Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 1136 | Jase Suspects Uncle Si in the Mailbox Hit-and-Run & When Doing Right Pays Off

Episode Date: July 31, 2025

Jase suspects Uncle Si might be the mysterious mailbox hit-and-run culprit, while Al dodges a $12,000 HVAC scam with a little wisdom and a lot of help from an honest friend. The guys share practical advice about the kind of friends everyone needs in life, and why doing the right thing still pays off with unexpected blessings. Jase and Zach explore the “now and not yet” nature of God’s judgment in John 12, along with the mystery of faith in the unseen, and how the Holy Spirit makes His home in believers. In this episode: John 12, verses 23–50; Matthew 21, verses 1–11; Mark 11, verses 1–11; Luke 19, verses 28–44; Luke 24, verses 21, 25, 44–45; 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 4; Ephesians 2, verse 6; Ephesians 1, verse 13; Colossians 3, verses 1–4 —  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. We were talking about my sermon in the last podcast, and we were recording, of course, back to back, so it was same day. So it was still fresh on my mind, Jay's. And, you know, the name of the sermon was doing the right thing, even when others do the wrong thing. It was kind of based on the Joshua text I mentioned the last podcast.

But I mentioned about jury duty, but there were a couple other instances that happened last. week that just, you know, I don't know, I guess when you get into sermon, I don't know, maybe y'all are like this or not, but you tend to view things that are happening in real time through the prism of what you tend to be studying. So you just kind of see things clearly. And there were a couple of instances where I just felt like people were not like stepping up to do the right thing.

And maybe it's just because I was reading this text. What I'm was an HVAC situation that I had down at the Southern Llam. where there's some dripping in my air conditioning unit. And I don't know anything about anything in terms of fixing stuff. I mean, I'm pretty much, you know, a novice. I don't know how to do much. So I'm pretty much dependent on people doing the right thing. So I admit I'm a bit naive.

But I've noticed in the HVAC world, and I'm sure there's some listeners out there that are probably HVAC folks, there's a lot. There's kind of a wide interpretation of what's needed and what's not needed. and some person had left like a flyer hanging on our do doorknob and said, hey, we'll come check your unit, we'll do regular checkups. And I was something, a company I'd never heard of them. I hate to tell you this, most people who do that, it's got a hook in.

Well, you're staying correct, sir, because so I told Lisa, she said, we got this trip. And I said, well, didn't somebody just hang a flyer on the thing? This was not the right. This is what happens when you're an ignorant person like me about these things. So just call them. Sounds like this perfect timing. Bad call. So a guy shows up and says, well, let me look at it.

And he says, well, it needs this, it needs that. And a couple of little things here. And it'll be 500 a day. But it needs to be clean, the coils. That'll be 2,000. Now, he's telling Lisa all this. And then he says, but you know what? We're really just delaying the inevitable.

You need a new unit, $12,000. So that's the word to Lisa. And then he even mansplained her a little bit by saying, now look, look, I can talk to your husband if I need to. He did what to do? He mansplained. Man? What does that mean? That means that, like, well, you're a woman, so let me just, if I need to talk to the man,

let me explain it to him. Oh, so she would say, oh, no, I'll do it. Yeah, exactly. I don't know what he was getting at. Like, you're just. He'd be like, oh, no, I'll run the show around here. Well, Maddie's giving you a thumbs down. I don't even know what that means, man.

She does. Madys say, we don't approve being said, let me just talk to you a man. So that, yeah. So he was a little bit insulting. Anyway, she tells me and I said, look, don't do anything else. She had already spent the 500 because the man did something. You know, I don't know what he did, but he did something. If they show up at your house, they'll send you a bill.

Just if they look around. They did something. He did some free on or something. Anyway, so I said, don't spend any more money. So I did at least know this. I said, let's get another set of eyes on the situation. Let's get another bid or another person. So I said, didn't we have a guy that used to work on our old system down there?

and seemed like he was a fan with a little duck show and seemed like he did some work and it wasn't that expensive. Was his name Mountain Man? Wow. Let me tell you. I should have called Mountaine. I wouldn't think about that.

That's who I would have called. Now, it would have been a 30-minute conversation with five minutes of content. However, he would do you right. So here's what I had. I didn't think of Mountain Man, I should have. So Lisa said, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, that guy. So she looks on her phone.

