for Passover, a supremely important event for the Jewish people. Jews were expected to remove all yeast from their houses (Exodus 12:15) as a reminder that their ancestors left Egypt in a hurry and had to eat bread without yeast. Jesus had warned his disciples about the “yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). In other words, the religious leaders had cleansed their houses but not their hearts. The last thing the religious leaders wanted was a messianic uprising during Passover (Luke 19:11).

What about Judas though? As for him, we see that he was never a true believer. How do we know this? Because his sins had never been cleansed by the Lord (John 13:10-11). Therefore, Judas had never believed or received eternal life from Jesus Christ (John 6:64-71). It should be noted however, Judas had been given authority and had been preaching the same message. This goes to show just how close a person can come to the kingdom of God and still be lost and not a part of it (Matthew 7:21-29). In contrast to the other disciples, we see that Judas was motivated and energized by satan (John 13:2, 27).

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!

Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Investigating Jesus - Part 33

Investigating Jesus Part 33

Jesus’ Last Prayer:
Jesus prays for all disciples (John 17:20-26)

Now Jesus prays for all those who, through the work of the disciples, will become his followers. As such, it brings all Christian disciples into intimacy with Jesus and a part of a dynamic relationship with Him. What does Jesus pray for his church of followers? Jesus prays for unity. That is unity is on various levels.

Firstly, it is unity on the invisible, supernatural level (John 17:21-22). The life of all Christian disciples is inextricably linked to each other, through the love and obedience of God the Son and God the Father. Christian disciples are united because Jesus imparts upon them, the glory given to Him by God the Father (John 17:22). Secondly, this unity is also physical, in so much as through a visible unity, people will come to know Jesus personally and take up the offer of reconciliation with God (John 17:21, 23). This unity is also physically seen, through the telling of the message of reconciliation (John 17:20).

Remember Jesus’ words earlier in John’s Gospel?

“My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:12-15).

As Christian Disciples, we are to love others. All others. No exception. There are to be no barriers to love. We are to love others extraordinarily. In doing this, we reflect the love which God has lavished upon us. We can love others this way if we see them through the eyes of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit who lives within all Christian Disciples and unites us.

 

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!

Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Investigating Jesus - Part 32

Investigating Jesus Part 32

Jesus’ Last Prayer:
Jesus prays for his disciples (John 17:6-19)

In this part of the prayer, Jesus prays for his disciples. Note how he describes them: they were chosen by God Himself, seen God in Jesus and have received God’s words and obeyed them (John 17:6). John 17:6, 9-10 tells us that the disciples were in the safe possession of both the Father and the Son.

John 17:7-8 shows what the disciples know. Despite misunderstanding frequently what Jesus was talking about, the disciples still grasped that Jesus had come from God. Having taught that they will endure persecution and suffering because they are his followers, Jesus prays for their safety. They will be safe, not because of their own cunning, character or conduct. They will be safe because of God’s care and protection (John 17:11-12).

As they are God’s possession, God Himself will ensure that they are watched over and protected. This security is also born from glorifying God and being witnesses for Him (John 17:10). God is glorified whenever his salvation plan is explained and told. Who are the disciples’ enemies and why do they need protecting (John 17:11-12, 15)?

The first enemy is the world who does not know God and is therefore in rebellion against God. The disciples were told of this prior to this prayer. satan is also an enemy of the disciple and will do all he can to stop God being glorified in the life of the disciple. How will God keep them safe? Through his mighty name and nature. By remaining loyal to Jesus, obedient to his teachings and telling others about Him, God’s name & nature will therefore protect them.

Jesus also prays that they may be filled with joy (John 17:13) and be dedicated wholly and solely to Him. The disciples now have a mission and purpose to fulfil – to tell others of Jesus. This mission, though whilst their responsibility, is not theirs alone but is the continuation of Jesus’ mission to bring people to reconciliation with God. Part of that mission is to live a holy life in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit is the real and true pioneer evangelist. Living a holy life, means living a life not for themselves but for the glory and obedience of Jesus Christ.

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!

Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Investigating Jesus - Part 31

Investigating Jesus Part 31

Jesus’ Last Prayer:
Jesus prays for Himself (John 17:1-5)

After his final teaching on his last night before his death, Jesus now turns to prayer. Firstly, praying for Himself, then for his twelve disciples and then finally for all disciples that will follow, the church. This prayer is probably the pinnacle of revelation in John’s gospel. Here we see Jesus’ very words, revealing an unparalleled intimacy with his Father. We get a glimpse into the very heart of their relationship and see the intimate bond between them.

Jesus prays for Himself (John 17:1-5)

Central to this part of his prayer is glorification. That is the glorification of Himself in order that God the Father who sent Him will be glorified. Glorify is rarely used outside of church circles today. If ever it is, is usually in the context of somebody pretending to be better than they really are. Glorify means, in a biblical context, to have the person’s true nature disclosed. In effect, Jesus is saying in John 17:1: “May people see me for who I truly am, your Son. And may they also, through me, see your true nature, Father.”

Praying as he does, just before he knowingly goes to his death on the cross, shows the importance of the cross. For it is through the cross that God the Father and Jesus will be glorified. Jesus’ death on the cross reveals a God of love, faithfulness and forgiveness.

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. (John 17:4) reveals that it was for this purpose that he came, to complete the work given. Jesus’ entire earthly life has been one to show divine love – all for the glory of the Father.

All Jesus’ works and words were completed without even a hint of hypocrisy or sinfulness. His entire life was driven by the desire to see sinful people turn to God for reconciliation and forgiveness. At the cross and through the cross alone, this is achieved. Jesus confidently prays that having laid aside his glory by taking on human form, he will return to God’s right hand, having achieved the work of redemption.

The theme of eternal life runs throughout John’s Gospel (John 3:15-16; John 10:28). What is eternal life? Eternal life is knowing God personally and intimately, and that is only achieved by faith, through Jesus’ death on the cross. It is a free offer and open to all. It is the responsibility of each individual to take up this free offer from God. Once the offer is taken up, the responsibility is then to tell others of this offer. Do you know this Jesus personally? When was the last time you told somebody else about Him? Imagine what this world would be like if more Christians were obedient in this way!

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

 

Investigating Jesus - Part 30

Investigating Jesus Part 30

Jesus’ Last Teaching:
Disciples will have resources in the kingdom

The prime resource that Christian Disciples have is, as we have already seen, God the Holy Spirit. He is the real evangelist. In conjunction with Him, the Christian Disciple has other resources which are available for us to use: counselling, discipling and proclaiming, .

Counselling (John 16:8-11): As well as proclaiming about Jesus, the Holy Spirit speaks to people’s hearts, personally – one to one. He convinces people hearing God’s Word of three things: their own sin (John 16:8); their separation from a righteous God (John 16:10) and in regard to the judgement of satan and all who follow Him (John 16:11). In these three things, a person is led to the Cross in order to confess their sin and need of Jesus Christ and the salvation only he can give.
Discipling (John 16:12-16): Once brought to faith, the Holy Spirit performs several tasks for the Twelve Disciples: he will guide them into all truth and develop what is coming in the future (John 16:13). The New Testament is the product of this work, and that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For the Christian Disciple today, the Holy Spirit helps them to apply the Bible to their life in order that Jesus Christ be glorified (John 16:14).
Proclaiming (John 16:1-7): this is the proclaiming and elucidating work about Jesus that the Spirit performs. The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent resurrection (John 16:14). If Jesus did not go back to glory, and the Holy Spirit was not sent, then the pioneering work of the Holy Spirit would be missing from evangelism and mission. Not only does the Holy Spirit direct people to Jesus, but he takes them to Him.
His position: Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33) and nothing can prevail against Him.
His presence: The twelve disciples will experience sorrow and loss when Jesus is crucified. But after the resurrection, their sorrow will turn to great joy – similar to the exceeding joy after the pains of childbirth. Christian Disciples today also have Jesus’ presence with them, particularly when engaged in doing the work of an evangelist.
His provision: Through answered prayer, joy abounds (John 16:24). Prayer is going to be of prime importance for the twelve disciples as it is a way to ensure unabated joy.

Very soon, these disciples will need all these provisions – particularly for when the man they are following, Jesus Christ, leaves them.

