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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. It's about time you have an easier, more efficient way to get caught up on the news. The newsworthy breaks down the day's top stories in less than 15 minutes and gives you some lighter conversation starters along the way. Search the newsworthy wherever you're listening now and follow or subscribe to the Newsworthy today. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Christ with Coffee on Ice. I am your host, Ali Yost. It is a joy and honor to be here with you guys today. Welcome to our weekly FaceTime. We're back. Happy Friday, guys. How's everyone doing? How are you feeling? I'm so excited for today. I'm so excited for today. I'm so grateful that this is my job. Like, seriously, every time I get to sit down, I'm like, thank you, Jesus. And it's funny, actually, I'll tell you. I was. I was just talking to my editor. Sometimes I sit down and before she edits things out, I'll, like, talk to her. Obviously, she cuts it out, but that's how we communicate. Sometimes is like, right now through this. And it's so wild, y'. All. Like, this is what it feels like to be under some kind of spiritual warfare where you are completely fine in one moment and so inspired and so ready to go. And then the second that I sit down on this couch, like, the weight of the world comes down on me, and I'm like, what was that? Like, everything. I was actually so excited to film. Like, this is my job. I'm so excited, so grateful. Like, it's ridiculous that this is my job. But I was telling Katie just now, my editor, as I sat down, I was like, I need to pray for a second. I was like, this is insane. I came into this room feeling so inspired, so ready to go, so filled with gratitude. And then, yeah, the second I sit on the couch, it's like, it was just like this weight that comes over me. And I was like, ew, Okay, I need to pray right now. So anyway, we prayed. I'm feeling a lot better. Holy spirit, activate. Okay. How weird. Spiritual work. The devil. The devil is a weirdo. Anyway, we're back, y'. All. We're locked in. And I'm ready To see what the Lord has for this episode. If you haven't noticed, I do have coffee in my cup today. I know. I'm sorry, guys. If you're confused, that's okay. But I'm referring to the fact that I was bragging that I was giving up coffee for Lent. I've never celebrated Lent in my life. Or at least like, I've never given anything up or practiced anything for Lent anyway. I failed. Don't let me de influence you, though. If you are still actively giving something up, please do it for me. Actually make up for the fact that I couldn't. But I will say I was cutting out caffeine before Lent came around. And so after almost a month of not having any coffee, I honestly, like, I don't really have as much of a palette for it. It was becoming a little bit too much of a habit for me in my everyday, to the point where it's like, I don't even know if I was craving it. It was just for comfort. And I think the minute that we're finding comfort in anything else other than Jesus, it gets a little scary. Like, just comfort in routine, it's. It's control. You know what I mean? Not to over spiritualize it, but it's just like, I don't need this much coffee. So honestly, I've only been having like one to two cups a week now, which is pretty impressive. Like, this is only my second cup this week. And today is Saturday, the day that I'm filming. It's Saturday, but for you guys it's Friday. But yeah, so not bad. But anyway, we do have our glass tumbler, which will only be available for I don't know how much longer. I told you guys in maybe it was our last episode that we are going to be launching an entirely new line of merch. Everything that is available for merch right now will not. Will cease to exist. It will, but it's been up there for a while, y'. All. We've had the same merch going for like over a year, so we needed a refresh. And I was really excited to make something that was obviously my goal in all things that I do is to glorify Jesus above all else, but above myself above anything else. So I'm not saying that our initial launch of merch wasn't obviously to glorify Jesus, but a lot of our merch says Christ with coffee and ice on it, which is awesome. But I wanted to, like, incorporate a few more pieces that are actually just like straight up evangelistic. Where you can wear them out in public. And it is like you are telling people about the gospel and the goodness of Jesus. And so, yeah, I'm really excited. You guys are going to love them. You're going to freak out. We're still tweaking a few things, but anyway, I will let you guys know as soon as we know for sure when we'll be able to launch them. But this little glass tumbler is still available as of right now if you'd like to match with me. What else, guys? I think I also. Did I set you up for failure when I. So I shared this Bible with you guys in one of our latest episodes. I can't remember if it was last week or the week before I got this brand new Bible from Hosanna Revival and some of you guys were like, I can't find it on the website. And I honestly might have set you guys up and pranked you a little bit because I think I. I could have shared them before they actually launched. I think I shared the Bible before they actually launched it. Oops. Yeah, I definitely set you guys up because I'm looking at their website right now and it's still not up. So. So. Oops. I don't know if they know that I spilled the beans a little too soon, but I fear I spilled the beans. So this isn't available yet. Keep your eyes peeled. Oops. On Hosanna Revival's website. But they do have really beautiful Bibles. So if you're not digging the yellow, that's okay. The one that I have right here. But they do have other ones and they're the best. So anyway, really sorry for doing that. Didn't mean to prank you guys like that. Can I share a little life update with you guys? This is just like a God story and I even hope that it would boost some of Yalls faith. But I just want to share something really cool that has happened just in the last week. So my family visited me here in Southern California. Okay. I live in SoCal. And so my family came out and this was the first time that my entire family has come to visit. So that's my two parents and my sister. My sister, actually today is her birthday. The day that this episode goes live is actually her birthday. So everybody wish my sister a happy birthday in the spirit. Happy birthday, Ashley. So anyway, my sister and my parents came out together, which is the first time that's ever happened. And so it was a really special time. Super awesome to be able to show them like my life out here. And one of the things that happened when they were visiting is my sister decided and honestly, like, initiated the whole thing. She mentioned this a week before they came out, but she was like, I want to get baptized. And