Transcription

Chris
So, Jeff, no joke. Today, uh, we’re about to. Yeah, we’re about to move into, uh, one of the most powerful, uh, pieces of scripture for me in the Gospels. Uh, to me personally. So I’m just just setting that up like that.

Jeff
Okay, so it’s all about John the Baptist and Jesus. Yeah, yeah. So he’s Chris, and I’m Jeff, and we’re the Bible guys.

Chris
So, um, even though I said no joke today, the segment is dad jokes. Yeah, well, there we go. There it is. What she meant.

Jeff
Is in the rolling. You weren’t going to horse around, right?

Chris
Right, right. Yeah, yeah. Which, by the way, uh, that’s that’s oftentimes that’s actually a strategy when you’re talking about something serious at a little bit of humor to it. Right? Yes. So so this is a good thing. Okay. So, um, I’ll, I’ll you want me to go first.

Jeff
So we’re doing the dad joke competition.

Chris
Yes.

Jeff
Which means I’ve got a good one today too. Oh. Do you. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Chris
Okay. All right. Well, I’m going to read mine first. Here we go. I’ve not read these, by the way. Uh, I’m trying to convince my dad to get a new hearing aid, but he just won’t listen. You thought that was funny. I thought that was a funny one. Oh, okay.

Jeff
Okay, so I’m going to share my best one at the end, okay? Okay. So, uh, what do you call two guys hanging from your window? Curtain rod.

Chris
Oh my word. Curtain and rod. Curtain rod. Okay. That’s good.

Jeff
That’s not the best one.

Chris
Uh oh. I can’t believe these are. These are worse. This is worse.

Jeff
It gets worse.

Chris
I just flew back from a transforming convention, and boy, are my arms tired. I literally can’t believe that’s even on here.

Jeff
Transformers convention.

Chris
Yeah, I get it.

Jeff
Was it Transformers or transforming?

Chris
Transforming. Oh, okay. Did I read it wrong?

Jeff
No, I don’t know. I just thought it would have been funny if it was Transformers. Okay, uh, what’s brown made of? Leather and sounds like a sneeze. A shoe.

Chris
Now that. Now that one I like one that’s a good a good one. That’s a good one. All right. Hey, I can’t believe someone broke into my house and stole all my fruit. I am speechless. Geez, mine are bad. Mine are really bad.

Jeff
Okay, this one’s going to be right up your alley. Yeah. Go ahead. Which is funny. Why didn’t the toilet paper cross the road? Why get stuck in a crack?

Chris
Oh, okay. That’s good.

Jeff
I like it, needs nothing more. Said.

Chris
Okay. Uh, my wife and I could hang on. My wife asked if I could stop singing Wonderwall. I said maybe. Wonderwall. I don’t even know what that is. What that.

Jeff
Means either. Okay. All right. Desiree, you have to up your game on Chris’s end to this one. Yes. Okay. Uh, what did one Dorito farmer say to the other Dorito farmer? What?

Chris
Cool ranch. See, I like yours. That’s a good one. That was actually really good. Yeah, yeah, that’s the one. I’m going to go back and tell my daughter. All right. Uh, I recently spotted an albino Dalmatian. It was the least I could do for him.

Jeff
Spotted albino Dalmatian.

Chris
Oh! Got it, got it. Clever.

Jeff
It’s clever. See, the joke was on the front end, not the back end. That’s what was funny. That was a good one. It tricked us. Okay, I bought a horse named Mayo. Sometimes mayonnaise.

Chris
Oh, my goodness gracious, sometimes mayonnaise.

Jeff
Okay, okay. Can I. So here’s one of my daughter told me. Yeah, uh, did you hear about the new law in Hawaii that they just passed? It’s illegal to laugh out loud. You just have to keep it to a low. Ha!

Chris
Oh, geez. That’s really good. Isn’t that.

Chris
Good? That’s really good. Okay. That’s great. Aloha.

Jeff
Yeah, yeah. Okay. Uh. Funny one.

