Jesus: His Life | From the Nativity to His FIRST Miracles *3 Hour Marathon*

the story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told that helped shape Western culture teacher [Applause] leader savior Lazarus come out I and the resurrection and the life one of the most influential figures in history Jesus says the current world is wrong and we need to change it now don't up where is he Jesus was potentially a threat to the Roman Empire for over 2,000 years the story of Jesus Christ has touched the lives of billions around the globe Jesus felt what we felt he faced what we face today though much is known about Jesus and the age in which he lived he continues to inspire new insights today if we want to understand Western history at all we must understand the story of Jesus now for the first time his story is told Through The Eyes of those who knew him best [Music] [Music] my name is Joseph I'm leaving the home I love to save my son his name is Jesus before he was born I didn't know the dangers he would face [Music] on the eve of Jesus's birth the Roman Empire it's expanding rapidly it's essentially the great superpower Rome has brought peace and culture to the world but it's also an incredibly ruthless Master it destroys any opposition in the east of the Roman Empire in the ancient Jewish homeland of Judea the Romans have established a a brutal client King named Herod the Great and the Jewish people are far from Happy rumors of a coming Messiah are everywhere as predicted in the Old Testament in the years before the birth of Jesus I had plans to make a life for myself a simple one all I wanted was to work raise a family build a house in Nazareth for the woman I loved and I couldn't wait for my wedding day the Joseph of the New Testament is an extraordinary person he plays an incredibly important part now finished yeah you do with that water though a come on thought you'd be done by now Joseph is from Bethlehem of Judea this is just outside of Jerusalem when we meet him in the Gospel of Luke however he's Liv living in Nazareth 100 miles to the north the traditional story that everybody learns in Sunday school is that Joseph is a carpenter but that's not really accurate the Greek calls Joseph A tecton which means he's basically in construction so Joseph wasn't necessarily sawing wood he could have been any kind of construction worker one reason Joseph is important to me is the fact that God chose a Common Man to do something uncommon here's a man that was considered ordinary worked with his hands worked with tools and yet God chose him to play an incredible part in history how long's that bride of yours been under their cousins too long Joseph's a good guy attempting to make in's meet who is preparing to marry this young lady by the name of Mary in the Bible we read read that Mary's actually living with her cousin Elizabeth she actually leaves home and goes to stay with Elizabeth for about 3 months it seems to be the typical life of someone who is Jewish who was living in Palestine at that moment but there is an extraordinary turn that changes the trajectory of Joseph's life Joseph Mary well what do you think it's almost finished Mary goes away for 3 months and then returns and now she's pregnant imagine being Joseph and hearing that from your fiance that must have just ripped Joseph's heart out it would have been exceptionally difficult for Mary to tell Joseph what happened the idea of this young woman that is betroll carrying a child and the child is not Joseph puts her in a very dangerous place Jewish law is based in large part on the laws that one finds uh in the Hebrew Bible and those laws are very very strict about sexuality about Fidelity about pregnancy some of these laws make very very clear that people who engage in sexual behavior that is not approved of will lose their lives please listen It Happened One Night before I went to stay with [Music] Elizabeth Mary do not be afraid for you have found favor with God if you choose to accept his plan you will conceive in your womb and give birth a son the anunciation is the an announcement of the birth of Jesus to Mary by the angel Gabriel this is the beginning of the story of Jesus how can this happen I am a virgin nothing is impossible with the almighty the holy spirit will visit you the child you bear will become the greatest of men he will be called the son of God the angel Gabriel is one of the archangels in early Christianity and he represents the power and strength of God Gabriel means the power or force of the Divine the word for Angel in Hebrew in Biblical Hebrew is malah and Malak can mean Angel but it can also mean messenger why is he chosen me you are pure of heart and soul will you accept this [Music] gift here am I servant of the Lord notice that when she says yes to the angel she doesn't ask her husband or her father she says it on her own so this is a very very strong woman even at a young Agee the Annunciation is exceptionally important it takes the birth of Jesus out of the realm of simple human causation and really places it in the realm of a Divine mandate do you expect me to believe this it's the truth do you take me for some idiot Apprentice boy it is God's will Joseph is a Pious person like most early Jews he does believe in miracles he just doesn't expect them to happen in his [Music] case get out get out I built this house for you loved you so much how could any man accept her story how could I possibly believe that she was caring the Son of God when Mary says I'm pregnant you're not the Father Joseph probably reacted in a typical male faction that's why I love the story because it does not sugarcoat it as making Joseph holier than [Music] thou [Applause] [Applause] Mary had betrayed me she had concocted this ridiculous story to hide her sin even so I could not condemn her I loved her Nazareth is a very small town it had about 200 to 400 people so everyone in Nazareth would have known one another Mary's pregnancy out of wedlock essentially would have brought shame and Scandal on the [Music] family can I speak to Mary Joseph's dilemma now is whether or not to out Mary for adultery if he outs her she could be killed adultery is a crime punishable by death the fear for Mary if Joseph exposes her as being pregnant by someone other than him is that she could face death I'm a decent man I know that I'm not going to expose you to shame I feel no shame Joseph is conflicted he doesn't immediately believe the story about the Holy Spirit who would I he doesn't buy it and then on the other hand um he doesn't want to hurt I will keep you secret and dismiss you quietly many men would have publicly declared she is Unfaithful show Joseph doesn't do that which demonstrates a level of character and integrity of compassion a decent man a fool with no wife and an empty house that's what people would say in the ancient world people understood dreams to be a mechanism through which God reveals information to people Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife the child conceived within her is from the Holy Spirit she will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus he will save his people from their sins when the angel calls Joseph a son of David this has very significant meaning King David was the most important the holiest the greatest Jewish king of Jewish history Mary Mary Mary Joseph by naming Joseph a member of the House of David his son Jesus is perfectly positioned by his lineage to one day be the holy king the m mesiah I think your angel came to me and the Jewish people were longing for a king hero someone to come wipe out their enemies and established the kingdom of God on Earth I should have never doubted your word it's not my word it's the word of God I was told the baby should be called Jesus Jesus's name Yeshua is basically the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament it means Yahweh saves there's something Messianic from day one about that name and one should expect about this child as [Music] well I decided to marry the woman I loved and take the path God had chosen for me come with [Applause] me I had no idea of the dangers to [Music] come the political situation on the Eve of Jesus's birth is not good Judea still has a little bit of Independence but it's basically in the process of being swallowed up by the Roman Empire Joseph what is it and if Rome said jump you asked how high hey you get out come on I said get him on the E of Jesus's birth Augustus Caesar is the first Roman Emperor and Rome is almost at its apy the Roman Empire covers three continents 20% of the world's population this is equivalent to to about 30 modern countries Rome is determined to control Judea because it gives them a buffer zone between Rome and their Arch Rivals the Persian Empire to the east Persia basically being modern Iran the Emperor Augustus has issued a decree that a sentence be taken of the entire Roman Empire all land slaves and Cattle must be registered you are ordered to return to the town of your birth immediately anyone failing to follow this command will be dealt with accordingly census is one of the Roman methods for finding out how many people in in an area therefore how much money they can raise by taxation the Romans like to squeeze people till the Pips squeak so there's a great res mment for the taxes that are paid to Rome from [Music] Judea for Mary and Joseph the census means that they have to travel from Nazareth all the way back down to Bethlehem of Judea because this is Joseph's ancestral Hometown there are two major problems with the sensus described in the Gospel of Luke the first is that the census takes place about a decade after Jesus has already been born the second problem is that Roman censuses did not require people to return to their ancestral home most Scholars think that Luke used this sensus as a device to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem because the prophecies say that the Messiah will be born in the city of David in Bethlehem of Judea scholar have debated this but in fact we do have evidence of tax records from Egypt that the Romans would require people to group together according to their ancestral groupings If part of the family had moved to some other town they needed to come back and register with the full family and so the way Luke tells the story is perfectly plausible as we left on the road to Bethlehem I I had no idea if we would ever see home again the trip from Galilee to Judea was very dangerous they have to travel a 100 miles over Hills and Valleys many inscriptions on tombstones in this region state that people were killed by Bandits along the road this was not a pleasure trip it was an honorous Duty they felt compelled to do and they barely got there before it was time for Mary to give birth the traditional Christmas card of Jesus being born in a barn you know on the outskirts of town is just wrong Joseph we've been ordered to register in Bethlehem by the Romans this is my wife Mary is there somewhere we can rest sorry you can't stay here the house is full of our family the text that always gets translated there was no room at the end should be better translated as there was no room in the guest room she's pregnant the baby's do any time please anything so they're