The Bible Nerds Show

The Prophet Isaiah foretells of two different periods of time in Israel’s future. The first is a time when Israel is completely a land of milk. The other is a time when Israel will fully become a land of honey.

What image comes to your mind when you hear the phrase, “He makes me lie down in green pastures?” I’m pretty sure what you think about is the exact opposite of what the Psalmist meant.  

Here’s a tough truth: we’d like to believe that when we learn to depend on God in “the wilderness,” He moves us to the land of blessing and we all live happily ever after. But that’s just not the way it works. 

There’s a plant that is mentioned only once in the entire Hebrew Scriptures. The importance of this plant can’t be understated. It’s relevance to our daily lives is overwhelming. This little plant unlocks the dangers of the land of milk.  

The geography of Israel is used to teach spiritual lessons all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. But sometimes, we miss the point altogether. In fact when I was a kid, I literally thought that the Promised Land flowed with actual milk and honey. It doesn’t. 

Some Bible nerds really struggle with the idea of Good Friday. After all, Jesus said that the sign proving He was who He claimed to be, was that He would spend 3 days and 3 nights in the grave. You can’t get that from a Friday resurrection, no matter how hard you try. 

It’s Sunday morning. Jesus’ body is missing. Some crazy supernatural beings are telling you that Jesus is alive. What else would you do but run away and hide? And that’s how Mark’s Gospel originally ended. Why? 

You’re a Christian living in Rome. Your friends and family are being arrested and thrown to the lions; beheaded; lit as torches for Caesar’s garden parties. You’re on the verge of giving up. In that moment, a parchment arrives reminding you that your Messiah is truly Lord, no matter how things around you look. 

Who is “Lord?” When the New Testament was written, how someone answered this question carried life and death implications. The official position of the Roman Empire was that Caesar was divine. All of Rome declared this reality in a triumphal procession. 

For most of the past 2000 years, a horrible sin has haunted Christian belief. Replacement Theology teaches that Israel and the Church are separate, and that God has moved past Israel to a new era focused on the Church. This is wrong. It’s time to deal with it. 

Jesus has just been baptized by John - not as an act of repentance for Himself, but as a metaphor for Israel. The Apostle Paul later connects baptism to Israel’s Red Sea crossing. So, if Israel exited the Red Sea and entered the wilderness, it only makes sense that Jesus does the same thing.  

Whenever I read the word “Temple” in the Bible, I think of the physical building that stood in Jerusalem where the Priests and Levites conducted the sacrifices thousands of years ago. But like everything else in history, Jesus redefined the Temple. The religious leaders were confused about it. So, we’re in good company. Let’s try to understand it better.

The Hebrew Scriptures close with a glimpse of a God-Man who conquers all of YHWH’s enemies and is given authority over Heaven and Earth. But how does this happen? How does the Son of Man win this victory? 

Jesus calls Himself, “Son of Man” more than seventy times in the Gospels. This is a Hebrew term for “human” or literally, “Son of Adam.” But when Jesus is using it, He’s tapping into a vein of belief that a Divine Man would become the Messiah. And Jesus’ claims ultimately got him crucified. 

Every morning for thousands of years, Israel began the ritual slaughter of animals that continued throughout the day. A literal river of blood flowed off of the Temple Mount. Most of us understand that these sacrifices symbolized the death of Jesus. But thank God that we can join Jesus’ declaration of victory when by saying, “It is finished!”

When a woman who had been bleeding for more than twelve years grabbed the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was showing that she believed Jesus could heal her. But she was also declaring he fulfilled the prophecy of the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings.  

He’s perfect. John the Baptist knows it. Jesus knows it. He’s never sinned. He’s morally pure. He’s ceremonially pure. But here He is, submitting to a Baptism that symbolizes repentance for sin. He doesn’t need it. But we sure do. 

