Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 1312 | Addicted to Panic: Why Every War Sends Us Spiraling

Episode Date: April 15, 2026

Our culture’s growing addiction to fear comes into focus through a surprisingly relatable moment—one that exposes how far we’ll go to avoid discomfort and uncertainty. Jase, Al, and Zach connect it to a much bigger issue: the way constant headlines and global tension keep people stuck in a cycle of anxiety and overreaction. The guys push back on that instinct by revisiting what Jesus actually said about wars and unrest, highlighting a message that’s often misunderstood and misapplied. They point to a deeper perspective rooted in faith, clarity, and trust in God’s bigger plan. The conversation ultimately reframes how believers should respond to fear—not by numbing it or giving in to it, but by stepping out of the cycle entirely and living with confidence grounded in truth. In this episode: Mark 13, verses 1–30; Acts 3–4; Ephesians 2, verses 19–22; Luke 24, verses 44–49; John 1, verses 1–13; 1 John 5, verses 1–5; Matthew 22, verses 34–40; Matthew 23, verses 1–36; Philippians 3, verses 18–21; 1 Peter 1, verses 1–5; Colossians 2, verses 9–15; John 17, verse 3 “Unashamed” Episode 1312 is sponsored by: https://texassuperfood.com — Get 35% off your first order when you use code Unashamed. https://chministries.org/unashamed — See why Christians are ditching health insurance for good. Get a simpler alternative at half the cost! https://www.bruntworkwear.com/unashamed — Get 10% Off + an extra $10 off your Starter Kit purchase at BRUNT with code UNASHAMED #Bruntpod. http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters 0:00 Fear, Death & How the World Tries to Cope 7:15 From Personal Fear to Global Conflict 13:45 Jesus Predicts Wars? Reading Mark 13 in Context 22:10 Why “This Generation” Changes Everything 26:40 The Temple’s Destruction vs Modern End Times Theories 35:20 What It Means to Be “Born of God” 39:30 Why God’s Commands Aren’t Burdensome 43:45 The Difference Between Law & Love 47:10 How Jesus Publicly Defeated Sin & Death 50:30 Water, Blood & Spirit Explained — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. I realized about three quarters away through the last podcast that I dropped in the opening that I was, went to the MRI machine, but I never said anything else about us. So I know people are going to be like. Well, let's do a part two. And we're going to do a part two because we didn't finish at all what we got into with sort of the current events of the current war. or conflict or skirmish or whatever you want to call it,

that's going on with Iran, Israel, and us, which a lot of people have made it biblical, so we're trying to look at the biblical response to it. But back to the MRI. So I've said before I have some prostate issues that I think I inherited from dear old dad because he had some problems, and my grandpa did too. So unfortunately, I got some of those issues.

So they're checking that out, which is why I did the thing. But I've told you all before, So when I turned about 40, I just all of a sudden developed a claustophobia that I didn't have as a young man. Because I used to get in a small plane or get in the back of a van, go to Mexico. I never even thought anything about it. But now I can't, I don't like being in tight spots. And so when I had one of these MRIs a couple of years ago, it was a struggle bus. I mean, it's the hardest thing I've done in a long time to make it through that 40.

two minutes. The mind is a powerful thing. Oh, my goodness. But I just felt like it was my willpower and my reliance on God and the Holy Spirit, because I prayed, I sang, I did everything, but hit the button to get out. But I made a promise to myself that when I got out of that machine, I would never go back in again like that, just willy-nilly with nothing. So I found out through one of our doctor friends that they do, they don't advertise it,

but they do a sedated version of that. And so yesterday, that's what I did. I was still, I was still awake. I wasn't, I wasn't, like, asleep. Like, you know, if you go and do a surgery. Yeah. I still listen to the music. But, I mean, whatever they gave me,

I was just in a happy, happy place. Probably versed that. They probably gave you a little. Whatever it was, it was like, I don't really remember going into the machine, but I just remember being in there, and I was listening to music, and life was good.

Now, see, there's, I'm going to have to call you out on this. I think that's what the world does, though, to overcome your fears. Maybe so. I have claustrophobic issues also. Yeah. But even I've noticed in the world, they'll do this, like, death therapy, like, where they'll, because when you think about it, if you have claustrophobic issues, you have a coffin coming. Yeah.

