Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 678 | Phil & Fam Are Unashamed ... of Their Bodily Functions & Jase’s New Olympic Sport

Episode Date: May 8, 2023

The guys veer into the ultra-personal as they dish about their impolite habits! Jase ponders the differences between people’s reactions to specific bodily functions and proposes some new sports to liven up the Olympics. The guys discuss baptism as it relates to Jesus in human form and the wisdom and maturity of Mary.  In this episode: Luke 1, verse 5 through Luke 2, verse 52 https://philmerch.com – Get your “Unashamed” mugs, shirts, hats & hoodies! "The Blind" hits theaters this fall. Get updates, trailers, behind-the-scenes moments, and special opportunities here: https://theblindmovie.com — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? All right. Welcome back to Unashamed. I'm still out here with Zach, the eastern layer, out there in North Carolina. So we, in the overtime of the last episode, we completely went off the rails, which happened sometimes. I think it was Jason's fault, if I recall. Is he the one that took us there? I don't know who started it, but it was the most awkward. 14 minutes that we've had in the history. Which probably people will love it more than anything else we've ever done. Or hate it.

Or hate it, I'm sure that too. Jace had an idea about a new Olympics. And we were supposed to talk about the Hannah and Mary's song. And we never got there because of Jace's sound, human sound Olympics. I think. I think. I was finished off with a perfect sneeze. that was unplanned.

No, that's what I'm saying. People in our culture, in human society, if you sneeze, they say bless you. If you break wind, they say curse you. Well, which is it? Both things can be and are uncontrollable. I was built like this. And so I'm saying, you can't take yourself so seriously.

You realize that a sense of humor is something that we were created with. So if you're not exercising that gift, that's on you. So, no, it all came from when I said we should put a couch, we should move the couch over here on camera. And if someone wants to take a nap, they can. And y'all said, well, we have a snoring problem because we haven't been eating enough salad or whatever it was, y'all said. We're big people when we snore and we're getting older.

And so that, so I said, I'd had this dark. lonely thought for years that I thought you know how you could spice up the Olympics I think every nation should send representatives of bodily sounds and Al gave a perfect example I actually had a couple of illustrations

my childhood memories were filled with us gathering around the fire at my grandparents' house and listening to them snore it was like synchronized snoring and we laughed and we La. It was just, it was actually a thing of beauty.

Because one, my grandpa was, he kind of set the tone to v-v-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r. And then my grandma would be, Yeah, she had her right-warr-wag-wag-wit. You know, what's interesting is that the animal world, we've been around dogs, hunting dogs, guard dogs. The dogs, they don't snore, but they do sneeze. Yeah. Dogs are prone to sneezing. And is it always funny?

It's always funny. It's always funny. And interestingly enough, I've never had a dog I don't think that snored. No, I do. Well, I'm not a dog sneezes. The usually stuff gets in a... I have a dog that snores. Is that right?

Yeah, the little hazel. Now, she is rotun, Al, to you and Zach's point. The only dog I've ever heard snore had put on. on a few LBs as well. Yeah, she snores. So you could safely say in the animal world and the human world, it's sneezing and snoring, it's a. And the breaking of wind.

Yeah, breaking a wind. Oh, it's happened. It's always funny. But in our civil eyes, they're probably not going to do that. But I guarantee people would watch. I mean, you just think you represent your country. They would. They would watch.

Oh, that show was coming as soon as you mentioned that. Synchronized snoring. That's a thing. It's happening. Whether we produce it or not, it's happening. I think the sneezing, I mean, people... We went treasure hunting, you know, but we're still passing gas. It happens. It happens. But you're right. Sneasing is another one, and that's unique to people. Because I've heard people with the tiniest little kerchew sneeze that's like, it's almost like,

is that, are you doing that on purpose? Like, is that a real? sound to what Zach did at the end of the podcast, which was just basically I watched dad jump in this chair. It's scary you? It's scary dad with Zach. Well, my wife was trained in that environment where you don't do these unsocial sounds that are natural. If you tried to coach him in to make a noise, it sounds like a sneeze, you couldn't have done it. So what I was going to say is my wife. There was a real sneeze after talking about sneezes for 15 minutes.

