00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:10 Podcast Format and Production

01:10 Christmas Music Debate

04:14 Bible Reading: Mark 11 and John 12

05:45 Discussion on Faith and Forgiveness

11:32 Jesus' Humanity and Divinity

19:05 Conclusion and Prayer

19:49 Closing Remarks and Farewell

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody.

2

Welcome back.

3

It is Monday and so hopefully your

week's off to a fantastic start.

4

I have no doubt.

5

Yeah, I'm sure it is.

6

Yeah.

7

I should say, because Mondays

are always great, right?

8

Yeah.

9

They're always great.

10

I should say welcome back to another

edition of the Daily Bible podcast.

11

Yes.

12

Yeah.

13

'cause I always say that, and

if you're not aware by now that

14

you're listening to the Daily Bible

Podcast, well it is Monday, so.

15

I might allow that one.

16

You could.

17

That's understandable.

18

Yeah.

19

If you don't do your typical intros

and outros, nobody's gonna know.

20

People don't know what to do.

21

Gonna be lost.

22

Should show you right

there that they're live.

23

We don't precan our intros and outros.

24

They happen on the fly for a while.

25

You did?

26

Like a year ago.

27

Like a long time ago we had a bumper

on the front and a bumper on the back.

28

Yeah, that's true.

29

We don't do that anymore.

30

I don't even know who

talks on the back anymore.

31

Bernard: I can't believe you

don't remember my name is Bernard!

32

Pastor Rod controls all

that stuff and it's ai.

33

He puts a lot of exciting things.

34

He does.

35

Yeah.

36

Well, and now we've got Matthew and Hannah

and they're doing our editing for us.

37

They're doing our producing.

38

We have producers by way.

39

We're big time on the podcast now.

40

We have producers.

41

And so I have no idea what

they're putting on there either.

42

I should, probably, should,

probably, should probably.

43

You should probably know.

44

I should probably know.

45

I don't though.

46

That's okay, there's

nothing weird going on, PJ.

47

Alright.

48

Bernard: Nothing weird at all.

49

I'm gonna put you on the spot.

50

Okay.

51

Have you started listening

to Christmas music yet?

52

Nope.

53

Oh, are you a Scrooge?

54

I am.

55

Ooh, I am.

56

I wish I had known that a while ago.

57

I know.

58

I've heard you and pr talk about this

on the previous two years, and I was

59

waiting for you to ask and fearing the

day you would ask, but it is arrived.

60

It's here.

61

Yeah, it's here.

62

And the people demand an answer.

63

Everybody's been asking why.

64

Does Pastor Mark hate Christmas?

65

I have heard that.

66

I've gotten letters.

67

I've gotten letters, so

I understand the letters.

68

I, and listen, I fought for

you, but I just want you to

69

know it's getting hard to fight.

70

I don't know how much fight I have

left in me to defend your scrooge ness.

71

Yeah.

72

On this yeah.

73

I'm sorry.

74

It's just not Christmas yet.

75

It's not Christmas.

76

Okay, but Christmas is like the, one

of the greatest times of the year.

77

That's true.

78

Admittable.

79

Yes.

80

So I don't like only giving it one month.

81

There has to be boundaries though.

82

'cause why not three months

be because that's too much.

83

'cause then the Christmas

music loses its significance.

84

There's a sweet spot.

85

And that sweet spot is

November through December.

86

After December.

87

I'm done with it.

88

I'm moving on in January.

89

We're done.

90

We're not doing 12 days of Christmas

into January that's not happening.

91

We're December 26th.

92

It's like, okay, Christmas is over.

93

Let's start planning for

next year, thinking about the

94

new Year, things like that.

95

But the two months is an

appropriate amount of time.

96

Yeah.

97

Yeah.

98

I will say, I think there's some.

99

Hymns that we categorize

as Christmas hymns.

100

Okay?

101

That really ought to be sung all

year round, and I think it's a shame

102

that some of those are, cordoned

off just for a couple months.

103

So I'm with you.

104

In that sense.

