Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 1126 | Jase Was Ready to Talk Alligator Alcatraz & Breaks Every Childhood Rule About Stranger Danger

Episode Date: July 14, 2025

Jase shares the bizarre tale of getting into a stranger’s van—tattoos, purple hair, and all—for a last-minute TV interview, complete with alligator jokes he never got to tell. Meanwhile, Al joins the sister podcast "Duck Call Room” for the first time as a guest with Miss Kay, who brings some rare calm to the chaos. The guys begin their deep dive into John 11 and the raising of Lazarus, asking hard, honest questions about why Jesus delayed, why he wept, and what it means to face death with resurrection on the horizon. Check out Miss Kay and Al’s appearance on the “Duck Call Room” at https://youtu.be/3mi0tZF5B14! In this episode: John 11, Luke 24, verses 50–53, Mark 5, verses 35–43, Colossians 1, verse 18, Revelation 1, verse 5, and 1 Corinthians 15, verse 2—  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So welcome back to Unashamed. I was an interesting day yesterday. I appeared for the first time in a long time on the duck call room, which is our sister podcast or brother. I think you would say sister because it's their link. I think that you're depicting that relationship way closer than I'm. I would call it. Well, they're next door just around the other side of the wall. Well, that's proximity. I would say that we have...

Well, we first... Yeah, so they were birthed out of our... No, no, no. Oh, yeah. If that happened, that was an illegitimate transaction. I mean, Sadie was already going, but they weren't. I don't know how long they're... Well, my point was, I know we have probably 15% to 20 of nonsensical stuff.

on this podcast. Maybe, yeah. Because we just can't help ourselves. But they have 98% nonsensical. But have you noticed, I don't know when you go on there, but when I go on there, maybe it's just because Si is my biggest, like, sermon fan. So he wants to talk Bible when I go on.

No, he just, we just make fun of each other. Okay. I partake. You like to get serious. They do at the end, let me do the, they have one Bible thought, thus the 2% And so every time I'm on there They get me to do the 2%.

So they've been So Beth, who's kind of the You know Gets people on all of our podcast She's been trying to get me on there for a while And I'm just like Beth, I'm busy I love those guys So I'm just too busy

And so finally The only way they got me Was because they wanted mom to come home And mom was up for it You know, mom's been doing great Oh, she was on She was on the podcast So I said well if you'll have mom on

I'll go with mom just to make sure, you know, just to... Yeah, so mom and I went out. It was mom and me and then sigh, and then they, Johnny D. did part and then Martin came in about how... Wow, you didn't. I mean, when you added our mom,

yeah. That's a way, that's a good move. Well, exactly. Because it took out some of the nonsense. Exactly. And it was great, though, because, you know, mom was mom, and she and I told some stuff.

And it was good for to have me on there, not as a host, but a guest, because I just told stories and set up inside. Now, having said all I've said, I love the podcast. It's just a comedy. You know, it's designed. I think people need to laugh.

But it's a strange. It moves at lightning speed, too, though. When I was on it, it was, it was like, you got to be like, whoa, whoa, it's your You got to be ready. Well, you know what the phenomenon is? All you producer types, you know, you all have figured it out. What y'all create? He needs you, Zay.

Well, because I'm a common sense, man. And Zach needs me to simplify his life. So now I'm going to simplify this for you. What you created on why that show works. Because you think, well, how could you have, it's kind of like Seinfeld. How could you have a show about nothing? And I was on record as saying it wouldn't work,

and I've been wrong because I thought without solid content, you can't make it. That was my line. I'm trying to reveal to you why it works. I'm here. What you did was you created a guy, a storyteller, who's, that's his number one thing in life. Si,

SIE tells the best stories of anyone I've ever met. And by the way, Jay's, I said yesterday on their podcast, how that when you and I were young lads, we loved it when Sye would come home, we'd see him every other year because, you know,

deployments and all that. And just to sit around and listen to his stories. You remember he'd come in and tell us some new thing from Germany? But what you created was, you created a studio audience. And what that is, it's the other people in the podcast. but they don't realize it.

Because all they do is sit there and laugh. They think, oh, I have a podcast. And you're right, Johnny D. laugh the whole time. It's like, no, you don't. So I has a podcast, and the people who are participating in the podcast, they're the studio audience, but they don't realize it.

Well, and then I'll say this, that they've taken it one step further, which I thought from watching the new revival show, I thought it was brilliant to use the podcast as the setting of the old duck call room, the actual duck call room. I mean, it is symbolic that it's in the duck car room. Because now Willie goes in and, like, bounces stuff off.

