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R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 16-17
September 22, 2024
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 15
September, 15, 2024
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This isn’t a recent idea. We know that with the emergence of the university and the medieval world, and that was entirely in the context of Christianity. It was really, entirely, in the context of the Christian Church. The modern university as we know it, the university model even in the medieval age, really emerged out of the cathedral schools.
Thus you had a clergy, faculty and you had students gathered together and they were accustomed to worship together and most importantly, as they began a new academic term, the custom arose that there would be a special service to commit teachers, students, learners alike, scholars for the service of the church and to the glory of God. Now, the interesting thing is that the word convocation, it’s applied in another context of course, but it’s also interesting that the vestiges appear just there are vestigial appearances, shadows of the past that show up in schools like Ivy League institutions that are no longer in the context of the church in so many ways, openly hostile to biblical Christianity, institutions that are so pervasively secularized that they don’t even know what they’re doing in an historical context. They gather together for an opening convocation.
Now, I just want to tell you that at this stage in life, I look at that and wonder what exactly you say there. You know, in a secular context where you have an educational institution that just prides itself on learning and scholarship. But of course, there’s also in today’s highly politicized age, where quite frankly most university presidents are just absolutely frightened of the possibility of a new outbreak of protests on campus in today’s cultural moment.
So, even as you look at all of these events, I just wonder when you, you’re the president of one of these secularized universities, what do you say? Like, “good luck”? Seriously, “behave, don’t get arrested”? I mean it’s worse than that. When you look at actually the messaging. I’m not going to get into it, but on sexual issues, gender issues, a lot of it’s just a reminder of the sheer toxicity of the prevailing worldview. I have to tell you, I don’t know what I would do in that job, which is a sure sign that I don’t belong there. I don’t want to be president of an institution — I don’t have a clue of what it would be like. I have no sense of the importance of what it would mean to be president of such an institution and more or less say, well, let’s start this and let’s hope it ends with fewer arrests.
That is not my responsibility this morning. My responsibility this morning is to look, and I want you to look around this room and see the great joy. This is a packed room seminary students and college students in this place. This is a sign of God’s favor. This is the kind of sight that should cause your blood to course just a little faster, your heart to beat just a little faster, your joy to rise. When you look and see the presence of so many young people in this room, young men and young women in this room is a refutation of the wisdom of the world. It is a sign of God’s promise. It is what this faculty and the board of trustees of this institution and all of us have been praying for, and this is why we have this faculty, this is why we have this campus, this is why we have this curriculum.
This is why we have all of this, and your presence here is just a reminder to us that God is showing favor to his church. Praise be to God. And I don’t look at you and say, “let’s hope this turns out well.” I turn to you and say, let’s live every moment. “Let’s take every class. Let’s write every paper. Let’s read every book to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s build relationships here that are going to last for the rest of our lifetimes.” And I say to the young people in this room, this is really honestly where almost all the older people I know will say many of their deepest friendships were rooted in the college and in the seminary experience and in particular on a campus like this where the commonality is not just we end up in the same place, in the same class, on the same campus. It’s because there’s one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and we are here in a sense of unity. It goes far beyond anything a secular institution could understand. I don’t say that just to take shots at the secular world. I say that just to remind us of our stewardship and of the faithfulness of God and of the joy that should mark this occasion — and it does.
The secularization of higher education also means that education in that context now has no particular aims. Just in the last week, an article appeared indicating that as secular university and college administrators get together, one of the topics of conversation is the fact that even on their campuses, there’s no agreement upon aims. This is also pervasive in a very hot discussion with the new labor government in power in Great Britain where all these billions of dollars being invested in higher education and now you have a new party in power and they’re saying this should produce jobs. That’s what this system is for, is to produce people who are ready for jobs. And I’ll say that is not irrelevant. I think in a Genesis 1 context, that’s something we understand with an even greater urgency.
But, there are people who are saying, well, the universities were not established first of all for jobs, but for the creation of a certain kind of person. It was the development of certain virtues, certain practices and a certain body of knowledge, that would be a matter of stewardship and those voices are still there. It is very interesting in the British context, this is now being argued in parliament — and I would say from what I can tell, not very well, — but if you do desacralize education, you don’t have an agreement upon what to teach. You don’t even have an agreement upon why to teach. I say that just to be thankful for the fact that we don’t have to gather together just to talk about what to teach. We also don’t have to gather together as a faculty just to remind ourselves why we teach. Now, we do remind ourselves of these things, but we do so seeking the best we know to be in continuity with every faithful generation in the history of the Christian Church. You know, oddly enough, I think that university administrators,most places, college presidents most places, college faculty and trustees most places, want to say we need to update our mission statement constantly. Well, a mission statement, is not the most important thing. I know in some planning systems it is the most important thing. The most important thing for us is the mission assigned to this institution by the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. We don’t make it up. It’s assigned to us. And as I look here in this room today, look at the faculty, I look at the students, you’re here because you’re drawn by that mission.
Alright? Even as we begin a new academic year, I want to turn to an old text. I invite you to look to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 13. We’re going to focus on verse 35, but I’m going to read with you also verse 34. The Word of the Lord. “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables. Indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” It is an amazing passage. This is a short text. My focus is really on verse 35. “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Matthew 13 has been something of a textual obsession for me for decades. But, I just want to share with you that there are certain texts you kind of say to yourself, “I’m saving. I’m not ready to preach that I’m waiting for the right moment, for the right opportunity to preach that text.” I’ve given so much attention in my ministry to the opening of Matthew chapter 13, when Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower and his disciples, ask him, as you see in verse 10, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” It’s an honest question. We’re told that Jesus taught in parables, so much so that he never taught that he did not use a parable. The disciples after hearing the Parable of the Sower, they simply ask, “Why do you speak them in parables?” And I focused for decades on the answer Jesus gave in verse 11, “To you, it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given for to the one who has more will be given and he’ll have an abundance, but from the one who has not even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing, they do not hear nor do they understand indeed in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. That says you’ll indeed hear but never understand and you’ll indeed see, but never perceive for this, people’s heart has grown dull and with their ears they can barely hear and their eyes they have closed unless they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.”
Okay, so the disciples ask, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Jesus answers. And let’s just be honest. That answer is not. It’s not something that’s so simple. We can hear it and just think, well, okay, I understand it. That settles the matter conclusively because it’s a complex answer. And as a matter of fact, Jesus says, “I speak to them in parables because seeing they don’t see and hearing, they don’t hear and they don’t turn with their hearts that I might heal them.” But, then he says to the disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. And he goes on to say, for I tell you, many righteous men long to see what you see and did not see it and to hear what you hear and did not hear it.” But, Jesus also said to you, speaking to the disciples, “It has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” So here you have divine sovereignty and human responsibility located bilaterally in the eyes and in the ears, but focused ultimately to the heart. And so, Jesus says to the disciples, “I speak to them in parables because they don’t get it.
I speak to them in parables. You’ve been given eyes to see and ears here I speak in parables because this fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah.”
