The Beloved Son | Jesus Begins 4

In which John and David continue to discuss Jesus' baptism. At the baptism the question of who Jesus' father is invites us into deep and exciting reflections on what is going on in this scene in Luke's gospel. We get really enthusiastic about this in this episode, we hope you do too.

Episode 45 of the Two Texts Podcast | Jesus Begins 4

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Transcript

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[00:00:00] John: Hey, David. Back. And we are still in the baptism of Jesus. It's just it's layer upon layer. It's magnificent. And we lent down in our last episode, just looking at the comment of the holy spirit and how important that was. But then we came to this cliffhanger moment, this preferred supernatural. Deeply intimate moment of the father speaking to Jesus. 

[00:00:24] And and we, we want to spend a little bit of time leaning into that in this episode. So would you like to read those beautiful words for us again? From Luke chapter three, verse 21 and and then we'll kick into it.  

[00:00:36] David: Yes. So just to remind you of the taxes, it says when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the holy spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove and a voice came from heaven. You are my son whom I love with you. I am wealthy. Now Jesus himself was about 30 years old when he began his ministry and he was the son. 

[00:01:05] So it was thought of Jewish. And then Luke's gives us this, this very extensive genealogy working his way back through characters. As we noted in the last episode, John, even Jesse appears there potentially just reminding us of some of these Isaiah texts. All as appears there, of course, perhaps reminding us of the welcome of, of Ruth into this family. 

[00:01:30] And then we end up with these phrases, the son of Adam, the son of God. And then Luke starts this phrase, which is following directly on from the baptism. Jesus full of the holy spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days. 

[00:01:56] And at the end of the. He was hungry, which, which again is one of these brilliant Luke's way of ending stories in, oh, you're my son in whom I'm well pleased and Jesus was 30 and 10 and he ate nothing for 40 days at the end of. He was hungry, but by the way, let me just say this, John, before you take us into more focused discussion, by the way, at the end of them, he was hungry. 

[00:02:24] Jesus sitting down in the heat of the day in John chapter four by a well, because. Humans are hot. They get dehydrated and they need water. We, we Chuck and you may not, we're not being a Reverend when we chuckle, but at one level you can dismiss this. The church history has made those verses have been so important because if you have some people out there arguing that Jesus was not fully human, a verse from the scripture saying, oh, and by the way, he didn't eat. 

[00:02:53] And the result of that was he was hungry. Well guess who gets hungry when they don't eat humans.  

[00:03:00] John: Yeah.  

[00:03:01] David: So these little throwaway verses are actually so important for our history and confession of Jesus, the human aren't. They 

[00:03:08] John: They are, they're totally important. They're there. And again, they're just tucked away and that's why we need to, we need to sort of get into the practice of reading scripture slowly. And I know from my own practice, I read it out loud as well. Cause my brain misses words, especially words that I think a new and that really does help me in there. 

[00:03:27] They're all that beautiful. David, to jump back to these gorgeous words of the father. So these are the first recorded words of the father to Jesus in the gospels. So, we, last time we lend into what sort of conversations would Jesus have had with the father. Would he have heard the voice of the father through scripture or directly? 

[00:03:47] And of course we can't, we can't answer these questions, but we do know for certainty that what we're hearing now, Jesus is hearing. And hearing these amazing words and I couldn't help, but notice it in, in my reflections, the freeze almost has like three parts to it, which 

[00:04:06] now again, our, our listeners are going to have to forgive me if the, if the feed I'm over cooking this stuff and you will have to push back on me if you feel like I but but I look at these, you are. Who am I love with you? I'm well pleased. So it feels like there's three elements at some translations. Have you are my beloved son with you own? Well, please. So, so if we go with that, that sort of you are my son whom I love with you. I'm well pleased. There's three elements and incredibly there is. Cause we, we love this idea. 

[00:04:38] Reading backwards or, or learning the Jesus narrative to inform, to knock, to inform the old Testament. And of course, if our listeners have been following us. And so they've been with us from the beginning, they'll know that we've lent into the idea that our, what we call our old Testament is made up of three elements in the Jewish scriptures to the Hebrew Bible has three parts.  