105

So what I hear you saying is that

you are committing before your church

106

family and the Lord God Almighty, the

Lord of all creation, the God of the

107

universe, that you are changing your

ways, you are amending your ways,

108

and you will become one who embraces

Christmas music starting in November.

109

Is that what I hear?

110

Sure, sure.

111

If that lets me keep my job, then sure.

112

Hey, you heard it here first, folks.

113

So if you're around, if you're riding

in the car with Pastor Mark in his

114

Tesla and he's not blasting, oh,

come all you faithful, then you have

115

grounds to say, Hey, let your yes,

be yes and your no be no alright and

116

no judgment when I'm doing it in May.

117

Then.

118

No, no judgment here.

119

That's fine.

120

I'd rather that than just confining

it to the month of December.

121

I just think, Hey let's expand things.

122

And I know the argument it

takes away from Thanksgiving.

123

No, it doesn't.

124

The Cowboys losing everything.

125

That's what takes away from Thanksgiving.

126

But not Christmas music.

127

So what I think it comes from for me

is that I did the orchestra, the world

128

and the world system, but yeah, yeah.

129

Pretty much.

130

Okay.

131

I did orchestra.

132

Okay.

133

In high school, middle school.

134

And you start doing

Christmas music Oh, yeah.

135

A nauseum way before even November.

136

Yeah.

137

And it just, it was too much.

138

So maybe I'm just recovering.

139

Maybe I'm just recovering

and I'll come around.

140

Okay.

141

Yeah, yeah.

142

And that was a long time ago.

143

We have the Kids' Christmas

musical, which has been going.

144

Now rehearsals since October.

145

So yeah, end of October.

146

You're perpetuating the problem that you

are blaming your anti Christmas ness on.

147

Yeah.

148

So anyways, whatever

you're doing, enjoy it.

149

If you choose to wait to listen to

Christmas music, I mean you're wrong, but

150

we love you anyways, and you can do that.

151

Let's jump into our Bible reading today.

152

We are in Mark chapter

11, and John chapter 12.

153

Mark 11.

154

In John 12.

155

I know this gets confusing.

156

It's almost more confusing than

reading the prophets in keeping

157

with First and Second Kings and

First and Second Chronicles.

158

There's so much back and forth

and it's like Mark 11, John 12.

159

Wait, John 11.

160

John Mark 12.

161

So keep your bookmark out there

your card out there and track along

162

with where we're falling here.

163

But Mark 11 is a lot of familiar territory

stuff that we have talked about recently.

164

It starts with the triumphal entry here.

165

Mark adds the detail that

he went to the temple first.

166

And so that's interesting.

167

He comes into the triumphal entry,

goes to the temple, but then before

168

the cleansing goes back home because

it was late and it was late in the day.

169

And so he's going to come

back the following day for

170

the cleansing of the temple.

171

So, triumphal entry here, he comes

in just like we've been talking about

172

the past couple of days, goes straight

to the temple mount, looks around,

173

observes what's going on there, and.

174

This is a small shred of it, but I

think this is some of his humanity here.

175

Mm-hmm.

176

Because he does have to go and observe.

177

He does have to go and see the status

of things being God, being omniscient.

178

He could have known what was going

on, and yet in his humanity, I

179

think he goes and observes mm-hmm.

180

Makes the decision, I'm not

gonna deal with this today.

181

I'm gonna come back

tomorrow and deal with it.

182

Yeah.

183

Even the fact he needs rest,

that's not just evidence here.

184

True.

185

But evidence in other places, it's

pretty, pretty stunning if you think

186

about it that Jesus, the God man.

187

Needs to go take a nap.

188

Yeah.

189

Needs to go sleep.

190

Yeah.

191

Needs to get some respite.

192

That is remarkable.

193

Yeah.

194

Yeah.

195

Absolutely it is.

196

And then the next day is when he comes

back to the temple mount, but on his

197

way he finds this fig tree and he

ends up again, like we talked about

198

previously, he curses the fig tree.

199

We read about this in Matthew chapter 21.

200

Mark 1113 says that there

was no figs for, it wasn't.

201

The season, and now Jesus would've

clearly known that growing up in

202

Jerusalem, growing up in the nearby area

in Israel there, he knew when it was.