But you won't be awake. in the coffin. That's the difference. But still the idea of it, Al. I don't like the idea. I agree. I mean. But at least I won't be aware.

That's the difference in yesterday. I didn't have an awareness. Lay me out in an open field. I like that. Well, that's why my dad, who had claustrophobic issues, said that. He said, don't put me in a coffin. He made an announcement to the family.

And somebody who knew the legalities, they're like, it's illegal. In Louisiana, you have to put him in a coffin. Yeah, you got to be in a coffin. He's like, oh, well, who made that law? Well, what he said was, he said, just put me in the river. Well, right. Let the current take me down. He said, and then put a net right above where I land, and you'll catch some fish.

And my mom was like, oh, good grief. We're not going to eat fish. That have been eating you. Yeah, this is ridiculous, you know. That's what he said. Somebody needs to watch the Lion King. It's the Circle of Life, right? It's all part of it.

Well, I don't... It's a circle of life, but the bodily resurrection is real. That was my point, is that's how I've learned to battle my claustrophobic issues. But it kind of goes... I have to battle it on other occasions when I get in situations, but in this situation, there was a way to get around what happened to me last time. The sedation helped you. Oh, it made all the difference.

Because the last time it happened, I walked out. It's so funny because Lisa's sitting there in the waiting area and I walk out and I don't say anything, but whatever the lick is on my face and Robertsons have a crazy look about them when they're when something happens. And she looked at me and she said, are you okay? And I said, no, I am not okay because that's the roughest thing I've ever. I mean, I was so shook up about it. It took me a week to get over it. And so this time when I walked out, Anna's there waiting on me because now I've had the juice, you know, so I can't. drive and she's and she said you look relaxed she said did it go okay and I said it went great it's

just I mean I never really knew what happened and said I heard some music the last song of her was bohemian rhapsody by queen I remember that one but you know you need a new you need a new coach that's a weird that's a weird song to play while you're gonna memorize music the thought of the resurrection bohemian rhapsody probably yeah that would be more beneficial but I want to say this Yes. This kind of goes in with what we were talking about, because when you talk about different nations and nation against nation rising up, which is, didn't Jesus predict that? Where's that at?

Is that Mark 13? You're the Mark Scholar. When he said nation will rise against nation. Yeah, he was describing the, which is any conflict era. The rumors of wars. Yeah. So Mark 13, now somebody put on the heading, signs of the end of the age. But when you start reading it, because I felt like we didn't read this,

because people are like, no, that's in the Bible. You know, we're all going back to Israel at the end. Let's just read Mark 13. And I haven't read this in months. As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said, look, teacher, what massive stones, what magnificent building. Jesus, read letters, do you see all these great buildings? Replied Jesus, not one stone here will be left on another.

Everyone will be thrown down. So now Jesus, he's 33 years old. He says this. And 66, a skirmish starts evolving between Rome and Jerusalem. Yeah. And by the way, Zach and the boys are studying ancient Christianity. During this era, Rome was in major tumultuous situation. I mean, it's just one empty era after another.

They're assassinating one after another. Zach, it was a hotbed of issues going on, just like Jesus said it would be. Yeah, lots of political instability. But just before you say that, I just want to, I just want to, double down on it he walked out of the temple and they say look at the look at the stones

and Jesus and Jesus responds to the stones so yeah just just to remember what what is the context because when you when you read the next verse that I'm going to read he just said

you see these built that what are they at what are they talking about why would Jesus say not one stone will be left on another. Everyone will be thrown down. So, as Jesus was sitting... Did he add in there, did you skip the part that says,

except when you build the third one? There's nothing in here. Well, there is something about a third temple, but it's people who have the spirit. Ephesians, too. We read that last time. So as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, opposite, the temple,

now that's, how many times has that been mentioned here? Well, we have these buildings. They're looking, so that's one. And now he's sitting opposite the temple. I've been to that exact spot. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately. Well, tell us when will these things happen? What thing?

The taking down of the stones of the temple. They're literally looking at the temple. When is this going? and he said, not one stone will be left on another. Look, you don't have to be very intelligent. We're not, and I'm not being sarcastic here. This is the context. They're sitting there.

He's looking at the temple. And what is the significance of the temple? That's where God and the Jewish people are meeting. God is literally dwelling with people in that temple. Priests are coming in, they're scared, they're tying strings to their ankles. in case they do something wrong and fall down and die and they drag them out. This is happening.

