1 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,280 S1: Increasingly on social media, you read comments from Christians that 2 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:16,000 S1: go something like this. Since Jews reject that Jesus is 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,960 S1: the Messiah, why should I bother supporting Israel? Just ahead, 4 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,960 S1: we'll tackle that question and more in a frank and 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,640 S1: fast paced conversation. Plus, we'll cover all the major stories 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,920 S1: unfolding in the Middle East, including that conflict in Iran. 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,879 S1: And we'll leave you with a powerful devotional. Thanks for 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,640 S1: connecting with us today on the land and the book 9 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,199 S1: guiding our tours throughout the Middle East is Doctor Charlie Dyer, 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,479 S1: and I'm John Gager. How you doing, Charlie? 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,800 S2: John, I'm doing great. Thank you for asking. 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,599 S1: Well, a lot of people are wondering, how do I 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:48,199 S1: share the gospel with my Jewish friend? And that's a 14 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:52,040 S1: good question to ask. The question recognizes the need for 15 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,360 S1: a sensitive approach to sharing with Jewish people. It seems 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:55,600 S1: to me it does. 17 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,920 S2: And that's why our friends at Life in Messiah want 18 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,910 S2: to help answer that question, they put together a series 19 00:01:00,910 --> 00:01:03,870 S2: of helpful articles on how you can share the good 20 00:01:03,870 --> 00:01:07,150 S2: news with Jewish people around you. You'll learn about Jewish 21 00:01:07,150 --> 00:01:12,550 S2: cultural sensitivities, how antisemitism affects Jewish evangelism, the importance of 22 00:01:12,550 --> 00:01:16,870 S2: messianic prophecy, and more. To access the articles, visit Life 23 00:01:16,870 --> 00:01:20,190 S2: in Messiah. Org. Click on the Moody Radio logo and 24 00:01:20,190 --> 00:01:23,230 S2: sign up. You'll receive articles that will equip you with 25 00:01:23,230 --> 00:01:26,510 S2: practical ways to share the good news with Jewish people 26 00:01:26,510 --> 00:01:30,590 S2: around you or online. Find the Moody radio icon at 27 00:01:30,630 --> 00:01:32,470 S2: Life in messiah.org. 28 00:01:33,709 --> 00:01:35,830 S1: And now a look at current events, all based in 29 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:38,830 S1: the Middle East. It's been five weeks since the U.S. 30 00:01:38,830 --> 00:01:43,149 S1: and Israel launched their attack against Iran. That conflict has 31 00:01:43,150 --> 00:01:47,630 S1: now expanded to include attacks on Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon, 32 00:01:47,630 --> 00:01:51,230 S1: Shiite groups in Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen. Will 33 00:01:51,270 --> 00:01:54,510 S1: this conflict soon start to wind down, or could it 34 00:01:54,550 --> 00:01:55,710 S1: expand even further? 35 00:01:56,150 --> 00:01:57,870 S2: You know, John, you read the headlines and you see 36 00:01:57,910 --> 00:02:01,220 S2: reports that it could end in days or weeks or 37 00:02:01,260 --> 00:02:05,260 S2: even months, that Iran is near collapse, that President Trump 38 00:02:05,260 --> 00:02:08,540 S2: is disgusted with Europe's lack of cooperation and is willing 39 00:02:08,540 --> 00:02:10,859 S2: to just pull out and leave the Strait of Hormuz 40 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:14,540 S2: as their problem. So here's what we really know right now. 41 00:02:15,020 --> 00:02:17,740 S2: The war is taking a toll on all sides. A 42 00:02:17,740 --> 00:02:20,859 S2: report out of Iran suggests there's a sharp disagreement between 43 00:02:20,860 --> 00:02:24,459 S2: Iran's president and the commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, 44 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:27,780 S2: which is the group really running the country. The president 45 00:02:27,780 --> 00:02:31,019 S2: warned that without a ceasefire, their economy could collapse within 46 00:02:31,020 --> 00:02:34,340 S2: a few weeks. He wants executive power to be returned 47 00:02:34,340 --> 00:02:38,340 S2: to the civil government, but his request was rejected. Iran 48 00:02:38,340 --> 00:02:42,220 S2: has lost 90% of its ballistic missile launchers and 92% 49 00:02:42,220 --> 00:02:45,020 S2: of its naval vessels, but they're still able to keep 50 00:02:45,060 --> 00:02:48,260 S2: firing missiles and drones at Israel and at the surrounding 51 00:02:48,260 --> 00:02:52,940 S2: Gulf states. In addition, Hezbollah has now fired over 5000 52 00:02:52,940 --> 00:02:56,140 S2: missiles and drones at Israel. Hundreds of buildings in Israel 53 00:02:56,180 --> 00:02:59,810 S2: have been damaged or destroyed and scores of Israelis killed. 54 00:03:00,090 --> 00:03:03,609 S2: Israel has been depleting its supply of arrow three missiles, 55 00:03:03,610 --> 00:03:06,769 S2: which are the most effective against Iran's missiles. They've been 56 00:03:06,770 --> 00:03:10,089 S2: forced to use older systems like David's Sling, which are 57 00:03:10,090 --> 00:03:13,970 S2: less effective at stopping the long range missiles. The US 58 00:03:13,970 --> 00:03:17,290 S2: has also experienced some struggles, including the loss of several 59 00:03:17,290 --> 00:03:21,610 S2: planes and the injury and death of military personnel. In addition, 60 00:03:21,650 --> 00:03:25,810 S2: the US has fired over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles. That's 61 00:03:25,810 --> 00:03:29,010 S2: more than nine times the number normally purchased in any 62 00:03:29,010 --> 00:03:32,090 S2: given year. If there's a silver lining here, it's that 63 00:03:32,090 --> 00:03:36,210 S2: everyone's resources are finite. Though the US has far greater 64 00:03:36,210 --> 00:03:40,210 S2: strategic depth balance, President Trump's statements that the war is 65 00:03:40,250 --> 00:03:42,930 S2: nearly over with, the fact that the US is still 66 00:03:42,970 --> 00:03:46,450 S2: bringing in thousands of troops. At some point, this threat 67 00:03:46,490 --> 00:03:50,450 S2: of greater escalation becomes a use it or lose it proposition. 68 00:03:50,970 --> 00:03:53,850 S2: And right now, it's just not clear which way the 69 00:03:53,850 --> 00:03:57,160 S2: conflict is going to unfold. What is clear, though, is 70 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,480 S2: that Iran and its proxies have repeatedly attacked U.S. forces 71 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,280 S2: in the region for over 40 years. They've attacked Israel 72 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,920 S2: and now also the Gulf states, and they've chosen to 73 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:10,280 S2: hold the West hostage by blocking the Strait of Hormuz. 74 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,080 S2: Israel and the Gulf states want the US to finish 75 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,560 S2: the job and force a permanent change in Iran. But 76 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,360 S2: President Trump doesn't want the U.S. to get bogged down 77 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,840 S2: in another war. That doesn't seem to have an ending point. 78 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,039 S2: And yet, in spite of all the speculation, the war 79 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,159 S2: could indeed come to an end rather quickly, with a 80 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:31,839 S2: surprise the media never saw coming. 81 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:33,800 S1: Well, let me follow up on that last point. What 82 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,839 S1: are some of the details in this conflict that we 83 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,000 S1: need to know that aren't maybe necessarily being covered by 84 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,240 S1: the mainstream media? 85 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,280 S2: You know, probably the main one right now is whether 86 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,000 S2: or not the US will use ground forces to attack Iran. 87 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,520 S2: And if we do, where Kharg Island and the Strait 88 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,760 S2: of Hormuz are the targets suggested most often. Taking Kharg 89 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,980 S2: Island would shut off Iran's oil production and starve the 90 00:04:56,980 --> 00:05:00,539 S2: country of desperately needed cash. And yet, opening the Strait 91 00:05:00,580 --> 00:05:03,860 S2: of Hormuz would calm a nervous world and cause gas 92 00:05:03,860 --> 00:05:06,660 S2: prices here at home to go down. Of course, Iran 93 00:05:06,660 --> 00:05:09,980 S2: knows this, and they've made both locations as difficult to 94 00:05:10,020 --> 00:05:14,739 S2: attack as possible for our forces. A direct attack could 95 00:05:14,740 --> 00:05:18,940 S2: increase American casualties, and that's something President Trump wants to avoid, 96 00:05:18,940 --> 00:05:22,300 S2: if at all possible. As a result, our forces could 97 00:05:22,300 --> 00:05:26,979 S2: instead attack other strategic assets. President Trump has suggested power plants, 98 00:05:27,020 --> 00:05:30,580 S2: oil wells and even the oil terminal at Kharg Island. 