Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 682 | Jase’s Leg Goes ‘Cattywampus’ (Whatever That Means) & Why Did Jesus Get Baptized?

Episode Date: May 15, 2023

Jase has some issues with certain parts of his anatomy, though he’s not sure how to describe them! The guys explore the dual nature of Jesus in all its complexity, as well as the concept of a Nazarite vow. Jase finds a “withering chastisement” in the Bible, and the guys ponder the necessity, meaning, and purpose of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist.  In this episode: Luke 3, verses 1-37; Isaiah 40, verses 3-5 https://philmerch.com – Shop now for your “Unashamed” mugs, shirts, hats & hoodies! "The Blind" hits theaters on 9/28/23. Get sneak peeks, updates & insider exclusives: https://theblindmovie.com — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So welcome to Unashame. You know, we like to have fun with vocabulary on here, especially when Zach is on. Zach has a large vocabulary. He knows a lot of big words, lots of syllables. Sometimes Jace pushes back on some of those words. Well, I do that because I figure out of the, can we say, is it thousands of it, listeners? Oh, it's more, yeah, than thousands. Tens of thousands of listeners, when Zach drops one of these words like epistemology, I figure that there's less than 20 humans who have heard that.

So then I have to stop because I'm thinking the other 980,047 people, do what? What do you say? So I try to back up. up because I'm trying to simplify the message. Yeah. Or the common man. Yeah.

So we have a young sister behind the board who runs it. And I had sat in a way that was, it was, I wasn't thinking. Because we sit here for hours, you know, and talk to you. And so my right leg had fallen asleep. And I didn't realize when I got up and went to Walt, it was not functional. But I didn't fall down. You just kind of dragged it low. But there was a hesitation like, what's wrong with you?

And I said, I was sitting my leg, I was sitting in a way that my leg was catty wampus. And I'm not sure how old our producer is, but she's young. And she's like, I said, you know what that means, don't you? And she said, no. But so I used it in a context, which would mean it was not in a normal operating function. It got out of line with what I should do. It was catty wampus. But when I looked it up in the dictionary, according, because it could be wrong on my phone.

Did you find it? Oh, yeah, but they don't have this. They say it's an imaginary, fierce wild animal. A bogey. A catty wampas? That's what it says. Yeah, they got that wrong. I've always heard it to mean that that went catty wampas.

It was all catty wampas. It's like off. It was off kilter. Cat of wampas. No, that's a wampus cat is what that's talking about. They just had it backward. You've heard a wampus cat. They don't have it backwards, though.

Well, they said cat, wampus cat. cat wampas? I haven't heard of a wampas cat, but that's like a... Now, listen to that. This is why the world is so confused. They say it's a noun. It's an imaginary fierce wild animal. Then it says, what is a catty wampus used for?

So I'm imagining whatever this wild animal is going to be doing. Then it says, position diagonally, catter-cornered. Cattie-cornered. That's it, right there. Caddy-cornered. So it has a dual, it has a dual meaning. So it is the same one. Yeah, it's the same word, but it just, I didn't, I hadn't heard the wild animal bogey.

I thought a bogey was something you make in golf, but evidently. And see, I always thought it was spelled with these like cattywompus. So here's the point. Apparently that's a band in New Orleans. Here's the point out. Here's the subliminal. Here's the, here's the. Here's what I have learned from this discussion because a lot of people are saying,

what does this all mean? You never want to be sitting catty wampus when a catty wampus confronts you. Oh. Yeah. That's good, Jace. Whoa. I need to repeat that. You never want to be sitting catty wampus when a catty wampus approaches you.

Yeah. Because it'd be a clash. Well, no, it would be over in about eight seconds. This wild animal, this bogey would devour you because when you got up to run, your leg wouldn't work. Oh, and you're right. It's basically whether it's an adjective or a noun, because the adjective means diagonal, you know, it's Catawampus. So that was your word for the day. Yeah.

Feel free to use that. It's not a Scrabble word, but. Not a Scrabble word. It's versatile. And I just discovered Jay's Caddy Wampus with two D's is a band in New Orleans. There you go. So there you go. So we flesh that out.

