Alex McFarland It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word. You know, Matthew 26 is one of the longest chapters. Well, not only in the NewSong Testament, really in the Bible, but still so much goes on. last week as we concluded Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane. he was betrayed by Judas, he was apprehended by the authorities. And we're going to see what happens as he faces the Sanhedrin. But with that, we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here, and with me is Dillon Burrows. And we will go through Matthew 26 plus, we'll take your calls and Bible questions. And so you've tuned in on the right day if you have a Bible question and it could be about anything. And, we will do our best to give you a factual biblical answer. Matthew 26, grab a Bible, open up, and we'll follow along together. Mr. Dillon Burroughs. How you been, brother?
Dillon Hey, Doing wonderful. Great to be with you again, Alex. And heard you're enjoying the mountains in lovely Colorado right now.
Alex McFarland Well, we're out here doing some filming and I'm teaching some apologetics and Bert is at Fishbowl. as many people know, bert, with about 38 years in the pastorate, very respected pastoral leader. And once a year Bert does an event to help ministers and their wives. And the Fishbowl retreat is going on. Maybe we'll get him on to do a little remote segment. But pray, for Bert and Jan Harper as they minister to the ministers. And I think that's a great thing that he does and he sends his regards as Dillon and I carry on this week. But, I've got to ask, were you in a pulpit yesterday, Dillon?
Dillon I was not. This Sunday I was able to enjoy my own home church and hear from, Pastor Ken Clark and the team there. So I always appreciate getting to spend some time with my family, be refueled for the ministry that I get to do like this, with you this week.
Alex McFarland Well, amen. Amen. I was, in a pulpit at Mount Pleasant Church in my home city of the Greensboro, North Carolina, Pleasant Garden area and preached through Psalm 51, which is a great Psalm of David. Create in me a clean heart, O God. And, I think even though that's old Testament. It really lends itself to a Gospel evangelistic, NewSong Testament style message, doesn't does
Dillon that calling to repentance and to revival and spiritual awakening. And I know it's such a huge part of your ministry right now and a huge passion of mine as well as we seek God's best and God's favor for our days ahead. And this chapter is such a good example of but I think the late Tim Keller was a great spokesperson on this chapter. He has this quote that I'll share as we dive into Matthew 26 and the trials of Jesus. Keller writes that at his trial and crucifixion, Jesus was entirely alone. He was denied by his friends, mocked by his enemies and abandoned by his followers so that you and I would never have to be alone. I think that's such a comforting word for those of us who might be going through a trial or struggle of some kind. And I want us to have that kind of mindset as we go into what Jesus face and see how it relates to what we go through in our times today.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. Speaking of things that we're going through, I'm sure like most people, we were shocked over what was going on in France over the weekend. The rioting and the historic courthouse that was burned. and please be in prayer that God would subdue evil and God would bring order back to that area. And we can talk about that. European, certainly England, Germany, but really France, man, they need the gospel. And we, we're seeing what happens when the gospel is not present to change lives and bring people under the lordship and leadership of Jesus Christ. So we need to pray for France. I happen to know some missionaries over there and it's a tough time around the world and the world needs the gospel. But in Matthew 26, we're going to pick it up at verse 57. Verse 56 said all of this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. All the disciples forsook him and fled. And those who had laid hold of Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went and sat with the servants to see the end or see what was gonna happen. Now Jesus is being falsely accused of. And then one of the accusations, and we're going somewhat quickly, but Jesus was accused of wanting to tear down the temple. In verse 60, one, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God and build it in three days. And the high priest arose and said to him, said to Jesus, do you answer? Nothing? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent. Dillon? the Lord Jesus Christ, he didn't have to defend himself, did he? I mean, I think they knew, deep in their heart they knew who he was, but it was kind of a mob action here to accuse and they, they were out for blood. They wanted to trump up a reason. It would be vacuous, it would be false, but they wanted a reason to execute him.
Dillon Right. And it's interesting to me and very insightful how Jesus responds to his accusers. At first we see there's this silence. He didn't lash out, he didn't try to defend himself. But he ultimately responded in a way that refused to accept the manipulation that these Jewish leaders were trying to bring against him. Here we are with the Jewish leaders, the people who are supposed to be the role models for the nation of Israel. And yet they were trying to put an innocent man to death. And instead of letting that happen without responding, he responded with scripture. He stood apologetic or unapologetically and boldly under the pressure he faced and gave us a role model that we can follow even during his most difficult hours. It's interesting to me how that eternal perspective that he had is so powerful, that it kind of takes us above our day to day frustrations that we face and helps us to see, set our eyes on Jesus like the scriptures say on our heavenly home, that we have to look forward to rather than the mess that we run into in our day to day basis.
Alex McFarland You know, there comes a time in the life of every Christian where you have to take a stand. yes or no, is the Bible the word of God? Yes. Is Jesus God incarnate deity, the one and only Savior?
Dillon Yes.
Alex McFarland Yes. is Jesus merely a way to heaven or the way. And we have to say yes to these things because it's true. And let me just encourage everybody listening. I think it's really it shows what a Christian is made of. When you, like Vance Havner said. Vance Havner was a, minister that was very influential in the life of Billy Graham. And back in the 50s there was what was called dialectical theology that they would say, well on the one hand this, but on the other hand that. And Vince Havner said we need some one armed Christians who will say on the one hand, Christ is the son of God, end of Story. So in verse 63, the high priest just is shouting at Jesus, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. now that's a very black and white. Yes. No question. Jesus said to him, it is as you say, in other words, yes, ego. in me. absolutely. That's in Jon. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter, you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power, capital P, coming on the clouds of heaven. Now, Jesus is quoting Daniel 7:13 here. They would have known. This is unquestionably a messianic scripture, and Jesus attributes this to himself. So he is answering in the strongest possible terms, yes, I am the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord God incarnate. And we see that. And by the way, the reason I'm, a bit belaboring this point. If anybody ever says to you, did Jesus really claim to be God? Listen to this, folks. and I've been at a number of universities where somebody will say, well, Jesus didn't really claim to be God. And I'll say, okay, so what was his core message? Oh, love your neighbor, be a nice person. Okay, why was Christ executed? Because to say, you know, be good, love your neighbor, stay out of trouble. generally they don't put you to death for saying that. Listen to this. Jesus says, yes, I am the Son of God. You got it right. And you're going to see me sitting on the right hand of the ancient of days, God the Father coming at the end of time. The high priest tore his clothes, saying he has spoken blasphemy. What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you've heard his blasphemy M. What do you think they answered? He is deserving of death. Verse 66. Dillon, here's my point. Jesus did claim to be God incarnate. And that's not, blasphemy, if indeed that's who you are, and indeed he showed he is. But, the reason they contrived and called for his execution is because he did claim to be God. am I getting this correctly?
Dillon Of course. And in that time, the Jewish law said that whoever blasphemed the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. That's straight out of Leviticus 24. So they tried to equate his actions with someone who claimed to be God or blaspheme the name of God and give him capital punishment. but what's interesting is Jesus predicted this just a few Chapters before, in Matthew 20, he said, I'll be going to Jerusalem. The Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priest. think about that. He knew it was coming, and yet he did it anyway. sometimes you, you hear people say, oh, God won't give you more than you can handle. that's not exactly accurate. the Bible says God will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. But he often gives us more than we can handle. He often overwhelms us with the things that on in our lives, and yet he uses that as part of his great plan. And we see that here in the life of Jesus. We see a, man who, or, the son of man who was going forward knowing that he was going to go through pain. And the things that we see coming up right after this are very graphic, very violent, and something that none of us would want to face. And yet he did that. And why did he do it? Because of his love for you. Because of his love for me. And that's who Jesus is. The son of God. But also the one who is the friend of sinners, of you and of me and of all those who would accept Jesus Christ as their savior.