And to say this, it's two questions that they're asking Jesus about what he said about the temple coming down. The first question is, to your point, when's that going to happen? And the second question is, what are going to be the signs? So every day there seems to be some new miracle supplement that's being pushed out there. You've got different influencers telling you what the answer is to better health. And it can be a little bit overwhelming to know who to trust. And that's one of the reasons why we love Texas Superfood

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They've had over a million bottles that have been sold, which is crazy because they don't do any really fancy marketing. It's just because real results create real loyal customers. So go to Texassuperfood.com. Use the discount code Unashamed to get 35% off your first order. Plus, there's a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That's TexasSuperfood.com discount code unashamed. What will be the sign that they are about to be fulfilled, which we talked about that word, completed, this prophecy, being fulfilled, perfected. Jesus said to them, watch out that no one deceives you.

Many will come in my name claiming I am he, he will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars do not be alarmed, which is the exact opposite of what's happening today. Because people will read this text and they're, oh, they're rumored and they're alarmed. Because they're like, this is when it's going to happen. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars do not be alarmed, such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation.

Kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. Famines. These are the beginning of earth pains. You must be on your guard. You'll be handed over the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. Who's going to be handed over? Them.

The guy sitting there. Yeah. And by the way, you can read about it in Acts 3 and 4. And the gospel must be preached. first to all nations. That's an interesting thing, though, in the middle of this. What were the disciples who, a few years later, in Acts, what were they doing? Breeding the Gospel.

Freezing the Gospel. All nations. They're traveling all over everywhere. And what was happening? There were many people saying that they were the Messiah. This was happening. This is history. you'll be handed over to the local councils, flogged in the synagogues.

All this happened. On account of me, you will stand before governors and kings, and the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you're arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever's given you at the time, for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit. Well, when was the Holy Spirit poured out?

That's in Acts 2. That happened. Think about Peter's speech in Acts 4. I mean, it said empowered by the Holy Spirit, and then he gave his speech. I mean, this literally happened. So it gets down to verse 14. It says, when you see the abomination that causes desolation, well, this is brought up in Daniel 9, in Daniel 11, and Daniel 12. Oh, there's some prediction about this temple in Jerusalem and having corrupt leadership, all this kind of.

stuff. Children will rebel against a parent. It's going to divide families. Verse 13, all men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be safe. Save from what? That's verse 13. From whatever

it's fixed to happen. So, I think you kind of get the picture of that. But verse, if I go on down, it'll say... By the way, it's worthy of note that the word for end in verse 13 and the word for end in verse 7, it's not the eschaton, which means the end times.

The Greek is telos, which you brought up in the last podcast, another version of that, that word, the end used the word to mean, you had a different version of that word in 1, John, that meant like the completion. Yeah. fulfillment. So this is, this here is a, the way, the, the way the Greek is reading is the end of the age. And it's not the, it's not the same word that you would use to describe the end times. That would be Eschaton. This is more about what's the end of this particular era. And isn't it interesting, Zay, that the lives of all these people he's talking to in the moment, except for John, the lives of all the rest of them all ended right before this happened. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they all died right in the late 60s. just before 80-70. So, I mean, again, the idea of completion to a point you just made is it's very clear to see exactly what Jesus seemed to be doing by giving his brethren, his people, the opportunity

to come to him over the course of this 40 years. I mean, that's what this was about, because it was about to end. So he goes on to say he'll gather his elect. The son of man will be coming in the clouds with great power and glory. So that's where the confusion happened. You're like, well, that's got to be the second coming. But evidently, he came on, he came in judgment in some capacity and allowed this to happen. So because it.

Well, that's a direct reference to Daniel 7th. Yeah, exactly. Coming on the cloud. So the son of man is, he, when he comes, I think I mentioned this on a previous podcast, he comes before the ancient of days and it receives a kingdom. Yeah. So this is certainly, and I mean, if you read this in the context of Daniel 70, he's clearly not talking about the end times.

He's talking about whenever Christ receive all dominion in the kingdom. So the question is, does Christ have all dominion now? Well, he said at the Great Commission that he did, he said, all authority on heaven and earth has been given to me, therefore go make disciples of all nations. And so you can see how this is tied into that. But this is when Christ would appear before the ancient of days, the son of man, before the ancient of days and receives the kingdom. That's already happening.

