The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

John 13:23-35

The Lord Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to repent and turn from the wicked path he was taking, but He could no longer postpone the inevitable.  There were critical truths to share with His disciples that could not be said while a "tare" was among them, and as long as Satan himself hovered about in the room.  This lesson, "And it was Night" is about the deliberate steps Christ took to expel Judas from His presence.  Jesus was about to transition the Passover Supper into "The Lord's Supper," which was to become an ordinance for His future Church to be observed only by believers.  Thus, Judas (unless he repented) needed to be released so the events that led the cross would begin to transpire.

In this lesson, "The Giving of the Sop," we  discuss Judas and the Devil; Judas and the Disciples, and Judas and the Darkness.

We also discuss Christ's "new" commandment of John 13:34.

Matthew 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23; John 13:12-22

In this lesson, "Traitor at the Table," we continue to look at the circumstances surrounding the events that occurred early during the Lord's final Passover Supper.  Jesus had just given His men a demonstration on humility when He girded Himself in a towel and washed their feet.  Following His return to the table, He then gave them a discourse on humility in which He spoke of "The Requirement of Humility" and "The Reward of Happiness".  

During the course of our narrative, we branch off to talk about the 3 requirements for something to be a valid, Biblical ordinance of the Church (such as baptism and communion).

In the second half of this lesson, "A Shocking Report," Jesus told His men that His betrayer was one of them!  Each of the 3 subdivisions of this section center on Judas Iscariot: "Revelation about the Betrayer," "Response Regarding the Betrayer," and Christ's very serious "Remonstration to the Betrayer".  An unholy man was used by Holy God to accomplish His holy purposes for an unholy world!

John 13:1-11; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14-16

This lesson, "Teaching in a Towel," is about an embarrassing lesson the disciples again had to learn "the hard way".  Jesus girded Himself in a servant's towel to do what none of them had done when they entered the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover Supper together.  He washed the disciples' feet, giving them a lesson by example on humility - one they would never forget, we can be sure!

The outline for this lesson consists of 3 divisions: "Selfish Contention," "Selfless Condescension," and "Simon's Contradiction".

In an atmosphere of selfish strife among His chosen few,

The King of kings took off His robe to teach them something true.

With a towel His humble clothing (as swaddling strips had been),

The Lord of Glory, Son of God, washed the feet of sinful men.

Such willful condescension, the world can't understand,

Nor can it grasp the Love that let coarse nails pierce His hand!

                                       K. Caldwell

Matthew 26:14-19; Mark 14:10-16; Luke 22:3-13

In addition to discussing the final recorded event of Passion Week Tuesday ("the busy day"), which we have entitled "Rulers Purchase the Passover" (from Judas, the betrayer), we also discuss the events of the next day, which we have entitled, "Disciples Prepare for the Passover Supper".  It was going to be the Lord's last full, pre-resurrection day with His men, and He had much more to say to prepare them not only for the next few very critical days, but for their future ministry to the world, as well.

Why did the Apostles not believe the report of the resurrection of Jesus they received from the two groups of women who had been to the empty tomb and talked with angels? One of those two groups even met Jesus Himself in His glorified body - yet, the men did not believe them.  They thought they were full of "silly talk"! Nor did the men believe the report that came later Sunday afternoon from the two disciples who met the resurrected Christ on the Road to Emmaus!  In fact, they did not even believe Jesus had resurrected bodily when He first appeared before them in the Upper Room! 

We discuss why the dramatic change in the Apostles from adamant disbelief and despair to absolute conviction to the point of martyrdom is a very strong proof of His resurrection!  How many post-resurrection appearances did Christ make (that are at least recorded in Scripture)? To whom did He make them?  

Also included is our discussion on the divinely inspired account of one of the most emotionally charged scenes in Scripture - where Mary Magdalene finally . . . on her third trip to the tomb . . . comes to believe in the resurrection of Christ.  A beautiful poem (by Katherine Caldwell) about Mary's experience is shared at the end of this lesson and it may bring you to tears.

In-depth commentary/study books to ACCOMPANY EVERY STUDY on our podcast are available through Amazon.com and scripturetruth.com (Search under Katherine Caldwell Commentaries)

This passionate one-hour study is on the many and often confusing events and circumstances concerning the Sunday when Jesus Christ rose bodily from His tomb three days and three nights after His death - just as He had predicted and promised on at least seven Biblically recorded occasions! 

You will hear nuggets of truth you very likely never thought of before - comparisons with things concerning Christ's birth and His death; with Josephs and Marys and the Magi and the rich gifts lavished on Jesus at the time of His death. What would be the value in today's economy of the aloes and myrrh lavished on Jesus for His burial? Who was Joseph of Arimathea? How did he unknowingly fulfill prophecy? What was the "Valley of Corpses"?

In this lesson, we discuss many proofs of Christ's resurrection that were providentially provided by God and, ironically, by the Lord's greatest enemies! What does the Scripture actually tell us about those mysterious grave clothes and rolled-up head napkin  in the tomb?!

