Dewey Bertolini's Podcast

You talk about a collision of conflicting emotions, welcome to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into His beloved city of Jerusalem. As you will hear in this PODCAST, all of this emotional turmoil will come to a climax as Jesus paused during His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, gazed longingly at breathtaking panorama, and then suddenly sang this song of lament: “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day.” This your day. The obvious question: What was it about this day that caused Jesus to refer to it with such a pointed specificity? This was, of course, the day on which Jesus chose to make His return to the Holy City, and thus to trigger all of tumultuous events of His turbulent last week. It was, as you may know, the final Sunday before Passover that year, what we call Palm Sunday. This because the people gathered in their thousands, and waved palm branches all along the route of Jesus’ ride on the back of a donkey into Jerusalem. I cannot help but to think that the words of Psalm 137 echoed through Jesus

The Apostle John turned out to be quite the lyricist. One could almost sing some of his melodious verses. In fact, many of us have. As you will hear in this PODCAST, John wasn’t a scholar, not by any stretch of imagination. Quite unlike the Apostle Paul, for example. John engaged in virtually no complex doctrinal discussions involving the nuances of theology, the kinds of stuff in which Paul reveled. John’s Greek is so simplistic that 1 John is invariably the first book every 1st-year Greek student translates. John was a passionate soul, one who wrote far more emotionally than he did academically. Consequently, John had the uncanny ability to relate to us all on such a visceral level that you get the sense that he understood exactly what it’s like to be us -- fragile, fearful, human. When their paths first crossed, Jesus met a rather unremarkable, uneducated fisherman from the provincial little town of Bethsaida. Yet, by the time Jesus got done with him, John became a prolific author (with one Gospel, three l

Meet Blind Bartimaeus, a man who seems at first blush to be nothing more than a bit player in this most dramatic and poignant moment. As you will hear in this PODCAST, this wasn’t the first time that Jesus healed a blind man. Nor is this the first time we have talked about Jesus healing a blind man. Last November, Podcast 141, comes to mind. So I would totally understand if you were tempted to bring to this story a sense of “been there, done that,” Déjà vu all over again. Like, if you’ve seen one blind-man-healing, you’ve seen them all, right? WRONG! As I said just a moment ago, this story is both dramatic and poignant. The implications of this story, both for the Jews of Jesus’ day, and for the entire world in our day, cannot be overstated. This story is indeed dramatic, dramatic in the extreme. Nor can we overstate the emotional state Jesus must have been in at this most significant moment of His ministry, as the final chapter of His life is about to unfold. Emotions that infuse this story with feeling from

You could call this story an epic “Opportunity Lost.” You talk about a guy presented with a once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity, an opportunity that he squandered. An opportunity that he squandered Badly.And.Sadly. As you will hear in this PODCAST, we're talking about an offer rarely made, and shockingly dismissed. A young man who burst on the scene like a blazing comet streaking overhead, only to flame out and fall out of the sky to come crashing and burning to earth. What a story! One thing’s for sure. Jesus never took a class on Personal Evangelism. Because, to be honest, Jesus Broke.Every.Rule of personal evangelism in this very personal encounter. Here you have what we call in our contemporary Christian culture a seeker coming to Jesus to ask Him one question. THE question. The single most important question. A softball question that any one of us could answer. His question? “What should I do to inherit eternal life?” This young man asked Jesus exactly the right question, to which Jesus gave him exactl

John 11:53 (NLT) is a most remarkable statement. It reads, “So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.” As you’ll hear in this PODCAST, I’ll tell you exactly to what John refers with the phrase, “From that time on…” Again, this is most remarkable. But before we get to that, consider this: It is, in my humble estimation, the Single.Most.Misunderstood parable in the entire New Testament. No exaggeration. The parable to which I refer is most commonly entitled, “The Rich Man and Lazarus,” and it is found in Luke 16. Now, you might be wondering, What does this parable in Luke 16 have to do with John 11 wherein the religious leaders “from that time on... began to plot Jesus’ death?” Honestly, it has everything to do with John 11. So much so, that if you don’t understand this parable -- the meaning of it, and just as importantly, the timing of it -- you won’t understand John 11. You won’t understand the motivations of those who began to plot Jesus’ death. In terms of how hard a person’s hea