So it took me 30 years to tell my wife. I was like, quit trying to stop it. Because so when my wife sneezes, I see it coming on. And she's trying to stop it because she was raised not just by her parents, but just in the private school and all. You don't just let it go. So look, she stops it, Phil. She stops it and it comes out like this.

Squeak. It's a squeak. And it looks like everything in her face is just going to. Exploded. I'm like, just let it out. I think you're better off to let it out. Let it out. Post-s sneeze, a 1001 after you sneeze, you feel a lot better.

Yeah, you do. Now, whatever was in front of you doesn't feel better. I would like to know what particular part of your body, before you sneeze, what's doing that? I mean, are there doctors who say this is the origin of a sneeze? sneeze. Yeah, they'll give you the sign. Because I would like to know because you feel better once you sneeze. There's something that is, there's right.

Is it in your throat? Yeah, back of the throat that they're saying, you must get this out. The trigger, it's. But it seems like it's covering more ground than just coming out of your throat. I mean, it seems like, I mean, your whole body torts up. I mean, it's a pretty good happening when you feel a big. Yeah, it feels like a total, like a total cleansing. which you know when you try to stop it which i have done before too in certain settings like

you mentioned your wife missy a lot of them will sneeze and hold the sound out completely out but i'd much rather just sneeze no because when it was i can't think of a more unnatural feeling that i've had than when i've done that i mean it just doesn't feel right it feels like this we shouldn't be doing this you should be holding them back you know you got no that's what i'm saying And so she just, I think she's maybe had two, you know, unencumbered sneezes, but she just didn't feel good about it. And I thought, there you go, babe. Good.

Now you should feel better. And she's like, no, she can't get over the embarrassment of it all. Hmm. So. So according to this, dad, on whatever website I'm on, some medical website, sneezing is a protective reflex that developed in response to irritation of the lining of the nose. So the lining of the nose is the center.

According to these people. I didn't know that. This allows for different particles to be forcefully expelled from the nose, thus protecting the nose, the airway, and the body from harm. Huh. So Jay, we shouldn't be holding back. It's medicinal. That's what I'm trying to say.

According to that definition. So I'm saying, let's push this through the Olympics. Where did that information come from? The Olympic... Medalline Plus website. So that's what I'm saying is then if you had the competition, it would make society better where people could get the sneezes out, if they want to break wind. I mean, because you had a momentary embrace of this idea when COVID happened,

because then everybody had masks on. So it was, you're like, why not? Everybody's got a mask on. Or to sneeze without anything, you'd jettison a certain amount of. If you had filmed it, it probably is a pretty large. Oh, no, they have filmed it in slow motion. It's awesome. Yeah.

Well, during COVID, though, what happened was it became like a shameful thing to sneeze or cough in public. Yeah, but breaking whim was the most acceptable what's ever been in our culture. Yeah, that elevated. Because everybody had a mask. Everybody had a mask. Yeah, he had a mask. I felt free. I'm going down through the grocery store just throwing haymakers and nobody said a word.

So here's another good question, this we're talking about. Why do we, and this is a good question. I wonder this. Why do we sneeze three times in a row? Because if you ever notice, most people will sneeze three times. It says here. I don't agree with that. It can be multiple.

I've sneezed a dozen times. Or multiple times, I say. Not just three. It says while a single sneeze is sometimes enough to clear whatever irritant is in your system, the triple sneeze, according to live sciences, Laura Gaggle, happens when we need to get deeper irritants out. I'd allow to get triple sneeze. So that's a triple sneeze. I don't have them often, but when I do.

So what I'm saying is if we did the Olympic Games, it'd be the first time in society's history that we actually applauded the bodily normal activity. Because, you know, you've had that, you've had that moment all of us in our life where someone did a sneeze or breaking wind or something, where you, your instinct was to applaud. Just like, wow. That's on another level. Dude.