We did the same thing in our, and the Duck Family Treasure show. So I'm glad you brought it up, Duck Family Treasure, because so this, yesterday was an interesting day. It was supposed to be our, quote, unquote, off day, but I had done this podcast. You know, I took Mom home. She's doing great. She took a nap. She said, oh, I've worked today. I've got to take a nap.

I said, all right, mom, we get you set up. So then we had guest over last night. We had some friends come in. and they're all at my house, but then I was like, Jay said, we're going to play dominoes. Jay's is supposed to come up.

Yeah, it was my day off. I had just been to Harding. Remember I did that? I want to hear about that, too. Well, we were going to go fishing the day after, but the weather was bad. So we wound up driving back in the middle of the night.

So I was like, oh, well, at least I have Tuesday off. This is the first day in probably 12 days that there's nothing scheduled. Right. So Jay, line that up. We're going to eat some Red Snapper and play Dominoes. I was like, can't wait. I was like, I'm going to go off. So that was the back end of what I heard was Jay was cooking

Red Snapper. Jace was coming up. And then I thought I heard him say something about you being on Jesse Waters. But it wasn't like it was told to me. In fact, it was just a passing comment. So I didn't know about all this. I had grilled hamburgers, had guestovers. I had a houseful of people. Yeah. And we had Fox News was just on, but I had it muted. And we're all just vised him. And I wasn't there. You weren't there, and I didn't really know, and I thought, you know, somebody said something about Jay's been on Jesse Waters. And I look up with Jesse Waters' his own, but Charlie Hurt, who's a guy I really like is a feeling on Fox, was the host. And I said, well, I think Jace may be on here.

Mom, we're watching. I hadn't seen him. So I said, I bet it's going to be the last segment they do. Well, you were right. And I was right. But in the real world, they said 730, and then, you know, this was a crazy story. At 757. No, 755.

But they kept moving it up. And you're like, well, how did this happen? Well, I woke up Tuesday morning in a fog because it is late night from Harding. Which went well. And I learned why it took them. I thought it was seven years since I had been there. Yeah. But he said it was six, which I like seven better because that's the perfect number.

The complete number. In Revelation 6 is man's number, which means almost. That's a number. apocalyptic reference. That's apocalyptic humor for you guys. Good. Yeah, but not quite. Not perfect.

So I said, well, you know, my opening line was, you know, it's good to be back. It only took, I said seven years. And the guy who asked me, he, like, interrupted me and said, actually, it's been six, you know. And so. Which would happen at a seminary? They do a theme every year. And you know how these kind of crusty traditions, are. And so he's like, well, they're doing a speech on Jonah. This is, it's like a Bible camp,

and they're trying to recruit them to come to their Bible school, and, you know, perhaps be pastors and teachers. Which, by the way, as much, I'm glad I didn't know that. That's why you were going, but that's so needed because we got way more people that need preachers than we got preachers than we got preachers willing to go preach. Well, if you get, you know, three dozen young men who are thinking about doing this, I'll drive up there. Which I tip my hat to, kind of shocked that they, and I'm doing it again next week, but they have a whole new can.

It's like a week long thing. Okay, well, I get it now. Here's what I thought was funny. They said, well, the reason it took so long is because we do a theme every week. So it's like, Jonah or he didn't name any of the others. And he's like, you know, well, you're the Jonah guy. So I'm on a six-year rotation every time they study Jonah. And I said, well, wait a minute.

I love the story. I'm not getting the parallel. We had Jonah who was eaten by a fish, and I catch fish. So that's me. And he was running from his mission. Well, I thought, well, I don't, I haven't been swallowed by a fish. Why is this only my lane? You know, I was like, I'm versatile.

But anyway, it was kind of a funny moment. But it went real well. So to get back to the story. So I woke up. that next morning and I had an email and it's like see you tonight and honestly it was from fox and because I think I told the story Maddie I had to recollect my memory about us we were going to be on Fox and Friends and do this big promo and the camera crew oh they showed up yeah you tell the story came up missy jeff and jazz oh we were all just totally it was a Sunday morning

producer in my ear two minutes to air And then we got canceled. So I think they felt bad about that once they found that out. And so they're like, well, and they have our show. It's just been released, new episodes of Fox. When did you do the actual recording of the show yesterday? It was live last night. Oh, I went live, baby.

And look, I'm going to tell you this. Here's what's interesting. Yeah, because we actually have an episode on YouTube, our last episode that posted a couple days ago, and it says Jace, the title is Jace gets bumped on live TV. So I wonder if they saw that. Perfect. Guess what? Guess what?