It’s an amazing passage. I think it’s an invitational passage. It’s a judgment passage in terms of the penalty, the consequence of not seeing and not hearing, and it’s also the judgment of God upon human sinfulness. The reason hearts are dull, eyes are blind and ears are deaf, but it’s also about grace. The grace extended in this case to the disciples, “Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear.” An interesting turn takes place right in the very break after those words, because prior to this break, Jesus is speaking parables and we have accounts of Jesus speaking parables and in a public ministry of public preaching to the crowds. But actually right here, right now, there is a shift in which the teaching ministry of Jesus and for the remainder of the gospel, for the most part, it is directed to the disciples, not to the crowd. So there’s even more going on here than we recognize. Jesus then explained the Parable of the Sower. Jesus then told the disciples, what’s identified here ass the Parable of the Weeds, and then the Mustard Seed and the Leaven. And then verse 34, Matthew writes, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the words of Jesus have closed in this passage we’re now hearing from Matthew all these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables. Indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. And then this verse, “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” What an amazing text.
Matthew here says, “Look, this is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. This is the fulfillment of Scripture.” Well, what Scripture? The answer is Psalm 78. You look at Psalm 78, this is a Psalm of Asaph. Let’s start at verse one and we’ll read verse two. “Give ear, O my people to my teaching. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings from of old things that we have heard and known that our fathers have told us.” Verse four, “We will not hide them from their children but told to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders that he has done.” It’s verse two there that is picked up by Matthew. It’s the fulfillment of that text. Now in a larger sense, it’s already the fulfillment of the prophet Isaiah, but this is one of the Psalms by Asaph, Psalm 50, Psalm 73 through 83 in one Chronicles 6, we have the assignment to men including Asaph of the role they are to play inside the temple. Asaph here articulates this strange, strange statement. “I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings from of old, things we’ve heard and known that our fathers have told us.” Dark sayings from of old.
Yeah, I’ve never heard a preacher open Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, turn to the words of Jesus and say, “Would you please get ready to hear dark sayings, yeah, dark stuff coming folks?” The dark sayings appears in this case to mean something that’s enigmatic. And as a matter of fact, the words used even in Old Testament and New Testament scholarship looking at Matthew 13 and then looking at Psalm 78. It’s like a riddle and of course, the word parable is what shows up in the English translations here. I will speak to them in parables. “I’ll open my mouth in parables” in Matthew. It’s, “I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
Okay, so let’s just get to the bottom line. The bottom line is that the presence of Jesus means that things that were dark are now light. Things that were not understood are now understood. Things that were confusing are now clarified. Things that were hidden are now revealed. This is the big story and in this sense is kind of the climax of Matthew chapter 13. “Why do you speak to them in parables?” It is because he is the fulfillment of the prophets. He is the presence of the Messiah. He is the Chosen One. He is the Son of the living God. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. The things hidden are now disclosed. The things opaque are now clarified.
I love the way Matthew does this. This was in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. It’s sort of like we didn’t really know what this text meant for centuries. Let’s just be honest, folks. We didn’t know what this text was really ultimately about. We didn’t know who this text was ultimately about until the Lord has come and when they hear Jesus speak, when they see what Jesus does, even when they ask Jesus a question like, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” It becomes the opportunity not only for Jesus to say, “Here’s why I speak to them in parables,” but to speak the great truths of the gospel and to make very clear his singular purpose, his saving mission and to make very clear that the light of the world has come. “So there was darkness before and guess what folks, this text was not just difficult to understand, it was not just incompletely understood. You’re not even going to understand what this is about until I am come and I am here.” But, of course, there’s this great divide. “Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear.” But there are so many who will not see and they will not hear. So the key word here is “blessed.” Riddles, hard sayings, parables, things hidden since the foundation of the world now reveal the things concerning himself, the things concerning his kingdom, the content of the gospel, the New Covenant in his blood.
Okay, this passage captivates me and I felt convicted because I’ve preached through Matthew 13 many times in many different contexts. It’s just pivotal in so many of my understandings, but I kind of saved verses 34 and 35 for future consideration. How would I preach that? What would I do with that? I mean, it’s not like someone invites you to the First Baptist church somewhere and you have one shot and you show up and say, “Let’s talk about things hidden since the foundation of the world, dark sayings from of old.” Now actually that is what you should do, but you got to be careful how you tell ’em what you’re doing. It is one of those passages, at least in my thinking, in my understanding of Scripture, it’s one of these passages that just kind of clarifies everything, but it takes some time to think about what everything is.
We can’t unpack it all this morning, but I believe the Lord led me to this passage for this day because as I was thinking some time ago about preaching this service, it struck me, I really think there may be an opportunity to encourage all involved in teaching and learning at Boyce College in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary by saying we are here because the dark sayings of old have now been revealed. Things hidden since the foundation of the world. We get to teach, we get to learn. The stewardship of that is just spectacular, it’s just breathtaking. Every single day, in every single class, because of the mission of this institution, because of the centrality of Scripture to the glory of God, we get to say, “You know for most of all history, this was hidden.” It’s now revealed. Dark sayings from of old, now sweet light. I think it’s important we recognize that Jesus spoke the parable above and then it’s Matthew explaining it, and in Matthew’s characteristic way, as he’s inspired by the Holy Spirit, and as is characteristic of his gospel, “These things happen in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.”
It is like for Matthew, it’s like all of a sudden he realizes that what was hidden in the past, that’s exactly what’s going on, it’s now clarified. And then even in the Old Testament, even in the Psalms, this is exactly what Israel was told in its worship. But here’s the spectacularly obvious thing that is only obvious when you see it, and I feel the same perplexity. When you look at this and you recognize this bit, Israel is being told in the Psalm that there are things it’s not going to understand because not all had been revealed, the Christ had not come. What a gift that we are on the other side, I mean in every single way. Indescribably, eternally, infinitely, we’re on the other side of this.
So what does it mean? Just thinking about an opening convocation service on the basis of the authority and the power of this text. First, I would argue it means our faithful stewardship of the truth revealed in and about the Christ. It’s about our faithful stewardship. That’s what we are committing ourselves to in this service, tachers and learners together, the faithful stewardship. And this means that what we’re about here is not just a Christian education, as if Christian’s a modifier. It’s a Christian education if Christian truth is the whole point. Christian faithfulness is the entire point. That’s our aim.
So 12 points, have no heart attack, I can only mention them. This would mean, first of all, an education grounded in theism. I mean this is foundational, in theism. We’re not even to the gospel yet, but an education grounded in theism. Because if I could draw a dividing line between all the educational institutions in the United States and beyond, I would not make it between private and public. I would not make it between tax-supported and non-tax-supported. I would make it, first and foremost, between those that are established in a clear affirmation of theism and those that are not. Okay, education grounded in theism.