Have you ever been in a forest, miles away from civilization, on a moonless night?  That is the definition of darkness. This is the type of darkness the psalmist is thinking about when he wrote Psalm 119:105. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Jesus is in the Upper Room with the disciples. He knows He’s leaving there to be betrayed, tried, and crucified. And He wants to offer encouragement to these disciples that something better is coming. He tells them about the Holy Spirit. But He uses a Greek word that means so much, it’s impossible to translate into English. And this is exactly as it should be.  I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

In the middle of the crucifixion story, Matthew stops to explain something that happens three days later. It’s an out of place story that’s only made more bizarre by the fact that it’s about a bunch of dead people coming out of the grave and walking around Jerusalem. But Jesus’ Jewish followers would have understood exactly what Matthew was trying to say. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

First Century Christian eschatology anticipated the return of the Messiah and His conquering of the enemies of YHWH. This makes perfect sense, because early Christian eschatology came out of Second Temple Jewish eschatology. And many Jews were waiting for a war between the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Our Western mindsets based upon Greek educational principles separate our lives into tiny little compartments. Reading. Writing. Arithmetic. It’s how we think. But the Bible doesn’t work that way. Everything is connected. And that makes everything we do, an act of worship. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

He was a wild man! He lived on locusts and wild honey. Wore clothes made out of camel's skin. And shook up the religious paradigm in Jerusalem.  But what lessons can we take from the life and ministry of John the Baptist? The most important, is that the Gospel of the Kingdom begins with repentance, but doesn't end there. 

Thanks for being a listener of The Bible Nerds Show!

Due to travel and work circumstances, we've decided to take a two week hiatus beginning today (February 28). We will pick back up with our regularly scheduled shows on Sunday, March 14.

In the meantime...

If you want to eat bacon wrapped shrimp at your next anniversary dinner, be my guest. But please don't use Acts 10 to explain why the Bible says it's okay. Doing that takes one of the most important moments in history and trivializes it. I'll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

It’s pretty clear that something has changed in Peter. This failed disciple who spent Jesus trial cowering in the corner has now stood before the greatest religious leaders of Israel and declared allegiance to Jesus. But while that’s exciting, it isn’t discipleship. And Peter knows it. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Jesus gives second chances.  One look at Peter’s life makes that clear.  After denying his Rabbi three times, Peter believed his time of following Jesus as a disciple was over.  But after Jesus’ resurrection,  Peter was restored by Jesus, and given another chance to follow Him.  And Peter took full advantage of that chance. I'll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

You've failed Jesus. You had the chance to stand with Him while He faced down His accusers. Instead, you told everyone around you that you didn't even know who He was. This is the moment you need the grace of God the most. And this is when you receive it. I'll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Christianity celebrates the Apostle Peter. Catholicism venerates him as the first Pope. Protestantism credits him with the declaration that Jesus is the "Son of God." He’s on the Mount Rushmore of the New Testament. But as a disciple, he was a failure. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Matthew ends the story of the birth of Jesus with a prophecy that He will be called a "Nazarene."  But here's the big problem: the village of Nazareth wasn't settled until hundreds of years AFTER the Old Testament was written. But, this isn't a mistake or a contradiction. It's just Matthew showing off.

All of Jesus’ disciples were rejects. They failed the test of discipleship long before the Rabbi from Nazareth came on the scene. Yet, Jesus called them to follow Him. It should force us to ask: am I good enough? It’s time for some self-examination. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

First Century Discipleship was really hard. It required everything. And only a select few were given the privilege of following a rabbi. In fact, Jesus’ disciples had probably been rejected by other rabbis before He called them. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

In the days just before Jesus’ crucifixion, the religious leaders decided they’d had enough of Him.  It was time to get some answers. They asked Jesus where He got His authority. Jesus’ answer to their question is brilliant. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

When Jesus finished giving His interpretation of the Torah, the listeners were amazed because “He taught them with authority, and not like their scribes.” If you think that all this means is that He preached really confidently, you’re missing the whole point. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

The Talmud has a very special “blessing” in it: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi, and may you drink deeply from their words.”  A disciple sought to follow and observe their rabbi so closely that they would become covered in the dust the rabbi kicked up as he walked down the road.  And this was considered the highest of honors.  This is what discipleship meant in Jesus’ day. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

In the story of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fleeing Israel and seeking refuge in Egypt, we see many allusions to Old Testament Scripture. The Slaughter of the Innocents mirrors pharoah’s murder of the baby boys in the Exodus story. That one is easy to see. But Matthew ties in two other passages from the Hebrew Scriptures. And these are much more difficult to work with. 