If last week’s discussion revealed to us the iconic image of the heart of Jesus, this week’s PODCAST will unveil to us the iconic image of the humanness of Jesus. The beloved Apostle John wrote this in the first chapter of his Gospel masterpiece: “Jesus became human and made his home among us.” Paul wrote this to his beloved little community of Christ-followers in Philippi: “Though he was God…  Jesus became completely human.” Here in John 11, we will see just how completely human Jesus truly was. I’ll clue you in right here from the start: We are about to witness three powerful, very human emotions collide within the heart and soul of Jesus. And as a result, we will be all the richer for having witnessed this collision, each emotion in response to the death of Jesus’ dear friend, Lazarus. You are about to take a quantum leap in your understanding of who Jesus is, in a way that you may not be anticipating as we break the seal on this (to many people) very familiar story. This entire discussion under this overa

As you will hear in this PODCAST, there is No.Clearer.Picture in all of the Bible of the heart of God towards sinners -- I’m talking the hardest of hardhearted sinners -- than this one right here in Luke 13. A Scriptural snapshot that will go a long way to defining your biblical view of God and your biblical understanding of Jesus, both as a man and as God. If you think of the Bible as a picture book, Luke paints for us a portrait of Jesus that is, quite frankly, irresistible, and most refreshing to my soul. It will be to yours as well. Guaranteed. One that comes to us, ironically enough, thanks to a small cadre of good Pharisees. Yes! Heard me right. Good Pharisees. The Pharisees as a group, as we have discussed in weeks gone by, and as you therefore understand, were historically among Jesus’ chief tormentors. That being said, there were in the minority some good Pharisees. Nicodemus comes to mind as a good Pharisee, one who lovingly cared for Jesus’ body after the crucifixion. In Mark 12, Jesus told a good

It’s called in our culture a “sea-change,” an idiom first introduced by Shakespeare in his play, The Tempest. A cultural cliché that refers to “a substantial or significant transformation.” A sea-change. As you will hear in this PODCAST, here in Luke 12, we are about to witness a sea-change. A substantial or significant transformation in the focus of Jesus’ ministry and message.  Jesus’ words were for the disciples sadly stunning. For them, these words represented the death of a dream. Yet, for us today, they embody the birth of a dream, our most glorious dream, our greatest hope. Something to which the New Testament refers as our blessed hope. The hope that we treasure. The promise of God that represents the only semblance of common sense that remains in this otherwise outrageously, absurdly nonsensical world of ours. Spoiler Alert: You are in for copious amounts of encouragement. Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to beg

There is a forgotten figure in the Crucifixion-Resurrection drama. A remarkable man who came to a most-remarkable conclusion. As you will hear in this PODCAST, I am referring to the Roman officer who actually crucified Jesus. At the conclusion of the crucifixion, this Roman officer -- who had literally just killed Christ -- made this stunning statement: “This man truly was the Son of God!” Now, I have to ask the questions: How in the world did he come to this conclusion? This Roman? This executioner? This worshipper of many gods? This witness to, and participant in, more crucifixions than he could count? What was it about this crucifixion that set it apart from all the others over which he, as a commander of 100 elite Roman troops, presided? What pushed him over the line from a polytheist to a monotheist? A worshiper of Caesar as god into a worshiper of Jesus as God? And what was it exactly that convinced him beyond the shadow of any doubt that the man he had just executed was in fact Almighty God? I am pr