[00:05:04] David: Hmm. 
 

[00:05:04] John: Torah the never AME and the character theme. So Torah is instruction, never eat the prophets and cat DVM the writings. And in fact, that's where we get the word Tanakh from it. So sort of a 

[00:05:16] a way of remembering Torah never intervene. So, so could this be a coincidence maybe, maybe not. Each I've discovered that each statement of the father of those three has an ACO in each section of the tunnel. So let me, let me lean into that. And if, if you think of pushing us too hard, then that's fine. But again, I think. Sense of the lewdness of this, that the father's not just saying nice words from a dad to a son, but the father sees something just that's layered with meaning. So you are my son. I think there's an echo there and a beautiful messianic, Samsung too, that says you are my son today. 

[00:06:01] I have become your father or forgotten. And then it says you are my son whom I love now, this is, this is probably the one that's for some people most controversial, or it feels like a bit of a stretch, but this takes us back to Abraham and Isaac, where God himself says to Abraham, take your son, your only son. 

[00:06:22] Whom you love. In fact, in the end, the Genesis 22 passage only son is repeated three times versus two verse 12, verse 16, and you have this amazing moment of potential sacrifice. Of course there's there's. There's great. Shadow, we message there in terms of the Lord, providing something on our behalf within that, which I think the new Testament writers pick up on as far as Jesus is concerned. 

[00:06:50] And then the third phrase, which you picked up on last time with you. I am well pleased is Isaiah 42. Here is my servant whom I uphold my chosen one in whom. I delight. Right? One other little reference David to this, then it'll let you jump in a norm sound a lot to begin with, but I just, I just thought there's so much here. 

[00:07:12] What's really fascinating about those three references in the Tanakh Psalm to Genesis 22 and Isaiah 42 is that they also have profound global applicant. So, this is the thing that got me most excited. It wasn't just, Hey John, I think you could be stretching it a little bit, but it was the sense that every one of those three references has a global oat. 

[00:07:37] So for example, go back to Sam to ask of me, it says in Psalm two verse yet, and I will make the nations, your inheritance. So in some sort of a two verse seven, he says you're mice. And then in verse eight, he says, ask me, and I'll give you the nations. Then we go to Genesis 22, the son whom I love And when you read don't towards the end of the, that the passage after God intervenes says the angel of the Lord comes to Abraham from having a second time. 

[00:08:09] I swear by myself, declares the Lord that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand and the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies. 

[00:08:25] And through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed. So that's the second global reference in this. And then the third one. And Isaiah is just gorgeous here. Isaiah chapter 42, verse one. The second part of verse one says I will put my spirit on him. We've talked about that last time and he will bring justice. To the nations. And then it. 

[00:08:54] goes on to conclude a rate down at the bottom of that sort of verse four in fifth fullness, he will bring forth justice. He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth in his teaching. The islands will put their hope. So, so two things. Our listeners to consider. 

[00:09:17] And I hope I'm not over cooking it's that when we hear these words of the father, but tension, the three elements of the statement of the father have resonance in the three sections of Tanakh, Sam to Genesis 22, Isaiah 40. So all the twos there help you to remember, but then each of those three have than with N the taxed global application. 

[00:09:48] And when we apply that then to Jesus, just two things for us to think about. Number one, in the words of the father, the father is affirming Jesus from the full authority of today. Every element of Tanakh is represented in the statement. Therefore it's as if Jesus Knight gets the affirmation of the whole of scripture within that. 

[00:10:13] And then secondly, on, by the way, what he is about to do will have global. Impact the nations of the world will be impact impacted through this son whom I love and with whom I am well-pleased. So I've been bursting to get that idea of it. I probably talk far too much in this podcast already, but I've been bursting to get that. 

[00:10:37] Cause I thought my goodness, even if we're half right. In some of that stuff, then these what sounded like very. Beautiful intimate, almost simple words of the father. Forgive my language are actually layer upon layer of profound authority and affirmation, which a pool to knock into the life of Jesus. And then push that to the ends of the.  

[00:11:04] David: Wow. So there's a lot in there, John. I feel like we should just stop the podcast and let people go, Hey, listen, this is an 11 minute podcast that you need to listen to five times. And I was trying to, I'm scrambling a little bit in the background while you were talking to want to not oppose anything you've said, but just add some other things to it. 