Two, education saturated with biblical truth. And that’s our acknowledgment that we’re not smart enough to come up with a curriculum. We’re not smart enough to come up with content. And furthermore, there’s no need for this institution unless what we teach is saturated in biblical truth. That’s the bottom line because otherwise Southern Baptists can save their money, and use it for something else. The reason for what we do is to produce an education saturated in biblical truth.
Third, education rooted in revelation. Again, this is not stuff we have discovered. It’s not stuff we have discerned. It is the revelation of God. Fourth, this education is directed to the church. So we belong to somebody. This board of trustees is elected by the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention. We are a church institution. It’s not just that we look like it. We better show up as a church-directed institution, accountable to the church and joining the church, serving the church, local congregations with great joy and producing graduates who are the future leaders of those churches, preachers of those churches, and deployed Christians through those churches in the world.
Fifth, education made joyful in the gospel. Joyful. I mean, I just want to say something and I mean this as heartfelt as I can say it, when I look at the passages we’ve shared, look at Matthew, look at the Psalm. I mean brothers and sisters, aren’t we glad we’re under the new covenant? Aren’t we glad we are hearing Matthew? Hearing Jesus? It’s a joyful gospel. We don’t deserve it. It’s unmerited favor, but by God’s grace, I’m so thankful we’re not trying in the dark to figure out a riddle. We’re joyful in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Six, it’s an education to serve the church. That is to say it’s not any good if this doesn’t produce faithful churches and if we’re not producing people who go into those churches and make a difference in the church and then in the ministry of the church in the world.
Seventh, it’s an education for the flourishing of human society. I think that’s the one thing that a lot of secular institutions can seize upon. They can say, “We’re here for our community.” Well, we’re here in a sense for our community and in this larger sense, our community is the world. We are committed to human flourishing. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so excited about Boyce College and the graduates we send out into the world and the difference they make in the world, in the community. That just excites me tremendously. And I look at the students, the seminary students, and the college students and I think there’s just something absolutely glorious here. You want to see ministry and outreach to the church and to the world. Just look here. Just look in this room. And we also know that the flourishing of human society is only going to come in accordance with the plan and purpose of God. Eighth, education for the cause of the Great Commission. What we’re doing here is not faithful until it is translated in the gospel being taken to the nations. Jesus himself makes that clear even in the same gospel.
Education that is unapologetically moral. There you go. Just imagine saying that, I’m not going to name a school. But just look, in the last academic year at how presidents of many institutions were toppled, because they couldn’t say this. They couldn’t say the truth. They were asked by congressional authorities in congressional hearings. They were asked, “Is this wrong?” Antisemitism being the key issue, “Is that wrong?” And they couldn’t say “Yes, it’s wrong.” They couldn’t say “Yes, it’s happening. And when it happens, it’s wrong.” They’re just morally paralyzed. Well, folks, we have no reason to be morally paralyzed. We have no excuse for being morally paralyzed. And not only that, we’re the people who know that it’s only by God’s grace that this is true, but it is by God’s grace that it is true. It’s unapologetically moral.
Education that is properly intellectual. Standards here are high. You want them high. Two o’clock in the morning before an exam. You may not be sure you want them that high. You do. Start earlier. We serve the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we do here had better be not only as excellent as the world but more excellent than what the world offers.
Education aimed at eternity. This is about as unsecular as you can possibly be because, no, I mean this wouldn’t even make sense in a secular frame. Can we just acknowledge this? If a secular institutional president got up and said “You know, all of this is going to be measured in eternity.” They’d just consider him hopelessly romantic in his literary illusions. We actually believe it’s true. We actually believe that what’s happening in hearts and minds here is preparation not just for usefulness in the world, but for eternity to the glory of God. That does change the frame.
Finally, education for the glory of God. Because ultimately that is the sole reason for the existence of anything. As God created the cosmos and we are the creatures. Imago Dei who alone know this. We aim for the glory of God.
Okay, that was point one. Again, worry not, point two. This reminds us of our common calling in the task of learning and teaching together. Now, learning and teaching, those are different verbs and learners and teachers, students and teachers have different assignments. But I want to suggest to you that things are not as clear in truth as they are on a chart. I want to tell you one of the greatest things I can say about this faculty, most cherished colleagues I could imagine in this great task. Every single one of them is more a learner than a teacher. If I just let the cat out of the bag, they are learners their entire lifetime. And I can tell you that someone who’s been teaching a class for a number of years, they fully recognize, they know more than when they began teaching. Their notes, class notes, get thicker and thicker and thicker and thicker. The questions they ask just get keener and deeper and more urgent. I say that as an encouragement to students. We’re all students, all of us, we’re all being taught of God, we’re all learners, all of us. Some of us have learned to a certain degree where that’s translated into the calling also to teach. And that’s glorious because those are the teachers we’re looking for. Those are the teachers that we elect to this faculty. Those are the teachers who sign the abstract of principles and that’s glorious.
But, I’ve got to tell you something else even as all the teachers are learners, I want to say to students, looking you in the eye, learners become teachers earlier than you think, like real soon. And by that I mean you’re learning together, you’re actually teaching each other. And in the mystery of things you just may not even understand, classrooms teach teachers how to teach.
Isn’t this great? Who could come up with this? James Petigru Boyce? No, not that smart. Peter? Paul? James? No, not that smart. This is God’s plan and purpose. It goes all the way back into the experience of Israel’s father’s teaching sons. And again, that comes up in the very passage. We don’t have time to see it, it’s there.
Third, our joy is in the light of Christ, the light of the world, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The King of kings and Lord of lords, savior, master, Lord and Christ. Our privilege is to turn together, to learn dark sayings from of old things hidden from the foundation of the world. Isn’t that something? Isn’t that breathtaking? Don’t you want to get to it? Every day, every class is a joyful confrontation with what has been hidden from the foundation of the world now revealed.
These revealed things now we get to learn, we get to see them, to hear them, to learn them, to teach them, to live them, to pass them onto our children, to sing them in hymns, to exalt on them, to take these truths to the nations, to preach these things in our churches, to live these things out in every dimension of our lives. So let’s get to it. Let’s get to it with joy. Let’s get to it. To the glory of God, let’s pray.
Father, we pray that you use this time and you’ll use these words in such a way as to encourage your church unto faithfulness, starting here and now we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 13-14
August, 18, 2024
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 11
June, 16, 2024
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 9-10
May, 12, 2024
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 4
March, 10, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 2-3
February, 11, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Numbers 1
February, 4, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Hebrews 1
December, 24, 2023
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“Joy to the world, the Lord has come.”
It’s glorious to sing that Christmas carol, that great hymn of the faith. It’s also good for us to know it wasn’t written for Christmas, that it wasn’t written about the joy of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. That hymn was written in anticipation of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory to claim His church and to bring His kingdom in fullness. That actually doesn’t make it less appropriate to sing at Christmas. If anything, it makes it more appropriate to sing at Christmas because we’re declaring two truths simultaneously, the Lord has come and the Lord is coming.