How many Roman soldiers would have stood guard at the tomb? How was the tomb sealed? What was the punishment for falling asleep on duty for a Roman soldier? What would be the value in today's economy of the aloes and myrrh lavished on Jesus for His burial? 

What is illogical about the "Theft Theory" or the "Wrong Tomb Theory" or the "Swoon Theory" or the "Telepathy Theory"? These are all ideas invented by Bible skeptics in their futile efforts to discredit the Lord's literal, bodily resurrection, but none of them work at all - find out why!  Much more . . . so "tune in"!!

Matthew 25:1-13; Mark 4:1-9; Luke 22:1, 2; John 12:2-8

It was nearing the end of the busiest record day of Christ's ministry, Tuesday of the Passion Week.  After finishing His "Olivet Discourse" (Matthew 24, 25), the Lord specifically told His disciples that, "after two days" it would be the Passover and He would be betrayed and crucified.  This is what is discussed in the first part of this lesson, "The Prediction of Death by Jesus".  We then move to talk about "The Plan for Death by the Rulers".  Ironically, their plan to kill Jesus very specifically stressed the importance of NOT taking His life on the Passover!  However, Christ was the One in control, not them.  He was born to be the once-for-all Passover Lamb, and He would give His life on Passover, exactly at the time the lambs were being sacrificed in the Temple (3:00 p.m.)!

Finally, after returning to Bethany to spend Tuesday night with His dear friends, Martha, Mary, and the recently raised-from-the-dead Lazarus, we discuss "The Preparation for Death by Mary"!  As we do so, we will look at Mary's Worship Expressed and Mary's Worship Examined (first, by Judas; second, by Jesus).

THIS IS A BLESSED STUDY!

The original Passover was the Gospel in living illustration!  God's primary purpose of the Passover in Egypt was to prophesy of the True Lamb of God" to be slain on Passover day.  It is the oldest, continuously observed holiday in human history, having been celebrated for some 3,500 years by Jewish people the world over in obedience to God's command of Exodus 12:14.

The Passover celebration has a distinct "order" to it; the Hebrew word for "order' is "seder".  In this lesson, we proceed through "The Passover Seder" and explain the historical reasons for the various items on the Seder Plate (i.e. matzo, bitter herbs, a roasted shank bone of a lamb, charoseth paste, an egg), what each of four cups of wine symbolize, why there are pillows on the chairs around the table, and an empty chair and place setting, etc.

But the Passover is so much more than a memorial celebration of Israel's physical deliverance from bondage in Egypt.  It is an absolutely INCREDIBLE typological prophecy of Christ and the spiritual deliverance from mankind's bondage to sin.  If you have never experienced a Seder from the Messianic perspective, you are in for "an eye-opener"!  The unity plate with its three wafers of unleavened bread - the middle one of which is BROKEN and WRAPPED IN A WHITE LINEN NAPKIN, HIDDEN from view, and then FOUND amidst great rejoicing and reward for the finder - amazingly pictures Christ's death, burial, and resurrection! 

In fact, the Jews call that broken, wrapped, hidden, and then rejoicefully-found piece of unleavened matzo, the "Afikomen" (a mysterious Greek word in an otherwise Hebrew Seder).  Non-Messianic Jews use this term, but do not realize its significance!  Find out what the word "Afikomen" means in this study!  Share this message with Jewish friends and pray they realize their Messiah has already come!!

In addition to the very misunderstood and misused "Parable of the Sheep and Goat," this lesson includes the Lord's "Parable of the Talents" (what exactly is the Lord teaching about the man who buried his talent in the ground and how is that man similar to the five virgins in the previous parable who had no oil in their lamps?).

"The Parable of the Sheep and Goats" is about the divine judgment on Gentiles living at the time of Christ's Second Coming!  It is a determination as to who among them will enter the Millennial Kingdom (sheep) and who will not (goats); it has to do with how they treated Israel!  Do you have any idea how many use this parable to refer to how people today treat the "down and trodden"?  Yes, we are to have compassion for and demonstrate love to "the least of these" among us, but that is not the contextual teaching of this parable.

In this second part of our study on "The Lord's Supper in Light of Passover," we discuss the contemporary Passover celebration of the Jewish people.  Shortly after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, the Temple and the entire Judaistic sacrificial system were destroyed (A.D. 70), so the annual Passover celebration began to experience some changes.  We consider those changes and learn how it has been observed and is still observed today, primarily focusing on how Christ Himself is presented in the Passover Seder.

In conclusion, we discuss the manner in which the Lord transitioned the Jewish Passover into the Christian ordinance of "The Lord's Supper".  He explained what the unleavened bread pictured for all those years since Egypt when He took a piece of the matzo, broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me," and when He picked up the cup and said, "This cup is the New Testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft ye drink it, in remembrance of Me" (I Corin. 11:24, 25).