A few days later, the resurrection. He's back, baby. We're in the resurrection theme. Autoshaven Nation, they heard you. They heard your frustration. They did, but here's what's funny. Do you know? And I think it was a guilt offering.

They, because they were like, I'm not going to New York. And you've already stood me up two minutes in and made my wife, man. And so they're like, we're going to send you a van. The van. What does that? I've never done a recording in a van. Which, by the way, the only part of the other person I've heard tell this story similar to you was Allie Best Stucky,

because she does a lot of hits on Fives. And she's told me about the van. You know, it was the freakiest thing I've ever done. I've heard about this bag. You go in the van, or is it like a satellite? Oh, you go in the van. And look, a very nice woman, I want to clarify this. Very nice, cordial, very professional.

But she had purple hair, a lot of tattoos. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And she's asking you to get in a van. You're going against everything you were taught as a child. That was my first impression. When I walked out there and she opened that door, I thought, well, somebody drove by my house right now and saw me getting in a van with this woman. I'm just not, I don't know how.

I'm going to spend this. I'm like, hey, I'm fixing to do a TV show. To be fair, as intimidating as that might have been for you, I think more intimidating if you're her and you pull up and you're inviting this guy in the van. She's like, whoa. She's texting her loved one back home saying, you know what, if you don't hear from me again. Zach, I'm not going to lie.

When our eyes met. Because I knocked on her. It was like two Baptists in a liquor store. when I tapped on the door and she turned I thought I didn't say it in the spirit of I didn't say whoa but I thought whoa and she thought the same thing I could see it in her eyes she didn't have any idea who I was and I think she thought I'm not sure if I'm going to let this guy in this man but you know you walk in and it is a complete look she actually took She said, would you like pictures of the set?

Because one of them is how I looked on TV, but the other one is the big picture. You'll be shocked when you say this picture. So why you just described that? So let me explain the real time what's happening. So I got a house full of people. We're ready to taste to play Domino's. I think he maybe is about to appear, but I don't know.

So all of a sudden, Mom says, there he is. And so they ran a clip from the show, and so I turn up the sound. We got to shut side down who's just into ad nauseum. them stories at the side. Be quiet. Mom, it was just, you know, and so we watched the bite, and you were, you were,

it was much better than you thought it was like us watching. I was so uncomfortable. Yeah, it was, it was actually great. You had no idea you were sitting in a van. I felt stiff, I felt, and look, when you blink, when you blink, it's over. Yeah. And they asked

me about our dad. And then he asked about the show. And then at the end, the only thing I remember is when he, because somebody in my ear said, you're done. Well, I just said, and it was sweet, because she said, you're done. And I just paused.

Well, then she started counting down, nine, eight. And that's, that's, that, they're fixed to break. That's hard break. And then he spent those eight seconds trying to remember the name of the show. And he could not remember it. So I thought, well, I could have done that.

But, look, in your mind, I think the reason I felt like I didn't do very good is I had watched, I don't watch TV. I'm just confessing here. You know, I don't watch TV. But I thought, because in the little email I got, they said he may ask you about the day's political events or your dad. Which they always give you that.

So I was like, well, I don't know what happened today. That would have been a nightmare. That would have been a good TV. What did you think about President Trump's comments today? Well, I prepared a bit for that interview, which I didn't realize it was going to be three minutes long, but that I did not give. So I would like to share it with you because I watched the first 30 minutes of the program that I was on. And you know what it was all about? What?

Alligator Alcatraz. Oh, right. And look, when I first heard it, I thought, what the heck is this? I'll hear it. I was thinking Alcatraz as a prison. Because Trump went down there. Well, so I'll watch. I got this story about ice catches, the agents, and this DeSantis.

They're building a little place out in Everglades. It's sort of like Angola. You know, it's surrounded by things that hurt you. So I thought he's going to ask me about that. Yeah. Because he knows. Which really would have been a good question had he had time. Well, here was going to be my first thing I said.

I thought, so let me get this right. You got middle of nowhere, alligators and snakes everywhere. And you're going to put people there. And so they called alligator alcatraz. I was like, that pretty much sounds like the first 20 years of my life. I was in the middle of nowhere. I was surrounded by alligators and snakes. And I thought, you grew up in alligator alcatraz.

This is my childhood. Great point. You're like, this isn't prison. This is like, this is lifestyle. They were showing clips of Trump talking about the alligator. All of a sudden, he's an authority on what's going on. And I thought, they're going to ask me that because they know. I'm literally living with alligators and snake.