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

Investigating Jesus - Part 29

Investigating Jesus Part 29

Jesus’ Last Teaching:
Disciples will suffer for the kingdom

John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

We learn from this passage that opposition to Jesus’ message is unavoidable. The first opposition is that of the old nature attacking the new nature. Christian Disciples, Jesus said, were called out from the world (John 15:19). Christian Disciples upon conversion belong to a different place and are heading for a different place.

Secondly, opposition is to be expected simply because of who Jesus is (John 15:21). Christian Disciples share in the life of Jesus and the way the world treats Jesus is the way the world treats all his disciples (John 15:20-21). Thirdly, opposition comes through revealing evil. Jesus, as the Light of the World, exposed evil and sin through his words (John 15:22) and works (John 15:24). At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus commanded all those who follow Him, to also be “lights of the world” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is done by consistently ensuring that our works and words match our lifestyle and that no hypocrisy will be found. Opposition brings persecution, and regularly throughout history,

Christian believers have been persecuted for their faith in Jesus. In our own time, perhaps the most persecuted century of all.  Being a Christian is not an easy decision, but it is worth it. It is also endurable because of three reasons:

God remains Lord God despite all; we share in Jesus’ own sufferings and therefore have fellowship with Him (Philippians 3:10) and by being persecuted, it shows we belong to Him (John 15:19). The main reason all opposition can be endured is because the Christian Disciple is not alone. God the Holy Spirit witnesses with the Christian Disciple (John 15:26). Not as a supplementary person filling a perfunctory role, but rather as the pioneer going out to testify about Jesus ahead (John 15:26) of the Christian Disciple (John 15:27).

 

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site!

Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Investigating Jesus - Part 28

Investigating Jesus Part 28
Jesus’ Last Teaching: Disciples must bear fruit for the kingdom

Before he is crucified, Jesus is saying goodbye to his disciples and giving them some final teaching before he departs. Several times he has told them he is going away (John 13:33; John 14:3-4, 19, 28).

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2).

As usual Jesus uses Old Testament language, for in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is often seen as a vine (Jeremiah 2:21; Psalm 80). However, as a vine, Israel had not produced fruit that God had expected as explained here:
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.
He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.”
‘Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? (Isaiah 5:1-4)

With Jesus describing Himself as the true Vine, the implication is clear that the nation of Israel was but an imperfect precursor to his perfect self. With Jesus as the vine, all believers are the branches, and all believers draw spiritual nourishment from Him.

As part of this nourishment, sometimes pruning is required (John 15:2). Cleansing is also required in order that fruit be borne from the Christian Disciple. This cleansing is through regular confession of sin and partaking of Holy Communion as explained in the foot-washing scene of John 13.

What more are His disciples and follower to do? They are to prove to others, they are his followers and his disciples. I n doing so, they are also showing that they truly love him. Jesus tells them they are to continue loving Him and to sacrificially love others joyfully (John 15:12-14). By doing these things, which is now their mission statement, they will bear much good fruit for God’s greater glory (John 15:8).

This of course is to be true of us today, if we are Christian Disciples. Having spoken of love and bearing fruit, Jesus now declares a warning and the context into which he is sending them. Something which although they have heard before, they haven’t quite grasped it fully.

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

 

Investigating Jesus - Part 27

Investigating Jesus Part 27

Jesus Encounters a Woman caught in adultery

Jesus, as all Rabbis and teachers did, was at the temple teaching and talking with people. It was also part of the role of the rabbi/teachers to ascertain what to do in certain difficult moral and legal situations. As part of this role, the Pharisees dragged in an unknown woman charged with adultery. Likewise, with the Samaritan woman, we don’t know this woman’s name either. The Pharisees lay a trap for Jesus. If Jesus said to stone the woman, then the Romans could arrest Jesus, for it was Roman law that any death must be conducted by them and not by others.

If Jesus says to release the woman, then the Pharisees would say that Jesus is contravening Scripture and the Law of Moses. What does Jesus do? He writes in the dirt (John 8:6). We don’t know what he wrote, but from the Greek word for ‘write’, we understand that he was seemingly writing a report. Additionally, when Jesus says: “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7), he is in fact saying “If any one of you is without this sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”.