invited to stay instead down on the ground floor where the animals are kept and that's where Jesus is born child birth is always dangerous and it's particularly dangerous in Premed societies some food there's no real understanding of bacteria the danger of infections Joseph cesarian sections were known and practiced but the mother simply died time millions of women died in child birth when Jesus was born this changes everything in Luke's birth narrative we are told that this is the birth of the savior of the world you want to hold him how could I tell her that I was scared to touch him scared that I couldn't love him like a real [Music] father how wrong was I Joseph chose to raise Jesus even though he wasn't his own biological child it shows us that Joseph was a selfless man a man of love a man of great [Music] compassion do not be [Music] afraid I bring good news for all the people to you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior who is the [Music] messiah the Gospel of Luke has Shepherds visit Jesus because Luke wants his readers to see Jesus as the descendant of King David who was also a Shepherd called in from the field to lead his people can we see the child these are not you know people whose hands are soft and gentle these are hardworking these are people who fend off wolves I think that's the message that this God in human flesh this is about a love that is meant for us all the angel had sent the Shepherds to us he had told them of Jesus's birth but they were not the only ones who were to learn of the child the gospel of Matthew introduces us to the Magi the wisan typically understood to be astrologers coming from the East to Herod the Great because they saw a star in the sky an omen of something special herod's the King of Judea appointed by Rome he's an absolutely ruthless dictator who massacres any opposition think Stalin Kim Jong Un meeting Herod the Great must have been terrifying at the time of the birth of Jesus King Herod the Great is the King of Judea he came to power because of the backing of the Roman Empire he's essentially a puppet king and the Jews hate him for it he dominated uh Judea and the Eastern Mediterranean for 50 years everything about him is Titanic and over the top he has a huge harim 500 beautiful women he is highly intelligent greedy megalomaniacal he ruled with an iron hand and he delivered what Augustus and the Romans wanted peace in Judea your majesty the soldiers are bringing the Magi they're looking for the Messiah he immediately panics and summons together all the chief priests and the scribes and begins to ask them what is said about the coming Messiah the wise men or Magi are said to be from the east from Persia but there may be a hint as to their true origin from the gifts that they bring gold frankincense and myrr these last two are incenses and they may have been traded along the incense route that actually goes across the desert of the Arabian Peninsula and into the Mediterranean one of the oldest trade routes in existence and if this is the case these wise men may have been from what we would say is modern day Yemen today my priests tell me that you have come to worship a child whom you believe is King of the Jews yes your highness am I not the king of the Jews from the point of view of the wise men it's a consultation that they would like to have avoided but felt they needed to do because they were in foreign territory we followed a star that Rose in the East our charts tell us that it Heralds the birth of the Messiah my priests have searched the prophecies it is written that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem herod's very insecure about his jewishness his father is an Edomite and therefore a second class Jew his mother is actually an Arab so his greatest fear is that another candidate will come to be king of the Jews someone from from the legitimate sacred House of David when you find him him bring me word Herod the Great understood that the Jews don't see him as a legitimate King he sees this as an absolute existential threat to his Reign and he wants to stamp it out [Music] immediately we often see Christmas cards of the three Magi standing over the baby Jesus at his birth but the fact is not only does Matthew not tell us how many there were the Magi don't come till after Jesus has been born it could have been days it could have been weeks it could have been months it could have been years [Music] you brought gifts we don't want your gifts please take them thank you the gifts of the magine gold frankincense myr are gifts suitable for a king from birth to death from womb to tomb frankincense used in worship is a symbol of prayer ascending to God myrh used as an odor for the burial of a king gold well but King doesn't need resources the diverse and different peoples of the earth coming to be behold their God the Magi are a way of the Bible saying that God loves you all who told you where you would find us King Herod what does he know about our son he told us where we could find the child who will be the king of the Jews harod knows of Jesus's Destiny you came to pay homage you brought us fine gifts but you put my son's life at risk Herod the Great has no limits in what he'll do to hold on to [Applause] power he's utterly ruthless when Mary and Joseph realize that Herod the Great knows about the birth of Jesus they are immediately afraid for the future of their child where are you going we have to leave back to Jerusalem no I had a dream last night warning against meeting with Herod again we will travel home by a different route May the wise Lord protect you on the journey ahead Herod was a monster who had murdered his own wife and son to protect his throne what was to stop him from doing the same to my family Joseph keeps getting these dreams in Matthew's gospel he gets the dream that tells him the child is a miracle of God and then he gets a dream that tells him to flee Palestine and go to [Music] Egypt your highness speak the wise men have fled what they have taken another road back to the [Music] east send men into Bethlehem and seek out all the children there under the age of two put them all to death there will be no new king of the Jews Herod says I want you to take out the children who possibly could be the Messiah here you have a grown grown man who was intimidated by a little baby all right where is it get the baby we have to leave [Music] now the so-called Massacre of the innocent doesn't appear to be historical so why do we have this story well Matthew is obsessed with making Jesus look like Moses so in the same way that Pharaoh kills all the children but Moses Escapes in a basket Herod the Great is now coming to kill all the children in Beth [Applause] a lot of people have dismiss the idea of the slaughtering of the Innocents in fact we know Herod did all kinds of atrocious things like this go go execute three of his own children Roman Empire is quite happy for Herod the Great To Rule providing there is calm you can do the hell you like in Judea but if there's any trouble we want you to crush it ruthlessly that's the Roman [Music] way there you go [Applause] [Music] okay go go go go go the Bible doesn't say precisely when Mary and Joseph flee to Egypt with Jesus they could have just barely gotten away from Herod the Great's men there is a long history in the biblical text of Egypt as a place where people could flee in times of trouble from Judea it's a long old hike it's going to take days and days and days but they had resources for travel there was gold we don't know exactly where they went in Egypt but there are clear places that could have provided any number of safe havens and [Music] refuge there was a huge population of Jews in Alexandria they would naturally have gravitated towards them when they arrived the Holy Family become refugees and this is also important because when they return it will fulfill a prophecy a prophecy from the Old Testament book of Hosea that says out of Egypt I have called my son I wonder when he'll see the home I build for him or if he ever [Music] will his integrity is what speaks so loudly he makes this commitment to a child who is not his and Joseph becomes I believe a beautiful model for fatherhood today where would we be if we had more men who operated like Joseph I have Happ EST times for me are when I forget for a second that Jesus isn't my flesh and blood and that I'm the ordinary father that I'd always hope to be then I remember that my boy is a miracle and that it's my duty to protect him until he he can fulfill his Destiny because in my heart I know that on this Earth at least Jesus is my child that I will always always love him as my [Music] own [Music] the story of Jesus is The Greatest Story Ever Told get out don't up where is he for over 2,000 years the story of Jesus Christ has touched the lives of billions around the globe Jesus felt what we felt he faced what we face today if we want to understand Western history at all we must understand the story of Jesus now for the first time his story is told Through The Eyes of those who knew him best I am here to warn you John the Baptist is the link between the Old Testament and the New Testament he comes preaching a fiery message of the coming of Jesus you what's your name I am Jesus of Nazareth Jesus's baptism by John is one of the most important moments in the gospels this is the turning point for Jesus he's a troublemaker that's stirring up the People John the Baptist this has to [Applause] [Music] go I was put on Earth to do one thing one Divine Purpose to prepare the way for the Lord I should have seen there was more to Jesus than I knew John the Baptist emerges in dark days for the Jewish people King Herod the Great is dead most of Jud is now part of the Roman Empire it's understandable that in times of Doubt of disillusionment that a preacher of great inspiration like John the Baptist would emerge clear the way through the Wilderness for the Lord make his paths straight every Valley shall be filled and every mountain and every Hill shall be made low John the Baptist is the Forerunner of Christ he's the guy who paves the way who sets the stage for Jesus Christ himself clear the way through the Wilderness for the Lord he is very much in the mold of an Old Testament prophet of a wild man living out in the wilderness eating honey and Locust preaching a fiery message of the coming of the kingdom of God and the Messiah the Crooked shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth John the Baptist was well known he's in the gospel narratives but from historical sources such as Josephus we know that they had a very large following John the Baptist's father was a priest and this was traditionally a hereditary role so he must have rejected this role and become this fiery prophetic figure preaching what we would call today social justice and All Flesh shall see the salvation of God Andre one of the things that John does and this is where he gets his name he's actually immersing people in the Jordan River repent for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near John is baptizing people for this renewal it is a renewal moment it is the ritual and the moment of saying that you are reborn that you are a new person that you are washing away