Episodes

We leave Gethsemane almost with determination. There is no hesitation following the priestly prayer, no trying to seek a hiding place, no planning for what is to happen next. It is a foregone conclusion, approached with resolve. There is no parable, no guessing, no wrestling with the text. We created a 4 gospel harmony of this scene to get a three-dimensional picture of what is going on. Notes for Jesus Arrested Episode link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/jesus-arrested/

I think today's podcast is a helpful example of how we study. I spend a good part of my day in a variety of different resources. This is daily and habitual. In between all of that, I actually retreat to work, which has nothing to do with my biblical studies. My commercial breaks during the day usually return me to my Christian studies. I usually open with a section of the Bible I want to read in the morning. But my brain is saying, " Hey, that's cool - remember this from yesterday or a few days...

It's been a tough night and it's only just begun. Jesus knows that his disciples are going to go through a lot. What's fascinating here is Jesus is more concerned with his disciples than with Himself. He knows exactly what is to transpire within the next few hours and His concern is for them. Notes and Commentary for Jesus Prays for the Eleven Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/jesus-prays-for-the-eleven/

Sometimes we tend to think of the cross as the finish line. But Jesus chooses to look past it. I was tempted to call it a speed bump, but it's way more than that. I know we've already discussed Gethsemane so this podcast and the next two occurs out of sequence. It is likely that the prayer in John 17 is before they reach Gethsemane. John Chapter 17 stands alone and while it probably occurs before Jesus retreats to the deeper recesses of Gethsemane, the context reaches beyond Gethsemane, indeed...

The disciples finally leave the upper room, but this is the proverbial out of the frying pan into the fire. They retreat to Gethsemane, and this is where we pick up in today's podcast. Specifically, we are looking at Matthew 26:36-45, Mark 14:32-41, and Luke 22:39-46. Notes and Commentary: The Cost and the Cup Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-cost-and-the-cup/

All the buzz right now is about artificial intelligence, but amid all the hype, there is one thing that keeps AI from outpacing its creators. Namely, energy and autonomy. While we're all looking at this AI phenomenon, is it possible that we are focused on the wrong thing? Many believe that the quantum computing problem will be solved in the next 3-5 years. There is serious research into creating something close to the equivalent of the human brain, which requires first solving the scalability o...

The closer we get to the Cross in our Red-Letter journey, the deeper it gets. The disciples are in a confused emotional state. They are hearing a lot but not completely understanding. The beauty of this in scripture is that, through their confusion, we hear Jesus' responses and explanations, which help clear up our own confusion. You could easily spend a week on John 16:12-33. We will do what we can to cover this in a single podcast. You may have noticed that the content of the most recent podc...

Jesus said I have told you these things now so that when they happen, you will remember and believe. He did not say I'm telling you these things as a warning so that you can predict the next thing in the news cycle. Have we flipped prophecy on its face and reversed its meaning? I think it's worth reflecting for a second on current world events and prophecy, but not the way you might think. To many people from the pulpit have inverted prophecy like the tail wagging the dog - using world events t...

We hear Jesus last words to the eleven before the cross, and Jesus answers the question the disciples are too distraught to ask. For many Christians, even today, the Cross is a mystery that it doesn't need to be. Jesus spells it out. It is proven and acted upon. Today, we go deep into John 16:1-11, asking the questions that Jesus knew were on the disciples' minds, even if they could not see clearly through their tears. Notes for Why Jesus Had To Go Episode Link:

So right now we are overlapping our current events series with our continuing Red Letter series. To help you isolate the current events series, we are going to change the season number for these to 3 - leaving the Red-Letter Journey in season 2. That way, if you want to isolate the podcasts, that is one easy way to do it. Also, on our website, www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com, there is a tab specifically for the Red-Letter journey for those of you who only want to follow that. Let's jump in. ...

Sometimes when we say: "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit", the Holy Spirit rolls off the tongue as an afterthought. We don't know what to do with Him. I know analogies aren't perfect, but it helps to think this way. Father is like the coach who designed the entire plan, Jesus is the quarterback who runs the decisive play and throws the ball that makes the score possible, the Holy Spirit is the guide and blocker who shows the receiver the route, clears the path, and points attention back ...

Just so you know, we are not going to stop doing our Red-Letter Journey. However, we are adding a 2nd series today comparing current world events with biblical prophecy. What will become extremely useful in this endeavor is applying our Berean Filter application to current events and how they can be interpreted with respect to Biblical prophecy. We are completely open to suggestions regarding who you think provides good, sound biblical interpretation. Today, we focus on Jack Hibbs' recent dis...