99 00:05:30,820 --> 00:05:33,539 S2: Trump could also try to reach a negotiated settlement to 100 00:05:33,580 --> 00:05:37,140 S2: open the Strait of Hormuz, withdrawing U.S. forces with minimal 101 00:05:37,140 --> 00:05:42,339 S2: casualties while still having degraded Iran militarily. Here's the other point, though, John. 102 00:05:42,339 --> 00:05:44,979 S2: As believers, we need to be praying. We should pray 103 00:05:44,980 --> 00:05:48,020 S2: especially for the human element in the conflict. Pray for 104 00:05:48,020 --> 00:05:50,900 S2: the Iranian people and for those in Israel who've been 105 00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:55,050 S2: impacted by the war. Pray for our military personnel serving 106 00:05:55,050 --> 00:05:58,290 S2: in harm's way and for their families here at home. 107 00:05:58,730 --> 00:06:01,490 S2: We also need to keep praying for believers in that region. 108 00:06:01,529 --> 00:06:04,770 S2: A Jewish, Arab, and Iranian, in the midst of all 109 00:06:04,770 --> 00:06:08,130 S2: the suffering and sadness, pray for their bold witness, for 110 00:06:08,130 --> 00:06:12,650 S2: Christ and for those coming to faith through that witness. Finally, 111 00:06:12,690 --> 00:06:14,849 S2: we need to keep praying for our leaders in both 112 00:06:14,850 --> 00:06:17,570 S2: the government and in the military, and ask God to 113 00:06:17,610 --> 00:06:21,330 S2: give them wisdom and courage to do what's right. 114 00:06:21,650 --> 00:06:24,410 S1: Well, those are all great prayer points. Thanks, Charlie. One 115 00:06:24,410 --> 00:06:26,450 S1: last question. Do you think if you're looking at the 116 00:06:26,450 --> 00:06:30,289 S1: 30,000 foot level, the US and Israel are gaining some 117 00:06:30,290 --> 00:06:34,050 S1: leverage against Iran? Are we losing leverage or is it 118 00:06:34,050 --> 00:06:35,370 S1: just holding steady? 119 00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:38,809 S2: We're gaining leverage. And you can't get that by listening 120 00:06:38,850 --> 00:06:41,170 S2: to what Iran says. You just have to look at 121 00:06:41,170 --> 00:06:43,730 S2: the amount of missiles that are being fired. The numbers 122 00:06:43,730 --> 00:06:46,609 S2: are going down, the drones are going down. Much of 123 00:06:46,650 --> 00:06:51,090 S2: their economy is being shattered right now. Those are positive points. 124 00:06:51,330 --> 00:06:53,760 S2: But the media isn't focusing on those. They're focusing on 125 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,479 S2: Iran's statements that we're going along. We're winning. Uh, watch 126 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,400 S2: what's happening. And, uh, I think you'll see we're winning. 127 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,360 S1: That's Doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager, this is the 128 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,159 S1: land and the book from Moody Radio. A recent archaeological 129 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:11,040 S1: discovery just off the coast of Israel, adds a 2600 130 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,320 S1: year old twist to the current Middle East conflict. What 131 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,239 S1: exactly was found, Charlie, and why is it so significant? 132 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:22,320 S2: Yes, this really excited me. Archaeologists discovered iron blooms in 133 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:25,600 S2: an underwater excavation in the harbor of the ancient city 134 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:28,720 S2: of Dor. Now that sounds like a ho hum discovery 135 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,520 S2: until you learn two things. First, an iron bloom is 136 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,560 S2: a spongy ball of iron created by the combination of 137 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,600 S2: charcoal and iron ore in the bottom of a furnace. 138 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,480 S2: A blooms were then reheated on a forge and hammered 139 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,120 S2: to remove the impurities and to turn the iron into 140 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,160 S2: tools and weapons. The second thing you need to know 141 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,280 S2: is that the age of the shipwreck in which these 142 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:55,630 S2: iron blooms were found dates from roughly 630 to 580 BC, 143 00:07:55,990 --> 00:07:59,870 S2: and that was a time of major conflict in the region. Egypt, 144 00:08:00,030 --> 00:08:04,030 S2: Assyria and Babylon were competing to control the larger Middle 145 00:08:04,030 --> 00:08:08,270 S2: Eastern map, and iron was essential for the manufacture of weapons, 146 00:08:08,270 --> 00:08:12,990 S2: from arrowheads to spears and swords. The excavation is the 147 00:08:12,990 --> 00:08:17,030 S2: first evidence that iron was traded as a semi-finished product. 148 00:08:17,430 --> 00:08:21,350 S2: The charcoal in the bloom preserved the iron inside from corrosion, 149 00:08:21,350 --> 00:08:24,270 S2: allowing it to be transported by ship. Now there are 150 00:08:24,270 --> 00:08:27,270 S2: questions that still need to be answered. Where were these 151 00:08:27,270 --> 00:08:31,030 S2: iron blooms produced and where were they being sent? The 152 00:08:31,030 --> 00:08:34,430 S2: researchers hope to eventually pinpoint the origin of the iron, 153 00:08:34,429 --> 00:08:37,870 S2: and that might help them then suggest its destination. What 154 00:08:37,870 --> 00:08:40,949 S2: we do know is that iron was a valuable commodity, 155 00:08:40,950 --> 00:08:44,670 S2: especially in the international conflict taking place at that time. 156 00:08:45,070 --> 00:08:48,550 S2: Someone no doubt hoped to profit by delivering iron blooms 157 00:08:48,550 --> 00:08:51,620 S2: to be made into weapons. Only to see his profit 158 00:08:51,620 --> 00:08:55,300 S2: vanish under the waves just off the coast of Dor, 159 00:08:55,540 --> 00:08:57,860 S2: which is eight miles south of Mount Carmel. 160 00:08:58,780 --> 00:09:01,940 S1: Well, an Israeli company is preparing to launch the first 161 00:09:01,940 --> 00:09:06,580 S1: In-human spinal cord therapy trial, bringing hope to those with 162 00:09:06,580 --> 00:09:10,940 S1: spinal cord injuries worldwide. I'm really intrigued about this. So, Charlie, 163 00:09:10,940 --> 00:09:14,140 S1: tell us more about this latest breakthrough from Amazing Israel. 164 00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:16,180 S2: Yeah, this is a company people will need to get 165 00:09:16,179 --> 00:09:19,660 S2: to know. It's called Matra M a t r I 166 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:22,860 S2: c e l f, and it describes itself as a 167 00:09:22,860 --> 00:09:28,620 S2: revolutionary regenerative medicine company using a patient's own cells and tissue. 168 00:09:28,660 --> 00:09:32,740 S2: They're working to engineer functional neural implants, in essence, to 169 00:09:32,780 --> 00:09:36,860 S2: repair and restore a damaged spinal cord after ten years 170 00:09:36,860 --> 00:09:41,260 S2: of research and development. The company has demonstrated remarkable preclinical 171 00:09:41,260 --> 00:09:45,700 S2: results using mice. The engineered neural tissue led to regeneration 172 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:51,090 S2: and functional restoration, allowing paralyzed mice to regain mobility. Match 173 00:09:51,090 --> 00:09:54,570 S2: yourself has now signed a strategic agreement with Sheba Medical 174 00:09:54,570 --> 00:09:58,410 S2: Center to advance toward a first in human clinical trial 175 00:09:58,410 --> 00:10:02,330 S2: for spinal cord injury treatments. All phases of the clinical process, 176 00:10:02,330 --> 00:10:07,530 S2: from patient recruitment and manufacturing to implementation and rehabilitation, will 177 00:10:07,530 --> 00:10:11,010 S2: be done at this one location, while their current focus 178 00:10:11,050 --> 00:10:14,610 S2: is on treating spinal cord injuries. They believe the technology 179 00:10:14,610 --> 00:10:18,530 S2: they're developing holds promise for future expansion into other areas, 180 00:10:18,530 --> 00:10:23,410 S2: like stroke and traumatic brain injury, where functional tissue regeneration 181 00:10:23,410 --> 00:10:27,130 S2: could bring meaningful impact. You know, with hundreds of thousands 182 00:10:27,130 --> 00:10:29,850 S2: here in the U.S. living with spinal cord injuries, let's 183 00:10:29,850 --> 00:10:34,290 S2: hope this latest innovation from Amazing Israel moves forward rapidly. 184 00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:37,450 S2: And don't forget the name of the company Matra Self. 185 00:10:37,929 --> 00:10:40,690 S1: Boy, Charlie, that is so encouraging as you say, so 186 00:10:40,690 --> 00:10:44,250 S1: many suffering from that debilitating injury. Thank you for that 187 00:10:44,250 --> 00:10:47,480 S1: report for your perspectives on Iran and the war there. 188 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,760 S1: We're looking forward to our next segment. Why bother supporting 189 00:10:50,760 --> 00:11:08,240 S1: Israel here on the land and the book? You see 190 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,200 S1: it popping up all over social media. Comments like Jews 191 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,880 S1: reject that Jesus is the Messiah, so why would I 192 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,680 S1: bother supporting Israel? The fact is, most Christians, even those 193 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,600 S1: from true Bible preaching churches, don't have any idea what 194 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,840 S1: the Bible says about God's covenant faithfulness to the nation 195 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,840 S1: of Israel. A biblical response is coming up next. Hey, 196 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,360 S1: welcome back to the land and the book. I'm John 197 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,160 S1: Gager grateful that you've chosen to spend part of your 198 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,280 S1: day with us. Before we connect with our studio guests, though, 199 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,800 S1: let's connect with somebody who can help us reach out 200 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:44,240 S1: to our Jewish friends and neighbors with the love of 201 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,300 S1: Jesus creatively. listen. So you're talking with your Jewish friend 202 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:50,300 S1: and you take a deep breath and you ask them, 203 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:53,900 S1: what are your thoughts about the Jewish Scriptures? What do 204 00:11:53,900 --> 00:11:56,860 S1: they say? Roy Schwartz is with Chosen People ministry. What's 205 00:11:56,900 --> 00:11:58,340 S1: a likely response here, Roy? 206 00:11:58,380 --> 00:12:01,699 S3: Well, they'll say it's a great book. It's a wisdom. 