Were you familiar, Zach, with the term Caddy Wampus before we brought this? Oh, yeah. That's part of my vocabulary. I use a lot. Which is part of the reason confusion happens, especially when you have a book this thick. And words mean different things. I mean, I have some polarized glasses here, but some people are polarizing. See where I'm going on with this?

Yeah, I see it. So which is it? So that's why you got to dig deep, Al. I was going to try this wampas cat, but it says there's no such thing as a wampas cat. Yep, not a word. But I've always heard that all my life, a wampas cat. I guess that's the urban dictionary. What Zach says urban dictionary means nothing.

Because that's not a real word. Yeah, it's not real. But it's a word in waiting, possibly. Yeah, yeah. Some of them, if they rise to the occasion and they are accepted by the society at large, then it could move into the big boy dictionary. Well, we were going to apply this to the word baptism because no one seems to know what that means. And so we will get into that.

But we left off at, speaking of Jesus' sonship, you know, he's at the temple, he's 12, he gets left, or was it that he left and went to his father's house and was having a discussion with all the leaders? And by the way, all the leaders were astonished and amazed at how much he knew at 12. His understanding, it said, and his responses to what they were teaching. Because that was another thing, Jay, is that Shana showed the humble nature of Jesus, realizing he's 12, but he was listening to them. You said he was listening to the teachers for three days. But then he's obviously having a lot of response and things back, and that's what amaz him.

They never seen what 12. He became a human. He emptied himself, became a human. And so I think he's studying. That's right. listening, he's gathering, he's showing us, you know, this is probably how you should have done this. Yeah, that's right. But you know, people struggle with that because there, a lot of people just imagine that he had full range of deity inside the human body from day one. But it's really, we don't get

that impression here that that's the way it worked. I mean, well, what is 50? It's kind of a learning prayer. What is 52 mean? Made like his brothers in every way, which meant that he was a human being who was a part of growing up like we were to understand what it means to be a human being.

Think about 252. What does it mean? And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Yeah. I mean, that's growing up. I mean, don't you think it's odd that he would become the bridge

between God and man? At 12. Well, I'm just saying, okay, he's God, but he's also, I mean, I don't know how else to describe this. I keep saying playing the game, but he is obedient. It just says he went to his father's house,

but then he was obedient after they came and got him. He was obedient to his family, his parents. One of the terms that's used in like seminary, as they talk about the dual nature of Christ, that he had, he had two natures. He had a human nature and a divine nature. So he was fully God and he was fully man at the same time. And it's, it's difficult to get it. But one of the best kind of analogies I've heard of this, if you can make an analogy,

is William and Craig says it's like a tuning fork that, that you, if you hit it and it vibrates inside of a vacuum. It doesn't manifest in any sound. But when you take it out of the vacuum, then it manifests with sound. And he said, like, Christ nature is kind of like that. He has two natures that in one realm it's expressed as human. And the other realm is expressed as divine. I mean, it's complicated, but it's a good, I mean, I think that he, you got to be

careful when you talk about it because we're not saying that Christ wasn't fully God. Christ is fully God in the flesh, and it's a very complex thing to understand, but I don't think we have to understand at all. I mean, we're talking about the incarnation of God. How do you fully grasp that anyways, right? I mean, it's pretty difficult. Well, I think people would say, so you got the Philippians two, where it says he emptied himself. But you look at what he did, he became. vulnerable as in he became a baby.

So, but then he became vulnerable because of his love. But when he died, well, then it was impossible for death to keep his hold on him. So there you go. So, because he's God. Now he had the Holy Spirit at that point, which he's, you know, I think a lot of people that's very confusing when you go to 321. And we're going to talk about John the Baptist because that's what's next. But we, we, what is the word I'm looking for?

We introduced the idea that Jesus's baptism was about him being declared by his father that he's the son of God. And then that seems to go in with why he was at the temple at 12. Now, I know, I mean, if you were watching a movie, this is 18 years later. you have John the Baptist come on the scene, and Jesus approaches John the Baptist about baptizing him. And you got to remember, if John the Baptist showed up at any of our churches, the first thing I think we would do is to get security and say, hey, now watch this guy here.

I know we're laughing, but I guarantee you, if John the Baptist came out of the portal and walked into your assembly this Sunday morning, security would take notice if they didn't know he was John the Baptist. They would. They'd say, watch him, watch him. And I'm sure somebody would say you can't eat those in here. If he had a little satchel of locust.