Here we are at this time of the year. You look at this room, it’s the same room 365 days a year, but it’s deployed for some very special purposes just a few days a year. A service like this, the decorations in the room tell us that this is the time of the celebration of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Christmas and that makes this particular commencement just a bit special. We get to gather together just as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and accompanied by at least part of the larger culture is paying heed to the fact that the Lord has come.
An occasion like this, just looking around the room you recognize reflects some kind of magnitude, some kind of moment. There’s a reason why we’re here. There’s a reason we are dressed as we are dressed. There’s a reason why there’s a particular joy in the room. There’s a reason why people have come from many different countries indeed to be here in this room today and why there are people of so many different ages in this room simultaneously. This is not an accident. This is a moment in the history of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a moment in the lives of these graduates. It is a moment in the lives of marriages and families and congregations.
And so there’s a heavy sense of the meaning of this moment, and there is great, great gratitude that the Lord has allowed us and the Lord has given us even such a beautiful day for us to gather in this place, to declare the fact that the Lord has come and that the Lord is accomplishing His purpose in His church and in the world through the sending out of ministers of the gospel and missionaries of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. So as we gather together, we do what Christians do. We pray, we read scripture, we declare the faith, and we turn to scripture because in a moment like this, it’s not just the natural instinct that we turn to scripture, it’s the instruction of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ that we turn to scripture.
I want to direct our attention this morning to the Gospel of Luke in chapter 2, and in particular, I want to start reading in verse 22. By the Holy Spirit Luke tells us, “And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of God, every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him, and it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, ‘Lord, you are now letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’
“And His father and mother marveled at what was said about Him and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed and a sword will pierce through your own soul also so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’ And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day, and coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
What an incredible passage. I believe it’s one of the neglected passages for the Christian church, particularly this time of the year. Sometimes it’s read as a way of getting to somewhere else. I don’t think that’s adequate. Here in this passage where the parents of Jesus, that is to say His earthly parents, His mother, Mary, and Joseph, they have brought Jesus to the temple according to the law and He is coming as the firstborn son to be presented in the temple. You need to understand the background of this is that that is the command of God, that is the practice of all faithful Jews, and it’s happening with a lot of noise, it’s happening with a lot of families, it’s happening with a lot of activity there on the Temple Mount right up to the temple itself. But out of all of those babies and out of all of those celebrating families, out of all those moms and dads, out of all those infants, there is one, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
As Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple, what we find, who we find in the temple are two witnesses, Simeon and Anna. Now this is in fulfillment, of course, at least as an echo, of Deuteronomy 19:15, and that passage in the law code of Israel, it is said that one witness is not sufficient, there must be two witnesses. When Jesus is brought to the temple, there is not just one witness, there are two witnesses. Simeon is the first.
On this same occasion last year, I turned to that focus in this passage to Simeon. It is Simeon who utters some of the most amazing words found in the entire scriptures concerning the identity of the Christ. Simeon had come in the spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him according to the custom of the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms and blessed God and remember those words, “Lord, you are now letting your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation that you’ve prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
So here you have Simeon, and Simeon who is righteous and devout, knows the Bible, and what he accomplishes there is this masterful biblical theology in which by the Holy Spirit Simeon announces who this child is, and what is declared here is that He is both savior and messiah. He is a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. Now look at verse 33. We’re told that His father and His mother marveled at what was said about Him. It’s such an incredible passage. We’re told here that even as Simeon made this declaration, do you realize Mary and Joseph are still learning who Jesus is? And do we understand that for both Mary and for Joseph that continues throughout the lifetime of Jesus, for Joseph throughout his entire lifetime, for Mary all the way to the cross and the empty tomb? It’s an amazing reality. Mary and Joseph are learning who this baby is progressively. Now Mary was told a great deal of course by the angel, but she’s still learning who this baby is.
And then Simeon speaking to the father and the mother, particularly to Mary, His mother, said, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is opposed.” And then speaking directly to Mary, and remember Mary is this celebrating mother who has come into the temple with her firstborn son to make this presentation, and listen to what Simeon says to her, directly to Mary, he says, “And a sword will pierce through your own soul also.” Imagine being told as a young mother, “Your heart is going to be broken. This child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel and is a light unto the nations, but He’s also a sign of contradiction. He’s also one who will be opposed, and a sword will pierce your heart also so that the thoughts for many hearts may be revealed.”
The next passage which is in this larger section is the focus of our consideration today, verses 36 to 38, because it’s not just Simeon who was there in the temple along with all the cacophony of all the things that are going on in the temple. Jesus, this one baby out of all the babies brought to the temple, Jesus is one baby boy brought to be circumcised among all the other baby boys who were there for the same reason from all of Israel. It’s not just Simeon who speaks to them, it is also Anna who is there. And if the entire passage I think is too often neglected, these particular verses are even more often neglected. I think they’re absolutely key to our understanding of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the identity of Christ and His mission, the fulfillment of the promises of old.
We remind ourselves beginning in verse 36, “And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin.” Now we need to admit that’s a complicated sentence, okay? A complicated sentence. If we study this sentence minutely, we come to the conclusion that Anna is very, very, very old. Now how old is she? Well, it appears that at least by the strict reading of this text that she has been a widow for 84 years. All right? You consider how old she had to be when she was married, even if that’s 12, she’s a very old person and especially by the standards of this day. She could have been more than 100 years old, and there she is at the temple on this day.
But whether she’s 84 or about 100, it’s hard to tell. The fact is that she was married at one point as a very young woman and then she has lived for a very long time as a widow, and she becomes an illustration to us of a consecrated God-honoring widow. But it’s not just that, she’s identified in the most astounding way as a prophetess, and we know the role of the prophet and we know there are not that many prophetesses named in the scriptures themselves, but this is not a compliment being paid to Anna. This is a biblical identification of this woman as a prophetess. It’s an incredibly honored word. Here is this elderly woman, no doubt many people passed her and thought nothing of her. She is not speaking, and here’s the most amazing thing. We have all of these words spoken by Simeon. We have none of the words spoken by Anna, but Anna’s right here in this passage and we don’t have a word of hers to quote. But she’s a prophetess nonetheless, and we do know the substance of what she was saying.
She’s identified quite simply, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, advanced in years having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin and then as a widow until she was 84. Here’s the point. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. It’s the reason it’s hard to understand exactly how old she is because the reference to the 84 years could be the period she was in the temple after she was married.
In any event, she’s been there a long time, but the most important issue is who she is and what she was doing. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping and fasting. She was worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. So it’s a picture of absolute consecration. Here’s this woman, Anna, and she is advanced in years, but she’s been in the temple a long time. Why is she in the temple? It is because she is in the temple waiting for someone. She is waiting for someone to appear, just as Simeon was waiting for someone to appear, and as Simeon was waiting for someone to appear, once he saw Jesus, he declared who the Christ is. Anna has been waiting night and day. She has been praying night and day. She’s been fasting night and day. She’s been worshiping night and day.