She finds the guy. calls him, yeah, I'll come right over. So he comes over, he walks in, I'm there now. I wasn't there when Lisa had the first guy. And so he comes in, and I remembered him. I said, hey, how's it going? How's the family? You know, like, we're catching up.

We know each other. I'm feeling way better already. But I told Lisa, said, don't tell him anything about what's happened. Because I want fresh, I don't want him knowing, like, somebody came in that we're questioning, because I want him to just say what he thinks by looking at the same situation. He looks in there, it's dripping. Yeah, it's dripping.

That's not good. It's probably the coils, which is what the other guy said. And so he said, these coils need to be clean. Well, that's what the other guy said. Of course, he said, that was going to cost me $2,000. And I said, well, can you do that? Can you clean the coals? Is that a big deal? He said, I can knock it out just a few minutes.

I said, really? He said, yeah, he said, let me go with my tools. He comes back in. And he's going to charge you $2,000? No, no, no. He's just saying, I can knock it out. He didn't say a price. You didn't tell him $2,000.

I didn't tell him anything. And so he, so, but again, this guy's worked on my stuff before. So look, he takes a picture of it, then he cleans it. Then he comes back and shows me the picture. He said, here's what it looked like before. And I said, ooh, that looks nasty. He said, and here's what it looks like now. So, ooh, that looks good.

And I said, well, so what about the unit itself? What do you think my whole unit? He said, oh, that unit's great. No problem. Ooh. So then he said, here's the money, literally the money question. So I said, so what are you, bud? I said, man, you've done me a great service today.

He said, he looked at me, he teared up. Really? When I asked him, he teared up, and he said, you don't owe me anything. He just did it for free? Yeah. And I said, I don't owe you anything. He said, your family has been a blessing to me for many years. Your dad, you know, he totally turned my life around.

I've been following you guys for years. I used to be this guy, and he explained his old life. Now I'm this guy. And he said, in fact, I'm leaving the whole HVAC business. I got something else, my grandkids. He said, this is my parting gift. for you and your family. And I was like, what a blessing.

Like, the whole thing was me just trying to get a second look. And this guy had been looking for a moment to be a blessing to us. And so, again, back to my sermon, I was like, a little bit of due diligence. Yeah, what would he have charged? What do you think he would have charged? I don't know. Two grand. I don't know.

It wasn't two grand. Because it took it. You know how long it took him? 15 minutes is how long it took you. You got to have a plumber in your friend group. And you got to have an H-FAC guy in your friend group. Correct. You have to.

I mean, if you don't have a guy, you have to have a guy. I mean, that's such an important role. I tell these mechanics. On your cars. Mechanics are helpful. I advise young people right now. Look, you'll make more money going into a trade than you will, if you go to college and get a degree right now. I'm telling you, there is a, if you live around like where I do, I mean, these guys are getting

A plumber gets about $200 an hour, and they got an appointment stacked up like cordwood. I mean, I'm telling you. Well, especially somebody trustworthy. I mean, there's like not trying to gauge. What I do, if we don't know a guy, I look, and I got this from a guy who owns a plumbing business and heating and air, who's kind of in my inner circle. He's outside of her family, but he loves Jesus. But he told me, he's like, when you can't find. somebody you need to go look at who's been in business the longest you find somebody who's

had the business for 50 years he's like how did they last 50 years if they're hooking and crookin people all right so there's your tip well that's good that's good wow i give another tip too in this day and age if you're in a trade and you're handing out flyers oh hmm i'm just saying there's a reason but i mean that you can't find a tradesman anymore that's i mean like a like a I mean, you've got to be. I thought that's why they were like hungry for business. I took it all the wrong way. I was a bit naive, which back to my sermon.

So, Jase, here's the other part. I didn't tell this at all yesterday in my sermon. And I don't know if you've noticed this. When you passed by my driveway today, did you notice my mailbox? Have you noticed it? I noticed, I didn't notice it today because I noticed it a few days ago,

but I figured it had something to do with Sai. Because when Sai was on. That's a good, Oh, man, you may be... So I was in the neighborhood while you were gone and he destroyed Willie's bridge and his truck

in about 30 seconds. Which we talked about on the podcast, Zach. But I was wondering... He destroyed his bridge. Oh, yeah, you'll have to listen to the podcast there, vacation. He thought he could drive across a walking bridge in his truck.

I don't think he thought he could. He just didn't want to wait. And he followed Christian. I mean, I didn't want to... know, everybody thinks we're already at each other's throats. I've had a lot of people come up and say, well, you're too mean to Zach. And I'm like, that's how we show our love for one another.