Ergo, if any of the Pharisees had not committed adultery, whether in the mind or the actual physical act, then they could have stoned her. As it was, they left one by one, the oldest first (John 8:9). Jesus showed the Pharisees up as hypocrites, who were quick to condemn others, so maybe Jesus was reminding them also of: “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water.” (Jeremiah 17:13)

So instead of passing judgement on the woman and by eluding the trap of the Pharisees, Jesus passed judgement on the judges. Jesus having forgiven the woman of her sin, then charges her to leave her life of sin (John 8:11). This reminds us that with the forgiveness of sin, comes a responsibility to live a life worthy of Jesus and to pursue righteousness.

What can we say?

With the women we have seen in the last 2 podcasts, Jesus has showed his compassion and forgiveness. These two women were outcasts of their society, but Jesus showed them mercy and forgiveness and loved them. We read of the many people coming to faith because of the Samaritan woman’s testimony. There is no room in Christianity for actions and attitudes that defy Jesus’ ever-reaching and all-encompassing forgiveness and love. His Gospel, as he always shows, is for all people everywhere, regardless of gender, race, age, culture or social status.

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file

~

Investigating Jesus - Part 26

Investigating Jesus Part 26
Jesus Encounters the Samaritan Woman at the Well

In John 4, w we come to see somebody who accepted Jesus for who he was. Jesus went via Samaria as it was the shortest route back to Galilee. It was hot. Jesus was thirsty and wanted a drink. His disciples had gone into town to get food. So, he asks a Samaritan woman to fetch Him some water from the well. That he asked a Samaritan would have been bad enough, but to also talk to a woman. What does this tell us about the woman? We don’t know the name of this woman, but by looking at this conversation between Jesus and her, we do discover several things about her.

We can see straight away that she was a Samaritan. There was equal animosity between Jews and Samaritans, as seen in “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.” (John 4:9) This could equally be translated as “for Jews do not ask any favours of the Samaritans”. The Samaritans were a mixed-race people of both Jewish and Assyrian descent from the time of the division of Israel into two parts and the annexation of the Northern kingdom by Assyria, who had repopulated the area. (2 Kings 17).

She was therefore an outcast, that is why she was fetching water at the hottest part of the day. But not only because she was a Samaritan but also highly likely due to her sexual immorality having had 5 husbands and currently in a 6th relationship (John 4:18). This Samaritan woman also affirms that she was waiting for the Messiah (John 4:25).

What does this tell us about Jesus?

This encounter not only tells us about the Samaritan woman, it also reveals more about Jesus Himself.

• He showed great humility by asking for a drink of water; he was putting Himself in her debt.
• Tells us of his genuine humanity. He was tired, drained, hot, thirsty and hungry – normal every day human feelings and reactions.
• Jesus contravened tradition in that he spoke to a woman who was a Samaritan and a sinner. Respectable Jewish men never did that sort of thing.
• He knew the woman’s life of sinfulness (John 4:17).
• Tells us of his divinity, when he offered her the water of eternal life (John 4:14).
•  He could spiritually satisfy (John 4:14).
• Loved the woman, and gave her the most revealing and explicit statement we have in the Gospels as to who he really was (John 4:26).
  

In showing love for the woman, he transcended cultural barriers. Ordinary Jewish men would never ask a Samaritan woman for a drink. Hence the disciples’ reaction in John 4:27. But Jesus is no ordinary man, his love is for all, whether they be rich, learned, male, female, wanted and unwanted. This act shows that Jesus’ offer of salvation is for all people, and not just the Jews.
The woman misunderstood the living water Jesus offered as she probably thought he meant running water or water from a river. But the living water Jesus offered was spiritual water to cleanse her from sin and give eternal life. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, God is described as “a fountain of living water” (Jeremiah 2:13). When the disciples returned, the woman left her water jar and went back to the town to tell other people about Jesus (John 4:29-30). Many people came to faith in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony (John 4:39-42) and knew Him as the saviour of the world (John 4:42). As Jesus’ ministry continues, we know that he spoke to people regardless of their social status, education, nationality or gender.

Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file