Which is right. He's at the right hand of God. But having said all that, the smoking gun to this whole analogy about it being about the physical temple being destroyed is when he, that's where the story started. They're looking at the temple, the buildings. He says, not one stone will be left on another. Then right after he says that, gathering the elect, in verse 30 I tell you the truth

this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened well do you have to be a scholar to understand what the time frame they ask when is this going to happen

like it's going to happen in your generation when did it happen well it hadn't happened yet jays we're all going to go over there and there's this thing going to happen in Israel. I just think it's a poor way to read scripture.

And I'm not sure when this became a thing, but it did. And I realize some people are going to disagree with what I'm saying, but when you tie in Ephesians 2, talking about us being the temple, the Holy Spirit's for everybody, going to all the world and share the good news, all nations. So let me read this, Jay, because based on what you just read, You mentioned this.

You just referenced it, but I want to read it from Luke 24, because Luke has a similar ending to his book. He said to them, this is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms. So that's everything basically up to now. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures. And we know I did this because in John and said he breathed the Holy Spirit into it.

them. And then he tells them, this is what is written. The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and the repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I'm going to send you what my father has promised, the Holy Spirit, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Yeah. So, establishment of the kingdom. A lot of you said, well, how did this happen. How did we go from one nation being chosen by God to produce Jesus? How did that go from that to everyone being able to participate together as God's temple through his home? No matter what nation you're in. Well, there's a key word, and it's right where we're at in

1st John 5, that he said over and over and over again. And I'm just going to read the first verse of chapter five, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, and here's the phrase, is born of God. So when you think about where you're from, when most people have human interactions with other people, they'll say, where are you from? What do people answer? Any person from any nation, from any language when they have that conversation. They say the nation that they're... They say the nation or the city or the state.

When people ask me, I used to say, well, I'm from Louisiana. Because people meet me and they're like, oh, you were on TV? Where are you from? I've made an adjustment in my answer. And I say, I'm from God Almighty. Because I've been reborn.

Well, yeah. And look. theoretically, where was I from even when I was born in Louisiana? I mean, do we not believe that God knitted us together in our mother's wing? The Psalm says that. But then when I put my faith in trust in Jesus and believed on him, I believed that I was born of God. So I'll be honest, for a while I just assumed that health insurance

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And John 1, remember when we went through that? And it gets into the specifics. It says, here comes this Jesus who was with God. We read verse 1 and 2, and then we read verse 14. But we skip over just as good of stuff. Because it says God was with the word. I mean, the word was with God. The word was God.

He was with God in the beginning. But then it says through Him, through Jesus, all things were made without him. Nothing was made that has been made. When's the last time you heard a sermon on that? Jesus has created everything. Sure. The word that become flesh. Then it's like, there came a man who was sent from God.

His name was John. He came as a witness to testify, concern, the light. So that through him, here we go. all men might believe. See, some people, scholars, they'll say, well, that didn't mean all men, because they have this different agenda of how they, what the Bible, how they want it to be interpreted. You said, well, how does that happen? How does all men, how many they may believe? He himself was not the light.

He came on as a witness's light. Speaking of John, the true light that gives light to every man. Here it is again. What's coming into the world? Well, how does this happen? He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, we just read that, he made everything, the world did not recognize him. Because they thought, well, how, what is First John all about?

It's all about a group of people saying, God didn't become a man. No. He couldn't. And John, in First John, says, that's an anti-Christ view. Antimist. that God became a man, you're an antichrist. He came to that which his own. Well, who is that in reference to?

He was an Israelite. But his own did not receive him. That's why you just read Luke 24. He's remember in John 5 when he said, you should believe, just based on all the things I'm doing right now. And then he moved on from the miracles saying that should have been enough. I mean, you do a miracle. You've got to think, you're from God.

They're like, nope. You can't be from God. You remember what he's telling Nicodemus? He said, you're Israel's teacher. Exactly. And you don't know. And what did he tell Nicodemus two chapters later? You need to be born again. Born again. But remember

in John 5 when he said, well, you know that those scriptures that Moses wrote, they were about me. Yeah. Yet you refused to come to me and believe. I'm here. I am the fulfillment. they didn't receive him. Verse 12.