But you know what I found interesting? So I looked it up because I've never thought alligators are very dangerous. They're not very aggressive. I'm around them. I've hit them in the head with a boat paddle. It didn't hurt him, trust me. But I'm like, get out of my way.

Now snakes is a different story because they'll bite you and kill you. They will bite you and they'll come after you. But alligators, it just, so I looked it up. I think this was fascinating. I was going to say this. I was going to say, I realize what we're trying to do, create this, oh, fear and don't, don't. But actually, if they take their chances with the alligators, they got a pretty good shot of living.

Here's the stat I wanted to show you in the last 75 years. If you average out the death of humans by alligators, you know what the ratio is? Death of humans to alligators? Yeah, by alligators. Every three years, one person dies. That's not, you've got to. You got a way greater chance of getting hit by a bus. Or just tripping and hitting your hand, yeah.

That's not very much. I was shocked. I grew up in North Florida where there are a lot of alligators, a lot. And if you, we'd go skiing on the Swanee River and swimming in the Swanee River as kids. And I was never able to get close to an alligator. I mean, you get close to them, they're gone. Yeah, they're not like a. They're very non-aggressing.

Oh, I mean, you see, you see. There are, when they're on a nest, there are times when you got to, you know, you just have to be smart. But for the most part, they're not aggressive at all. Well, so the reason I did that is because I was going to say people in politics and the media, they sensationalize stories. Because one of the clips that they thought about running, and they did, was we were looking for bullets from the Bonnie and Clyde ambush that happened. I think that happened in the 30s. During the Depression. And we did that.

And I think I found one. Yeah. I mean, we, I hunted all day looking. And I was in a place of just wilderness with a lot of danger. Yeah, and you mentioned about it being surrounded. In the clip. So I was going to make that point how, I mean, because I felt weird about doing that episode, because I'm like, these people murdered people.

They were burglars. But they're like folk heroes. Well, they became that because the media sensationalized it. And at the end of the day, I mean, they were ambushed. And look, they still have that car. The car that was riddled and something else they had. I think the clothes that Clyde was wearing, it's like in a casino in Nevada. I mean, we're still, it's still a thing.

But I was going to say, you know, part of the reason I think it, you know, justified me looking for that, though, was thinking this is what happens, though, when you take on law and order. I mean, at the end of the day, we're a country. I mean, they took them out in a very violent way. And then I came up with a joke. I invented a joke, and I was going to tell it, and it was just so disappointing when we didn't go that direction.

And I only had three minutes. So here's the joke. Did you know? Now, I'll give you a fact, and then I made up a joke about it. So in South Louisiana, which you can't be any more surrounded by alligators there. Unless you're in Florida. Do you know what they call alligators to this day? the Cajuns

they call them cocoa dree well that's the French word for crocodile yeah but they're not crocodiles

they're alligators they're right so I made up a joke do you know why a Cajon calls an alligator a cocoa tree a crocodile

do you know no because they taste the same and a gumbo that's the line you're going to use on this side that's pretty good

I didn't read that. I made it up. Maddie? Oh, she gave me a thumbs up. Boy, where's our applause button? Oh, man. Golly, that was good. Well, Jay's did have, he did manage to get in a great fill line because he was talking about,

I guess you were talking about treasure hunting and used the line that dad used to use all the time is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. Yeah, and he busted out loud. He did laugh. That was a great line. You got that one out there. Jay's got that one in. So you did get a funny line.

So we did. And then we played Domino's. So we watched it. So we watched the whole thing just from our perspective. And everybody's like, yay, Jay's did great. And like five minutes later, you walked in. I walked in. And I ate some red.

Yeah, there's Jay's. He was just on Fox News. Nice here. I ate some red snapper. It was delicious. It was fantastic. Who won the Domino's game? Well, Al lost with Si.

Yeah, I played with Cy the first game. I was just keeping Jay's seat warm because I had guess. And we lost to Philip and Jay, who have gotten a lot. better. They were. Yeah, and so then we played two games after you left. They won the first one. Yeah.

And I finally win, I hope. And then we won the inside. And he's like, well, boys, you know, you just, it took a while, but the best players rise to the top. You don't break any, you didn't break a table, did you? I did. Did you get a slammed? It's weird you say that.

Yeah. I mean, it shows you how rusty. Yeah, I've been around enough, yeah, I've been around enough Robert and dominoes games that what happens is. I chipped a bone in my thumb one time playing with those Oh, you slam one down.

I mean, if, I mean, you could have the all-time best slam. Dad had, because he just had that, I don't know, he had that torque and that upper body,

but he had the best, he could slam one and everybody's dominoes will fall. He had the best. But I have a pretty good one, too. You got to have strong hands to have it.