207 00:12:01,820 --> 00:12:06,660 S3: It's a history. But they probably won't acknowledge that it's divine, 208 00:12:06,940 --> 00:12:09,780 S3: that it's God given that it's inspired. They don't understand 209 00:12:09,780 --> 00:12:12,900 S3: what that means. And so you can say that it's 210 00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:15,819 S3: God's word. And if it weren't for the Jewish Scriptures, 211 00:12:15,820 --> 00:12:19,380 S3: I wouldn't have a Messiah, wouldn't have faith. Uh, to me, 212 00:12:19,820 --> 00:12:22,219 S3: what it shows me is the holiness of God, the 213 00:12:22,220 --> 00:12:25,700 S3: righteousness of God, the grace of God, the election of God, 214 00:12:25,700 --> 00:12:29,820 S3: and choosing Jewish people for his purposes, not just past 215 00:12:29,820 --> 00:12:32,860 S3: but present and future. All of that is in the 216 00:12:32,860 --> 00:12:35,780 S3: Jewish Scriptures. It is a Jewish book that gives me 217 00:12:35,820 --> 00:12:39,380 S3: hope and life and joy and peace and points to 218 00:12:39,420 --> 00:12:40,059 S3: the Messiah. 219 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:43,900 S1: Almost sounds like your own personal attraction to Scripture is 220 00:12:44,010 --> 00:12:45,970 S1: something of a light for your Jewish friend. Maybe that 221 00:12:45,970 --> 00:12:47,130 S1: they might observe, right? 222 00:12:47,170 --> 00:12:49,290 S3: I mean, they see what Scripture has done, the Jewish 223 00:12:49,290 --> 00:12:51,930 S3: Scriptures has done in your life, and maybe they'll read 224 00:12:51,929 --> 00:12:52,530 S3: it too. 225 00:12:52,570 --> 00:12:55,450 S1: Roy Schwartz with Chosen People Ministries, thanks for your time. 226 00:12:56,929 --> 00:13:00,890 S1: Justin Krohn is the founding director of the Kesher project. 227 00:13:00,929 --> 00:13:03,090 S1: He grew up with one foot in the Jewish world 228 00:13:03,090 --> 00:13:06,489 S1: and one foot in the Christian world. So he understands 229 00:13:06,490 --> 00:13:10,850 S1: the power of building bridges, of understanding between both communities. 230 00:13:11,010 --> 00:13:14,370 S1: For nearly 25 years, Justin has brought his experiences and 231 00:13:14,370 --> 00:13:18,050 S1: insights to churches and groups of all sizes. We had 232 00:13:18,050 --> 00:13:20,210 S1: him speak at our church and it was totally great. 233 00:13:20,770 --> 00:13:23,850 S1: Justin is an adjunct professor for the Jewish Studies Department 234 00:13:23,850 --> 00:13:26,689 S1: at the Moody Bible Institute here in Chicago, and he's 235 00:13:26,690 --> 00:13:30,130 S1: led more than 25 trips to the Holy Land. He's 236 00:13:30,130 --> 00:13:34,370 S1: also the co-producer of a sobering film titled October 7th 237 00:13:34,410 --> 00:13:37,930 S1: bearing Witness to the massacre. That film was honored just 238 00:13:37,929 --> 00:13:40,770 S1: a couple of months ago with the Gold Crown Award 239 00:13:40,770 --> 00:13:45,880 S1: for Best Non-Theatrical feature presented by the International Christian Visual 240 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:50,920 S1: Media Association. Welcome, Justin. Congratulations, Justin, and we're glad to 241 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:52,080 S1: have you on the land of the book. 242 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:54,320 S4: Thank you. John, it's always a pleasure to be back 243 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:54,960 S4: here with you. 244 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,120 S1: You've done a number of films, but for this recent 245 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,600 S1: one that just won the award, what is unique about 246 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:01,360 S1: the content? 247 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,880 S4: Well, this film, October 7th, bearing witness to the massacre, 248 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:09,199 S4: really captures what happened on that just horrific day in 249 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:15,599 S4: October of 2023, when Israel was invaded by its enemies, 250 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:20,840 S4: Hamas and their sympathizers. And so it covers the events, 251 00:14:20,840 --> 00:14:23,360 S4: but not just of that day, but the history that 252 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,560 S4: precedes it. We observed after the events of October 7th 253 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,840 S4: that so many people were really rewriting history about what 254 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,320 S4: had happened in that in that region. And so we 255 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,640 S4: thought it was very important that we lay out the 256 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,400 S4: history of Gaza and the rise of Hamas and helping 257 00:14:41,550 --> 00:14:45,630 S4: people understand ultimately what Hamas's aspirations are and their allies. 258 00:14:46,070 --> 00:14:48,710 S4: And so that's what would probably make this film the 259 00:14:48,710 --> 00:14:51,910 S4: most unique. And so I would encourage those who need 260 00:14:51,910 --> 00:14:54,710 S4: a history lesson to check it out. 261 00:14:55,270 --> 00:14:57,990 S1: Okay. To the subject at hand, take us to the 262 00:14:57,990 --> 00:15:01,230 S1: flashpoint of today's discussion. What have you been seeing on 263 00:15:01,230 --> 00:15:04,190 S1: social media that's got you so fired up? 264 00:15:04,230 --> 00:15:07,390 S4: Yeah, I appreciate you asking this and bringing me in 265 00:15:07,430 --> 00:15:10,470 S4: to talk about it because as I've been managing many 266 00:15:10,470 --> 00:15:14,430 S4: of our social media channels for our films, I've been 267 00:15:14,430 --> 00:15:19,390 S4: noticing comments from Christians who essentially say, you know, because 268 00:15:19,390 --> 00:15:22,430 S4: the Jews have rejected Jesus. I mean, why should I 269 00:15:22,470 --> 00:15:25,710 S4: bother supporting Israel? You know, they don't believe that Jesus 270 00:15:25,710 --> 00:15:28,710 S4: is the Messiah. So why should I support what is 271 00:15:28,710 --> 00:15:33,310 S4: happening in Israel? Now, listen, you can disagree with certain 272 00:15:33,310 --> 00:15:36,870 S4: Israeli policies, just like Israelis do. And just like we 273 00:15:36,870 --> 00:15:40,820 S4: as Americans do with our own government. But the war 274 00:15:40,860 --> 00:15:43,540 S4: that's being waged against Israel right now is a war 275 00:15:43,540 --> 00:15:48,060 S4: of annihilation. Israel's enemies want to completely wipe Israel off 276 00:15:48,060 --> 00:15:51,620 S4: the map. Now, I believe that Israel has the right 277 00:15:51,620 --> 00:15:54,980 S4: to exist, not just because of what the Bible says, 278 00:15:54,980 --> 00:15:58,620 S4: but just through basic ethics, right? There's a lot of 279 00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:02,660 S4: countries in this world that I disagree with their behavior, 280 00:16:02,700 --> 00:16:06,060 S4: the actions of their leaders. But I don't reject the 281 00:16:06,060 --> 00:16:09,380 S4: right to be there to exist as a nation. And 282 00:16:09,380 --> 00:16:12,620 S4: so why is it that we have Christians who, because 283 00:16:12,820 --> 00:16:15,700 S4: the majority of Jewish people in Israel don't believe that 284 00:16:15,700 --> 00:16:19,780 S4: Jesus is the Messiah, are saying that Israel shouldn't be there? 285 00:16:19,820 --> 00:16:22,900 S4: I mean, do we do that with any other country? 286 00:16:23,500 --> 00:16:25,500 S4: I mean, there are many countries in this world that 287 00:16:25,500 --> 00:16:27,820 S4: don't believe that Jesus is the Messiah, right? We don't 288 00:16:27,820 --> 00:16:30,460 S4: deny their right to be there. I think it's very 289 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:34,580 S4: irrational for a Christian to say that just in common terms, 290 00:16:34,580 --> 00:16:39,650 S4: just understanding things through common sense. But now biblically. I mean, 291 00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:40,690 S4: let's just take a look at this. 292 00:16:41,130 --> 00:16:41,610 S1: Let's go to the. 293 00:16:41,610 --> 00:16:44,810 S4: Bible because what does Paul write to us in his 294 00:16:44,810 --> 00:16:50,330 S4: letter to the Romans? Romans chapter 11, verses 28 and 29. Listen. 295 00:16:50,450 --> 00:16:55,130 S4: He writes, as far as the gospel is concerned, they 296 00:16:55,170 --> 00:16:57,730 S4: are enemies for your sake. So as far as the 297 00:16:57,770 --> 00:17:00,050 S4: gospel is concerned, the Jews are enemies for your sake. 298 00:17:00,050 --> 00:17:03,570 S4: Now meaning like physical enemies, but enemies to the message 299 00:17:03,570 --> 00:17:06,290 S4: of of the gospel. They oppose it. They oppose it, right? 