WEBVTT 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:06.020 I'm delighted to be here and delighted to see many of you here, delighted and excited 00:00:06.020 --> 00:00:12.080 for the opportunity to have a members meeting and think it only appropriate and right to 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:15.720 spend a little time in God's Word before we do that. 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:23.280 I love the rhythm that we have of worshiping and out of our common worshiping life moving 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:28.859 into a members meeting because that's just an extension of worship and how we do life 00:00:28.859 --> 00:00:29.199 together. 00:00:30.620 --> 00:00:35.600 The problem of Jesus is something that everybody has to confront. 00:00:35.880 --> 00:00:41.519 The problem of Jesus is something that everybody has to deal with in one way or another. 00:00:42.219 --> 00:00:44.060 And by that phrase, I mean this. 00:00:44.120 --> 00:00:50.679 I mean that every single person in the world has to make sense out of the things that Jesus 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:54.859 did and the things that Jesus said about himself. 00:00:54.859 --> 00:01:04.400 Many people today like to think of Jesus as one of many great moral teachers who had an 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:06.640 outsized impact on the world. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:11.920 someone from whom there are things we might learn but nothing more. 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:17.519 But as we'll see this morning, that explanation simply does not work. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.119 Because that is not how Jesus described himself. 00:01:21.119 --> 00:01:29.859 And there's not a single person who regarded Jesus that way after meeting him face to face. 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:36.359 people may have assumed that he was a great moral teacher before they met him. 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:44.980 But when people met Jesus as one commentator says, he tended to have one of three effects on them. 00:01:44.980 --> 00:01:50.579 Hatred, terror, or adoration. 00:01:50.579 --> 00:01:51.579 Or adoration. 00:01:51.579 --> 00:01:55.579 Hatred, terror, or adoration. 00:01:55.579 --> 00:02:01.759 Whatever else they may have thought, they realized this is no mere moral teacher. 00:02:01.759 --> 00:02:06.079 So the question this morning that we want to ask is, who is Jesus? 00:02:06.079 --> 00:02:08.360 We're going to be looking at this passage in Mark chapter 3. 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:16.240 We will see the confusion over Jesus' identity, the truth of Jesus' identity, and then the implications of Jesus' identity. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:17.400 Let's pray. 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:20.740 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:26.740 And every week we come with all kinds of distractions and questions and needs and longings. 00:02:27.740 --> 00:02:31.120 Some of us are here ready to pay rapt attention. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:35.680 Many of us may feel distracted or pulled apart by all of the things in our lives. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:36.759 Lord, all the noise. 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:39.540 Lord, I pray that you would quiet the noise. 00:02:40.540 --> 00:02:42.860 That you would still our hearts. 00:02:42.860 --> 00:02:49.340 That you would open our minds and our hearts to receive what you have for us this morning. 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:52.520 Lord, what we most need is your presence. 00:02:53.540 --> 00:02:55.100 What we most need is to hear from you. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:57.160 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:02:57.300 --> 00:02:57.520 Amen. 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:02.380 So first of all, let's look at the confusion over Jesus' identity. 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:07.840 After Jesus began his public ministry, word begins to spread about him. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.340 And soon, everybody's talking about Jesus. 00:03:10.520 --> 00:03:16.620 Everybody in the region is buzzing about this new cutting-edge rabbi. 00:03:17.219 --> 00:03:21.680 And they're all trying to make sense of the things that they are seeing and hearing. 00:03:22.379 --> 00:03:28.060 And there are a few possible explanations that begin to emerge to make sense of Jesus. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:34.080 And these are the same ideas that have persisted for 2,000 years all the way up to D.C. in 2024. 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:42.700 The first possibility that begins to emerge, the first explanation, is that Jesus is simply a lunatic. 00:03:43.480 --> 00:03:45.300 That he's lost his mind. 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:52.260 In verse 21, it says that his ministry has caused such a disturbance that when he goes home and tries to eat with his family, 00:03:52.540 --> 00:03:58.380 they can't eat because there are too many people surrounding the house trying to get Jesus' attention. 00:03:58.680 --> 00:03:59.460 It's chaos. 00:03:59.460 --> 00:04:07.000 And so his own family members try to silence him because they think that he's lost his mind. 00:04:08.580 --> 00:04:11.360 Don't skip over the fact that it's his own family. 00:04:12.640 --> 00:04:14.280 They're the ones who think he's crazy. 00:04:14.540 --> 00:04:20.040 If you have ever felt misunderstood or unappreciated by your family, you're not alone. 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:21.400 The same thing has happened to Jesus. 00:04:22.460 --> 00:04:25.160 So the question is, why are they reacting this way? 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.680 Well, look at some of the things that Jesus has said about himself. 00:04:29.180 --> 00:04:35.260 In just the previous chapter, in Mark chapter 2, some men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:39.860 And Jesus responds by saying, son, your sins are forgiven. 00:04:41.840 --> 00:04:47.440 Now, everybody knew, everybody in this society knew, the only one who has the authority to forgive sin is God. 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:52.040 So Jesus is claiming to do something only God can do. 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:56.779 And it says people were astounded and amazed by that. 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:02.220 Later in the same chapter, Jesus refers to himself as the Lord of the Sabbath. 