We are, as you well know, engaged in a fascinating election cycle -- one that I have been following with great interest. Last week, one prominent commentator told of the time when, shortly after the swearing-in of a relatively recent President, he asked him, “What does it feel like to be President?” His answer, in case you are interested, was this: “I suddenly realized that everything I say will profoundly affect something somewhere in the world.” As you will hear in this PODCAST, that question, “What does it feel like to be President?” piqued my curiosity. Truth be told, there have been times when I have curiously wondered how God would respond if we were to ask Him, “What does it feel like to be God?” The thing is, God has already answered that question. God has told us exactly what it feels like to be God. Fact is, His answer might honestly surprise you. Surprise you in a profoundly emotional way. It sure does me! Now, in considering His answer that question, “What does it feel like to be God?” we have to

It’s been a tough week for our country. Riots at political rallies. An increasingly course discourse. Much angst in the world. And I know you are feeling it. Well, consider this PODCAST to be a bright and beautiful shot of much-needed adrenaline to your system, some refreshing encouragement from Jesus’ heart to yours. Let's begin our discussion with this: It is one of the most precious, and quite frankly priceless privileges in the entire Bible. I am referring to the one verse that concludes the fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews. One glorious verse that speaks volumes, both to the original readers of this verse, and to us as well. But before I read it to you, I must first set this scene: As its title suggests -- Hebrews -- this book was written to Jewish believers in Jesus. These precious people lost everything when they become committed Christ-followers. Unlike the letters of Paul, written to local gatherings of believers in a given city -- Rome, Corinth, Philippi -- this letter was written to Jewish

This week, I have been reading a fascinating book of historical fiction entitled, The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas. As you will hear in this PODCAST, in the book Douglas records a conversation between Marcellus, son of a Roman Senator who has fallen out of favor with Emperor Tiberias, and Marcellus’ slave, Demetrius. The conversation goes like this: 'Demetrius'—Marcellus swept the sky with an all-inclusive arm—'do you ever believe in the gods?' 'If it is my master's wish, I do,' replied Demetrius, perfunctorily. 'No, no,' said Marcellus, testily, 'be honest. Never mind what I believe. Tell me what you think about the gods. Do you ever pray to them?' 'When I was a small boy, sir,' complied Demetrius, 'my mother taught us to invoke the gods. She was quite religious. There was a pretty statue of Priapus in our flower garden. I can still remember my mother kneeling there, on a fine spring day, with a little trowel in one hand and a basket of plants in the other. She believed that Priapus made things grow.... An

Get ready for a well-deserved pat on the back, and a hearty, “Well done!” In addition to that, welcome to Luke’s heartwarmingly endearing introduction of two precious women: Martha and her sister Mary. As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, this delightful little story now brings us full circle in our discussion of the Return of the Seventy from their very first mission’s trip. You might remember that while debriefing their by-all-accounts exuberantly successful experience, Jesus responded to the Seventy by alluding to this landmark event: “Yes,” Jesus told the Seventy, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!” (Luke 10:18). That statement opened up for us an entire discussion of exactly how Satan, this now-fallen angel and defeated foe, seeks to invade our lives with his nefarious influence. We shared with you then (Podcasts #151 and 152) six ways that we can slam that door to our lives shut to Satan’s influence in our lives. In this podcast, we’ll now look at the other side of that proposition

It’s universally called “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” Universally, that is, except where Jesus is concerned. As you will hear in this PODCAST, if Luke 10:33 in the NLT is any indication, Jesus would have most likely entitled this, “The Parable of the Despised Samaritan.” A title which goes to the heart of this story, really. Something that I need for you to feel as you listen, and to feel it deeply. For if not, this parable completely loses its punch. Forget about shifting a paradigm. With this one parable, Jesus completely obliterated the paradigm, and created a whole new paradigm on the spot. You are in for both a treat and a challenge. Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play. God bless you richly as you listen.