So I had one last night that was scary. He's a reactionary. He was saying, he talks it through. Well, He was sitting there, he said, because it's so funny to play Domino's with Si. Because he's like, okay, boys, now I could do this.

He's talking to himself. He's looking at his Domino's, and he's giving you this weird color commentary. He's like, but then that little piggy would say, no, no. It's like, it turned into a nursery rhyme thing, and he said, but you know what I think? He said, I think this one is just right. Wow. I'm talking about 15, boys. It's so fun.

He was playing, though, with me. And I was wondering what he was going to do. And I was like, side, did that oxygen? Is that still going? Because I'm wondering, you know, maybe if that thing ran out on him that he's like got a lack of supply going to the time. You're talking about some energy level. You talk about some just raw testosterone.

You go watch a Robertson Domino's game. It's intense. And it's really turned out great because Philip and Jay have bonded into their role as sort of like Philip was on the show. They're like the villains to the robbers and they've gotten good. So it really becomes a fun night. You know, it's funny. The funniest line of the night, we got to the end and I said, well, I said,

Phillips got the double six. I killed him earlier. I said, sigh sitting over there, you know, he's got the dead double blank. So, Jay, his two dominant, but I was thinking out loud because it didn't matter what I was fixed to do. It was fixed to play out. Yeah, yeah. And I did it.

And then Jay said, and y'all play poker with this guy? Because all the dominoes, when they turned over, everybody had what I said they had. Because you can tell what people have from watching them play. Exactly. But it was fun. It was a fun night. All right. We're in John 11.

All right. Are you going to – did you tell everything about Harding you wanted to tell? Yeah, I mean, we're going back next week. So I'll revisit that later since we've exceeded our 50% of nonsensical behavior. But I thought y'all would find that fast. You know, I mean, who sends a van down by the river to put you on, you know, TV from New York City? Chris Farley, Chris Farley would do that. In fact, you got it.

You got it. You're starting to get my jokes. Allie bet, Toby, she won't even do the van at her house. She does it at an undisclosed location. So now I know why. All right. So we're in, we're about to get into John 11. Is that right?

Did we finish up the divine? council on the last? I think we, I thought the, look, we didn't finish it up, but we at least got people's appetite where that's a whole other one. I think that could be a whole podcast series. As they say, I think it's time to move on. All right, it's time to move on. Yeah, well, last time we had a live studio audience, which I think up mine and Jay's

game here, because they were with us. Well, I will say this, you know, talking about Jesus, the shepherd, and we're the sheep and the thief coming in to kill and destroy. I do think the segue is when you talk about spiritual warfare, because Jesus did bring up Psalm 82, and so there are this war, Ephesians 6, you know, Ephesians 3. But I think you got to remember the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Yeah.

And it is an enemy. And so I think in God's providence and inspiration of the scriptures, that's why we're going into John. 11, which is one of the most shocking chapters in all, not just the Bible, in literature. Yeah. And I'm glad you brought it up because everything we've done in this journey of John has led to now this point, because this is the last big sign, yeah, if you want to look at it that way, that's going to then lead into his death week, as we call it, which is him going into the, you the last week on the Passover and all that.

So this is a huge and final sort of, you know, proving of who he is. Because you remember every chapter now we've been in the last, probably six chapters, has been this debate. Is he really the guy? Is he not the guy? So now this is going to be the big one. And this is also going to push the leadership as we get to the end of chapter 11 over the edge in terms of saying he's got to die.

You know, I mean, they're saying he's going to, they're going to sacrifice. him to save the nation. What's interesting is he's already said he's sacrificing himself to save the world. So it is an interesting place that we're getting to. Now there's going to, we're going to linger here a while for future podcasts. I have lots of rabbit holes.

Oh, there's a lot of stuff. But we're talking about the resurrection. Yep. So just think about this. It's kind of a big deal. Yeah, since everyone who are at the sound of our voices, this is coming.

Death is coming. That's why when it's viewed as the last enemy, 1st, 5th, 15 to be destroyed. We're good. Exactly. But these are the shadows of that fiction. So there's, I'll just give you the overview. There's kind of four,

the story is told from my looking at it in four acts. And so the first one is a friend of Jesus, Lazarus, gets sick and dies. And it's very interesting because as we'll get into in the text, Jesus doesn't seem to be in a big hurry to get there to save him. And I'm saying that quote, in air quotes, because we know what's going to happen.

