Transcription

Connor:
You’re listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun and practical ways.

Chris:
Hey, everybody, we are The Bible Guys. Actually, I’m The Bible Guy, and this is my faithful companion named Jeff.

Jeff:
Wow. It’s just nice to be considered faithful. And I would love to be… Thank you for calling me faithful. That’s right, and I love being your companion.

Chris:
Thank you for letting me join you again today.

Jeff:
I just can’t believe I get to join you again for episode number 399 of the Bible Guys.

Chris:
I will allow that.

Jeff:
Did you see that? Today’s the 399th episode of the Bible Guys. Wow, I did not see that. Yeah, it’s a big deal. How do you know that? Because it says right there on my show sheet, episode 399.

Chris:
Where? Oh, there it is. Yeah. Son of a gun. Yeah. That’s great. It’s fantastic. And we used to do HC daily before we switched it to the Bible girls.

Jeff:
We had 170 something of those episodes.

Chris:
Wow. It’s a while.

Jeff:
It’s a big time. Yeah. And I’ve been your faithful companion all these days. Yes. That’s great. You can give me a Scooby snack. Yeah. There you go. Hey, so we love doing the, where are our listeners from?

Chris:
Yeah, because it always fascinates me.

Jeff:
Yeah, it’s amazing. Yeah. Well one we can’t believe anybody listens, right?

Chris:
That’s amazing. Let alone.

Jeff:
Have you heard? Have you heard the train wreck that this wet episode is people keep coming back?

Chris:
That’s so funny Okay, so it says it’s so fun to see where our listeners are from today We’re gonna highlight some of our listeners by starting by stating fun facts about their location We recently talked about how we people listen around the world. We’re gonna highlight a whole country today and So, number one, the Granny Smith Apple originated here in 1868.

Jeff:
Oh, that’s one of my favorite apples, too.

Chris:
Yeah, it’s pretty sour. Yeah, that’s great. Now, everybody who lives here immediately knows what this is.

Jeff:
Yes, probably. Yeah. In 2008, this city won the world record for the longest line of pizzas in the world when a line stretching 221 meters took over their Little Italy.

Chris:
That is a heck of a claim.

Jeff:
221 meters means, you know, it’s not the U.S. or the U.K.

Chris:
Right. There you go. There you go. That’s funny. Number three, its wildlife includes unique species such as. Here comes kangaroos and koalas.

Jeff:
Oh, everybody knows now.

Chris:
Everybody knows now.

Jeff:
And if you didn’t know, they hosted the last Olympics of the 20th century. Oh, now I know. Right. Why would we put that number four? It’s it’s what it is Sydney, Australia Yay, welcome.

Chris:
Yeah, that’s great Sydney, Australia We’re so glad you guys are listening whenever I think of Sydney, Australia or actually Australia in general I think it one of my favorite movies of all time, which is dumb and dumber. Uh-huh. We’re we’re Really? That’s one of your favorites Oh my goodness, it is so great. It is so great. It’s a masterpiece.

Jeff:
Which is the other title we thought about calling this podcast.

Chris:
But at the very beginning, he’s a limo driver and he sees this beautiful girl on the side of the road and he stops. And then you’re not able to see anything because it’s dark windows. So he literally climbs in the back and acts like he’s the passenger and he rolls it down. Of course, he’s got a missing tooth and a goober face and everything else. And he asked the girl, he’s like, you know, I’m giving a lecture in about 20 minutes. He’s like, where’s the university? And then she says, down here, and he goes, that’s a wonderful accent. And she’s talking just like Arnold Schwarzenegger, right? She’s got this deep accent. And he goes, and she goes, it’s from Austria. And he goes, oh, Austria. He goes, down under, he goes, put another shrimp on the barbie. And he’s thinking Australia.

Jeff:
Austria and Australia are two different countries. Two different things. So anyway, that’s what I was thinking. And now that’s everything we know about Australia.

Chris:
Australia is not Austria. Hey, I will say this. Australia is on my bucket list. Is it?

Jeff:
Oh, yeah. Mine too. I’ve never been to Australia.

Chris:
Yeah, I really truly want to go to Australia.

Jeff:
Well, hey, all you Australia listeners, give us a hookup. Invite us out. We’ll do like a live Bible Guys event.