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:08.920 Well, there's only one Lord of the Sabbath, and that's the one who established it at creation. 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:11.460 Again, God himself. 00:05:12.699 --> 00:05:20.360 So it begins to raise this question, what kind of person would claim to have equal status and authority with God? 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:23.620 And so some people were saying, well, this man is clearly delusional. 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:25.420 He's delusional. 00:05:26.280 --> 00:05:27.000 He's a lunatic. 00:05:27.460 --> 00:05:38.379 The second possibility that we see beginning to emerge here is this man isn't so much crazy as he is more of a malicious liar. 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:43.680 Some of the religious leaders come from Jerusalem to investigate Jesus. 00:05:44.840 --> 00:05:48.480 And they see him do these incredible things. 00:05:48.840 --> 00:05:53.700 And they see the way the crowds respond to these incredible miracles that Jesus is doing. 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:54.960 He's healing people. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:56.639 He's casting out demons. 00:05:57.840 --> 00:06:00.819 Now, notice they don't deny the fact that the miracles happen. 00:06:00.939 --> 00:06:08.180 You know, if you're trying to discredit the new cutting-edge rabbi who's taking all of your followers, 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:11.860 if you're trying to discredit that person, the easiest thing to do would be to say, 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:15.900 nobody can raise those who are paralyzed. 00:06:16.180 --> 00:06:18.220 Nobody can give sight to the blind. 00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:19.319 Those are fake. 00:06:19.379 --> 00:06:20.220 He's a charlatan. 00:06:20.840 --> 00:06:21.900 He's faking it. 00:06:21.939 --> 00:06:23.660 But they don't even try to make that argument. 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:28.420 And that's simply because there are too many eyewitnesses who know that these things actually happen. 00:06:29.379 --> 00:06:31.340 So they do the only other thing they can do. 00:06:31.339 --> 00:06:35.179 They attribute those miracles to Satan. 00:06:35.359 --> 00:06:40.519 They accuse Jesus of being an evil, demon-possessed man pretending to be divine. 00:06:42.239 --> 00:06:49.120 So here we have Jesus who has made these grandiose claims to have equal status with God. 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:52.339 And he does it publicly and he does it repeatedly. 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:57.560 And you can see his followers just being like, oh, if you would just not say that thing, 00:06:57.899 --> 00:06:59.139 it would be so much easier. 00:06:59.219 --> 00:07:00.959 And every time he says it, you can see them cringing. 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:03.379 People are going to think you're crazy. 00:07:04.719 --> 00:07:06.120 So how do we make sense of it? 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:08.339 These are two possible explanations. 00:07:09.059 --> 00:07:11.899 He's either a delusional lunatic or he's a malicious liar. 00:07:12.939 --> 00:07:16.099 But there is a problem with these explanations. 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:22.400 And that problem emerges when you hold the things that Jesus says up against his life. 00:07:23.300 --> 00:07:27.840 And you look at the way he actually lived and interacted with people. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.600 Because you see, history is filled with people who have claimed to be God. 00:07:33.060 --> 00:07:40.220 But typically, those people are either floridly psychotic or they are megalomaniacs. 00:07:40.840 --> 00:07:40.980 Right? 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:44.640 They're delusional narcissists who are obsessed with status. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:46.439 And they're obsessed with power. 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:51.439 And they only want to associate with other people who are high status, high power people. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:08:00.099 But Jesus always appears extremely lucid and sane and honest. 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:03.500 And he's extraordinarily humble. 00:08:04.919 --> 00:08:10.779 There's no hint of megalomaniacal narcissism in any of Jesus' interactions. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.599 Everywhere he goes, he's caring for the poor. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:15.180 He's caring for the sick. 00:08:15.560 --> 00:08:19.300 He's seeking out the outcasts and the unclean. 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:23.340 He's hanging around with people of the lowest status. 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:30.740 When in this culture, the people that you dined with were, that was really a signal as to your status and your importance. 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:36.440 And he gets criticized by the religious leaders because they look at the people around his table. 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:45.840 And he's dining with the dregs of society, which is communicating that Jesus is among the dregs of society. 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:48.120 That doesn't sound like a delusional narcissist. 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:56.460 This doesn't sound like someone with a belief that he's the all-powerful creator of the universe either. 00:08:56.460 --> 00:09:11.360 How could somebody go around claiming to have divine status, to be the lord of the Sabbath, to have the authority to forgive sin, and yet also dine with the dregs of society? 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:15.159 It doesn't sound like a malicious lie. 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:16.419 It doesn't sound like delusion. 00:09:16.620 --> 00:09:17.460 It doesn't add up. 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:18.759 There's something that doesn't fit. 00:09:19.019 --> 00:09:23.019 When you try to take those explanations and you hold them up against his life, it just doesn't work. 00:09:24.100 --> 00:09:25.560 Nobody would believe that. 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:40.319 Now, of course, in modern times, as we have gotten more distance historically from these original events and original accounts, people began to say, well, you know, Jesus may not be a lunatic or a liar, but that's because Jesus never actually existed. 