But from their perspective, they're like, why is he not wanting to hurry up and get there? Then you've got a situation where his sisters, Mary and Martha, are struggling with the idea of loss and also that Jesus didn't come and save their brother. And that leads into a very interesting discussion about the resurrection. And then Jesus obviously raises him as the third act and shows his power over death, which is amazing. That's probably the linchpin. And then the last act is the fallout from this raising of Lazarus and what that means to the leadership and the people who are watching. So that's kind of how I laid the story out.

And I think there's a seam line in there in which I would say is prayer in Jesus' prayer life. there's only one verse about it but yeah I know exactly I think if you look at the big picture here it he spent a couple days I mean there's a request and you're like well how come why didn't you come right and so then later in the story he he mentions that he's thankful that his prayers were heard yeah so it kind of makes you think what was he doing for those two days exactly exactly I'm bringing that up because there's a lot of very exciting things in this chapter because it kind of uh it makes you think how humans are just obsessed with and rightfully so of being able to change the past and we can't yeah but i mean i thought of the movie like back to the future and groundhog day all these movies

that come out because it's like you always think if we could go back and change something Boy, what would it be like? We're fascinated by that. Yeah. And so I think Jesus, really, for the most significant time of his ministry, he takes that and does something so fascinating that it just changes how you view like the past, and that concept. Right.

Because that's kind of the, when you say, criticism from the confrontation, if you'd have been here. You know, Mary and Martha, they both said that. You could have changed the outcome. You could have changed it. And so that's what we tend to do when something bad. No, I think that's a brilliant observation on the outset because I had this conversation yesterday.

So my granddaughter comes home and she's working at a pharmacy. And she's telling me about this Bible discussion they've had today at work. And I was like, oh, this is great. And so she's like, but a lot of it was dealing with people who I think, missed that whole idea that God is outside of time and space. We're inside time and space. He's there, but he's also here working in the process. And to understand scripture and God,

you have to realize that he's so much bigger than we are. But you get these doctrines that come up because people don't realize that. That's why I said it's going to take us while to go through here, because you've got to wrap your head around. We're familiar enough with this story where I think, we think, oh, yeah, I got that. But a lot of people are like, well, why wouldn't he doing that to everybody? Why don't he just raise everybody up?

Right. Why was he healing these other people? Why didn't he just go to the graveyards and raise everybody up? Right. And so I think the experience is kind of like what we did for our faith, family, and freedom. We had a lot of people there for the first time in our family. You were one of them. But everybody said the same thing.

Well, I had no idea. This is what y'all were doing. Right. which I don't know what everybody thought, you know. But it's like, this is awesome. This is, and I was telling Missy, she's like, I'm just so shocked because Martin was like, well, if I don't know and y'all were doing this, I'd have been here every year. And she's like, well, what do you mean by that?

He's like, I just had no idea. I thought y'all were just selling stuff. I didn't know it was just mainly about sharing Jesus. I did know that. I just haven't been in town. Yeah. And but I told Miss, I was like, you don't know what you don't know. I was like, it's kind of like coming to Jesus.

You think you got it figured out, but until you experience it, then you're like, oh, this is way better than I ever dreamed or imagined. Exactly, which is exactly what happens in this day. So how do we want to start? Let me just read the first section, and then we just do it by section, do you think? I think so. All right. So we've just, now remember, the setting is that Jesus has left, you know, Jerusalem and gone to the Jordan, across the Jordan. and back where John was in the beginning,

sort of in the wilderness, quote unquote. And so he's kind of left because things have gotten really hot there. And so that's where he is when this word comes in chapter 11, just so you know the context of where we're at in the story. So here's John 11. Now, a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, which is very close to Jerusalem. It was just a couple of miles away.

The village of Martha, of Mary and her sister Martha. and we see them in other contexts. There's one in Luke 10 where it tells about, remember the story, and I don't know if y'all got into this with Missy and Jill on here, but there's a, it kind of gives their background

of how they are and they're... We got into it. Okay, good. So it says, this Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick. So now we know it's two sisters and a brother, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with their hair.

So the sisters sent word to Jesus Lord, the one you love is sick. So they're like, this is a distress call. When he heard this, Jesus said to his disciples, whoever was there within hearing, this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified through it,

which reminded me a lot of the statement he made from the John 9 guy. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. And Jace referenced that because he's going to talk about prayer later. Then he said to his disciples, let us go back to Judea. So after two days, we're going.

But rabbi, they said, a short while ago, the Jews tried to stone you. You're going back there? Remember, that's why he left. Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees this world's light. He sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.