Chris
Hey, listen, if you’re watching on YouTube, would you do us a favor? Would you, uh, subscribe to it? Uh, would you definitely put a thumbs up? What would you share with somebody? Because it’ll really help us with the metrics. It helps us in every way. And also it exposes our podcast to those who, who knows, might want to listen to it. So we appreciate that very much.

Jeff
Okay. So we’re going to be reading from Matthew chapter 11 and from Luke chapter seven. These are two parallel passages where Jesus eases John’s doubt.

Chris
John the Baptist, John the Baptist.

Jeff
And it’s really a powerful passage because here’s according to Jesus, the greatest prophet, the greatest man who’d ever lived. And he’s struggling a little bit with his faith in this moment. And so Jesus says, so, uh, uh, a part of this story. And he eases John’s doubt. So let’s just read Matthew chapter 11, verse one says, when Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his 12 disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region. And John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting? Or should we keep looking for someone else? And Jesus told them, go back to John and tell him what you’ve heard and seen the blind see the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, hear. The dead are raised to life. And the good news is being preached to the poor. And tell them God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No. People with expensive clothes live in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes. And he’s more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the scriptures refer. When they say, look, I’m sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you. I tell you the truth of all who have ever lived. None is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Jeff
And from the time John the Baptist began preaching, until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing and violent people are attacking it. For John came, for before John came all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophet said would come. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. To what can I compare this generation? It’s like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends. We played wedding songs and you didn’t dance. So we played funeral songs and you didn’t mourn for John, didn’t spend his time eating and drinking. And you say he’s possessed by a demon. The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks. And you say he’s a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners. But wisdom is shown to be right by its results. In Luke, Luke tells the same story, and he says it this way. He says, the disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask, are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting? Or should we keep looking for someone else? John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, John the Baptist sent us to ask, are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting? Or should we keep looking for someone else? At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. And then he told John’s disciples, go back to John and tell him what you’ve seen and heard. Jeff
The blind see the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life. And the good news is being preached to the poor. And tell them God blesses those who do not turn away because of me. After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No. People who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes. And he’s more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the scriptures refer to when they say, look, I’m sending my messenger ahead of you, and he’ll prepare your way before you. I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. When they heard this, all the people, even the tax collectors, agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism. To what can I compare the people of this generation? Jesus asked, how can I describe them? They’re like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends. We played wedding songs. You didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs and you didn’t weep for John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine. And you say he’s possessed by a demon. The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks. And you say he’s a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners. Jeff
But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.

Chris
Hmm. Yeah.

Chris
That’s great. So, uh. So, yeah, there’s a lot there. And, uh, and by the way, the thing that sticks out the most is, again, we’ve already mentioned it, uh, Jesus’s claim to say of all who have ever lived. Now, now, when you and I say of all who have ever lived, our memory tries to encapsulate, you know, all the famous people in our generation. Yeah, maybe. Or maybe our great grandfather’s generation, right? Yeah, yeah, but, well, there’s all.

Jeff
These arguments about who the goat is in every.

Jeff
Right. So. Trey. Trey. As our worship pastor at Heritage Church, and he’s a massive LeBron James fan. Yeah. And so just to get under his skin about every couple of months, I’ll send him all these stats about why Michael Jordan’s better. Right?

Chris
Right. This is great.

Jeff
You know, two different generations, but we only have those. So none of us are trying to compare LeBron James to Wilt Chamberlain or to, you know, all these other great players.

Chris
Right? Right.

Jeff
Because we didn’t see them.

Chris
Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Chris
And so it’s so funny is, is that when Jesus makes this statement he’s making the statement for every soul ever created. Right, right, right. So like from what he’s saying is from Adam and Eve, right? Until now, he’s the greatest of all the people who’s ever lived. John’s the greatest. And and so that statement alone, I’ve made a big deal about that statement before. But it’s like I just I’m so sort of like jealous.

Jeff
So now we’re all playing for second place.

Chris
Yes.

Chris
Yeah. Well, you know, I’m not sure that second is up for grabs either.