I mean, just, you know, you're, so I think, yeah. Like slow clapping it? You get, like the old slow clap. Yeah. I mean, we brought all this up to say in the vein of not taking ourselves so seriously and not be so embarrassed about what other people think about it. You know, I mean, our whole podcast is named unashamed. So I'm saying, I mean, obviously unashamed of the gospel, but just, you know, who we are.

That's a same point, Judge. You're right. If we're going to be unashamed about our spiritual matters, why aren't we unashamed about our physical matters? I mean, guess what, Al? We're flawed, stinky, loud people. I mean, we do silly things. So you have to get a sense of humor. There's definitely an audience for this Olympics.

All right. So before we get back to the more serious discussions, I noticed this is the second week in row that I've been only looking in. And so there's another plate of what looks like deliciousness. I don't have my glasses on, so I can't quite tell what I didn't know this was going to be a thing here. No, I would, what kind of cookies are these? These are cowboy cookies. So last time it was macaroons, now Alex has brought some cowboy cookies. These are cowboy cookies.

That means big cookie, right? Is that like a cookie? Well, I see pecans, I see chocolate, and I see cookie batter. It's firm to the touch. And oatmeal. Don't forget oatmeal. There's oatmeal in here, according to a voice from the wilderness. Voice from the wilderness.

So I'm going in. I'm not sure what this experiment is. I've had a cowboy cookie, but it's been a while. And I'm not sure what this has to do with actual cowboys. Me neither. That's just what our family calls them. Some people call them nutty good oatmeal cookies, but we've always called them cowboy cookies. Yeah, Mom always called them.

them cowboy cookies she made them for years yeah good cookie dad yeah yeah yeah they're chewy they're a chewy variety no i'll pass that will not be wrong that's not a new year shenanigans i'll pass i'll not be wrangled a new year shenanigans i'll pass That's okay. I'm unoffendable. Another unoffendable, thank goodness. Well, I appreciate the taste tells. I will take these four cookies with me.

You never know who made those. We know who made them. Alex made those. You made those? Oh, they're right. Dad thought she just picked them up somewhere on the way in and the bulk of it. I don't talk about it. Some cowboy cookies.

Oh, man. I wasn't there for the macaroids. How'd that turn out? Oh, that was fantastic. Phil tried it. We were trying to do two things. There's that. Which he had the exact opposite the other day.

He just popped the whole thing in his mouth the other day. He did. And then he took all the rest of them and started putting them in his pockets as he left. Did it bring back memories? Did he remember that he'd had them? He still has no memory that he promoted the coconut macaroons. That was 30 years ago. You used to, I mean, that was like the number one.

thing you would you would send us in parts of the grocery store because you wouldn't go but you'd say get those real soft coconut macarines hmm yep and so they're back now but you still liked them though did you like them feel oh he loved him he loved them yeah they were delicious yes it's like for the first time now we've we've reintroduced it to dad the macarines so so we say all that to say that we wasted a entire overtime episode and now We've wasted a cold open. All right. So we're back to more serious talk, but we got that out of our system, I hope.

We're in Luke, Chapter 1, which Luke Chapter 1 is a long chapter. It's got like 80 verses in it. It is long. 80, exactly. Yeah, we had left off by talking about Mary's song, and we had just kind of gotten into it. And so in the last podcast, Jay's had brought up, which I was so glad he did, the reference that she makes to Hannah's song from 1st Samuel 2. And Jason, it was interesting because you said before you went into that description

that it's a lot of reasons why people would say, well, yeah, this is just another thing. She's just copying something from, you know, from what's gone on before. This is not, you know, that's why the Bible's not trustworthy or whatever. It's just a repeat. But actually, it's just the opposite. What I see in that is that Mary, this teenager, Jewish girl shows you her depth of understanding of the Old Testament that she would know this song, number one, and know it so well, and basically incorporate that into this blessing that she

gives to Elizabeth. Because remember, the setting was she shows up at Elizabeth's house to, you know, because she's just found out that she's going to have the son of God, and she finds out from the angel that Elizabeth, who's her relative, is going to have John the Baptist, you know, in her old age. And so she goes there in this setting and what happens? The worship service breaks out, you know, because Elizabeth is given these blessings and then Mary goes into this song. And so I think it's a testament to how godly she is, probably one of the reasons she was chosen to be the mother of Christ, that she would know not only Hannah's song, but she would know not only

