Episodes

Imagine you're out on a date, having dinner, laughing, completely immersed in the moment. Your mom walks in, looks at you and says: "Hey! What are you doing! This isn't a time for fun. You should be ashamed of yourself. You should be fasting!" That's exactly the moment we wander into here. The Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist don't see the reason for the feasting and the celebration. Notes for the Courtship Has Begun https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-courtship-ha...

We're in Capernaum in our Red-Letter bible study and Jesus walks up to this tax collector and just says "Follow Me". Let's dig in here to understand the back-story of why this is so significant. This event sets the vector of Matthews entire gospel. Notes for "From Tax Collector to Saint" https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/from-tax-collector-to-saint

Imagine the scene, Jesus is in Capernaum. The house his is in is absolutely mobbed. Four men, carrying their paralytic friend on a stretcher are desperate to get this man in front of Jesus to be healed. What happens becomes undeniable proof of Jesus' divinity. Notes for Undeniable Proof https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/undeniable-proof

This is such an easy passage to gloss over. On the surface it is super simple. And since we’re following Jesus’ words chronologically, there is a nuance in the context that we could miss if we don’t step off the Red-Letter trail a little bit. We intend to do that here to get a better understanding of the full context. It’s the reason we love these Rabbit Holes anyway. The Red-Letter Bible Study is just an anchor, but the line hooked to the boat is quite long! Jesus was just recently in Jerusa...

As we continue our Red-Letter Bible journey (chronologically), we come upon a lawyer (one who is well versed in biblical Law) and he attempts to trap Jesus. (Luke 10:25-37). If you've simply read your Bible, this is an easy to understand passage. On it's face, it is pretty straight forward. But, unpack the deeper layers and this parable is the Gospel message. You'll love it more once you get what Jesus just said to the lawyer. The lawyer, of course, doesn't get it. But you will and you will trea...

Imagine the court room. Jesus is the prosecutor. The Jewish Religious Elite, who started this as the accusers, become the defendants as Jesus turns the table. This is just an amazing scene that I had to read and re-read. Honestly, I'm still not sure I get it all. You'll see as you listen, there are some deep detours that you can take as you listen to Jesus presenting his case. Notes for The Trial https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-trial-of-the-accusers

In our Red-Letter Bible study we have encountered Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. Just to quickly recap, Jesus comes into the sheep gate, the northern court of the temple. Don't miss this. Jesus, the Lamb of God, arrives in Jerusalem through the "House of Mercy". He gets the man who has been visiting this place for 38 years to confess his need for healing and to reveal that this system doesn't work (drawing on a much bigger metaphor). Jesus heals the man instantly and tells him to g...

You've read that story at least a few times. There is a man at the Pool of Bethesda; he's been going to that pool for 38 years trying to get healed but never makes it to the pool when it bubbles up. Only the first person reaching the pool can be healed. What is John trying to tell you? This is not just a story about a person who can't heal himself. You are (or at least at one point, were) the man at the pool! Notes for "You Are the Man at the Pool" https://www.rabbitholesandmeditatio...

We launch this episode off of the last one, so if you haven't heard that episode, it might be worth listening to. https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/spoiled-little-brats-jesus-rebukes-the-religious-elites-of-his-day As I sat on this, I kept thinking to myself, would it be any different if Jesus showed up today? He might not be preaching in the Synagogues but instead, at the local churches, maybe even your church. Here is a copy of the parable that we re-read and comment on. I wrote ...

Jesus rebukes the spiritual immaturity and stubborn unbelief of His generation by comparing them to children who refuse to respond—whether the message comes in mourning or rejoicing. They rejected John the Baptist for his austerity and Jesus for His mercy, proving that their issue was not with style, but with truth itself. In the face of their slander, Jesus declares that God’s wisdom is vindicated by its fruit—transformed lives. This passage confronts the pride that resists both repentance and ...

John the Baptist, now in prison sends his messengers out to ask Jesus a very curious question (especially coming from John). Notes for Johns Curious Question https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/johns-curious-question-john-the-baptist-wonders-if-jesus-is-the-christ

We are about to see why our Podcast is called "Rabbit Holes and Meditations". This one document and corresponding podcast was arrived at via the simple asking of questions prompted by what I read in the short section in Luke about the resurrection of the widows' son (Luke 7:11-18). I pray that this curiosity is partly what Jesus meant about becoming like little children. We all need to have that sense of wonder and beyond the text we read on the page, we have to ponder the why? and the what i...