Alex McFarland You know, Dillon, it's always really, kind of made me sad to read what happens next. they spat in his face, verse 67, and they beat him. And others struck him with the palms of their hands, saying prophesy to us, Christ, who is the one who struck you? I mean, they're mocking, physically assaulting him. And the thing is, he absolutely knew and knows. Dillon, I was on a thread over the weekend. I'm a news junkie and I'm reading the news, and in one of the chat rooms, somebody put something up about how, you know, France has lost Christianity and it needs to be restored. And, oh my goodness, the posts. People were saying all manner of blasphemous things. I mean, it's one thing to say, you know, if somebody were to say, oh, I'm an atheist, I don't believe. Dillon, I could not imagine on this particular news, thread, just the venom, the vitriol, frankly, the blasphemy. People were saying horrible things about not just Christianity or the church, but about Jesus and this, just visceral hatred of Jesus. We see it in Matthew 26, 67, 68. We see it in the 21st century today, don't we?
Dillon Oh, we do. And, increasingly, even in American society, we must face literal persecution, not just someone who says something bad about us. But you know, being physically struck or being put into prison because of our beliefs or being persecuted in other ways, loss of job, these are the kinds of things we have to be prepared to face in following Christ fully. So this is something we need to look at Jesus as our example. And when we come back, I know we'll talk more about this and what it means and all of the, verses that follow here in Matthew 26. Here on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Exploring the Word. Dr. Dillon Burroughs, Alex McFarland, Brent Austin on the board. We've got a brief break. We're going to continue on into Matthew 27 plus your calls and questions. Questions. I'll give that number. 888. 589. 8840. Stay tuned. Hello, I'm Bert Harper. Did you know that this content is listener supported? Without people like you, this podcast would not exist. That's why we need you. A generous monthly gift of any amount will sustain American Family Radio and specifically this podcast. Please consider becoming a monthly financial partner today by visiting afr.netgive that's afr.net give. Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dillon Burraughs. We're in Matthew 26 and Jesus is going to be handed over to Pilate. But first, something very, very famous in the life of the apostle Peter. We invite you to get a copy of God's Word and follow along in Matthew 26. but I'm going to give that phone number again because we have calls later on in the show. We want to hear your Bible questions. And we just burden off and say this is like a big, a, ah, nationwide small group. You know, we're just getting together around the word of God. The number, in a few moments it'll be 8885-8988-4088-5889-8840. But, Dillon, Peter, who's watching from a distance, goes out and a servant girl says, you were with Jesus of Galilee. Peter denies it. This is verse 70, before them all. And he says, I don't know what you're saying. And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. But again, Peter denies with an oath, I do not know the man. In other words, as far as I'm aware, he said a bad word, said a curse word. A little later, those who stood and came by said, surely you are one of them, for your speech betrays you. Then Peter began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man. Immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remember the word of Jesus, who had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Peter went out and wept bitterly. this certainly is one of the most compelling vignettes. Dillon, why would Peter, who said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, the one that said, I will, I will never let them lay a hand on you, valiant Peter, who, you know, was a fisherman and probably pretty tough individual, why would Peter deny the Lord as he did there? Dillon, what do you think?
Dillon It's a good question. And he did start off strong, if you remember the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Romans, came to arrest him, the Jews came to take him to, to apprehension. he is the one who takes the sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest servant. But Jesus stops him and heals the servant. And then we see this in the next scene that, Jesus is spat upon, he is beaten, he is mocked. And then Peter is questioned about his association with Jesus. And Peter is taking all this in, saying, okay, I try to stand up for Jesus, he stops me. Now Jesus is being beaten up, and, and now they're coming for me next. What am I supposed to do? And instead of standing boldly and standing firm, as he did earlier, he, denies Jesus. And not only does he deny him once, but three times in fulfillment of the prediction Jesus gave at the Last Supper. And, this is one of those examples. We look at and say, why would Peter do this? But the real question is, why do we do this? I look at this and I find myself in the story of Peter saying, how many of us would have actually stood boldly during that time? And how many of us deny Christ for much lesser, issues than whether we would be associated with Jesus when he's arrested and beaten and put to death. So, it's not as simple as we see looking at it from an outsider's perspective, making our comments online in the 21st century. But it's really a matter of Jesus looking out for his own life and fearing for his physical safety in a time when Jesus is already being physically persecuted and about to be crucified on a cross.
Alex McFarland You know, you, nailed it, brother. yeah, we can say, why did Peter deny the Lord? You're right. Why do we deny the Lord? And, when we were in the Holy Land, angie and I, 12 years ago, we were at the, Sea of Galilee down at Capernaum. And they showed us what would have been equivalent to a first century fishing net. And I mean it was pretty heavy rope. And you know, these guys are throwing the nets out, pulling the nets in. And I was thinking about, I mean it was pretty heavy, just as is. But imagine waterlogged, saturated with water, it would have been more heavy. And then imagine with a load of fish in it, it would have been really heavy. My point is, no doubt Peter was probably a very, very muscular person. He was no pushover being a fisherman. These a man's man, you know, but he's watched Christ has been, apprehended. They're beating up, this is Jesus who could calm the storm. They knew Christ had all the power. And I'm sure Peter was thinking as they were blaspheming, cursing Jesus, beating Jesus, you know, I wonder if Peter thought, oh my goodness, Jesus could rain down the wrath of heaven on these people. But he's not. What's going on? we're going to be next, we're going to be arrested. And remember, the high priest had said, you've heard Jesus blasphemy, He's worthy of death. Well, those who affirm Jesus deity, presumably they would have been worthy of death too. And indeed for a long time in the early church there were Jewish, Greek and Roman persecutions. So in a way, you know, Peter's anxiety and just, you know, his mind is abuzz. What's going on, it's kind of understandable. But the rooster crows and one of the other gospels says that Jesus looked and Peter and Jesus their eyes met and Peter went out and wept bitterly. But I'm going to tell you, here's a lesson for us as we get into Matthew 27. Very often the times that God really uses a person is after they've been broken and maybe even after they fail the Lord and somebody stumbles, there's a misstep, there's sin, there's a failure. Peter went out and wept bitterly. And let me say this, those tears of remorse, are very cathartic. And this is the man that just in a very short while is going to preach pentecost and inaugurate the church age. And here we are today. So the Lord is not done with Peter, but Jesus goes before pilate in chapter 27. Meanwhile, Judas goes out, verse three. Judas his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, I've sinned By betraying innocent blood. You know, I gotta say something. Bert. I mean, Dillon, in the Bible, sometimes there are people that are very sarcastic. I remember when Cain, God said to Cain, where's. Where's your brother? And he very, very curt, very smart. Am I my brother's keeper? You know, well, here, this is so, rude and sarcastic. He says, I've betrayed innocent blood. They say, well, what is that to us? You see to it. In other words, this is your problem, Judas. And indeed it is. He throws down the money, he goes out, and by verse 5, he commits suicide by hanging. So, Dillon, let me pose a question to you. We get it at least a couple of times. A quarter. Did Jews. Did Judas come to faith? He was very sad at the situation. He goes out and hangs himself. Will, we see Judas Iscariot in heaven.
Dillon Oh, that's a good one. And there are people who argue that both ways. Because, you see, those who say he was with Jesus as a disciple for all that time and then only betrayed him at the end. So maybe he did know the Lord and he's going to be in heaven. But one of the things that I look at is when Jesus talks about what would be the outcome of the person who betrayed the Son of Man. And if you look at those verses, it appears very clear that this person was never a true believer, but someone who, from the beginning, would deceive the Lord, it would turn against Jesus, and who would not be part of his true followers. So I take the position based on those statements, that Judas Iscariot was never a true follower of Jesus Christ and would certainly not be in heaven in the afterlife.
Alex McFarland Yeah, I agree. Jon 6:70, Jesus said, Judas was a devil, and we know there'll be no devils in heaven. But he goes out, it's very sad, and he commits suicide. the chief priest took the 30 pieces of silver and said, it is not lawful for us to put this into the treasury because they are the price of blood. And they consulted together and bought with them, the potter's field to bury strangers in. Therefore, that field has been called a field of blood to this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying they took 30 pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me. You know, that phrase, potter's field has been used, a lot. it always connotes something, dark, dead, destructive. I think about the villain in It's a wonderful life is Mr. Potter and his neighborhood, of slums whereby he kept people in bondage was called Potterville. A little word, wordplay almost on Potter's field. But back to verse 11. Jesus is in front of Pilate. And this is also in Jon 18. the, the interrogation of Christ before Pilate is very fascinating, isn't it Dillon?