00:09:41.819 --> 00:09:44.039 You know, this is all the stuff of legend. 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:47.059 These are just stories from a pre-scientific world. 00:09:48.119 --> 00:09:51.779 And many people have tried to make that argument, many people who are a lot smarter than I am. 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:55.339 But there's simply too much evidence to the contrary. 00:09:55.559 --> 00:10:02.539 Bart Ehrman, if you know him, is a well-known New Testament scholar, and he's a vehement skeptic. 00:10:02.619 --> 00:10:03.419 He's not a Christian. 00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:12.419 And yet when people ask him, a lot of atheists will kind of cozy up next to him and say, well, I mean, you and I both know, you know, Jesus never actually existed. 00:10:12.719 --> 00:10:14.039 And here's what Ehrman will say. 00:10:14.199 --> 00:10:16.799 Now, he's a critic of Christianity, but here's what he will say. 00:10:17.739 --> 00:10:21.259 This is not even an issue for scholars of antiquity. 00:10:21.259 --> 00:10:27.980 The reason for thinking Jesus existed is because he is abundantly attested to in early sources. 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:36.500 If you want to go where the evidence goes, I think that atheists have done themselves a disservice by jumping on the bandwagon of mythicism. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.179 Because frankly, it makes you look foolish to the outside world. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:43.639 If that's what you're going to believe, you just look foolish. 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:49.319 He's basically saying, listen, if you follow the evidence, there's no question this man existed. 00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:52.740 That claim is absolutely untenable. 00:10:53.539 --> 00:11:01.840 But there is another version of the legend argument that says, well, okay, maybe Jesus did exist, but obviously he was just a normal person. 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:09.120 And over time, his followers wanted to start this religion, and so they started making up all this stuff about him to give credibility to their movement. 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:13.780 But that actually quickly starts to fall apart for several reasons. 00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:24.440 Number one, we know that the gospel accounts and the writings of Paul, places where they say that Jesus was God, that he rose from the dead, 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:32.740 that these were all written within the lifetime of the eyewitnesses, right, within only 15 or 20 years of Jesus' crucifixion. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:43.160 It would be absolutely foolish in a relatively small, highly interconnected region like this, where word spreads like wildfire. 00:11:43.160 --> 00:11:52.360 It would be foolish to try to make up a bunch of stuff about a guy named Jesus, who just very recently was publicly executed, 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:56.340 if there are still lots of people around who saw these things happen. 00:11:56.899 --> 00:11:59.279 That would be insane to try to do that. 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:06.519 The second thing we need to understand is, the Jewish religion was absolutely unique in the world 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:14.159 because their entire identity and culture as a people was built around the idea that there was only one God. 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:20.740 Their entire identity as Jewish people was defined by the idea that there was only one God. 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:22.000 Nobody else thought that way. 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:32.200 So they are the least likely people in the world to believe that a human being could be God the way Jesus claimed to be God. 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:37.759 The idea that a bunch of first century Jews concocted the idea that this man was God, 00:12:37.820 --> 00:12:41.519 or even second or third century Jews concocted the idea that this man was God, 00:12:41.659 --> 00:12:45.960 runs against the very heart and soul of their entire culture and religion. 00:12:46.200 --> 00:12:48.440 It would be the worst form of blasphemy. 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:51.220 So if you're trying to get a religion off the ground, 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:54.600 and you're trying to maybe convert some of your fellow Jews, 00:12:55.140 --> 00:12:57.540 this would be unbelievably implausible. 00:12:59.180 --> 00:13:02.360 And there's evidence to suggest that because it was so implausible, 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:05.760 there's evidence to suggest that even Jesus' closest followers 00:13:05.760 --> 00:13:08.200 had a very hard time coming to terms with it. 00:13:08.360 --> 00:13:09.800 This is part of how we understand. 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:12.139 His own family said, you must be crazy. 00:13:13.179 --> 00:13:18.620 Because the claim to be God was so utterly absurd in their culture. 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:23.819 The third issue with this legend argument 00:13:23.819 --> 00:13:27.879 is that the claim that Jesus was God did not help the Christians. 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:31.519 It hurt them terribly. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.740 It was that claim, it was that claim 00:13:35.740 --> 00:13:40.399 that set them up to be seen as enemies by the Romans. 00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:42.659 Right? 00:13:42.740 --> 00:13:45.220 Because everybody knew you could worship whatever God you wanted, 00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:47.100 but you had to worship the emperor. 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:50.860 And everybody also knew that if you didn't worship the right gods, 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:51.980 that bad things would happen. 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:55.700 And so a famine comes along or a disease sweeps through. 00:13:56.680 --> 00:13:59.000 And people are looking, who angered the gods? 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:00.440 Who made the gods angry? 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.060 Who's to blame for this divine punishment? 