[00:11:26] And I, if I recall that you are my son, the beloved with whom I am, well-pleased, doesn't appear in John's gospel, does it? That that Lane's missing in John's gospel, right. So in John's gospel, there isn't a baptism scene of Jesus. You actually just have John the Baptist saying, oh, I baptized him and saw the holy spirit come upon him. So, so you lose the you lose the, the voice of God coming to Jesus saying, you're my son in whom I'm well pleased. 

[00:11:58] Right? Okay. What's interesting. And so if I'm probably just going to spiral off, like if you've just blown up a really nice balloon, I'm not going to let it go. And it's just going to spiral off into the ethic, but you, you, you triggered something to me when you were saying this you, so you have, you are my son, this illusion the Genesis 22 illusion was interesting to meet John because. 

[00:12:24] This is more, just a reflection though. Let me try and organize my thoughts into something more coherent. You take your son, the son whom you love right in Genesis 22. That's the first use of the word love in the Bible. And as soon as the love has not been mentioned up at that point, the take you're sending me the love and the net result of Abraham's faithfulness is a call to. 

[00:12:46] Do something for the nations. Right. What's really interesting is in John's gospel. You don't get this. You are my son whom I love. Right. But the first mention of love in John's gospel is John three 16, where in John three 16, you get, God loved the world. He took. One and only son. And what did he do? He gave that son for the whole world. 

[00:13:14] Right? So, so, so John, John is almost, what's the right word to use here, but if you lay Genesis. Isaac next to each other. Both fathers, both love their sons. One father's willing to give up his son, but God removes that. Therefore changing how people even think about God. I used to love this about Genesis 22. 

[00:13:39] The bit that you don't often hear preached about so much, God says to Abraham, bring your son, sacrifice him to me. And Abraham says, okay.  

[00:13:48] John: Yeah.  

[00:13:49] David: And and, and does that sound. Why does Abraham see? Okay, because in his world, that's what God's always did. Sacrificing your child to the God was not unusual. And so, and God takes Abraham all throughout the mountain. 

[00:14:03] And in my reading of the story is, and says to Abraham, this is not the type of God I am. Right. And. And then there's one of my friends said once wouldn't you love to have a script of Isaac and Abraham's conversation going down the mountain and not at least Isaac's relationship with Abraham, but Hey, what are we going to tell mom? 

[00:14:22] And, but, but, but to the more serious point that God intervenes, this is not the God that I. And do you understand that Abraham and only ones Abraham can understand that this is not a God who will take our sons from us, does God know, see, and I'm going to be the God that helps you bless the nations. So they know now I, moved to John's gospel and John says, well, I'm going to give you the first mention of love in exactly the same way as in Genesis first book. 

[00:14:53] Is John channeling Genesis. We'll compare the beginning line of Genesis to the beginning line of John. And we, we have episodes that deal with that in the past. Don't we? But, so you've got Genesis in mind, but here by three 16, first mention of love again and only son, but this God does give his son for us and for the world. 

[00:15:13] So John three 16 as Isaiah 42, John three 16. And what do you call it? Genesis  

[00:15:19] John: Genesis 22 Yep.  

[00:15:21] David: and then John three 16 and Psalm two are, this Royal Psalm as it's known. So, I'm, I'm not seeing anything. I hope that sounds like I'm opposing what you're saying. I'm just saying, it's interesting that maybe John's doing the same thing, but just in a slightly different verse, in, in the famous John three 16 is carrying all of this mess and waits in a way that we would say. 

[00:15:46] I suppose was all my way of saying, I don't think your reflection is necessarily farfetched because I wonder if I wonder if John's doing exactly the same thing.  

[00:15:57] John: Yeah. 
 

[00:15:57] no, I don't have to say, I love that, David. I mean, I love your ability to pull John into that and see that. And of course, John who rates much later, if, if John is. Is also spotting the patterns if he's spotting the eye of the fact that there is something being pulled together here from these magnificent texts that are so core central to, to Judaism and, and to the idea of. 