Hannah's song, Jays, but also to know how much it fit into this setting and situation. Yeah. Well, or Hannah's, I think it's referred to as Hannah's prayer. I think at this. At this time frame, I think it's worthy of note. Big picture. Before John the Baptist came, there is not one mention from Genesis to Malachi. not one word about baptism in water, being baptized in water.

The closest that the Bible comes to it was 2nd Kings 5, or a guy named Neiman was told to go down there and dips himself seven times in the Jordan River, and his leprosy would leave, and he was arguing saying, and I have to cross two rivers before I get to the river that you spoke of. So Elisha was there, a prophet of God. But I think it's interesting that if you don't have one word about water baptism throughout the entire Old Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John was still under the law. But I think it's interesting that God would put that there and for people to argue.

about that once they found out that truth. I mean, it has a profound effect when I'm reading this and I'm seeing people being baptized in water. I've never read that in the Bible all the way from Genesis of Malachi, not one word. So just prior six months before the Son of God came to the earth. And we're looking at their birthdays,

here. The point of both of them, even Jesus in the last port of Matthew, he said, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. John's already been murdered. He said, therefore, go make disciples baptizing them in the name of the father, son, the Holy Spirit. I think the weight, because it's never been mentioned, I think being baptized in water is part of the response to the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Matthew 28, Matthew 28 is good enough for me. I have all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, here's what you do. You go and make disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't mess with that as a human being. There's been a lot of yeah, yeah, yeah about it. But you've never heard about it. And it only came when Jesus came.

and he's the one who said, go to the river and baptize him. I just think it's too simple for people to dismiss out of hand. That's my, that's my thinking. I think people dismiss it, as you say, just because there is a fundamental truth that there's nothing you can do,

you know, to earn your salvation or, you know, it's God's grace. So in the spirit of that, I think religious people view baptism as something that you, say you're doing when I think it's the exact opposite. So it's a, it's you saying I can do nothing. It's more of a surrendered humility, active humility where you're, there's something done to you. I mean, his name, his name is John the Baptist. I'm like, better listen to what he has to say.

Well, the humility had to come first, which was John the Baptist's role, because what did he do? You know, he was talking about repentance. So there's got to be a change and a humility that comes so that you can see and appreciate what God is doing. So, and Mary had that spirit in verse 38, which is what we, you know, we mentioned it when she said, I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered, may it be to me, as you have said. So she had that humble spirit, but what I wanted to say in that vein, if you just read a couple things from Hannah's prayer, and we set this up last time,

when here's a woman who has been persecuted because she couldn't have kids, and she's in a Jerry Springer-type situation where there's another wife, and she has kids, and she's just persecuting her, and then the husband is trying to make her feel better by saying, well, you just need to love me. That's good enough.

And so finally, she just breaks, down and praise to the Lord, whatever your will be. If you, if you would give me a child, I would devote him to you. I'm not worried about me anymore. Of course, then what happens? She becomes pregnant. She has Samuel, who was a great prophet. And by the way, she made a vow that no razor would ever touch his head, which I thought was for our family. That was kind of like, So that was a joke, but not really. So in her prayer, though, she says in verse 1, my heart rejoices in the Lord, and the Lord, my horn,

you know, her strength is lifted high. And then she says, verse 2, there is no one holy like the Lord. There's no one beside you. There is no rock like our God. And so she then gets into this idea, and I think verse 6 is significant. she says the Lord brings death and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth.