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:05.039 Well, it's the Christians. 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:09.259 Because they claim to worship and follow Jesus alone as their God. 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:11.500 They don't follow the Roman gods. 00:14:11.560 --> 00:14:12.399 They don't follow the emperor. 00:14:12.940 --> 00:14:14.220 And that's why they got persecuted. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:16.100 They were seen as atheists 00:14:16.100 --> 00:14:18.060 because they refused to worship the pantheon. 00:14:18.059 --> 00:14:22.219 And so the claim to worship and follow Jesus as God 00:14:22.219 --> 00:14:23.739 meant they got harassed. 00:14:23.839 --> 00:14:25.099 They got rejected. 00:14:25.219 --> 00:14:26.339 They couldn't get jobs. 00:14:26.619 --> 00:14:28.000 They had to move out of the cities 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:29.959 because they were being persecuted so horribly. 00:14:30.259 --> 00:14:31.019 They got arrested. 00:14:31.119 --> 00:14:31.759 They got tortured. 00:14:32.079 --> 00:14:35.299 They got executed oftentimes as a form of public entertainment. 00:14:36.199 --> 00:14:37.079 All for claiming that. 00:14:37.239 --> 00:14:40.099 All they had to do was to renounce the idea that Jesus was divine. 00:14:40.279 --> 00:14:41.239 But they refused. 00:14:42.079 --> 00:14:43.579 And they died in droves. 00:14:43.580 --> 00:14:48.280 So the idea that this was somehow a legend 00:14:48.280 --> 00:14:51.379 used to prop up the Christian faith. 00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:54.120 Christians bled and died because of this. 00:14:55.160 --> 00:14:57.000 So this is the problem of Jesus. 00:14:57.300 --> 00:15:00.480 He claims publicly and repeatedly that he is God, 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:02.379 that he has equal status and authority with God. 00:15:02.900 --> 00:15:05.900 And there are only four possible explanations for this. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.400 I mean, as we've seen, the first three do not work. 00:15:10.920 --> 00:15:11.900 Is he a lunatic? 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:13.100 Is he a liar? 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:16.460 No, his life simply argues too much to the contrary. 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:18.720 Well, is he simply a legend? 00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:24.080 Again, the evidence is too strong against the idea 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.700 that this is a legend of some kind, 00:15:27.100 --> 00:15:29.240 which leaves only one remaining option, 00:15:30.220 --> 00:15:32.519 which is that Jesus is in fact Lord, 00:15:32.779 --> 00:15:35.460 that he is in fact God in the flesh, 00:15:36.560 --> 00:15:39.560 which brings us into the truth of Jesus' identity. 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:43.559 When the religious leaders accuse Jesus 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:45.859 of being a malicious liar in league with Satan, 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.119 look how Jesus responds, and this is so brilliant. 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.199 He points out the absurdity of their reasoning. 00:15:51.439 --> 00:15:53.599 He says, you know, 00:15:53.859 --> 00:15:57.079 if I'm casting out demons and setting people free, 00:15:58.179 --> 00:16:00.859 I'm setting people free from demons. 00:16:01.059 --> 00:16:02.239 And you're attributing that to Satan? 00:16:02.439 --> 00:16:04.039 Why would Satan cast out Satan? 00:16:04.719 --> 00:16:06.379 Why would Satan work against Satan? 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:08.699 What would Satan hope to accomplish with that strategy? 00:16:09.699 --> 00:16:11.339 He says that whole idea is absurd. 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:13.399 But then look what he says. 00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:17.539 If Jesus is not in league with Satan, 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:19.279 if that's absurd and untenable, 00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:23.240 there is another explanation for what they're seeing. 00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:25.360 Verse 27, 00:16:25.699 --> 00:16:27.639 no one can enter a strong man's house 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:30.939 and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:33.299 Then indeed he may plunder his house. 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:34.720 Now this is a parable. 00:16:36.360 --> 00:16:37.840 What does the house represent? 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:40.120 This present world. 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:43.620 And the strong man is Satan. 00:16:44.940 --> 00:16:47.500 And Jesus is saying that currently, up until now, 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.700 Jesus is the strong man who has enslaved the world. 00:16:51.460 --> 00:16:52.820 He's taken everyone captive. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:55.060 He's taken the world hostage. 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:58.560 He's attempted a coup against God. 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.399 So who's the one who enters the house, 00:17:04.539 --> 00:17:05.940 binds the strong man, 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:07.759 and plunders his goods? 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:11.319 Jesus is talking about himself. 00:17:12.619 --> 00:17:15.839 This is how Jesus talks about his own identity. 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:17.400 He's talking about his identity. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:19.079 He's talking about his mission. 00:17:19.559 --> 00:17:21.640 Jesus has come to the world 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:24.900 to bind and to ultimately defeat Satan 00:17:24.900 --> 00:17:27.119 and to plunder his goods. 00:17:28.099 --> 00:17:29.900 What does it mean to plunder the goods 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:31.279 of the strong man's house? 00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:33.640 Well, it's all the things that Jesus has been doing. 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:35.580 To preach the gospel. 00:17:36.080 --> 00:17:37.320 To heal the sick. 00:17:38.280 --> 00:17:39.980 To seek justice for the oppressed. 00:17:40.340 --> 00:17:41.560 To cast out demons. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:43.320 To give sight to the blind. 