Dillon It is. And you look at what Jesus went through. You know, there were two main trials. You know, there's a series of Jewish trials and a series of Roman trials, about three different ones, for each. And you look at that and say, why was Jesus treated this way? It was such an illegal, court procedure. He was, abused along the way. it was certainly not the desire of the, the law to treat a person like that when you're going through the process of interrogating someone or questioning someone. But it all goes to show that this was the evil intent of those who were involved. And it. Some people try to blame the Jews more, some people try to blame the Gentiles or the Romans more, but really everyone was involved in the death of Jesus, in those trials. And we look at that and it just emphasizes over and over again what he went through to suffer and to die to show his love for us. And I don't know how many of you remember watching the Passion of the Christ by Mel Gipson years ago, and people were so concerned about the graphic nature of those scenes where Jesus is persecuted and beaten. but it does bring to life for us today how much he suffered to show his love for us. And we often overlook it when we read these words, but it was the ultimate price paid not only on the cross, but all the steps leading up to the cross as well.
Alex McFarland Well, you know, R.C. sproul, the late R.C. sproul, had written, and many had. Dr. Harold Wilmington. A lot of people have written about the violations of Jewish law in the trials. It was at night, it was rushed through. there one thing, it was unlawful to arrest somebody at night like that. A clandestine, you know, mob goes out to catch Jesus as he was going to pray in the garden. They had, you know, false witnesses, witnesses that disagreed. and another thing was it was on the eve of a ah, festival or a Sabbath. Another thing was coerced self incrimination. they knew what they wanted to hear, what they had to hear to call for a verdict of execution. And they forced Jesus to say this. Now it's truth. He is God incarnate. But when Christ is before Pilate. Again, this went on into the wee hours of the night. Okay, Jesus. And I've. I've preached on this many times. From Jon 18, Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, are you the king of the Jews? Jesus says, it is as you say. In other words, you. You've. You've gotten it right. Yes. And while he was being accused by the chief priests and the elders, Jesus answered nothing. Pilate said to him, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? I mean, there were just, you know, charge after charge, all these things. The one who had fed the multitudes, healed the sick, taught the ways of God, gave the sermon on the mount, the love, the power, the mercy and ministry of Jesus. And these people are just inflamed with hatred for it. And I don't know, Dillon, I get the feeling, like in verse 13, Pilate's trying to get his mind around this. And in Jon 18, Pilate, you know, kind of, almost pleads, why? What has he done? And here in verse 13 of Matthew 27, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But Jesus did not answer. Not a word. So the governor, Pilate, marveled greatly. Now, there's more. very famously, in Jon 18, Pilate's wife had said, have nothing to do with this. Righteous man had a really bad dream about this. Leave this guy alone. But in Jon 18:35, when Christ is before Pilate, don't mean to leave Matthew. But, he goes over there, and Jesus says, you know, ah, are you the King of the Jews? Jesus says, are you saying this for yourself, or have others told you? Pilate says, am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done? Jesus says, and this is worth going through? In Jon 18:36. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But my now, my kingdom is not from here. Are you a king then? Says Pilate. You have said rightly, I am a king. For this cause I was born. This cause I came into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate asks, what is truth? And when he had said this, Jon 18:38, he went out and said, I find no fault in him at all. Dillon, isn't it just amazing? Pilate is standing before the one who is truth incarnate, Truth personified. And he says, what is truth. And Pilate says, I, find no fault in him. That was not the answer they wanted. Was.
Dillon Wasn't. And that idea of what is truth is followed by him looking for a way out. And he tries to find a prisoner to release at the time of, of Passover. And the contrast grows even stronger when he thinks that they'll pick Jesus because he's such a righteous man and hasn't done anything worthy of death. And instead they choose Barabbas. We'll talk more about this in your questions when we come back on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland We'd like to thank our sponsors, including PreBorn. PreBorn has rescued over 400,000 babies from abortion and has seen over 100,000 commitments to Christ. Will you join PreBorn in continuing this good work supporting young moms in crisis? Save a life today. Go to preborn.com afr oh, Jesus, what a beautiful name. Son of God, son of man. Lamb that was slain. Praise the Lord. And welcome back to Exploring the Word. We're so honored that you're all listening. We appreciate you listening, to the program and we have those watching online. By the way, if you ever want to email us, you can email [email protected] and we also have a Facebook page that Brent Austin looks after for us. Exploring the word on Facebook. And we would love it if you would be our friend. Friend us on Facebook. You can message Brent Austin and we all get that and we, we just love to communicate with you and we appreciate y' all very much. Dillon, will it be okay if we go to the calls?
Dillon Let's do it.
Caroline Okay.
Alex McFarland We're going to start in Texas. Paul, in Texas. Paul, thanks for calling Exploring the Word.
Caroline I'm good. How about yourself fellas?
Alex McFarland Doing good, doing good. How about you, brother?
Caroline I wish I could say it was better. My friends, I know today is not Tuesday, but I do need a bit of a prayer request, if you don't mind.
Alex McFarland Sure.
Caroline I'm a mail carrier from Texas and today I'm delivering a piece of mail, a mailing today that I never thought would cross my lap. It's from the Texas Transgender Student Union and on the back it says Texas Trans and LGBTQ Student Resource Guide. And on the inside it pretty much has information on. Well, we'll leave it to yalls imagination. So I'll ah, I'm just going through some spiritual warfare with this right now and I just need prayers on what steps I need to take next with this. Thank, you all very much for yalls time Then I'll hang up and listen.
Alex McFarland God bless you, Paul. God bless you, folks. a mail carrier delivering student, college student mail about transgendering and all that. This is just illustrative of how much we need a revival and how Satan has blinded the minds of so many people. Paul, I'm very thankful you would have shared that. And Dillon, any commentary you might choose to make. And then, Dillon, would you lead in prayer about this?
Dillon Certainly. And Paul, we thank you for calling in about that. We don't know all the details surrounding this message that you're sharing, but we do thank you for calling in to ask for prayer about this topic. And Scripture is very clear that God has created male and female in his image. And that's something that's set from birth. It's not something that we decide on later on. And so we want to encourage those who may be confused or struggling in that area to look to God for guidance and not to the latest mail coming to them. So, let's pray for Paul in the situation he's going through today. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for Paul and his call today and for his desire to do something to stand up against the views in our society that oppose your clear teachings in the word of God. Lord, we know that you've created people in your image, male and female. You created them. And we pray that you would help us to stand firm in this area. We pray you help Paul to do so and give him guidance and wisdom on how to proceed in this specific situation he's facing today. Pray for all those out there who are listening, who may, be in a situation where they know someone struggling in this area of identity or, may even be going through something with that themselves. You would guide them to your truth and help encourage them and your plan for their lives. In Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen. the number, if you want to call with the Bible question is 888-589-8840. But right now in Kentucky, Steve in Kentucky, welcome to Exploring the Word.
Caroline Yeah, good morning. I, mean, good afternoon. Alex, thank you very much for what you guys do. You were referencing Leviticus, where it states that anybody who claims to be God commits blasphemy and should be put to put to death. Well, also in Leviticus, I'm not sure I'm trying to find it, but it does say that the high priest shall not tear his clothes. Now, at the very moment the high priest asked Jesus that question, and Jesus assented to what he said, he, declared Jesus of blasphemy and tore his clothes. But he himself committed blasphemy and disqualified himself from being high priest. And the sentence that he passed on Jesus was null and void.
Alex McFarland Amen. Thank you for this great observation. Yes, you're right. Leviticus 21:10, the high priest is not to tear, rend, or rip his garments over either grief or anger. you know, and Dillon, maybe that was the high priest ostensibly close to God, should role model and carry himself in a way of composure and trust in God. And then Also in Leviticus 24, there are laws against blasphemy. so, you know, I think about what Josh McDowell used to say. If God is really who you are, it's not blasphemy. And, of course, Jesus had demonstrated his deity in many ways. Dillon, any comment before we go to the next, call?