Jesus was happy. Truly, genuinely happy. Which, if you think about it, and as you will hear in this PODCAST, is a most remarkable statement. As you know, and as we have chronicled over the now 3½ years of this Jesus in High Definition study, Jesus was (to quote Isaiah): "despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Never will that become so heartrendingly obvious as in the days immediately preceding His crucifixion. You want to talk about HD, we’ll soon see His rejection, sorrow, and grief in all of its gripping detail. Jesus was a Man of whom it was written, "Jesus wept." But the fact is, as we have seen and will see as His crucifixion approaches, Jesus wept often, convulsively, with a sorrow that penetrated down to His very bones. Had we seen Him, up close and personal, we would have looked upon a Man who looked like He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders… because He did. But here, in Luke 10, this is the one and only time that this was recorded in any of t

It is, without a doubt, one of the most precious truths in all of the Bible. From the lips of Jesus Himself to the seventy upon their return from their first mission’s trip, in this PODCAST you will hear Him say, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.” Fact: Satan is a fallen foe. Fact: The devil has been defeated. As we have discussed for the past two weeks, Fact: Satan is not losing the war; he has already lost it. There is a day coming, sooner rather than later, when in the words of John, “The devil who deceived them (will be) thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20). There is a day coming, sooner rather than later, when at the mere mention of Jesus’ name, “every knee will bow (including the devil and every one of his demonic minions)… and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” (Philippians 2). The day has already come when, in the words of James, “the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror,” (James 2). So yes, Satan IS a fallen foe. The dev

Last week, when talking about Jesus watching Satan fall from heaven, we were encouraged by the fact that Satan is a defeated foe. As you will be reminded in this week’s PODCAST, Satan isn’t losing the war; he has already lost it. Be that as it may, however, the devil is winning his share of battles, and the destruction he causes is painful in the extreme. Of all of the names of Satan I shared with you last week, of which there are many in the Bible, arguably the most personally troublesome is the one found in Revelation 9:11. Speaking of the demonic realm, "Their king is the angel from the bottomless pit; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon—the Destroyer." I say “most personally troublesome” for three reasons: 1. There is a suffix added to the adverb translated “in Hebrew,” as in “his name in Hebrew is Abaddon,” which makes this term particularly forceful. As if to say that Satan is the ultimate destroyer going all the way back to the very beginnings of the Bible. 2. His “most personall

You and I are embroiled in a cosmic collision of good and evil, a spiritual war that is taking place in real time, in the present tense, on a scale of epic proportions. As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, there can be no doubt in any thinking person’s mind that this war is real, and that it has a profound affect upon our world and our lives. Even an atheist who denounces the existence of God as a delusion, the reality of Satan as a myth, and the authority of Scripture as a collection of fairy tales, cannot deny that operating in our world today is a force for righteousness and a force for unrighteousness, and the daily-if-not-hourly collision of the two. This is how the Apostle Paul described this to the Christ-followers in Ephesus: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evi

As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, there is IMHO a no more beautiful blessing in all of the Bible than the one we are going to discuss here. I honestly cannot put into words how excited I am for you to listen in. As you are about to hear, Jesus perfectly defined the Gold Standard for dynamic Christian living. Not only that, but He also gave to each of us the highest calling, the loftiest privilege, the grandest purpose statement for our lives. One that makes getting up in the morning so worth it. Be encouraged as you listen. Take Jesus’ words to heart. Experience His blessing. And then get ready to share that blessing with the world. Please remember that depending upon your web browser and connection speed, it may take up to 60 seconds for this podcast to begin to play. God bless you as you listen.

As I publish this week’s PODCAST, I am brimming with optimism. Whether you realize it or not, we are blessed with a singular privilege: To be alive at this time, in this place, at this precise moment in human history. As you will hear in this study of Luke 10, we have been handed a golden opportunity to fulfill that which is the highest calling that can be bestowed on any human being. Lofty words, those. But words that I believe with all of my heart. After hearing this podcast, I believe that you will too. Last week, I introduced you to the foundational purpose statement that defines why exactly our Jewish friends are God’s Chosen People. Do you remember what it is? Tikkun ha-olam. Which is defined by our Jewish friends as "repairing the world," ideally by bringing the world under the rule of God in the world. In the words of the rabbis, Tikkun ha-olam “is deeply embedded in the Jewish ethos.” Indeed, defines it. The acknowledgement, the understanding that our world as a whole, and that every one of