We have the big stuff down right. Our whole show that we do, we make fun of each other because the big stuff is fine. So if you can't laugh at yourself, we all make mistakes or whatever. But Sa was on here, and what my point was, I wanted to say, because I know how Saia is. He couldn't find where he was supposed to go and he was panicking and Saul shows up early and he thought, I'll just drive across this bridge,

even though it's big enough for a golf cart, not a full-size vehicle. Well, here's what happened. So I get a call last week, again, during this sermon prep for do the right thing, and it's from my yard guy who says, look, you know, I got to the end of the driveway and someone has hit your mailbox. Yeah, I saw it. You know, and it's a brick. It's a big brick.

We all have these brick ones in the neighborhood, and so it's big, and someone has hit it, and it literally just like decapitated it. Like the top of it came off. And they didn't even put it back on. No, it's just laying there broken. They hit it and run. And they ran.

So the yard guy said, and these are people we go to church with for years, so I trust them. You sure it wasn't them? Well, I don't know, because some people have said it was them. But I asked him point blank and he said no I trust him. He said he blamed it on a certain one of the major

delivery people. I won't call them out by name because I don't know if it happened or not. But one of the guys that works for this same company is one of our golfing buddies, a very close friend of yours, Jay's. And I called him. I said, look, here's what happened. The yard guy said he thinks one of your guys at my mailbox

because he had just been there. And they got a big truck and I got a big mailbox. And so I said, but I don't know what happened. There's no camera. He didn't see it happen. So I call this company. I get this guy, very nice, very professional, and he's like, well, I'll check it out.

You know, our trucks have cameras. I said, well, great. Just look on there and see. I'm not trying to get anything. I mean, I just want to hit my mailbox. It would be nice because it's going to cost me a little money to fix it. Finally, they say, he says he didn't do it. Okay, I take him as word, maybe didn't.

But somebody did it. Yeah. And no one has claimed responsibility. But now you brought in another possibility. I didn't think about Saik, because he wouldn't even know if he did hit it, probably. Yeah, he'd say, oh well. Hey, you should have moved it a little further from the road. So it's still broken. No one has claimed responsibility. And so I guess I might have to put up a new

mailbox. It's life. You were sinned against. I was send against. No one to, you know, my thinking was if I hit somebody's mailbox, I would stop my car, go to the door, knock on and say, I just hit your mailbox. But I'll make it right. That's what I would do because that's the right thing to do. But I don't know. Apparently not. Well, our life is full of trouble. Sometimes it is your own making. Sometimes you're a victim of other people's. So my bottom line was from my sermon yesterday, do the right thing even if other people don't.

So, all right. And do the right thing if nobody's watching. That's exactly right. What if nobody sees it? Does that mean? You should do the right thing. You should do the right thing. That's being a person of integrity. So we're in John chapter 12.

Last time we were together, we talked about the triumphal entry, which was Jesus coming into Jerusalem. And by the way, I didn't mention this in the last podcast, but Matthew 21, 1 through 11, Mark 11, 1 through 11. And Luke 19, 28 through 44, all the other gospel accounts tell this same story. And we didn't go through the other accounts. We read a couple of excerpts. but if you read all of them together, you get a little more flavoring from all the different

kind of eyewitness accounts of it. So I would encourage you guys to do that, as well as look up some of those texts that Jace read from Psalm 118, Zachary 9. Well, he quoted them. Right. And I think within this story, you're like, why are they not getting this?

But when you have a perceived view of God, coming in to who God is, that can be dangerous. Yeah. Because God became a human and was on our earth. But the religious people of the day, since he didn't fit into their narrative, which people do the same thing today. Right. It's like, I believe in God. But then when you start listening to their thoughts, it's like, well, I believe in a God that I've created.

because when he looked the way he did, a lot of people, even to this days, they say, this Jesus couldn't be God. Right. I did want to bring up one thing before we leave this thing about the triumphal entry and about the king, if there's anything as you guys had to say too. But it was a point that N.T. Wright brought up, and I read his stuff along with this. And he made an interesting observation that, you know, Jesus is coming into Jerusalem at the Passover, which we know, of course, is the festival that celebrates the Exodus, which Zach, you spend quite a bit of time preaching on that from the book of Exodus.