[00:16:25] To the identity of being Jewish in some ways within that. And yet these, these, the threads are being pulled together in the person of Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of that identity. The ultimate fulfillment of that idea as, as Paul litter tells us, it's, it's, Jesus is Abraham's seed and it, through that seed the word. 

[00:16:45] Is blessed. So, so we were getting some just beautiful ideas. And I suppose what, what, what I would want our listeners to lean into is don't just hear these words at the baptism of Jesus as. W like we might interpret them as words of a father to a son. Just bring in a bit of all of you, you're a good lard. 

[00:17:08] Keep going for it. You've done a good job. You're doing it. You're on the right path. I, and of course we can say this. make, be in danger of over humanizing the situation on a plane, our own human emotions into a moment like this. I think the father, Yes. 

[00:17:27] he's bringing comfort to Jesus, but there is a profound wit of affirmation coming from the echo of the tunnel. 

[00:17:34] Right into the heart of Jesus passages that he would have read, heard, studied, and know the father saying you are the fulfillment of all of these passages in, some to Genesis 22, Isaiah 42. And of course, if John's picking that up as well, and John three 16, it is truly magnificent connections that once we see bring depth and, color to this conference  

[00:18:02] David: and and I can, I just, I, I think these nuances are there to be explored and sat with and thought about, and by the time, if you track it this level throughout all of Luke's gospel, this is happening again. And again and again, that th th there's there's there's verses in this references in this scripture. 

[00:18:23] And Jesus is the fulfillment of these prophecies. So it's not far fetched to think that the authors of these books would help us see that, bear in mind. If you, if you were gathered in the first Christian Church meeting of Phillip pie, and somebody says let's open the Bible, Like they mean the old Testament. 

[00:18:46] They mean the, to knock, that nobody's written new Testament by that point, Jesus is, Jesus is back with the father of. Oh, goodness. Probably 30 years before we get anything of Christian scripture. I mean, maybe a little, little shorter than that as possible. Some of Paul's letters may have been written in the, in the late fifties perhaps or something like that. 

[00:19:09] And I mean, there's a, and there's a lot of discussion over that. So we get distracted, but let's say 20 to 25 years, the early Christian Church has no explicitly Christian texts. All they have is the old Testament. So when you go to church, you read in the old Testament. When you sing songs, you're singing this arms with you and, and, and actually you see in later history, As Christianity and Judaism start to break apart. 

[00:19:35] One of the concerns amongst certain Jewish traditions is how much the Christians appear to have fully taken the old Testament as if it's their own. Right. So, so this is a, so Luke now is writing, let's say Luke's writing 30, 40 years after Jesus returns to be with the father. So he's writing to churches that had 40 years of reading the old Testament. 

[00:20:00] John: Yep.  
 

[00:20:01] David: I don't think this sort of stuff is too far fetched to say, I know, especially since what we're just saying is there seems to be some illusions here, we're not saying to go home and scrap the doctrine that you learned. We're not saying, we're just saying, are there layers and layers and layers of beautiful potential nuances going on here that open up what this tax could mean? 

[00:20:24] John: Absolutely. And, as, as one little aside, before we move on on this, an appeal to our listeners, Don't jettison the old Testament, at the end of the day, it's a crucial part of this conversation, of course, because we have messages within the context of the new Testament that allow us to see the fulfillment of elements of the old and our four practices that no longer need to be adhered to or ideas that have been fulfilled and superseded in Jesus. 

[00:20:56] We get all of that. I get all of that. I am firmly. In a post resurrection new Testament world. But, but it is remembering that the only Bible Paul hard was to knock the only Bible Peter GM's, John Jesus' heart was to knock and they phoned, they phoned the kingdom of God and they find the purposes of God on it. 

[00:21:20] So it's still the.  

[00:21:22] David: Hmm. 
 

[00:21:23] John: The application through the lens of the new Testament is different, but it's still there. And therefore we, we should not jettison. And I think for me, one of the adult, I don't want to say trackers here. I think one of the sadnesses is in, in the fracturing of Christianity from its Jewish roots, is that I think we have been profoundly impoverished as a result of that. 

