Have you even sat in a business conference or meeting and totally missed the point? You look at the speaker and go "Wait........ What?" Like you thought you understood it until you just realized what he was saying is not what you were thinking. 

We've walked through the red-letters all the way to this point and never have the disciples let go of the idea that Jesus is the conquering king. They have been told at least three times that He would be killed. They've been told that He will return. They are hearing this and thinking but not understanding. It is worth playing the part of the disciple in this moment and asking a very simple question: "Why?"

Notes for What Jesus Said - What They Heard

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/what-jesus-said-what-they-heard/ 

I was reluctant to name this podcast the Denial of Peter because it is misleading. But that's how we have come to recognize that happened at this moment in scripture. 

I think at some level, we all identify with Peter. We are still at the last supper in our red-letter journey and I think every Christian knows about Peter's denial. But what is not so obvious in the text is that Peter is speaking for all of the disciples there (remember, Judas has left the room).

In this podcast, we'll rescue Peter a bit from the bad rap he gets. We discover that, well, sheep without a shepherd tend to scatter. And that's exactly what Jesus is saying would happen; in fact, Zecheriah had said it long ago. Jesus was not wrong about Peter - as every Christian will attest to.

There is another moment we had while doing the research on this. Did you ever think to ask what changed after Jesus ascended? The sheep did not scatter. They came back. They, in fact, gave up their very lives for the sake of Christ. Sheep don't do that! What happened? We'll get to that.

Notes to The Denial of Peter

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/peters-denial/ 

While the synoptic gospels picked up the core elements of the Last Supper, it seems that John captured more of the conversation. We want to spend some time here. We stop to ask questions. We are at John 13:31-35. Judas has left the room. The conversation gets deep. We are going to slow down and make sure we understand what this all means. Today we get practical with the very things Jesus is commanding.

For example, it's one thing to say do it for the glory of God, but how often do we consider what that actually means? This podcast lands on Christ's to command to love your neighbor as I have loved you. Let's be honest... that is a tall order! Let see if we can get practical with what Jesus is asking. 

Notes for Cross Shaped Love

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/cross-shaped-love/ 

This is one short passage in each of the three synoptic Gospels; however, I would be remiss if I jumped over it.

Let's remember that Jesus has made the disciples well aware of what was about to transpire this week. They can connect with his death, but I doubt they understand His resurrection.

So, with such a shadow hanging over the forthcoming week, Jesus raises a cup and basically says: "Until we meet again". They are probably thinking that future time will be within their lifetime. They're not thinking about their own resurrection in the moment.

What is cool about this statement is not just the return of Jesus at some point in the future, but the return of the disciples. In the moment, they will not understand this. We have the hindsight of 2000 years. But now we can also look forward, as disciples, to raising the cup with our Messiah! This statement prophecies the resurrection of the saints.

Notes for Until We Meet Again

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/until-we-meet-again/

Did you ever sit with the Lord's Supper and just think, I really don't get it. I know something big is happening here, but did anybody ever walk you through what "This is the NEW COVENANT in my blood" means? When you read that, you should immediately think - OK, I need to go back and understand the OLD COVENANT. And more, I need to understand why we need a new covenant. Today, in our Red Letter Journey, we listened to Jesus pick up and offer the bread and the cup and we asked what it all means.

Notes for The Blood of the New Covenant

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-blood-of-the-new-covenant/ 

Jesus is eating the last supper with the 12 disciples. That means Judas is in the room and even after Jesus indicates that one of them would betray him, Judas manages to remain anonymous in a room of people wondering who the traitor among them is. 

This scene had me bewildered and asking too: "is it me Lord?". I think a key take away for this podcast is that we should not read it righteously indignant. There is a subtle warning in the undercurrent. ALL of the disciples question their ultimate allegiance. That is worth pondering.

Notes for bread and betrayal

Episode link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditation.com/bread-and-betrayal/ 

It takes some harmonization of the four gospels to see this picture just before the Last Supper; but when you see it playing out, you can't unsee it.

The disciples have all filtered into the room for the last supper and the seating has been established by a subtle acknowledgement of who gets to sit closest to the host. They all settle in and then realize, there is no servant. That starts the banter. Someone has to be the person to wash the feet of the others. That's part of Jewish custom. That leads into a conversation that we are not unfamiliar with: who is the greatest. Not who should serve, but what is the pecking order here. The presumption is that this conversation will resolve who has to get up and wash take on the role of the servant. Before this conversation escalates into a full-blown argument, we arrive at one of the humblest, most beautiful scenes in the bible. And the lesson is profound

Notes for Banter Before Supper

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/banter-before-supper/ 

If somebody tells you something that will happen 10 years from now, you're likely to forget it.

If somebody tells you something that will happen 10 minutes from now AND it happens exactly the way they said it would, you're likely to never forget it.

If that same person has told you stuff about the future, now you're actually looking for it. 

Notes for Something Happened on the Way to Supper

Episode Link: 

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/something-happened-on-the-way-to-supper/ 

We've read the Parable of the 10 virgins over and over. We cite it. We talk about readiness! We've just spent days in the valley between the destruction of the old temple and the final return. And what are we doing in the valley?

I read the Parable of 10 virgins this morning, and, well it left me wondering. I know that when the Bridegroom arrives, 5 are ready and 5 are not. The five that are ready cannot share the oil in their lamp. They end up going off with the bridegroom while the 5 others are left. And I could have done a really cool podcast about this. The depth is there; the warning is there. But I found myself wanting more.

The parable is not about just keeping your lamp lit as it's often presented. That would be the bride sitting by her window clinging to a picture of her bridegroom and hoping today he would return. Your pastor might tell you that the parable is about reading your bible daily... that is what clinging to the picture of the bridegroom is.

Let's learn the mistake of the Prodigal son parable. When the Pharisees asked why Jesus was fraternizing with sinners, His response wasn't one parable, it was three! You don't get the answer from a single parable, and you shouldn't isolate it when you teach it to others (not that you can't find a nugget in there).

Matthew 25 is an answer to Matthew 24 provided in three parables. Matthew 24 was basically stating OK, we know He is leaving, the temple is going to destroyed, a lot of bad things are going to happen while He's gone, what are you to do in the midst of all that?

Notes and Study Guide for Get Up and Go! (we think this is worth sharing with your small group)

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/get-up-and-go/ 

As we leave Matthew 24, we leave with a warning. I'm multitasking right now in front of a YouTube video by John Barnett. If you're not familiar, he spends every waking moment in his online ministry discussing End Times. And he is REALLY GOOD at it though admittedly; I waver on dispensational theology and pretribulation rapture stuff. That said, that is is an interpretation no false prophecy and we as Christians should know the difference and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. John's teaching is very biblical, just different from where I land on certain interpretation. But I digress...

Notes for the Knowing Trap

Episode Link:

https://www.rabbitholesandmeditations.com/the-knowing-trap/