And the idea about this sacrificial lamb and this delivery and the establishment of the tabernacle later, the temple, the whole nation of Israel, the kingdom, all those things. That's kind of the celebration of that. But it's interesting because Jesus, and into your right point of this out, even though the Hanukkah festival, which was back earlier, which is the celebration of the Maccabee and kings that restored the temple, you know, after the Greeks had done what they had done and defiled it. He said Jesus is really taken two ideas and putting them into one entrance, which I thought was interesting. I never thought about it for it. In other words, his coming in is both a celebration of Hanukkah and Passover. I am the king. I am the conqueror. I'm the builder of the ultimate temple, but I'm also the ultimate sacrifice. I'm also the ultimate sacrifice. And so it's a kind of a combination of the idea. Which gets into the humility, love. Right.

And that's why I read the same two quotes. Kind of have two different aspects of what Jesus is. Right. Which is true. It's not like we think, oh, he's a king. Which, what is a king in a kingdom? They're kings of everybody else. And they do that through death and fear.

Right, basically. Yeah. And you serve them, and he said he can't. And, I mean, he is in a way, I mean, not in a way. I mean, he is ultimately restoring the temple. I mean, that's what he's doing. So I think, I think that it's not like when we, it's a wrong theology or I guess I should say it's a wrong eschatology to view the Bible as the old way was bad and a failure.

And like God of the Old Testament, that's mean God, God of the New Testament. nice God. That's not really what's going on here. And I think you see it and what I mentioned in the last podcast that you have to understand that Jesus is the God from the Old Testament. And all those prophecies, all of that stuff, it's all in the Old Testament. So what's happening here is no, this isn't a replacement theology. We're not replacing the old way. And this is actually a covenant that's continuing, a covenant of grace that continues to kind of expand and grow and then when Jesus arrives in this moment like and even this moment isn't the fullness of it you know this it can even what we're in now is not the fullness of it's why we say it's not yet

now kingdom right you know like well yeah it's it's here but we're still waiting on the second coming of christ well let's do that vein first because i picked up on that vein what you just said and did a couple of a little word studies from the Greek lexicon and so let me lay this on you, Zach, see what you think. All right. One, I would like to read the last verses of John 12. Hopefully we'll get through John 12 today. But if we don't, we'll get the last two.

Just to go in with the point of what Zach just said about, he didn't go from mean God to nice God. When he gets to the end of this dissertation about, you know, he predicts his death, the Jews continue in their unbelief. He also expanded it to the whole world because you got that little instance where the Greeks are trying to find him. So you get that concept. Well, right. So he gets down to verse 49 and he says,

For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I think that's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. I know that his command leads to eternal life. so whatever I say is just what the father has told me to say so to give that connection this is the same father in quotations

that is the god of the Old Testament and now you're even going back to Jesus the way John started this whole letter in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was God he was with God in the beginning And then he goes on to say, through him, all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made, which includes the evil one, which we talked about in the last podcast.

I mean, God made him this celestial being, who he then speaks of in John 12, saying, now, this is John 12, before I get into the now. What did you say, is that? The not yet now kingdom. Well, look at this word here in 31. You see the first word? Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now the prints of this world will be driven out.

Well, I had an interesting conversation that led me down this rabbit hole. So you remember a few parts of this. podcast ago, I told you about this guy. He was 18 years old. He lives right on the Texas, Mexico border. His mom drove him up eight hours. I shared Jesus with him. And I felt like, you know, he didn't have a father figure in his life. For some reason, I agreed to do it because I just felt like it was a God orchestrated encounter. And I have the Holy Spirit. I mean, it was nothing, you know, mystical. What is going on? I just, I read the email and thought, Yeah, I think I need to do this.

Well, what happened is he confessed Jesus as Lord very tearfully and powerfully. You know, I baptized him, went on his way. I gave my number because I thought, doesn't have a father figure in his life. And so I said, read the book of John and shoot me your questions. So that's been going on for, I guess, 10 days now. Well, one of the questions he asked me was this, and I think, Zach, you hit on this. He was reading the book of John, and when he read 48 of chapter 12, he asked a question. He said, there is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words.

That very word, which I spoke, will condemn him at the last day. so here's this new Christian 10 days old young fellow so you realize he's he's has immature qualities he's he's only been in 10 days and he's just young overall yeah well he read that and I'm reading between the lines why would he ask me this question well because it scared him yeah he read that last day they didn't want to be that guy yeah he thought he said so here was this question he said is is he talking about the final day which or let me let me let me look at this. Now, what are the odds of this?