Chris:
That’s hilarious. That’d be fun. If you live in Australia and your business somehow has the means to bring us over there, actually… We would do an event? We would definitely do an event.

Jeff:
Come and talk to pastors and church leaders and, oh yeah, that’d be great.

Chris:
You know what? It is rare that I’ve ever asked for anything that way. Leverage your influence for personal gain.

Jeff:
It’s not personal gain, it’s for ministry purposes, but it’d be a lot of fun because we’ve never been there.

Chris:
Yeah, well, it’s my bucket list to go.

Jeff:
Yeah, that’d be fantastic. So please help Chris out. Otherwise, he’s going to be impossible now.

Chris:
Well, keep in mind, I want to go because I have always seen and heard great things about Australia. Oh, yeah. Right. So it’s not for me wanting a vacation. It’s me wanting to actually see Australia.

Jeff:
Of course, everything in Australia is trying to kill you, Chris. Every spider, every snake, every plant, everything that’s in the water. Everything’s trying to kill you there. People in Australia are tough. They’re tougher than you and me.

Chris:
Well, I mean, I know because I’ve seen Crocodile Dundee.

Jeff:
Well, you’re an expert then. You’re an expert on Australian culture.

Chris:
Which, by the way, was one of the most ridiculous movies, right? You look back now at that 80s movie, because back then, you know, the world was bigger and the internet, you know, like stereotypes were huge. And this guy didn’t know what a toilet is, right? You know, this guy, he’s from another planet, right? He’s from Australia, for crying out loud. You know, it’s hilarious.

Jeff:
Okay. Well, anyways, we’re so glad you guys listen. And so keep telling your friends and family about us. And we love the fact that we get to be a part of, of the walk that you’re, that you’re on this journey that you’re on spiritually. So thank you for letting us be a part.

Chris:
Which by the way, do you know the most famous quote from Crocodile Dundee?

Jeff:
No, but I guess you can tell me.

Chris:
Yeah. And he says, you call that a knife?

Jeff:
This is a knife. Yeah. That’s right. I remember that. Yeah. That is the most famous quote.

Chris:
Well, good job. All right, buddy.

Jeff:
Can you imagine if you knew as many Bible verses as you knew movie quotes?

Chris:
I know more Bible verses. I do not know 30,000 quotes from the movies, but you know, 30,000 Bible verses. No, I do not.

Jeff:
I’m not sure how that was building up your argument there, but there are 30,000, but Hey, let’s, let’s read some of these. Yes. Hey, maybe you can learn some of these today.

Chris:
So today it’s a very somber mood again. Jesus had just literally died on Friday at three in the afternoon, three hours before the Sabbath is starting.

Jeff:
That’s correct. And so that’s where we’re still in that somber time here. This is in that three hours before Passover begins. So in Matthew chapter 27 verse 57, it says, as evening approached Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. And Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. And then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. In Mark chapter 15 verse 42, it says this all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Joseph was an honored member of the high council and he was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet, and the officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph brought a long sheet of linen cloth, and then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance, and Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joseph, saw where Jesus’ body was laid. And then in Luke chapter 23, verse 50, it says, Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish High Council, but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the kingdom of God to come. He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body, and then he took the body down from the cross, wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth, and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation as the Sabbath was about to begin. As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished, the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law. Then, in John chapter 19 verse 38 says, afterward, Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders, asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about 75 pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following the Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover, and since the tomb was closed at hand, or close at hand, they laid Jesus there. So you have Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. You have Mary, Jesus’ mother, and Mary, Joseph’s mom, are the ones that are in this story, along with Pilate, who’s shocked that Jesus is dead.

Chris:
Right. Like what? Yeah, well, he’s such a strong man. Right. Jesus was probably the epitome of a human, you know, specimen. You know, he’s very strong. And obviously he was, you know, we already went over this, but you know, he was brutalized. Yeah. But even in spite of that, Pilate still thought Jesus would have survived longer.

Jeff:
Right. So he brings in the officer who was in charge of this crucifixion, and remember this officer, we didn’t even cover this in the previous episode because you’re talking about so many other things, but when they found out that Jesus’ legs didn’t need to be broken, which by the way fulfilled prophecy that he’d have no bones broken, they just stabbed Jesus with a spear, and out came blood and water, which is an indicator of the swelling around the heart, and it’s a medical thing. So it’s really interesting that that was the description. It’s such a rare thing that they would have seen in their day, but we know medically that under that kind of stress, body, your heart begins to, you know, suffocate with, uh, water around the heart. So, um, so they call or pilot calls that leader in who, by the way, goes, surely this is the son of God. This is a conversion moment for him too. Right. And then, um, the guy goes, yeah, he’s dead. And he goes, okay, you can have his body. So I think there’s a lot to be said about Joseph and about Nicodemus, but that, that was, that’s how we get to this point.