203

Season for figs or not, but he was

gonna seize upon this opportunity as a

204

chance to teach the disciples a lesson.

205

And so running, even in the background

of this is Jeremiah, probably chapter

206

eight verse 13 says, when I would gather

them, declares the Lord, there were no

207

grapes on the vine nor figs on the tree.

208

So the disciples, if they're paying

attention, may have even thought

209

back to Jeremiah chapter eight

and thought, okay, this is about.

210

Israel, this is an indictment of Israel.

211

And so as Jeremiah was prophesying that

Jesus is now saying this is the reality

212

of that here as he curses the fig tree

on the way up to the temple mount.

213

Yeah.

214

Can you help us understand kind of his

conclusion there at, in verses like 25?

215

It some, it might initially seem

like it is kind of disjointed from.

216

He's talking about, and this is under,

at least in the ESV section that's titled

217

the lesson from the withered fig tree.

218

What does that have to do with

when you stand praying, forgive?

219

Yeah.

220

Well, I think if we back up before

that, he's talking about faith.

221

The lesson is that there's no faith

that the problem with Israel was that

222

there was no faith there in God, and

that faithlessness was producing an.

223

Empty, manmade religious system.

224

Mm-hmm.

225

In that empty, manmade religious system,

just like the fig tree was barren, it

226

was not producing any genuine fruit.

227

And so Jesus says in verse

22, have faith in God.

228

And that's when he then says, I

say to you, if you look at this

229

mountain and say, be taken up, that

the faith that you're supposed to

230

have is gonna move this mountain.

231

And then in verse 24, therefore

whatever you ask in prayer,

232

believe that you have received it.

233

And it will be yours.

234

And then he says, and whenever you stand

praying if you have anything against

235

anyone so that the father who is in

heaven may forgive you or trespasses.

236

So this just, I think,

magnifies the almost.

237

Apparent non sequitur of him turning

to forgiveness here magnifies

238

the importance of forgiveness.

239

Yeah, because he's really giving

the lesson to the fixture.

240

The lesson to the fixture is you need

to have faith, and if you have that

241

faith, then you're gonna have this

dynamic relationship with the Lord.

242

You're gonna ask things that are

gonna be pleasing to him so that

243

he's gonna give those things to you.

244

However caveat, if you're not gonna

forgive, then you're not gonna

245

have that relationship with God.

246

Then your sins aren't gonna be forgiven.

247

So.

248

It's interesting that

he does put it in here.

249

It does feel like a little

bit of whiplash here.

250

Yeah.

251

As you're reading through this, it's like,

wait a minute, why are we talking about,

252

why are we talking about forgiveness

when he's talking about this fig tree?

253

But it's in that context of faith

and that's when he goes back and

254

gives the lesson to the fig tree.

255

After the temple cleansing, the

disciples are on their way back

256

out and he says, they say to him

what's the story with the fig tree?

257

And he gives this response

and says it's about faith.

258

And the fact that Israel has no

faith in what God's promise had been.

259

And that's clarifying too for when

he says, whatever you ask in prayer,

260

believe that you have received it.

261

Because that is not just

an open blank check.

262

That's not just whatever, whenever God

will serve you and provide whatever you

263

want, it's specifically in the context

of this faith that you're talking about.

264

And somebody who has faith will make

mistakes, but we'll be praying things

265

that honor God that will be in alignment

with the things that he says we ought

266

to be caring about and wanting for sure.

267

Absolutely.

268

The Mark chapter 11 ends with, again,

that, that question from the Jewish

269

leaders after the cleansing of the temple,

Hey, on what grounds are you doing this?

270

Who gives you the right?

271

What authority do you have to do this?

272

And Jesus says, I'm gonna

ask you that question.

273

He asked that question like we

talked about a couple of days

274

ago, was the baptism of John,

was that from heaven or from men?

275

And they answer we don't know because

they don't want to find themselves in

276

a sticky situation with the crowds.

277

And so he says, well, then

I'm not gonna tell you either.

278

And again, the reason is not because

Jesus was afraid, but because he

279

didn't, it wasn't his hour yet.

280

And somebody asked a question.