He humbles and he exalts. Well, it's the same theme that Mary does and that she realizes that the same Lord works better when we're weak. He takes our weakness and makes it his tree. that are being poor and, you know, makes us rich. And those who think they are something, well, they're humbled. And so it's this opposites attract that she said and she understands about the Lord. I mean, she goes on to say in verse 9, he will guard the feet of the saints,

but the wicket will be silenced in darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails. Those who oppose the Lord, this is 1st Samuel 2.10. those who oppose the Lord will be shattered. And so our last line is he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. So you see where she's predicting. You see where she's making this prediction of what eventually, you know, would come through a similar situation. I mean, similar as in barren, she was barren, so was Elizabeth, who became the forerunner.

God's supernatural work there. And then it moves to Mary, who is a virgin. This is another step to the impossible. But Mary's song then starts off talking about her, the first couple of verses, but it's her humility. And then the rest of the song is all about him, which proves the point that the attitude is it was not about her, but about the Lord and her humbling herself.

So, I mean, it's really a beautiful thing. It is. Another thing I wanted to point out, so this is where I wanted to go in the last overtime I never got to, I don't think there's any accident here that Mary is bringing, and this kind of goes to Dad's point too, that Mary is talking about a transitional, not only figure, but a period of time.

Because, Jay's, when Hannah, when Samuel comes along, it's just historically it's the end of the judges period Samuel technically is the last of the judges but he's also the first of the prophets and so he's he's what we would call a transitional figure in Israel's history and then the reason so so obviously he was unique and God knew that and even his his the way he came to be and his dedication is unique and that's why he had the Nazarite vow that you mentioned jason so there was something special about Samuel the priesthood had become very corrupt. And you see that from the situation with Eli and the rest of that story there.

Because there's more Jerry Springer we didn't even get to. Jay's on the backside of that. And so Samuel now is bringing integrity back to this. So he's this transitional figure. And now he's the one, by the way, Samuel, that will anoint David, who will be that God's only chosen king that he will establish a covenant with for a kingdom forever that guess who comes through that on the physical side Jesus so you see that there's more than just a passing interest in this story this is a transitional era is what's happening

which is which is which is even prophesied here right in this that he in this particular section of scripture that Jesus will be a Davidic king a king in the line of it actually says that so there's like a direct tying to to this story I think that's what's interesting as you think about this, and as we move forward, we're going to see this a lot more. And there's like these two, there's a vein in the Old Testament that it is undeniable. The prophetic vein of the Old Testament with a continual, it's like, it's just like one big finger just pointing, you know, to the person of Jesus who is coming to incarnate, God incarnate in a baby. It's really profound. And Jesus is a baby, a child,

but he was saying once he got about 30 years old, from that time on, Jesus began to explain that, and he just points out will be his enemies. He'll suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law,

The most religious people that there should have been was the ones that had been there from the beginning going all the way back to the establishment of law and the temple worship and all of that. But that's where all the trouble came from when he got here. That's where all the – it was emanating from the very thing he had built, and it's a sad thing that they were so – pretty well nearly all of them not all of them there's a few that we're reading about we've had been looking at this but uh it's a tough tough time to to to enter the world when mary had that child you all agree oh yeah and yet and yet and yet and they tried to kill him to begin with they're trying to get rid of him well right which we're reading about that map before well when they So, but to your point, Dad, not only is it so incredible, but that Mary's insight into that.

Because when you look at, like, at verse 40, 49. Can we just read our song? Yeah, read 46 through 49, especially that first three verses. So this is after this, you know, consultation with Elizabeth, so they had this, and we talked about the power of that, you know, and, I mean, we made a few illustrations of that, but you know because people they want to find out their purpose and what god wants me to do and a lot of people it's like well i feel like god's leading me to do this and but the way this is designed is here's mary who when she visits elizabeth which was the angels indirect recommendation

and and it's like the big pitcher hit her and she got it with this time with elizabeth which she winds up staying there you know three months By the way, John the Baptist didn't last long before they killed them. Exactly. So Mary, she sings this song, and it says, verse 46, My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior, which we mentioned. She's acknowledging that, you know, there is a God, and she's not it,

in that she needs a Savior like everyone else. for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me bless, for the mighty one has done great things for me. Holy is his name. So the first couple of verses, she does acknowledge how God is chosen her, which I think is fine.