I was like, hello? Are you serious, Ashley? And she's like, yeah, I want you to baptize me. Would you be willing to do that? And I was like, yes. Are you? I'm, like, crying about it. And the reason why I was crying about it is obviously, one, I love my sister so much, and I care about her. And of course I want her to know Jesus and to accept him as her Lord and Savior. But two was because I was earnestly, earnestly, earnestly praying for my sister for over two years for her to be saved and specifically baptized, like, to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior and to be made new and to be baptized. And so rewind to two years ago. I can't tell you how many times I got on my face, like, praying for my sister. And my sister is just, like, one of the most incredible people I've ever known. She's one of the most loyal people ever. She's also extremely emotionally intelligent. And I just knew that if she knew Jesus, she would be, like, unstoppable, you know? And obviously, like, in the last three years of my life, my eyes had been open to the goodness of Jesus. And so naturally, when you taste the goodness of God, you want everyone to be able to experience that same love, especially the people closest to you. And so I was praying for my sister. And at that time, my sister, she obviously knew about my journey of me coming to Jesus and respected it. But she was a bit like at times. And so I really had to trust the Lord, that I kind of had to just stand in my place and be like, okay, I am not going to force her. I'm not going to try to be God. I'm not going to try to control the situation here. I will answer questions when she asks them. And if she ever sparks curiosity, I. I'm here for that. But I'm not going to force her into a corner to talk about Jesus, accept Jesus, any of those things. And so that process was a process of just trusting God and not walking by sight, but by faith. Because by sight I was like, I don't know when that day will come where my sister will want to go all in with the Lord, you know? And so two years ago, I decided to sit down with the Lord and write down on a bunch of sticky notes some of my biggest desires and some of My biggest prayers and one of those prayers and one of those sticky notes was that my sister would accept Jesus as her Lord and savior and be baptized. That's what was on my yellow sticky note alongside with a bunch of other yellow sticky notes. And I would put them on my wall, and as the Lord would answer those prayers, I would be able to take them off the wall and put them in a pile of, like. And the Lord fulfilled these prayers. All acts. It's all an act of faith. Like, even the act of, like, putting them on the wall and being like, okay, God, these sticky notes will move because you will answer them. So that sticky note stayed on my wall for over two years. And what was so special now, two years later, is after she got baptized. So I baptized her. If you guys are familiar with Pirates Cove, if you know the history there at all, when there was that huge Jesus movement back in the 70s, specifically, there's a movie that was just made about it a few years ago called Jesus Revolution. And there were thousands and thousands of people who had got baptized at Pirates Cove, which is Corona del Mar Beach, I think. I think it's just cdm. I don't know. Anyway, she decided to get baptized there. So I dunked her. The water was freezing, absolutely freezing. And what was actually really funny about that is that my baptism. So I got baptized two years ago on March 3, and my baptism was also freezing. I got baptized in my friend's pool, and it was so, so, so, so cold. And because it was March, it was just freezing. And so my sister and I got baptized within, like, a week of each other. And then also, they were both freezing cold. It's kind of funny. Anyway, so after she got baptized, we came back to my house, and I was like, ashley, I want to show you something. And so I showed her, which she had never seen before, but I showed her my sticky notes on my wall, which is in my closet. I hide it so people don't see it, because I'm like, this is just for me and the Lord. I don't need anyone seeing my deepest desires and prayers because they're vulnerable. Anyway, I showed her where they were at. And I was like, do any of these sticky notes, like, read them? And I was like, do any of these sticky notes stick out to you? And so as she looked harder at all the sticky notes, she obviously noticed the one that was talking about her. And she was like, oh, my gosh, can I take this home? Which was so cute. So she wanted to take it. And I was like, I Mean, it's yours now. So that was just the coolest thing ever. And I share that because it's just such a reminder of how the Lord truly remembers every single one of our prayers. It doesn't actually matter how much time goes by. He doesn't forget them. And granted, I acknowledge that there probably are people that you guys could be praying for where you've been praying much longer than just two years. But I'm telling you that. That the Lord has heard your prayers. And we. And it's like, it goes back to that scripture of, like, we do not walk by sight, but by faith alone. And we have to believe that God's timing is perfect. And if there is a re, there's a reason. Like, I would have wanted this to happen two years sooner, obviously. Like, even me having to wait the two years for my sister to be baptized, I would have wanted her to be baptized the minute that I had prayed about it. Like, if it was up to me, she would have been baptized a long time ago. But the truth is, is, like, we will never truly understand the way that God works and why he allows, quote, delay. I put that in quotes because I'm like, it's not a delay if it's his timing. And his timing is perfect because he's perfect. And God can never be late because being late would insist that you're, like, flawed, you know, and that you make mistakes. Like, oops, sorry, I was late. God doesn't do that. He's never late. Even if it feels like it's last minute, last minute is still on time. And so God is always on time. And so that's the part that we have to surrender. But also remembering that, like, okay, we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith. And we have faith that the Lord hears our prayers. And no matter how much time passes, we have to continue to believe that every word that we pray to him, it means more than we could probably ever imagine to Him. And there's that other scripture that says that the Lord hears the prayers of the righteous or like, the cries of the righteous ones. Let me look it up. Yeah, it's Proverbs 15:29 that says, the Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Righteous means someone who is humble before God, seeking him and walking in his ways. So that's probably you. That's probably you. Right? So if that's true, then that means that the Lord hears your prayers. Yeah. So that was a win. That