And then look at verse 38, “And coming up at this very hour.” Coming up, that means up to the temple. “Arriving at the temple this very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” In the context coming immediately on the heels of the passage concerning Simeon, it appears that she was coming up even then. She observes what Simeon observes even then. She probably heard the words that Simeon spoke, but as Anna, the prophetess who immediately begins to connect the dots, she gave thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
It’s a beautiful picture here of faithfulness, verse of the faithfulness of God. Here you have these two people in the temple, Simeon and Anna, and the one thing they recognize on this day is that God has done what He had promised, a savior who is Christ the Lord, a messiah, the consolation of Israel. If we’re not shocked by this, shame on us because how many could possibly recognize in an infant, in a tiny, week-old baby boy, the promise of all the prophets through the centuries, the consolation of Israel, the savior of the world.
It is an amazing passage. Anna becomes the second of the witnesses here, and even as Anna joins Simeon in this witness, behind them was waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting because we look at these lifetimes and we look especially at Anna who’s described as being so very old, but so many others had died so many centuries before having heard the promises but not seen the fulfillment of the promises. It is the glory of Anna and of Simeon, or in this case of Anna, the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, it falls to Anna to be the prophetess who recognizes the baby Jesus and immediately recognizes who she sees. No more waiting. And coming up at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. It’s a messianic promise. It’s a reference to the fulfillment of all the promises of God, the consolation, the redemption of Israel.
Well, here we are at a hinge of history. Everything in this passage is about before and after. Before and after, promise and fulfillment. They’re not exactly the same thing, but here all of a sudden the hinges are joined together. Before and after, promise and fulfillment. Israel had been waiting. Israel had been anticipating. Israel had been longing for the fulfillment of the promises, and here is the fulfillment of all of those promises, all the promises of God in a baby presented at the temple. All of history now is riven in two. There’s a before and there’s an after, and in all of human history there is no before and after that comes anywhere near close to before Bethlehem and after Bethlehem.
Well, as we look at this, we recognize that Anna is fulfilling a biblical role here. She is indeed functioning as a prophetess. She saw Jesus. She began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel. I want to point to those three phrases, number one to speak of Him. Now there’s another linguistic issue here. The context is extremely helpful. Without the context, it might be confusing. To speak of Him. Who is He? Because the passage says she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
Well, no doubt she was speaking of God the Father who is the one who made the promise. She’s speaking of the covenant God of Israel who had redeemed Israel, had saved Israel, had chosen Israel, had protected Israel, and had given the promises to Israel. No doubt when she speaks of Him, she’s speaking of the Father, but she’s speaking of the Father’s accomplishment of His promises through the son, and the son is the baby who’s in the temple right now, to speak of Him, yes, the Father, yes, the son, yes, the one true and living God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ and speaking of Christ.
She began to speak of Him, and notice the next phrase, to all who were waiting. You know, in the history of the Christian church, this has been a recognized challenge. The challenge is how exactly do we celebrate Christmas honestly. It’s because we try to work in to our anticipation of December the 25th or the Christmas Sunday closest to the 25th. We try to build in to our anticipation waiting, but we’re not very good at it. It’s because we’re not waiting the way that those who were in the temple that day had been waiting. We in our lifetimes have never been waiting in the way that Simeon was waiting. We’ve never experienced the waiting of Anna. We haven’t experienced the waiting of God’s covenant people of Israel for a messiah who was promised. We’re on the other side of that history, and as a matter of fact, all of us in this room are about two millennia on the other side of that happening.
No, we’re still waiting, right? And even singing that hymn, Joy to the World, reminds us that we are waiting. We are waiting for the fullness of the Kingdom of Christ to be made manifest. We are waiting for Jesus to come and to claim His church. We’re waiting for Jesus to come in glory and to come as judge. We are waiting for that, but we’re not waiting for a baby to be born in a manger. We’re declaring the truth that that baby who is none other than God in human flesh, the second person of the trinity, Jesus, the Christ, the Lord, we’re not waiting for that baby, but we kind of sing as if we are just to remind ourselves. We speak of Christmas as if we are, and people are rightfully doing scripture readings of the promises just to remind ourselves that Israel did wait, that sinners did wait, that the world did wait until the incarnation had happened and Jesus had come.
The unique historical moment of this end of the first week of the life of baby Jesus when He’s brought by Mary and Joseph to the temple and these two witnesses are in the temple, Simeon and Anna, I just think we are really helped as we think about Christmas. We’re really helped by thinking about Anna. I think as we think about the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ and what it means, we really are helped by Anna just as we’re helped by Simeon. I think that as we are celebrating this day with these graduates arrayed before us, we really are helped by Anna because there aren’t just two statements here. There are three. Number one, she began to speak of him. Number two, to all who were waiting. Number three, waiting for what? For the redemption of Jerusalem.
As we are here for this commencement ceremony, as I say, there have been a lot of these before. No doubt for most of you in this room, this isn’t the first you have ever attended, and every single one of them has some very familiar features, common features. Somebody is going to hand someone a representation of something. The graduates here are kind of counting on that, and all those diplomas are stacked up right there, all right? So between now and when we leave, those boxes are going to be empty and these hands are going to be full. There’s a sense in which we could do that in a hurry and just call out their names. We could just throw them at them and say, “Find yours and take it home.” But we don’t do that. We’ve gathered here to say some things, to hear some things, to sing some things, to declare some things because this moment is not going to happen again. We’re not going to have this same congregation in this room, and so we don’t want to misuse a moment of this.
So I want to speak to the graduates. Why are you here and what does all of this mean? Well, it means that we are here in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it means that we are here in order that the truths that are declared in this passage, the truths declared by Simeon and the truths declared by Anna are the truths that you take to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and to the nations hungry for the gospel. It is not only Anna’s task honored here, it is our task. It is your task to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
You know, it seems to me there’s a little category shift going on here and I think it’s good for us to mention it and that is this, a lot of the people who were in Jerusalem knew they were praying for the redemption of Jerusalem. A part of your mission, a part of the Christian church’s assignment is to take the gospel to people who do not yet know they are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem, but we know, you know and I know they are waiting. They are waiting with a need that goes beyond anything they can describe. They’re waiting with a hunger that goes beyond anything that they may try it can’t satisfy. They’re waiting for good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are waiting. They just don’t know who, for whom they are waiting.
The task of Christian missions, the task of Christian evangelism is to take the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, that good news that was declared by Simeon, that good news that was recognized by Anna, and to take it to the church and to take it to the world, to take it to the nations, to those who are waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. This is taking place in the temple. It is taking place in Jerusalem. It is taking place with Simeon and with Anna, but they become paradigmatic examples for us. They become illustrations for us, so the faithful response to the truth of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great good news of the gospel, the news of, yes, Christmas in the festival of the incarnation.
But the important thing to recognize is that Luke wasn’t writing this in order for this passage to be read at Christmas. He was writing this for this text to be fundamental to the faith of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ 365 days a year till joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her king. We’re here today with such joy because we know that every single one of you has an absolutely crucial role to play in that great purpose. We’re here today with such great joy because we know that the Christian church has been gathering together in one way or another, in one place or another, by one name or institution or organization or whatever or another in order to celebrate that God is calling out ministers of the gospel, missionaries to the nations.