Yeah, didn't you see that? no food drink or locusts in the auditor? Well, he'd also probably have a problem with no shoes, no shirt, no service for you. I think that was invented at an actual church building. But so here he comes saying he wants to be Jesus, says, baptized me. And John of Baptist was humble. He was like, yeah. Matthew 3.13, Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

John tried to deter him. John's been doing this, and he says, I need to be baptized by you. And do you come to me? So obviously, you know, because they're related. You would have thought that was a fact, and then they had it all worked out. Yeah. No, it's surprised him that he showed up for this. And then he's also saying, look, he's been watching him.

And he's like, you need a baptize, you're a better dude than I am. So Jesus says, let it be so now. It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. And then John consented. And then, of course, what it says here in our text, as soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. That moment heaven was opened and he saw a spirit of God, he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.

And a voice from heaven said, this is my son, whom I love with him. I am well pleased. So that's the actual what happened. and John's reluctance to baptize him. So the first reaction, if someone is this first time they're hearing this, if John the Baptist's baptism was about repentance, and it says, where's the quote? Verse three of three.

He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah, a voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill may low,

the crooked road shall become straight, the rough ways smooth, and all mankind will see God's salvation. That's Isaiah 4325. So John the Baptist was a fulfillment of prophecy. Correct. And that's why he was part of what I called the marketing campaign to point people to Jesus.

So why Jesus being baptized if John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for their mission of sins? Because I will promise you this. Jesus had no sense. No, he didn't need it. Right? Right. So I'm just...

Let's explain that to people who have never studied it. Which was why John was reluctant because he knew what his message was. This is a baptism, repentance for forgiveness of sins, and preparing. for the Messiah because you look over in John 1, when John retails the happening that happened here, he says, when Jesus walks up after he baptizes him, John says, look, the Lamb of God. He takes away. He was, I think he's the only one that got that. Right.

At that point. And because he witnessed this spirit of God like a dove and the voice. That's how he knew. Exactly. And, well, I just think he kind of knew, too. You know, he just about the birth. I mean, I'm sure he heard the story from his parents. It's like he came from a virgin.

I mean, he probably believed. Very few people believed it, but I just would think since he came from a similar situation. But I will say this too, because when I was reading what scholars think about this, there's some that think John the Baptist didn't have any sin, but I do not think that's accurate. Even though the Holy Spirit came on him from the womb.

Oh, he was the sinner. Yes. And so, I mean, there's only one. perfect adult. That's why he said, I mean, he said it. He said, no, I need to be baptized by you. So I think that statement from John the Baptist is an indication that he knew he was a sinner. He would not have said, well, wait, wait, you want me a baptize you? No, no, I need to be baptized by you. Well, the reason the scholars said that is because they said the Holy Spirit came on him at birth and that he would do the Nazarite. what was that called?

The Nazarite vow. The Nazareth vow. I'll let you all explain that, but that's their thing. I'm I was surprised. A lot of scholars said that. I was confused by that and perplexed. Well, and the Nazareth vow was just a setting aside. A lot of times it was for a certain period of time, like with Samson,

he was another one that had the Nazright vow, but it was just for a period of time, and he didn't quit drinking alcohol. Samson, he drank plenty. It was just a hair thing with him. And so there were different times where this vow was taken, usually for a period of time. John's the only one I've ever read about from the Old Testament to the New that basically was under a Nazarite vow's whole life.

In other words, he was dedicated to one specific purpose, and that was this, to do what he did, to preach to people, to baptize them. What's interesting is, I can only assume John was probably baptized. probably got one of his disciples to baptize him. He seems like the kind of guy, if he was going to be baptizing people for repentance and forgiveness of sin, that he probably had somebody baptized him. I don't know that because the Bible doesn't tell us. But I would say yes.

I would think he did. Because he started this, you know, new thing, as you said, that nobody had ever heard of before. It's an interesting thought. So I reiterate my question. Why was Jesus baptized? Which is a good question by John. if John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, if Jesus had no sin.