Jeff
I was hoping you’d bite on that one.

Chris
Yeah, I’m not sure. Second is up for grabs. I set that.

Jeff
Up for you. And I was like, yes, right. That’s what I was hoping you’d say.

Chris
So. So anyway.

Jeff
I think you have a shot Chris.

Chris
Yes. What do I do? I, I do, I think so do you really think so?

Chris
That’s right. So anyway, here’s uh and again I’ve, I’ve, I’ve referenced this before, but I’ll just tell the quick story. So it was in the mid 90s, I was a youth pastor and I was taking a bunch of students to a church like this. You know, we call it a chick fil A Baptist because it’s where Truett Cathy went. Oh, right. Right in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chris
Right.

Chris
Founder of. Yeah, the founder of chick fil A. Yeah. And so it was First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. And so we went there and there was maybe 2 or 3000 students in this auditorium and this, uh, speaker named Dave Edwards, who I personally have had him at a retreat before because I liked him so much later on. But but anyway, Dave, uh, wrote a book about this passage, and and basically, here’s what it comes down to. Uh, so I’ll phrase it my own words. Um, so here’s the greatest man who’s ever lived. His sole job was to tell people that the Messiah is coming. And what he’s trying to do is he’s trying to connect everything that people know about the Old Testament. And he’s saying that long awaited Messiah that’s going to be the Savior of the world, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world like he is here. There he is. Look, behold the Lamb of God. You know, the the whole thing, the whole enchilada. So his entire life was dedicated for this one job, right. Um, and then when he gets thrown in prison and he has a very strong feeling that he’s going to die, and he does, by the way, he does not leave this prison. He ends up getting executed. So he knows he knows the writing on the wall, uh, to quote an Old Testament phrase. And he knows what’s about to happen. And so he’s the cousin of Jesus. And so think about any message he could have sent to Jesus. Um, I’m your cousin. Come get me out.

Jeff
Yeah, right.

Chris
Uh, please leave. Stop what you’re doing and come and rescue me. Uh, you know, it could have been so many things, but he doesn’t. He sends a message, and he’s really. In my own words. I would say it this way. Please tell me that I haven’t given my life. For? For nothing.

Jeff
Yeah, let me know. I didn’t waste my time.

Chris
Yeah. In my in my very life. My life. Yeah. My my entire existence was for this reason. So please tell me it’s true. Right. And here’s the reason why that’s powerful to me. Because, uh, no matter who you are, whether you’re Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, Chris Zorba, Jeff Forrester was.

Jeff
Probably in that order.

Chris
Too. It’s in that order. Yeah. That’s right. I put myself.

Chris
Right.

Chris
Next to Mother Teresa. So, you know, whoever it is, right? Whether you’re just this massive figure or whether you’re just two, two guys, my question is, is there a time deep, deep down in the recesses of your heart where you ever think to yourself, man, this better be true. And I think and I think that no matter how strong your faith is, as evidenced by John the Baptist, I believe that this was given to us. To help those of us who feel so guilty about thinking that thought and, you know, like we feel so guilty, like, how dare we, you know, actually ever question it?

Jeff
God’s going to be so mad.

Chris
Yeah. Well, yeah. And and the audacity that we would even doubt for a second, you know. And so yeah, when it comes down to it, you know, when things really matter, when, when death is on the line, when, when, when things just fall out from underneath you and when when you’re hitting rock bottom, you know, there has to be a moment where you, you know, where almost everybody thinks, man, God better be real.

Jeff
But God included this for.

Chris
Yeah.

