Partakers Christian Podcasts

Investigating Jesus Part 15 Jesus’ Teaching (Part 1)   So he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because he spoke with authority. Luke 4:31-32 How did Jesus teach? This event in Capernaum was not a one-off occurrence. Frequently the writers of the gospels remark how people viewed Jesus’ teaching as authoritative. But what was it that made his teaching authoritative? Jesus’ manner of teaching shared much in common with other teachers of 1st century Palestine. His teachings frequently included Old Testament references; exaggerated hyperbole, the telling of parables, rhythmic poetry which aided memorisation and the predicting of future events. All these were common teaching practice at the time of Jesus in both religious and secular circles. Most of the teaching we have recorded for us in the Gospel accounts of His life, did not arise out of formal educational or religious settings but rather through personal an

Investigating Jesus Part 14 Jesus’ Purpose What was the purpose of Jesus? Jesus’ mission was to be the Servant of the Lord, and therefore, the saviour of the world as God’s Son. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17). His purpose as the Messiah was neither that he be served nor that he will lead a political overthrow of the Roman government as some had hoped. Rather, as we see here, his purpose as the Messiah was to be God’s servant and give a message of hope for the spiritually poor and spiritually oppressed people. When Jesus rebuked Peter, he was also telling off the other disciples (Mark 8:33). They had not yet understood how suffering and glory were in relationship with each other. However, by the time Peter had written 1 Peter, he had correlated the two as being in harmony with each othe

Investigating Jesus Part 13 Jesus’ Identity   27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Mark 8:27-29. This section of the Bible contains the verse, which divulges Jesus’ identity, when Peter calls Him the Christ or Messiah or Saviour (Mark 8:29). In the preceding few verses Jesus and the disciples were in Bethsaida and there is the incident where Jesus healed the blind man. Why did Jesus touch the blind man twice to heal Him? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that Jesus kept on until the man could see clearly. There are two things to remember. Firstly, that Jesus was unable to do miracles because of people’s lack of faith. Secondly, we also need to remember that God does things in his own time and for his own

Investigating Jesus Part 12 Disciples Discipleship   18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22 What were these people chosen for? As we read these Gospel accounts, we can clearly see and know that the disciples often got things wrong. Jesus often rebuked them, such as when the storm hit when they were in the boat. He rebuked them for panicking (Mark 4:38) and for fearing and lacking faith (Mark 4:40). This, despite having seen Jesus do the things he had done. In Matthew’s Go

Investigating Jesus Part 11 Jesus Selects His Disciples   18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22 There are three main lists of disciples (Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19, Luke 6:12-16) who were chosen near the start of Jesus ministry. The Gospel of John offers no comprehensive list but does refer to them as “The Twelve” (John 6:67, John 6:70, and John 6:71). Here are “The Twelve”: the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ: Andrew: he was a fisherman from Bethsaida (Matthew 4:18)

Investigating Jesus Part 10 Jesus' Mission Continues Away from home (Luke 4:31-44)   Now Jesus walked through the rioting mob and went to Capernaum and here he engaged in public ministry. What does this public ministry look like and what was the reaction to Jesus and his ministry? Preaching (Luke 4:31-32) – Here we see Jesus setting up his ministry headquarters in Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16) and from there, he started teaching in the Synagogue. People were astonished that he taught with such authority. Rebuking (Luke 4:33-37, 41) – Our Lord did not want the demons to bear witness to Himself and his identity (Luke 4:34, 41). Again, people were astonished at Jesus power and authority. Healing (Luke 4:39-40) – People bought their sick and asked Jesus to help them. Praying (Luke 4:42-44) – he was up early the next morning to pray (Mark 1:35). It was in prayer that he found his strength and power for service, and so must we. All during this period, we can learn several things about Jesus and his ministry towa

Investigating Jesus Part 9 Jesus' Mission - at home 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. Luke 4:14-15 Jesus’ public ministry on earth has begun. These verses at the end of Luke 4 tell us that his mission is to preach God’s Kingdom. A reluctant John the Baptist had baptized Him and the crowds who witnessed this event. They had heard God the Father speaking to Jesus. He underwent temptations by the arch-seducer, satan, and emerged victorious from that ordeal. Now Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit, has returned home to Galilee (Luke 4:14). What did he do there and how did those who knew Him react as he grew through childhood? Jesus at home (Luke 4:14-30) Jesus is back in home territory and because of the power of his teaching, he is becoming known as a great teacher (Luke 4:15). Jesus spent some time in Galilee, became known and aroused the interest, curiosity and ex