Yet to all who received him to those who believed in his name, there it is again, 1 John 5-1, exactly. To all who believe, he gave the right to become children of God. Now here's the kicker. Children born, not of natural descent, not the nation, where you're from, not of a man and a woman get together. we're going to give birth to a kid.

Nope. It's not that. It's not, nor of a human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. Or born from above. So then he told Nicodemus, here's Israel's, one of the ruling members,

and he tells him, you've got to be born again. Why is he saying that? Because this, he came to tear down this division of humans based on where you're born, the location. geography. He tore that down. That's over. God created all men. He wants all men. He came through

one nation, Israel, so that all nations would be blessed. Wasn't that part of the promise? And so he was talking about the destruction of the temple because he would become the temple for all humans. That's how you read the Bible. That's what it's about. That's the essence of it. even in our illustration about marriage, Zach, you were going to make the point, and you never got a chance to in the last podcast. But it circled back to where we started in the last podcast about marriage. Because in the previous chapter, 1st, Corinthians 6th and 6, he says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Wasn't you going to say that, Zach? Yeah, I mean, we ended with that.

I was going to bring him full circle back to. that's why sexual sin is different than other sins. I mean, that's Paul's point in 1st, Corinthians 6. He says, all sins a man commits are outside of his body. But he who sins sexually sins against his own body, for don't you know that your body's a temple of the Holy Spirit? And so you can't unite the Holy Spirit with a prostitute as the example that he uses,

but it's therefore honor God with your body. But that's why even when you get, we get into this whole conversation about human sexuality, about the right to life, all that. It's all connected to that word telos again, like the intent, the purpose, design. What's the end of all this? What's the game?

What's this all moving toward? And it all really begins in Genesis 1. The man was made in God's image. He was given a commission. Genesis 128, be fruitful, multiply, subdue the earth, expand the garden. And so when you see that, that's the temple, the whole temple thing.

And so what's accomplished in Christ becoming the cornerstone of the temple is now we get to be living stones built on that temple. But it's your body. Your body's important. Your body's key to the whole thing. God is not anti-body. God is pro-body. That's why I love Nancy Piercy's book, Love Thy Body. What a great title.

But it's like God is very affirmative of the human body. He incarnates in a human body. His name is Jesus. He dies on a cross. and the human body that's dead goes into a grave, into a tomb, and then God raises that human body up again to live forever and to be immortal, and that's what we have to look forward to. So you cannot disconnect any of this stuff.

And so I think reading the Bible in the way that we're presenting right here, what it does is that it puts the Bible in the context of a story that is seamless, as opposed to a bunch of little independent truths. That's not how you should read the Bible. It's not the Da Vinci Code. You know, that movie, The Da Vinci Code, you get out your decoder and figure it all out and all the trails and you're going,

no, it's a seamless story of how God is going to live with the creatures that he's created that are called humans. That's the whole story. That's it. And then it becomes less about countries as we're talking about, and then it becomes about what John has drawn, the clear contrast in 1st John, the world versus the world Jesus has created, the kingdom. That's where I was headed.

Because I wanted to read this, the section that we're in in 1st John 5. Before you do that, let me read this, because this is a clear tip of the cap to what I just said. This is Paul to the Philippine church. He's talking about people that are living at worldly life. Their destiny is destruction. their God is their stomach their glory's in their shame their mind is set on earthly things

the world he see but our citizenship is in heaven well how'd that happen because we were born again yeah as we eagerly and we eagerly away to save it from there the Lord Jesus Christ

who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control will transform our lowly body so they will be like his glorious body yeah I mean either it is the you're born again or you were born the first time, you still came from God.

Right. Either way. Right. And it wasn't, we're the ones that put the dividing lines because this is the hand we were dealt. Right. So instead of focusing on the differences of like

where your geographical line is, God focused on your commonalities as humans, sin and death. Right. That's what he came to destroy, which is the dividing. lines between humans and God. Because you think about it, as human beings, we can't even clearly define citizenship in our own

situation. We've got the Supreme Court right now deliberating over whether some people fly into our country pregnant and you have a baby here and then it's like, well, that's birthright citizenship they call it, which is not in the Constitution, by the way. But you have this baby and all of a sudden, well, that's an American citizen because we came here and had it on American soil. And therefore, it links back to everybody and their family. So that's a subversion of our system already, but human beings, that's the way we are. We can't even figure that out.