that which is [Music] old John's message is really simple repent your sins rece receive baptism receive purification and you will be [Music] [Music] saved you what's your name I am Jesus of Nazareth welcome Jesus when Jesus meets John the Baptist this is the first time we see Jesus as an adult according to the Gospel of Luke Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins but in our earliest gospel the gospel of Mark they don't seem to be related when John the Baptist sees Jesus he doesn't recognize him at all I had always thought that my task was to find him instead he found me how did I not see who he really was all the gospels tell us that people were desperate to be around Jesus thank you brother there must have been something naturally compelling about him and I would imagine that John the Baptist felt that intense Holiness as [Music] well brother eat this is the way it's all we can do it's what we must do yes the gospels make it seem like the encounter between John the Baptist and Jesus was very short but in reality it's likely to been a much longer period of them being together and learning from one another and becoming part of the same group there are indications that Jesus was for a time one of John's disciples their relationship probably went through different stages friend mentor and then in the end the teacher becomes the student and the student becomes the teacher your eyes your eyes shall see your teacher he won't be hidden to you [Music] anymore when I met Jesus I felt kinship here was a man of my spirit I wasn't alone in my message I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness you can understand why the judeans crushed by Roman rule disgusted Ed by the venality of the high priests in Jerusalem would turn to a preacher like John the Baptist Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none all the arrogant and every evil doer shall be stumbl the day that is coming shall set them on fire I think John the Baptist inspired Jesus Jes Jesus saw something in John that caused him to rethink his mission on Earth he felt maybe I should be doing this [Music] too John the Baptist was expecting a messiah in the apocalyptic sense someone who was going to come down from the heavens and burn up the Romans and reestablish the kingdom of God on Earth you tell us that there is another the one that is yet to come they think it's you some people thought that John was the Messiah himself but John did not believe that Andrew what do you know of the Messiah he was very clear I am not the ultimate I am not the the final stage hereen I'm not worthy to carry his sandals I baptize you with water he will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire this is the Messiah who is going to turn the world upside down this is an aggressive disruptive action that John the Baptist is anticipating I am not the Messiah but I have been sent ahead of him [Music] he is a revolutionary Preparing People for another revolutionary by the name of Jesus I should be baptized by you why are you coming to me this is how it should be the big question in the gospels is why Jesus needs to be baptized if John is baptizing out of repentance and Jesus is sinless why is Jesus getting baptized to my mind it seems that he may have wanted to start his ministry in a very dramatic and public way Jesus's baptism by John is a huge moment what is going to happen when you have the the charismatic uh Infamous John the Baptist on the stage with Jesus when John baptizes Jesus he probably doesn't know what's going to happen he doesn't know it's going to be such a pivotal moment when everything changes for him and for Jesus and for the rest of the world the Bible says that we hear this booming voice of God coming out of the heaven saying this is my son in whom I'm well pleased that's the first time we see God directly interacting with Jesus from the [Music] scriptures Jesus saw something and he would not tell me what something could happened to him something separated him from me and I did not understand in some gospels the people who are with understand what's happening in others it's more of a private event but certainly Jesus understands his identity which is revealed to him very clearly for the first time brother Jesus seems to realize what God's plan is he seems to surrender to the Future that God has in store for him all four gospels suggest that this encounter between Jesus and John is absolutely pipal before then Jesus didn't have a min Ministry after then Jesus began to take on his ministry with both hands what couldn't I see what couldn't I see Jesus realized I can't remain sheltered in Nazareth anymore I've got to do what JN is doing and I've got to take an unpopular message to the people even if it kills me he set out before Sunrise I Knew by them that he was no simple Carpenter but I could not say more than that and before I could ask it was [Music] gone immediately after Jesus's baptism by John we're told that he is driven into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights the number 40 is very important here Moses fasted for 40 days as he was writing the Ten Commandments and the Israelites were in the wilderness for 40 years and so this was a once again a reflection of something that happened in the Old Testament the Judean desert is one of the hottest places on Earth with temperatures routinely over 100° the Lord God alight there is a tradition in the early church that says you go to a mountain to find God you go to a desert to find your soul soul and after 40 days when he is as hungry as hungry can [Music] be then the devil shows up Satan according to both Jewish and Christian tradition is a fallen angel he was originally a good creation of God but he went wrong the word Satan comes from the Hebrew word hassatan which means the adversary who stands against the created order an enemy of the Divine and an enemy of humanity as well if you are the Son of God command these stones to become loaves of bread in the 40 days in the desert Satan tempted Jesus three times the first Temptation that Satan offered Jesus was telling him turn stones into bread this is a reference to when the Israelites were lost in Exodus in the desert they were hungry and God gave them Mana from heaven but it's also reference to the temptation of Adam and Eve when they were offered fruit the second tempation is that Satan takes Jesus to the high point of the Temple and he tempted Jesus to LEAP from it knowing that God would save him do not Test the Lord my God thirdly Satan offers Jesus the rule of all the kingdoms of the world an Earthly Empire if you worship me this is a reference to the Roman Emperor ruler of the entire Roman world World worship me away you sat I worship only the Lord God and I serve only [Music] him Satan offers Jesus everything a wouldbe Messiah might want Power Fame Comfort a life of ease but Jesus rejects that definitively resisting those Temptations shows really that Jesus is ready to start his public [Music] Ministry following the baptism of Jesus John is also inspired and he decides to up his game after all his time preaching in the wilderness telling Jews to repent he decides to take on the political leaders of the time Jesus inspired me I would drag imoral morality out of this land by the root I knew where I would start in tiberious so he has to go to the place of sin the Locust of all iniquity and those are the cities in galile most of Judea is now ruled directly by a Roman Governor but Galilee is different it's to the north and it's ruled by a Roman client ruler the tetrarch of Galilee Herod Antipas he is one of the sons of Herod the Great and when Herod the Great died Antipas had longed to inherit the whole Kingdom but instead he'd been disappointed by the Roman Emperor Augustus he'd just been given a third and hence he was not the King of Judea but the tetrarch of Galilee Antipas is the ideal Target his lifestyle is decadent and John believes that if he can persuade antipast to repent of his notor vious sins that might filter down to the People Too John decides to March right in and Stick it to the Man and that's a dangerous thing to do when the man is Herod antias Herod antias I am here to warn you John is taking a big risk the herods are a dangerous family they have a history of killing anybody who takes them more the Jews hate Herod Antipas for a number of reasons for one he built tiberias on a graveyard which is against Jewish custom and while Jews are struggling Herod Antipas is living this life of opulent luxury in a palace but there's something else that Herod anpus did that really made the Jews hate him and that is he married herodias the wife of his half brother Herod thei and now you ignore God's will with your new incestuous marriage it is an affront to Jewish Lord herodias liked powerful men when she met her at Antipas and they fell in love she couldn't resist Maring the powerful tetrarch of Galilee so she ditched her husband and went off with him he ditched his wife the Arab princess he's locked her up in prison and it was this that at ra the Jewish people and outrage John the Baptist they regarded as incest do you hear me Herod antias it is unlawful to have your brother's wife it's humiliating he's insulting you and he's insulting my mother and yet you do nothing salame parodius is daughter from her previous marriage is a young lady who is now part of the Royal Court of Herod anbus what do you expect me to do the people love him but this isn't just about a woman's hatred for John the Baptist this is really about power of course Herod Antipas is actually an extremely fragile situation his only reason for existing is to ensure that there's peace in Galilee John the Baptist looks like he could be gathering a rebellion repent repent for the kingdom of God has come near Herod antipast knows that if there was a rebellion in Galilee the Romans would get rid of him and all he wants to do is keep power as a result John the Baptist is a giant pain inherit anti pasa's backside pains in the backside need to be gotten rid of Herod Antipas has John the Baptist imprisoned in his Mountain Fortress of macus one of the fortresses built by his father Herod the Great um where he could hide in case he lost his throne it's a 40m walk from Jerusalem and 100 miles from tiberias through a punishing desert road along the Dead Sea getting to MCAS is not easy we're talking about an impregnable Fort hundreds of feet up on a cliff overlooking a dead sea that is so salty nothing can grow in it it's incredible walls its dungeons all of that is something out of a Game of Thrones scene it cuts John off from his followers it's the perfect place to store a troublemaker in the ancient world you didn't didn't worry too much about human rights prison was horrible miserable you didn't get three meals a day in yard time this was punishment it wasn't uh rehabilitation prison was meant to break you you were essentially dependent upon food that your friends or relatives [Music] brought and his armies with clouds of dust [Music] teacher Andrew why are you here this and to tell you that a great prophet has risen Among Us who you know him it's Jesus after John the Baptist is arrested Jesus basically picks up the Baton and runs with it John the Baptist was