Well, one is that Jesus said it. It was for the fulfillment of all things. Of all righteousness. Of all righteousness. So in other words, even though he wasn't a sinner, he was saying, this is to recognize who I am. Because he knew, I don't know if he knew what was going to happen, but in that moment, he would be recognized as the Lamb of God. That was the second thing I would say, Jay's, was for this moment to happen.

so that John would recognize him and later others would. Yeah, I think there's multiple reasons for the baptism of Jesus. I don't think it's one and done. I mean, one, I mean, yeah, he wasn't a sinner, but yet what is, I mean, he identifies with sinners. And so it's like, you know, he's able to, it's almost like, I mean, everything he did. I mean, he died for us. I mean, baptized for us. I mean, everything is a proclamation that you got to keep in mind, too, that John the Baptist, his parents, his dad was a member of the, um,

Aaron might of priesthood. And so there's that, there's some, there's some priestly stuff going on where the priest would offer the sacrifice for sins. So there's, there's that too, right? That you're presenting the Lamb of God, the Lamb, the sacrifice.

So there's that moment. There's, there's the, the, kind of the revelation of the triune of God, father, son, and spirit at his baptism. I,

I think that another big part of this is what, remember what John said about the baptism. said, repent for what? For the kingdom of God is near. So there's the coming of the kingdom that's happening here. I mean, it's like kind of all of it. There's a ceremonial washing because this is Jesus about to embark on his ministry and the Holy Spirit's going to come in him.

So there's that. I mean, there's just so many things here of what's happening in this moment. It's not a one and done or one thing. It's a lot of different things that are coalescing into a moment. And it's a very big moment in biblical history, sure. And without the spirit, it would have to be broader than just saying you do this as a one time and gone. Because without the spirit, there is no love. I mean, just look at a world and the ones who do not have the spirit of God in them.

They are characteristic, love, joy, peace, peace, passion. patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Well, if that's the fruit of the spirit, it's far deeper than just a marker. It's a whole change in a complete lifestyle change. Right, that's good. Yeah, I think that's one of the, we're going back to our conversation from the last podcast. Why do people put up on it? I mean, these qualities are just not going to come your way.

Now, you can't separate it. You cannot separate the Holy Spirit from baptism, even in Jesus' baptism. And it's not a one and done thing. You know, we teach Roman 6. And Roman 6 is a great passage to go to to understand what baptism is. Yep. And how our baptism, how it connects us with the death to bear on the resurrection of Jesus. But you read Roman 6.

And by no means is that language of one and done. I mean, it is a, I mean, it is a message. It's actually a text on sanctification, even more than it is justification. It's the ongoing process of being transformed a new lifestyle, a new way of living, a new way of seeing the world. That's it. That's good, Phil. And that's why when you study Romans, it naturally takes you into Romans 7, Romans 8, which shows you the whole idea of what a Holy Spirit-led life looks like. That's right.

That's why I got into that. The same thing is that I keep thinking back to John 14 through 16 when I think about this context, because Jesus' baptism, no doubt, showed there's a link. you know, once he's gone of the Holy Spirit being linked to faith, repentance, forgiveness. And peace is used a lot of that peace of mind, which is, in my opinion, the rarest of commodities. It's peace of mind. Right. In a very sinful world and with all you deal with, he said, it's just a powerful hope that's given you, I mean, power that you have. Right.

And he told the disciples in that, in those three chapters, unless I. go, the Holy Spirit won't come. Now that's, I don't know how much clearer that is, the idea that he had to leave to then pour out his Holy Spirit to be available for us. I mean, he said that very plainly. And the elevation of the, of who the Holy Spirit is, right? I mean, we, I mean, we think Jesus, we know Jesus is God. We know he is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. So when that guy says, it's good that I go, because if I don't go, he's not going to come. then whoever the he is that he's talking about is at least on the same level with him. That's it.

Which, you know, I think that until you see it here in this picture. I mean, this is the picture in the Bible. One of the greatest pictures of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the incarnation of the Son all in a moment. All in a moment. You know, it's very tangible for us to get our, we can see that. And we don't know what all that means, but we can at least kind of see it in a, in a, in a visceral way. We can touch it and think, okay, I kind of get what this is a little bit.

And it also kicked his ministry out to us. There's another reason. All right, well, good. See, I asked y'all that. Let's get it back to you. This was a, it was a trap. Because I wanted to see what y'all said before I wanted to say what I wanted to say. And because I really wrestle with this.