300 00:17:06,650 --> 00:17:10,370 S4: But then he writes, but as far as election is concerned, 301 00:17:10,369 --> 00:17:14,050 S4: so as far as God's choice to to enter into 302 00:17:14,050 --> 00:17:18,250 S4: a covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, they are 303 00:17:18,250 --> 00:17:22,930 S4: loved on account of the patriarchs. For God's gifts and 304 00:17:22,930 --> 00:17:27,210 S4: his call are irrevocable. And the Bible is very clear 305 00:17:27,210 --> 00:17:31,570 S4: that one of those gifts is the land God promised them. 306 00:17:31,570 --> 00:17:35,409 S4: God gave them the land to dwell in and promised 307 00:17:35,450 --> 00:17:38,919 S4: also to. After they would be scattered, dispersed from that 308 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,639 S4: land to bring them back into their ancestry. 309 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:43,919 S1: It's interesting that you mentioned this point about the land 310 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,240 S1: and its eternal nature as far as God's covenant. I'm 311 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:49,120 S1: going through the book of Genesis in my own personal 312 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,720 S1: Bible reading, and you do come to that term when 313 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,280 S1: God speaks to Abraham. It's forever that that gift of 314 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:56,760 S1: that land. 315 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:00,480 S4: Forever and ever. God says in a couple other places 316 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:04,360 S4: in the Old Testament. And so I just think that 317 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:06,800 S4: when we look at the scriptures, it's very clear that 318 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,399 S4: the Jewish people have a right to be there in 319 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:15,080 S4: at least a portion of their ancestral homeland. And even 320 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,920 S4: if they don't believe yet that Jesus is the Messiah, 321 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:21,879 S4: I believe that a day is coming where the Jewish 322 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,600 S4: people will look upon the one they have pierced and 323 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:27,160 S4: mourn for him, as one mourns for an only son 324 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,160 S4: and declare him and accept him as their king. But 325 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,680 S4: in the meantime, I think God has made it quite 326 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:38,910 S4: clear again in his scriptures that not only does he 327 00:18:38,950 --> 00:18:42,429 S4: want them there, they have the right to be there. 328 00:18:43,270 --> 00:18:45,429 S1: This is the land in the book I'm John Gager. 329 00:18:45,470 --> 00:18:49,390 S1: Our conversation today is with Justin Krohn of the Kesher project. 330 00:18:49,670 --> 00:18:53,189 S1: We're answering the question, why support Israel in light of 331 00:18:53,190 --> 00:18:57,350 S1: God's covenant faithfulness to the nation of Israel? How widespread 332 00:18:57,710 --> 00:19:00,750 S1: is this the stream of thought that you're seeing on 333 00:19:00,750 --> 00:19:03,510 S1: your social media platforms? Has it always been or are 334 00:19:03,510 --> 00:19:05,190 S1: you saying, nah, there's an uptick? 335 00:19:05,230 --> 00:19:08,670 S4: I would say there's certainly an uptick. Recent polls have 336 00:19:08,670 --> 00:19:13,990 S4: shown that half of Americans sympathize more with the Palestinians 337 00:19:13,990 --> 00:19:16,230 S4: than they do with the Israelis. This is the first 338 00:19:16,230 --> 00:19:20,510 S4: time we've seen that ever. And so that also is 339 00:19:20,510 --> 00:19:23,110 S4: creeping into the church. Now, if you want to sympathize 340 00:19:23,109 --> 00:19:29,150 S4: with the Palestinians because of the suffering that they're experiencing. Fine. 341 00:19:29,190 --> 00:19:31,750 S4: I don't like seeing Palestinians suffer either. I don't like 342 00:19:31,750 --> 00:19:34,669 S4: seeing anybody suffer. I think it's important, though, that we 343 00:19:34,670 --> 00:19:37,330 S4: ask the the question, why are they suffering? And I 344 00:19:37,330 --> 00:19:40,770 S4: think it's because their leaders consistently over the last we 345 00:19:40,770 --> 00:19:46,170 S4: can say century, have rejected Israel's right to exist. So 346 00:19:46,170 --> 00:19:49,770 S4: if you want to see the Palestinians no longer suffer, well, 347 00:19:49,770 --> 00:19:52,250 S4: then you need to encourage the leadership. They're afraid that 348 00:19:52,250 --> 00:19:56,050 S4: the leadership there accepts the Jews right to self-determination within 349 00:19:56,050 --> 00:20:00,609 S4: their ancestral homeland. And so, sadly, we're seeing a number of, 350 00:20:00,850 --> 00:20:04,369 S4: I would say, Christians who are adopting more of a 351 00:20:04,490 --> 00:20:08,250 S4: view that many Palestinians hold in other Arabs around the 352 00:20:08,250 --> 00:20:10,970 S4: world is that Israel doesn't have the right to be there. 353 00:20:11,410 --> 00:20:14,689 S4: And I think this is primarily the result from, listen, 354 00:20:14,690 --> 00:20:17,609 S4: a lot of propaganda, but I also think it's the 355 00:20:17,650 --> 00:20:24,330 S4: result of pastors, Christian leaders, denominational leaders not being intentional 356 00:20:24,330 --> 00:20:28,290 S4: in teaching the people in their churches about God's covenant 357 00:20:28,290 --> 00:20:31,730 S4: faithfulness with the nation of Israel. I mean, when was 358 00:20:31,730 --> 00:20:35,320 S4: the last time you heard a message that emphasized God's 359 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,880 S4: faithfulness to Israel and his plans for Israel. I mean, 360 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:41,479 S4: it's all throughout Scripture. I mean, you really can't avoid it. 361 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,080 S4: I mean, I guess you can, um, too many I 362 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:49,200 S4: think pastors are jumping over those passages, but just look 363 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,160 S4: at Jeremiah 31. I mean, it's so clear and this 364 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:53,960 S4: is a part of what we know as the New 365 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,800 S4: Covenant when God is speaking about the new covenant, and 366 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,120 S4: when Jesus refers to the New covenant. Well, within that 367 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,960 S4: passage in Jeremiah chapter 31, God makes it very clear 368 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,640 S4: that as long as the the moon and the stars 369 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:13,119 S4: continue to shine, Israel will forever be a nation before him. 370 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,440 S4: And then he makes it clear. And this is in 371 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,560 S4: spite of anything that they might do, any disobedience of theirs, 372 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:21,360 S4: there's still going to be a nation before him, and 373 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,600 S4: he ties it to creation. That in a sense, as 374 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,119 S4: long as creation continues to exist, as long as this 375 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:34,510 S4: universe exists, so will Israel. And so it's there in 376 00:21:34,510 --> 00:21:38,109 S4: Jeremiah and many other passages throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. And 377 00:21:38,109 --> 00:21:41,790 S4: let's also remember, too, that Paul tells us that all 378 00:21:41,790 --> 00:21:46,190 S4: Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking 379 00:21:46,190 --> 00:21:48,709 S4: and correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant 380 00:21:48,710 --> 00:21:51,070 S4: of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 381 00:21:51,070 --> 00:21:55,629 S4: And when he writes that to his protege Timothy, well, 382 00:21:55,950 --> 00:21:59,030 S4: the New Testament doesn't exist yet. Yeah. Not to say 383 00:21:59,030 --> 00:22:01,230 S4: that that's not also true of of the writings of 384 00:22:01,230 --> 00:22:05,070 S4: the New Testament, but very clearly Paul is saying, make 385 00:22:05,109 --> 00:22:07,830 S4: sure you know the Bible, Jesus read, make sure you 386 00:22:07,830 --> 00:22:10,830 S4: know those Hebrew scriptures, because they will equip you for 387 00:22:10,830 --> 00:22:13,350 S4: being able to navigate the life that God has called 388 00:22:13,350 --> 00:22:14,670 S4: you to in this world. 389 00:22:15,150 --> 00:22:18,430 S1: Justin Cron is the founding director of the Kesher project. 390 00:22:18,430 --> 00:22:22,270 S1: He's also co-producer of the film October 7th bearing witness 391 00:22:22,270 --> 00:22:27,830 S1: to the massacre. Learn more at October 7th. film.com. You know, ultimately, 392 00:22:27,830 --> 00:22:32,940 S1: this gets very, very practical because our theology dictates our behavior. 393 00:22:33,140 --> 00:22:36,340 S1: When we move, for example, toward replacement theology, believing that 394 00:22:36,340 --> 00:22:39,620 S1: the church has somehow replaced Israel, which is not biblical. 395 00:22:40,020 --> 00:22:42,100 S1: That leads to other things such as? 396 00:22:42,859 --> 00:22:47,140 S4: Well, it leads to, I think, marginalizing what God is 397 00:22:47,140 --> 00:22:51,500 S4: doing in Israel and with the Jewish people. It might 398 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:55,060 S4: even distance our hearts from wanting to engage with our 399 00:22:55,060 --> 00:22:59,460 S4: Jewish friends and neighbors, and to maybe even in our churches, 400 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:03,139 S4: to not create a very welcoming environment for Jewish people 401 00:23:03,140 --> 00:23:05,699 S4: who want to investigate the life and teachings of Jesus. 