But in her response is humility. But then watch the shift here about his and he has. Watch. His mercy extends to those who fear him from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm. He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful, to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers. Yeah. No, that's powerful. And so I wanted to make the point back up when she said, from now and all generations will call me blessed. And again, true right, Jay.

She's saying it humbly because she says, for the mighty one, has done great things for me. So she's not saying anything she's done. She realizes that. But here's my point. She understood in that moment as a teenage girl, as she's now quoting some thoughts from Hannah's prayer, the significance of this moment.

because she says from now on, generations will look back and say, this is a blessed woman because of what happened here. And she was exactly right. And they still done it. Do people maybe do it to excess and beyond what she would be comfortable with in her humility? Of course. But what she's saying is in the significance of the transition. Because Zach said this earlier, you can't, the transition here of John the Baptist then to Jesus and everything it meant to law and everything that had been done up to this point is huge. But I'm just amazed that this teenage girl got it and then references it in this song of phrase.

Oh, it's deep. It's unbelievable. Theologically, it's just incredible that what Hannah got and what Mary got, and even when I brought up those two verses in Luke 11 where the, you know, the mom who recognized how Jesus was bringing out the best in women in general, especially in that culture. and she was like, bless the mother who brought you here. And he was like, no, you be blessed for those who hear the word and obey it. Some were so impacted that they began to worship her. Well, exactly. And they still do.

And they still do. But my point is that what they got from a theological standpoint is so deep is that the Lord brings everyone to the same position. And I mean everyone. No matter what you have, where you're from, what you look like, what part of history you were living. And to those who think there's something, what we call the elite on the planet, who we define success as money and power and fame, oh, they're humbled. They all wind up humble.

And you said, well, no, that's not, oh, yeah, at some point. and that may be at their funeral or it may be, you know, when they have some disease or their, but every one of those who put their faith and trust in anything of this world, we know how it's going to end. They're all going to be humbled. And for those who are all humbled, they're raised through Jesus, because he really works well with those who realize their human state. And so you have all these little sayings that come up where the upside down nature of the kingdom happens.

And you see that in both the prayer, I mean, the song and the prayer. And it's really, it's quite fascinating. Yeah, he has helped his servant Israel remembering to be merciful. Be merciful to Abraham and his descendants. And you see that in Mary's song. Ann and Zacharias saw this, they're realized. They were not being merciful in their attitude toward Jesus Christ. They're realizing that he is the fulfillment of everything that was done in their history and their foundation, which is incredible.

I would argue that you're going to see it throughout the rest of the Luke's gospel. You're going to see this same exact or these same exact themes emerge over and over and over. and over again. And so you look at this virgin birth, for example, is one of the first examples in his gospel, because we're only in the first chapter. But it continues. But that's the question, why Mary? Why a 13-year-old non-noble virgin?

Like, why? And I think her song answers the question. And it's one word, he. He has done mighty deeds. He has scattered those. He has brought down. He has filled the hungry. He has given help.

He spoke to our forefathers. I mean, you look at Mary, and so when God goes into a vessel, like a Mary, the most unlikely of people, that's the upside down nature of it. The upside down nature of God's kingdom is that he moves into places where humans can't say, oh, you. yeah, of course, that makes sense. I mean, there was already power there. There was already, he doesn't go to those places. He goes into Mary, a 13-year-old virgin bride to be that was engaged. Like, he goes there.

And the reason why is because when it's all said and done, the only answer that can be left standing is he. He's the reason he's preeminent. He is all in, beginning in, Alpha Mega. And we'll see that theme just continue through. out scripture, which is when you talk, Jason, you talk about how Christ, he equalizes everybody. It's not even like a, I don't even think it's like a decision that it's like, okay, I'm going to make everybody equal. I think his arrival, he's so big and powerful and he's God that his arrival, when we're in

his presence, we're just, nobody can like say I'm better than the other because we're comparing ourselves to a holy God. It reminds me of this, you know, our little country basketball school in North Florida when I was growing up, we had a guy on our team that was really, really, really good. And when it came to like P.E. class and our little town of 2,000 people, I mean, he was a stud. But then when we went and played FAMU High School in Tallahassee with a lot better players, he didn't look that. We all, we all were horrible on the team versus those guys. It's like that on steroids, when we go up against a holy God, all of us, no matter how big or small you are, we just don't measure up against the God who can create the cosmos. And the incarnation of that God in Jesus is a realization of that ultimately.