This same fellow just said, be a text. I was going to look up our text thread. Since we've been talking? Yeah, since we've been talking. So let me back up where he asked me this question. I want to get it exactly right. Hey, sorry for the late message. He's actually sent me this message at 11.15 at night.

I was wondering, in John 1248, which I just read, is Jesus referring to Judgment Day? So you're like, well, how would you answer that question? So I just read you the verse. How would you respond to that? Is he referring to judgment day? Yeah, that's what he said. I would say yes.

The last day, yeah. Yeah. So here's what I said. I said, first of all, I said, we're actually in John 12. Yeah. Right now in the podcast. So wait a week and I'll give you the full answer. dot dot dot but i said but to give you a shorter answer than an entire podcast i said read john

1231 and then read john 1248 because something interesting happens what jesus he discusses in 31 what happening now well i just read that john 31 it says now is the time for judgment on this world. Now, just I want y'all to think about this. Well, why is he saying 15 verses, no, I can't add, 17 verses earlier now, and he says it twice. Right. Now is the time. Now the prince of this world will be driven out. And then 17 verses later, he's saying, let me explain to you why I'm speaking, you know, about with the father who sent me. Oh, that's in 49. There is a judge. for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words,

that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. Well, which is it? Is this going to happen in the last day or is this happening now? We're talking about judgment in both cases. Right, yeah. I'd say the answer is yes. Yeah. But look, my point is, do you see why this is so confusing?

I understand. So what I could have answered him was, well, absolutely it's talking about judgment day of the last day. but I felt like that would have been a bad way to answer that question because he wouldn't have understood the moment that was happening there he just skipped over I'm like why didn't you bring up 31 yep this is confusing is a good point is it happening now I mean he's pretty emphatic says now is the time for judgment so so you kind of have to back up though because

we are taking these verses yeah just out of the middle of nowhere so when you go back to where Jesus started this whole thing in verse 23. It says the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. Well, when you back up to there, from there, so listen to this, you just back up. After this triumphal entry, and he quotes the passages from Zechariah and Psalm 118, watch what John does in verse 16. At first, his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified, did they realize that these things have been written about him and that they had done these things to him.

Well, you see the connecting word there is glorified. So then a few verses later, Jesus is predicting his death back to 23. The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. So what's that in the context of his death, bail and resurrection? So my point is, I did a little rabbit hole on the word, the hour has come and now. So you remember how many times he said something about the hour?

Where does that start? Remember in John, too? When his mom said, hey, help me out here. Remember the- She said, dear woman, why do you bother me? hour is not yet come or my time is not yet come yeah what why why is he saying that and there's other verses that he alludes to that uh i think john four says it yeah john four listen to this remember the woman at the well so you have the john two that's uh verse four it's actually translated in the niv

my time has not yet come but it's the same word for hour yeah because i looked it up up in the Greek. Well, look at John four. 21. 21. Jesus declared, believe me, woman, a time is coming. Same word for hour. An hour is coming when you will worship the father, neither on this mountain or in Jerusalem. Verse 23. Yet an hour is coming. And watch what the next phrase is. And has now come. Well, which is it? Is it coming or is it now? here.

What say you, Zach? It's both. I think it's both. I think this is amazing because people don't realize this is in the Bible. And like I said, it took a new Christian sending this to me for me to realize, oh, we've missed something here. That's very important. Because we made it either or.

Well, and what happens is if you, would you have to pick one or the other, man, you're going to going to have a really hard time of making sense of the kingdom because you're going to get to certain passages this is one i've been chewing on i'm debating whether i should throw this out internally right now but i'm going to throw it out there well you're not throwing it out internally oh you're debating internally i was like should i say this outwardly zan go ahead and say it and then i'll me and i'll shoot you down no we'll judge on whether mattie should edit out whatever you're fixed to say what i well okay so you get to a passage like second thessalonian it's chapter two and there's this reference to this man of lawlessness.