Dillon Well, I would agree with what our caller just said, is that this is one of many instances throughout this passage where the people in charge of the legal proceedings were actually breaking the law in the process. And not many people notice that. But if you follow closely what the Jewish law teaches and Leviticus there, it does specifically talk about that, where you're not supposed to tear your garments as a high priest over situations like this. And yet he did in defiance of the law himself. So one of many examples throughout the story that show how they were following the law according to God's command. So thank you for pointing to that. We really appreciate it.
Alex McFarland Bless you. Ohio Sharon in Ohio. Sharon, thanks for calling. Exploring the word.
Caroline Well, thank you so much for taking my call. I am calling in reference to Friday's program where there was a segment about Muslims having dreams. And a gentleman called in and said that, Jesus name in Arabic, Isa is in the Quran. and that's correct. And also they believe he's Messiah, but their definition for Messiah is different from ours. And he did not say that. And he also said he's going to fight Antichrist. But what Muslims truly believe is that Jesus did not die on the cross. And when he. This is their belief now, that when he comes back, he's going to break the cross, say that he did not die on the cross and he's going to help Muslims to kill Jews. I have realized, I heard, Pastor Greg Lurie, reference when he asked Billy Graham, if you could do anything differently, what would you do? And he said, I would spend more time talking about the cross. And I have decided after spending many, many hours in spiritual conversations with my Muslim neighbor, that I Am going to focus on the cross myself. And I'm just wondering if you have some verses that you would recommend that we share with our Muslim friends regarding the cross.
Alex McFarland Wow. God bless you, Sharon. God bless you for caring about the conversion of Muslims. We all should. and you know, kind of famously some years ago when Rick Warren prayed at the inauguration of Barack Obama, January of 2009, Rick Warren, a Protestant Christian minister, prayed in the name of Issa and Dillon. I had a number of ex Muslim now Christian friends that did not like it a bit because they said really the Isa of the Quran is not the Jesus of the NewSong Testament. Now I know in the Quran it says Isa Messiah, but Sharon, the caller is correct. They do not believe Jesus died on the cross. And so while, the Arabic Issa sounds similar to, you know, Jesus, we have to give the fully orbed, truth about Jesus which is found in the NewSong Testament, that he did die on the cross, he did rise again. And Dillon, before I throw it off to you, let me just say that, I think it's important to note that when Islam emerged around 610 A.D. christianity, had existed for six centuries. Judaism had existed for 3,500 years. And so, really, Islam is a late perversion of, it's an amalgam of some occultic folk religion there in the Arabic regions. but it's also a perversion of a little bit of Christianity, a little bit of Judaism. They make Ishmael the child of promise, not Isaac. So, there's a lot to help the Muslim understand. But I think the color is right. Maximizing on the cross, that's a pretty good approach. Dillon, what do you say?
Dillon Yes, and I would encourage, our caller to continue to focus on the cross because that's the distinction is we don't believe in Jesus as merely a human who came and is a prophet. He is more than a prophet. He is divine. He is the Son of God. He's God in human form. Ah, Jon 1 is very clear that God in human form came and dwelt among us. So we cannot neglect that. We cannot compromise that, ah, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. And of course in Islam, Muhammad is, permanent and Allah is God. And it's a very different, definition of Jesus than we would find in the NewSong Testament. So we cannot compromise on those distinctions. Though it is important that we work hard to show love to our Muslim neighbors and those in our community and to, to do all we can to Find practical ways to share the true message of Jesus Christ that's found in the Scriptures.
Alex McFarland You know, she asked for a couple of verses. I want to give a couple. One is 1 Corinthians 1:18. it says, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. the cross. The power of God. The message of the gospel is about the cross. But then Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, by dying on the cross. but God bless you, and, yes, all of us, let's maximize on the cross, because that is, our message. Arkansas. Lori in Arkansas. Thank you for holding and welcome to Exploring the Word. Lori.
Caroline Okay, thank you for your show. and I'm trying to get a nice church. I was wondering if you could also maybe send me some information on where I can get a nice church here in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Something, you know, in this area.
Alex McFarland Because, hey, let me ask you something. Forgive me. How far would you be from, like, Rogers and Bentonville? Oh, yeah.
Caroline Oh, it's not that far. No, it's not that far.
Alex McFarland There are many good churches. We've got a pastor friend out there. He's probably listening. Josh Ramsey at Boundless Grace. It's a fantastic church. I've probably been there four or five times to preach. Lori, look. Look for Pastor Josh Ramsey, Boundless Grace there in, it's. Rogers and Bentonville are kind of right together. But, you won't be disappointed. But, what else were you going to ask and also want to ask,
Caroline where exactly is Satan located now? Where is Satan Satan located? Is he an L?
Alex McFarland Good question. Dillon Burroughs. Dr. Burroughs, where is Satan located right now?
Dillon Oh, man, that's a good question, because we have all kinds of verses in the Bible that talk about him being in the air, being on the earth, having access to God in heaven like he is in the beginning of Job. there are all kinds of symbolic locations as well. When you look at Revelation and this talk about Satan Throne, so we get kind of this mixed picture. So people get confused and think, you know, is he really in hell now or not? it appears that he's actively working in the earth still and within the spiritual realm. That's why Ephesians 6 talks about the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. there will be a time, of course, in the future where he is bound, but right now, he seems to be actively still working. And his spiritual, you know, demons as well, working to thwart the plans of God in our world today. So I would not say he's limited to hell at this point, but he's actually working in many places throughout our world today.
Alex McFarland Good, good question. And, let me say this. Yes, Satan is ultimately going to put, be put in the lake of fire forever. Right now he is out in this world. I, think Satan is very busy because he knows his time is short. it's interesting and we don't have time to fully unpack this today, but, Satan has no authority. There's two words for power. One is exousia, one is dunamis. and the Christian has both. We have ability, power, that's dunamis. And we have authority, power in the name of Jesus. That's exusia. And Luke 10:19, Jesus says to the disciples, I've given you power to tread on serpents and over all the power of the enemy. Now Satan has some dunamis, but he has no exusia. He does not have authority in this world. Now he's out being evil like he does. But, be assured we are victorious in Christ and Satan's demise is coming. we're going to go to Texas. Simon in Texas. Welcome to Exploring the Word. Hello there. Okay, well, thank you for calling. Thanks for listening.
Caroline Thank you. You're welcome too.
Caroline Tell them what your question is.
Caroline is God going to bring us
Alex McFarland back as babies or is he bringing,
Caroline bringing us back as our age right now?
Alex McFarland Wow, that is a fantastic question. That's a very insightful question. Dillon, what do you say?
Dillon Well, when it comes to specifics, the Bible doesn't give us an exact age. It just tells us that we are going to be given new immortal bodies. That's what we see in 1st Corinthians 15, toward the end of the chapter. We won't get, get sick. We won't age anymore. We won't wear down. But whether we will be young or whether we will be middle age or older, it doesn't specifically tell us. So I can't give you an exact answer on the age, but it does say we'll be given a perfect body that will no longer wear down. So we do have that to look forward to, especially for those of us who have bodies that have physical ailments and are, you know, in a stage of life. We're really looking forward to that new heavenly body.
Alex McFarland Hey, listen, I would love to send you our book on 100 Bible questions. If we get your address. We're going to send you the book. But you know what? When we're in heaven with Jesus, it will be perfect. We do know that. So I hope you've asked Jesus to come into your life and know that he'll always be with you. He's the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Well, this has been exploring the Word, the Monday advice. Now, we're going to be back tomorrow. We're going to be, continuing in Matthew 27. Dillon, I look forward to being with you again tomorrow on the air. And, we encourage everybody to read ahead in Matthew 27. In the meantime, may God bless you. Tell somebody about exploring the Word, but most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
Alex McFarland It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word. You know, Matthew 26 is one of the longest chapters. Well, not only in the NewSong Testament, really in the Bible, but still so much goes on. last week as we concluded Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane. he was betrayed by Judas, he was apprehended by the authorities. And we're going to see what happens as he faces the Sanhedrin. But with that, we welcome you to today's edition of Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here, and with me is Dillon Burrows. And we will go through Matthew 26 plus, we'll take your calls and Bible questions. And so you've tuned in on the right day if you have a Bible question and it could be about anything. And, we will do our best to give you a factual biblical answer. Matthew 26, grab a Bible, open up, and we'll follow along together. Mr. Dillon Burroughs. How you been, brother?