281

We talked about the interference of men

even as Jesus with the triumphal entry and

282

the prediction of his death pre prevented

the disciples from understanding things.

283

And I said.

284

That was to keep them from

interfering with God's plan.

285

So somebody said, can we can humans

really even interfere with God's plan?

286

And the answer is no.

287

But part of the way that God

executes his plan is by preventing

288

us from interfering with this plan.

289

Mm-hmm.

290

And that's through doing things like

preventing us from understanding

291

everything that he's doing right now.

292

There may even be things.

293

Right now that God is doing that, he's

keeping you from fully understanding

294

about what's going on in your life because

if you knew, you might try to stop what

295

he's gonna end up doing in your life.

296

Yeah.

297

Because maybe what he's doing is

getting ready to lead you into a trial

298

that's going to be sanctifying for you.

299

Mm-hmm.

300

It's gonna be good for you,

Allah, Romans 8, 28 and 29.

301

But if you had to choose

you'd be like, Hey, I'm out.

302

I don't want this.

303

Yeah I'm not into this at all.

304

And I'm gonna do everything I can

to avoid going into that trial.

305

And God's saying, no.

306

You need to be in that trial.

307

And I think that's what

we're really driving at here.

308

The disciples would've done

everything they could to

309

keep Jesus from being killed.

310

And yet God is saying no,

he needs to go to the cross.

311

The father is saying he

needs to go to the cross.

312

Jesus is saying I need to go to the cross.

313

So that's what I mean by saying, keeping

us from meddling with what God is doing.

314

Not that we would be able to, but

part of the way that he keeps us

315

from interfering is keeping some

things from us that otherwise we

316

would want to evade or escape.

317

Yeah.

318

And you've used this example before

and I think it's really helpful

319

in terms of election and that God

doesn't necessarily reveal everything

320

about who is elect and who is not.

321

And you make the point and have a

couple times, and I think it's helpful

322

that he does that in a act of kindness

towards us because how difficult would

323

it be to have a kid who isn't elect

and to know that and to continue to

324

be obedient to his commands and stuff?

325

That would be really difficult.

326

And so there's examples like.

327

That I think I can think of

dozens of them, honestly.

328

Where God is kind to to act in that way.

329

Yeah.

330

Yeah.

331

Absolutely.

332

Well, let's go to John chapter 12,

which is our second chapter today.

333

And I wanna focus in on the things

that are unique to John here.

334

'cause there's some,

again, common ground here.

335

We do have the triumphal entry again.

336

But before this, we have

the anointing of Jesus.

337

And so, this is Sunday or Saturday,

rather before passion week.

338

So this is right before

the triumphal entry.

339

Jesus has been staying with Lazarus.

340

And the Mary and Martha.

341

And on that occasion there's a dinner

that happens here and Martha's serving

342

and Lazarus is there and Mary comes.

343

And Mary takes this expensive

ointment, this expensive perfume,

344

and she anoints the feet of Jesus

and wipes his feet with her hair.

345

We find out that this was perfume

that was worth about a year's salary.

346

Stunning.

347

Which is crazy.

348

Yeah.

349

Can you imagine?

350

Can you imagine that?

351

No.

352

Taking a year's salary and spending it

on a one time thing, I can't imagine

353

buying perfume for a year's salary.

354

Let's just put it that way too.

355

And Judas, of course, is the

one that's incensed by this.

356

And that's some pleasant irony

here that he is incensed by this.

357

And he says we could have sold

this and given it to the poor.

358

And Jesus tells him, you're

always gonna have the poor.

359

But this was good.

360

She's preparing me for burial again.

361

It's something the disciples aren't

gonna understand at this point in time.

362

But this is a sweet act of Mary, and this

is again, Mary in her devotion to Christ.

363

Mm-hmm.

364

Martha is there, but notice again,

Martha is serving and just like

365

back when Martha told the Lord, Hey

Lord, tell my sister to help me.

366

Martha's busy serving.

367

Mary is again, at the feet of

literally this time at the feet of

368

Jesus anointing Jesus' feet with this

perfume, wiping his feet with her hair.

369

Mary is commendable for her

devotion and love for Christ.