00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:45.240 To make the unclean clean. 00:17:45.560 --> 00:17:46.900 To forgive sin. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.900 In short, Jesus has come to set us free 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:55.060 and to set captives free throughout the world. 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:59.419 Right now, before we consider the implications of that, 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:01.299 I want to point out that Jesus is saying 00:18:01.299 --> 00:18:04.440 something very important about the nature of unbelief. 00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:08.720 The reason that people do not believe in Jesus 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:13.619 is not simply because it is irrational 00:18:13.619 --> 00:18:15.039 or there is no evidence. 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:15.960 Right? 00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:18.139 People say, well, if you just gave me better evidence, 00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:19.440 if I could just have better proof, 00:18:19.679 --> 00:18:20.480 then I would believe. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.920 But that's a misunderstanding of the nature of unbelief. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:29.039 A moment ago, we laid out one of many rational arguments 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:33.120 for why people should believe in the divinity of Jesus. 00:18:33.880 --> 00:18:36.360 And there is a lot of evidence out there 00:18:36.360 --> 00:18:37.519 in addition to that, 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.880 especially concerning the resurrection 00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:43.440 that supports the idea that Jesus is God. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.019 But here's the point I want to make. 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:49.519 Like, if the only thing that we need to believe in Jesus 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:50.559 is evidence, 00:18:50.940 --> 00:18:53.200 if the only thing that we need to believe in Jesus 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:55.139 is a solid intellectual argument, 00:18:55.779 --> 00:18:58.000 then everyone who met Jesus 00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.779 would have believed in him immediately. 00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:03.019 But that's not what we see happening. 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:05.299 Right here in this passage, 00:19:05.639 --> 00:19:07.940 there are people who met Jesus face to face. 00:19:08.220 --> 00:19:10.599 There are people who grew up with Jesus, 00:19:11.139 --> 00:19:13.819 who hear Jesus with their own ears 00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:15.960 and see the things that he does with their own eyes, 00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:17.639 who still don't believe in him. 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:19.960 His own family thinks he's crazy. 00:19:20.940 --> 00:19:22.859 In John chapter 7, it says, 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:24.900 even his brothers did not believe him. 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:29.379 But then, after his resurrection, 00:19:30.119 --> 00:19:33.339 thousands and then millions of people 00:19:33.339 --> 00:19:36.400 begin to believe, including his family. 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:38.359 They didn't believe up until the resurrection, 00:19:38.619 --> 00:19:39.359 and then all of a sudden, 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:41.119 after the crucifixion and resurrection, 00:19:41.379 --> 00:19:42.339 they begin to believe. 00:19:42.339 --> 00:19:45.740 His brother James becomes a major leader in the church. 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:47.839 His brother James may have been one of the ones 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:49.299 who was trying to silence Jesus, 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.339 saying, everybody's gonna think you're crazy. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:54.900 And then he becomes one of the main leaders in the church. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.220 How do we explain that? 00:19:57.339 --> 00:19:59.900 Well, it's because the biggest barrier to faith 00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:01.079 isn't intellect. 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:04.460 Intellectual argument is important. 00:20:04.599 --> 00:20:05.299 It's very important. 00:20:05.579 --> 00:20:06.200 Don't get me wrong. 00:20:06.299 --> 00:20:08.160 This is not anti-intellectualism. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:10.500 But we don't wanna overestimate 00:20:10.500 --> 00:20:13.700 the importance of a rational argument. 00:20:13.820 --> 00:20:17.480 The biggest object to faith isn't intellectual. 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:18.960 It's spiritual. 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:22.240 We are spiritually held captive. 00:20:22.600 --> 00:20:26.180 We are imprisoned in the strong man's house. 00:20:27.980 --> 00:20:29.840 And as the apostle Paul says, 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:31.120 our hearts are darkened. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.160 Our thinking has become futile. 00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:36.640 Through his death and resurrection, 00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:39.060 Jesus defeated Satan. 00:20:39.259 --> 00:20:41.640 And now he is plundering Satan's house. 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:43.540 He is setting captives free. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:45.720 He's raising people to new life. 00:20:45.980 --> 00:20:47.640 He's opening hearts to the gospel. 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:49.160 It's happening right now, 00:20:49.220 --> 00:20:50.080 all around the world. 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:53.480 So for anyone in our lives 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:55.339 who is not a follower of Jesus, 00:20:57.699 --> 00:20:59.779 the most important thing that we can do 00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:01.019 for the people in our lives 00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:03.240 is not to argue with them. 00:21:03.939 --> 00:21:05.240 There is a place for that. 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:06.079 There's a place for apologetics. 