You walk onto the lot and I show you the car. “Let me be straight with you,” I say. “This isn’t the most popular car on the road. In fact, some people actively avoid it. Others will tell you it’s too restrictive, that it limits where you can go or how you can drive.” “But here’s the thing.” I tap the hood. “This car was designed by the One who built the entire road system. He knows every turn, every dead end, every cliff people drive off without realizing it. This car is built to navigate al...

If you have been traveling with us and followed the words of Jesus chronologically through the Gospels, then you have been the proverbial fly on the wall. Do not lose the immediate context when you read this - it is so easy to do because the theology is so rich. We are in the upper room for pages of scripture, and Judas has left the room. What Jesus has to say is not for Judas. But it is for you! Without stating exactly what will happen in the next few hours, Jesus addresses the tension in the ...

I know some of these later podcasts are long. They are heavy. They are worth listening to multiple times. It's worth reading the notes, reading and rereading the scriptures they are bound to. Matthew 14 answers some profound questions. The question I came with was: Why Why must Jesus leave in order to send "the helper". The Holy Spirit. Why can't we just do it? The answer goes all the way back to why Moses couldn't look at the face of God. Matthew 14 will open your entire understanding of the...

If you can read John 14:4-14 and are not waiting for the same answer to the question that Thomas asks, then I want to talk to you some more! I think we are all taught the theology, but do we grasp the how? Thomas is not weak in his faith. He has spent the last three and a half years and has witnessed the miracles that transform faith to proof bound experiential belief. Thomas is the kind of guy who says I saw it with my own eyes, I know it. He doesn't just believe it, he knows it! I think we ar...

There is a scene where Indiana Jones walks out into the street. It's hot, the dust is kicking up. He's sweaty and he's had a tough day. At the other end of the street, he's confronted with a samurai type guy, swinging his sword, ready to get Indiana Jones' head off. Very casually, Indiana Jones reaches down, pulls up his gun and shoots the guy. Moral: you don't bring a knife to a gun fight! Now we land on Luke 22:35-38. There is a very curious exchange with the disciples. We're still in the up...

Have you even sat in a business conference or meeting and totally missed the point? You look at the speaker and go "Wait........ What?" Like you thought you understood it until you just realized what he was saying is not what you were thinking. We've walked through the red-letters all the way to this point and never have the disciples let go of the idea that Jesus is the conquering king. They have been told at least three times that He would be killed. They've been told that He will return. The...

I was reluctant to name this podcast the Denial of Peter because it is misleading. But that's how we have come to recognize that happened at this moment in scripture. I think at some level, we all identify with Peter. We are still at the last supper in our red-letter journey and I think every Christian knows about Peter's denial. But what is not so obvious in the text is that Peter is speaking for all of the disciples there (remember, Judas has left the room). In this podcast, we'll rescue...

While the synoptic gospels picked up the core elements of the Last Supper, it seems that John captured more of the conversation. We want to spend some time here. We stop to ask questions. We are at John 13:31-35. Judas has left the room. The conversation gets deep. We are going to slow down and make sure we understand what this all means. Today we get practical with the very things Jesus is commanding. For example, it's one thing to say do it for the glory of God, but how often do we consider w...

This is one short passage in each of the three synoptic Gospels; however, I would be remiss if I jumped over it. Let's remember that Jesus has made the disciples well aware of what was about to transpire this week. They can connect with his death, but I doubt they understand His resurrection. So, with such a shadow hanging over the forthcoming week, Jesus raises a cup and basically says: "Until we meet again". They are probably thinking that future time will be within their lifetime. They're n...

Did you ever sit with the Lord's Supper and just think, I really don't get it. I know something big is happening here, but did anybody ever walk you through what "This is the NEW COVENANT in my blood means? When you read that, you should immediately think - OK, I need to go back and understand the OLD COVENANT. And more, I need to understand why we need a new covenant. Today, in our Red Letter Journey, we listened to Jesus pick up and offer the bread and the cup and we asked what it all means. ...

Jesus is eating the last supper with the 12 disciples. That means Judas is in the room and even after Jesus indicates that one of them would betray him, Judas manages to remain anonymous in a room of people wondering who the traitor among them is. This scene had me bewildered and asking too: "is it me Lord?". I think a key take away for this podcast is that we should not read it righteously indignant. There is a subtle warning in the undercurrent. ALL of the disciples question their ultimate al...

It takes some harmonization of the four gospels to see this picture just before the Last Supper; but when you see it playing out, you can't unsee it. The disciples have all filtered into the room for the last supper and the seating has been established by a subtle acknowledgement of who gets to sit closest to the host. They all settle in and then realize, there is no servant. That starts the banter. Someone has to be the person to wash the feet of the others. That's part of Jewish custom. That ...