Dillon Hey, Doing wonderful. Great to be with you again, Alex. And heard you're enjoying the mountains in lovely Colorado right now.
Alex McFarland Well, we're out here doing some filming and I'm teaching some apologetics and Bert is at Fishbowl. as many people know, bert, with about 38 years in the pastorate, very respected pastoral leader. And once a year Bert does an event to help ministers and their wives. And the Fishbowl retreat is going on. Maybe we'll get him on to do a little remote segment. But pray, for Bert and Jan Harper as they minister to the ministers. And I think that's a great thing that he does and he sends his regards as Dillon and I carry on this week. But, I've got to ask, were you in a pulpit yesterday, Dillon?
Dillon I was not. This Sunday I was able to enjoy my own home church and hear from, Pastor Ken Clark and the team there. So I always appreciate getting to spend some time with my family, be refueled for the ministry that I get to do like this, with you this week.
Alex McFarland Well, amen. Amen. I was, in a pulpit at Mount Pleasant Church in my home city of the Greensboro, North Carolina, Pleasant Garden area and preached through Psalm 51, which is a great Psalm of David. Create in me a clean heart, O God. And, I think even though that's old Testament. It really lends itself to a Gospel evangelistic, NewSong Testament style message, doesn't does
Dillon that calling to repentance and to revival and spiritual awakening. And I know it's such a huge part of your ministry right now and a huge passion of mine as well as we seek God's best and God's favor for our days ahead. And this chapter is such a good example of but I think the late Tim Keller was a great spokesperson on this chapter. He has this quote that I'll share as we dive into Matthew 26 and the trials of Jesus. Keller writes that at his trial and crucifixion, Jesus was entirely alone. He was denied by his friends, mocked by his enemies and abandoned by his followers so that you and I would never have to be alone. I think that's such a comforting word for those of us who might be going through a trial or struggle of some kind. And I want us to have that kind of mindset as we go into what Jesus face and see how it relates to what we go through in our times today.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. Speaking of things that we're going through, I'm sure like most people, we were shocked over what was going on in France over the weekend. The rioting and the historic courthouse that was burned. and please be in prayer that God would subdue evil and God would bring order back to that area. And we can talk about that. European, certainly England, Germany, but really France, man, they need the gospel. And we, we're seeing what happens when the gospel is not present to change lives and bring people under the lordship and leadership of Jesus Christ. So we need to pray for France. I happen to know some missionaries over there and it's a tough time around the world and the world needs the gospel. But in Matthew 26, we're going to pick it up at verse 57. Verse 56 said all of this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. All the disciples forsook him and fled. And those who had laid hold of Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. But Peter followed at a distance to the high priest's courtyard. And he went and sat with the servants to see the end or see what was gonna happen. Now Jesus is being falsely accused of. And then one of the accusations, and we're going somewhat quickly, but Jesus was accused of wanting to tear down the temple. In verse 60, one, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God and build it in three days. And the high priest arose and said to him, said to Jesus, do you answer? Nothing? What is it that these men testify against you? But Jesus kept silent. Dillon? the Lord Jesus Christ, he didn't have to defend himself, did he? I mean, I think they knew, deep in their heart they knew who he was, but it was kind of a mob action here to accuse and they, they were out for blood. They wanted to trump up a reason. It would be vacuous, it would be false, but they wanted a reason to execute him.
Dillon Right. And it's interesting to me and very insightful how Jesus responds to his accusers. At first we see there's this silence. He didn't lash out, he didn't try to defend himself. But he ultimately responded in a way that refused to accept the manipulation that these Jewish leaders were trying to bring against him. Here we are with the Jewish leaders, the people who are supposed to be the role models for the nation of Israel. And yet they were trying to put an innocent man to death. And instead of letting that happen without responding, he responded with scripture. He stood apologetic or unapologetically and boldly under the pressure he faced and gave us a role model that we can follow even during his most difficult hours. It's interesting to me how that eternal perspective that he had is so powerful, that it kind of takes us above our day to day frustrations that we face and helps us to see, set our eyes on Jesus like the scriptures say on our heavenly home, that we have to look forward to rather than the mess that we run into in our day to day basis.
Alex McFarland You know, there comes a time in the life of every Christian where you have to take a stand. yes or no, is the Bible the word of God? Yes. Is Jesus God incarnate deity, the one and only Savior?
Dillon Yes.
Alex McFarland Yes. is Jesus merely a way to heaven or the way. And we have to say yes to these things because it's true. And let me just encourage everybody listening. I think it's really it shows what a Christian is made of. When you, like Vance Havner said. Vance Havner was a, minister that was very influential in the life of Billy Graham. And back in the 50s there was what was called dialectical theology that they would say, well on the one hand this, but on the other hand that. And Vince Havner said we need some one armed Christians who will say on the one hand, Christ is the son of God, end of Story. So in verse 63, the high priest just is shouting at Jesus, I put you under oath by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. now that's a very black and white. Yes. No question. Jesus said to him, it is as you say, in other words, yes, ego. in me. absolutely. That's in Jon. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter, you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power, capital P, coming on the clouds of heaven. Now, Jesus is quoting Daniel 7:13 here. They would have known. This is unquestionably a messianic scripture, and Jesus attributes this to himself. So he is answering in the strongest possible terms, yes, I am the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord God incarnate. And we see that. And by the way, the reason I'm, a bit belaboring this point. If anybody ever says to you, did Jesus really claim to be God? Listen to this, folks. and I've been at a number of universities where somebody will say, well, Jesus didn't really claim to be God. And I'll say, okay, so what was his core message? Oh, love your neighbor, be a nice person. Okay, why was Christ executed? Because to say, you know, be good, love your neighbor, stay out of trouble. generally they don't put you to death for saying that. Listen to this. Jesus says, yes, I am the Son of God. You got it right. And you're going to see me sitting on the right hand of the ancient of days, God the Father coming at the end of time. The high priest tore his clothes, saying he has spoken blasphemy. What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you've heard his blasphemy M. What do you think they answered? He is deserving of death. Verse 66. Dillon, here's my point. Jesus did claim to be God incarnate. And that's not, blasphemy, if indeed that's who you are, and indeed he showed he is. But, the reason they contrived and called for his execution is because he did claim to be God. am I getting this correctly?
Dillon Of course. And in that time, the Jewish law said that whoever blasphemed the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. That's straight out of Leviticus 24. So they tried to equate his actions with someone who claimed to be God or blaspheme the name of God and give him capital punishment. but what's interesting is Jesus predicted this just a few Chapters before, in Matthew 20, he said, I'll be going to Jerusalem. The Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priest. think about that. He knew it was coming, and yet he did it anyway. sometimes you, you hear people say, oh, God won't give you more than you can handle. that's not exactly accurate. the Bible says God will not tempt us beyond what we can bear. But he often gives us more than we can handle. He often overwhelms us with the things that on in our lives, and yet he uses that as part of his great plan. And we see that here in the life of Jesus. We see a, man who, or, the son of man who was going forward knowing that he was going to go through pain. And the things that we see coming up right after this are very graphic, very violent, and something that none of us would want to face. And yet he did that. And why did he do it? Because of his love for you. Because of his love for me. And that's who Jesus is. The son of God. But also the one who is the friend of sinners, of you and of me and of all those who would accept Jesus Christ as their savior.