402 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:09,660 S4: And so I think it is paramount that we have 403 00:23:09,780 --> 00:23:15,860 S4: a clear understanding of God's faithfulness, his covenant faithfulness with 404 00:23:15,980 --> 00:23:17,540 S4: the nation of Israel. 405 00:23:17,540 --> 00:23:19,820 S1: And that's only going to come through a faithful and 406 00:23:19,820 --> 00:23:21,020 S1: full preaching of the Word of God. 407 00:23:21,420 --> 00:23:25,859 S4: Absolutely, 100%. I can't stress that enough. If for some 408 00:23:25,859 --> 00:23:31,730 S4: reason you're listening and your pastor has not brought this 409 00:23:31,730 --> 00:23:35,690 S4: to the congregation through the pulpit. I would encourage you 410 00:23:35,690 --> 00:23:38,250 S4: to bring that up to him. Do it the right way. 411 00:23:38,530 --> 00:23:42,450 S4: You know, not in a confrontational, you know, condescending way, 412 00:23:42,450 --> 00:23:44,930 S4: but just say that you would love to hear more 413 00:23:44,930 --> 00:23:47,490 S4: of a message from God's Word. What does the Bible 414 00:23:47,530 --> 00:23:50,609 S4: say about Israel? I mean, Israel is it's in the 415 00:23:50,609 --> 00:23:54,570 S4: news every day. Can we understand what's happening there through 416 00:23:54,570 --> 00:23:58,930 S4: a biblical lens and maybe even recommend a book? I'm sure, John, 417 00:23:58,970 --> 00:24:02,090 S4: you've had plenty of authors here on the land of 418 00:24:02,090 --> 00:24:06,210 S4: the book who've written fantastic books related to Israel. Maybe 419 00:24:06,210 --> 00:24:08,770 S4: give your pastor a book about Israel that might help 420 00:24:08,810 --> 00:24:09,690 S4: open up his eyes. 421 00:24:09,730 --> 00:24:11,810 S1: Okay. Most of our land on the book listeners are 422 00:24:11,810 --> 00:24:15,650 S1: not pastors. We're average folks wanting to know what can 423 00:24:15,650 --> 00:24:18,770 S1: we do? How do I take a kind but firm, 424 00:24:18,970 --> 00:24:21,730 S1: biblically informed stand here? How do I present the true 425 00:24:21,730 --> 00:24:23,770 S1: biblical position without being obnoxious? 426 00:24:24,530 --> 00:24:27,730 S4: Well, how do you do it? Just to remember that 427 00:24:28,170 --> 00:24:31,919 S4: we are all people who have blind spots, right? We 428 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,280 S4: don't know everything. So always I would say come with humility, 429 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,240 S4: but also come doing some of your own homework beforehand. 430 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:44,560 S4: Maybe there's some passages or a book again that you've 431 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:47,760 S4: read that has helped inform you. And so just to 432 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,640 S4: approach it with humility. Yeah. 433 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,600 S1: Any last thoughts on this issue of God's covenant faithfulness 434 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:54,679 S1: to the nation of Israel we haven't yet touched on? 435 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,119 S4: Well, I want to say that I think it's really 436 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:01,920 S4: important that not only do we believe that God has 437 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,360 S4: made a covenant relationship with the nation of Israel, but 438 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:06,360 S4: that we live it out in our own lives. 439 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:07,840 S1: What does that look like? 440 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,679 S4: I believe that looks like praying for Israel. I believe 441 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,679 S4: that looks like finding practical ways to love your Jewish 442 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,400 S4: friends and neighbors, to let them know that you're praying 443 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:24,520 S4: for them and for God's will in Israel. Showing up 444 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,230 S4: when maybe there's been an anti-Semitic attack of some kind 445 00:25:28,350 --> 00:25:32,790 S4: in your area. Maybe writing a letter to the rabbi 446 00:25:32,830 --> 00:25:35,350 S4: of a synagogue to let them know that you're praying 447 00:25:35,350 --> 00:25:37,910 S4: for them and that you're standing with them. So just 448 00:25:37,910 --> 00:25:40,870 S4: look for very practical ways to show that love. 449 00:25:41,109 --> 00:25:43,910 S1: Like great thoughts from Justin Cron of the Kesher project. 450 00:25:43,910 --> 00:25:46,470 S1: Thank you for this very important conversation. 451 00:25:46,510 --> 00:25:47,870 S4: Yeah. Good to be here with you. 452 00:25:47,869 --> 00:25:50,110 S1: Thank you. And we're looking forward to another segment with 453 00:25:50,109 --> 00:25:53,870 S1: Gerald Peterman answering your very own Bible questions. Next here 454 00:25:53,869 --> 00:26:07,830 S1: on the land and the book. If by any chance 455 00:26:07,830 --> 00:26:09,750 S1: you're newer to the land in the book, we should 456 00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:13,430 S1: explain what this next segment is all about. You, your thoughts, 457 00:26:13,430 --> 00:26:18,190 S1: your questions, your your wonderings, your musings. They're always welcome here. 458 00:26:18,190 --> 00:26:21,470 S1: And you get those thoughts to us, those questions with 459 00:26:21,470 --> 00:26:25,630 S1: an email to the land and the book at the 460 00:26:25,780 --> 00:26:31,020 S1: land and the book@moody.edu. With that, I say hello to 461 00:26:31,060 --> 00:26:34,260 S1: Doctor Gerald Petermann of our Moody Bible Institute faculty. How's 462 00:26:34,260 --> 00:26:34,940 S1: your day going? 463 00:26:34,980 --> 00:26:36,979 S5: MM, good. Having a fun time? 464 00:26:37,020 --> 00:26:39,500 S1: All right. I always see that you're kind of energized 465 00:26:39,500 --> 00:26:41,619 S1: when you're hanging around the students and. And just coming 466 00:26:41,619 --> 00:26:42,500 S1: back from a class. 467 00:26:42,619 --> 00:26:44,619 S5: Yeah. It's so much fun. 468 00:26:44,660 --> 00:26:46,540 S1: All right, well, you know, how do I share the 469 00:26:46,580 --> 00:26:49,460 S1: gospel with my Jewish friend is a good question that 470 00:26:49,460 --> 00:26:52,859 S1: many people ask. And that question recognizes the need for 471 00:26:52,859 --> 00:26:56,780 S1: a sensitive approach to sharing with Jewish people. Well, good news, 472 00:26:56,780 --> 00:26:58,980 S1: our friends at Life in Messiah want to help answer 473 00:26:58,980 --> 00:27:01,699 S1: that question. And they've put together a series of helpful 474 00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:04,660 S1: articles on how you can share the good news with 475 00:27:04,660 --> 00:27:08,540 S1: Jewish people around you. You'll learn about Jewish cultural sensitivities, 476 00:27:08,740 --> 00:27:13,619 S1: how antisemitism affects Jewish evangelism, the importance of messianic prophecy, 477 00:27:13,619 --> 00:27:16,700 S1: and a whole lot more. To access these articles, head 478 00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:21,180 S1: to life in.org, click on the Moody Radio logo and 479 00:27:21,180 --> 00:27:24,340 S1: sign up. You'll receive the articles to equip you with 480 00:27:24,490 --> 00:27:27,530 S1: practical ways to share the good news with Jewish people 481 00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:31,570 S1: around you or. Online, find the Moody radio icon again 482 00:27:31,570 --> 00:27:35,770 S1: at Life in messiah.org. And it's time to get to 483 00:27:35,810 --> 00:27:38,890 S1: question number one of the day from Arla's. She says 484 00:27:38,890 --> 00:27:42,730 S1: in the book of Ruth. Boaz married Ruth and becomes 485 00:27:42,730 --> 00:27:47,290 S1: her kinsman Redeemer. That was to keep Mahlon's family line going. 486 00:27:47,609 --> 00:27:52,090 S1: But the genealogy listed for Jesus ancestry lists Boaz as 487 00:27:52,090 --> 00:27:55,050 S1: the father. No mention is made of Mahlon. So did 488 00:27:55,050 --> 00:27:58,330 S1: Marlon not have a descendant? And what happened to his property? 489 00:27:58,369 --> 00:28:01,130 S5: Yeah, I understand this question. It is a bit confusing. 490 00:28:01,130 --> 00:28:07,250 S5: So Marlon doesn't have any physical descendants, but rather he 491 00:28:07,250 --> 00:28:11,250 S5: has a descendant who becomes his legal descendant. So Boaz's 492 00:28:11,250 --> 00:28:16,050 S5: line becomes the legal family. Now, what's Matthew doing? Because 493 00:28:16,050 --> 00:28:18,250 S5: I can see that Alice has a question that's drawn 494 00:28:18,250 --> 00:28:22,810 S5: from Matthew's genealogy. What's going on with Matthew? Matthew, when 495 00:28:22,810 --> 00:28:26,669 S5: he gives us his genealogy, he goes back through Boaz 496 00:28:26,869 --> 00:28:29,470 S5: and he goes back through Boaz, because Boaz will take 497 00:28:29,470 --> 00:28:33,709 S5: him to Judah. And our Lord is a descendant of Judah. 498 00:28:33,710 --> 00:28:36,590 S5: So I understand it's a little bit confusing. Uh, the 499 00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:39,590 S5: redemption of the land does happen, and it happens through 500 00:28:39,590 --> 00:28:44,390 S5: Boaz descendants. But Malon doesn't have his own physical descendant. 501 00:28:44,430 --> 00:28:46,590 S5: These legal descendants. 502 00:28:46,630 --> 00:28:50,950 S1: Yeah. Alan says he's got some questions about Matthew 27, 503 00:28:50,990 --> 00:28:55,030 S1: verses 52 and 53 during the resurrection of Jesus. The 504 00:28:55,030 --> 00:28:58,590 S1: text says, and the graves were opened, and many bodies 505 00:28:58,590 --> 00:29:02,590 S1: of the saints which slept, meaning died, arose and came 506 00:29:02,590 --> 00:29:05,390 S1: out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into 507 00:29:05,390 --> 00:29:08,150 S1: the holy city and appeared unto many. He's got two questions. 508 00:29:08,150 --> 00:29:11,470 S1: Number one, what happened to these saints? And two, does 509 00:29:11,470 --> 00:29:14,190 S1: this have any implications for the rapture? I mean, is 510 00:29:14,190 --> 00:29:17,670 S1: it possible that we could be changed instantly, appear to others, 511 00:29:17,670 --> 00:29:19,830 S1: and then meet the Lord in the air later? 