Investigating Jesus Part 8 Witnesses to Jesus In our last episode, we looked at the witness of John the Baptist, as to the true identity of Jesus Christ. Today we continue by looking at 2 more witnesses: God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.   Witness 2 & 3 Jesus presents Himself John for baptism. John at first refuses to do it (Matthew 3:13-15). Why so? Because John knew that Jesus was the perfect Son of God, and as such had no need to repent of sin. Through his baptism, he identified with all sinners that he came to save. We have seen already that it is the start of his public ministry (Acts 1:21-22, 10:37-38). But why did Jesus get baptized? In replying to John’s initial refusal to baptize him, Jesus said: “…it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This looks forward Jesus’ death on the cross, because it is only through the baptism of suffering that Jesus endured on the cross, that God can fulfil all righteousness. The “us” referred to means Father, Son and Spir

Investigating Jesus Part 7 Witnesses to Jesus   21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.  Luke 3:21-23 Jesus’ baptism, is the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus is now about 30 years old. John the Baptist precedes all Gospel accounts of the start of Jesus’ ministry, and this is because repentance before God is the key to starting a new life in God’s Kingdom. Witness 1- John the Baptist When John came (Luke 3:1-2) – When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, no prophetic voice had been heard within Israel for almost 400 years. His coming was part of God’s perfect timing, for everything that relates to God’s Son is always on time (John 2:4; John 13:1; Galatians 4:4). How John came (Luke 3:3) – Dre

Investigating Jesus Part 6 Who is Jesus?   Jesus is the most talked about person in history. Almost everyone has an opinion about Him. He was born to confirm God's promises, to reveal God as a Father, and to be our representative before Him. He gave us an example of how to live life to the full. He was not merely a man who received some special power. He was not some strange creation that was half man and half God, with his human nature somehow absorbed into the divine. He was much more than those ideas as we will discover as we continue in through our studies about Him in this book. God’s salvation plan for humans involved triumphant victory over sin, death and the grave. However, no person could be found that was eligible or capable to do this. Therefore, God stepped into human history, so that this victory could be achieved. This God-man would be fully human, so that he would be able to live every feature of humanity, including suffering and death. This God-man would also need to remain fully God, so tha

Investigating Jesus Part 5 Jesus' Birth   The writer of the Gospel of Luke, tells us this about the birth of Jesus Christ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields near by, keeping watch over their flocks at night. (Luke 2:1-8) That Jesus was a human male is not really disputed. The birth of Jesus is ext

Investigating Jesus Part 4 Jesus in the Four Gospels   In the New Testament, we have four accounts of the life of Jesus Christ which are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are called Gospels. But what is a Gospel, how are the four accounts different or similar and what were the main points each writer sought to communicate? Firstly, they are called Gospels, because they gave substance to the Gospel or Good News about Jesus Christ as described by one of his early followers, the man we know as the Apostle Paul (Romans 1:16) We know that during his time on earth Jesus Christ wrote nothing formally. Yet after his ascension, the stories about Him were preserved and passed on by his disciples and other Christian teachers and evangelists. For the first thirty years or so, these stories were possibly collated and stored together. That would explain the similarity in the four accounts of Jesus’ life. They are not an exhaustive biographical detail of all that Jesus did. Similarly, the Gospels are also not diarie

Investigating Jesus Part 3   Welcome back to this series “Investigating Jesus Christ”. Together we are exploring the life of the most amazing person who ever lived - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We will investigate together who this man was and why he matters. Today we continue looking at some of the evidences outside of the Bible for the existence of the man we know as Jesus Christ. Josephus (37-101AD) Jewish Antiquities, 18.3.3 “Now around this time lived Jesus, a wise man. For he was a worker of amazing deeds and was a teacher of people who gladly accept the truth. He won over both many Jews and many Greeks. Pilate, when he heard him accused by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, (but) those who had first loved him did not cease (doing so). To this day the tribe of Christians named after him has not disappeared.” Jewish Talmud (400-700AD) (b. Sanhedrin 43a) “Jesus practiced magic and led Israel astray” “It was taught: On the day before the Passover they hanged Jesus. A herald went be