Now, we’ve come to this point of an academic graduation because the seriousness of this calling has been translated into the most serious courses of study, and every single one of you has fulfilled all the requirements of this course of study, and you and I know, we all know, that is a remarkable achievement. You could have gone to a far less demanding school. You could have ordered your degree by mail. You could have printed it up on a copy machine. Don’t do that. You didn’t do that. You’re here because you followed the call of God, and a part of that call was to prepare for a lifetime of service, to step into the pulpit, to lead a church, to feed and teach the people of God, to take the gospel to the ends of the nations, to plant churches and take the good seed of the gospel to the ends of the earth, and so we’re happy about that.
Everybody’s happy about that. People have come from all over the world in order to be here to make very clear how happy they are. I’m happy about that because if we don’t graduate students, we don’t have a reason to exist. I’m happy about this even as I presided at more than 60 of these ceremonies. I’m happy about this because I look at you and I realize that God is absolutely faithful to His promises, and the older I get and the longer I fulfill this role, the more in wonder I am at what God does through individuals like you. Redeemed by the blood of the lamb, called by the Holy Spirit, deployed for the glory of God in Christian ministry and missions and service, I’m more and more amazed at what God does.
I’m also able to speak with a joy and a happiness that comes from having come to know and having come to realize what God does over time with those who go out to take the gospel and to preach the word. And so you’re following a long line of those who come before you, and by that long line now don’t just press back to 1859 when this school was established, although we believe that was an important beginning of an important part of the story, but that long line goes back to Jerusalem. That long line goes back to prophets and apostles, and you have to understand the joy in this room to see that long line joined by the many who are here.
You look good in these academic robes. It’s a sign of seriousness. It’s a sign of the fact that we’re actually stating wearing very ancient outfits that something serious is taking place here, and that something serious has a history, it has a story, and this is a continuation of that story. My exhortation to you is be resolute. Be faithful because the church of the Lord Jesus Christ deserves and needs to be served and led and fed by those who will, in season and out of season, do nothing but teach the unadulterated word of God, who will do nothing but preach the gospel in all that saving power, who would do nothing but to maintain, to preserve, to protect, and to teach the faith once we’re all delivered to the saints.
Here we are in this room and it’s about time that we turn to handing out those diplomas. As I say, we can do it in a hurry. We could do it without fanfare, but brothers and sisters, this calls for some fanfare, but more than that it calls for worship, and that’s why we are here for the preaching of the Word of God, for the singing of these great hymns of the faith, for prayer, and for the joy of Christ’s people. I just ask you this day to look around this room. I ask you this day to look at these graduates and ask yourself, “Is God not faithful to His promises?” And then let’s just go back in memory by the power of God’s inerrant and infallible word to that day in Jerusalem when Simeon said, “Your servant can now depart in peace,” and when Anna said, “We must speak of Him to all who’ve been waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Two good examples for all of us to follow.
Let’s pray. Father, we’re just so thankful for all you’ve given us in your word and the examples of Simeon and of Anna. Father, we pray that we will have full joy this day and these graduates will have full conviction, full passion, full commitment to do nothing other than to do nothing less than to serve you without reservation and with joy until the end of their days. Father, we pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Luke 16
November, 26, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Colossians 4:2-18 — Colossians Series
November, 12, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church
Louisville, KY
Colossians 3:18–4:1 — Colossians Series
October, 15, 2023
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (7:47 - 7:47) ‘The Company Will Shift Its Pride Merchandise Assortment’: Target Responds to Customer Backlash Over Pride Displays
- Target, Much Like Bud Light, Is Stung by Culture Wars by Wall Street Journal (Sarah Nassauer)
- Target Customer Backlash May Be Least of Its Problems by Wall Street Journal (Jinjoo Lee)
PART II (13:56 - 13:56) A Major Redefinition of Parenting: USA Today Urges Parents to Build a Back to School Kit to Prepare Their Children for ‘Safe Sex’ and ‘Safe Drug Usage’
- Not your average back-to-school supply list: A parent's guide to birth control, COVID, more by USA Today (Adrianna Rodriguez)
PART III (18:49 - 18:49) The Incoherence of the Transgender Revolution: The New York Times Sports Section Contradicts Itself Over What a Woman Is
- How Transgender Runner Nikki Hiltz Rose to the Top of Track by New York Times (Talya Minsberg)
- For Girls in Spain, Women’s World Cup Win Is a Joy and a Catalyst by New York Times (Constant Méheut and Isabella Kwai)
PART IV (27:19 - 27:19) FIDE Faces Down the Transgender Revolution: International Chess Agency Bans Transgender Women from Women’s Competitions
- International chess body bans transgender women from women’s competitions by Washington Post (Kelsey Ables)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (17:16 - 17:16) Let the Rule of Law Operate: The Hunter Biden Controversy Continues to Unfold
- Inside the Collapse of Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal by New York Times (Michael S. Schmidt, Luke Broadwater and Glenn Thrush)
PART II (24:7 - 24:7) Russia’s Luna-25 Probe ‘Ceased to Exist’: The Failed Moon Mission and the Continuation of the Space Race
- Russia’s Luna-25 Spacecraft Crashes Into Moon by Wall Street Journal (Bojan Pancevski)
PART III (25:42 - 25:42) The Competition for International Prestige Continues: The Big Issues Behind Russia’s Race Back to the Moon
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (13:3 - 13:3) The U.S. Faces Natural Evil and its Consequences: Christian Considerations in the Aftermath of Lahaina and in the Midst of Tropical Storm Hilary
PART II (23:1 - 23:1) ‘You are Nobodies, and Your Name is Nothing.’: Moral Evil of War Rises to the Surface of the News as Russia Turns Criminals Into Cannon Fodder
- Troop Deaths and Injuries in Ukraine War Near 500,000, U.S. Officials Say by New York Times (Helene Cooper, Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Eric Schmitt and Julian E. Barnes)
- ‘We Are Not Human to Them’: Life for Convicts in Russia’s Army by New York Times (Anatoly Kurmanaev and Ekaterina Bodyagina)
PART III (25:39 - 25:39) Camp David and the Lessons of History: U.S., Japan, and South Korea Expand Security and Economic Ties in First Leaders Summit Between the Three Countries
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (10:14 - 10:14) Is Divorce Still a Big Deal for Political Leaders? Some Say No, and Point to Muted Response to Canadian Prime Minister’s Breakup
- Does Anyone Care About Justin Trudeau’s Separation? by New York Times (Elizabeth Paton)
PART II (17:16 - 17:16) How Should I, as a Christian, Handle Government, Corporate, or Other Institutional Pressures to Affirm Our Society’s Cultural Revolutions? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing
PART III (24:19 - 24:19) Our Church’s Pre-School Has a Transgender Student Attending. How Should We Handle This Situation? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing
PART IV (26:44 - 26:44) How Has Abortion Contributed to the Falling Birth Rate Worldwide? — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing
PART V (28:22 - 28:22) A Time to Reflect and Pray for Faithful Christians Doing Gospel Ministry for Those in the Aftermath of the Lahaina Fires — Dr. Mohler Responds to Letters from Listeners of The Briefing
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (8:6 - 8:6) What’s in a Name?: The Kennedy Family Makes the Headlines Yet Again
PART II (16:56 - 16:56) The Kennedys, Democrats, Catholicism, and Abortion: What the Religious and Political History of the Kennedys Tell Us About Cultural and Moral Change
PART III (25:33 - 25:33) What Happens in Afghanistan Doesn’t Stay in Afghanistan: The Taliban Fighters Seek Jihad Across the Globe
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (17:3 - 17:3) A Fourth Indictment and Endless Questions: RICO, Criminal Conspiracy and the Law of Unintended Consequences
PART II (21:50 - 21:50) Is This One Indictment Too Far?: Big Issues Come to the Surface When Considering the State Charges Brought Against Former President Trump
- Is Georgia’s case against Trump one case too many? by Washington Post (Ruth Marcus)
PART III (25:15 - 25:15) Zoom Requires Employees to Return to Work at Headquarters: How’s That for Irony?