There are some people teaching that the name “Jesus” is an invention of Satan, put in place through the Church in order to take us away from the true Messiah. The name “Jesus” is really a code for “Hail Zeus” and when used, is invoking a pagan deity. Before you drive off the road or spit out your coffee, understand that I believe this is pure rubbish, and I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

The Story of the Bible begins with YHWH molding an unfinished creation into a perfect paradise. He places humanity in a garden with instructions to steward this new world on His behalf. But man sins. And with that sin chaos descends. Since then, YHWH has been ordering this chaos. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word, “shalom.” I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

The Kingdom of Judah was doomed. Their enemies surrounded and greatly outnumbered them. Their only hope was to cry out to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and ask for Him to intervene. What happened next should teach us how we should fight our battles. It all begins with knowing that God’s love is our war cry. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Biblical Justice is a difficult topic. Our definition of the term is clouded by political agendas and terrible theology. In the Biblical Worldview, followers of Christ understand that justice isn't just a good idea. It's required. So, we better understand what it means. It starts with a Hebrew word that means both “righteousness” and “charity.” I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

“Did you hear what I said?” My wife, Christy, and I say these words a lot. We may be trying to get our boys to stop talking and start eating, or to clean up their rooms, or to do any number of things.  The point is always the same: stop doing what you’re doing, listen to what I’m saying and obey it. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word, “shema.” It’s the most important word in the Bible. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

Your nativity set is defective. If it has three wise men at the manger presenting their gifts right alongside shepherds to a “dear 8 pounds 6 ounces newborn infant Jesus, who don't even know a word yet,” this episode should turn the entire Christmas story on its head for you. When the Magi entered Jerusalem seeking the “King of the Jews,” Herod saw this as a potential invasion. 

You’ve been told a lie. “Turn the other cheek” isn’t a command to be weak. It’s a call to defiance. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes. 

William Wilburforce. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Joan of Arc. These and others like them were righteous followers of Jesus who resisted corrupt governments and their practices. But, many believe that Romans 13:1 teaches all Christians to submit to the government blindly, because these authorities are appointed by God. They’re wrong, and I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” When we hear this, we usually think of peace. When God said it, He had something very different in mind. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

If there’s anything we know about God, it’s that He’s good. He proved His love for us by becoming a man and dying for us. So, that’s kind of non-negotiable for Christians. But it doesn’t always feel that way. Sometimes, it feels the exact opposite. It’s OK to wonder if God’s ignoring you, or even worse, against you. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Philippians 4:13 is one of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible. Christians plaster it all over t-shirts, bumper stickers and social media. It really is an encouragement to become a Christian of deep faith and supernatural strength. Just not the way you probably think. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

Critics will try to shake your faith by suggesting that the virgin birth of Jesus is a fantasy. They’ll tell you that Matthew was a fool who read something into the story that isn’t there. And that this caused him to make up the entire virgin birth story. These critics are fools. Because Matthew’s main point isn’t that Mary was a virgin. It’s that her child is the Son of God.

The last thing that Jesus did with His disciples was take a couple of everyday items and use them as an object lesson about the most important moment in history. Over 2,000 years, the Lord’s Supper has become a big part of Christianity. Some even think there’s a supernatural element to it. I agree, and I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.

At the time of this recording, we’re only a couple of weeks away from Valentine’s Day. One of the traditions of this lover’s holiday is a candlelight dinner. There’s just something special about looking across the table at your true love and beholding their beauty by the soft warm flame. This is the reason the Jewish people began lighting candles every Friday evening before sundown. I’ll prove it to you in less than 10 minutes.