00:21:06.779 --> 00:21:08.159 There's a place for rational argument. 00:21:08.679 --> 00:21:09.819 I love apologetics. 00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:12.779 But the most important thing 00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:13.799 is not to argue with them. 00:21:13.879 --> 00:21:14.679 It's to pray for them. 00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:16.839 It's to recognize that the battle 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:18.439 that needs to be won in their hearts 00:21:18.439 --> 00:21:19.759 is primarily spiritual. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:24.759 So this is the confusion 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:25.899 over Jesus's identity, 00:21:26.019 --> 00:21:26.980 the implications of, 00:21:27.179 --> 00:21:29.000 or the truth of Jesus's identity. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.759 He's the stronger man 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:32.599 who has come to bind the strong man, 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:34.220 to set the captives free. 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:35.759 Here are the implications 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:36.919 of Jesus's identity. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.019 Because of the life and death 00:21:40.019 --> 00:21:41.119 and resurrection of Jesus, 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:42.179 as he says, 00:21:42.839 --> 00:21:44.379 all sins can be forgiven. 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:46.720 That's the major implication. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.619 There is nothing that stands 00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:50.219 in the way of you, 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:51.219 of me, 00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:53.219 coming to know God personally. 00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:55.039 What we see here 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:56.279 is that Jesus accomplished 00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:58.000 everything necessary for that 00:21:58.000 --> 00:21:58.939 on the cross. 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:00.219 So all we need to do 00:22:00.219 --> 00:22:00.919 is come to him 00:22:00.919 --> 00:22:02.179 in faith and in repentance. 00:22:03.939 --> 00:22:05.859 And we can be reconciled to God. 00:22:05.959 --> 00:22:06.459 And people say, 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.539 well, what about right here? 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:09.299 It talks about the unforgivable sin 00:22:09.299 --> 00:22:10.659 and how do I know 00:22:10.659 --> 00:22:11.759 if I'm committing that sin? 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:12.500 And that used to give me 00:22:12.500 --> 00:22:13.319 a lot of anxiety. 00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:16.539 If you look at the context, 00:22:16.619 --> 00:22:17.279 you see what Jesus 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:18.319 is really talking about here. 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:19.899 He's talking about willful blindness. 00:22:21.919 --> 00:22:22.639 He's saying, 00:22:22.939 --> 00:22:23.500 there are people 00:22:23.500 --> 00:22:24.879 whose eyes have been opened. 00:22:25.919 --> 00:22:26.779 There are people 00:22:26.779 --> 00:22:29.099 who see the truth. 00:22:29.220 --> 00:22:30.179 They look at the evidence. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:30.819 They look at the, 00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:32.179 and they begin to see 00:22:32.179 --> 00:22:33.519 who Jesus really is. 00:22:33.659 --> 00:22:35.299 And they knowingly reject him. 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:36.519 That they reject 00:22:36.519 --> 00:22:37.639 what's right in front of them. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:38.200 And we say, 00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:39.599 well, why is that unforgivable? 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:40.639 Well, it's because 00:22:40.639 --> 00:22:42.119 they're cutting themselves off 00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:43.619 from the only source 00:22:43.619 --> 00:22:44.859 of forgiveness available. 00:22:46.379 --> 00:22:48.879 If you deny what you see 00:22:48.879 --> 00:22:50.939 and hear with your own eyes and ears, 00:22:51.179 --> 00:22:52.639 if you reject Jesus 00:22:52.639 --> 00:22:54.019 and attribute the work of Jesus 00:22:54.019 --> 00:22:54.919 and the Holy Spirit 00:22:54.919 --> 00:22:56.480 to the work of demons, 00:22:56.619 --> 00:22:57.839 you're cutting yourself off 00:22:57.839 --> 00:22:59.480 from the only source of forgiveness 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:00.740 that exists in the world. 00:23:03.619 --> 00:23:04.919 So for those of us 00:23:04.919 --> 00:23:05.759 who are here 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.279 who are not Christians, 00:23:07.379 --> 00:23:08.480 the good news is this. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:11.420 we have before us 00:23:11.420 --> 00:23:12.420 the reality 00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:14.400 of the one who has come 00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:15.319 to set us free. 00:23:15.500 --> 00:23:16.360 And he has declared 00:23:16.360 --> 00:23:18.740 all sin can be forgiven. 00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:21.819 All sin can be atoned for, 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:23.640 has been atoned for on the cross. 00:23:24.120 --> 00:23:25.180 And so there is a question 00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:25.839 for those of us 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:26.720 who are not believers. 00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:28.640 How do you make sense 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:30.519 of the claims 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:32.259 that Jesus made about himself 00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:34.579 when you look at them 00:23:34.579 --> 00:23:35.460 next to his life? 00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:36.480 How do you know, 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:38.579 how do you know 00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:40.019 that there isn't something here 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.200 on offer for you? 