Alex McFarland You know, Dillon, it's always really, kind of made me sad to read what happens next. they spat in his face, verse 67, and they beat him. And others struck him with the palms of their hands, saying prophesy to us, Christ, who is the one who struck you? I mean, they're mocking, physically assaulting him. And the thing is, he absolutely knew and knows. Dillon, I was on a thread over the weekend. I'm a news junkie and I'm reading the news, and in one of the chat rooms, somebody put something up about how, you know, France has lost Christianity and it needs to be restored. And, oh my goodness, the posts. People were saying all manner of blasphemous things. I mean, it's one thing to say, you know, if somebody were to say, oh, I'm an atheist, I don't believe. Dillon, I could not imagine on this particular news, thread, just the venom, the vitriol, frankly, the blasphemy. People were saying horrible things about not just Christianity or the church, but about Jesus and this, just visceral hatred of Jesus. We see it in Matthew 26, 67, 68. We see it in the 21st century today, don't we?
Dillon Oh, we do. And, increasingly, even in American society, we must face literal persecution, not just someone who says something bad about us. But you know, being physically struck or being put into prison because of our beliefs or being persecuted in other ways, loss of job, these are the kinds of things we have to be prepared to face in following Christ fully. So this is something we need to look at Jesus as our example. And when we come back, I know we'll talk more about this and what it means and all of the, verses that follow here in Matthew 26. Here on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Exploring the Word. Dr. Dillon Burroughs, Alex McFarland, Brent Austin on the board. We've got a brief break. We're going to continue on into Matthew 27 plus your calls and questions. Questions. I'll give that number. 888. 589. 8840. Stay tuned. Hello, I'm Bert Harper. Did you know that this content is listener supported? Without people like you, this podcast would not exist. That's why we need you. A generous monthly gift of any amount will sustain American Family Radio and specifically this podcast. Please consider becoming a monthly financial partner today by visiting afr.netgive that's afr.net give. Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dillon Burraughs. We're in Matthew 26 and Jesus is going to be handed over to Pilate. But first, something very, very famous in the life of the apostle Peter. We invite you to get a copy of God's Word and follow along in Matthew 26. but I'm going to give that phone number again because we have calls later on in the show. We want to hear your Bible questions. And we just burden off and say this is like a big, a, ah, nationwide small group. You know, we're just getting together around the word of God. The number, in a few moments it'll be 8885-8988-4088-5889-8840. But, Dillon, Peter, who's watching from a distance, goes out and a servant girl says, you were with Jesus of Galilee. Peter denies it. This is verse 70, before them all. And he says, I don't know what you're saying. And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. But again, Peter denies with an oath, I do not know the man. In other words, as far as I'm aware, he said a bad word, said a curse word. A little later, those who stood and came by said, surely you are one of them, for your speech betrays you. Then Peter began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man. Immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remember the word of Jesus, who had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Peter went out and wept bitterly. this certainly is one of the most compelling vignettes. Dillon, why would Peter, who said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, the one that said, I will, I will never let them lay a hand on you, valiant Peter, who, you know, was a fisherman and probably pretty tough individual, why would Peter deny the Lord as he did there? Dillon, what do you think?
Dillon It's a good question. And he did start off strong, if you remember the Garden of Gethsemane, when the Romans, came to arrest him, the Jews came to take him to, to apprehension. he is the one who takes the sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest servant. But Jesus stops him and heals the servant. And then we see this in the next scene that, Jesus is spat upon, he is beaten, he is mocked. And then Peter is questioned about his association with Jesus. And Peter is taking all this in, saying, okay, I try to stand up for Jesus, he stops me. Now Jesus is being beaten up, and, and now they're coming for me next. What am I supposed to do? And instead of standing boldly and standing firm, as he did earlier, he, denies Jesus. And not only does he deny him once, but three times in fulfillment of the prediction Jesus gave at the Last Supper. And, this is one of those examples. We look at and say, why would Peter do this? But the real question is, why do we do this? I look at this and I find myself in the story of Peter saying, how many of us would have actually stood boldly during that time? And how many of us deny Christ for much lesser, issues than whether we would be associated with Jesus when he's arrested and beaten and put to death. So, it's not as simple as we see looking at it from an outsider's perspective, making our comments online in the 21st century. But it's really a matter of Jesus looking out for his own life and fearing for his physical safety in a time when Jesus is already being physically persecuted and about to be crucified on a cross.
Alex McFarland You know, you, nailed it, brother. yeah, we can say, why did Peter deny the Lord? You're right. Why do we deny the Lord? And, when we were in the Holy Land, angie and I, 12 years ago, we were at the, Sea of Galilee down at Capernaum. And they showed us what would have been equivalent to a first century fishing net. And I mean it was pretty heavy rope. And you know, these guys are throwing the nets out, pulling the nets in. And I was thinking about, I mean it was pretty heavy, just as is. But imagine waterlogged, saturated with water, it would have been more heavy. And then imagine with a load of fish in it, it would have been really heavy. My point is, no doubt Peter was probably a very, very muscular person. He was no pushover being a fisherman. These a man's man, you know, but he's watched Christ has been, apprehended. They're beating up, this is Jesus who could calm the storm. They knew Christ had all the power. And I'm sure Peter was thinking as they were blaspheming, cursing Jesus, beating Jesus, you know, I wonder if Peter thought, oh my goodness, Jesus could rain down the wrath of heaven on these people. But he's not. What's going on? we're going to be next, we're going to be arrested. And remember, the high priest had said, you've heard Jesus blasphemy, He's worthy of death. Well, those who affirm Jesus deity, presumably they would have been worthy of death too. And indeed for a long time in the early church there were Jewish, Greek and Roman persecutions. So in a way, you know, Peter's anxiety and just, you know, his mind is abuzz. What's going on, it's kind of understandable. But the rooster crows and one of the other gospels says that Jesus looked and Peter and Jesus their eyes met and Peter went out and wept bitterly. But I'm going to tell you, here's a lesson for us as we get into Matthew 27. Very often the times that God really uses a person is after they've been broken and maybe even after they fail the Lord and somebody stumbles, there's a misstep, there's sin, there's a failure. Peter went out and wept bitterly. And let me say this, those tears of remorse, are very cathartic. And this is the man that just in a very short while is going to preach pentecost and inaugurate the church age. And here we are today. So the Lord is not done with Peter, but Jesus goes before pilate in chapter 27. Meanwhile, Judas goes out, verse three. Judas his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, I've sinned By betraying innocent blood. You know, I gotta say something. Bert. I mean, Dillon, in the Bible, sometimes there are people that are very sarcastic. I remember when Cain, God said to Cain, where's. Where's your brother? And he very, very curt, very smart. Am I my brother's keeper? You know, well, here, this is so, rude and sarcastic. He says, I've betrayed innocent blood. They say, well, what is that to us? You see to it. In other words, this is your problem, Judas. And indeed it is. He throws down the money, he goes out, and by verse 5, he commits suicide by hanging. So, Dillon, let me pose a question to you. We get it at least a couple of times. A quarter. Did Jews. Did Judas come to faith? He was very sad at the situation. He goes out and hangs himself. Will, we see Judas Iscariot in heaven.
Dillon Oh, that's a good one. And there are people who argue that both ways. Because, you see, those who say he was with Jesus as a disciple for all that time and then only betrayed him at the end. So maybe he did know the Lord and he's going to be in heaven. But one of the things that I look at is when Jesus talks about what would be the outcome of the person who betrayed the Son of Man. And if you look at those verses, it appears very clear that this person was never a true believer, but someone who, from the beginning, would deceive the Lord, it would turn against Jesus, and who would not be part of his true followers. So I take the position based on those statements, that Judas Iscariot was never a true follower of Jesus Christ and would certainly not be in heaven in the afterlife.
Alex McFarland Yeah, I agree. Jon 6:70, Jesus said, Judas was a devil, and we know there'll be no devils in heaven. But he goes out, it's very sad, and he commits suicide. the chief priest took the 30 pieces of silver and said, it is not lawful for us to put this into the treasury because they are the price of blood. And they consulted together and bought with them, the potter's field to bury strangers in. Therefore, that field has been called a field of blood to this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying they took 30 pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me. You know, that phrase, potter's field has been used, a lot. it always connotes something, dark, dead, destructive. I think about the villain in It's a wonderful life is Mr. Potter and his neighborhood, of slums whereby he kept people in bondage was called Potterville. A little word, wordplay almost on Potter's field. But back to verse 11. Jesus is in front of Pilate. And this is also in Jon 18. the, the interrogation of Christ before Pilate is very fascinating, isn't it Dillon?