the big movement and once John is arrested did Jesus says this is my turn this is my time he preaches in Galilee to forgive your enemies bless those that curse you love your enemies do good to those who hate you bless those who curse you if someone slaps you on One Cheek you turn to the the other also do to others as you would have them do to you Jesus came back with me to my home he goes back to Galilee he even recruits some of John's followers like Andrew who became one of Jesus's disciples for John the Baptist we have an image of a prophetic voice from the Wilderness whereas with Jesus Jesus goes to the people Jesus goes into the homes of his prospective followers everyone's living at subsistence level your one bad Harvest or your one bad boat ride away from starvation brother Andrew according to the Gospel of John Andrew introduces Jesus to his brother Peter we've been working all night long but have caught nothing put out into deep water and let down your nets for a cat Jesus had an uncanny ability to meet people where they are and to try to speak in their language to recruit the disciples from now on you will be catching people I've never seen anything like it it was a miracle John John the Baptist has a very deliberate idea of who the Messiah was going to be that he was going to usher in this age of fiery judgment and he has this person in front of him who's preaching a message of kindness and love and forgiveness this doesn't square at all with what John the Baptist was believe [Music] in this Jesus this are you the one who to come or are we to wait for another Herod Antipas has arrested John the Baptist because he's pressured into doing so by his wife herodias herro has fundamentally violated some very important moral issues in the Jewish faith you can't get any uh more questionable than the fact that he married his own brother's wife even while his brother was still living and so he's intrigued by John the Baptist sort of seeking John the Baptist's teaching maybe Herod antus was genuinely interested in listening to the message of John the Baptist or maybe it was a political calculation there's a history of leaders listening to Jewish Prophets if Herod Antipas listened to John the Baptist repented of his marriage then maybe the people and God would forgive him of this sin I've been very curious to meet you it's not too late for you what could I to be baptized he knows what he wants to do but it's not Herod it is his wife is the one that has it out for John the Baptist let me show you the way I have the ear of Herod antip pass if he has seen to repent if I can cleanse him of his sins I can still serve hey I shouldn't be in here oh rodia seems to be scheming her way to the top she's prepared to use anything to achieve her ends John the Baptist has to [Music] go we can't tell how long it took for John to recognize Jesus as the Messiah I mean he had his own Ministry so it was probably hard for him to let go of his status beatings meant nothing the greater Agony was not knowing waiting for Andrew to to return with my answer even in the midst of beating he refuses to let go of who he [Music] is you spoke with him he has cured many people he can even rid people of evil spirits tell me we were in Capernaum no no no be silent then come out of [Music] him taking care of the poor the widows the orphans the disenfranchised Jesus is asking John to rethink what it means to be the Messiah do you have a message that I can take back to him he must become greater and I must become less all of his work is all coming together he is thinking that there is someone outside of this jail by the name of Jesus who is doing work that no one has ever seen John at this point is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah I must make my way back to him I will bring followers from this Fortress I will see him with my own eyes John's Mission therefore was a more hopeful one not just rescuing himself but seeking to rescue others but that's not the end of the story mcus it's not just a jail but it also is a palace where Herod anist could go and entertain his followers or Hangers On Herod Antipas gives herodias something of the lifestyle that she's really looking for somebody who actually has some genuine influence not only in Roman Palestine but with the emperor too so it's simple herodias has to get rid of the man who threatens his and that man is John the Baptist she and her daughter together conspire to bring him [Applause] down the gospel's paint for us is absolutely lured scene it's alcohol fueled harro is shooing with [Music] dignitaries [Music] [Music] small [Music] [Music] really [Music] salame is dancing and I don't mean just doing the Texas twep that is turning on Herod antias and all of his friends the Jews would have understood this to essentially be incest wait wait and Herod Antipas is so enthralled with what his stepdaughter salame is doing that he says anything you want one wish I'll give it to you anything whatever you ask of me and what does she ask for she asks for what her mother tells her to ask for I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist Herod makes a promise a very public promise that he'll give salom the head of John the Baptist on a platter but Herod really doesn't want to execute John the Baptist and of course because he's made this declaration publicly at a party Herod anpus doesn't want to look like a weakling so he actually says go and bring me John the Baptist head on a [Music] platter now is my chance to show my worth I must not fail I don't think JN wanted to die I think he was afraid I think I think he was sad but I also think Jon understood his role understanding the profundity of the sacrifice that was to come understanding that John and Jesus were on the verge of a moment that would change the [Music] world did I do enough I hope so [Music] [Music] oh [Music] as herodias and Herod are looking into the eyes of John the Baptist decapitated head I think herodias felt accomplished and successful she got what she wanted they killed him John the Baptist is dead John the Baptist's death would have been a bitter blow for Jesus not only are they cousins according to the gospels and that John the Baptist was probably Jesus's Mentor but they were friends and so he would have missed John the Baptist Presence at a very important time in his life Lord teach us to pray as John did his disciples in Luke's gospel one of Jesus's disciples asked him Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples and then Jesus gives us the Lord's prayer Our Father in heaven Hallowed Be Your [Music] Name Your Kingdom Come The Lord's Prayer is important to this day I think because it connects us to this larger tradition of prayer as Jesus prayed and taught his disciples he's following the pattern of John the Baptist your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread John's legac Legacy is one of a good and faithful servant but a fiery one at that he never pulled any punches he never spoke anything but the truth no matter where he was he said he was there to prepare the way for the one who was to come and that's exactly what he did he was a faithful servant today every single time a Christian is dipped in that water sprinkled with that water and is baptized there's a little bit of John the Baptist there John had laid the groundwork the seeds that he placed around Palestine were taking rote I was put on Earth to do one thing one Divine Purpose I knew Jesus as a student and as a friend I had always thought that my task was to find him instead he found [Music] me the story of Jesus is The Greatest Story Ever Told don't up where is he for over 2,000 years the story of Jesus Christ has touched the lives of billions around the globe Jesus felt what we felt he faced what we face today if we want to understand Western history at all we must understand the story of Jesus now for the first time his story is told Through The Eyes of those who knew him best is that my son Mary the mother of Jesus is a critical figure in Christianity Today stay safe but the relationship between Mary and Jesus is a complicated one today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing he was going to make choices that were Beyond her control this man is no Messiah Mary understood that Jesus was special Jesus had a mission Jesus was going to live his life differently can't stop him I have to [Music] try my name is Mary the mother of Jesus I've always known there was a special plan for my son a plan God would someday reveal I've longed for that moment and I fear heed it Jesus Jesus we don't know much about Jesus as a child we we hear about his birth and we hear about his Adult Ministry but there's only one story in the Bible of Jesus as a young boy excuse me have you seen little boy no all right come on when Jesus is 12 years old Mary and Joseph take him to Jerusalem to visit the temple at Passover Jerusalem would have been a mad house at Passover you have Jews from all over the regions of the Roman Empire here in their holy city during this time and upon their return Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus isn't among them they couldn't find him I can't imagine what was going through their minds Jesus Jesus come on it's not him tomorrow we will find him yes Mary knew that Jesus was the son of God that Jesus was potentially a threat to the Roman Empire and so when Jesus disappeared it's likely that she was really concerned about his well-being my only mission was to keep Jesus safe when he was young Joseph and I had to flee to save his life life come when Jesus was a very young child King Herod tried to have him killed this was known as the massacre of the [Music] innocent so to escapee certain death Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt with the Infant Jesus it's only after herod's death that they return to Galilee and they make their home in Nazareth this is almost like a retelling of The Exodus story they're coming out of Egypt and back into the Promised Land after several days of frantic searching the city Mary and Joseph finally turned to the Temple Mount now Jesus was gone who was he with why did he leave us I didn't understand Jesus have you seen a young boy running around here have you seen a little boy no one the temple in Jerusalem was regarded not just as we would regard a church or a synagogue today it was regarded as the house of God I've asked everyone okay we'll find him we're looking for our son Jesus he's 12 yes yes when they finally locate Jesus he's up in the temple apparently holding court with some of the religious figures debating with them and they're astonished at some of the things he knows why have you treated us like this your mother and I have been searching everywhere for you why were you searching for me Mary is shocked to find him there and he turns around and of says well what did you expect where did you expect to find me you should have known know that I had to be here in my father's house this is the only story from the Bible we have of Jesus as a child the whole point is to show Jesus was special even at a young age at 12 years old there was something different about him this was the first notion that Mary had that he was going to make choices that were Beyond her control