So it's an interesting little parable he tells there. After he had said this, he went on to tell them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better. In other words, why are we going? He's just asleep. Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So that's one of those little John caveats.

We like it when he puts those in. Verse 14. So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him. I love it. Don't you sense when you reason it like that? It's like, Jesus is almost frustrated that they can't get it, but he's like, here's the deal. So then Thomas called Didimus, and, you know, he's always the one that, like, is the doubting guy, said to the rest of the disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. which I thought was pretty profound. I thought that was very profound, which is why Thomas Keyes getting brought up, I think. He had some insight. Well, but then later they're like, well, he's known as doubting Thomas.

But in that moment, that seems pretty courageous to him. Yeah, because he thought that, well, if we go back there, they're going to kill us. So, I mean, I'm ready. My point is, I think we just take it for granted. I mean, the fact. that Thomas wanted to see Jesus for himself. Yeah.

I mean, we're just, if somebody died, even if they claim to be God, I don't care what culture, at what time period, I would be like, no, I'm going to see that, I want to shake his hand, you know. I mean, so I don't think it's, I think he gets a bad rap for being a doubter. I think this is pretty impressive here. Yeah, I think it's very powerful. So there's some subtleties I wanted to bring up.

One is this is happening at Bethany, which the reason it got my attention is because Bethel, think Jacob's Ladder in John 1 was known as House of God. And I think it's a direct reference to when Jesus said in John 2, I am the temple. Yeah. And you remember that little conversation he had with Nathaniel in chapter 1. about Jacob's ladder being referenced. But I was also going to bring up Bethany's mentioning John 1 with John the Baptist, who would later beheaded.

And the reason I'm bringing this up, because Bethany means house of poor or afflicted or misery. And isn't it interesting? There's something to this, because when you look at all the times that Jesus went to Bethany, there's something supernatural that's representing that he's going to the poor, the afflicted, and the miserable. Think the attitudes.

Blessed are those. And he's here to not only help, but he's here because they have a little clear mind and are more open because they're desperate. They're broken there. And you just hit the word that I always used desperate. I mean, if you're desperate, you're open to some new ideas. because you got none of your own. And that's interesting because people who are spiritually desperate,

whether they have money or possessions or anything else, you're desperate. You have no other answers, which is when you tend to be a seeker. And I think the powerful point that I'm trying to make, the reason I did that is because the last paragraph in Luke 24, I'm going to read it. This is verse 50.

Now, this is post-resurrection, obviously, when he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany. Now he's with his disciples here. This is post-resurrection. He lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessed them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

But I just thought, of all places he could go to leave. Yeah. He went back there, and there's a lot of significant things that happen at the place known as. the house of the poor, the afflicted, the downtrodden, the miserable. And to add to that, Jay, it's the last week of his life in Jerusalem. You remember, he would be in Jerusalem in the temple courts doing different things, teaching, but every night he went back to Bethany. Yeah.

And so. I think it answers that fundamental question people have. Just even this little rabbit hole on Bethany, you know, it's like, I don't care. I mean, look around and all. But when you start getting into the weeds of this, and you start saying, is Jesus real? Did he visit the planet?

I mean, and you see what he did. So to say he doesn't care, no matter what's your situation, you can't be so far or so down or so miserable that he can't inspire you and make you a new creation. And I like it too that all of us have places in our lives. Maybe it was some place where we had, you know, some kind of connection. You know, I think about Campioka, which is 90 acres out here, just, you know, of ridgeland in Cahoon, Louisiana was a bunch of pine trees.

But, Zach, when I think about looking back over the years, the impact a place like that has, you can go back out there and walk around. And so it's just 90 acres in Cahoon, but if you were there and spiritually moved as a young person, then it becomes a special place to you. I like that Jesus, even on this earth, has a special place. I mean, some place that connects him to people, you know? I mean, I think that's the thing Jason is saying, that these aren't, like, random places that he's going.

Right. Which I love that because it is the intentionality of Jesus coming into a particular place is important to think about how he's redeeming the whole place. And I think it's kind of like a picture of even our own salvation, like Christ enters into a particular place. replace my body, my heart, and there's a redemption going on there, but, but he's also accomplishing a bigger, a bigger redemptive process through individual people.

Yeah. But it does, the intentionality, it seems to be much, it seems to be the opposite view of kind of a deist view where God's just up there. He's, you know, wound up the, wound up the watch, and he's just watching time tick by. And he's not involved. He's just down here looking. No, he's not just as he's not just looking down. he actually enters in, and not only does he enter in, then he specifically and strategically

goes into each place that he goes into. Bethany is certainly one of those places. Yeah, and I even think that's the way God feels about this planet, this place he created. I mean, the Bible tells us about a new heaven and the new earth. There's something special. God Almighty didn't, as far as we know, from our reading of scripture, we don't know that he visited any other planet, but he sure came here. Exactly.