[00:21:44] I think we've lost some. Of the power of the message, because we, we have not are, cannot read it through a Jewish lands because, because of that distance and separation, whereas that first 2, 3, 4 waves of Christian believers would have absolutely understood the rootedness of. The what we'll call the Christian faith in its Jewish root. 

[00:22:13] And one that I think when we separate them is, is profoundly 

[00:22:17] sad and, and impoverishes us 

[00:22:20] In, in great ways, but I know that's probably another discussion for another time, but, but  

[00:22:24] David: but I think, I think your point is, is right. And I, and I think that the. Western again, let me make a very brief comment, but you know, Western antisemitism has been such, there have been periods even in the last century that scholarship has almost attempted to try and distract from I mean, it got so bad at some points that famous book on Jesus was just called Jesus, the Jew and, and which sounds like. 

[00:22:51] Like w well, what an obvious book title, but when he wrote it in the mid 20th century, that was quite controversial. It's Hey, let's remember who Jesus was here. Jesus was Jewish. I w w when we used to teach at seminary together, John, I taught as you'll remember, I taught a class on Pauline studies and my students used to say to me, what would be a good book to read, to help me with this class. 

[00:23:14] And and I used to, I used to say Isaiah and of course, I mean, I knew that the students were asking for, some sort of published scholarship book, but it was like, if you really want to understand Paul, she probably wants to go home and memorize Isaiah because it will make you, it will make things easy for you.  

[00:23:32] John: I love that. Love that.  

[00:23:33] David: John. I'd love to talk a little bit about social context, if that was possible in this text. 

[00:23:39] Is, is that, is that okay if I, if  

[00:23:41] John: Oh yeah.  

[00:23:41] David: because there's, there's an interesting little sort of potential way to read this story, which I wonder if might also add a little bit of color color to it for for somebody that would want to study this, this VR. And that's to say I, and we've made allusion to stuff like this before, but just as a very brief reminder I really simple as succinct way to say it is, is in terms of social, cultural concerns and, and interactions. 

[00:24:09] Something you can say, which I think is, is, is, is, is roundly true of the ancient world, particularly the world of the new Testament is that concern for honor and status. Sort of pre-frame pervaded all social interactions in the world of Luke. Right. So whenever you were engaged with, with any conversation any argument, any appearance in public, your reputation was at stake. 

[00:24:40] You were, you were presenting, how am I being perceived by members of the public? Right. And so, so, you could, the way that scholars often refer to this is just as concerned for honor. Right now. Now there's rules honor is not a fixed concept. What we think is honorable in the modern world, different from what would have been honorable in the ancient world, but in truth, many, many human interactions are concerned for, honor, right. 

[00:25:06] My dad's stronger than your dad, as it starts in the, in the schoolyard is essentially pursuing honor now. In, in the world of Luke and has, this is actually true of all of the new Testament world honor was achieved through two sort of basic routes. The one route was that it was a scribed. 

[00:25:28] And, and that meant that you basically were born into it. Right. So, so your honor was given to you on the basis of. I've just where you were fortunate enough to be born. You're the Caesar's son. Guess what? You're a baby with honor, right? You're a slave son. Guess what? You're a baby with. No honor. 

[00:25:46] And. The other way the honor could happen was it was acquired that you could gain honor. So, you were a slave son, but you, led an army to defend against some invaders and all of a sudden, wait a minute. Well, you're a bit of a big deal, right? You gave a great speech in the, the, the Roman politics. 

[00:26:03] So, so are. Was sort of achieved by acquiring it and also by being ascribed it now, one of the ways that honor gets acquired is through social interactions, which are often referred to as challenge and repost. Right? So, so one of the things that scholars would tell you of the ancient world is if you're watching people. 

[00:26:24] In ancient dialogue in ancient literature know that there's an honor challenge going on. Who's going to win this argument. Who's not going to win this argument. Great example of this actually is in Galatians chapter two, when, when Paul gets up and says to Peter, Peter, you're acting like a hypocrite and there's no record of a response from pizza. 

[00:26:43] And actually that tells us that Paul won that argument, right? Because. Peter had nothing to say back. You see it in so many of the parables of Jesus and the interaction. Jesus says something. And then the text will say, and, and the Pharisees were silent and we go, oh, okay. That's interesting. They obviously couldn't think of anything to see an ancient reader reads that and goes, oh, Jesus one. 