was a win. And so now the next thing is just continuing to pray for my sister, that she continues to learn about who the Lord is and gets to experience him and gets to be transformed in him as I have and still will. And we all are. But yeah, that was such a win. And my parents were there and they loved it. It was so special and it was really sweet to have them in town. So anyway, thank you guys for letting me share that with you. That was just like one of the biggest, actually one of the biggest prayers on my board. Like, before anything else, I was like, God, I don't care. Before my spouse, before my husband, before anything for myself, I. I need to see you do this. For my sister, I was like, I don't care if I literally die before any of these other prayers come true about myself or other things. Like, that was the prayer that I need. And I, I had fasted and prayed over my sister as well. So it's actually been a while since I fasted. I feel a little convicted actually saying that, but I believe it's also in the times that I fasted and prayed as well. I don't know about you guys, I don't know if you relate to this or not, but like, I'm a foodie at heart, okay? I love food, but also my life is kind of busy and chaotic and like, my days never really look the same. Like, I don't want busyness to be the reason that I can't enjoy making nice meals from home, even with my days looking kind of different. And Marley Spoon has been a really cool thing that I've discovered that has helped support the role of food that plays in my life and the food enjoyment while. While optimizing my time stretched lifestyle. Marley Spoon has a wide range of ready to cook and ready to eat options as well as market items to help you stock up on snacks and beverages for the between meal moments. It is a really simple and flexible subscription model that's able to fit your busy schedule. And my favorite recent meal from Marley Spoon has been their hot honey glazed salmon. I cook salmon quite often in my home. But what's been really fun about Marley Spoon is it's been teaching me like new ways to cook the same meals I've been cooking. The hot honey glazed way of making the salmon I've never done before and it was delicious. It also came with a side of brussels sprouts and spinach and so I was getting my greens. Another thing that I was really impressed by as well, aside from the taste of it, was the quality. Both the salmon and my veggies were so fresh so go to MarleySpoon.com offer coffee for 45% off your first order and free delivery. That's right, 45% off your first order AND free delivery. That's Marley Spoon.com offer/coffee from the power halls of Rome to the back roads of Galilee, the Christ traces the life, death and legacy of Jesus of Nazareth through betrayal, courage, suffering and hope. The series explores how one man's story reshapes history and redefines love, authority and sacrifice. The Christ is a four part Easter audio epic that brings the gospel narrative vividly to life from the humble manger to the victorious resurrection through world class voice, talent, cinematic soundscapes and stirring music. The Christ launches easter week of 2026 with the first episode dropping March 30th. The Christ is the first ever full scale audio dramatization of Jesus's life across four immersive episodes using cinematic quality sound music and performances rooted in biblical truth and theological integrity. Each scene in the Christ is crafted to awaken the imagination and stir the heart through powerful and immersive storytelling, making it a profound and spiritual journey. You guys are going to want to listen to this podcast and I will be as well, because this doesn't sound like it's going to be your typical Bible podcast. It sounds like it's going to be an entire experience again. The Christ launches Easter week with the first episode dropping March 30th. You can listen to the Christ for free wherever you get your podcasts or the christpodcast.com guys, I would love to read in Luke today to you guys. I am still definitely trying to read the Bible from COVID to cover by the way, but sometimes I do still kind of bop around. So I am still trucking through Genesis but I've jumped a little. I've read a little bit in Luke and I've also read a little bit in Romans which just like Romans always is just. It hits. It's insane. Romans. Every time I read Romans it's as if I've forgotten everything that's in it and I'm reading it for the first time again and my mind is blown all over again every time I read that book. But I also was bopping around in Luke and I would love to just read some of this and share some of my personal takeaways from some of the scripture and just kind of flow. I think we should just flow today and read about the Word and just see what the Lord has in store for this episode. What do we say? Yeah, if you Guys are available to read your Bibles, I would highly recommend that to just follow along. So if your Bible is near you or you're available to read your Bible, please grab it. Just as a reminder, I do have the NLT translation. The new living translation is what I read. And we are in Luke 19:28, and this is Jesus's triumphant entry. After telling this story, Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead. Go into that village over there, he told them, and as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, why are you untying that colt? Just say, the Lord needs it. So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, why are you untying that colt? And the disciples simply replied, the Lord needs it. So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. Okay, I'm gonna stop right there. Does anybody have questions yet? Because I did when I first read this. I knew when I read these first few verses that the details in these verses are significant because every detail that is shared in the Bible is significant. Even the family trees that are written out in the Bible. Luke 3 is an example. Okay. But the truth is, is that every word in the Bible is intentional by God and was not a mistake. And so I pray that that convicts us too, if there's any times that we're tempted to just skip over things because we just don't think it's important. The truth is, is everything in the Bible is important, otherwise the Lord wouldn't have put it in the book, you know? So with that being said, I've been practicing this new thing where I'm starting to ask more questions in my brain instead of just like, skimming through things and being like, yeah, Jesus rode in on a donkey. No, I've. I've been stopping to say, why a donkey, though? Like, I genuinely actually, up until the very moment of me asking that question, didn't realize that there was significance to him riding on a donkey versus a horse. Or any other kind of animal, right? So what I had learned is that in Jewish culture at that time, a king riding a donkey symbolized peace, not war horses. So if they were to have ridden in on a