Investigating Jesus Part 2 Welcome back to this series “Investigating Jesus Christ”. Together we are exploring the life of the most amazing person who ever lived - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We will investigate together who this man was and why he matters. Today we continue looking at some of the evidences outside of the Bible for the existence of the man we know as Jesus Christ. Mara Bar-Serapion (70AD) from “Letter to his son”) “What benefit did the Athenians obtain by putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as judgment for their crime. Or, the people of Samos for burning Pythagoras? In one moment their country was covered with sand. Or the Jews by murdering their wise king? After that their kingdom was abolished. God rightly avenged these men…The wise king…Lived on in the teachings he enacted.” Pliny the Younger (61-113AD) from “Book 10, Letter 96” “The Christians) were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn

Investigating Jesus Part 1   G’day! Welcome to this series “Investigating Jesus Christ”. Together we will explore the life of the most amazing person who ever lived - Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We will investigate together who this man was and why he matters. When the human we know as Jesus Christ was born, his name imbued the very reason he was born. His conception and birth were extraordinary at every level. Jesus very name, means “one who saves” and the entirety of his birth, life and death were centred on this very role. His role was to save all those who would follow Him. Jesus is the most talked about person in history. Almost everyone has an opinion about Him. Jesus was born to confirm God's promises, to reveal God as a Father, and to be our representative before Him. He gave us an example of how to live a holy life to the full. Jesus was not merely a man who received some special power, nor was he some strange creation that was half man and half God. He was much more than those ideas. That Jesus i

Atonement 5 Conclusion: Atonement is At-One-Ment? Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We seek to explore what conclusions we can make concerning Jesus Christian, Atonement and people today. We will look at 6 blessings and consequences because of the atonement and our acceptance of it: Atonement sealing; Atonement peace; Atonement reconciliation; Atonement salvation; Atonement gathering and Atonement life to come. Come and listen to find out more! Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file  

Atonement 4 Atonement and Jesus Christ Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, and continue to link to Jesus Christ. As we sum up the atonement for sin because of Jesus, let’s look very briefly at just four words in our quest to explain and explore atonement. Remember, that the Church has been discussing this for the last 2000 years and will probably continue discussing it, trying to work it out until the Lord Jesus comes again. We shall look at amazing expiation, satisfying propitiation, precious redemption and sufficient substitution. These 4 words can be summed up by the phrase Atonement love. Atonement love is good news! When was the last time that you, as a Christian, told somebody else of this love Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file

Atonement 3 Atonement Today (Romans 3:21-26; Hebrews 10:1-10) Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26 – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26) Here we see in Romans, that salvation is for all who believe, regardless o

Atonement 2 What was the Day of Atonement all about? Today we continue our series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement, seeking to answer the question ”What was the Day of Atonement all about?”. Leviticus 16:1-10 starts by referring back to Leviticus 10, with the story of Abihu and Nadab, Aaron’s sons. Through their death, the Lord God states the fundamental principles for priests – only these priests could mediate for the nation before Him and they had to be spiritually and ceremonially clean, and as we have seen, do things obediently and properly. Worship of God was, and is, to be on God’s terms and His terms alone. Could that describe our worship today – worship of God on His terms alone and not with our own self-defined terms and conditions, personally and corporately? In this podcast we discover briefly together at the sacrificial offerings, why a sacrifice was necessary, the significance of blood, the role of Aaron and the work of the scapegoat.   Right mouse click or tap here to down

Atonement 1 Introduction and Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-10) Today we start a series of 5 podcasts concerning that big Bible Word, Atonement. We shall endeavour to look together at what, why, how, when, who and so what of that word, atonement. Other religions, such as Islam, and the cults of Mormonism and Jehovah Witnesses, have their own understanding, so it is a word not just used by Christians. Atonement is to clean, cleanse, cover over, make amends, pacify, satiate, satisfy, to substitute and to bring about reconcilement. Amazing Atonement. Atonement can also be pronounced as at-one-ment, because atonement brings together as one, and it is also the state of ‘being at one’. In the podcast today we look at the question: "Why is there a need for atonement in relation to God and humanity?" We then go on to start to look at the Day of Atonement as described to us in Leviticus 16:1-10. Come and listen!   Right mouse click or tap here to download as a mp3 file