And I have said everything that y'all have said before. But I kind of just looked at it practically. And I thought, well, what? What was the declaration when John the Baptist baptized people? Well, if you read chapter 3, there was a declaration. It said he preached a baptism for repentance of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. So what was the declaration? You're forgiven.

Well, what was the declaration when Jesus was baptized? The declaration came from God, the Father. and he said, you're my son. So that's a little different declaration, but it has the same implications. Now, what was the reasoning of the baptism? John the Baptist said, same reason. Jesus is, you're going to believe in Jesus as the one God sent. And so, well, Jesus, when he was baptized, he's the one.

God sent. So that is the same. And so then, well, what happens? Well, in John the Baptist baptism, he says in verse 8, produce fruit in keeping with repentance. So his baptism was baptism or repentance. What are you supposed to do? Well, produce fruit in keeping. So repentance is more than just a change of behavior. I think we'd all agree with that, right? Yeah. The reasoning of that was Jesus, because you're now believing in Jesus.

It's not a one-time thing. You will then produce fruit. But in Jesus' case, well, he received the Spirit. Well, we know what that is. Now you're going to have the fruits of the Spirit, to your point. So, but, you know, this was more about you trying to, to produce fruit. And so then I think when you look at John the Baptist's role,

which was to be the link between the nation of Israel and the old law and be that bridge to Jesus, I think the difference is, yeah, you're forgiven, you're believing in the one coming, and you should produce fruit. And that's why John the Baptist was so interested on social and moral issues. But the common thread was

you're doing it because of the one who's coming. And then Jesus is declared the identity, you are my son. So then it completely goes from ritual to relational in this transition of baptism. Yes, you're fulfilling all the, you know, the requirement. Because this is the requirement. I mean, why did God send John to Baptist?

It was a prophecy of, yeah, you do this. And so I think to get back to Zach's point, we were discussing about baptism, I believe a lot of people are using baptism the same way John the Baptist was, and not enough people are doing it for the reason Jesus was baptized, which would be the relational, receiving of the Spirit.

Both were focused on Jesus. Jesus. And in both, you repent. You know, when Peter later on, after the Spirit is poured out in Acts 2, what's funny to me, not funny, but ironic, is he, he says them both. He says repent and be baptized. I mean, John, John the Baptist was more about repentance. And Jesus, the fact that he did this, I think, should get your attention. Because he didn't, let's just face it. He didn't have to do that. So why did he do it? Which comes back to my point about the surrendering, humbling nature of what it means to follow and put your hands in God above. I think that's why he did it.

He humbled himself. He became a human, but he also listened to his parents. He obey what they said. He also was baptized when he had no sin. and there was a declaration, you're my son. The reason I'm making all this is then when you read something like Galatians 3, now we're way after all this happened, and Paul is writing to the Galatians,

and he makes this same identical analogy to us. He says in Galatians 3, 26, and 27, you're all sons? Because I told you, I think this is about sonship, that identity. He says, you're all sons of God through four. faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who are baptized into Christ, have clothed yourself with Christ. There's neither do you agree. Slate or free male or female. You're all in Christ Jesus. Well, then it goes on talking about children who are heirs. And then he says, verse six,

because you are sons, chapter four, verse six of Galatians, God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out Abba Father. So you're no longer a slave, but a slave. son, which I get in back to the John the Baptist. I did this in overtime last time, baptizing people in the Jordan River, which was the last place that the Israelites cross when they went from slavery to freedom. And I think it was symbolic of this transition out of that old system into focusing on Jesus. That's what I think. No, and I agree, which is why I think that Peter in Acts 2 was then taking what John had started, but bringing along what was now new by saying repent and be baptized,

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, not gifts, gift of the Holy Spirit. In other words, he will now indwell you to be that fruit bear in your life. So, I mean, that's what stood out, though, when I read John's account, which we haven't read this yet. I mean, I read some of it. So he comes out in verse three. And look, it has all these details, which I love about Luke, because this is not some made-up story. You know, and 3-1 says it was in the 15th year

of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Look it up. He was the second Roman. It was the next one. It was right in the time frame here. Now we hear about Pontius Pallet the first time. Oh, yeah. Oh, he was actually a real person.