We have some major advantages over the Jews during Jesus' mission. We have the benefit of hindsight and a better picture of what Jesus was on earth to accomplish. It doesn't hurt to have these fundamentals buried in the back of your mind as you walk with Jesus on his journey through the Gospels. Every step in Jesus' journey is intentional. It is always worth asking not just the "how" but the "why". Jesus conquered sin and death and Satan. We take a 30000 ft view of what Jesus did in his missi...

Healing the leper is Messianic. Leprosy was incurable. Jesus demonstrates his power over sin and death and his ultimate command of the law in this compassionate encounter between the leper and Jesus. We explore the biblical accounts of Jesus healing a leper, primarily drawing from Matthew, Mark, and Luke's Gospels. It illuminates the severe social, physical, and spiritual implications of leprosy in ancient Israel, emphasizing the leper's isolation and the theological significance of ceremonia...

Your problems exist inside a moment in the context of eternity. The tipping point in your faith will be when your faith exceeds your needs. Your needs don't even show up on the radar. You look up in awe and reverence, and a deep gratitude for what Jesus did for you on the cross and you forget every other reason you raised your arms up and looked up. This was part of a longer podcast. The message was so important, that I broke it out here as a separate message... notes will be included in the ne...

We follow along with Jesus after he has cast out the demon in the synagogue. While we don't have any direct words from Jesus, his next stop is at Peter's house where he heals Peter's mother-in-law which has some interesting details. After that, the healing and the casting out of demons seems like "the thing". But it won't be long before Jesus makes a corrective turn in his mission. His next spoken words will highlight his priorities very clearly. Notes for The Priority is the Message ht...

Our Red-Letter Bible Study has me going down rabbit holes I had not considered. This one stems from my own testimony. Early in the Gospels, Jesus just parachutes into the land of Israel - an essential unknown and like the cleansing of the temple, he completely upsets the status quo of religion all through the Galilean landscape. Fast forward two thousand years and you're now a believer and you just parachuted into a room full of atheists. No, you're not the savior. Your mission, should you wi...

Today, we jump off the Red-Letter Bible study because we started to wrestle with the tension we are seeing in Christ's journey. When Jesus goes to Nazareth, he refrains from showing signs because of their unbelief and that took as down a Rabbit Hole. You see, in the next part of Jesus' journey, he heals Peter's mother-in-law and then everyone who comes to him for healing. So why did Jesus hold back his ability to do this in Nazareth? Well, people used to look at me and say: "You Hoo... come bac...

Consider this the extended cut of the previous Podcast about the Samaritan Woman. We did not want to leave any details on the table. This story is one of the most profound in all of the New Testament. We witness the progression of a true disciple from spiritual need and confession to one who recognized Jesus as Lord and Savior. Notes for Jacob's Well https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/jacobs-well

In Luke 4:31-37 we confront the first of many demons in the Gospels. Luke considers this such an important topic that in his Gospel, this is the first Miracle mentioned. By this time, in Jesus' journey, he has turned water into Wine in Cana, He has healed the sick, he has revealed supernatural knowledge of hearts and minds and He has just left a mob with the intent to kill him in His hometown without a scratch. Luke, however, is focused on binding the strong man. (Mark 3:27) Almost like an ol...

I just wanted to take a step back from our Red-Letter Bible Study today and address this issue. This keeps coming up. If you have followed Biblical prophecy, you can't miss the 7-year tribulation timelines, the constant prediction of the "pre-tribulation" rapture and when it doesn't happen, the resetting and rewriting of the timeline to fit the narrative. It seems to be picking up steam on the internet or maybe it's just because Google is feeding our interests. In any case, the continued pred...

We continue following Jesus in is early ministry and we get to be the fly on the wall in a truly pivotal scene. When we went down this rabbit hole. It is here where we discover why the Jews are having a difficult time getting on board Jesus' message. While his reputation by now precedes Him, Jesus confronts the hardened hearts in His hometown and leaves with the only miracle worth their attention. This article is called the Only Miracle in Nazareth. Let's find out why. Notes for The Only Mira...

We're picking up where we left of in our Red-Letter Bible study. We're leaving the well and going back to Cana where we saw Jesus' first sign. And interestingly, the theme picks back up right where He left them. People believed because of the signs. People were following Jesus. By this time, they knew Jesus by his signs. Jesus is teaching people to wrestle with the concept of faith. Still, most are still stuck in the physical. They want to see signs. Even Nicodemus didn't understand the spiritua...

Jesus provides a masterclass in discipleship with one lone woman in Samaria. This is probably one of the most memorable encounters with Jesus in all of the Bible. We spend quite some time unpacking the theologically rich detail. Every line is packed with meaning. You can teach the entire gospel with this single encounter. Notes for The Samaritan Woman at the Well