512 00:29:19,870 --> 00:29:20,830 S6: Oh, this is great. 513 00:29:20,910 --> 00:29:23,580 S5: So this is a good one. There are two questions. 514 00:29:23,580 --> 00:29:27,020 S5: Who are these people and what happens to them? They 515 00:29:27,060 --> 00:29:31,140 S5: are saints. So it could be Old Testament saints before Christ, 516 00:29:31,140 --> 00:29:35,620 S5: could be New Testament saints after Christ. So we've got believers, 517 00:29:35,620 --> 00:29:38,660 S5: not non-believers, who are coming out of the grave. And 518 00:29:38,660 --> 00:29:40,620 S5: how long are they alive? I don't know how long 519 00:29:40,660 --> 00:29:42,900 S5: they're alive. Maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months, 520 00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:46,540 S5: maybe a few years. But what happens to them? I 521 00:29:46,540 --> 00:29:48,100 S5: take it that what happens to them is the same 522 00:29:48,100 --> 00:29:51,660 S5: thing that happens to Lazarus. Remember him? John 11, you know, 523 00:29:51,700 --> 00:29:54,500 S5: he gets resurrected, and I'm taking it that some years 524 00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:58,100 S5: later he has to die again. So these saints also 525 00:29:58,300 --> 00:30:00,420 S5: would have to die again. What does this have to 526 00:30:00,420 --> 00:30:04,260 S5: do with the rapture? This is the really interesting part. 527 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:06,740 S5: Is it possible we could be changed instantly and appear 528 00:30:06,740 --> 00:30:08,700 S5: before others and meet the Lord in the air? I 529 00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:11,980 S5: think the answer is maybe we can. Maybe we can. 530 00:30:12,020 --> 00:30:15,979 S5: Paul talks about rapture in one Corinthians 15 and in 531 00:30:16,020 --> 00:30:19,820 S5: first Thessalonians four, and Paul mentions in first Corinthians 15, 532 00:30:19,860 --> 00:30:23,250 S5: in an instant in time we were going to be transformed. 533 00:30:23,250 --> 00:30:25,490 S5: We're going to become different because not all of us 534 00:30:25,490 --> 00:30:29,290 S5: will die, but we will be changed. I take it 535 00:30:29,290 --> 00:30:33,850 S5: that change in us happens when the rapture happens, so 536 00:30:33,850 --> 00:30:36,570 S5: we can go up to meet the Lord. So could 537 00:30:36,570 --> 00:30:38,690 S5: it be. This is the question. Could it be that 538 00:30:38,690 --> 00:30:43,090 S5: we encounter some non-believer who sees us transformed in that instant, 539 00:30:43,090 --> 00:30:45,810 S5: in time? Could be. I don't know if a text 540 00:30:45,810 --> 00:30:47,969 S5: that says so, but it might happen. 541 00:30:48,010 --> 00:30:51,050 S1: Mme Jean wants to know. I've been trying to reconcile 542 00:30:51,050 --> 00:30:54,170 S1: acts nine, verses 23 through 30, where it says that 543 00:30:54,170 --> 00:30:58,490 S1: Paul left Damascus after his conversion and went to Jerusalem 544 00:30:58,490 --> 00:31:01,970 S1: and met with believers there with Galatians one, verses 16 545 00:31:02,010 --> 00:31:05,370 S1: through 22, where it says, Paul didn't go to Jerusalem 546 00:31:05,410 --> 00:31:09,490 S1: until three years later when he first met Peter and James. 547 00:31:09,690 --> 00:31:10,930 S1: Can you clear this up for me? 548 00:31:10,970 --> 00:31:14,130 S5: Yes, I can see this is difficult. Let's talk first 549 00:31:14,130 --> 00:31:18,730 S5: about history writing. Luke writes history, John and his gospel 550 00:31:18,730 --> 00:31:20,360 S5: writes history. And I'm going to go to John. Just 551 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,720 S5: very briefly. John tells us in John 20, Jesus did 552 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,240 S5: many other signs that are not written in this book, 553 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,680 S5: but I've written these so that you might believe. In 554 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:34,080 S5: other words, John saying, I know stuff I'm leaving out. 555 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,720 S5: So now I come back to the question. I take 556 00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:40,760 S5: it that Luke moves straight from Paul's conversion to going 557 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:43,840 S5: to Jerusalem, and he just leaves out his three years 558 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,040 S5: away because Luke wants to move forward his narrative. He 559 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,719 S5: wants to take us to Jerusalem. And if we look 560 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,440 S5: at what happens in the passage, it's not as if 561 00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,600 S5: it says, and then right away Paul went to Jerusalem, 562 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,600 S5: but it says rather, after he arrived there, something happened. 563 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,240 S5: I'm seeing that as a little indication. There's a gap 564 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,680 S5: in time, and Luke has just chosen not to tell 565 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:06,440 S5: us about it. 566 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,880 S1: This is the land and the book from Moody Radio. 567 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,640 S1: Doctor Gerald Peterson teaches on the Moody faculty in the 568 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,760 S1: Bible department. And you're welcome to share any question that 569 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,360 S1: you have with him via a quick email to the 570 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:26,310 S1: land and the book@moody.edu. The land and the book@moody.edu. Takes 571 00:32:26,310 --> 00:32:27,989 S1: a few days, maybe up to a week sometimes to 572 00:32:27,990 --> 00:32:28,270 S1: get an. 573 00:32:28,270 --> 00:32:28,510 S6: Answer. 574 00:32:28,550 --> 00:32:30,150 S5: A week or maybe ten days at the latest. If 575 00:32:30,150 --> 00:32:30,950 S5: I'm really tired. 576 00:32:31,110 --> 00:32:33,510 S1: Yeah, but you do get an answer, and it's a 577 00:32:33,510 --> 00:32:36,630 S1: great feeling to finally have somebody come alongside you with 578 00:32:36,670 --> 00:32:39,270 S1: maybe a bit more experience in the Bible and share 579 00:32:39,270 --> 00:32:46,630 S1: those perspectives. The land and the book@moody.edu. Debbie has two questions. 580 00:32:46,670 --> 00:32:50,190 S1: Number one, what do you think is the sin that 581 00:32:50,190 --> 00:32:54,350 S1: leads to death? Discussed in John chapter five? And two 582 00:32:54,550 --> 00:32:57,190 S1: when we are in the millennial kingdom, will Jews and 583 00:32:57,190 --> 00:33:00,430 S1: Gentiles worship in the same way as the Old Testament 584 00:33:00,430 --> 00:33:02,150 S1: using animal sacrifice? 585 00:33:02,390 --> 00:33:05,710 S5: I appreciate that at the end of First John five, 586 00:33:05,750 --> 00:33:09,989 S5: there's encouragement to prayer. And if someone has sinned or 587 00:33:09,990 --> 00:33:12,870 S5: needs forgiveness, God will grant that. But then for some 588 00:33:12,910 --> 00:33:16,070 S5: odd reason, he says, don't pray about the sin that 589 00:33:16,110 --> 00:33:18,420 S5: leads to death. So I can understand where this question 590 00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:21,860 S5: comes from. So I went to the Moody Bible commentary, 591 00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:24,780 S5: and in this section written by Ron Sauer, it's really good. 592 00:33:24,780 --> 00:33:27,580 S5: That is what is the sin that leads to death? 593 00:33:27,580 --> 00:33:30,900 S5: The sin that leads to death is apostasy from the 594 00:33:30,900 --> 00:33:34,820 S5: church that is turning away from the gospel and going 595 00:33:35,100 --> 00:33:39,580 S5: and rejecting Christ. This apparently is something that the church 596 00:33:39,620 --> 00:33:42,860 S5: addressed in First John is struggling with. John says in 597 00:33:42,900 --> 00:33:45,580 S5: first John two, they went out from us, but they 598 00:33:45,580 --> 00:33:46,940 S5: were never really of us. 599 00:33:46,980 --> 00:33:48,740 S1: Because they did not belong to us. 600 00:33:48,780 --> 00:33:49,540 S5: Right? 601 00:33:49,580 --> 00:33:51,780 S1: If they had belonged to us, they would have remained 602 00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:54,980 S1: with us. But their going showed that none of them 603 00:33:54,980 --> 00:33:55,860 S1: belong to us. 604 00:33:55,860 --> 00:33:59,580 S5: Exactly. Yeah. And I take it that is a sin 605 00:33:59,580 --> 00:34:03,220 S5: leading unto death. That is apostasy. Let's not pray about that. 606 00:34:03,220 --> 00:34:06,940 S5: They've made their choice before God. Oh, but then this 607 00:34:06,940 --> 00:34:10,020 S5: is the second really good question in the Millennial Kingdom. 608 00:34:10,180 --> 00:34:13,220 S5: And yes, I take it that based on literal reading 609 00:34:13,260 --> 00:34:17,810 S5: of Ezekiel 4248, that new temple. There's going to be 610 00:34:17,810 --> 00:34:22,530 S5: a new temple with. Sacrifices with Jewish and Gentile worship together. 611 00:34:22,530 --> 00:34:28,529 S5: But wait, what are these sacrifices? Will these sacrifices be atoning? No, 612 00:34:28,650 --> 00:34:31,450 S5: because only the death of Christ is atoning. But these 613 00:34:31,450 --> 00:34:36,050 S5: sacrifices will be like our partaking of the Lord's Supper. 614 00:34:36,410 --> 00:34:40,690 S5: We bring that sacrifice to ourselves. We claim it for ourselves. 615 00:34:40,690 --> 00:34:43,810 S5: We kind of, um, renew our commitment to it. And 616 00:34:43,810 --> 00:34:48,130 S5: so during the millennial period, we're going to have typical 617 00:34:48,130 --> 00:34:51,210 S5: Jewish worship, which we're all going to enjoy together, and 618 00:34:51,210 --> 00:34:54,969 S5: the sacrifices will help us remember the death of Christ. 