But when it comes to God, it's real simple. Once I believe in Jesus and commit my life to him and I'm born again, that's very clear. Exactly. Well, and it puts the commonalities on the positives also, which is the opposite of sin is doing most right. And that's why he said in 1st John 3, when he said, when,

or 1 John 2.28, he said, Dear children continue in him so that when he appears, he may be, we may be confident. There's our word again. And unashamed before he met his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. So if you've ever worn work boots, you guys know the drill. Your feet pay for it the first couple of weeks. And that's why I was really surprised. when I pulled out these brunt workwear boots on.

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in God's life, which is eternal. That's why when in John 17 in his prayer, he said, this is eternal life. What is the answer? I mean, you should get up on the edge of their seat. to believe in Jesus and that God sent him, that is eternal life? Well, that seems to be what he's implying here. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God

by loving God and carrying out his comfort. commands. And that's why we brought up this idea of commands because there's a little phrase there that's very confusing if you think about it. Because he says then and his commands are not burdensome. Right. Now look, if you want to, if you want to know that whatever you think he means by that, if you go back and read the O-law, the red heifers, the, uh, the 600 and whatever laws, you're not going to walk away after reading them thinking, well, they're not burdensome.

Right. I mean, ow. They're crazy. And there are people trying to do all those laws to this day. Yeah, yeah. And by doing it, saying, well, that's what he told me to do. Well, how come John is saying they're not burdensome? So before we get the definition to that,

I want to finish reading the section, because you're going to help us out with that. This is love for God to obey his commands. But whatever he means by commands here, he just gave a caveat saying, they're not burdensome. Right. And maybe we need a simple definition.

Not burdensome means it doesn't feel weighty or... The Greek word there at Baris means heavy, weighty, or damaging. Damaging. Just picture you. you carrying the weight, like you're going to walk eight miles and you have 200 pounds on your back. But he said it's not that. It's not burdensome. So what does he mean?

So before we dive into that deeper, but I want to get this overall point, which is his commands are not burdensome. For everyone, oh, and he says it again. Does he say it twice? No, he says it in verse three. for everyone, his commands are not burdensome. For everyone, here's that phrase again. Born of God. Overcomes the world.

Well, what world's they talking about? All these nations, the dividing lines, and all the conflict and prejudice, racism, wars, you overcome all that. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? And he goes back to right where he started this section. Only he who believes that Jesus is the son of God. And who's that for? The first verse of chapter five is everyone.

He then doubles down on it in the second pass of the sentence where he says, everyone who loves the father. You read John, same thing, so that everyone might believe, so that all men could be born, not of natural to sin or human's decision. but born of God. So, Matthew 22, this idea about burdensome, and we've referenced this before,

hearing that, this verse 34, hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together to see it, Jesus had just shut them down about the marriage and resurrection. So this is Jewish, religious groups, and the Pharisees were notorious on, if you keep enough of the law, then you'll be safe.

It was a performance-based view of keeping the law. Period, exclamation point. Remember, the Pharisees were born out of something really good from back in the Daniel days of just holding the line of not banging down to another God. But over the course of 600 years, they've built up so many laws now. It's unrecognizable.

And which is, I mean, they're good laws. Yeah, it's all good stuff. Yeah, and they're, they're ready. resurrection, or as Zach says, eschatology, what's based on that. Right. You then stand before God. You lay out the list, and you're like, here's how I did. Right.

Exactly. So one of them, a Pharisee, an expert in the law, tested him, Jesus, with this question. Because he thought he had him here. What's he going to say about this? Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? And so, you know, I don't know what he thought he was going to say, but he probably didn't think he was going to say this. Jesus replied,

love the Lord of God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And then he says, and he wasn't asked this, but he adds,

and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments. Now they come back and they ask him, so in response to that, they didn't respond.