Yes, he was. And he lived in the same time. time frame is Jesus? Yeah. Huh. And then here's Herod. You can look all these people up. And when I mentioned that before, and then Philip, and then there were two other ones. The kingdom of Herod, the king we read about earlier, has now been farmed out to four sons. And so those are tetarchs or, you know, basically they have their own little kingdom split in four. So this seems boring when you read it until you realize that these were actual people in actual places where the ramifications of what happened, if that did happen.

if there was a guy named Jesus who came from a virgin and he lived a perfect life and the Holy Spirit came from heaven to send it on him and he died, you know, for your sins and was resurrected, well, that's a game changer for you, 2,000 years later. Yeah, I don't think we can overestimate the power of the Holy Spirit and all this. And I'm glad we're kind of honing in on him because I think, not intentionally, I think they've, but I've had people come to me and I've had conversations with people about. about baptism and they believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is, is like the miracles, the speaking in tongues or whatever. And I'm like, man, what a, how diminishing to the Holy Spirit, I mean, really to think that to reduce him to just that. Like that's the epicenter. That's the evidence.

That's the thing. That's not what this is talking about here. This is not talking about, you know, it says when he comes, when he comes, he'll baptize you with spirit and fire. I mean, we're talking about something way bigger than the gifts of the spirit. We're talking about the giving of the spirit. Like, he himself is coming to live in his believers. We become the new temple.

And I mean, so when Jesus is there and he says this is a necessity for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness, part of what he's talking about there is that to truly fulfill all righteousness is. is for us to have oneness with God. And that happens through the cross of Calvary that's going to happen at some point in the future from when he says this. But then to Phil's point earlier, it's not a one and done deal. I mean, it's true liberation and freedom that comes through dwelling with God, abiding with God. We are sons of God as Romans 8. I think Jason is quoting Romans 8 a while ago.

And by him we cry, Abba Father, we didn't receive a spirit of fear. or timidity, but we received a spirit of sonship. That spirit of sonship that Paul is talking about in Romans 8, that's in the context of life by the spirit. I mean, that's what Romans 8 is about. How do we live by the spirit? We live by the spirit as sons of him. And by him we cry, Abba, Father, it's not a begrudging submission.

It's not a fear. It's not a, oh, I have to do this to be saved. I got to do none of that. Like if you're approaching it in that way, you've missed it. So your point, Jason, you said the beginning of the last podcast. a hundred percent agree. No, a thousand percent agree.

Man, we're talking about a surrender here that is that is we are folding in under a God that is our father who we trust to have our best interest

in mind and we know that we can trust him because he's good. That's what's happening here in this moment is that is big that truth, that reality is coming

to earth and it's being sewn up in the baptism of Jesus. I would, I wholeheartedly agree. And I would say you looked at my notes, but I don't have any. I know that didn't happen. Maybe just read your mind.

Because I was going to go to point number two, and these are God's points, not mine. So when Jesus was baptized, he said, this is my son. Because I'm laying a platform to where I believe the same thing that happened to Jesus in this moment happens to us. we hear who Jesus is, we are convicted, and we decide to surrender, and I believe the same thing that happened to Jesus in that moment was a pattern to what would happen to us. We find our identity through that surrender. So I think God says the same thing.

This is my son. That's why the Galatians 4 passage says, we're all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus for all of us who were baptized. So it's not male or female. That is a declaration because it had to do with being an heir, which the son was the heir. So we get that. And women don't be offended because he also calls the sheep. So, you know, he's just using an illustration of we're eternal beings, we're an eternal family.

But the second point, he said, whom I love. So the whole reason Jesus became vulnerable, you know, God becoming vulnerable, was out of love. He became a baby. Why did he come here? I mean, his name, Jesus, means God saves. So we know that's the loving side. And so he said, this is my son whom I love. So to your point, Zach, when people say the baptism of the Holy Spirit is just about miracles and wonders and signs.

and they're looking for that. There was a group of people who also struggled with getting their head around that, and they were called the Corinthians because they were from Corinth. And some of the ways they were using the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the miraculous caused some chastisement from one Paul. Would you agree that's a correct assertion? Correct. They were putting a little too much focus on the miraculous side.