Dillon It is. And you look at what Jesus went through. You know, there were two main trials. You know, there's a series of Jewish trials and a series of Roman trials, about three different ones, for each. And you look at that and say, why was Jesus treated this way? It was such an illegal, court procedure. He was, abused along the way. it was certainly not the desire of the, the law to treat a person like that when you're going through the process of interrogating someone or questioning someone. But it all goes to show that this was the evil intent of those who were involved. And it. Some people try to blame the Jews more, some people try to blame the Gentiles or the Romans more, but really everyone was involved in the death of Jesus, in those trials. And we look at that and it just emphasizes over and over again what he went through to suffer and to die to show his love for us. And I don't know how many of you remember watching the Passion of the Christ by Mel Gipson years ago, and people were so concerned about the graphic nature of those scenes where Jesus is persecuted and beaten. but it does bring to life for us today how much he suffered to show his love for us. And we often overlook it when we read these words, but it was the ultimate price paid not only on the cross, but all the steps leading up to the cross as well.
Alex McFarland Well, you know, R.C. sproul, the late R.C. sproul, had written, and many had. Dr. Harold Wilmington. A lot of people have written about the violations of Jewish law in the trials. It was at night, it was rushed through. there one thing, it was unlawful to arrest somebody at night like that. A clandestine, you know, mob goes out to catch Jesus as he was going to pray in the garden. They had, you know, false witnesses, witnesses that disagreed. and another thing was it was on the eve of a ah, festival or a Sabbath. Another thing was coerced self incrimination. they knew what they wanted to hear, what they had to hear to call for a verdict of execution. And they forced Jesus to say this. Now it's truth. He is God incarnate. But when Christ is before Pilate. Again, this went on into the wee hours of the night. Okay, Jesus. And I've. I've preached on this many times. From Jon 18, Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, saying, are you the king of the Jews? Jesus says, it is as you say. In other words, you. You've. You've gotten it right. Yes. And while he was being accused by the chief priests and the elders, Jesus answered nothing. Pilate said to him, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? I mean, there were just, you know, charge after charge, all these things. The one who had fed the multitudes, healed the sick, taught the ways of God, gave the sermon on the mount, the love, the power, the mercy and ministry of Jesus. And these people are just inflamed with hatred for it. And I don't know, Dillon, I get the feeling, like in verse 13, Pilate's trying to get his mind around this. And in Jon 18, Pilate, you know, kind of, almost pleads, why? What has he done? And here in verse 13 of Matthew 27, do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But Jesus did not answer. Not a word. So the governor, Pilate, marveled greatly. Now, there's more. very famously, in Jon 18, Pilate's wife had said, have nothing to do with this. Righteous man had a really bad dream about this. Leave this guy alone. But in Jon 18:35, when Christ is before Pilate, don't mean to leave Matthew. But, he goes over there, and Jesus says, you know, ah, are you the King of the Jews? Jesus says, are you saying this for yourself, or have others told you? Pilate says, am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me. What have you done? Jesus says, and this is worth going through? In Jon 18:36. My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But my now, my kingdom is not from here. Are you a king then? Says Pilate. You have said rightly, I am a king. For this cause I was born. This cause I came into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate asks, what is truth? And when he had said this, Jon 18:38, he went out and said, I find no fault in him at all. Dillon, isn't it just amazing? Pilate is standing before the one who is truth incarnate, Truth personified. And he says, what is truth. And Pilate says, I, find no fault in him. That was not the answer they wanted. Was.
Dillon Wasn't. And that idea of what is truth is followed by him looking for a way out. And he tries to find a prisoner to release at the time of, of Passover. And the contrast grows even stronger when he thinks that they'll pick Jesus because he's such a righteous man and hasn't done anything worthy of death. And instead they choose Barabbas. We'll talk more about this in your questions when we come back on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland We'd like to thank our sponsors, including PreBorn. PreBorn has rescued over 400,000 babies from abortion and has seen over 100,000 commitments to Christ. Will you join PreBorn in continuing this good work supporting young moms in crisis? Save a life today. Go to preborn.com afr oh, Jesus, what a beautiful name. Son of God, son of man. Lamb that was slain. Praise the Lord. And welcome back to Exploring the Word. We're so honored that you're all listening. We appreciate you listening, to the program and we have those watching online. By the way, if you ever want to email us, you can email [email protected] and we also have a Facebook page that Brent Austin looks after for us. Exploring the word on Facebook. And we would love it if you would be our friend. Friend us on Facebook. You can message Brent Austin and we all get that and we, we just love to communicate with you and we appreciate y' all very much. Dillon, will it be okay if we go to the calls?
Dillon Let's do it.
Caroline Okay.
Alex McFarland We're going to start in Texas. Paul, in Texas. Paul, thanks for calling Exploring the Word.
Caroline I'm good. How about yourself fellas?
Alex McFarland Doing good, doing good. How about you, brother?
Caroline I wish I could say it was better. My friends, I know today is not Tuesday, but I do need a bit of a prayer request, if you don't mind.
Alex McFarland Sure.
Caroline I'm a mail carrier from Texas and today I'm delivering a piece of mail, a mailing today that I never thought would cross my lap. It's from the Texas Transgender Student Union and on the back it says Texas Trans and LGBTQ Student Resource Guide. And on the inside it pretty much has information on. Well, we'll leave it to yalls imagination. So I'll ah, I'm just going through some spiritual warfare with this right now and I just need prayers on what steps I need to take next with this. Thank, you all very much for yalls time Then I'll hang up and listen.
Alex McFarland God bless you, Paul. God bless you, folks. a mail carrier delivering student, college student mail about transgendering and all that. This is just illustrative of how much we need a revival and how Satan has blinded the minds of so many people. Paul, I'm very thankful you would have shared that. And Dillon, any commentary you might choose to make. And then, Dillon, would you lead in prayer about this?
Dillon Certainly. And Paul, we thank you for calling in about that. We don't know all the details surrounding this message that you're sharing, but we do thank you for calling in to ask for prayer about this topic. And Scripture is very clear that God has created male and female in his image. And that's something that's set from birth. It's not something that we decide on later on. And so we want to encourage those who may be confused or struggling in that area to look to God for guidance and not to the latest mail coming to them. So, let's pray for Paul in the situation he's going through today. Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for Paul and his call today and for his desire to do something to stand up against the views in our society that oppose your clear teachings in the word of God. Lord, we know that you've created people in your image, male and female. You created them. And we pray that you would help us to stand firm in this area. We pray you help Paul to do so and give him guidance and wisdom on how to proceed in this specific situation he's facing today. Pray for all those out there who are listening, who may, be in a situation where they know someone struggling in this area of identity or, may even be going through something with that themselves. You would guide them to your truth and help encourage them and your plan for their lives. In Jesus name. Amen.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen. the number, if you want to call with the Bible question is 888-589-8840. But right now in Kentucky, Steve in Kentucky, welcome to Exploring the Word.
Caroline Yeah, good morning. I, mean, good afternoon. Alex, thank you very much for what you guys do. You were referencing Leviticus, where it states that anybody who claims to be God commits blasphemy and should be put to put to death. Well, also in Leviticus, I'm not sure I'm trying to find it, but it does say that the high priest shall not tear his clothes. Now, at the very moment the high priest asked Jesus that question, and Jesus assented to what he said, he, declared Jesus of blasphemy and tore his clothes. But he himself committed blasphemy and disqualified himself from being high priest. And the sentence that he passed on Jesus was null and void.
Alex McFarland Amen. Thank you for this great observation. Yes, you're right. Leviticus 21:10, the high priest is not to tear, rend, or rip his garments over either grief or anger. you know, and Dillon, maybe that was the high priest ostensibly close to God, should role model and carry himself in a way of composure and trust in God. And then Also in Leviticus 24, there are laws against blasphemy. so, you know, I think about what Josh McDowell used to say. If God is really who you are, it's not blasphemy. And, of course, Jesus had demonstrated his deity in many ways. Dillon, any comment before we go to the next, call?