horse, like a war horse, then it's giving. We're ready to fight, right? Like, violence. Here we go. Versus riding in on a donkey represents peace. And that is everything that Jesus represents, right? He is the prince of peace. So this actually showed that his kingship is humble and peaceful by him riding in on a donkey. Another question that I had was, what was the significance then of the donkey never being used before? Right? Because that was a detail that was very emphasized. Even Jesus said himself was like, hey, you're gonna find this donkey tied up. It's never been ridden before. And so I'm gonna need you to untie it and bring it to me. Well, why had it never been written before? And, like, why was that worth being mentioned? You know what I mean? And so, again, I. I decided to look into it. And in Jewish tradition, once again, an unridden animal or an animal who wasn't used yet means that it was set aside for sacred purposes. Emphasizing this event was holy. And so, because that donkey had never been used for anything else. If an animal has not been used for anything else, it hasn't ever been ridden. It means that it is being saved for something really significant, really sacred, really holy, right? So that was also interesting to learn is. I'm like, okay, he rode in on a donkey because that represents peace. Like, I come in peace. And two, it had to be a donkey that had never been used for anything else because this was a holy moment. This was Jesus's triumphant entry, right? Another question that I had. Hopefully this is helpful for you guys. But another question that I had was, I also was like, okay, why did everybody start throwing their garments, like, all of their clothes down as, like, a pathway as Jesus was coming in? I'd imagine it's giving, like, royalty king, right? Like, if you were to be doing a gesture like that. If I were to just look at that and guess, I'd be like, it's because he's holy, right? It's because he's king. So we throw down our clothes and make a way. I don't know. It's just like a. Like a gesture of respect. That would be my initial guess. But in the ancient Jewish world, placing garments on the road was a way of honoring royalty. So I was kind of right. People were essentially saying, by doing this, you are worthy to walk over what Belongs to me. I submit to your authority. So when the crowd spread garments before Jesus, they were treating him like a king. Garments were valuable possessions in that time. Many people owned very few. So by throwing their cloaks down, they were symbolizing saying, everything I have is yours. I honor you above my possessions. It was a public act of devotion and recognition. So that's another interesting aspect to it is, like, because people had, for the most part, very little clothing. That was their way of being. Like, everything that I have, which isn't even that much to begin with, but I don't care. It's yours. Like, I give you everything. It was a gesture of praise to Jesus. And honestly, we should be doing that every day of our lives. Like, okay, maybe we're not physically throwing our clothes on the ground, but that should be our heart posture. Like, that was a symbol of their heart posture of just surrender and being like, lord, you know, are everything more of you, less of me? And that is a heart posture we should have every day. And so anyway, those are really cool things to learn as I was reading the Scriptures. So then we go on, right? So we left off saying that all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. Blessings on the king who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven, is what they said. Now we're in Luke 19:38. But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that. He replied, if they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers. So I want to stop right there again. Do we think that Jesus is actually saying that the stones along the road would actually burst out into cheer and start, like, talking? Probably not, right? I mean, God can make anything happen. He can make honey come out of a rock. But I don't think that's what Jesus is saying. I think that if I were to guess what Jesus is saying is in that statement, he's saying, oh, yeah, sure, you could shut these people up. But, like, everything else still glorifies me and points to me. So what Jesus is saying in this statement, which is honestly, like, he's. He's a savage for that. Can we also just talk about the fact that I think a lot of us think about Jesus, and we're like, he is the prince of peace, and he is the merciful, loving, glorious God, and he would walk around and heal people and comfort them and hold them, and, you know, he would say things like, go on, my daughter, like, go in peace and sin no longer. He was that. So he's a loving, loving God, but he is God. So he is a loving God, while also having no problem putting people in their place and reminding them that he is God. That happened the most with the Pharisees and the religious teachers who hated everything that he was doing because they were operating out of pride. He was a threat to them. The reason they were so against Jesus was because he was gaining a lot of popularity, he was gaining a lot of authority, and they didn't like that. That was. That was a direct threat to the power that they already had and to the influence that they already had. And the fact that there were thousands of people who were now deciding to follow Jesus and believe that he really was the Messiah just wasn't working for them. Pharisees were not about that. And so Jesus replies to these Pharisees by saying, yeah, sure, I could tell them to be quiet, but the truth of who Jesus is cannot be silenced. If people didn't praise him, creation itself still would. He said, sure, go ahead. But the clouds in the sky, the rocks and the stones on the side of the path here, like the sun shining and everything, the birds chirping, everything still points to me and glorifies me. So like, sure, yeah, you could probably physically shut the mouths of my followers, but the truth is, is that everything around you points to me because it's mine, cuz I created it. All things, even nature, points to Jesus. So no matter how much the Pharisees wanted it to stop, that was Jesus's way of being like, sorry, that's impossible, you can't. Because even nature itself points to me. Yeah, okay, I loved that part. So then it goes on to say, but as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. Before long, your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place because you did not recognize it when God visited you. Then Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out the people selling animals for sacrifices. He said to them, the scriptures declare my temple will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves. After that, he taught daily in the temple. But the leading priests, the teachers of religious Law and the other leaders of the people began