WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:02.160 Hello, my name is James Rathman. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:03.600 And my name is Aaron Neff. 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.759 And this is the Aaron and James Podcast. 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:17.839 And we are in a series where we are following along with Redemption Church Denver as we study in the spring of 2025 Paul's letter to the Romans. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:33.280 And so the purpose and intention of this study is to uh be uh or of this podcast is that it might be a supplement, especially to those who are going through this um study of Romans with us. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:39.759 This is a 12-week study, but this spring semester is just six weeks, and then we'll pick up another six weeks in the fall. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:46.399 And we're going through a uh uh this this study from the Knowing the Bible series. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:48.799 Jared Wilson wrote this one. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:51.039 The theological editor is J.I. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:55.920 Packer, which um there's certain names that you stamp it on, and it's like, okay. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:56.719 J.I. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:57.119 Packer. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:57.600 J.I. 00:00:57.679 --> 00:00:59.039 Packer is one of those names. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:08.000 And uh so if you stick with us through this podcast, we hope it'll be uh a beneficial supplement to your study. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:27.840 And if you're not doing the study, I think it will still be beneficial to spend some time in uh the Word and Paul's letter to the Romans and um uh hopefully still encourage you in your walk with the Lord, greater knowledge of his word, more sanctified. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:30.480 Something to help put you to sleep at night. 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:32.640 Something to help put you to sleep at night. 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.239 And uh uh so that's here, so that's where we are. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.239 So this is our second week. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:45.680 We're following along with the weeks that are in the um study guide. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:02:01.120 And uh so this uh for week two, we are covering uh the gospel as the revelation of the righteousness of God, and this is the first half of chapter one, Paul's introduction and where he's headed. 00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:12.960 But before we get into that, this episode of the podcast is brought to you by the Women's 2025 Vision Brunch, which will take place Sunday, February 16th. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:14.960 That's coming up this Sunday. 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:16.479 And Mark your calendars. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:17.439 Mark your calendars. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:44.159 It's gonna be at noon, so about an hour after church, gonna turn the sanctuary into a brunch place, and it'll be a great time to get together with the women of our church and uh explore areas of service and opportunities for growth and reflect on the needs of the women in our church and uh uh seek support and encouragement to lean into those things. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:03:00.639 Liz Carr, our women's director, um, has put a lot of thought and care into this, and I think it'll be really beneficial uh if whether you're new to RCD or whether you've uh been here since the olden days, this'll be a wonderful brunch together. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:12.080 Also, this episode of the podcast is brought to you by the men's night, which is on Friday, February 21st, and that's uh um in the next couple of weeks. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:18.560 Uh, and we'll be going over the theme of protection, uh, how men are called to protect. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:23.520 So uh come to the men's night, Friday, February twenty-first. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.039 Get ready to do some push-ups. 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:29.120 Get ready to do some push-ups, just feats of strength, generally. 00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:33.520 We'll have uh uh arm wrestling contests. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:34.400 That's right. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:34.960 Nice. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.120 Uh who's the strongest man in the church? 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:38.319 Well, it's important to know. 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:39.520 The best protector. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:40.159 That's right. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:42.719 Whoever wins is automatically signed up for security duty. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:45.120 We're basically just gonna be doing Red Rover. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:48.960 Is a good way to find that out. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:50.319 Perfect. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:52.960 This concludes our ad read. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:56.479 Thanks to all our sponsors. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:59.520 All right, Aaron, bring us into Romans. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:22.160 Okay, so one of the things that we've been doing with these studies is talking about a cultural lie, uh, things that we just might believe just from the nature of being a person uh alive in this present uh age, in this culture, just things that we grow up accepting, like you know, seed oils are healthy for you. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:23.040 Yeah, that's right. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:23.680 Things like that. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:29.519 I I didn't even know what a seed oil was until like six months ago. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:29.920 Yeah. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.199 I mean, and now I drive past Chick-fil-A and I'm like, what do I want? 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:35.279 I what am I trying to die? 