Dillon Well, I would agree with what our caller just said, is that this is one of many instances throughout this passage where the people in charge of the legal proceedings were actually breaking the law in the process. And not many people notice that. But if you follow closely what the Jewish law teaches and Leviticus there, it does specifically talk about that, where you're not supposed to tear your garments as a high priest over situations like this. And yet he did in defiance of the law himself. So one of many examples throughout the story that show how they were following the law according to God's command. So thank you for pointing to that. We really appreciate it.
Alex McFarland Bless you. Ohio Sharon in Ohio. Sharon, thanks for calling. Exploring the word.
Caroline Well, thank you so much for taking my call. I am calling in reference to Friday's program where there was a segment about Muslims having dreams. And a gentleman called in and said that, Jesus name in Arabic, Isa is in the Quran. and that's correct. And also they believe he's Messiah, but their definition for Messiah is different from ours. And he did not say that. And he also said he's going to fight Antichrist. But what Muslims truly believe is that Jesus did not die on the cross. And when he. This is their belief now, that when he comes back, he's going to break the cross, say that he did not die on the cross and he's going to help Muslims to kill Jews. I have realized, I heard, Pastor Greg Lurie, reference when he asked Billy Graham, if you could do anything differently, what would you do? And he said, I would spend more time talking about the cross. And I have decided after spending many, many hours in spiritual conversations with my Muslim neighbor, that I Am going to focus on the cross myself. And I'm just wondering if you have some verses that you would recommend that we share with our Muslim friends regarding the cross.
Alex McFarland Wow. God bless you, Sharon. God bless you for caring about the conversion of Muslims. We all should. and you know, kind of famously some years ago when Rick Warren prayed at the inauguration of Barack Obama, January of 2009, Rick Warren, a Protestant Christian minister, prayed in the name of Issa and Dillon. I had a number of ex Muslim now Christian friends that did not like it a bit because they said really the Isa of the Quran is not the Jesus of the NewSong Testament. Now I know in the Quran it says Isa Messiah, but Sharon, the caller is correct. They do not believe Jesus died on the cross. And so while, the Arabic Issa sounds similar to, you know, Jesus, we have to give the fully orbed, truth about Jesus which is found in the NewSong Testament, that he did die on the cross, he did rise again. And Dillon, before I throw it off to you, let me just say that, I think it's important to note that when Islam emerged around 610 A.D. christianity, had existed for six centuries. Judaism had existed for 3,500 years. And so, really, Islam is a late perversion of, it's an amalgam of some occultic folk religion there in the Arabic regions. but it's also a perversion of a little bit of Christianity, a little bit of Judaism. They make Ishmael the child of promise, not Isaac. So, there's a lot to help the Muslim understand. But I think the color is right. Maximizing on the cross, that's a pretty good approach. Dillon, what do you say?
Dillon Yes, and I would encourage, our caller to continue to focus on the cross because that's the distinction is we don't believe in Jesus as merely a human who came and is a prophet. He is more than a prophet. He is divine. He is the Son of God. He's God in human form. Ah, Jon 1 is very clear that God in human form came and dwelt among us. So we cannot neglect that. We cannot compromise that, ah, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. And of course in Islam, Muhammad is, permanent and Allah is God. And it's a very different, definition of Jesus than we would find in the NewSong Testament. So we cannot compromise on those distinctions. Though it is important that we work hard to show love to our Muslim neighbors and those in our community and to, to do all we can to Find practical ways to share the true message of Jesus Christ that's found in the Scriptures.
Alex McFarland You know, she asked for a couple of verses. I want to give a couple. One is 1 Corinthians 1:18. it says, for the message of the cross is foolishness to those that are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. the cross. The power of God. The message of the gospel is about the cross. But then Galatians 3:13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, by dying on the cross. but God bless you, and, yes, all of us, let's maximize on the cross, because that is, our message. Arkansas. Lori in Arkansas. Thank you for holding and welcome to Exploring the Word. Lori.
Caroline Okay, thank you for your show. and I'm trying to get a nice church. I was wondering if you could also maybe send me some information on where I can get a nice church here in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Something, you know, in this area.
Alex McFarland Because, hey, let me ask you something. Forgive me. How far would you be from, like, Rogers and Bentonville? Oh, yeah.
Caroline Oh, it's not that far. No, it's not that far.
Alex McFarland There are many good churches. We've got a pastor friend out there. He's probably listening. Josh Ramsey at Boundless Grace. It's a fantastic church. I've probably been there four or five times to preach. Lori, look. Look for Pastor Josh Ramsey, Boundless Grace there in, it's. Rogers and Bentonville are kind of right together. But, you won't be disappointed. But, what else were you going to ask and also want to ask,
Caroline where exactly is Satan located now? Where is Satan Satan located? Is he an L?
Alex McFarland Good question. Dillon Burroughs. Dr. Burroughs, where is Satan located right now?
Dillon Oh, man, that's a good question, because we have all kinds of verses in the Bible that talk about him being in the air, being on the earth, having access to God in heaven like he is in the beginning of Job. there are all kinds of symbolic locations as well. When you look at Revelation and this talk about Satan Throne, so we get kind of this mixed picture. So people get confused and think, you know, is he really in hell now or not? it appears that he's actively working in the earth still and within the spiritual realm. That's why Ephesians 6 talks about the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. there will be a time, of course, in the future where he is bound, but right now, he seems to be actively still working. And his spiritual, you know, demons as well, working to thwart the plans of God in our world today. So I would not say he's limited to hell at this point, but he's actually working in many places throughout our world today.
Alex McFarland Good, good question. And, let me say this. Yes, Satan is ultimately going to put, be put in the lake of fire forever. Right now he is out in this world. I, think Satan is very busy because he knows his time is short. it's interesting and we don't have time to fully unpack this today, but, Satan has no authority. There's two words for power. One is exousia, one is dunamis. and the Christian has both. We have ability, power, that's dunamis. And we have authority, power in the name of Jesus. That's exusia. And Luke 10:19, Jesus says to the disciples, I've given you power to tread on serpents and over all the power of the enemy. Now Satan has some dunamis, but he has no exusia. He does not have authority in this world. Now he's out being evil like he does. But, be assured we are victorious in Christ and Satan's demise is coming. we're going to go to Texas. Simon in Texas. Welcome to Exploring the Word. Hello there. Okay, well, thank you for calling. Thanks for listening.
Caroline Thank you. You're welcome too.
Caroline Tell them what your question is.
Caroline is God going to bring us
Alex McFarland back as babies or is he bringing,
Caroline bringing us back as our age right now?
Alex McFarland Wow, that is a fantastic question. That's a very insightful question. Dillon, what do you say?
Dillon Well, when it comes to specifics, the Bible doesn't give us an exact age. It just tells us that we are going to be given new immortal bodies. That's what we see in 1st Corinthians 15, toward the end of the chapter. We won't get, get sick. We won't age anymore. We won't wear down. But whether we will be young or whether we will be middle age or older, it doesn't specifically tell us. So I can't give you an exact answer on the age, but it does say we'll be given a perfect body that will no longer wear down. So we do have that to look forward to, especially for those of us who have bodies that have physical ailments and are, you know, in a stage of life. We're really looking forward to that new heavenly body.
Alex McFarland Hey, listen, I would love to send you our book on 100 Bible questions. If we get your address. We're going to send you the book. But you know what? When we're in heaven with Jesus, it will be perfect. We do know that. So I hope you've asked Jesus to come into your life and know that he'll always be with you. He's the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Well, this has been exploring the Word, the Monday advice. Now, we're going to be back tomorrow. We're going to be, continuing in Matthew 27. Dillon, I look forward to being with you again tomorrow on the air. And, we encourage everybody to read ahead in Matthew 27. In the meantime, may God bless you. Tell somebody about exploring the Word, but most of all, tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
Join Alex McFarland and Dillon Burroughs on American Family Radio's Exploring the Word as they study Matthew 26 and 27. Dive into the trials of Jesus, Peter’s denial, the stark reality of spiritual warfare, and live listener questions answered directly from Scripture.
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