It's the same thing I said in Luke 5, when Peter realizes who Jesus is. Remember when he has the miraculous catch, he looks up at Jesus. He says, go away from me, Lord, I'm a sinful man. I mean, what he's doing in that moment is recognizing, I don't need to be near you, you don't need to be near me. I mean, but it's such a humbling thing for Peter to recognize in that moment how great God is. Yeah, how great Jesus. I think that's why in these stories that we're reading here, true stories, there's certain themes that just kind of run together. One is God's presence.

You know, God's with us, Emmanuel. He's coming. God's coming. Fear, you know, in his presence. There's a humbleness there. Embrace and grace and acceptance in light of that. I mean, these themes continue. And I think for us, what's in it for us is we have to recognize to fully be human

and to live a true human experience as you were intended to live and to find what Phil calls peace of mind. It's got to be a recognition that you are a creature. You have to recognize. And when you fight against that, you're going to continue to be met with futility and frustration because you're never going to not be a creature. You're never going to be the creator. And so, like, and we don't want to be the creator.

We want to be grafted into God's flow. And so we have to recognize we're the creature. He's the creator. And we just need to get in his flow, in his direction, which is what Mary got, obviously. And that's what I, when I read her song, it's like, she. got that. She understood that. We quote this before in Hebrews 2. This whole setting of Jesus coming here shows us that we can be unoffendable about what you just said, Zach, about being the creature and the creator because Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every way to understand who we are. And so

God in his humility said, I'm going to become one of you and be made like you in every single way that you're made. So, I mean, if we can realize that he took on our flesh to be like us, to show us that he could do what we couldn't so we can trust it. And why would we be offended? Yeah. I mean, it's all the more reason to follow it. Well, it's why we can, it's why we can even do, like, tell this, like, Phil your story. The reason why we can tell your story, even though you're embarrassed about it, even though you're ashamed about it, the reason why we can do the movie, the blind is because of this, because you recognized early on in our discussions that next to a holy God, I mean, the apostle, Paul, you mentioned the last podcast, Peter,

not good dudes, but all of us, all have sinned, all has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So like the movie, for example, we're not highlighting your sin, so to speak. we're actually highlighting the grace of God and the mercy of God. Yep. Even in Hannah's prayers, she was thankful for her sorrow because it led her to a place to understand that God could lift her up. And so which is, you know, look, that's the hardest thing to do is to be thankful for the difficulty. But her perspective had changed.

And only then did she trust God. completely, and so she was actually thankful in that moment. So it's a hard place to get in life, but that's where God does his best work, you know. And that answers the fundamental question, you know, why is there pain and suffering in the world? Well, you realize that we're helpless in need of a savior. But you made a good point when you said she had come to peace with the idea that if she didn't have children, she was okay about it. And I think that's the real point. So a lot of times people look at it and they say, oh, well, then, then she gets pregnant.

But no, she was really either way. If she had never gotten pregnant, she had already found peace. Yeah, the healing had occurred. She was no longer downcast, is what it says. And even in Mary, which, I mean, Zach made reference, I've never heard that she was 13. I thought I heard 15, but I'm not sure. Could be any of those? I said 13.

I don't know what age she was. She was a teenager. I heard you say that. Yeah, she was a teenager of some sort. So a lot of people then. Well, let me say this. I could be wrong. Yeah.