I like where you're going. We're not throwing this out. We're not editing this because I've been doing some study on this. And I've had trouble with this passage for years because I don't hold to what's called a dispensationalist eschatology. I don't hold to that. Just use phrases that I can participate in the conversation with it. Man, I thought this is so good.

well I'll just say this that I don't know what dispensationalism means so tell me just well it's like the you know like um like the left behind series the rapture all that you know what what you see in a lot of kind of pop culture simplified even more is that simplified even more that there is going to be at the end of time the thousand year reign the last day that it's not the last day there's more days there's more days The church will be raptured up and there'll be this period of time where, you know, it's like another thousand-year reign. Anyways. So, but you read this text. I mean, I clearly do think that the text is talking about the end times. And I think that you can hold that position in Second Thessalonians 2 and believe in a real Antichrist and a real apostasy of the church, a real figure coming up who will lead people, astray and still hold that the kingdom is here and now. I don't think it, but I think the problem

is if you try to fit everything into our box of like it's either all here or none of it's here, you're going to have issue when you get into some of these passages. Well, again, even though I, can I interject because even though I disagree with some of the ways that you're understanding that, I do agree with your overall. all principles. So we're on the same page. So like to me, I don't think that that's talking about the last day, although when you when you do the not yet now application to it, I don't, it doesn't upset my apple cart at all because I think the last day came when Jesus was glorified. Ultimately, that's when it starts. Well, what I was going to say is I think the problem.

with all this, all these arguments, boy, we're getting in the deep water here. I think where you have man's view of it, which is more understanding of the now, because we're living it, the Bible writers wrote to real people. Did he write to people in Thessalonica? No doubt. So evidently somebody had come to them

saying the resurrection's already taking place. So quit your jobs, quit everything. It's happening next week. Yeah, well, that, that, that, that, That's true. People who, because you have to suspend that, sort of, if you're like, well, all of a sudden we're talking about something that's happened at least 2,000 years from now. Right. And so, but I believe, so you have man's perspective, but you also have God's perspective.

Well, what is God? What is God? He's eternal. Yeah. So I don't have a problem, and nor do you, with reading Ephesians 2,6, saying that Jesus, and he's talking about our conversion there, he's talking about you were, following the evil one, you were following your, you know, all these sins. But God who is rich in mercy, and you have a conversion story here. We're talking about salvation. And then all of a sudden he drops in this weird verse that says, he seated us with him in the heavenly

realms. And you're like, well, I feel like I'm sitting right here in West Monroe in this chair talking about Jesus, how could that be? And people say, well, that's, well, they don't have really anything to say about it. But I'm saying from God's perspective, I think he views the resurrection as already occurred because once you have the Holy Spirit. So it's very confusing to people because like Zach said, they're trying to put everything in a box from their perspective. So to get to my point before you,

I didn't even say the parts I disagree with. The reason I don't think it's necessarily talking about the end, although it has the end of day consequences, is because he says, one, whoever this man of lawlessness is, and he didn't call him the Antichrist. That was one of them. He said he's the man of lawlessness.

Antichrist has never mentioned here. It's a man of lawlessness. That's one argument I had. Number two is, whoever this was, he would set himself up in the temple. That is verse four of Second Thessalon's two. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or his worship, so that he sets himself up in God's temple,

proclaiming himself to be God. So the reason I think it had to be somebody prior to AD 70, because the temple that is being referred to was destroyed in AD 70, and it's never been rebuilt. So what happens is people who have this, what do you call it, dispensational view, they then have to make up a narrative saying,

oh, evidently, he's got to build that temple again at a date coming near you when he comes back so that he can reveal the man of law, Well, unfortunately, you just made that up. What the verse says is whoever this man of lawlessness is, he's going to set himself up in the temple. So from my view, there were some Roman emperors who did set themselves up as God in that very temple. All you got to do is, I mean, look up AI search and just say Roman emperors who set themselves up in the temple of God. you'll be fascinated how many people fit that criteria.

So that was going to be my small argument. Not to get too distracted by the argument, there is a position that I think is a valid position that would say that the temple is the church. And so I wholeheartedly believe that. So the man of lawlessness could set himself up in the church as a leader in the church. Oh, I see what you're saying. Oh, okay. And so he comes as, I'm saying that you can interpret this as a future reality.