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:43.900 Do you understand 00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:45.240 that forgiveness is on offer 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.160 and that it is as, 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:48.920 it is as available to you 00:23:48.920 --> 00:23:52.900 as it could possibly be, 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.420 meaning that if you ask 00:23:54.420 --> 00:23:55.460 for it right now, 00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:56.240 it will be granted. 00:23:58.019 --> 00:23:58.500 Right? 00:23:58.640 --> 00:24:00.099 Jesus came to forgive all sin 00:24:00.099 --> 00:24:00.940 for those who ask. 00:24:01.339 --> 00:24:02.220 But there's another thing 00:24:02.220 --> 00:24:03.059 we need to see here, 00:24:03.220 --> 00:24:03.900 and that is that 00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:05.079 Jesus' ultimate aim 00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:06.919 is not just to save us individually. 00:24:07.720 --> 00:24:09.000 All of this wasn't accomplished 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.279 just so that we could 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:10.939 get right with God. 00:24:10.980 --> 00:24:12.359 That's a big central part of it. 00:24:13.079 --> 00:24:14.359 But at the end of our passage, 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:16.500 Jesus is surrounded by a crowd, 00:24:16.679 --> 00:24:17.679 and someone tells him, 00:24:17.899 --> 00:24:19.319 hey, your mother and brothers 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:21.000 have come to see you. 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:22.339 And the expectation would have been 00:24:22.339 --> 00:24:23.119 that Jesus would say, 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:24.019 hold on a minute, 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:24.839 my family's here, 00:24:24.919 --> 00:24:25.720 nobody's more important 00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:26.359 than my family, 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:27.259 and that he would go 00:24:27.259 --> 00:24:28.859 and see what his family wanted. 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:30.539 But look what Jesus does instead. 00:24:30.539 --> 00:24:32.920 He stays where he is, 00:24:33.180 --> 00:24:33.759 and he says, 00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:35.700 well, who are my mother 00:24:35.700 --> 00:24:36.180 and my brothers? 00:24:37.220 --> 00:24:38.379 And he looks at all the people 00:24:38.379 --> 00:24:39.220 sitting around him, 00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:40.359 and he says, 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.839 here are my mother 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:42.879 and my brothers. 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:45.220 For whoever does the will of God, 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.759 he is my mother 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:47.960 and my sister 00:24:47.960 --> 00:24:48.940 and my brother. 00:24:49.740 --> 00:24:50.779 And we need to understand 00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:52.460 the shift that is happening here. 00:24:52.500 --> 00:24:53.339 We need to understand 00:24:53.339 --> 00:24:54.519 the implications of this. 00:24:54.920 --> 00:24:56.259 Jesus is giving us here 00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:57.339 a glimpse 00:24:57.339 --> 00:24:58.539 of the full scope 00:24:58.539 --> 00:24:59.220 of his mission 00:24:59.220 --> 00:25:01.240 to establish 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:02.339 a new family 00:25:02.339 --> 00:25:03.119 in the world 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:04.379 that is made up 00:25:04.379 --> 00:25:04.759 of people 00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:05.680 from every tribe 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:06.399 and every tongue 00:25:06.399 --> 00:25:07.839 and every nation. 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:10.339 And in this new family 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:11.659 that Jesus is establishing, 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:13.359 they're not bound together 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:14.180 by blood. 00:25:14.819 --> 00:25:15.779 They're not bound together 00:25:15.779 --> 00:25:16.480 by race. 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:17.319 They're not bound together 00:25:17.319 --> 00:25:18.099 by culture 00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:19.659 or even by language. 00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:22.500 The bond is so much deeper 00:25:22.500 --> 00:25:23.920 than any of those things. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.720 It's a spiritual bond 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:28.240 of all of those 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:29.120 who have been joined 00:25:29.120 --> 00:25:30.759 to Christ by faith. 00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:32.339 In other words, 00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:33.100 the implication 00:25:33.100 --> 00:25:34.299 of Jesus' identity 00:25:34.299 --> 00:25:36.140 is that we all 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:37.000 have the opportunity 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.000 to share in that identity. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:40.420 His identity 00:25:40.420 --> 00:25:42.160 becomes our identity. 00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:43.500 And that forms 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:44.880 a new spiritual family 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.559 in the world. 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:48.000 And because we share 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.920 in Jesus' identity, 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:50.180 guess what we also share in? 00:25:50.519 --> 00:25:51.500 Jesus' mission. 00:25:52.660 --> 00:25:54.100 The purpose for which he came. 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:54.880 What does that mean? 00:25:55.720 --> 00:25:58.220 We are called 00:25:58.220 --> 00:25:59.220 to help plunder 00:25:59.220 --> 00:26:00.380 the strong man's house. 00:26:01.059 --> 00:26:02.100 What does that mean? 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.380 Bring the gospel 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:04.039 to the world. 