And I want to read you something, which is a withering, I mean, just a withering chastisement. So just to give you the context, in 1 Corinthians 12, 12 and 13, it sounds a lot like Galatians 4. I mean, Galatians 3, 26, 27, and Galatians 4, 6. The body is a unit, though it is made up many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is the Christ. for we were all baptized by one spirit or in one spirit into one body, which sounds a lot like John the Baptist assertion that there would be one that would come

who would baptize you in with or by the Holy Spirit and with fire. And watch what it says. Into one body, whether Jews or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given the one spirit to drink. which goes back to my illustration about having the milk thrown on you or in you. Well, in this case, I think they had both. They were, you know, the apostles had given them the ability to do the miraculous, but they also were given the spirit to drink inside them.

Yeah. A Holy Spirit came in them. Internal, indwelling. But my point is, when he gets to chapter 13, he makes, a declaration that says in verse one and two he says if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love I'm only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol I mean most of the times we miss the point of this because we're like oh isn't that in that sweet but think about what he's saying what he's saying is because verse two says if I have the gift of prophecy and confathom all

mysteries and all knowledge. And I have a faith that can move mountains. All these things are miraculous type things. But have not love. I'm nothing. So you say, what's his point?

When it says, this is my son, whom I love, and we'll get to, and whom I'm well pleased, that act of love that Jesus did declared him in his life, and his life,

and being here in his death and his resurrection and you're being in him you being having the same spirit that he got your identity is you're now a son of god it's better than any miracle you're going to come up with that's why because then the fruit of love can come out yeah it's way better than any miracle ever jesus is better than miracle in the layer and i guess then the eastern Larry where Zach is we are littered with fill merch, Blaze merchandise where we're in church today that are on fillmerch.com because we want to encourage you guys to check out all of the apparel and the different things they have there. They also have these coffee mugs. Here's one uncanceled, unashamed. Zach, you got an unashamed mug up there in North Carolina.

I got my coffee, my hot coffee and a fill mug, yeah. You know, one of the things by wearing our apparel does is it, causes people to ask you questions. What is that? What is an unashamed? Whoever heard of that? So it just provides you an opportunity to tell folks about the podcast. I know that our podcast is a word of mouth thing. So that's what this merch is about. We encourage you to check it out. Philmerch, M-E-R-C-H.com. So that's why when Paul was talking to Timothy, he said, I remind you, after he had to give him a little admonition, he said in 2nd Timothy 1, about verse 6 or 7.

He said, this reason, Timothy, I remind you to fan and to flame the gift of God. So when he said, the Holy Spirit and fire, you said, what could it be? Watch. I remind you to fan and to flame the gift of God. He's talking about the spirit, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit is coming out of the hill. Holy Spirit than the fire it builds, a spirit of timidity, not that, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me as prisoner. Join with me and suffering for the gospel by the power of God. He has saved us, call us to a holy life, not because of anything we've done, but because of his own purpose and grace. this grace was given us check this out before the baby in the manger this grace was given us in christ jesus before the beginning of time so when you look at the whole thing and just back up and look the purpose you got a baby you got a manger you got a john the bapt you look at all that that was all groundwork already planned out down to the i mean last day it's now been revealed

through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, which we're over in on Luke, who has destroyed death. Just think about that, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. We're back to the good news. So you look at it like that, you say, boy, I mean, that's where the fire part, you know,

if there's no fire in the wood, and there's, you better get some built. is his point. Well, I think it's fruit that will last is the difference here. Look, people ask me about miracles, and I'm like, you know what? Do I believe in miracles? I'm like, yes, but I'm not near as excited about that as I am Jesus. And here's why.

So you take, if you made a movie about Lazarus, and I'm talking about the complete movie of his life, well, you have this moment that happens in John 11 where he's, raised from the dead. I believe that's about as powerful a miracle that can ever happen. That's a big boy miracle. Well, in the end, it would be kind of a dissatisfying because I hate to tell you this. He dies again. Yeah. Well, if you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you have Jesus and you make a movie about your life, you, in the end, you live. You live. and that's why Jesus and his love is better than the miracle. Yeah, that's good.

But, hey, last night, last night he had a call from a guy that we all know, a dear friend of our family, Zach Stevens, and we were just talking, catching up, and I keep up with him. A backstory on Zach, for those of you don't know him, he got a motorcycle accident, lost his left leg, has had a horrible time recovering, and it just won't heal. He hasn't got his prosthetic yet. I think this happened over a year ago or around a year ago.