[00:27:02] Right? Because silence means you, you beat me in the honor challenge. So why? I think this is interesting. Is that this passage that we've got here from Luke chapter three, verse 21, right? The way through, down then to verse two of chapter four, I think is functioning in a social contextual level as an establishment of Jesus. 

[00:27:31] Right. And authority and, and his standing in public reputation. Right. If that, if that makes sense, just because, because of course, remember, honor is ascribed as, so that's family honor case, so that you get that from where you were born, it's acquired that challenge. Ripostes doing things which are remarkable. 

[00:27:52] And I think that what happens in Luke's gospel is that Jesus is beginning, just looking at, look at the moment, Jesus, his beginnings are a little uncertain. People are not too sure about that. In fact, there may even be some suspicious questions to ask around around his beginnings. And you notice Luke even alludes to that, he was the son. 

[00:28:09] So it was thought of, of, of Joseph. Right. And if you were going to represent yourself, Well in the ancient world, an anomalous background, isn't good for you that doesn't, that doesn't sort of bode well for you. And I think that Luke sets up and he's doing many things. We've talked about the theological stuff. 

[00:28:30] He's doing all of that I agree with, but Luke can be doing many things at once. And I think one of the things he's doing in this passage is actually. Intending to convince a possibly skeptical audience about Jesus he's standing and Jesus's honor. Does that make sense? So you could just look at a couple of things really quickly then John. 

[00:28:52] So first thing you have, you are my son whom I love with you. I am well-pleased right. This is a scribed honor. Where's this Jesus come from. Well, the heavens just opened and God said from me, so I, as far as honors go and, and I mean, this, this sound like I was going to sound like I was being sarcastic there in the ancient pagan word. 

[00:29:14] Being the son of a God is about, is a vote as high as it gets. Don't forget. Caesar Augustus was, was around about the same time that this story's happening in the preceding few years, Caesar Augustus has built a temple in Ephesus and carved on the outside of the walls that he is a son of God. So, so, so this is in the ancient pagan listener reads this Luke's writing. 

[00:29:38] To Greece into Rome, they go, okay, well, this is interesting. This seems to be giving Jesus some status. So, so what's Jesus. He status. Well, he is a scribed on her by God, but now, and I made allusion to this in the last episode. And now Luke, good. Let's have a genealogy  

[00:29:56] John: Yep.  
 

[00:29:57] David: and we go, what a strange place to put a genealogy will not if Luke's trying to ascribe honor to Jesus at this point, right? 

[00:30:05] Because, okay, first, this first tick in your tick box of approved status. Th the God second in a, in a culture, which is quite illiterate in a culture where people don't keep long records. Most people only knew their genealogy for a couple of like poor people with no honor would know their gene genealogy to couple of, Hey, the father. 

[00:30:25] Jacob, whose father was Isaac, whose father is Abraham, that's it? That's, you, you see genealogies in threes, Luke rolls out this extensive genealogy, which you and I read in this day and age and go like, seriously, is this long enough? Well, in the ancient world, the only people that have long genealogy. 

[00:30:43] Are people with a lot of honor, right? Because that probably means they've had the prestige, that somebody has been keeping track of this. Somebody cared enough to keep track of this. So, so again, the ancient world, you see a long genealogy, you go, Ooh, wow. Again, not dissimilar to our world. Royal families have bigger family trees than any of us can put together. 

[00:31:01] We get a bit, a bit cloudy over that uncle over there. So now, and of course not to mention guess where Jesus's genealogy ends up. It ends up as son of God, right? Which the average Jewish person I think reads this goes, well, we all end up there. So that's not actually, but in a Greek or Roman to a Greek or Roman readership, like, oh, okay. 

[00:31:22] That's interesting. Right. So, so then what happens immediately after. Acquired on a story, a scribed honor from God, the father, a scribed owner from an impressive genealogy. Guess what? Jesus does next heads off for a test. Right. And now if you think about how do you gain honor you gain. By doing great challenges, right? 