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:38.160 Can't put that in my body anymore. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:39.360 Yeah, exactly. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:41.680 Uh whereas I've put it in my body a lot. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:43.439 A little part of me actually has died. 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:48.399 You know, since I've stopped eating seed oils, do you know uh how I feel? 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:49.199 The same. 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:49.759 The same. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.720 I feel the same. 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:54.399 Well, but anyway. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:56.079 At least you know better. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:58.639 If you know better, you do better. 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:00.720 Um yeah, anyways. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:03.040 So culture culturalized. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:17.920 So I mean, one of the things that um maybe we want to talk about for this first chapter, obviously, this is uh a letter by Paul, and he's introducing his gospel to the Romans. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:24.720 Um, but I thought that I thought that we already had Gospels in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:28.399 Those are the things that Jesus has said and given to us. 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.279 So why why would we need Paul? 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:31.920 Yeah. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:35.920 Especially when some of the things that he says seems to be pretty harsh. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:40.319 You know, I think this is I think you're putting your finger on something really important. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:56.240 The and it's kind of the purpose of discussing these cultural lies, which is there are these ways that Satan just kind of weasels into our minds in order to seed doubt with regard to the word of God, which has always been his move. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:05.199 And I think this is a a key way, this subtle little lie that can creep in, which is just like that's Paul, not Jesus. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.120 That's Paul's Christianity. 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:08.639 This is Pauline theology. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:12.319 I think it's something that uh I hear a lot. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:15.839 Same sort of divisions as like, yeah, that's the Old Testament God. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:16.079 Yeah. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:19.199 That's not the God of the New Testament. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.720 Folks are always trying to parse and pare down. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.079 And it's kind of in our American history to do so. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:34.480 You know, the Jefferson Bible uh reduces the gospel claims to just these moral, to just the moral claims of Jesus. 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:42.639 Yeah, he rips out all the miracles and the resurrection and it's kind of like a way of saying, like, I know how things work out here. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.360 This isn't the way things work out here. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:47.360 It's like, how do you know how things work out here? 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:48.639 You just got here like the rest of us. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:49.279 Right, yeah. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:55.519 You did a good job on the declaration, but can we just say we gotta give you know props where they're due. 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:56.319 Yeah, right. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:58.959 But you know, maybe s maybe stay in your lane. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:05.920 Plus, how do you argue against we hold these truths to be self-evident? 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:06.480 Yeah. 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:11.199 It's like, okay, well then what am I gonna can't King George was like, well, what do you want me to say? 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:14.000 Yeah, sounds like you've already made up your mind. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:14.800 Yeah. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:19.199 Uh and I've lost our train of thought. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:36.160 So the distinct so what this lie that this is not Jesus' gospel, but Paul's gospel, uh it is a misunderstanding of the way that the Holy Spirit has written the scriptures. 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:36.720 Yeah. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:41.839 And that these are all all scripture is God breathed. 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:43.839 This is all the word of God to us. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:55.920 And this is the continued ministry of Jesus Christ through his apostles that he chose. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:20.639 And these are the ones that he revealed himself to and sent his spirit into so that they might be equipped as his prophets to explain all the things that Christ accomplished on our behalf, so that we might have sufficient knowledge in the scriptures for all that we need for life and salvation. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:35.759 And so we should not think of Paul's writings as the later innovation of something accruing to the pure work of Christ. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:43.840 We should think of it as the continued work of Christ through his spirit by his chosen agents. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:52.879 And so there is no contradiction between the project of Jesus or the claims of Jesus. 00:08:54.399 --> 00:09:03.919 Uh and I think that oftentimes it's said that uh Paul doesn't speak in the kingdom language that Jesus speaks in. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:18.080 I think that we'll see that that's uh that argument is absurd and makes makes no sense as we even right away get into um this just introduction to Romans. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:31.840 Um but we need to weed we we need to uh recognize that lie when it creeps in so that our hearts might be prepared to receive the Word of God as the Word of God. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:32.320 Yeah. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:42.720 And um uh not um uh find clever ways to remove aspects of it. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:43.120 Yeah. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.480 So it's really uh that conversation is a two-step conversation. 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:55.679 It's uh um that's Paul, not Jesus, is step one, and step two is just sexual immorality. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:59.120 That's the way that actually goes in life. 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:02.799 It's like that's not Jesus, that's Paul speaking. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:03.279 Yeah. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:05.840 Now I'm going to do some sexual immorality. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:06.240 Yeah. 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:06.879 It's like okay. 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:08.480 So it's a natural progression. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:09.519 It's a natural progression. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:16.159 Well, and it also seems that Paul is doing He's doing for us exactly what Jesus did. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:21.919 Where he's reinterpreting the law for us in the right way. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:28.159 Um, where Jesus says, you know, you've heard it said, you shall not murder. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:31.600 But I tell you that anyone that hates his brother in his heart has already committed murder. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:32.240 Yes. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:42.399 And that's exactly what we're getting with Paul around like this is your interpret, this has been the interpretation of the scriptures, and this is what they actually mean. 00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:43.039 Yes. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:48.399 It Jesus explains, you know, on the road to Emmaus, this was all about me. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:54.000 Paul will explain the scriptures and recognize this was all about Jesus. 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:54.320 Yeah. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:08.080 And so he he shows how this works in the covenantal dynamic, why he is not uh ashamed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, uh, because he recognized that all the scriptures were about this the whole time. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:19.120 Uh uh Pascal uh says that Jesus is the cipher that breaks the code of the Old Testament. 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:19.519 Yeah. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:21.679 I always loved that phrase. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:30.879 Um we see Paul doing that project. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:31.600 Yeah. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.000 He's doing it exegesis, is what he's doing. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:34.960 That's right. 00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:38.639 I think it also it makes reading the Old Testament so much more interesting. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:39.039 Yeah. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:46.480 I think just for me personally, is going back and understanding this isn't a string of random things that we're being given. 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:51.519 Um there's something here for us to learn, and we're supposed to see Jesus. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:52.000 Yes. 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:54.159 And so how do we how do we go and then do that? 00:11:54.559 --> 00:12:01.360 Well, I think let's just jump right in because we'll see that Paul is doing that project from the very beginning. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:35.759 So he says, to start this letter, Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:43.440 Right there in the introduction, he's sort of saying, like this is the same project that's been happening throughout this whole time. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:43.919 Yeah. 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.519 He is the son of David, the promised king, the one who received the promise of an eternal throne. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:13:03.120 He is the one who was uh testified to, promised beforehand, through the Lord's prophets in the Holy Scriptures, which was all concerning his son. 00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:07.519 Uh he's just showing right away that this is the same story. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:08.240 Yeah. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:12.159 Uh that's been taking place throughout the the whole of the scriptures. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:16.240 But it finds its meaning in Jesus Christ. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:18.159 Now that that's happened. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:18.960 Yeah. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:21.440 Well and it again, that's I think it's great. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.399 It just helps us go back and understand. 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:33.200 Um one of the things one of the things that I did just as a part of this was I just wanted to see what this looks like. 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.240 And it sounds like that's one of the things that we're supposed to do in the study as well. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:36.720 Yeah. 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:42.559 Is go back and and try and find those scriptures that that would point to Christ. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:43.120 Yeah. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:44.960 Do you have any Did you find any? 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:46.000 I well I found a few. 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:56.159 Do you have any in mind that um that you're are just like your go-to scriptures in the Old Testament that you would take and and you would use as examples for that? 