Chris:
Yeah, and you know, Nicodemus is the, it’s the story that almost was, isn’t it? So Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. He was on the council of the 72. You know, he was a man who came to Jesus by night demonstrating his belief. He also, I believe he stood up too and said, and spoke on behalf of Jesus and leveraged his influence so people wouldn’t kill Jesus, you know, during the time and said, hey, let it be. And then here he is now, you know, a person who didn’t fully follow Jesus. He was very inquisitive. He believed in him, but he still remained on the Sanhedrin, not letting go his title. And now that Jesus is gone, he shows up, which by the way, is a heck of a statement. Yeah. Right. So if the Sanhedrin truly is the one who initiated this execution trial with Pilate and Herod, uh, you know, for him to make a statement to go, surely, surely this is not as that secretive. You can’t keep the secret, right? Right. This is the public, uh, the public, uh, removal of Jesus’s body, which means this would have been done. It’s not like everybody left and went home.

Jeff:
Well, after seeing the events that happened, Father, forgive them. The darkness, the temple veil being torn into, it is finished.

Chris:
Which people, by the way, believe that it could have been an earthquake as well.

Jeff:
But it said that there was an earthquake.

Chris:
The grand show.

Jeff:
and then the earthquake and then dead bodies, you know, resurrecting and coming back, all these things together might nudge you over the edge at that point.

Chris:
So you have Nicodemus. Well, the dead bodies didn’t happen until after the resurrection. Yeah. I thought the same thing, but it actually said after the resurrection of Jesus. After the resurrection of Jesus. Okay.

Jeff:
So that’s coming. So these things are happening. Nicodemus is a member of the high council, but the Bible says here that Joseph was an honored member of the high council. So there’s Nicodemus and then there’s Nicodemus’ boss on the high council, right? This is the celebrity Senator, not the just junior Senator from wherever, right? That’s what you’ve got is Joseph Aramithi. He is a wealthy man, right? He’s a powerful man and he’s an honored member of the high council. And he’s waiting for the kingdom of God to come. And he decides that of all the people who could take care of Jesus’ body, Joseph of Arimathea could. Who’s going to fight him? And it says that he voted against it. He disagreed with them condemning Jesus, right? It says now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. It’s really amazing, but he was a secret follower of Jesus. I wonder about that. Now, all of this had to have happened the way that it happened in order to fulfill scripture. At the same time, just because it was required to happen, doesn’t let the Romans off the hook. It doesn’t let the Jewish leaders off the hook. It doesn’t let Judas off the hook. And I wonder how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus felt about their decision to be secret followers of Jesus instead of open followers of Jesus. I wonder if a famous guy like Joseph of Arimathea, if he had stepped on going, no, I’m a follower of Jesus, I believe it’s legit. I wonder what would have happened. It’s hard to kill famous people. They were afraid of killing Jesus, right? They were afraid of the riots. And if more people have spoken up, I wonder, I wonder if what, how Joseph thought about his silence, the rest of his life there. Certainly there’s some care for Jesus. When you look at it, what does it say? 70 something pounds of, of,

Chris:
That reminds me of myrrh and aloes, which sounds pretty kingly, doesn’t it?

Jeff:
It’s incredibly rich. The cost of that would have been unbelievable.

Chris:
I was just, sorry, I had a random thought. Most of your thoughts are random. Yeah, I know. But when you talked about the silent followers, I was thinking of King Agrippa, where you said, you almost persuaded me to be a Christian. Wasn’t that King Agrippa?

Jeff:
Yeah, was it Agrippa or Festus? It was one of those guys, right?

Chris:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the book of Acts?