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (12:23 - 12:23) The Left’s New Political Strategy is Silencing Speech?: Governors Newsom and Pritzker Target Free Speech of Crisis Pregnancy Centers
- A Free-Speech Lesson for J.B. Pritzker by Wall Street Journal (The Editorial Board)
PART II (20:23 - 20:23) A Parable of the Problems with Big Government: The Unmitigated Transportation Disaster of the JCPS Busing System in Louisville
PART III (23:51 - 23:51) Totalitarianism Cracks Down on Grief: China Now Regulating Human Emotion on a National Scale
- When Tragedy Strikes in China, the Government Cracks Down on Grief by New York Times (Li Yuan)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (15:35 - 15:35) The Horrifying Fires that Killed in Lahaina — How Should Christians Think About Such a Disaster?
PART II (21:45 - 21:45) It’s Narco Traffickers versus Civilization and a Battle Against Anarchy: Ecuador Shaken After Presidential Candidate Assassinated After Squaring Off with Illegal Drug Industry
- Ecuador, Reeling From a Candidate’s Assassination, Is Forever Changed by New York Times (Julie Turkewitz and José María León Cabrera)
PART III (23:20 - 23:20) The Albanian Mafia is Controlling Crime in Ecuador? The Complicated Battle for Law and Order in a Fallen World
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (11:11 - 11:11) The Abortion Battle Rages On, But Is the Pro-Life Movement Ready? Pro-Abortion Movement Gains Huge Momentum as Ohio Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Constitutional Proposal
PART II (16:47 - 16:47) Ideology and Political Power Play in Wisconsin Headlines: Justice Janet Protasiewicz and the New Rules of Political Engagement by The Left
- New Justice Swings Wisconsin Supreme Court to the Left by New York Times (Isaac Yu)
- Wisconsin Supreme Court enters a new era as it flips to liberal control after 15 years by Associated Press (Scott Bauer)
PART III (18:51 - 18:51) In a Fallen World, There Are No Ultimate Political Victories: A Call for Pro-Lifers to Keep Fighting the Good Fight for Life
PART IV (25:9 - 25:9) The Boy Scouts Are No More: What This Year’s National Jamboree Reveals About the Decline of Civilization
- Boy Scouts pitch a more welcoming tent at their National Jamboree by Washington Post (Mike De Socio)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (16:41 - 16:41) Medicine and Politics Collide In Transgender Revolution: American Academy of Pediatrics Doubles Down on Support for Transgender Procedures — But Is the Group Hedging its Bets?
- Medical Group Backs Youth Gender Treatments, but Calls for Research Review by New York Times (Azeen Ghorayshi)
PART II (24:20 - 24:20) Pope Francis’s Journey to Portugal: ‘Non-Judgmentalism’ and the Pope’s Strategy on Gender and Sexuality
- An Aging Pope Francis Looks to ‘Youth Day’ to Energize Church’s Future by New York Times (Jason Horowitz)
PART III (25:52 - 25:52) What Gets the World’s Approval?: The Temptation to Abandon Historic Christian Doctrine on Gender and Sexuality in the Name of Inclusivity and Tolerance
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (11:46 - 11:46) ‘Sell Us Beer, Not the LGBTQ Revolution’: Bud Light Releases Survey Results As It Distances Itself from Fallout of Failed Marketing Campaign with Dylan Mulvaney
- Bud Light’s Plan to Win Back Drinkers: Stick to Beer by Wall Street Journal (Saabira Chaudhuri)
- Bud Light Boycott Can’t Douse Anheuser-Busch InBev by Wall Street Journal (Aaron Back)
- Bud Light’s Struggles Cast a Shadow Over Its Sunny Summer Ad Campaign by Wall Street Journal (Katie Deighton)
PART II (18:45 - 18:45) A Tragic Parable of the Decline of Marriage: The Trudeaus Announce Separation and Impending Divorce
PART III (25:4 - 25:4) Richard Dawkins Squares Off with the Transgender Revolution — And It Cost Him His 1996 Humanist of the Year Award
- Why biological sex matters by The New Statesman (Richard Dawkins)
- Richard Dawkins has abandoned science to justify his transphobia by Religion News Service (Hemant Mehta)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (13:39 - 13:39) Israel’s Great Crisis: The Supreme Court, the Prime Minister, the ’Reasonable’ Standard, and Israel’s Future
PART II (19:34 - 19:34) An Ark and a Covenant: The Relationship of American Evangelicals and the State of Israel
PART III (21:17 - 21:17) Judicial Supremacy? The Progressivist Legal Argument Undergirding the Current Controversy in Israel
PART IV (25:47 - 25:47) No, Morality Is Not Determined by the Numbers: A Christian Worldview Response to the Rising Numbers Claiming LGBTQ Identification
- More Visible L.G.B.T.Q. People Isn’t a Curiosity or a Crisis: It’s Normal by New York Times (Jane Coaston)
Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Alumni Chapel...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (15:41 - 15:41) George Orwell’s Fiction Becomes Fact: The Biden Administration’s Ministry of Truth
PART II (20:12 - 20:12) New York Times Columnist Argues ‘Parents Should Not Shield Children from Dangerous Ideas’ — Do Our Children Have More Moral Sense Than Parents?
- Your Kids Can Handle Dangerous Ideas by New York Times (Matt Gross)
PART III (25:36 - 25:36) Cultural Elites Want Continued Control of the Public School: Parents Are the Main Threat
- Parents Aren’t the Only Ones With Rights by New York Times (Frank Bruni)
- Your God and My Dignity by New York Times (Frank Bruni)
Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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The Page Lectures...