00:26:05.339 --> 00:26:07.200 See those who are held captive 00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:08.480 by sin and death 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.480 set free 00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.240 by the good news 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:11.140 of Jesus Christ. 00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:12.779 To do the work 00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:14.559 of justice and mercy. 00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:16.000 To care for the poor 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:16.980 and the sick. 00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:17.539 Right? 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:18.759 Wherever we find them. 00:26:18.860 --> 00:26:20.200 That's why the church is here. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:21.400 We are here to plunder 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:22.279 the strong man's house 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:23.100 together with Jesus. 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:25.180 And listen, 00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:26.799 the world is full of people 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:28.400 who need to be set free. 00:26:28.840 --> 00:26:30.660 The world is full of people 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:33.019 many of whom are right 00:26:33.019 --> 00:26:33.940 outside the doors 00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:34.600 of this church. 00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:36.440 Some of whom are in 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:37.600 the doors of this church 00:26:37.600 --> 00:26:39.640 who are longing 00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:41.840 for a true sense of identity. 00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:45.640 For a true sense of belonging. 00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:48.180 And Jesus is saying 00:26:48.180 --> 00:26:49.380 that can be found 00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:50.759 in one place only. 00:26:50.759 --> 00:26:52.520 In the family of God. 00:26:52.800 --> 00:26:54.259 The church of Jesus Christ. 00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:56.520 And it's our shared calling 00:26:56.520 --> 00:26:59.120 as God's family in the world 00:26:59.120 --> 00:27:01.160 to continue to plunder 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:02.340 the strong man's house 00:27:02.340 --> 00:27:04.020 until Jesus comes again. 00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:05.500 Let's pray. 00:27:07.600 --> 00:27:08.820 Lord, we thank you 00:27:08.820 --> 00:27:10.860 for your work in this world. 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:12.099 We thank you 00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:14.099 that when many, 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:15.199 when perhaps 00:27:15.199 --> 00:27:18.099 over the ages, 00:27:18.939 --> 00:27:20.139 people were so tempted 00:27:20.139 --> 00:27:20.979 to look at the world 00:27:20.979 --> 00:27:22.799 and to give up. 00:27:23.659 --> 00:27:25.179 Lord, when things, 00:27:25.679 --> 00:27:28.339 even at their most hopeless moments, 00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:30.399 that you have never stopped 00:27:30.399 --> 00:27:31.179 loving this world. 00:27:31.619 --> 00:27:32.899 And that you have never stopped 00:27:32.899 --> 00:27:34.159 pursuing its redemption 00:27:34.159 --> 00:27:35.079 and its renewal. 00:27:35.079 --> 00:27:36.899 And we thank you 00:27:36.899 --> 00:27:37.980 for Jesus. 00:27:38.460 --> 00:27:39.099 We thank you 00:27:39.099 --> 00:27:41.159 for the blessing 00:27:41.159 --> 00:27:43.359 of beginning to understand 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:44.519 who he truly is. 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:45.460 We thank you 00:27:45.460 --> 00:27:46.980 that salvation and renewal 00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:48.220 do not hinge 00:27:48.220 --> 00:27:49.879 or depend on our actions 00:27:49.879 --> 00:27:51.519 or on our strategies. 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:52.939 But they hinge 00:27:52.939 --> 00:27:53.939 on what you have accomplished 00:27:53.939 --> 00:27:54.679 on the cross. 00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:55.799 We thank you 00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:56.819 that all of these things 00:27:56.819 --> 00:27:57.939 that we long for, 00:27:58.220 --> 00:27:59.599 yet we do not yet see, 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:01.019 all of these things 00:28:01.019 --> 00:28:01.819 are certain 00:28:01.819 --> 00:28:02.799 because of the cross. 00:28:03.079 --> 00:28:04.659 That the future is secure. 00:28:04.660 --> 00:28:05.960 That the new creation 00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:06.600 is coming. 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:08.019 We thank you 00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:08.740 for the glimmers 00:28:08.740 --> 00:28:09.800 and glimpses of that 00:28:09.800 --> 00:28:11.180 we get to see here and now. 00:28:11.320 --> 00:28:11.960 And we pray 00:28:11.960 --> 00:28:12.720 for your Holy Spirit 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.580 to fill us 00:28:13.580 --> 00:28:15.080 as we plunder the house, 00:28:15.400 --> 00:28:16.800 as we set people free, 00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:17.600 as we preach 00:28:17.600 --> 00:28:18.580 and proclaim the gospel. 00:28:19.080 --> 00:28:20.100 We pray that you would 00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:22.300 fill us with a holy zeal 00:28:22.300 --> 00:28:24.400 to see your name proclaimed 00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:28.200 among all nations, 00:28:28.800 --> 00:28:29.600 that one day 00:28:29.600 --> 00:28:30.060 this city 00:28:30.060 --> 00:28:30.759 would not be known 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:31.320 as a center 00:28:31.320 --> 00:28:32.720 of human culture 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:33.820 or political power. 00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:35.139 that it would be known 00:28:35.139 --> 00:28:35.619 as a place 00:28:35.619 --> 00:28:36.460 where Jesus Christ 00:28:36.460 --> 00:28:37.399 is worshipped as Lord. 00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:38.859 We pray this 00:28:38.859 --> 00:28:39.980 in your son's holy name. 00:28:40.179 --> 00:28:40.399 Amen.