619 00:34:55,290 --> 00:34:56,810 S1: I want to take you for a moment to the 620 00:34:56,810 --> 00:35:00,089 S1: communion experience that we take part in in our churches. 621 00:35:00,330 --> 00:35:03,370 S1: There's a passage in Scripture that, speaking of communion, urges 622 00:35:03,370 --> 00:35:07,370 S1: us to examine ourselves, examine ourselves. There's even a phrase, 623 00:35:07,370 --> 00:35:09,290 S1: it might even be the King James that talks about, 624 00:35:09,330 --> 00:35:12,970 S1: you know, lest we eat and drink damnation to ourselves, right? 625 00:35:13,010 --> 00:35:14,250 S1: What is going on there? 626 00:35:14,830 --> 00:35:17,149 S5: Well, now whole books are written about this, John, but 627 00:35:17,150 --> 00:35:20,549 S5: I appreciate your question very, very much. What's going on 628 00:35:20,550 --> 00:35:23,469 S5: with that? I take it that what's going on with 629 00:35:23,469 --> 00:35:28,029 S5: that is Corinthians sitting next to other Corinthian believers and 630 00:35:28,030 --> 00:35:32,790 S5: despising their brother and sister as they partake. Like I'm 631 00:35:32,790 --> 00:35:35,950 S5: better than you are. And Paul talks about this in 632 00:35:35,989 --> 00:35:38,910 S5: first Corinthians 11, one way that you could eat in 633 00:35:38,910 --> 00:35:43,030 S5: an unworthy manner and bring judgment upon yourself is to 634 00:35:43,469 --> 00:35:48,110 S5: eat while someone else is hungry. You've not shown respect 635 00:35:48,110 --> 00:35:50,550 S5: or honor to him. And then at the end of 636 00:35:50,590 --> 00:35:53,989 S5: First Corinthians 12, what does Paul say when you come together? 637 00:35:54,510 --> 00:35:57,830 S5: Wait for each other? Yeah. If you're hungry, eat at 638 00:35:57,830 --> 00:36:02,750 S5: home so that you might not come together for judgment. 639 00:36:02,750 --> 00:36:04,910 S5: And there's our word that was mentioned earlier that you 640 00:36:04,910 --> 00:36:06,430 S5: brought up. So in other words. 641 00:36:06,469 --> 00:36:08,430 S1: I think I misquoted the passage a bit, but you 642 00:36:08,469 --> 00:36:09,070 S1: got the idea. 643 00:36:09,110 --> 00:36:11,790 S5: No, you did a great job with it. I think, really, 644 00:36:11,790 --> 00:36:15,060 S5: this is not some issue of what's the nature of 645 00:36:15,060 --> 00:36:18,300 S5: the presence of Christ in the Eucharist? We can debate that. 646 00:36:18,340 --> 00:36:21,060 S5: I think what's really going on in First Corinthians is 647 00:36:21,460 --> 00:36:25,939 S5: the Corinthians have many factions, and the factions exclude some 648 00:36:25,940 --> 00:36:29,299 S5: others as somehow substandard Christians. And that's just kind of 649 00:36:29,340 --> 00:36:31,820 S5: a denial of what the Eucharist is about, right? 650 00:36:31,860 --> 00:36:33,940 S1: Yeah. God will not allow it. He won't have any 651 00:36:33,940 --> 00:36:34,380 S1: of it. 652 00:36:34,380 --> 00:36:34,900 S5: Right? 653 00:36:34,940 --> 00:36:36,100 S1: Yeah. He's pretty angry about it. 654 00:36:36,420 --> 00:36:37,660 S5: That is really hurtful. 655 00:36:37,700 --> 00:36:41,220 S1: Yeah. Well, those are very helpful answers. And maybe they 656 00:36:41,260 --> 00:36:43,540 S1: kind of prime the pump for questions that you've got. 657 00:36:43,580 --> 00:36:46,620 S1: Can you get yours to us. Absolutely. At the land 658 00:36:46,620 --> 00:36:53,940 S1: and the book@moody.edu. The land and the book@moody.edu. Charlie Dyer's 659 00:36:53,940 --> 00:37:09,940 S1: coming back next with his devotional right here. It's the 660 00:37:09,940 --> 00:37:14,050 S1: foundation on which all of Christianity is built the literal 661 00:37:14,050 --> 00:37:17,570 S1: physical resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But no 662 00:37:17,570 --> 00:37:20,850 S1: other truth has been more attacked, more mocked, and more 663 00:37:20,850 --> 00:37:24,609 S1: discounted than the reality of the resurrection. Hey, welcome back 664 00:37:24,610 --> 00:37:27,370 S1: to the land and the book I'm John Gieger, and 665 00:37:27,370 --> 00:37:30,010 S1: the reality of the resurrection is the focus of Charlie 666 00:37:30,010 --> 00:37:32,810 S1: Dyer's devotional. I'm looking forward to that. Before we hear 667 00:37:32,810 --> 00:37:36,170 S1: that devotional, let's give a quick listen to the impressions 668 00:37:36,170 --> 00:37:38,730 S1: that a visit to Israel left on this listener. 669 00:37:43,050 --> 00:37:45,850 S7: I have so many memories. When I went to Israel 670 00:37:45,850 --> 00:37:51,690 S7: in 2006 and in the Garden of Gethsemane, we had 671 00:37:51,969 --> 00:37:56,370 S7: a quiet time that we all just sat around, and 672 00:37:56,890 --> 00:38:00,810 S7: Jesus made it very clear to me by His Spirit 673 00:38:01,170 --> 00:38:04,529 S7: when he said, I was thinking about you when I 674 00:38:04,530 --> 00:38:08,330 S7: was here, and I was thinking about all of you, 675 00:38:08,330 --> 00:38:12,360 S7: and you were worth it. You were worth every bit 676 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:17,319 S7: that I suffered. And tell everybody that I would do 677 00:38:17,320 --> 00:38:21,200 S7: it again if once hadn't been enough. And he had 678 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:23,200 S7: it with a little grin. He said that with a 679 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,880 S7: little grin, because he knew that the once was enough. 680 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:31,000 S7: Because his grace is more than enough. I'm really grateful 681 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:33,520 S7: for this opportunity. Thank you. 682 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,960 S1: Charlie will turn things over to you for today's devotional. 683 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:41,160 S2: Thanks, John. Well, for many Christians around the world, the 684 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:45,120 S2: traditional greeting on Easter Sunday is Christ is risen. He 685 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:48,759 S2: is risen indeed. The very focus of Easter is on 686 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:52,799 S2: the resurrection. The empty tomb, the affirmation that Jesus not 687 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:56,280 S2: only died for our sins, but that his resurrection proves 688 00:38:56,280 --> 00:39:00,160 S2: his death was sufficient to purchase our redemption. But there 689 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:02,719 S2: are those who doubt. How can we be sure? Jesus 690 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,480 S2: did in fact, rise from the dead? Let's take a 691 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:07,920 S2: few minutes together to look at the evidence. And let 692 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:10,149 S2: me say at the very beginning that what I'm about 693 00:39:10,150 --> 00:39:12,870 S2: to share isn't new or unique to me, but I 694 00:39:12,870 --> 00:39:15,430 S2: do believe it's something we need to be reminded of 695 00:39:15,590 --> 00:39:19,629 S2: on a regular basis. Let's start with the most basic premise. 696 00:39:19,790 --> 00:39:23,150 S2: Did Jesus even die on the cross? Some have suggested 697 00:39:23,150 --> 00:39:26,310 S2: that Jesus merely fainted on the cross, that the coolness 698 00:39:26,310 --> 00:39:28,750 S2: of the tomb revived him, and that it was this 699 00:39:28,750 --> 00:39:32,629 S2: resuscitated Jesus who then appeared to his disciples. But think 700 00:39:32,630 --> 00:39:36,030 S2: about that possibility for a minute. Jesus had been brutally 701 00:39:36,030 --> 00:39:38,830 S2: beaten before being nailed to the cross, and then he 702 00:39:38,830 --> 00:39:41,549 S2: was stabbed in the side by one of the Roman soldiers. 703 00:39:41,830 --> 00:39:44,989 S2: Those same soldiers confirmed he was dead before taking him 704 00:39:44,989 --> 00:39:47,630 S2: off the cross. He was then wrapped in a linen 705 00:39:47,630 --> 00:39:51,549 S2: cocoon and placed in a tomb carved into solid rock, 706 00:39:51,550 --> 00:39:54,950 S2: with a massive stone rolled over the entrance that couldn't 707 00:39:54,950 --> 00:39:58,190 S2: be pried open. From the inside and outside was a 708 00:39:58,190 --> 00:40:01,190 S2: squad of Roman soldiers making sure the stone wouldn't be 709 00:40:01,190 --> 00:40:05,190 S2: rolled away. No, suggesting he had merely swooned and then 710 00:40:05,190 --> 00:40:09,339 S2: been resuscitated doesn't fit the facts. So let's assume that 711 00:40:09,340 --> 00:40:12,420 S2: he did die. But instead of being resurrected, someone stole 712 00:40:12,420 --> 00:40:15,259 S2: his body. But who would want to take his body? 713 00:40:15,580 --> 00:40:19,660 S2: The disciples. They already fled in panic when he was arrested. 714 00:40:19,860 --> 00:40:22,460 S2: And one of them even denied knowing Jesus the night 715 00:40:22,460 --> 00:40:25,700 S2: of his trial. When the women came to them three 716 00:40:25,700 --> 00:40:28,940 S2: days later saying the tomb was empty, they were incredulous. 717 00:40:29,260 --> 00:40:31,900 S2: And besides, the tomb was guarded by that squad of 718 00:40:31,900 --> 00:40:37,340 S2: Roman soldiers. The idea that Jesus demoralised, frightened followers somehow 719 00:40:37,340 --> 00:40:40,859 S2: slipped past the Roman guards and silently rolled away a 720 00:40:40,860 --> 00:40:44,860 S2: stone weighing thousands of pounds without disturbing them. That doesn't 721 00:40:44,860 --> 00:40:47,979 S2: fit the facts, either. Well, could the religious leaders or 722 00:40:47,980 --> 00:40:51,299 S2: Pilate have taken the body? Well, certainly they had the 723 00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:53,660 S2: authority to order the soldiers to move aside and let 724 00:40:53,660 --> 00:40:56,739 S2: them do so. But why would they do that? The 725 00:40:56,739 --> 00:40:59,300 S2: religious leaders were the ones who met with Pilate and 726 00:40:59,300 --> 00:41:02,020 S2: asked him to give orders to have the grave secured, 727 00:41:02,020 --> 00:41:05,339 S2: to prevent the body from being stolen. And besides, if 728 00:41:05,340 --> 00:41:08,530 S2: they'd stolen the the body. Why didn't they simply produce it? 729 00:41:08,570 --> 00:41:11,450 S2: Once the disciples began telling everyone that Jesus had risen 730 00:41:11,450 --> 00:41:13,930 S2: from the dead. If they wanted to stop this new 731 00:41:13,930 --> 00:41:16,850 S2: movement in its tracks, producing the body would have done 732 00:41:16,850 --> 00:41:20,090 S2: the trick. But they couldn't because they didn't have it. 733 00:41:20,450 --> 00:41:24,290 S2: Jesus didn't merely faint, revive, and slip out of the tomb. 734 00:41:24,489 --> 00:41:27,930 S2: Nor did the disciples somehow steal his body. Nor did 735 00:41:27,930 --> 00:41:30,930 S2: the religious leaders or Pilate take it away. But if 736 00:41:30,930 --> 00:41:33,970 S2: those options aren't possible, then what are we left with? 737 00:41:34,290 --> 00:41:37,170 S2: Matthew 28, along with the other gospel writers and the 738 00:41:37,170 --> 00:41:41,130 S2: Apostle Paul, give us the answer on that first Easter morning. 