and that were a part of what he had been called to live out until now Joseph and I had kept Jesus safe knowing his secret wouldn't be ours [Music] forever the New Testament doesn't tell us anything anything more about Jesus until he's a grown man we don't even know what happens to Joseph the tradition is that he dies before Jesus begins his Adult Ministry many Christians today would be surprised to hear that Jesus had brothers and sisters but it's very clearly and unambiguously stated in the New Testament we don't know the names of Jesus's sisters but the gospels of Matthew and Mark give us the names of his brothers Simon Judah Joseph and James there's a great debate over whether these brothers and sisters are actually Jesus's direct brothers and sisters biologically from Mary and Joseph or stepchildren Joseph and another Catholics believe that Mary was always a virgin and so many Catholics believe these may have been Joseph's children from a former marriage protest have no problem with Jesus uh having natural brothers and sisters we know very little about what's called The Hidden life of Jesus which are the years from 12 to 30 but we presume him to be a carpenter who's been working in Nazareth all this time Joseph's death would have had a significant impact on Mary it would have really shifted her relationship with Jesus because now Jesus as her firstborn son should have taken the role of the man of the house must you leave now I must Jesus left his brothers to do the job of supporting the family and I think that there was very likely some animus between Jesus and his brothers especially James precisely because of this I leave my mother in good hands I Think Jesus left Nazareth because of a deep-seated call he knew it was his time as his mother I'd done all I could I could see he now had to leave me I didn't know where or to what but I had faith in God and my son is that my son months passed with no word but when I finally saw Jesus again he was different he was well happy surrounded by friends a man with a new purpose the very first time um that we know for sure after Jesus had already begun collecting disciples that he saw his mother is at the wedding feast in Kaa Kaa is a small village not far from Nazareth and it's important in Jesus's Ministry because it's the sight of Jesus's first public Miracle Mary noticed great changes in Jesus when she saw him again at the wedding at canaa Jesus had not only gone and been baptized and been blessed by the Holy Spirit but he had gone through the Temptations in the desert he had fought all of those great struggles and won Peter Andrew John this is my mother well the wedding of Kaa was really the point where Jesus launched his ministry he's now with a number of fishermen who are his disciples I'm not sure the disciples were actually invited U you know they just might have come along kind of like The Wedding Crashers you know you are very welcome here I will get you something to drink some wine Mary is quite involved in the wedding in Kaa she seems to be close friends with the bride and the groom Jewish weddings at this time lasted for several days the drinking lasted many days and late into the nights they were one of the rare occasions where even a poor family might celebrate in excess running out of wine at a first century Jewish celebration would have been embarrassing especially at such a family and communal celebration it could well be that Mary not only felt responsibility about the wine itself but also that this was an opportunity for her son to make a statement about his ministry they run out of wi Mary says to him they've run out of wine as if to say you should really do something about this Jesus's response is almost snippy de why he want both he calls her woman he doesn't call her mother because Jesus has to act on the authority of his heavenly father not his Earthly mother it's not my tell you she's encouraging him to embrace who he is Embrace who he knows he is and embrace who she knows he is do whatever he tells you fill these doors with water now draw some [Music] out it was the first public miracle that Jesus performed it let people know there was something different about this man Jesus it was the Prelude of many miracles to come Jesus is clearly different now he's the wonder worker he's The Miracle Worker he is the messiah in front of everyone and in front of Mary his mother too what did I expect of him I didn't know but I didn't anticipate what Jesus would do next Mary seems to have moved the Heart of Jesus Jesus doesn't seem to be ready to begin his public Ministry with the first miracle and yet Mary says to Jesus this is the time look these people need you make me understand the way of your PRI and I will meditate on your wondrous work this is a pivotal place in Jesus ministry when the Miracles start to happen when he's going to be healing and teaching and preaching and start to live into his calling people are talking the drunk can believe what they see and you don't the behavior of Jesus would have certainly caused tension with his siblings especially uh James he is moving into incredibly dangerous territory I could see how the changes in Jesus frightened James but I didn't know yet how others would react people Jesus knew knew as he was growing up were galileans so they were provincials slightly mocked by the grander more sophisticated people in Jerusalem they were Pious they lived simple Jewish lives and had an ideal dream life of jewishness ruled by heroic King the [Music] Messiah when Jesus returns to Nazareth having begun his Adult Ministry he goes and speaks in the synagogue the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor he has sent me to Proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to let the oppressed Go free Jesus read from the book of Isaiah and he talked about the coming of the Messiah and in doing this he starts to imply for the first time that he may himself be the much longed for messiah today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing does he know what he's saying he's presenting himself as a messiah as the Messiah which they've been waiting on and all of a sudden it's their it's the little boy that grew up down the street it's you can't be he's not saying it outright but you can't have but hear what Jesus is saying is this a this man is no Messiah the religious Scholars were hearing blasphemy and the traditionalists who had been waiting for a messiah who would be a king similar to David were upset Julie I tell you no Prophet is accepted in his hometown please Jesus was surprised by the reaction he says a prophet is not welcome in their Hometown as is not honored in their Hometown which is a fiery response to come back I think he was a bit shocked but he continued and pressed the issue even more and they reacted fairly violently get very extreme in the synagogue his neighbors rise up they intend to take him out to a hill throw him off and stone [Applause] him now his life is in real danger because in the first century harsh sentences were Meed out for all sorts of transgressions so here is Jesus the crowds pushing him toward the cliff holding him as he is getting nearer to the edge that would be terrifying now his life is in Peril this story leads to a climax where simply because of Jesus's presence and conviction and lack of fear and cowering he's able to Triumph and scripture says and he passed through the multitude he's able to ease himself out of there short of death and leaves he was prepared for rejection and he predicted it he goes back to Nazareth to try to make clear to them that something big is happening but he's not expecting much of a positive [Music] response the act of running Jesus out of town fits completely with the scripture the statement that Jesus is not only prop Prophet but will become Messiah that prophets are not accepted in their own town he was only beginning to realize his power but now my neighbors saw Jesus as more than just my son and I was afraid for him after Jesus spoke at the synagogue some of our neighbors were angry others were resentful they didn't understand I would bet that Marion got Furious about the reaction in Nazareth here's her son the person that she has held up nurtured worked towards being a messiah and yet he's rejected by her home her friends her family her neighbors look if you're someone claiming to be the Messiah in the Galilee this is going to do nothing but attract Rome Jesus claims of being the Messiah puts not only Jesus At Risk but it puts the entire Village of Nazareth at risk we're situated in a world in which the Romans do not respond kindly to the idea of their power their kingship being challenged by anyone and for any reason when Jesus was a little boy there was a rebellion in a town called sephus near his home in Nazareth the Romans sent in 15,000 legionaries they massacred the rebels they burned the town and afterwards They Crucified 2,000 Jews the message was clear Rome was the greatest Empire in the world and this is what happened if you rebelled against it I knew they were frightened but I prayed that someday they would embrace my son after Jesus is rejected and Naz Nazareth he heads down to capernum on the Sea of Galilee and it's here where the Adult Ministry of Jesus really begins compar them is the international Crossroads in the Galilee roads coming all the way from Damascus through to Egypt huge influx of visitors there were people coming from all different Traditions all different areas and it makes complete sense that Jesus made an intentional decision to base in Capernaum to give the broadest audience the widest hearing of his message it's while Jesus is based in Capernaum that he starts to travel around the smaller towns and Villages of Galilee and his reputation starts to grow he now starts preaching in Earnest and Performing Miracles performing miracles for Jesus was a dangerous task he was doing something that was going to turn the world upside down was building this deep relationship with people not just through teaching of scripture but he was touching and healing walking with and speaking with the very people Rome disrespected and now people are listening to him his story his Fame is spreading everywhere the ministry of Jesus is centered on those who have their backs against the law those who are marginalized and dismissed by Society forgotten by everyone in the gospel a leer comes to Jesus and asks to be healed leprosy is mentioned 13 times in the New Testament so it's clearly a very common disease a very feared one takes years to kill you and there's no cure but it also means that the person who has leprosy is the most despised figure in society it was widely believed that it was [Music] contagious Le lepry is a bacterial disease that was a death sentence in the ancient world be clean and yet Jesus reaches out and touches the leper and the leper is healed when Jesus healed a leer it shows us that he's concerned about the marginalized those that are cast out lepers you weren't supposed to touch they were seen as unclean yet he went to them he loved them and he healed them we began to hear stories I was proud of Jesus but I also feared for my son there has been talk about Jesus they say he's Healing The Sick don't Judah once Jesus started