Chris
I, I think that I think that because because again, it was John who is the one who, who modeled it for us. And again, I’m not sure that’s the reason why he had those thoughts, but I’m very thankful that it was included in the scriptures because I that’s what I believe that it is. And so, you know, here’s what Jesus does. Jesus says, uh, go tell John the things that you have seen and heard. And what he’s really saying is all the prophecies that John’s trying to connect the dots to, I’m fulfilling them. Right, right, right. So I am the one he’s trying to he’s trying to prove the same things that we preach, which is that Jesus Christ fulfilled over 300 something prophecies, right? And that the odds of that are just incalculable. Right? And that he is he has to be the one. And so that’s Jesus’s answer. Yeah. He’s he’s he’s he’s laying out the odds and he’s saying, I’m the one. And here’s the evidence. And every Jewish person who grew up studying the scriptures understands I’m fulfilling these, these, these prophecies. And he’s quoting Old Testament, uh, things by saying, I’ve healed the blind, you know, the deaf and the lame are walking and all these different things. So anyway, what he’s really saying is this he’s saying I’m the Christ, right? He’s saying I’m committed to you. And and I just think that it’s one of the most powerful things. So when I was in Israel in 2009, uh, we went to a place where they say what could have been, uh, John the Baptist prison. Did you guys go there?

Jeff
No.

Chris
So it was, uh, it was believed that, you know, he was in this prison system and then and there was, uh, we didn’t go back down into the prison, but there was like a hole that was like a vent, like a like a vent hole or whatever, that you can sort of see where the air was coming up and you sort of look down and, uh, and I just thought to myself, if John the Baptist was really in this piece of real estate right below me, and we were standing above it, I actually thought to myself, wow, this is this is where every major faith crisis was resolved by Jesus saying, have no fear, I am. I’m the Messiah, right?

Jeff
So John the Baptist did not have the benefit of seeing the miracles or even really hearing Jesus preach. It comes up to the moment of Jesus baptism. And the Holy Spirit descends and the voice speaks from heaven, right.

Chris
Which is a miracle.

Jeff
Yeah, that’s pretty impressive.

Jeff
And then that’s the end of it, right? John the Baptist for him, had previously said, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Right after that he gets arrested and Jesus ministry takes over. So I think it is kind of cool that in this instance, Jesus has the disciples. And by the way, Luke tells it in a little different order than Matthew. Luke says he was in the process of healing and teaching when the two disciples of John the Baptist came, right? So I thought, that’s pretty cool. Just kind of say it wasn’t that Jesus was like, Matthew, you could read it that Jesus was saying, hey, haven’t you seen all these things I’ve done right? But instead Jesus is saying, you’re right here while I’m doing it, right. Um, and so he’s sending the testimony of two of John’s faithful disciples, but to say, hey, all the things I that was promised that I would do, I’m doing those, and I’m continuing to preach the good news to the poor as well. And then he goes, how am I going to? So then he has this whole thing here where he quotes that little poem that the little kids would sing at each other and all this stuff. And what he’s saying, it’s interesting that he he quotes a kid’s nursery rhyme or poem here.

Chris
And you’re referring to this thing played wedding songs. Didn’t dance.

Jeff
He says you’re like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, right? Right. And then he does it. He’s saying, man alive. What are we supposed to do with this? So if you he’s kind of challenging John a little bit to look look at the religious elite and look at me. Right. So the religious elite, they flip flop back and forth, they justify their, um, uh, inconsistencies. So towards John, he’s too radical. This guy, he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t drink, he doesn’t fellowship with sinners. He doesn’t. He’s just a horr-. He must be demon possessed.

Chris
Doesn’t doesn’t fellowship with anybody.

Jeff
Right? Right.

Jeff
And then Jesus, all he ever does is eat and drink and fellowship with sinners. And so Jesus is saying, these are religious elites. They’re so inconsistent. They’re such frauds. They just just they find any way to justify their teaching and their opinions, and then they’re forcing their religious opinions on other people. And Jesus turns around and says, I’ll just tell you, wisdom is proven by its results. That’s what he says in Matthew. So you want to know what’s really true? Look at look at the results. It’s changed lives. That’s what Jesus you want to know. If I’m the Messiah, look at what they say. They’re just inconsistent, justifying themselves. Or look at me and everything I do is changing people’s lives. So in Matthew, he says, wisdom is shown to be right by its results. And in Luke he says, wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.

Chris
Yeah, right.