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Albert Mohler:...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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All my life I have been a student of history and of leadership, just in terms of the lessons of history. If you're at all aware, you generally brush up against history. And this happened to me at many points in life. And I can only say that, evidently, it was God's purpose that those brushes take place. There's something to learn from virtually eve...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (11:18 - 11:18) Prominent Women Athletes Argue That Abortion is Essential for Autonomy of Women—And Future of Women in Sport
- More than 500 Female Athletes Calling on Supreme Court to Rebuff Mississippi Abortion Law by USA Today (Tod Schad)
PART II (17:40 - 17:40) Modern Cults of the Athletic Body and Personal Autonomy Combine—But Who Is Missing From View (The Unborn Child)
- Here's the Crushing Impact Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Have On Female Athletes by USA Today (Nancy Armour)
PART III (24:46 - 24:46) What is Depopulation? And Why Is It Happening in Industrialized Nations?
- The Struggle to Reverse a Shrinking Population Hits Some Nations Harder by Wall Street Journal (Ian Lovett)
Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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Third Avenue Baptist Church...
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This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (16:15 - 16:15) Is Marriage Just a Sexist Institution? The Modern Revolt Against Marriage Doesn't Lead to Liberation — Quite the Opposite
- Why Marriage is Still A Sexist Institution – And What We Can Do About It by USA Today (Sarah M Moniuszko)
PART II (21:26 - 21:26) The Modern Age Pushes to 'De-Gender' Weddings? Civilization's Survival Depends On God's Creation of 'Male' and 'Female' — And Our Respect for God's Plan
- Weddings Without Gender? More Couples Want to De-Gender How They Tie the Knot by USA Today (Charles Trepany)
PART III (27:28 - 27:28) Germany's Prosecution of a 100 Year Old Former Nazi Guard Underlines the Moral Mandate of God's Justice, in This Life and the One to Come
- Former Nazi Guard, Age 100, to Stand Trial in Germany by Wall Street Journal (Bojan Pancevski)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (9:54 - 9:54) Paganism Is The Most LGBTQ+ Religious Identity in US: Why That Should Not Be a Surprise
- Paganism, Gods and Goddesses Aside, is the Most LGBTQ-Affirming Faith in the US by Religion News Service (Heather Greene)
- Ordination of the Cherry Trees by Massachusetts Review
PART II (16:18 - 16:18) How Did Evangelicals Become More Pro-Life? The Bible Can Answer for That
- Why is the South the Epicenter of Anti-Abortion Fervor? by Physicians Weekly (Sarah Varney)
PART III (25:21 - 25:21) "We Materialists Cannot Allow A Divine Foot in the Door": The Obituaries of Two Scientists Make Clear that Theology Matters—Even Among Unbelievers
- Richard C. Lewontin, Eminent Geneticist With a Sharp Pen, Dies at 92 by The New York Times (Natalie Angier)
- Steven Weinberg, Groundbreaking Nobelist in Physics, Dies at 88 by The New York Times (Dylan Loeb McClain)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (17:58 - 17:58) Government by Whatever You Can Get Away With? Democrats Push for (and Get) a CDC Order that is Almost Certainly Unconstitutional
- CDC Issues New Eviction Ban for Most of US through Oct. 3 by Associated Press (Josh Boak, Lisa Mascaro, and Jonathan Lemire)
- The Eviction Ban Has to End Sometime by Wall Street Journal (The Editorial Board)
PART II (22:9 - 22:9) Defecting Belarus Sprinter Reminds Us of the Preciousness of Liberty and the Fragility of Freedom
- Why Belarus Wanted to Silence an Olympic Sprinter by NBC News (Patrick Smith)
PART III (23:36 - 23:36) French Teenagers Love Culture! French Government Inadvertently Boosts Country’s Comic Book Sales in the Name of Introducing Young People to Culture
- The High-Brow Art of Teenagers in France: Emmanuel Macron Inadvertently Boosts Country’s Comic Book Sales in the Name of Culture by New York Times (Aurelien Breeden)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (6:40 - 6:40) He Must Go: A Devastating Report from NY Attorney General Pulls No Punches, New York’s Governor is a National Embarrassment
- Biden Calls For Cuomo To Resign After Investigation Finds The New York Governor Sexually Harassed 11 Women by Washington Post (Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer)
PART II (14:35 - 14:35) A Dynasty Undone: From Mario Cuomo To the Machiavellian Raw Politics and Immorality of Andrew Cuomo
PART III (20:11 - 20:11) The Current Political Context of the Democratic Party: The Overwhelming Evidence Against Cuomo Turns This Into A Problem With Only One Solution
PART IV (25:32 - 25:32) Responding to Sexual Abuse in a Fallen World: The Paramount Moral Imperatives of the Christian Worldview
- 35 Words That Almost Certainly Will End Andrew Cuomo's Political Career by CNN (Chris Cillizza)
- Governor Cuomo, It’s Time to Resign by New York Times (Editorial Board)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (10:13 - 10:13) The Looming Crisis of Conscience: U.S. Congress Threatens Complicity in Abortion, Both Nationally and Internationally, For Every American Taxpayer
PART II (18:53 - 18:53) Not So Devout After All: Nancy Pelosi’s Pro-Abortion Argument for Repealing the Hyde Amendment Prompts Blistering Response from Her Bishop
- Pelosi defends taxpayer-funded abortion while citing Catholic faith by Catholic News Agency (Katie Scanion)
- Chair DeLauro Statement at Full Committee Markup of Fiscal Year 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Funding Bill by House of Representatives (Rosa DeLauro)
PART III (23:59 - 23:59) Elections Have Consequences: Biden Appoints Lesbian Rabbi to to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
- Biden Nominates Lesbian Rabbi to Religious Freedom Commission by The Advocate (Trudy Ring)
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.
PART I (12:58 - 12:58) Major Worldview Issues in Olympic Headlines: First Openly Transgender Athlete To Compete in Women’s Weightlifting in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games—Creating a Crisis
- Olympics’ First Openly Transgender Woman Stokes Debate on Fairness by New York Times (Tariq Panja and Ken Belson)
PART II (22:49 - 22:49) The Collision of Reality Comes to the Olympics: The Destabilization of Morality, Sexuality and Gender as the LGBTQ Revolution Creates an ‘Existential Question About What It Means to Be Female’
- A transgender weightlifter's Olympic dream has sparked an existential debate about what it means to be female by CNN (Julia Hollingsworth)
- There may be more Olympians who identify as LGBTQ than ever before. But there are limits to inclusion by CNN (Scottie Andrew)
PART III (25:40 - 25:40) No More Ladies and Gentlemen: Gender Revolution Takes to the Skies as German Airline Adopts Gender Neutral Language to Subvert the ‘Gender Binary’
- Lufthansa will no longer address you as 'ladies and gentlemen' by DW (Ashutosh Pandey)
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Southern Seminary Apologetics Institute...
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Boyce College Commencement 2021...
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The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary...
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Christian Medical and Dental Association...
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David and Lanese Dockery Lectures...
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David and Lanese Dockery Lectures...
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