performing healings once his ministry started growing there was actually a danger to his family back in Nazareth if Jesus was in danger Mary and his his brothers and sisters were in danger as well his preaching is what concerns me they're calling him a madman and worse charlatan what else have you heard he even touched a leper Judah stop he made him clean this is too much he's helping he behaves like a Baptist and they served his head on a plate if his own Brothers couldn't Embrace him Jesus what would happen to my son are the things they say true what do they say that he heal the sick in John's gospel there's a story where Jesus's brothers confront him and they they want to know why he doesn't reveal himself in public why have you returned do you even care about the trouble this will bring us I think his family is worried because they know how violent the Roman government can be they have seen it before and they also know that the Jewish leaders could be very vicious too when it comes to threatening their power threatening their Authority why don't you leave here and go to Judea where your followers can see your Miracles finish your food jams no one who wants to be famous acts in secret my time has not yet come Jesus says over and over again my time is not yet come and so when his brothers push him it's very easy to read Jesus as being frustrated that he has this responsibility that they don't have and that that's a point of contention in the family we played on the ashes of sephus so you know your words and deeds put us all in danger enough I have to wonder if James was not a supporter of Jesus out of rivalry in what family is any brother a supporter of any other brother when a brother is walking around claiming to be the Son of God right his own Brothers couldn't grasp what Jesus was saying and each time he left it became harder to explain I didn't know what would come next but I knew everything was changing I believe Mary is always aware of Jesus's calling and Jesus's character his siblings the scriptures aren't so clear so I think Mary's the one that was always there for him always locked down and always supportive and clear on his call with Mary there's this tension she knows Jesus is the Messiah but she's his mother she wants to guide him and protect him but she knows he has a greater [Music] purpose love your enemies do good to those who hate you bless those who curse you in Galilee Jesus begins preaching and Performing Miracles and in the same way that his hometown rejected him people in Capernaum start to follow and pay attention to Jesus if someone slaps you on one cheek and turn to them the other also the sermon of the mount is is the most important speech that Jesus makes in the Bible do to others as you would have them do to you it speaks to desires and ethics that many nations have attempted uh to write into some of their own policy do not judge you will not be judged forgive and you will be forgiven what Jesus taught was quite different from other Jewish prophets at the time love your neighbor not just your Jewish neighbor but your enemy love your enemy this was a message long before its time and that message helped shape a new world this was in itself a revolutionary and radical message and it implication was threatening to The Establishment and to the ruling [Music] class tell me he's in trouble when I saw Andrew I knew it had to be bad news it started out as a debate in the synagogue in Capernaum and it and it got out of hand in capernum Jesus encounters a man who has a withered hand and Jesus understands this as an opportunity to heal a man but the healing takes place on a Sabbath the Pharisees feel that this is not legal that he shouldn't be doing this but Jesus's attitude is that it's good he openly defied a Pharisee what was he thinking Pharisees regarded themselves as Guardians of the faith they weren't necessarily Jesus's natural enemies in fact but they were part of the establishment he was taking on I had no choice I needed to be with my son the around can't stop him I have to try Mary and Jesus's family hurry to Capernaum because they're afraid that the Romans or the authorities are going to do something bad to Jesus when Mary and Jesus's family hear about his miracles in Capernaum they basically perform a modern day intervention it would have taken Jesus's family a couple of days to travel the 40 miles from Nazareth to Capernaum and when they arrived they would have seen the street thronged with people all there to witness his miraculous works in the gospel of Matthew the Pharisees bring a blind and mute man to Jesus saying that he's possessed by a devil it is a question of what Jesus is going to do can he heal him how is he going to heal him should he heal him by what power will he do it the situation becomes volatile it's clear that the Pharisees are out to get him bringing him people to exercise to see what he's going to do particularly on the Sabbath [Music] in front of the assembled crowd Jesus draws the evil spirit out from the man and the man is cured Jesus heals this man who blind mute possessed by demons the crowd are amazed they hail him as the new son of David basically the Messiah the Pharisees on the other hand are not so impressed the Pharisees say is he someone who is in League with be elah with the demons themselves this is why he's able to heal this man this is fascinating in that this is a moment that's orchestrated by the Pharisees to raise this very question of Jesus's identity Authority and power the charge was being made that Jesus was actually in association with the devil and Jesus's family are worried about this you br of fius how can you who are evil say anything that is good for the mouth speaks what the heart is full of I don't think the gospels are very fair to the Pharisees the gospels are written to portray the Pharisees as the bad guys a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him but I tell you that everyone will be brought to account on the day of judgment to every empty word spoken [Applause] hey out of his mind it's in me Jesus had never been more clear Jesus would fulfill his Destiny no matter the [Music] [Applause] [Music] sacrifice as I watch Jesus perform miracles I realized his mission had begun it's at Capernaum that Jesus says one of the harshest things about his family recorded in the Bible Peter it's your mother and brother Jesus is told your mother and your brothers are here and Jesus says oh are my mother are my brothers here here are my mother and my brothers whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother that's right this is Jesus saying traditional Family Ties don't matter matter what matters is this new family this new kingdom this new discipleship of following me and that must have hurt Mary and James I think Capernaum is a turning point for Jesus and his family he's making clear that his pathway is for him alone but I believe that Mary understood that Jesus was special Jesus had a mission Jesus was going to live his life differently than the rest of her children and I think Mary understood that he was moving forward in his ministry he's my brother and I fear for him no and I can't understand why he's doing this why he would put us in this kind of danger you will James's story is really fascinating he remains antagonistic as far as we can tell to Jesus throughout his public Ministry but after the crucifixion and Resurrection he sees his brother risen and it transforms him he even in the end becomes the leader of the Jerusalem Church Mary knows that Jesus is someone very special she knows that he plays this huge role in God's plan and she might even think of him as God incarnate and the Messiah that was promised to the Jews that said she's conflicted about what that means for her relationship with her son she doesn't want to let him go she doesn't want him to be in danger and she certainly doesn't want him to die we are going up to Jerusalem and the son of man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death the way the New Testament gospels tell the story Jesus is reconciled to his fate Jesus travels to Jerusalem because it's at the epicenter of Jewish life it is the culminating point of his mission it's the place where he has to go Mary had a vision about who Jesus was going to be from the moment she conceived and so Not only was she a typical mother who knows her child well but she also had a spiritual understanding of who Jesus [Music] was think married to Jesus was his Source of Life his point of creation his inspiration you know it's his mother and is the person without Joseph in the picture she's The Matriarch she's the one parent she's the lifeline for him and I think that's where it's it starts and it ends I am Mary the mother of Jesus I've raised my son and I love him but I must let him go may God keep him [Music] safe the story of Jesus is The Greatest Story Ever Told help don't up where is he for over 2,000 years the story of Jesus Christ has touched the lives of billions around the globe Jesus felt what we felt he faced what we face today if we want to understand Western history at all we must understand the story of Jesus now for the first time his story is told Through The Eyes of those who knew him best one of you will betray me judas's betrayal of Jesus is one of the great Mysteries of the New Testament he has to be stopped Judas probably began asking himself is this the kind of Messiah I want to follow he betrayed Jesus for reasons we don't understand do what you have to do but do it quickly I'm not sure that Judas fully realizes the impact that this is going to have are you betraying the son of man with a kiss every story needs a bad guy and and he's [Music] it [Music] Lazarus come out [Music] each of us grows up hoping we can make our Mark become something special until Jesus came into my life I was a nobody but not now now the world will remember the name Judas Iscariot forever the raising of Lazarus from the dead is the greatest miracle in Jesus's Ministry Baron and it would have impressed and astonished and even terrified his closest disciples including Judas es scariot judas's scariot is the symbol of betrayal even for people who don't know the biblical Stories the name Judas means traitor get back all of you the reason why Judas decides to betray Jesus is one of the biggest mysteries of the New Testament it's not a h done it we know who did it it's a why done it why did Judas decide to give up Jesus get back said get back we don't know a lot about judas's relationship with Jesus he wasn't one of those disciples that was mentioned all the time however we do know that he spent a lot of time with Jesus be careful lord it's too late for that now these crowds are dangerous this is nothing compared to the dangers I will soon face Judas was close to Jesus in his inner circle Jesus was good to him yet Judas was overcome by Darkness he betrayed Jesus for reasons we don't understand this makes Judas uh compelling and and mysterious character it was the best thing that ever happened to me I was proud to call him a friend ask and it will be given you search you will find there's a possibility that Judas was a little different than the rest of the Disciples of Jesus most of them came from the Galilee where