Jeff
And so he’s just saying, look at my results. And I think, you know what? As leaders, you and I, we get criticisms, you know, and, um, not that we’re equating ourselves with John the Baptist or Jesus. Right. But even our listeners, those of you that are leaders, uh, wisdom is proven by results. Hey, you don’t have to get up and just talk. You don’t have to talk out of both sides of your mouth. You don’t have to play politics like the religious leaders did. These elite people. Jesus matter of fact, mocks them by quoting a nursery rhyme, talking about them.

Chris
Right?

Chris
And you know, this is a great example too, because, uh, Jesus is saying, uh, uh, John and I are on different ends of the spectrum, right? Uh, by the way, we lead our lives and live our lives. And in either way, none of us can win. So. So I’ll change the quote, but it’s darned if I do. Darned if I don’t.

Chris
Oh, right. Right, right, right. Even though some of us know it differently.

Chris
Right. But that’s what he’s saying. Yeah, he’s saying like, you know John’s getting criticized. I’m getting criticized. You’re going to criticize no matter what critics.

Jeff
Are critics, critics are critics. Critics are going to critic.

Chris
Right.

Jeff
Critics are going to critique haters going to hate. That’s what he that’s essentially what he’s saying. And then he goes, so don’t be worried about that. Uh, don’t get caught up in the battle of words and opinions. Instead, just prove your right by your results. And he’s like, you know what the results that please God, the results that the Messiah was going to bring was changed lives.

Chris
Right? That’s awesome.

Jeff
That’s that’s what he was saying.

Chris
Yeah, I think that’s great. And then also, um, I love how he, uh, uh. Uh, talks to the to the people after the disciples leave. And what he’s doing is because because it says in both accounts, it says, as John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. And this is so, so think about it. So. Uh, the disciples come. Jesus responds. They turn around, they go bring the message. And then Jesus continues to talk about John the Baptist. So in other words, he doesn’t say to the disciples, go tell John that I think he’s the greatest person who ever lived, right? Right.

Jeff
Because that’s not what John wanted. John. John didn’t need smoke blown up his skirt at that moment. Right. John needed confirmation.

Chris
Yes. And so my but my but my point is, is that you and I will never know the impact that our lives will have, right? Right. So. So I remember this one story where, uh, I went and spoke at a football, a chapel. It was like a chapel for a football team for Jonesboro High School. When I was a pastor of students. And I remember thinking that it went horribly, just horribly. And then I remember months later, uh, one of one of my girls in the youth group was dating some guy who walked into our church, and he goes, hey, it’s you. And I said, what? And he goes, you came and spoke at our chapel. He goes, I’m on the football team. And I said, oh, cool. And he goes, dude, he goes, I haven’t stopped thinking about that. And that is unbelievable. And then he ended up becoming a huge part of of our ministry. And he ties it back to that moment where God used that chapel. And I thought to myself, had that not happened, I never would have known that that took place, right? I would I would have walked away from that event thinking that was a waste of time. Right. And I think that in our lives, we walk away from the places that we’ve worked or the interactions that we have or the conversations that we have that say, well, that didn’t do any good, right? And but we’ll never know the impact this side of eternity. And yet, you know, the disciples walk away, they go back to John, and then Jesus turns to the crowds and says, let me talk about John to you.

Chris
Yeah, right. Jeff
It’s those little things. My dad, very quickly, my dad found a track, a gospel track at General Motors in the factory, uh, back in 1979. That’s what God used to bring him to faith. A couple months later, I became a Christian, but we never found out who the guy was that left that track. Right. But now my dad’s led dozens and dozens of people to Jesus. I’ve led thousands of people to Jesus. My brothers have led thousands of people to Jesus because some guy had the courage to leave that little track. He doesn’t even know about it yet. He’ll know in heaven. Right. And so those little things that we do today, we may never know the benefit of it later. And I think that that’s a big a part of this story for us to see. John didn’t know the impact he made, but we do.

Chris
That’s awesome. Well, hey, I think that’s a great place to wrap up. And, uh, we’ll see you next time on The Bible Guys.