370

And even she didn't understand that

she's anointing him for burial.

371

But Jesus is saying this is something

that, that God's purpose is superseding

372

what's actually taking place here.

373

This is to prepare me for

what's in front of me.

374

Yeah it really is an amazing

story amazing account.

375

And we can so easily just skip over

a passage like this because there's

376

significant things, parables that

come before it, and significant

377

accounts of what happens after it.

378

But this really is an amazing account.

379

And again fulfilling

God's purpose and plan.

380

He has Mary do this, right?

381

This is part of, right.

382

Everything that's part of this week.

383

And this is an incredible

act of faithfulness in it.

384

At least Martha isn't Judas.

385

No, for sure.

386

At least Martha's not Judas.

387

And Martha's not the

bad guy in this either.

388

No.

389

I don't mean to imply that this

is not the same as when Jesus said

390

Mary has chosen the better thing.

391

Yeah.

392

I just, it's commendable

what we see from Mary there.

393

Yeah, it is.

394

It's fascinating, man.

395

Isn't God an amazing storyteller?

396

Talk about foreshadowing and this

isn't the only place we see these

397

things, but you know, the scriptures

are just amazing in even their.

398

Their construction.

399

Yeah.

400

And their storytelling.

401

And don't miss those things.

402

Yeah.

403

That's something that you should be

in awe about as you read your Bible.

404

Yeah, for sure.

405

For sure.

406

Well, Jesus comes in and

has this triumphal entry,

407

and the Jews are perplexed.

408

They're saying the world

has gone after him.

409

And then John in his masterful

John is again a great storyteller.

410

And that's one unique

things about John's gospel.

411

Mm-hmm.

412

John is writing almost.

413

Towards the end of the first century ad

sometime probably in the nineties he's

414

writing this, so it's quite removed

from these events and that's one of

415

the reasons why John is so deep and

has such a theological bent to his

416

gospel because he's had the years to

reflect on this and also to learn more.

417

And he's had interaction probably with

Paul's writings and Peter and others.

418

And so he's so much more intentional

about the arrangement of things.

419

Not that he puts things out of

order or that he messes with the

420

historicity of things, but here he

includes this the Pharisee saying

421

the whole world's going after him.

422

And then he has these Greeks

come up to, to talk with Philip

423

and say, we want to see Jesus.

424

And so the Pharisees are saying the world,

the Gentiles, those that are not part

425

of Israel, they're going after Jesus.

426

And John's like, and here they are.

427

Here's some Greeks that want to see

Jesus, which is just really cool.

428

It is.

429

And Jesus though, in, in verse 27,

finally gets to what he's been dancing

430

around for much of John's gospel,

and that is the arrival of his hour.

431

He says, now, as my soul troubled

he says that the hour has come.

432

I, for this purpose,

I've come to this hour.

433

He says, I'm not gonna ask

to be delivered, but this

434

is where we begin to see.

435

Angst.

436

Right.

437

You know, this is passion week,

and so this is gonna culminate in

438

the garden as Jesus is praying and

sweating, as Luke is gonna say.

439

Mm-hmm.

440

Like drops of blood and praying.

441

Father, let this cut pass from me.

442

He's already feeling the angst

of that moment here right

443

after the triumphal entry.

444

Right after this time, he's beginning

to dread what's in front of him in

445

his humanity, and yet he doesn't.

446

Ever waver.

447

He says, what am I supposed to do?

448

Say Father, deliver me.

449

Save me from this hour for this purpose.

450

I came.

451

And so instead he's gonna say, instead,

verse 28, father glorify your name.

452

And then this voice comes from heaven.

453

I have glorified it.

454

I will glorify it again.

455

And this is public and the voice is

there and the crowd hears something

456

and they think, man, it's thundered.

457

And others hear at least a voice.

458

'cause they say an

angel has spoken to 'em.

459

So, this is Jesus that is just saying,

look, this is I love scenes like this with

460

Christ because we see the humanity and

the deity of Christ on full display here.

461

Not wrestling with each other, but

just honestly, working through the

462

travails that we're awaiting in.

463

Yeah.

464

And that's how we can get.

