The revchristruelsen’s Podcast

Reparations

Text for discussion: Leviticus 7. 

 

The sacrifices discussed in this chapter are about making reparations to God for sins.  Yet, what do we do if we are outside of God's people?  How can we ever make full restitution and reparations to God?  We can't.  For this reason, Jesus was sent to make full and complete restitution for our sin.  He fulfills all sacrifice.  

In this podcast we learn about the difference between eucharistic a propitiatory sacrifice-it's not as complicated as you think-and we get a better picture of what is taking place in both baptism and Holy Communion.  

The hymn: The Day Thou Gavest.  (Public domain).  

Matthew 18 REVISITED - ”Forgiveness Unbound”

This week I offer a chance to catch up on previous episodes, and a revisiting of a podcast from October 7, 2022, entitled, "Forgiveness Unbound."  

 

Join as we discuss Matthew 18.  

The life well-lived is not what we expect; we may seek many things-among them wealth, power, prestige but God's priorities are different . . . .  To enter the kingdom of heaven, we must become like little children, and to do that, the slate must be wiped clean . . . . How is it even possible?  When Christ offers to us forgiveness unbound . . . .

The art: Crucified Christ, by Francisco Goya, 1780.  (Public domain.)

The House on the Rock

Text for discussion: Luke 6

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and in Him we build a firm foundation for our lives.  

 

Hymn: Built on the Rock

Image: Sheaf of Grain, Franz Marc, 1907.  Public domain.  

New Wine

Text for Discussion:  Luke 5.  

Jesus is gathering disciples, but it does not seem like He is gathering the most righteous of people . . . .  What we are seeing is "new wine" when people are so used to the old.  

He is bringing about something that hasn't been seen before . . . . 

Hymn of the Day: My Faith Looks Up to Thee.  (A public domain hymn).  

Painting: Jan van Hemessen, 1536.  "Jesus Summons Matthew to Leave the Tax Office"

Christus Victor

Text for discussion: Luke 4.  

In this chapter, Jesus is tempted in the desert and begins His ministry.  

Jesus shows us how He is going to stand between us and evil.  The full victory is won at the cross.  It is not just a temporal victory, but an eternal victory, for you . . . . 

 

Hymn: Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me.  A public domain hymn.  

Image: Christ in the Desert by Ivan Kramskoy, 1872.  

Matthew 13, Revisited: Powerful Parables

This episode, entitled "Powerful Parables" revisits Matthew 13.  

No Burn Up on Reentry

Text for discussion: Leviticus 6.  

God is holy and we are not.  Sacrifices were made to forgive sins, and God made the sacrifices holy; His people were restored to Him in these sacrifices.  But what was the greatest sacrifice of all? 

 

Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy.   A public domain hymn.  

Image: by Dore, Public domain.  

All the Difference in the World

Text for discussion: Leviticus 5.  

Leviticus seems to be an impossible book for us.  It describes sins and penalties which are strict, and yet, in the New Testament, Jesus tells us that not one part of the Law will pass away . . . .  But that all turns on one key phrase: ". . . until all is fulfilled."  

There are things in this life that matter and things that really don't at all, and discovering the essential thing, that which matters most of all for you . . . makes all the difference in the world.  

The hymn: Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us (public domain).

Picture: Of Moses . . . by Gustave Dore. public domain.  

Dealing with the Unintentional Sins . . . and the Intentional Ones

Discussion text: Leviticus 4.  

 

Leviticus 4 is legislation regarding unintentional sin.  Yet, we know there are times we know exactly what we're doing when we're sinning.  How do we deal with those?  What do we do about the intentional ones?  

Hymn: Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise

Image: (of Moses, by Dore) public domain.  

Laying Down the Gauntlet

Discussion: Luke 3.  

When Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River He is baptized into our sin and we in turn our baptized into His mercy and grace. Interestingly, when Jesus goes to the Jordan he is south of the Mesopotamian Mt. Olympus, so to speak.  His ministry is not just to gather in Israel, but to claim the people of the other nations, and Jesus does so by uprooting and overturning their gods.  In this episode you will discover that there is a bigger battle taking place than meets the eye.  

The hymn: A Mighty Fortress.  Public domain.  

Painting: the Baptism of Christ, by Carl Bloch. Public domain.