Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith - Jesus and the Revolution, Part 03 - The Enemy and the Allure of Now

Jesus and the Revolution, Part 03 - The Enemy and the Allure of Now

06/20/22 • 43 min

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Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

The divine rescue - of which the ministry of Jesus is the decisive act - is not merely to be understood as the securing of a heavenly afterlife for the faithful, but the restoration of a fallen creation. To be "saved" is to be set free, to be healed and to be counted a citizen of the "kingdom of God."

But such freedom recognizes there we are presently captives, subjects of a hostile regime. There is an enemy that must be defeated. But identifying that enemy - the actual enemy - can be quite difficult.

In this episode we turn to the story of Jesus's "temptation" in the wilderness as Matthew helps us see that this is Evil's attempt at a negotiated victory. Why not accept some comfort here, some glory there and a whole lot of earthly power? All that is required is to let Evil continue it's work behind the scenes... It's an offer Jesus managed to refuse..., but one we are quite often willing to accept in an instant. And the thing about deals with the devil is...there is never a deal.

It can help to follow along visually, so the text for this sermon can be found here --> Matthew 4:1-11 (NRSV)

If you value the podcast and are able to support the community from which it comes, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Canvas Presbyterian Church here! (Thank you!!!) For more series, resources and means of contacting me, simply head to jesusat2am.com or send me email here!

It can help to follow along visually, so the text for this sermon can be found here --> Matthew 4:1-11 (NRSV)

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Jesus and the Revolution, Part 02 - A Prophet as of Old

God's Revolution to Restore All Creation begins with a cry to all Israel to prepare for war. But not the war Israel expected... For decades tensions with Rome had been growing. Various political and religious sects (think Pharisees, Sadducees, et al.) were staking out their positions in the coming conflict. Swords and spears were beginning to be sharpened.

And at that time, on the banks of the Jordan (the boundry of the promised land), John the Baptist beckoned God's people to "repent!, because the Kingdom of God (the restoration of God's direct reign in creation) has come near." The battle, the rebellion, is about to begin. It is time to choose a side and pledge allegiance to a leader - to the prophet God will send... It can help to follow along visually, so the text for this sermon can be found here --> Matthew 3:1-17 (NRSV)

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The Podcast Returns!

Yes, you read that correctly, the podcast is returning!! Returning on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 to be exact.

It has been a long two-and-a-half years... a break I never expected. But a pretty bad case of burnout hit me hard and it's taken some time to recover and build some new habits that make podcasting possible once again!

New episodes begin this coming Wednesday and each Wednesday thereafter - starting with a series on The Abundant Life, a very unexpected look at the 10 commandments.

If you want to catch the end of the series Hope in the Time of COVID, or Jesus and the Revoluion, they are always available in the Canvas sermon archive. There you can also find a (painfully long?) series that covers the entire Book of Acts if that sounds intriguing.

And if you'd like to reach me (and I hope you will), the best ways right now are to send me email directly or come find me on BlueSky where I'm @Jesus-at-2AM.

Thank you for ALL your generous support over the years and I'm excited to be back!