planning how to kill him. But they could think of nothing because all the people hung on every word he said. One day, as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the good news in the temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law and the elders came up to him. They demanded, by what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right? Let me ask you a question. First, he replied, did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? They talked it over among themselves. If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John. But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet. So they finally replied that they didn't know. And Jesus responded, then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things. Okay, I want to talk about that part for a second. So this was Jesus basically being like, I ain't gonna play yalls games. I ain't gonna play these petty little games with y'. All. Then I'm not gonna tell you what authority I do these things because you won't answer my question. And the truth is, is that in Jesus's reply to bringing up John's authority, because John the Baptist was the one who paved the way for the one who was greater than him that was going to come for the Messiah that would come, the one that he said he would not even be worthy to untie the shoes of. Okay? And so John the Baptist was the one who was actually cousins to Jesus, which is so cute and sweet. He would baptize people with water, and he would spread the good news, and he would prepare the way of the people for when Jesus were to come. And then he baptizes in the Holy Spirit and fire, which is insane. So anyway, with Jesus pointing them back to the truth of John and what John did and John's authority, and also John was a prophet, because for him to be like, I am baptizing people in water and I am telling you the good news because there is a messiah that is coming. The Son of man, the Son of God is coming down to earth one day. That was him prophesying and being like, yeah, the day will come. And so by Jesus forcing these religious leaders and Pharisees to acknowledge the fact that John was a prophet and is saying, okay, so did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? If the religious leaders say that John was led by heaven, they're also saying that's where Jesus gets his authority. Because John's ministry points to Jesus the Messiah. So Jesus is making them look at that. Because if they were to say, well, yeah, of course John's ministry was led by heaven, are you kidding? The guy was a prophet. Like he heard directly from God. Yes, but all of John's ministry pointed to the fact that the Messiah was coming. It pointed to Jesus. That was the whole point of his ministry. Like, his ministry was not supposed to just stop there. It was so that he could pave the way and then Jesus could carry it on and do what he was born to do, which was to die for us. So with them saying, yeah, that is them also saying that Jesus is the Messiah, but they don't want to do that. They can't do that. So the reason Jesus withholds his direct answer to them, right? Because then Jesus goes, then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things because you refuse to give me a real answer. Right? Because they were like, I don't know. That was their response. They said, I don't know. Jesus withholds his direct answer because in this, he exposes that they're not actually interested in truth. Authority isn't about declaring it. It's about whether people are willing to recognize it. And so what Jesus is exposing in these people is that they aren't actually interested in truth. Like, that's the whole game that they've been playing up until this point is that they're like, justice for truth. And they think that what Jesus is doing is blasphemous and it's wrong. And, you know, everything he's doing is a lie and he's not actually who he says he is. And obviously there's so many things that they can't actually explain, like how he was able to raise people from the dead and heal the blind and deliver the sick and the possessed. Like, he could actually cast out demons. Hello, that had never been done in history before. No one had ever actually successfully been able to cast out demons and declare in their own authority, Like Jesus, in the authority of the Holy Spirit, would look at somebody who was possessed by Mary Magdalene as an example, possessed by seven different demons. There's actually no explanation for that other than bro is God. He's God. No one else, no prophet, no one had ever been able to do something like that before. So even with all of those things, they still deny it. Okay. Which just points to the fact that they were never actually interested in truth. It was all about Pride. It was all about ego and it was all about power. And honestly, that has been our issue in humanity since the very beginning. It's always been about power. Why did Adam and Eve eat from the forbidden fruit on the one tree they weren't supposed to eat in the Garden of Eden? The enemy tempted them, but he tempted them with what? Power? Ability to have the knowledge of both good and evil. Just like God. To be like God. And who is God? He is the Almighty. He is the one that has all the power. And so it was always about power. It was always about ego. That has been our issue from the get go. So that's the issue here, is that they're liars, these, these Pharisees. And they don't actually care about the truth, which is why Jesus won't play their games. Authority isn't about declaring it. It's about whether people are willing to recognize it. And they the truth is, is they just weren't willing to recognize it. They didn't want to look at it. The authority of what Jesus had and has. They didn't want to look. They did not want to recognize and accept it. Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story. A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers and moved to another country to live for several years. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up and sent him back empty handed. So the owner sent another servant. But they also insulted him, beat him up and sent him away empty handed. A third man was sent and they wounded him and chased him away. What will I do? The owner asked himself. I know, I'll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him. But when the tenant farmers saw his son and they said to each other, here comes the heir to this estate. Let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves. So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them? Jesus asked. I'll tell you. He will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. How terrible that such a thing should ever happen. His listeners protested. Jesus looked at them and said, then what does this scripture mean? The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken into pieces and it will crush anyone it falls on. The teachers of religious law and leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them. They were the wicked Farmers, but they were afraid of the people's reaction. So Jesus is actually disclosing, in a way, kind of foreshadowing, prophesying that he will die. That third visitor. So obviously from this parable of this story, a man who planted a vineyard, that's God, leased it to tenant farmers to move to another country. He sends one guy, they beat him up, send him away. Send another guy, beat him up, send him away. Third guy, he says, oh, well, wait a minute, my son. Surely they'll respect him enough. They won't do anything. And then they ended up killing him because he was the heir of the estate. So they actually ended up doing worse to the son than they did to the people, which is interesting to me. I don't know if that actually has any. But what's really powerful about what Jesus is saying here too is he's also disclosing the true penalty and the real consequences of what God will do to the people who reject Jesus. He says he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. So God is actually warning the religious leaders in that statement that he will give the kingdom to those who produce good fruit. So, like all of these religious leaders and the Pharisees and the these guys of the law think that they are going to inherit the kingdom of God. But what Jesus is saying is actually God will have no problem killing you, AKA you will not live in the afterlife. You will not be able to live in the glory of God, in the company of God. You will be damned to a place where there is no God. There is no it is void God, which is hell. So he said, yeah, he'll just kill you and give it to someone else. Just because you guys are all high and mighty and you wear your fancy cloaks and your fancy clothes and you have all this money and power and influence and people are scared of you. That doesn't matter. I actually will be giving it to other people over you guys, because the truth is, is God is going to give the kingdom to the ones who actually produce good fruit, who actually follow him. Another fun fact that I learned as I asked a lot of questions reading this scripture is in ancient construction, the cornerstone. So remember the scripture. We're going to go back for a second. The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. So that's Jesus. I'm sure a lot of us could probably assume that that's what that part of the parable represents, is the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. And the significance of what a Cornerstone is, is actually an ancient construction. The cornerstone was the first stone laid. But I just love that what's said in that is. And again, like, I wouldn't have known if I didn't just look it up, but I didn't realize that the cornerstone was the first thing laid like, in ancient construction. That was the first thing that was put down, which is so significant because again, it all starts with Jesus. That is our foundation in God's new work. It is the foundation of Christ and Christ crucified. And the cornerstone is the one that connects the two sides. Right? So the cornerstone is like the funnel. I don't even know if that's the right thing I should be using as an example. But it's the thing that connects the two, which is us and God. He is the one that reconciles us with God. Where we were once enemies of the Lord and now we are friends of God again because of Jesus. He's the cornerstone. He's the foundation. He's where it all begins and continues and ends. He's it everything. And what's so funny about this too is that the teachers of religious law and the leading priests just in their response, like the fact that they wanted to arrest Jesus immediately after they heard him say that because they realized he was telling the story against them, that they were the wicked farmers just goes to show how freaking guilty they were anyway. Like, if they were really innocent, they wouldn't be so peed. Like, they wouldn't be like, we need to kill him now because he's calling us out. Like, if they were truly pure and they weren't wicked at heart, they wouldn't be reacting that, like, how would they have even put the pieces together that that's what Jesus was implying. It's because they were guilty. It's because they were wicked. That's the truth. And they didn't like that Jesus was calling them out. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. So anyway, moving on a little further. Now we are in Luke 19:20 watching for their opportunity. The leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. Teacher, they said, we know that you speak and teach what is right and Are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us, is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? He saw through their trickery and said, show me a Roman coin whose picture and title are stamped on it? Caesar's. They replied, well, then he said, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Give to God what belongs to God. So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer and they became silent. Jesus rocks also, like, how stupid the fact that they thought we do it still today. I'm sure I've done it where I'm like, yeah, God. Like, I try to, like, kind of trick God into, like, he know he's God. We genuinely, like, forget that. He's so massive. They actually tried to trick Jesus, bro. He made you. He knows your every thought, actually. But it's really. It's really fun to watch Jesus be like, yeah, I'm not doing that. No, you didn't get me there. Okay, moving on. We're now at verse 34. Jesus replied, this is okay. Actually, no, no, I'm so excited to share this part with you guys. Wait, actually, no, we're not that far yet. We're at 27. Luke. 20. 27. Okay, let's just keep reading because this was fun. I looked into this as well. Okay. Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees. Sadducees, I don't know if that's right. I'm not going to look it up. Religious leaders who say, there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question. Teacher Moses gave us a law that if a man dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers, and the oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them who died without children. Finally, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection for all seven were married to her. Okay. So what they're asking is, whose wife is she going to be in the afterlife? AKA like, in all of eternity in heaven with God, Right? So they're like, if she was married to all of them, whose wife is she really going to be in the resurrection in the afterlife in heaven? And Jesus replied, marriage is for people here on earth, but in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. And they will never die again. In this respect, they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection. But now, as to whether the dead will be raised. And even Moses proved that when he wrote about the burning bush long after Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him. Well said, teacher remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. And then no one dared to ask him any more questions. So what's really cool about this scripture is it's actually revealing to us guys, that we're not going to be married in heaven, which a lot of you guys like. I mean, I think when I first heard that, I was like, oh, wait, I'm sad. It's like, my husband won't be my husband in heaven anymore. But the truth is, is one. Okay, guys, we are going to need nothing other than Jesus. I mean, that is our life here. But, like, when we are going to be in the glory of God, there's no death. We're just gonna live forever with him. There's no, like, earthly limitations on our lives anymore. There's no loneliness. There's no need for, like, companionship. Because the truth is, is, like, the reason that we need companionship here on earth is because of just, like, the limitations of what this life has here on Earth. Like, there's loneliness. Like, we need each other. And granted, like, it's gonna be so fun to be together in heaven, but God will be fulfilling, like, every cell of our being. We're gonna be so satisfied just being in the fullness of God, it's unimaginable. There's probably no language for it, but there. There's no need. There's no need for marriage. So life after the resurrection isn't a continuation of earthly structures. So, like, there's a lot of, like, structures of how we live here on earth. Structures that God set. Like, God literally was like, yes, marriage, please. It's good for you guys. You need it. Companionship, making families, lineage, all of that stuff, that is the structure of our life here on Earth. But after the resurrection, it isn't a continuation of the earthly structures. It's a whole new life, whole new way of living. Marriage in the world addresses needs, companionship, family, and a way to continue in a world where people die. That's just the truth, right? Those who are resurrected, AKA those who will Go to heaven, will no longer die living in the fullness of God and His presence. So we won't need anything else. We'll be in the fullness of God in His presence, which, like, I don't even know what that could. If we were to experience that here on Earth right now, we probably, like, explode and turn into dust. I have no idea what that's gonna be like, but I would imagine it's gonna be pretty freaking awesome because it was what we were made for. I feel like when we get to that moment, it's gonna be like, no matter how incredible our lives here on Earth are, like, God will answer our prayers, and he will give us families, and he will give us spouses, and he will give us purpose here on Earth, which is just to walk faithfully with him and to serve others and to love others and to love him with all of our heart, mind, and soul. Right? Like, there's so many beautiful things to experience in our lives here on Earth, but the truth is, is, like, I believe that none of it compares to whatever that even feels like. The fullness of God in His presence. I'd imagine nothing else compares. So we are no longer bound to earthly limitations, which means we won't need to be married. But your people will be up there, though. They'll be with you. Because I think about that, I'm like, oh, my gosh, I'm not gonna be married to my husband anymore. But he will be there. So praise God. Because, like, I want him there. And I'm gonna. I want everyone. I want everyone there. I want my sister there. I want my family there. But anyway, marriage doesn't exist in heaven. Isn't that funny? Anyway, so the other truth of that is completely transformed existence defined by eternal relationship with God. That is what it'll be like on the other side. Kind of crazy. Okay, also, this is funny. Verse 39. When the teachers of religious law were like, well said, teacher remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. And then no one dared to ask him any more questions. I wrote, right, right, Because Jesus is every. Jesus is king. Okay? He's king. Then Jesus presented them with a question. Why is it he asked that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet. Since David called the Messiah Lord, how can the Messiah be his son? Then with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, beware of these teachers of religious law, for they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets, yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property. And then pretending to be poised by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished. He said that in front of everybody. Jesus wasn't playing anymore, y'. All. He wasn't playing anymore. And just to dive a little bit deeper into this question that Jesus had brought up, so David himself declares in the Book of Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool to your feet. David calls him Lord. So how then can he be his son? Is what Jesus is presenting to the people. So Jesus is actually quoting book of Psalms 110:1, written by King David. To understand what Jesus is doing, it helps to know the expectation people had about the Messiah. So the people believed the Messiah would be David's descendant. The Jewish people knew from prophecy the Messiah would come from David's royal line. Okay, so that the Messiah, whoever that was, it's Jesus. But whoever that was going to be would come from the descendants of King David. That's what the people knew. That's what had been prophesied already. And so some examples of that is in 2nd Samuel 7:12 through 16, it says God promises David that his throne will continue through a future king. Book of Isaiah 11:1, a ruler will come from the stump of Jesse, aka David's family line. Because of this, the Messiah was often called Son of David. Okay? So that's why sometimes we will hear Jesus be referred to as the Son of David. Because again, that's where the Messiah came is from the bloodline of David. Okay? So the religious leaders thought of the Messiah mainly as a human king, a political deliverer, someone who would restore Israel. That was their expectations. So Jesus points out something even deeper in Psalm 110. So Jesus quotes Psalm 110, where David says, the Lord said to my Lord. And in Hebrew, this reads, yahweh, God said to my Lord. David is speaking about someone greater than himself. But here's the key cultural point. Okay? So in ancient Jewish culture, a father or ancestor would never call his descendant Lord. The ancestor was always greater. So Jesus asked the logical question. If the Messiah is David's son, why does David call him Lord? That's like, not a normal thing to Say about your own son. Jesus is actually revealing in this that the Messiah is more than a human descendant. Jesus isn't denying that the Messiah is David's son. He is showing that the Messiah is actually both David's descendant, which is human lineage, and David's Lord, which is divine authority. In other words, the Messiah is fully human