465

Writing, like in Hebrews, it says

We have a high priest who's able to

466

sympathize with us because yeah he

knows in a hundred percent genuine,

467

real way what it's like to be a human.

468

It's what it's like to be like you

and I and he goes through even more

469

intense things than you and I do.

470

But he knows what it's like and

that's an amazing thing that the

471

God of the universe who creates

and upholds and is holy can also.

472

Perhaps have these sort of emotions.

473

Yeah.

474

And in his humanity, to be clear.

475

Yeah, yeah.

476

No doubt.

477

No doubt.

478

From here he talks about the fact that

there are going to be many who profess

479

faith but don't actually believe, and he

quotes Isaiah six and that, that idea of.

480

Blinding the eyes and keeping them

from hearing as part of God's passive

481

judgment against those that have

rejected him and those that even have

482

the spurious faith, which is hard.

483

Verses 42 and 43 it says many of even

of the authorities believed in him, but

484

for fear of the Pharisees, they did not

confess it so that they would not be

485

put out of the synagogue for they love

the glory that comes from man, more

486

than the glory that comes from God.

487

I go back and forth on whether

or not this is genuine.

488

Only because Jesus has said

multiple times, if you are ashamed

489

to confess me before men, I'm not

gonna confess you before my father.

490

And that seems to be exactly the problem

that's facing the Pharisees here,

491

and the fact that they love the glory

that comes from men more than they

492

love the glory that comes from God.

493

So this seems to be.

494

I don't know.

495

It's a certainly an immature faith,

perhaps even a spurious faith.

496

Yeah.

497

I think that John writes a lot of

First John because of what Jesus says,

498

obviously throughout his ministry, but

in, in this chapter in particular, I can

499

see a lot of similarities and I think

First John is a helpful place to go

500

where we can see some of that answered.

501

Well, to your, to your question.

502

So yeah if you're wondering about

how some of this works, I think

503

First John is a great place to

go to, to further understand what

504

Jesus is talking about here with a

little bit more clarity, I suppose.

505

Not that he's not being clear here,

but I think you know what I mean.

506

Yeah.

507

Then almost anticipating the question

than what is saving faith look like?

508

That's how the chapter ends.

509

Jesus cries out and says, whoever

believes in me, believes not

510

in me, but in him who sent me.

511

I've come into the world, verse 46.

512

As lights that whoever believes

in me may not remain in darkness.

513

And then he says, the one in verse

48 who rejects me and does not

514

receive my words, has a judge.

515

The word that I've spoken will

judge him on the last day.

516

And so Jesus has come

in order to bring life.

517

And that life comes from receiving

his words and believing in him,

518

which is a great and poignant

reminder for us today as well.

519

Yeah, that's right.

520

Walking the light as he's in the light.

521

Yep.

522

Let's pray.

523

God, we thank you for salvation

that we have in Christ and that

524

he came to save us not to judge.

525

We thank you that you didn't just

take the paper ball of creation

526

and wadd it up and throw it in

the giant trash back bucket and.

527

Say, well, we tried.

528

That didn't work out, but we thank you

that you have worked all of redemptive

529

history, even up until this point,

to bring people to salvation and

530

to give us an opportunity to repent

from our sins and to trust in your

531

forgiveness that we have as we know

now through Jesus Christ, through his

532

death on the cross which was atoning,

substitutionary, which paid our penalty

533

for our sins and through his resurrection

that we might have life eternal on.

534

So we thank you for that glorious reality.

535

May we live in the

light in response to it.

536

We pray in Jesus' name.

537

Amen.

538

Keep bringing Bibles.

539

Tune in again tomorrow for another

edition of the Daily Bible Podcast.

540

Merry Christmas.

541

Bye.

542

Bernard: Well, thank you for

listening to another episode of

543

the Daily Bible Podcast, folks!

544

We're honored to have you join us.

545

This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

546

You can find out more information

about our Church at compassntx.org.

547

We would love for you to leave a

review, to rate, or to share this

548

podcast on whatever platform you're

listening on, and we hope to see

549

you again tomorrow for another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

550

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

551

Yeah.

552

I would agree with

everything that you said