Episodes

Ok, if you want to know why we call this Podcast Rabbit Holes, you're about to follow how my brain works! I started today covering the last three woes and that ends in another lament by Jesus over Jerusalem. That got me wondering about the judgement that fell in AD 70. Then I thought, well, I don't really know what happened to the Jews after that. I know somehow, they survived, but how? So I followed that track all the way to 1948 where the Israel becomes a nation state. Then I think, ok, so why...

We step off the track for a second. In our last podcast, we saw how the pharisees created loopholes in the law bypassing: the land sabbath debt forgiveness every 7 years Jubilee During that study we blew right past something that we need to back up on. I had always heard that "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" as being solely about sin... but the actual translation is actually real debt. It has a double meaning and if you skip over it, you lose the connection to Deuteronomy. Yo...

As we rolled into the 4th woe to the Pharisees, we started to pick up on a progression. So rather than stay isolated, this podcast recaps the relevant context leading up to this including the message to the audience and the disciples and a summary of the first three woes. Seeing the entire thing laid out helps give a much more wholistic view of the message. Notes For the Love of Money Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/for-the-love-of-money/

When I approached today's research I was prepared for a long length deep dive. What I encounter instead was a system so brazen in its affront to everything God commanded that I was not only stunned but found myself at a loss relative to going deeper. You don't need to go deep on this one. Sometimes, when Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and calling out their hypocrisy, you have to dig a little to understand the nuances of what the Jews did with regards to all their rules. But most of the time,...

Some feedback for last podcast prompted this. We don't want to move to the 3rd Woe until we address this. It seems that Jesus campaigned against Zealotry when the Jews reached out but then some of you made the point about Simon the Zealot. Good point! And we should address it directly! Edited Notes To Include Simon The Zealot Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/redeeming-simon-the-zealot/

Last time we said the woes were not going to get any easier. Jesus is just beginning. We are still on the temple court and only at the 2nd woe - the judgement on the Pharisees and the Scribes. By now, you the listener know that when we slow down, we go deeper. We ask the questions hopefully you want to ask. We dig up the scripture to answer the question. We never try to posit opinion over scripture. We learned some things about the Jews I did not realize in this deep dive. I didn't know that th...

Jesus is on the temple courts during Passover week. It's the last day of His public ministry. This is the most direct, scathing rebuke of the Jewish leaders in the entire New Testament. The temple court is filled with people. The Pharisees, the Scribes, the Herodians and the Sadducees have all tested Jesus and failed. Jesus has just warned the disciples and the crowd about the religious leadership and now he has turned his attention directly to the religious leaders. We are slowing down on the ...

We find ourselves in somewhat familiar territory. As we continue along with the Red-Letter journey, Jesus has just been tested by all of the religious elite. He then turns His attention to the crowd and certainly within earshot of those who just tested him and basically says - Don't Be Like Them! Listen to them but don't act like them. Honestly, because the message was so familiar, I found some diversions within the text that we had not address. Some personal, like is it OK to wear religious sa...

Jesus is constantly being tested. We're in Passion week. They're looking for a defect in the Lamb. Today, something has changed. In our last podcast, we saw one of Scribes almost do a fist pump upon hearing Jesus response to the Sadducees regarding Resurrection. Why, because Jesus' answer was something that put the Sadducees back in their place. They were quieted... something the Pharisees had failed at for 100's of years. So for a brief moment, at least one of the scribes was siding with Jesus....

They continue to line up to confront Jesus. It's almost like whack a mole. The Sadducees pop up next and to some, it may seem that they have storyboarded a careful question that they believe represents a definitive argument against resurrection to trip Jesus up. It can seem like its a question out of a Sadduceeic think-tank for this very purpose. I think it's deeper. I think that this argument is core doctrine for the Sadducees. The question has not just arisen for this occasion; it sits at the...

Ok, I certainly didn't think this is where the conversation was going. I'm an American! Money is a good thing right? Well, the more I dig, the more I discover. The more my eyes are open. I'll be the first to admit that this deep dive caught me off guard and I'm supposed to be the one producing the podcast! What we arrived probably takes 4 years of economics undergrad study and boils it down to a 30-minute indictment of money in the world. In our last deep dive, we saw Jesus completely dismantle...

One of the most memorable and recited scriptures is Jesus' response to the religious leaders when they ask Him whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. Well, we didn't gloss over it today just because it was familiar. We took on the whole concept of money. We get a masterclass in discernment and debate. We even use "My Cousin Vinny", one of my favorite movies, to help explain what is going on. (There's a clip at the end). Notes for The Tax Trap Episode Link: https://www.rabbitholesandmedi...