from David's line, greater than David sharing God's authority. This is one of the clearest hints in the Gospels that the Messiah is more than just a king. He is the divine king. Ah. Ah. Okay. So Jesus is actually quietly pointing to himself. And we're seeing that over the span of these last few of these verses that we've read, Jesus is pointing at himself quietly. And so this was just another example of Jesus doing that. So right after asking this question, Jesus doesn't wait for an answer because the implication is obvious. He is the one who comes from David's line, yet sits at God's right hand. This is why later Christians understood Psalm 110 as one of the most important prophecies about Christ. And Jesus is actually exposing the limited understanding of the religious leaders by saying this as well. Because again, the religious leaders up until this point had an understanding that Jesus was going, or, you know, the Messiah was going to be some kind of human king or like a political deliverer, somebody who would restore Israel. They were limited in their expectations of who the Messiah was going to be. And so Jesus in that is exposing how limited their understanding is of who they thought the Messiah was going to be. So they thought the Messiah was only a political king, a national hero, again, somebody who was going to help restore Israel. But actually, Jesus in this statement shows that the Messiah is far greater. He is the one who reigns beside God, rules over all enemies, holds authority even over David. So that's a really powerful statement that Jesus had made. And. And what's so cool about the way that Jesus ministers and teaches is he's always like, prompting thought. He's always prompting people to think. Actually, more times than not, we see in Jesus's teachings that he doesn't just flat out answer people. He uses parables and speaks in ways that makes people think and it makes them reflect. And in a lot of ways, he actually always answers with like, a question. So again, even in this, Jesus is like, hey, I got a question for y'. All. I just. I think it's so interesting that that's how he does a lot of things, is he actually kind of forces people into reflection and realization. I think he still does that. With us today. Like, in a lot of ways, I think that that's actually how God even prompts me into revelation, is he just asks a lot of questions or he uses parables or things that are symbolic. And it. He just always encouraged people to, like, really either look in the mirror, reflect, ponder, put the pieces together. And so, yeah, anyway, I have no idea what this episode was. I. I guess it was just a teaching, which is really cool and exciting because I don't know if I've done an episode like this for a while, but I just wanted to share with you guys something I had recently been reading and questions I was asking. And so I hope that it brought clarity to some of you guys as well. I think a lot of times, again, we can read these scriptures so many times. Like, I've read Luke plenty of times. But the fact that I was like, I actually just want to ask more questions. I got to learn so much more that was in the scripture than what I ever knew reading it however many times before. So anyway, this is a really fun episode. I actually really enjoyed it. I hope that you guys did too. If you did and you're watching on YouTube or like, somewhere where you could comment, I think Spotify, you also can make comments if there's a way for you to comment. I'd love to hear your guys's feedback or even like, personal revelation or aha. Moments of like, whoa. That like, clicked for me. Finally, please share in the comments because I love, love to read your guys's takeaways from scripture and from these episodes because the revelation can keep going. I don't know. I just, like, sometimes I read Yalls comments and I'm like, whoa. Like, it's just. It's so fun. Like, the body is just, like, fun. And so I think it's also really fun for you guys to. To read those things and see them and interact with each other. And so I obviously always encourage that too, for you guys to interact with each other and help guide each other and just share personal revelation and testimony and all of those things. So with that being said, I love you guys so much. Obviously Jesus loves you a lot more, but, like, I love you so much, and I am so grateful for this community. I'm so proud of who you guys are. Genuinely so proud of who you guys are. I've said this on the podcast multiple times, but I. It's been a while since I've said it, but I. It still blows my mind. How incredibly pure and kind and gracious and merciful and understanding this community is like, the way that you guys practice such love in the comment section and with each other and with me. And just, like, it blesses me more than you guys could ever understand. And I am just like, such a proud mama in a lot of ways. I'm like, lord, I am so impressed by your. Your kids here. Like, what? The body rocks. Let's just keep being healthy. Let's just keep being healthy. There are many parts of the body that aren't always healthy. That's just humanity. Okay? In the church, outside the church, there's toxicity. But I am so grateful that this community actually doesn't have a lot of toxicity, if not none at all. Like, hardly at all. It's beautiful. I'm so proud of Yalls hearts. I think that that is a huge reflection of how much you guys earnestly and, like, genuinely are so hungry for Jesus, because the only reason we can ever look like him is because we're spending genuine time with him. Like, if you think about it, and this is with anybody, but, like, the more you spend time with somebody, the more you start to look like them, the more you start to sound like them. You pick up little, like, sayings. You know what I mean? Like, you. You pick up little mannerisms you kind of rub off on each other. Like, in a fashion sense, like, you have a best friend. You kind of start to, like, dress the same. Whatever. It's like. That is what it's like when you are walking so closely with Jesus. And so if you are practicing that mercy and the grace and the kindness and the love in the comment section and you really are reflecting Jesus, I'm like, that's because you're actually spending time with him. I'm really proud of you guys for that. Anyway, okay, I'm done being mushy. I just needed to encourage you guys because that's nothing I did. And that only happens from, like, true dedication of being alone with Jesus with the door shut. And so the Lord really sees that. And I think that it shows in Yalls fruit. That's the truth, is, like, it's your fruit. You will know them by their fruit. And y' all's fruit rocks. It does. Okay. I love you guys. Happy Friday. Have a beautiful, amazing, incredible, awesome weekend. I hope you have a beautiful Sunday as well. Go to church. Don't skip it. Go to church. And I will see you guys next time. I'll see you next Friday. Bye.