I mean, she was definitely a young girl. And, you know, that makes people, you know, uncomfortable because, well, I mean, what is she doing? Are you all sanctioning this? But she was a virgin. And in that culture, from a religious perspective, which you got to remember, Jesus has come to fulfill the old law because they couldn't keep it. In that culture, to have that scenario where you have to deal with the shame and disgrace of an unmarried young woman being, or young girl, being disgraced, that you would never, if you were just making this up, you would never pick that scenario from that worldview as the way for God to enter. Because they viewed that as disgrace, which is why

her and Elizabeth were in hiding. How do you explain this? Because nobody's getting past the fact that you're, however old you are, a teenager, and that you're pregnant and not married. So all the religious people, they're not looking at this as something good. And that's why I think, God did it. I mean, because he was coming to dismantle what we view as righteousness and religiosity or however you want to deem that, that somehow another, you can be good enough to warrant salvation on your own. You can't. And so in both of these cases, even though, you know, Mary, I mean, this was just thrust upon her, she was willing to take the disgrace over something that she did not do.

She, which other people would say, well, that's impossible. So that's why she hid out with Elizabeth because it was just simply too much for religious people to wrap their head around. And even today, it makes people uncomfortable on why God did this. They told Jesus when he said the truth that set you free. And he said, we don't need to be set free. We're not prisoners of anyone. Exactly. But they were.

Yeah. Yeah. And they said, we've never been a slave to anybody. But every time I read that there's interactions Jesus had them, like, but you were. And even in the current moment, I mean, they were, in essence, slaves of Rome. I mean, they weren't slaves, but they were under the Roman domination. And, you know, but I think that, you know, you think about this whole. context here of of what christ is bringing it it really it truly is a liberation and you may think

i don't need to be liberated because i mean that's we run into that today i don't need to be liberated i don't need i don't need this why i don't need to be to recognize myself as a creature and put myself under the authority of some supreme being why would i why would i do that and the answer to me is that verse what is it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his soul. And you think, man, what if you do just go out there and you accomplish and accumulate as much as you possibly can? What if you build the largest kingdom that the world has ever known? You're the king.

You're the biggest power broker. And somehow you, which has never been done, no one's ever dominated the entire earth. But what if you built that kind of empire? You said, well, in the end, you're going to be old. you're going to be 90 years old one day in a hospice care and someone's going to be feeding you your last meal through apple sauce with a spoon or a straw. I mean, that's what's coming for you. And so I think like even the best case scenario of what we could accomplish,

if we just said, now, we're going to be the creator. And the best case scenario, it just still seems so pointless and futile. in the grand scheme of the existence of the entire world. I just had a little dot. There's got to be more. And I think that's why what Christ came to do is so effective because he is more and it gives us a fuller context of how we live. Yeah.

How to put a well covered. So then when it got down to Zachariah, and he has this moment where he gives in, says, yeah, his name is going to be John, which means, you know, the Lord is, full of grace or gracious. Well, then he sings the song that basically goes into, you know, three sections about John the Baptist role.

And the first one is that he would be a part in bringing and pointing people to the Lord. And it would give the nation of Israel freedom to worship, you know, from their enemies. And I'm not sure he understood that completely at this time. I mean, maybe he did. but he starts talking about that in verse or singing about that. In 68 when he says, praise to the Lord of the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people, he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant, David.

So like 71, we get salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant that he had sworn to Abraham, to rescue us from the hand of our enemies and to enable us to serve him without fear and wholeness and righteousness before him all our day. So he had concluded that no matter what happened, this Jesus coming to earth was going to be the point of reference for them to be able to have the freedom to worship, despite what's going on.

And then he goes to his current role when he says, and you, my child, will be called a prophet of the most high, speaking of judgment. John the Baptist, his son, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven, you know, speaking of Jesus, to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet and to the path of peace. And then the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he lived in the desert or the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel, speaking of John the Baptist.

So it's quite interesting to see those two responses and the connection they have, realizing this was God's scheme of redemption, you know, through them. Yeah, and it's the perfect way to tie that up. And I guess for us as well, because we're out of time. But I do want to talk about that a little more for sure in overtime, Zachary's song, because it really is powerful to show that one-two point. of the Savior and also the forerunner, which we've been talking about, which is what Luke lays out in the first chapter.

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