So the next little point I want to make is, and we're kind of setting you, I'm purposely laying a foundation because we're going to get into some deep stuff, which some of this I haven't told you all about. I like it when he's setting us up too, is that. But I'm laying a foundation here. So if you listen to our podcast consecutively, some of these things that I'm going to bring out that can. It can't be accidental. I just brought out one about the Bethany thing, but I'm going to bring up another one. Because it wasn't the first time Jesus said,

oh, he's just asleep. And I want to read that little story. Yeah. Because before I read that other story, now I want you to just forget you knew anything about John 11. And if you were just a human being and Jesus, who's claiming to be Son of God, and you're like, okay, I think this is him.

because he did say, and you read it, but he says, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up. So they're like, Lord, if he's asleep, he'll get better. Because this sounds kind of like redneck logic. Yeah.

He was sick. Oh, and you're saying he's not dead. We trust you, and you can't lie. So sleep's good. Jesus had, which is something I need to repent on, because they're right, and I don't get much sleep. Yeah. Jesus had been speaking of his.

It's death. So I love how John just kind of explains this. But the disciples thought he meant natural sleep. Why? Because he said it. He is the truth. Yeah. But then he's like, so then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

But if you were just a human being, you're like, well, which is it? Is he asleep or dead? I mean, you just said it. And he also said this sickness will not end in death. Said that in verse four. Now, we kind of know the end of the story, but in that moment, they're like, which is it? He's not dead. Of course, I'm thinking Jesus is thinking, exactly.

You're asking the wrong question. He purposely phrased it the way he did to make it seem different. And I'm going to tell you this foundational principle that I'm trying to establish, because when we get into some really hard to understand things where lots of doctrines have, gone in every direction. I hope you'll remember this conversation we're having now. But this other story is found in Mark 5 where, see, it's in the section where it's like a dead girl and a sick woman.

That's what the Thompson Jane reference put here. And, I mean, we don't have to read the whole story, but I'll pick it up in verse 36. well, 35. While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the House of Jericho, the synagogue ruler, your daughter is dead, they said. Why bother the teacher anymore?

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, don't be afraid, just believe. He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, and the brother of James, which I think another reason I want to read this, is because when he eventually resurrects Lazarus,

there's a big crowd. But when he resurrects this girl, he said, don't tell anybody, and he only took a few people, right? So he goes up there. Same three, by the way, that went to the Transfiguration. Yeah. Well, I think there's a point in that. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion when people crying and wailing loudly. Of course, back then they hired these professional whalers, which is kind of weird.

he went in and said to them while all this commotion in Whelan the child is not dead but asleep what's the same thing yeah what was he look I said this many times

when Jesus is repeating himself and it's odd then we need to figure out take notice why why is he bringing this up but they laughed at him after he put them all out he took the

child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him and went in where the child was he took her by the hand and said tabitha whom which means little girl get up or wake up immediately the girl stood up and walked around she was 12 years old at this they were completely astonished nobody's laughing now he gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this. So I bring that up because I think eventually when you get into passages like Revelation 20, it says there's a first resurrection, which kind of implies what? Well, is there a second one? Yeah.

You know, I mean, naturally. And it talks about a second death. And you're like, what does all that mean? And I want to wade into all that, but I also want to zero in on a term, which is why I wanted to go through this in this way, is where in Colossians 1, it says in verse 18, that Jesus is the first born from the dead. And Revelation 1-5 says it too.

Jesus is the first born from the dead. Because a lot of people say, well, other people were raised from the dead. And I'm just giving you an example. Now, you're immediately, you're immediately want to answer with Lazarus was resuscitated. He got his life back. Right.

But he died again. But there are other bizarre resurrection happenings. Remember when Jesus died and the tombs were opened up. People walked into the sea like a zombie. Yeah. Exactly. So I wanted to kind of go down that rabbit hole because when we get to the more difficult passages, because Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, but we need to figure out what

that means. And so I was just laying down the foundation for going down all those rabbit holes. And what differentiates his resurrection from any other ones that happen, which is quite a few in there. Exactly. Yeah. All right. So we're out of time. But we're going to pick it up here. We're in John Chapter 11. So read ahead. Look for your rabbit holes. And we'll see you next time on Unashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcast. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click the little bell and choose all notifications to watch every episode.