Yeah, that would be a more consistent argument on that. If somebody had that argument, I'd say, okay, well, that makes more sense. Which is what I thought they would be true. Well, but I think with the point here, though, because this is getting into weeds or getting deep. But here's the truth, though, where, this is where I think it really matters, like really, really, really matters. Going back to John 12. And John 12, when he says that the disciples did not understand. what he was talking about. They didn't understand any of this. Only after Jesus was glorified, did they realize that these things have been written about him and that these things have been done to him? What things? These are Old Testament prophecies. And so, well, then the question is, well, when did they figure it out? Well, he says when he was glorified. But when exactly is that recorded in scripture? And it actually is recorded in Luke chapter 24 when Jesus is on the road to

Meus after his resurrection. He had experienced the resurrection, and then he meets with the disciples. And in three different occasions in the text, well, first he rolls up on these guys, and they're just completely destroyed because they thought, according to the verse here, that we had hoped, this is Luke 24, 21, we had hoped that he, meaning Jesus, was the one to redeem Israel. And yes, and besides all this, it's now been three, the third day since these things happened. In other words, like, we thought that Jesus is talking to them. They don't know it's Jesus yet. And they're like, we thought this guy was going to redeem Israel.

And he's been dead for three days. And Jesus hears how they had interpreted all of it. They were so centralized on the DNA of Israel that they missed the eschatological accomplishment that Jesus was going to bring to bring the nations to himself. And so what Jesus does is he said to them in verse 25, oh, foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. What did they say at in the Old Testament scriptures? It's what they didn't understand in John 12. was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, listen to what Jesus does.

He interpreted to them all of the scriptures the things concerning himself. So this is the moment where they're like getting it. And they're like, wait a second. Well, you're telling me that that God in the Old Testament is Jesus. And Jesus is like, yeah. So then he leaves them. And they say, did not our hearts burn? within us while he talked to us on the road while he opened to us the scriptures. That's what they said.

Well, then Jesus goes up and he appears to the disciples. And this is skipping down in verse 45. It says that, well, verse 44, he said to them, these are my words that I spoke to you while I was with you that everything written about me, or where was it written? In the law of Moses, where else? in the prophets, anywhere else, yep, and the Psalms, it must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, thus it is written, where, in the Old Testament, that the Christ should suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name.

To who? To all nations beginning in Jerusalem. That's the gospel. Paul says that the gospel, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. That's what he says. It's the whole name of this podcast, Unashamed. It's a quote from Romans chapter 1, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. So this is where it matters, is if your eschatology is leading you to not fully trust in the fact that God brought the temple to all the nations. Like, we are the temple. Then you have the wrong eschatology. That's the whole point of the entire thing, is that God brought the temple. God takes up his residence with humans now. Which humans? All kinds of humans. Jew, Gentile, slave, free, male, female, all of us. We're all caught up into the eschatological kingdom of God that's here and now,

and we wait for its full fruition. Can I comment on this? So I think you're right. And I want to show you how in John what you just said is true. He's going to do this, and we're going to get to. to these verses, but I think if you read them in succession, you're like, oh. So I started this off reading John 12, 49, and 50, when Jesus said, and it's in the context of the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified. Now is the time for judgment. Now the prince of

the world be driven out. And again, the context is he's summing up everything he's been teaching for three years because he's about to do it. Yeah. But he throws this in about, the very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. There are consequences, what you're calling eschatology, of what's going to happen later. But it's more focused on what's happening now. But even in John 5, remember when he's like, I'll raise him up at the last day?

I mean, he keeps going through both narratives. So when you compare John 1247 through 50 where he says, for I didn't speak of my own accord, I spoke exactly what the father said. And then you skip to John 14. And I'll read the verse that Zach basically just quoted, which is verse 23, where it says, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.

My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Now, you think he was talking about now or later? Well, that was in the context of him pouring out his. spirit, which would be a now thing for them, right? But watch what verse 29 says. I have told you, well, there's our word, now. I told you now before it happens so that when it does happen, you will believe. So let me back up. So what's he talking about? So verse 28, he says, you heard me say I am going away and I'm coming back to you. If you love me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,

for the Father is greater than I. So he's predicting him going to the Father and pouring out his spirit, right? Yep. I have told you now, before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe, I will not speak with you much longer for the Prince of this world is coming.

Well, I thought the Prince of the World had been condemned. We just read that in John 12, you see? But he was saying that in the prediction of him dying, being buried, and being raised, and going to the right hand. So it's all making sense. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the father and that I do exactly what my father has commanded, which is the same thing he just said in John 12, 47, through 50,

which is why I'm going here. So there's one other place in John 17 that he seems to say the same thing. So turn to John 17 and in verse, five, it says, and now he's praying for himself. Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory, which is what John 12 is about. Then look at verse 7. Now, same word. They know everything you have given me comes from you, which is the same thing he's been saying. For I gave them the words, you gave me, and they accepted them. It's the exact same terminology, John 12. So now come to verse 13, and this is where I wanted to get. I am coming to you. Here's the word again. Now,

but I say these things while I'm still in the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world. So your rapture view would come into play there. He's like, I'm not praying for that right now, because watch. But that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of it. Sanctify, set them apart by the truth.