739 00:41:41,170 --> 00:41:43,210 S2: As it began to dawn toward the first day of 740 00:41:43,210 --> 00:41:45,890 S2: the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to 741 00:41:45,930 --> 00:41:49,410 S2: look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred. 742 00:41:49,410 --> 00:41:52,129 S2: For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and 743 00:41:52,130 --> 00:41:54,650 S2: came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. 744 00:41:54,969 --> 00:41:57,850 S2: The guards fainted in fear, and as the women reached 745 00:41:57,850 --> 00:42:00,969 S2: the grave, the angel said to them, do not be afraid, 746 00:42:00,969 --> 00:42:03,009 S2: for I know that you're looking for Jesus who has 747 00:42:03,010 --> 00:42:06,600 S2: been crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, 748 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,120 S2: just as he said. Come see the place where he 749 00:42:09,120 --> 00:42:13,239 S2: was lying. The empty tomb was the object lesson. The 750 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:15,680 S2: angel didn't need to roll away the stone to help 751 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:19,319 S2: free Jesus. Remember, later he appears to his disciples as 752 00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:22,839 S2: they huddled together behind a locked door. The stone was 753 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:25,680 S2: rolled away, not to let Jesus out, but to let 754 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:29,960 S2: the witnesses in. The women and Peter and John saw 755 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:33,600 S2: the empty tomb and the linen wrappings lying there with 756 00:42:33,600 --> 00:42:38,160 S2: the facecloth rolled up beside it. And then, perhaps most importantly, 757 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,279 S2: they saw Jesus himself. He appeared to Mary and then 758 00:42:42,280 --> 00:42:45,200 S2: to two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and then 759 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:48,560 S2: to the ten, and then to Doubting Thomas, and then 760 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:52,239 S2: to 500. At one time, perhaps during his time in Galilee. 761 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:55,120 S2: And the Apostle Paul lets us know that Jesus also 762 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,719 S2: appeared to him on the road to Damascus. In short, 763 00:42:58,719 --> 00:43:02,160 S2: Jesus's death and resurrection not only fits the evidence from 764 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,980 S2: the empty tomb, his resurrection was also verified by hundreds 765 00:43:05,980 --> 00:43:09,820 S2: of eyewitnesses. Could this have been mass hysteria or even 766 00:43:09,820 --> 00:43:13,020 S2: a conspiracy on the part of disciples to promote a lie? 767 00:43:13,540 --> 00:43:16,260 S2: Let's be honest here. There have been cases of mass 768 00:43:16,260 --> 00:43:20,940 S2: hysteria and people have conspired together to lie. But Jesus 769 00:43:20,940 --> 00:43:24,420 S2: appeared to different groups of people of different sizes over 770 00:43:24,420 --> 00:43:27,700 S2: a period of weeks. This wasn't a one time case 771 00:43:27,700 --> 00:43:31,020 S2: of mass delusion. It was a series of appearances over 772 00:43:31,020 --> 00:43:35,100 S2: an extended period of time. And as for a conspiracy theory, 773 00:43:35,420 --> 00:43:38,739 S2: people might be willing to lie in order to get something, 774 00:43:39,100 --> 00:43:41,779 S2: but who's willing to forfeit his or her life for 775 00:43:41,780 --> 00:43:44,460 S2: something they know to be a lie? With the exception 776 00:43:44,460 --> 00:43:48,020 S2: of the Apostle John, virtually every follower of Jesus was 777 00:43:48,020 --> 00:43:51,339 S2: put to death for his belief in Jesus. They were 778 00:43:51,340 --> 00:43:54,420 S2: willing to die because they were convinced he had risen 779 00:43:54,420 --> 00:43:58,580 S2: from the dead. Death, the grim reaper, the great leveler, 780 00:43:58,620 --> 00:44:03,530 S2: the ultimate unknown. The shadowy. Beyond the prison of the ages. 781 00:44:03,530 --> 00:44:08,489 S2: Death has always been something unknown, mysterious, fearful. But then 782 00:44:08,489 --> 00:44:11,969 S2: Jesus died and rose from the dead, and nothing can 783 00:44:11,969 --> 00:44:15,810 S2: be the same again. Paul shared the importance of Jesus's 784 00:44:15,810 --> 00:44:19,170 S2: resurrection with the church at Corinth, and I want to 785 00:44:19,210 --> 00:44:22,969 S2: use Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Paul's words to capture the 786 00:44:22,969 --> 00:44:26,529 S2: importance of Resurrection Sunday for us as well. Here's how 787 00:44:26,530 --> 00:44:29,930 S2: he phrased it. Now, let me ask you something profound 788 00:44:29,930 --> 00:44:33,489 S2: yet troubling. If you became believers because you trusted the 789 00:44:33,489 --> 00:44:37,529 S2: proclamation that Christ is alive, risen from the dead, how 790 00:44:37,530 --> 00:44:39,649 S2: can you let people say that there's no such thing 791 00:44:39,650 --> 00:44:44,290 S2: as a resurrection? If there's no resurrection, there's no living Christ. 792 00:44:44,570 --> 00:44:47,930 S2: And face it, if there's no resurrection for Christ, everything 793 00:44:47,930 --> 00:44:51,210 S2: we've told you is smoke and mirrors. Everything you've staked 794 00:44:51,210 --> 00:44:54,610 S2: your life on is smoke and mirrors. Not only that, 795 00:44:54,610 --> 00:44:56,730 S2: but we would be guilty of telling a string of 796 00:44:56,730 --> 00:45:00,690 S2: barefaced lies about God. All these affidavits we've passed on 797 00:45:00,730 --> 00:45:05,919 S2: to you verifying that God raised up Christ. Sheer fabrications. 798 00:45:06,120 --> 00:45:10,239 S2: If there's no resurrection, if corpses can't be raised, then 799 00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:13,640 S2: Christ wasn't because he was indeed dead. And if Christ 800 00:45:13,640 --> 00:45:16,839 S2: wasn't raised, then all you're doing is wandering about in 801 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:19,839 S2: the dark, as lost as ever. It's even worse for 802 00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,640 S2: those who died hoping in Christ and resurrection because they're 803 00:45:23,640 --> 00:45:26,319 S2: already in their graves. If all we get out of 804 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,520 S2: Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years, 805 00:45:29,800 --> 00:45:33,399 S2: we're a pretty sorry lot. But the truth is that 806 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:36,640 S2: Christ has been raised up, the first in a long 807 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:39,520 S2: legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries. 808 00:45:40,080 --> 00:45:43,440 S2: And so to Peterson's modern paraphrase, I have to add 809 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:47,600 S2: my own. Amen. And so as you head to church 810 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:53,160 S2: this Sunday, remember Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. 811 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:55,319 S1: Thank you. Charlie boy, it's great to just kind of 812 00:45:55,360 --> 00:45:58,399 S1: revisit that, wrestle with it, and be reminded this isn't 813 00:45:58,400 --> 00:46:01,350 S1: something that we have constructed. It's the real deal truth, 814 00:46:01,790 --> 00:46:04,630 S1: and it's verifiable. Thank you, Charlie, for that devotional. If 815 00:46:04,670 --> 00:46:06,230 S1: you'd like to hear it again, you can do that 816 00:46:06,230 --> 00:46:10,589 S1: at our website, the land and the book. You can 817 00:46:10,590 --> 00:46:13,430 S1: hear the entire program there. And of course, get access 818 00:46:13,430 --> 00:46:16,509 S1: to our podcast that you can listen to yourself or 819 00:46:16,510 --> 00:46:18,830 S1: we hope you'll share it with a friend. Not everybody 820 00:46:18,830 --> 00:46:22,310 S1: has access to this radio program on the radio, and 821 00:46:22,310 --> 00:46:24,830 S1: that's why we create the podcast. Thanks for sharing us 822 00:46:24,830 --> 00:46:28,230 S1: with your friends. Well, our time has gone, but as always, 823 00:46:28,230 --> 00:46:30,630 S1: a full broadcast and we thank you for being a 824 00:46:30,630 --> 00:46:32,950 S1: part of it. You can email us anytime with a 825 00:46:32,950 --> 00:46:35,430 S1: question for Gerald Petermann, or just share a thought if 826 00:46:35,469 --> 00:46:40,910 S1: you'd like, at the land and the book@moody.edu, the land 827 00:46:40,910 --> 00:46:46,029 S1: and the book@moody.edu. For our producer, Dan Anderson, our host 828 00:46:46,030 --> 00:46:49,310 S1: doctor Charlie Dyer. I'm John Gager thanking you for listening 829 00:46:49,350 --> 00:46:52,589 S1: to The Land and the book, a production of Moody Radio, 830 00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:54,830 S1: the Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.