here was their answer back. They said, well, what do you think about the Christ, the Messiah? It's interesting, they went straight to that question. Whose son is he? This is Jesus back to them. And they said, the son of David. And then he said, well, how is it that David speaking by the spirit calls him Lord, for he says Psalm 110, the Lord said to my Lord,

said to my right hand until I put your enemies under my feet. If then David calls him Lord, how can he be his son? Of course, he's referencing himself. Yeah. No one could say a word and no one dared ask any more questions. So so much for finding out the greatest commandments. The point is Jesus clarifies all law in two simple contexts. The love of God fully, the comipitium, which is where the birth comes from, by the way,

and then how we live after that, which is loving our neighbor. Now, listen to what he says in the next section. Where you at? Matthew 23. He comes back and the teachers of the law, he's fixing to address them and he says, you must obey them, do everything they tell you, but do not do what they do,

for they do not practice what they preach. Listen to this, Joe, they tie up heavy loads. There's that word, burdensome damaging loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. And then he goes on

with a whole chapter of woes to the passage. It's fascinating. I just noticed because I pulled this Greek word up. So that word where he says, and his commandments

are not burdensome, that specific word, it's only used six times. Right. One of them's in 1st John 5.3. Yeah. One of the others

is actually used in Matthew 23, where you're at. In verse 23. Now this, I just noticed this When you were reading because I thought Well, oh, it must be where it said they tie up heavy loads And nope, not there

It's in 23 But watch how he uses the word Woe do you teachers of the law and Pharisees You hypocrites You give a tenth of your spices He names the spices But you have neglected The weightier matters

The more important So he used the same thing same word that saying this this weight as in the weight of law justice mercy and faithfulness you should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former which by the interest by the way those things are all spirit you know life the life you live the unburden life you live going forward of course when you love people you want to be a people that's sees justice and mercy and faithfulness and righteousness and all the things that come from the previous spirit. And they also use this word as grave, grievous, heavy. That's how serious it is,

which here's the one who said, I am the life saying these things. So I find that very interesting. And I think what you've got to realize that what John is doing is the commonality. of humans, he's stressing that. In that sin, death, separated from God, you're born again, and it's a new way of viewing the commands and laws of God. It's now a relationship based on love, his forgiveness, his grace, and a response. Not that you're not that you have the list, but that you're able to discern through his spirit that now lives in you.

Right. Of being like Jesus, being like a person, loving like Jesus, being Jesus. That's the idea that he's conveying. So it's not like you're sitting there saying, oh, I have to do this, you know, so I'll get my reward. No, I have to do this because I can't help it. I'm so awed and inspired by who God is. I'm just giving.

I'm bending the knee. And that's the attitude that he's trying to convey. Hey, guys, I want to tell you guys about something that's really cool we're doing with our Hillsdale Friday episodes. We're going to pick one listener to come down to West Bend Road, Louisiana, to watch a live recording of Unashamed. And we're going to pay for it. We're going to pay for travel and lodging for you and a guest up to $1,000 each. All you got to do is take the ancient Christianity course with. us. We're doing that every Friday. Finish all the quizzes and send us your certificate of completion.

You can sign up and take the course for free at Unashamed for Hillsdale.com. Then you can upload your certificate at watchunashamed.com and you'll be entered for the drawing. We'll pick a winner in June, so you guys stay tuned. Well, and I wanted to read this. This is from First Peter because we talked about because it's written later and in Peter's life and this idea about the expansion. of the people of God, he starts his letter of First Peter by saying, Peter and Apostle of Christ Jesus, to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithenia. So he's listed in all these places where the people of God, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God through sanctifying work, the Spirit,

for obedience to Jesus Christ, and sprinkling by his blood. Listen to this. praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in His great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So all these people spread all across this known first century world.

He's saying, you are born again. That's how you become his citizen. And he said it again in verse 23 of chapter 1. You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed through the living and enduring word of God. I want to give you one more about when we talked about the confidence, the public

declaration living in Jesus. Remember we did that 1st John 417? Because it's going to come up again in our prayer life. He uses the same word. It's going to come up again in that we're confident when we're praying, which is 1st John 5, 14. This is the confidence we have an approaching God. But just with this issue of the law and how we approach it, I found this fascinating. Another place this is used is in Colossians 2. And you remember the context, verse 9, for in Christ all the deity lives in bodily form. You've been given fullness in Christ. In him, you were circumcised.

He's not talking about the Jewish physical circumcution. physical circumcision as a right to be a Jew. That was part of it. Right. Because he is showing the fulfillment of that. He's talking about not with the circumcision done by the hands of men, but with a circumcision done, having been done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith and the power of God who raised him from the dead.

