How Did a Baby Overcome A Dragon? #360

Happy Monday, and happy Christmas week, friends! Shoutouts and welcome to new listeners from Queensland, Australia, parts unknown, China, Birmingham, Alabama (my former stomping grounds) and Tucson, Arizona – thanks for joining us! Today’s readings begin with 2nd Chronicles 25, Zechariah 8, John 11 and Revelation 12. After today, there are only 10 episodes left in the year, and if you’ve been with us the whole time, you’ve read/listened through all of the Old Testament once, the Psalms twice, and the New Testament twice. Wow! Let’s open with a great comment on yesterday’s episode from WWH in parts unknown:

First, he writes, “The California equivalent of stoning or shooting is to unfriend a person on social media.” Very true, very true. Next:

Jesus claimed to be God in several ways: 1. He did things that only God can do, such as forgiving sin; healing the blind, lame and sick; and raising the dead. 2. Jesus said things that only God is permitted to say, such as “Your sins are forgiven.” 3. Jesus allowed things that only God may allow, as when Peter worshiped Him. (“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God”). Thomas also worshiped Him: “My Lord and My God!” Jesus received this worship instead of tearing his clothes and throwing ashes or dirt. In the John 10 passage, the most salient point is the reaction of the listeners. Some have argued that Jesus meant that he was One with God in intentions, purpose, and actions. This is clearly contradicted by the fact that they took up stones to stone Him. Even calling Himself the Son of Man is a highly provocative claim: cf. Daniel 7:13, and also Matthew 26:64. As for whether He said the exact phrase, in John 8:58, Jesus said “Before Abraham was, I Am.” I AM is the Name of God (see Ex. 3:14) and in the context of His identity, is pretty much saying, “I am God.” (as Chase said at 13:08 above). Again, note the reaction: “They took up stones to stone Him.” Stoning was the punishment for blasphemy.

Great job, sir – and also I’d like to ask you Bible reading podcast listeners to pray for a fellow listener and friend, mr. J.W. who has lost his sister this past week and is planning her funeral and dealing with all of the stresses and complications for that.

Today’s episode is going to be very, very different. Instead of our normal commentary, I’d like to read you a book I wrote for Christmas 2019 called The Baby Who Overcame a Dragon: A Surprisingly Accurate Christmas Story. I’m reading this because the book is entirely based on Revelation 12, but in a slightly fictionalized sense. The book is available on Amazon, and has some amazing artwork from an up and coming illustrator named Kenzie Anders. You can search for the book title on Amazon, or come to our webpage and check it out. After I read the book, we’ll read the rest of our Scriptures.

How Did a Baby Overcome A Dragon? #360

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