And he's just been like, so he had this deep conversation last night about prayer and about miracles. And he's like, man, I'm like literally in the shower just crying because his leg will not heal. I mean, it's like it is a lot of pain. Can't sleep at night. This is all kind of stuff. He's like, I'm begging, God, just not pouring out of my nose crying. God, God, heal me. God, please just heal my legs.

So I can get the prosthetic. He just healed me, this begging God. And he said, and this hadn't happened yet. And he's like, what do you make of that? And man, we had like a real honest conversation. And something he told me that stuck with me now. He said, you know, it's funny. I've been praying for the healing.

And I haven't gotten that. And it seems like the answer is at least a hard, no, not right now. Maybe it's never. He said, I don't know what the end holds. He said, let me tell you when it started to change for me. He said, just recently, I just came to the conclusion that God's answer might be no. And I've just been resting in that.

He said, and it's the first time I've had peace to this whole thing. It's just, you know, God isn't, I have him. You know, he's better than the leg. I mean, even if the leg, even it didn't happen, he made your point, Jase. I mean, I'm still here for 80 years and then what? You know, I mean, then, and I just thought that was an interesting perspective on it, because we get so hung up on that, man, you find people that are in real suffering. You know, sometimes you don't get your miracle.

Sometimes you don't get that, but you still get Jesus. You still have hope after the grave. You still have hope of a new body. You still have hope of eternal life with this triune God with this thing at him. So I'm with you, man. I think we got to make him primary, and we got to recognize that he is, the miracle giver is better, way better, infinitely better, than the miracles that he gives. And I think that's the key. Well, the description you made of Zach's where he's come to is exactly where Paul came to in 2nd, 3rd, 3 times for whatever was that was tormenting him.

And his message back, maybe more directly, I don't know, than Zach got, is, no, I'm enough. And he said, therefore, I delight more in weakness and persecution and everything else, because, Jesus is enough. And so I think there are those cases like that. And to both y'all's point, the idea when the Holy Spirit was poured out in Acts 2, and we see those languages are present and they're praising God and everybody's, the whole point of that was only to draw a crowd so that he could tell them about Jesus and get to what really mattered.

So the whole idea of miracles, Jace, we've talked about this through every study in the gospel we've had, they only point you to the miracle worker. Yeah. Their purpose is not in the miracles themselves. That's why I did the comparison between John's baptism and Jesus. They had a lot of things in common. They were both focused on Jesus. They were both done in water.

So they were both. Repentance was going to be there as far, even though Jesus didn't have to change from anything he had done, but he then began his ministry. So there was a change in the way he was going to operate. He went public, basically. And so when you say, well, what does that mean to how does that apply us in Acts 2? I think the one difference is it was declaring the identity of who you are now with God. And they both required surrender.

So when you surrender to Jesus, because that is what both, both of them were about. And the other difference was that you didn't get the spirit with John the Baptist. So you get the spirit and you get your identity in Christ and you do it through surrender. So I think it's a terrible view to all of a sudden get to baptism and say, we ought to do it because it's commanded or you ought to do it because Jesus done it. I just think it's deeper than that. I think it's an opportunity. He did command his disciples to go preach the gospel and baptizing them in the name of the father and son. Some people say, oh, it's a command.

Well, he commanded them to do it. But to me, if you hear the story of Jesus and you hear that there's an opportunity to surrender it and reenact it, it's no longer about a command. It's something that your heart should be convicted to want to do. And it's because of Jesus and what he did in that moment. So I think that's how it gets confusing. And we're about it out of time, but I would add to the last statement, he says, just to complete your analysis of the Jesus' baptism is,

this is my son, whom I love with him, I am well pleased. And the idea is ultimately we want to please God. And I think about the Hebrew's passage that says, without faith, it's impossible to please God. Well, exactly. And I do think it's a reference of when Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man, even from 12 years old. And I think that ties in to when it says with you, I am well, please.

And the bottom line with what you're saying, if you're in good favor with God based on your humility and your reliance on him, that is the best place to be in life. That's it. That's it. No doubt about it. All right, we're out of time. We'll talk about this a little bit more in our overtime. if you want to follow us over, blazedtv.com slash unashamed is where we do that over time.

Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV at blazTV.com slash unashamed.