Sounds like a born-again reference here. Right. It's not a heritage of being from Israel. Because in that situation, back to the Abraham when it happened in Genesis 15, the cutting away of the flesh was then a mark, a physical mark, a sign on a Jewish male that he was a Jewish male. Yeah. So through this we're going to understand about baptism, because through this we're going to understand by baptism, because the next section, when he said everyone who believes you overcome the world,

everyone who believes in Jesus, well then what does he do? He then says, and this is the one, this Jesus, that you believe in, that you overcome the world that produces victory.

He came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, because their problem, there's a group of people saying, no, he didn't become a person, a human with a body. Well, then he brings up, which is, for a lot of people,

they're like, what do they mean? Water in blood. He became a human. Well, what does the water have to do that? Well, you remember what happened at his baptism, which most people, most scholars, believe the water is about his baptism

because that's where God declared his identity. He said, this is testimony, right? He said, this is my son. Right. Whom I love. And with him, I'm well pleased. Well, why is this happening? And he come by blood.

Jesus had blood. And he gave it up. He spilled it for us. So he's really making the point that he became a human. But he gives three witnesses, because it's just like in their world, if you're giving testimony, well, what are the witnesses that testify to that Jesus came in the flesh, which is what this whole thing has been about? He's like, well, he went down under some water.

He had blood. He shared it. He had the Holy Spirit. And that was the promise that God would give His Holy Spirit to humans. That's why he says he did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit who testifies. So there are the three witnesses. And all these three things point to life.

Water. Well, there's no water. What? There's no life. Right. Blood. If you're a being. There's no blood.

There's no life. There's no life. The spirit, which is the energizer of life, because remember when the spirit he breathed in, which is the ruah of God? Same thing, though, just where you have no spirit. And I'm not even talking about Holy Spirit, and I'm not having your spirit.

You don't have life. There's no lie. So back to Colossians, too, on where he used this word confidence. Right after he goes through that about having been buried with him and baptism raised, he's been given access to Jesus.

Verse 13, when you were dead in your sin, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. Look, here it is. He canceled the written code with its regulations that was against us that stood opposed to us. He took it away and knelling it to the cross.

You're like, where's this word confidence? And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle. There's the word. the confidence that we have 1 John 417 we stand before God that word is used what he did to Rome and by them crucifying him he made a public spectacle of them triumping over them by the cross well that sounds eerily similar to overcoming the world the victory verse John 4 and he uses the same word that John used in 1st John 417 about that act it looked horrific in that Jesus has been

they did it to publicly humiliate him for hey you don't question our power we'll kill you but by his death he confidently and publicly shamed them and sin and death by overcoming it because he was innocent, he was holy, he was from God, and he gave his life in love for us to have the victory. I just think that's fascinating. It is. And to set us up, because we're almost out of time for when we come back to this text, because he's about to go into, at the end of this,

the importance of having testimony about this or witnessing it so that other people will know about it. And, Jace, you described that whole thing, which I agree 100% about the water, blood and the spirit, being tied back to Jesus' baptism. And guess who else was there? We had a little bonus witness that was there, a man called John the Baptist,

who didn't want to baptize Jesus because he recognized something great about Jesus. He wasn't sure what it was until he baptized it and saw what happened. And then we read in John 1, where he comes out and says, look, that's the Lamb of God. You know what it makes you think?

It makes you think of Jesus. He was a human. He's in line with everybody else. And there's a line of human beings. at the Jordan River. And here's this crazy man, baptizing people, because they believe there's a God and a Messiah. And this is going back, too, that water's blood and spirit.

The Jewish history, think about the parting of the Red Sea, the wind blowing across the waters, the blood of the Passover, all of that. And now Jesus fulfilling all that in his existence as a sign of life in human form. to me that's just fascinating. And here's Jesus. He walks up there just like an ordinary human. And out of all the things John was doing to rally Israel to look for the Messiah, one of the reasons he was out there in the wilderness baptizing is so that when the one came along, who was the Messiah, he would know who it was, and he did.

And because of that witness, then we get these, his disciples, who most people believe that John was one of those, John, the Apostle John, was first a disciple of John the Baptist, who then would get to see the Messiah and following. I mean that fascinating? That look, one of his proof points for God becoming a man was that he went out there, got in line or at the top of the line,

and let John the Baptist baptize him to show that he's trusted in the father. And he said it would be to fulfill all prophecy, which is back to our fulfillment. So, all right, we're out of time. We'll pick it up here next time. I'm not ashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.

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