[00:31:45] And, and, and they're done by challenging reports. We'll look at the conversation we're read about in future episodes. Devil brings a challenge to Jesus. Jesus bats him down. Devil brings another challenge, bats him down. Eventually the devil goes away because he can't beat Jesus. So by the time you get to Jesus turning up in this synagogue in Nazareth, notice Luke four 14, he returns in the full of full of the power of the spirit and news about him. 

[00:32:10] Spread. Right. So I think there's a way of reading this, the sequence of tasks that we're going to spend more time over the next few weeks, talking about. There's a way of reading it as to the ancient mind. This is, this is Luke establishing Jesus's ministry credentials. He can do this. He comes from the right places and, and he can also defend that honor and defend that reputation. 

[00:32:37] Well, now that might be nothing more than just a quirky thing for people to read. And I've now gone on for too long talking about that, John, but I just think that's kind of neat to see that color and nuance there. 

[00:32:49] John: It's it's, it's more than neat. It's brilliant. It's absolutely outstanding. And again, what it does is it gives multi-dimensional to the gospel writers. So, modern 21st century readers, we just tend to think of them as, oh Yeah. 

[00:33:03] They record the story of Jesus. Right? So it's just a bunch of facts Strunk together. 

[00:33:08] What we've tried to do in various episodes and very series of show. Now, these guys. Really are working their context, the reflect in their context, they're both reflecting their culture and challenging their culture. And there are certain things within their cultural world that demand a recent. And of course Luke's gospel at one level, like all the other gospels, but certainly Luke's gospel written to Theopolis and the book of acts, which follows it up, you could play as firmly as a strong apologetic. 

[00:33:39] It's a strong defense of Jesus. it's a strong apologetic and defense of the church at a time in the Roman world when they were coming under greater and greater and greater challenge and threat. So, so of course, Luke is. Speaking to the challenges of his society. Over on over questions like a fora day, an honor. 

[00:34:02] And does he have the wit to be able to do what he does? And, and of course, some of our listeners will, will hear even within the Jewish context, by what authority do you do these things? How are you able to do this? Who give you this authority? There are question marks, but of course, what, what they don't know is that no know. 

[00:34:24] That there's a backstory here and because of high Luke and the gospel writers have pieced together this information on connected it from the words of the father, to the genealogy, to NY, as we're going to lean into in weeks to come this incredible combative moment with the ad. That actually he is establishing the honor of Jews and, and I do, I do really love, I love Dr. 

[00:34:51] Luke's little throw in there. He was the son. So it was thought of Joseph. I do find that I, I can't read that without smiling. I found that really quite touching. Quite brilliant. Almost. I can see Dr. Luke wink as he reads that to us. He was the son. So it was thought of Joseph. And then he, he begins to explain out of the words of the father and into the genealogy who Jesus really is. 

[00:35:20] It's so standing, it's an outstanding piece of, I mean, you summarize. Years of scholarship on a no, I know you've written a magnificent PhD on this in terms of the whole honor and shame culture in Galatians and my goodness for our, for our listeners to have a summary. So brilliant as that in just a few moments, she was the level of of your brain power, David, but. 

[00:35:43] Also also how helpful it is to sometimes in some of these glorious texts to lean beyond even the theological and see the cultural, political, social context to, to all of, in which all of these documents were written, because it can add dimensions and depth that are truly.  

[00:36:04] David: Well, and I can either, I can circle back for a second gen, Y you, you made that point that you love that lane. He was the son. So it was thought of Joseph, but, but that's really fascinating. Again, it's a beautiful little comment. I think it's carrying a ton of weight, right? So you are my son who. With you. 

[00:36:23] I am well pleased. He was the son. So it was thought of Joseph. Now you get son of he license of math, that son of Levi, son of son of John, the son of Joseph said, and he keeps going for, I should have counted, but there's a lot of names in the ancient world were stereotyping is quite a big thing. Son of doesn't mean that this person. 

[00:36:45] Is your biological father right now. It does mean that, but the reason we're interested in who your son is, is because that tells us what type of person you are. And so, so to say, and we, we, we, it's just saying, even in the Western world, isn't it like father, like son, right? That, so it's not just, oh, here's an interesting group of people. 