Your word is truth. And here's where I want to get to. Verse 18. As you sent me into the world, I have sent me. them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified. So you probably see my point. And the Holy Spirit is the one that does the sanctifying, because Paul tells us. Yeah, he has a plan. He has a purpose. And the purpose is, look, I'm fixed to save you. Yes, we all agree with that by his death, bell, and resurrection. But he's also

adding this point of, I'm going to give you my spirit. We're going to come and make our home with you now. And then what are you going to do? Just like the father sent me to do what I'm doing, we're going to send you. Right. And we're going to be with you through your spirit. The ramifications of that later, like the new Christian asked, of course. Of course on the last day, you're going to look up, but it's more like a sentencing because he said, you know, now the evil one stands condemned.

Well, why is he praying here later that we need protection? Well, he's still going to be fighting just like he's fighting me. And we're going to use that for the greater good by his destruction. And you're right, though. You said it earlier. What makes it confusing to people is because you've got to understand you said it, that God's perspective, you're talking about a God outside of time and space. Exactly.

That now comes into time and space. And so when he uses language like we've been reading, like you've been reading in the book of John, or the I-I-M language, which is all over the, the Bible. That's a being that can do that because he is outside and yet now he's inside and yet he's going back outside. And that's why Zach wasn't here on our last podcast, but I thought dropped a drop mic moment when Jesus became a man and he died and he was buried and he's resurrected, since he's a member of what we call the Trinity and he is now forever a man. Yeah. Well, that did something

that we don't talk about. It then entered humanity into that realm. Into the Godhead. So the problem for us, mere humans, who haven't had that happen with a new mode of being

post-res resurrected body, imperishable body, body like his, we have a very hard time understanding his perspective. That's right. And so when you read the Bible, like 2th Thessalonians 2,

that Zach read, for years I had a problem with that also. But now I get it. I'm like, oh, wait a minute. He's looking at the accomplished resurrection, because first that's long as far. He's talking about Jesus coming back, the dead in Christ rising first, and the people still alive being changed, you know. Well, trying to make all that work in your human box is very difficult. Very difficult. But I think if you look at it from God's perspective and your perspective and you have the Holy Spirit, he's already seeing you as glorified. I made the same point in the Old Testament about from Joshua that we understand the word justice,

it's hard for us because in our limited view of justice, we have no way to look into the future. So we can only look at evidence of the past. Well, God knows it all. So when he says something over 400 years of time, he's like, I got it. And it's not just that we could only look at evidence from the past. We can only look at a limited amount of evidence from the past. God has a limited the knowledge. But I was thinking, though, kind of going back to where Jesus is headed with the core of his entire argument or story in John, the way John's gospel plays out, that it really is about God making his home with us. When he's, I will come and make our home with you. Amen. It really is the central piece of the entire thing that the Holy Spirit will now live in the body of believers. like your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

And you think about just the incredible truth that that is. It is the most incredible thing that you could ever possibly imagine that the God of the cosmos would take up residence in a human body. And so that's so big that I just don't understand how, to me, like focusing on another temple being built somewhere in the Gaza strip just seems so small. Yeah. And remember, memory of Ephesians 113, Zach, and that Holy Spirit you just described is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance of then our own glorification. So it is now and it is later.

Well, I want to say this because I know we're out of time. You got to remember what the definition of faith is, and I think we should lead into this for our next podcast. Faith is being sure of what we hope for. We figure that out. And we argue about what's going to happen when Jesus comes back. But that next little phrase, and it's being certain of what we do not see. That's Hebrews 11.

And part of the Christian life and having the Holy Spirit and realizing that God is sending us out, just like he did as disciples, before all that goes down, is believing the invisible is real. And so that's why you get to passages like Colossians 3-1, It says since you've been raised with Christ, and this is coming off being baptized in Colossians, too, since you died with Christ there. Since you've been raised with Christ, you set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Set your mind on things above. These are invisible things, not on earthly things, for you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, you will also appear with Him in glory. It's the now and the not yet. But to do that, you've got to believe in the invisible with assurance. So, Zach, I'd say you need to start a podcast and call it not yet now. But we'll talk about that next time on Undashamed. Thanks for listening to The Unashamed podcast.

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