Jeff:
Yeah, yeah. Almost. So in this situation, they were followers of Jesus. This isn’t an almost thing. It says that they were followers of Jesus. And so I think that it said that they were secret followers. Right? So, Joseph Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus, who had been, not became, had been a secret follower of Jesus because he feared the Jewish leaders. So his fear kept him from speaking up. And then when you see it is finished, and the earthquake, the temple veil splitting, the sky going dark, that point you go, okay, I’m all in. At that point, somehow he lost his fear. And I believe that God brings us to these moments where we have a choice of, am I going to go all in or not? And Joseph does. And thank God he did. And at his own sacrifice, it’s his own money, it’s his own resources. And then 70 pounds, 75 pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes would have been extremely expensive. So across the board, he’s stepping up now.

Chris:
So it doesn’t say that Joseph of Arimathea purchased the new tomb. But that’s what people believe don’t they they believe that that this tomb had to have been purchased It wasn’t just as opposed to requisitioning it.

Jeff:
Is that you’re saying? requisitioning it taking it over

Chris:
Yeah, it says it’s a new tomb carved out of rock, which means surely there was an investment here. It’s not like somebody’s going to labor, create a tomb, and then say, whoever wants it can have it, right? So there has to be some sort of a claim to this tomb that is clearly carved out of rock, clearly in a garden, which means not all tombs have the privilege of being in a garden, right? So this was a rich man’s tomb. And so, you know, it’s most scholars’ belief that Joseph of Arimathea purchased the tomb. And it was a rich man’s tomb. And number one, it had never been used before. And by the way, it was probably used again because it was vacant after three days.

Jeff:
We don’t need to borrow it. We don’t need this.

Chris:
We don’t need to borrow it. So the only man who rented it to him. And by the way, it’s also probably an appropriate place to talk about the fact that he dies only with three hours left on Friday, and then he rises early on Sunday. So and so keep in mind that people are like, hey, that’s just that’s a little over like one day. It’s like 24 hours plus three on Friday, plus, you know, maybe an hour on Sunday or something like this. That’s like 27 hours in a tomb. But he didn’t he never said he’ll be in there for 72 hours. He said every time he said on the third day. So which means he dies on a Friday, raises on a Sunday. So that’s really how it happened. He’s in the tomb for technically calendar three days. But yeah. So in other words, all that to say the tomb wasn’t vacant or it wasn’t occupied for very long. Right. Right. A day and a half, pretty much. So, yeah, so what else do we have in here? We have maybe a minute or two.

Jeff:
Yeah, so there’s a great note for John chapter 19 verse 38 through 42. It says, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were secret followers of Jesus. They were afraid to make this allegiance known because of their positions in the Jewish community. You know, a lot of people, I think, struggle to make their relationship with Jesus known in their workplace because they’re afraid or in their school or whatever. Joseph was a leader and honored member of the Jewish High Council. Nicodemus, also a member of the High Council, came to Jesus by night in John chapter 3. That’s where we get John 3.16, God so loved the world, right? Right. And later tried to defend him before the other religious leaders in John chapter 7, but Joseph didn’t join him then. It was just Nicodemus speaking up on his own. Yet they risked their reputations to provide for Jesus’ burial. after the death of Christ, right? And so it was the death of Christ that got their attention and decided to push them out from the darkness and into the light, to push them from hiding into boldness, right? And it says, are you a secret believer? Do you hide your faith from your friends and fellow workers? Right now, this is an appropriate time to step out of hiding, let others know whom you follow. Right? Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we shouldn’t be hiding in the shadows. We should step out. Jesus said, you know, there’s going to be consequences to that, certainly. But here’s what I know. Joseph and Nicodemus, when they get to heaven, will not regret coming public. their regret is going to be hiding, right? So their regret is going to be not speaking up. And so while there may be earthly consequences to stepping up, when you get to heaven, for the rest of eternity, your regret will not be stepping out into the light. with your faith, right? One of the things you’ll be rewarded for is the boldness of being willing to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the people around you. So anyways, I think about that. It’s just a missed opportunity for them. But I’m glad that even here at the end, they finally did step up and honor Jesus.

Chris:
Well, hey, it’s a great reminder for all of us, isn’t it? Yep. You know, don’t be private with your faith. Your faith is never intended to be private. It’s definitely intended to be personal, but it’s never intended to be private. Right. So step out and have boldness and don’t be ashamed. The Bible says, Hey, if you’re ashamed in front of me, I’ll be ashamed in front of you. My father, Jesus said, and he calls us to be bold in our faith. So that’s a good reminder. Okay. Well, Hey, we will see you next time on The Bible Guys.