[00:37:01] This is the type of person he is. So it's fascinating then that you get your, my son, the beloved one. Now let's now give you a list of people of who be. Thought Jesus is related to fascinatingly. If you follow this list of who the people Jesus is in keeping with you end up. God, who we were told at the very start. 

[00:37:22] This is who his actual father is. So this saw it was thoughts, really powerful, but why that's really interesting then to me is look at what I'm just getting slightly ahead of herself, but I, but I think it be easier to do it now than remember it in two or three weeks time. What is the devil's opening lane to  

[00:37:39] John: and date.  

[00:37:40] David: If you are. The son of God, it's a challenge to his honor. It's a challenge to his status. It's a challenge to the truth and this goodness, we'll probably do a whole podcast on that one sentence, but, but it's interesting how it loops around that. The question is being asked if Jesus, everywhere, who are you and what Jesus has. 

[00:38:00] And this is what I think is really interesting is it, Jesus has to like all of us through the power of the spirit. Remember the truth that you are the son of God now. Cause why that's interesting. Is that for me? Anyway, it's interesting. Luke chapter four, verse one. So the end of this genealogy Jesus full of the holy spirit left the Jordan and was led by the spirit into the desert where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil. 

[00:38:26] Right? I, we we've read backwards at many times over the last two episodes. So let's, let's just have some more right. Reading backwards, Deuteronomy eight verse two. Remember the long. That the Lord, your God has led you these 40 years in the desert in order to humble you and test you. And in the Greek translation of the old Testament, the same word as is used in Luke. 

[00:38:53] And and, and to test you to know what was in your heart and whether or not you would keep your commandments. So what is the son of God? The, the nations are your inheritance. So what is the commandments given the son of God is to bring God to the world and this testing. And I mean, my goodness, I'm so excited to jump, but, but there's like thing, but, but I don't want people to lose the resonance. 

[00:39:17] So we have to talk slightly ahead for a moment. So let me try and do this succinctly, John, your beautiful thing that you did around your. The loved one, in whom I'm well pleased and having all three of these old Testament illusions, the world is the reason for this, the all of creation we brought in, just look at what the devil offers. 

[00:39:40] John: Indeed. Indeed.  

[00:39:41] David: offers him the world and but it comes in a period of testing where the Deuteronomy text says testing to know what was in your heart. And Jesus is gonna not take in the world. In a way that denies that I'm the son of God. Oh my goodness. Like 

[00:39:58] John: amazing. It's magnificent. It's  

[00:40:01] David: let's talk for three more hours,  

[00:40:02] John: Oh man. Well, if that, if that hasn't wet the appetite of our listeners to stay with this, for the what is sometimes referred to as the temptations of Jesus, then I'm not sure what well, because, as we lean into that, the layers around that are just stunning and stay green and and Jesus. 

[00:40:23] Magnificent use of scripture and how that connects to multiple layers through the tunnel is just absolutely breathtaking. So I I'm already incredibly excited about that, but, but that's been a brilliant summary and, and hopefully very helpful to our listeners in C. Hi, these passages are being put together high. 

[00:40:44] These words are being constructed and, and the brilliance of Dr. Luke, a Gentile writer, but perhaps under the tutelage of Paul really has understood that Jesus is the fulfillment of Tanakh and on the one who is honored by the father to carry his word to the nations of the world. Just truly outstanding. 

[00:41:04] David, hold on.  

[00:41:06] David: John. I am going to have to go and put on another sweater. Cause I've had so many shivers as a result of this conversation that are not as a result of the cold temperature of where I live. Like, goodness, me. I feel, I feel like you started it where. Oh, my goodness. This is exciting. And I think the hairs on the back of my neck, if they had hairs, they would be standing up right. 

[00:41:30] John: Let's admit you go and change your sweater. I'm actually going to go and make myself some Chile. And yeah, absolutely. I've got some of that ready to go. So yeah. Bless you, man. It's been a fantastic podcast. I hope our listeners have enjoyed it as much as we have and Jesus at the center of it all is truly glorious and magnificent. 

[00:41:47] And I said business.  

[00:41:48] David: phenomenal grace and peace to all of you