We've heard the Parable of the Great Banquet or Wedding Banquet probably a lot in our bible studies. Both Matthew and Luke tell the story and both help ground the meaning. In our Red-Letter journey, we find this parable told by Jesus early on Tuesday morning in Passion Week. Luke's version is the same parable told at an earlier event.... which is one of the reasons we've seen this story before. I came into this passage reflecting on that wedding feast we are all going to attend after the return...

It was early last night. I thought, I'm not getting anything productive done, I'll just turn in. So I did what I always do. I open my Bible - just where we left off on our Red-Letter journey. We are on the Temple court still early in Passion Week (most likely still Monday). A couple of Greeks ask a question that would keep me up for the next three hours. Not because of what they asked, but because of how Jesus responded...and how God responded. Notes for The Glory of Jesus is the Glory of God E...

We are on the temple courts during Jesus' last week. The Parable of the Evil Vine-Growers is perhaps the most scathing indictment that Jesus has ever given confronting the religious elite head on. No stone is left unturned (pun intended). It should be no secret that we use AI in our Bible study with strict guardrails to only use scripture and not external interpretations or commentary. That is what we have commonly referred to as our Berean Filter. We let the Bible speak for itself and we us...

Jesus is on the temple court speaking to the pharisees and he tells the Parable of the two sons. Jesus is pretty explicit about the different between professing belief and walking in faith. There's a famous expression that says that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Thousands of preachers preach the sinners prayer as if that moment in a person's life is all that is needed for salvation. Many people do exactly as asked. They stand or even approach the altar; they pray the sinner'...

The Puzzle You are on an island where every inhabitant is either a Knight (who always tells the truth) or a Knave (who always lies). You meet two people, Red and Blue. Blue says: "We are both knaves." Question: What are the identities of Red and Blue? The Solution Blue is a Knave. Red is a Knight. The Logic Could Blue be a Knight? No. If Blue were a knight, his statement ("We are both knaves") would have to be true. But if he is a knight, he cannot be a knave. This is a contradiction. T...

I think we all remember the curse of the fig tree. It's a passage that sticks with you. Often though, we tend to skip right over the meat and jump straight into the dessert. As I reflect back to my own Bible studies with seasoned disciples, even they got this wrong! This is how almost all Christians hear Jesus' explanation: "...whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." Or the short version is "You can move mountains". We want that to be true! That puts the very powe...

Picture your local county fair... especially the first couple of days. Animals all over the place. The air is thick with the sound of sheep and birds (doves). And wall to wall people tens of thousands fill the space. Now lock on that image and transport yourself back to Jerusalem, 33AD. The ATM's in your picture are money changing booths. Sheep and doves are the main animals. The sheep are being inspected by the assigned priests for the upcoming Passover meal. Every family needs a blemis...

If you've ever watch one of those timelapse videos that show you the construction of a building, that is what it must be like to see inside of the brain of the Messiah. He sees everything historically, as it is laid out and He sees it all at once. We come upon a scene in Luke 19:41-44. Jesus is looking out at the city of Jerusalem and weeps. We need to fully understand the weight of that emotion and to do that, we went back and slowed down the events that rush past this moment. Let's us ...

All four gospels cover the amazing entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is such a beautiful story of quiet triumph (maybe not so quiet.). We are also starting to see timelines and dates as they playout in scripture. The echoes of the original Passover are starting to play out. The Psalms are announcing the arrival of the king. Zechariah is shouting from the rooftops: "Behold, your king is coming to you!" The lamb is selected for the Passover feast and will go through 4 days of observation to ...

Today was a masterclass in gospel harmonization. It isn't always pretty. The story takes place in the house of Simon the Leper, in Bethany. You can find the narrative in Matthew 26:8-13, Mark 14:4-9 and John 12:4-11. The stories don't overlay perfectly. Imagine yourself in a courtroom and you're hearing from three witnesses - we'll call them Matthew, Luke and John. You here three different testimonies covering the same event but each from that person vantagepoint. Your job is to harmonize th...

We are with Jesus leaving Jericho on the way to the cross. There is this expectation within the disciples that when Jesus gets to Jerusalem that the Kingdom will just magically appear. Jesus answers this concern with Luke: the Parable of the Tin Minas and a parallel passage in Matthew. We study this out and come away with a very clear understanding of judgement and expectations. This is about the believers, the unbelievers and the fruitless inbetweeners. These parables offer truth on so many ...

I love this scene for so many reasons. He's enthusiastic, tenacious. I picture him as shorter stature, nimble and almost gushing at the thought of seeing Jesus go by. I think I've mentioned my Millennial Bucket List in the past. This is a running list of things I want to do in the Millennium. I've added this entry: Seek and visit Zacchaeus Spend a day with him - share a meal, tip a beer, walk the streets, and just hang out. Listen to how grace rewired his life from the inside out, witho...