Jesus was from but judas's name a scariot appears to be a southern name a Judean name it might be that he's named after a town there is a town called kot so maybe he comes from that town Judas is karot or maybe and this is the most exciting sort of compelling Theory there's a group of kind of trained assassins in the first century called the sikari from these daggers that they carry uh and maybe Iscariot comes from sikari so he's actually kind of one of these dagger men Judas actually has a job among the Disciples of Jesus and he's their Treasurer and this would have been an important job uh among a group that doesn't have a lot of money which seems to speak to a level of trust I mean most people don't um entrust their banking situation to people that are untrustworthy there's a moment in the Gospel of John where Jesus is at Mary and Martha's house and Mary comes up to Jesus with a jar of ointment Mary begins anointing Jesus as an act of gratitude because Jesus has resurrected her brother Lazarus from the dead Mary brings out this ptic nard which was the ancient an equivalent of Chanel Number Five this is not cheap perfume why wasn't this perfume sold and money given to the poor I thought that that jar is worth a week's wage leave her alone why do you trouble her she has performed a good service for me this rebuking by Jesus marks a kind of turning point for Judas it's the first time we see him actually in opposition to Jesus I was only thinking of those who are less fortunate you will always have the poor you can show them kindness whenever you wish you will not always have me Judas always had his mind on the financial aspects of Jesus's Ministry this was his job but Jesus yells at him for doing the responsible thing embarrassing him in front of the disciples maybe that was something that caused Judas to think twice about his following Jesus I was convinced he couldn't see how much I cared I thought he was mocking me that's the only way I can explain it there's a lot of symbolism in Mary's anointing of Jesus the idea is that Mary sees Jesus for who he is the Messiah and there are some who argue that Mary was actually foreshadowing the the prepar ation for Jesus's burial while he was alive so she understands and she's doing this act of service for him and Jesus understands but Judas clearly doesn't this actually is the beginning of the end for Judas as a disciple because he begins to part ways with Jesus's [Music] ways what are your plans for Passover Lord we will enter Jerusalem again or just March back in there after last time am I the only one who cares for the rabbi safety Jesus was taking a huge risk Jerusalem at the best of times is extremely fraud it's extremely dangerous and then of course Jesus knows that he's been chased out of Jerusalem before for his teachings it is not for your good work that we are going to Stone but for blasphemy Jesus was coming into a lot of confrontation with the Jewish authorities he was putting himself on a dangerous path that might put him into confrontation with the Roman authorities that was a dangerous path that could get him killed [Music] although Jesus and his disciples know that Jerusalem especially on Passover is an incredibly dangerous place to be they have to go if they're going to continue preaching Jesus's message of Salvation and afterlife Jerusalem the capital both politically and religiously is the only place that they can do it go to the Village over there and I want you will find a donkey TI there with a cult untie them and bring them to me Jesus absolutely knows what he's doing he's orchestrating this entire [Music] scene he's going to get on the back of a donkey and ride up into Jerusalem in fact he's fulfilling a prophecy of Zachariah that says see your king comes to you righteous and and Victorious gentle and riding on a donkey Jesus is basically reenacting the coronation of the ancient Kings of Israel first century of Jerusalem was essentially a powder cake under Roman occupation and Roman oppression the Jews are looking for God to save them from this present oppression the Jewish people do not like the Roman occupiers and they're waiting for somebody to liberate them so when Jesus enters Jerusalem it's potentially a big bomb waiting to go off bless in the highest Jesus is coming to Jerusalem to say the status quo is corrupt the current world is wrong and we need to change it now blessed is the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David I was convinced my destiny was to stand at the right hand of the king not to seal his [Music] [Applause] Fate by writing up into Jerusalem on a donkey Jesus is claiming to be the king of Israel he's setting himself on a collision course both against the Jewish establishment and the Roman authority Jesus The Miracle Worker has now become the political and religious [Applause] agitator heading for the temple I want reinforcements sent there now malcus is described as the servant of the high priest somebody who was involved with security the concern for the authorities is that Jesus is getting a huge hearing there are many crowds who are very excited about this charismatic [Applause] profit Jerusalem probably had about 50,000 permanent residents and one estimate is it was tfold bigger at Passover a half million people a crowd can Revolt a crowd can be dangerous so the Romans are very nervous about what Jesus is doing in the first century ad Jewish religion was based around Worship in the temple and as a Jew if you were in the area you were expected to go to the temple in Jerusalem at least once a year to Venture near the temple Temple is to go to the center of the world the center of the universe and to actually approach God himself at the heart of the practice of Judaism was the sacrifice of um of animals at the Jewish temple there are tables or booths that are set up for money changers people are coming from all over the Empire in order to have sacrifices performed for them and they're bringing their money you had to pay in Jewish currency because Roman money had the image of the emperor on it which was um idolatrous for Jews so you had to change the money Everybody's In This Together the money changers the people selling the animals and the priesthood are all making a little bit of money and this makes Jesus angry this place should be a house of prayer for all nations would you have made it a den of robbers get out get out all of you outou get out Jesus causes a huge Ruckus a riot yeah something that was very very dangerous in this particular setting you sit up this way Lord It's hard to tell what Judas would have thought he probably began asking himself I liked his message when it was about forgiveness and peace and love but now this guy is about to become Public Enemy Number One is this the kind of Messiah I want to [Music] follow Jesus's anger with the money changers is really an expression of his disgust for Caiaphas the high priest growing fat and Rich from Roman favor and the money of honest Jewish pilgrims one can talk about kayas with understanding if not sympathy there were constant riots rebellions which were all brutally put down by the Romans with massive um loss of life he drove the merchants from the temple so Caiaphas was really just trying to save lives by preventing a new outbreak of instability in Jerusalem look to the Romans that we can't control our own people kap's big fear is that Jesus is going to spark some sort of rebellion this Troublemaker of a King has to be stopped Caiaphas will probably be sacked but at its worst it could it could lead to the suppression of the entire practice of Judaism by the Romans Jesus is now in the crosshairs of Caiaphas this means that Jesus has to be dealt with immediately and severely I I need to see Kus now please just let me pass judas's betrayal of Jesus is one of the great Mysteries of the New Testament I think Judas saw Jesus as not what he had hoped a messiah would be and he was deeply disappointed and disillusioned it's about Jesus as the gospels are written different explanations are given as for why Judas betrayed Jesus Remember Mark just simply says Judas sought out to betray Jesus Luke actually says that Satan entered into Judas and that's why he did it uh John just calls Judas the devil but the best reason is probably Jesus wasn't the kind of Messiah that Judas was looking for I can imagine when Judas went to the high priest he was torn and confused I don't think he realized the magnitude of what he was about to do I think a lot of people lose sight of The Human Side of Judas they just see him as the evil guy wearing the black hat but Judas was actually wrestling with a difficult decision he wasn't sure he had doubts can I ask why you've come to us he has to be stopped you must look for an opportunity to hand him over so I quiet this is for your efforts according to the gospel of Matthew Judas receives 30 pieces of silver now it depends on whether these are daeri or shekels so it's either going to be one month's wages or four months's wages but either way this is a significant amount of money to just give Caiaphas the time and the date and the location of where Jesus is going to be in itself it would not have been enough to motivate Judas to betray Jesus but when you add it to all of the things that Judas was now objecting to about Jesus this was just enough to push him over the top I'm not sure that Judas fully understands the impact that this is going to have I'm not sure that he's fully wrapped his mind around the Eternal import of his decision to betray Jesus the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples is a celebration of the Jewish Passover the Passover Festival gets its name from the story in the book of Exodus where God literally passes over the entirety of the land of Egypt to slay the firstborn sons of the Egyptians he doesn't slay the firstborn of Jewish households because Jews have slaughtered a lamb taken the blood from the lamb to put on their doorposts as a sign that they are Jewish households the scene at the Last Supper was remarkable there was so much love in that room and yet at the same time you have in that same room the disciple that would betray Jesus you're very quiet friend am I this last supper was an incredibly awkward moment for Judas he knows that he's betrayed Jesus but he's not sure if Jesus is aware of this I've eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer I will not eat again until the Fulfillment of the kingdom of God Jesus starts talking about his death and this is confusing to the [Music] disciples this is my body which is given for you do this in memory of me take it I eat it essentially Jesus is taking a well-known Jewish tradition the Passover meal and he's adding to it new meaning and he's saying this isn't just the bread that's broken at Passover this is my body which is broken for you this is the blood of my Covenant which is poured out for many this isn't just the wine that is drunk during Passover this is my blood which is shed for you we see this is a point of separation between Judaism in Christianity where Jews continue to celebrate the Passover and Christians now will celebrate the Eucharist or the Holy Communion and this becomes one of the Essential Elements of Christianity I have no