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:18.879 I mean, uh I uh I thought of Isaiah 9, the promise of the Son, uh Isaiah 53, the picture of the suffering servant, um uh the son of man in Daniel in Daniel, uh particularly 9 through 11. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:31.600 Uh but even all the way back, Genesis 3.15, the offspring of the woman who will crush the serpent, who crush his head, bruise his heel. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:43.039 Um I also considered uh Deuteronomy 18.15 where Moses describes someone like me who will come. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:43.919 Yeah. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:53.200 Um uh 2 Samuel 7, which is where David is given the promise of an eternal throne. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:59.440 Um yeah, those were those were the ones that came to mind. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:02.720 Yeah, those are those were some of the ones I had on my list as well. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:12.480 Um I I kind of pulled out, you know, Galatians 3 8 says that the gospel was preached beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you all the nations will be blessed. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:14.159 Yeah, amazing, right? 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:15.519 He calls that the gospel. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:16.639 He calls that the gospel. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:19.120 Which means we should too, because the Bible calls that the gospel. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:27.279 And what's interesting is then you see that that theme of the nations being blessed through Israel take place over and over again in the prophets. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:33.519 Um an interesting one that I also found was uh the prophecy of Balaam. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:47.759 Um you know, the uh the Amalekites, they go and get Balaam, who's a known some sort of prophet or seed or something, um, to curse Israel and gets mixed reviews. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.000 He gets mixed reviews by the ones that hire him. 00:15:50.240 --> 00:16:02.480 But the first um you know, his first couple prophecies, he's under the influence of the Holy Spirit, yeah, um, and what he's saying, and he says, Um, I see him now, I see him, but not now. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:04.799 I behold him, but not near. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:09.600 A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. 00:16:09.840 --> 00:16:10.080 Yeah. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:18.960 Um, which that's really cool, but then it also it pairs with Um Jacob's blessings of his sons at the end of Genesis. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:21.279 That's where where I that's exactly what came to mind. 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:25.919 Yeah, where he says the scepter won't depart from uh from Judah. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:26.720 Yep. 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:41.600 Um there's there's a couple in the Psalms that I really like where uh Psalm 16, you know, we sing this one in church where it says, For you will not abandon my soul to hell, you will not let your holy one see corruption. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:47.679 Um, there's Psalm twenty-two where he says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:51.919 And it goes on, they've pierced my hands and feet, I can count all my bones. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:57.919 They stare and gloat over me, they divide my garments among them for my for my clothing, they cast lots. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:16:59.600 Just insane. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.120 Which is yeah, the exact levels of story we get in the gospels. 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:04.880 Yeah, detail and fulfillment. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:09.039 Um but then Isaiah, Isaiah itself is like is like another gospel. 00:17:09.200 --> 00:17:09.599 Yes. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:19.039 Um, you know, be just because it has um Isaiah 53, where it talks about the suffering servant, but it also talks about these light for the nations. 00:17:19.119 --> 00:17:30.160 I I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from prison those who sit in darkness. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:42.960 And the theme of darkness and light, I think we see in Romans, but we saw it in our Ephesians study of how God is pulling us out of um the rule of this world and how we were once darkened in our minds and things of that nature. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:43.599 Yep. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:18:00.000 Um to Micah five, where he says, You know, O Bethlehem, um you're so small, but from you shall come forth one who is to be ruler of Israel, whose coming forth is from from of old, from the ancient of days. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.440 I mean, what could these things mean apart from Christ? 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:04.640 Apart from Christ. 00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:13.359 They're just these these mysteries hanging, like how Peter describes they realized that they were not saying these things for themselves, right, but for you. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:13.839 Right. 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:22.480 You know, who would come after Christ and who would look back, you know, look back in time through the lens of Christ and see this oh, this is all sensible now. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:22.799 Yeah. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:37.920 Another one that came to mind as you were saying that was in Isaiah 49, where it says, he says, It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:43.920 I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:44.640 Yeah. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:45.440 Insane. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:46.079 That's great. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:53.039 Describing his servant who at this point, who is earl earlier is saying, I'm a worm, I'm worthless. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:53.839 Yeah. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:59.839 And then uh God says, Here's the mission I'm sending you on. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:06.480 It's too light of a thing to gather back the tribes of Jacob, which at this point seems impossible. 