doubt the disciples couldn't take it all in but they knew it was serious and that it looked like Jesus was headed for a fate they had not anticipated and the Last Supper becomes all the more somber one of you will betray me one who's eating him which of us is the Traer Lord it is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in this isue surely you don't mean me when Jesus single out Judas and hands Judas that piece of bread that must have been a gut-wrenching feeling for Judas do what you have to do do it quickly and suddenly Judas is gone so at some point during the meal Judas was so scared or embarrassed that he just slipped away into the night maybe the disciples thought well he's going out to do something Jesus wanted him to do I don't think they any of them thought that what he's really going to do is go and betray Jesus Jesus is Calling out of Judas shows either one of two things either his Divine knowledge of everything that is going to happen or his simple human intuition Jesus knows what Judas is going to do because Jesus knows Judas so [Music] well if he knew what I was about to do why didn't he stop me but then again why should he it was my choice to carry out this crime against everything I believed in it was the the coward you see now committed the ultimate sin against him I think Judas may even have thought Jesus must want me to do this Jesus has a death wish it's [Music] time after the Last Supper jesus takes his disciples out of the security the confines of the walls of Jerusalem across the valley to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray he he did this a lot and Judas knows this Gethsemane itself means oil press and so we probably are talking about a Vineyard which grows olives my father if it is possible let this cou of suffering be taken away from me in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus seems to be going through real anguish he's pleading with God he sees what is coming and he is traumatized by the possibility of this impending suffering and death yet it is your will that I want to be done not mine it is clear that he doesn't want to die but eventually he understands that this is his father's will and he accepts it a group of the high priest's servants and Temple guards are sent to arrest Jesus this includes malus Jesus was very popular and Caiaphas was reluctant to arrest Jesus publicly What Judas could offer Caiaphas is knowledge about where Jesus would be in private you ready for this the one I K is the man many early Christians greeted one another with a holy kiss this is something that has been initiated throughout Jesus's Ministry by Jesus himself Rabbi Judas are you betraying the son of man with a kiss do what you came for friend rest him when it Dawns on Peter that what's going on is a betrayal he takes violent action against mcus put your SW back in his place for all who draw the sword will die by it after Peter cuts the ear of malus Jesus heals the damage Jesus was committed to a Ministry of nonviolence and he certainly doesn't want the climax of his Earthly Ministry to be marred by a violation of his basic ethical principles take them all take them all go with that bitter kiss I tore down everything he gave his all to [Music] build where' you think you're going I'm part of this the job here is done Informer Jesus is fully human and fully divine but the fully human part the man would have felt deeply betrayed by one of his closest friends one of the TW Apostles betraying him in this way this is the moment that's been building for so long Jesus meets Caiaphas for the first time an innocent man meets the man who's trying to defend Judaism and the Jewish faith against what he believes to be a rabble Rouser I do think that Judas when he began to realize what he had done deeply regretted it there were ideas in the Jewish circles that the Messiah is going to be a military leader he was going to lead the Jews to freedom from their oppressors so if this was the case maybe Judas thought that that moment of Jesus stand for Caiaphas that Jesus would have the opportunity to be that Messiah to come and to show his power this is the man who has caused me so much trouble with his baring and his miracles smile all you like but I will prove you are no Messiah there is a real battle that's going to take place and the big question is is justice is going to be shown to Jesus I realized how desperate they were to silence in him and how I had played right into the high priest's hands Lord what have I done to carry out such treachery against the man I loved above all others thank you for coming at such short notice Kias calls together the Sanhedrin Sanhedrin simply means Council this is a group of important people in Jerusalem that Kias has brought together in order to judge Jesus do you recognize this man yes I saw him at the temple doing what driving pilgrims out into the street there are all sorts of peculiarities about the Sanhedrin trial it's taking place in the middle of the night it's taking place on a holy day you have false Witnesses involved under Jewish law this is all illegal did he make any claims to his followers he he said he was able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in 3 days one of the responsibilities of the Sanhedrin is to address problems of blasphemy and Sedition questions of whether or not somebody is being a good Jew both in terms of their ritual conduct but also their social conduct are you not going to answer these accusations what is it this testimony that these Witnesses are bringing against you I charge you tell us you are the Messiah the Son of God this is a key moment in the trial as far as Caiaphas is concerned he's making Jesus claim Divine Authority setting himself up way above the priests as high in Authority as God himself it's kind of worse than blasphemy you have said so but I say to all of you from now on you will see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one on the Clouds Of Heaven Jesus is claiming that he's going to be sitting at the right hand of God to have authority above not only Caiaphas but equal with God and this to Caiaphas is blasphemy and punishable by death the irony is that Jesus turns the tables on the high priest and says you think you're judging me I'll be back to judge [Music] you what about the rest of you what do you think this Messiah deserves he is worthy of death Judas expected that the authorities would treat Jesus fairly not a kangaru court is that the opinion of you all you you most of the Sanhedrin will back Caiaphas they're opposed to Jesus but there are these two Joseph of ARA and Nicodemus and they're not followers of Jesus but they're curious about him Nicodemus do you agree the question is do they have the courage to stand up against Caiaphas and say no we're not ready to pass judgment against a potentially innocent [Music] man Joseph then it is decided take the prisoner Jesus away Joseph of ARA and Nicodemus have caved into pressure voting along with the rest of the Sanhedrin and they find Jesus guilty Judas is destroyed this is not the end that he was hoping for Judas was trying to throw Jesus into the deep end and trying to force Jesus's hand to see what he would do but of course that backfired Judas probably thought maybe Jesus would even perform some great miracle or something like that but Jesus appears humble shamed and Judas is horrified by the spectacle one of the problems with the trial of Jesus is that because the gospels depict the Jewish authorities as holding what is essentially an illegal trial in order to condemn Jesus it makes the Jews and therefore the Jewish people throughout history look like awful people the presentations of Judas and the gospels have fed into anti-Semitism because what's happened is that Judas has been seen as a kind of standing for the Jewish people but the Jewish people were not responsible either then or today for Jesus's death I finally understood my True Legacy I was the man who handed Jesus over to his executioners Lord what have I done I never thought it would end like this you know there was a time when it felt like nothing could stop us until some evil seed sprouted into my mind and made me doubt his every word hi go one gospel account you do have Judas at the end wanting to give back the money of approach recognizing that he was complicit and setting up an innocent [Music] man I have sinned for I have betrayed innocent blood what is that to us that is your responsibility I don't want your blood money do you hear me I don't want your blood money I don't want it hey you hear me I don't want it k no get off hey I don't want the blood Money k I come back here I don't want it I don't want it after the deed is done and after he can't return the money rather than seek forgiveness rather than seek atonement uh Judas is probably overwhelmed by guilt was I born like this a weak minded treacherous coward but did I let Satan somehow creep into my soul it's the age-old question the question of fault was it judas's fault that he did what he did well the reality is we as human beings have free will story of Judas shows us the battle between good and evil here is someone who after all was chosen by Jesus to be one of the Apostles so there's clearly some good in him but then at the end he turns towards choosing evil so there's this great sense of a battle going on within Judas throughout the gospels I think what's fascinating about Judas is that we never really get a handle on his motivation makes him really compelling I think people want to understand it or maybe he's just a bad guy too and people also need a [Music] villain in an arer and shame culture it's better to die than to live publicly with the shame of having done the wrong thing to a great person I wish I could go back to those precious months when I first knew Jesus praying together spreading his word but not now I'm destined for a darker Place God will never forgive the crime I committed against his beloved Son the New Testament actually gives us two separate accounts of judas's death in the gospel of Matthew he tragically commits suicide by hanging himself whereas in the book of Acts he goes into a field Falls over and his guts burst open Judas presents us with a huge theological conundrum and that is that without the actions of Judas Jesus doesn't get handed over to the Romans to be executed so if Judas hadn't done what he did we wouldn't have the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus which is the centerpiece of the Christian faith high priest Caiaphas here with a prisoner Jesus to see pre F pilot you gave me no choice you brought this on yourself

Channel: HISTORY

Views: 1,552,770

Keywords: history, history channel, history shows, history channel shows, the history channel, documentary history channel, history documentary, documentary, history channel full episodes, documentaries, history channel documentaries, Jesus: His Life | From the Nativity to the FIRST Miracles *3 Hour Marathon*, 3 hour marathon, marathon, jesus, the life of jesus, nativity, miracles, jesus' miracles, From the Nativity to the FIRST Miracles, jesus marathon, jesus life, the miracles of jesus

Id: 1pGhz0y65FY

Length: 170min 7sec (10207 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 08 2023