00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:07.359 Yeah. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:11.119 I I'm sending you to be as a light to the nations, the whole world. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:14.160 And you will my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:14.559 Yeah. 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.759 See, his I his uh through Jesus is like this makes sense. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:19.039 Is that he's the servant. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:19.680 Right. 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:20.079 Yeah. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:20.799 Yeah. 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:22.640 Um yeah, that's awesome. 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:24.799 I don't know that I I noticed that before. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:42.160 Uh the last one I have was Malachi three, where he says, Behold, I'm sending my messenger, he'll clear away before me, and the Lord whom you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of armies. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:42.720 Wow. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:46.400 Um, which is like John the Baptist and Jesus coming to the temple. 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:47.200 Yeah. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:50.799 Um but then there's so these are like direct quotes. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:57.920 Yeah, just last week I I in the sermon last week, looked at Zechariah 13, 7. 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:05.920 Awake, O sword against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:10.720 It's like you they had to have read this and been like, what is he talking about? 00:20:11.039 --> 00:20:11.759 What is he talking about? 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.039 What is he talking about? 00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:17.599 The man who stands next to me will be struck. 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:21.200 Like it's it doesn't make any sense. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:21.839 Yeah. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:27.759 But then it's the he is struck for our transgressions. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:28.559 Yeah. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.880 The iniquity of us all is laid on him. 00:20:31.119 --> 00:20:36.640 This is the salvation of the Lord that he accomplishes through the sending of his son, Jesus Christ. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:37.440 Yeah. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:43.440 Then it's like those mysterious phrases just click into place, and Jesus resolves it. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:45.599 It's like we talked about in Ephesians. 00:20:45.680 --> 00:20:46.960 What was the purpose of this? 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:50.240 It was so that God might unite all things in Jesus Christ. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:51.039 Yeah. 00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.680 Yeah. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:21:15.680 The other interesting thing too is not even just Paul, but seeing I I believe, hopefully I'm not misquoting this, but I believe it's John the Baptist's dad when he like sings that song after he um is able to speak again, like he makes a reference to the Old Testament of basically saying, This is what has been this is what's been shared to us before. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:17.359 Uh I don't remember quite what it is. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:23.200 I don't know if it's like um one of those ancient of days or comings of old type of thing. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:32.880 Um but I think we even see these Yeah, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:33.359 Yeah. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:47.599 To show the mercy promised to our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham to grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:49.359 Well, how's he going to accomplish that? 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.079 Yeah. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:55.599 And you, child, will be called prophet of the most high, prepare his ways. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:58.480 Yeah, because of the tender mercy of our God. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:01.039 When the holiness of Righteousness there is interesting. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:04.400 To give light to those who sit in darkness in the shadow of death. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:05.039 Yeah. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:19.279 There's uh what I noticed going back in a lot of these, um, there are themes in like there's this promise, but then it also like the wrath is almost always talked about uh in conjunction with one of these promises, which is what we'll see in Romans here. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:23.440 Um there's these themes of light and darkness in all of this. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:24.000 Yep. 00:22:24.160 --> 00:22:34.319 Um the righteousness and holiness, which you just read, kind of maps to what Paul is saying around uh unrighteousness and ungodliness, like for these things that the wrath of God has come. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:34.880 Yep. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:40.160 Um and w and where the righteousness of God is demonstrated, which is in the gospel. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:41.039 Right. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:45.759 Yeah, and and these are just say like almost direct quotations. 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:46.400 Yeah. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:50.480 But there's all the symbolism which uh I know you love. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:51.119 I love. 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:53.599 Um, but things like the Passover Lamb. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:54.079 Yeah. 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:59.200 Uh do you wanna you wanna speak to any other more symbols that are types of shadows? 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:09.359 You know, one of the most epic lines in all of scripture is when John the Baptist sees Jesus walking towards him and turns to his disciples and said, Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.000 Yeah. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:13.519 Can you imagine being one of his disciples being like, Oh, whoa, there he is. 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:14.319 Yeah. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:19.119 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:19.920 Wow. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:20.400 Right. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:21.039 I love that. 00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:24.480 But that's the Passover Lamb you know, reference. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:27.359 I mean, oh gosh, it's overwhelming. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:43.680 I mean, he is he is uh the he he it's I mean it feels cliche to say, but yeah, it's all about Jesus. 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:57.279 Like he is the um Moses who ascends the mountain to uh uh meet with God, and then he doesn't just bring down the law, but he satisfies the law on the mountain. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:14.240 He is the David who uh you unites his kingdom and uh defends and brings to himself his people. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:18.480 He's Abraham in the the sacrifice of Isaac on top of the mountain. 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:19.279 Exactly. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:28.240 He's i in that he lays down his son, he is the son, he is Isaac who climbs to the top of the mountain as the willing sacrifice. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:39.759 Uh he's the one of the books that we have, those some of those k kids' books, um, like The Garden, I think we had a few of them here on display. 00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:40.319 Uh-huh. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.920 Um we have uh it's called Jesus in the Lion's Den. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:44.480 Yeah. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:47.839 Where it talks about the parallels between Daniel and Jesus. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:51.839 Daniel was accused of wrongdoing, even though he'd done nothing wrong. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:53.599 Um what did he go do? 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:54.480 He went and prayed. 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:56.000 Jesus went and prayed. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:00.480 Um they throw him into the den, which is basically the grave. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:05.279 Daniel comes up out again, which is a form of resurrection in Christ. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:05.920 So yeah. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:11.759 Yeah, he's Joseph, who is thrown into the pit and then resurrected to uh the glory of being a king. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:12.559 Yeah. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:21.599 He's um uh Melchizedek, who is uh the the true priest that receives the offering. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:46.400 Uh he's uh I I you you realize that all of the the strange thing about the Old Testament is there's this constant as you were saying, there's this constant tension between the wrath and the grace and the promise of God and the covenant with his people and his people's inability to fulfill it. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:55.839 And how can God remain faithful to these people that are constantly breaking the promise when he has an obligation to adhere to the justice that the covenant demands? 00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:09.839 And it it just goes it it it it in none of the stories is it able to fully resolve because it Jesus is the the true Joshua who comes and he goes out into he he takes the whole of the land. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:10.640 Yeah. 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:16.880 Um but Joshua, who's like the best, you know, we don't know what Joshua's weird thing is. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:18.079 They all have a sin or something. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:22.480 Joshua like doesn't even have any, but he doesn't fully conquer the promised land. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:24.160 There's this strange remainder. 00:26:24.319 --> 00:26:24.480 Yeah. 00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:27.759 There's in all of the stories, there's this strange remainder. 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:30.480 Uh, but Jesus resolves them all. 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:30.960 Yeah. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:33.359 It because he is the one that they were all about. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:35.440 They were all they all beg the question. 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:36.319 That's right. 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:38.240 And Jesus is the answer. 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:39.039 Yeah. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:40.160 It's so cool. 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:41.839 It's the it's really good. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:42.559 I like it. 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:46.720 It's uh it's I feel like it's a it's just very encouraging, I think, for your faith. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.359 Yeah. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:52.400 Um, you know, where we you get down to where Paul's saying, like, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:59.359 Uh and I I think we often have a tendency to just be ashamed in some ways. 00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:05.200 Um, you know, Martin Lloyd Jones kind of talks about this, like Paul wrote to Timley and Timothy and told him not to be ashamed. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:05.519 Yep. 00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:09.680 And there's just this tendency that we have because our culture thinks it's dumb. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:19.119 Um there's just it we are proclaiming uh a man who was born poor in a stable, a carpenter. 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:43.200 Um he wasn't a you know an earthly king, he didn't have this earthly prominence, um, he died, he he let people kill him, which you know the everything about it is is like, oh man, I don't want to have to maybe defend this right now or to really get into this with you or you know, there's uh uh I've Jesus has been described. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:47.440 I wanna make sure we're still recording. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:58.160 Jesus uh is when you're talking with somebody, you can talk about God, you can talk about uh Christian morality, a Christian ethic. 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:05.759 But it becomes uh scandalous when you say Jesus. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:09.680 Jesus is who I'm talking about when I'm talking about God. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:10.079 Yeah. 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:20.079 Um none of these pursuits or the stories of your life make any sense until they resolve in Jesus Christ. 00:28:20.319 --> 00:28:20.480 Right. 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:23.759 That's referred to as the scandal of particularity. 00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:25.200 I really like that phrase. 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:32.000 It was helpful to name because there is this scandal of saying, I'm not talking generically about God. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:38.960 I'm talking about uh the fullness of the revelation of God, who is the person Jesus Christ, the man. 00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:39.519 Yeah. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:29:01.440 And uh it it it it is it is so scandalous, but I think it is so helpful for Christians to see that it's absolutely necessary and uh the only way that we can truly know God is in seeing him as he's revealed himself to us in his son Jesus Christ. 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:02.079 Yeah. 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:37.279 Um and uh but that's also like when when people because there's this there's a new wave of a return to us to some sort of religiosity, um, and this desire for some sort of grounding um in the narrative of scripture or as as scripture as the basis for Western civilization and a desire to recapture that as the um steams uh runs out on the coherent worldviews that seem to hold things together. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:47.119 Uh but until you see it resolved in Jesus Christ, um your life it doesn't really get transformed. 00:29:47.279 --> 00:29:47.599 Yeah. 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:54.000 Um because you need the man who atoned for you and who can know you and who you know. 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:58.720 And uh without that, you're just still pinned. 00:29:58.960 --> 00:30:07.839 And I think that's the I think that's part of the Paul sees that and is like, man, the only hope of the world is Jesus Christ. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:08.160 Yeah. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:10.160 It all c it all resolves in him. 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:23.119 And so that's why he takes it he takes this, having encountered Jesus Christ on the road to um I was gonna say Emmaus, but it's the road to um Damascus. 00:30:23.440 --> 00:30:24.160 Damascus. 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:40.880 And um then he he recognizes the what Jesus has accomplished and that the mechanism of uh uh the kingdom of of Christ spreading is the proclamation of him as Lord. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:41.759 Yeah. 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:48.559 And that's to all people and to all nations, and so uh he hasn't been to Rome. 00:30:49.920 --> 00:31:02.319 Um he desires to go, and uh he explains that desire uh he explains his gratitude first for the people of for the the church in Rome. 00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:02.640 Sure. 00:31:02.960 --> 00:31:04.240 Church that he didn't plant. 00:31:04.640 --> 00:31:14.880 Um but he understands that this is this is the kingdom of God spreading uh because they have heard the gospel and it has taken root in their hearts. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:19.519 And he knows that this is just a work of the Spirit for that to happen. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:22.240 So his gratitude is immediately towards the Lord. 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:22.640 Yeah. 00:31:22.960 --> 00:31:24.640 Just upon hearing for them. 00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:34.079 Um He uh says that he mentions them without ceasing in his prayers, that he desires to come to them, he longs to see them. 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:46.160 And one of the reasons that he longs to see them, I love verse 12 in chapter one, where it says, that is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:51.200 Like Paul wants to go because he desperately wants to encourage the churches. 00:31:52.000 --> 00:32:03.680 He understands his role as an apostle, he understands the insight that he's been given and the responsibility, the obligation, as he describes it, yeah, to share this. 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:11.119 Uh, but he also understands the work of the spirit that's already taking place in this church. 00:32:11.440 --> 00:32:21.200 And he knows that in going there and visiting them, he himself will receive an encouragement from the work of the spirit that's already taking place there. 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:28.640 You know, he's you just get this sense in Paul, man, I want to have this too. 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:31.519 Of like, I want more. 00:32:32.400 --> 00:32:34.640 I want more encouragement of the spirit. 00:32:34.799 --> 00:32:35.039 Yeah. 00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:41.519 I want more uh I want to bear witness to more of the work of God's spirit in the world. 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:45.519 Um, and I know I'll see that in the church. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:49.039 Um I just really like that. 00:32:49.119 --> 00:32:50.559 I've always found that an encouraging verse. 00:32:50.799 --> 00:32:51.279 Yeah. 00:32:51.599 --> 00:33:06.640 Well, and I I think it it's like, you know, we talked about in Ephesians about being built up together and to the temple of God, and um, you know, if if we're left to our own, there's only so much we can learn and know. 00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:07.119 Right. 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:09.599 But you got you got different verses than I got. 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:10.079 Yeah. 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:11.920 Um in that in Same book. 00:33:12.160 --> 00:33:12.960