Pastor Vinnie and Jon deeply explore both consensuses of modern scholars, as well as the political and theological reasons, as to why we can be certain that the historical Jesus really died on the cross for us. We are finishing up the Passion Week of Jesus we divide into the absolute historical certainty of the cross!
This is perhaps one of our most in-depth episodes this season so far this season and you will be thrilled with the certainty that Jesus finished the passion week dying for our sins. In this episode, we not only survey want several different scholars from outside of Christianity have to say about the cross of Jesus but we take a long hard look at the political role Pontius Pilate was put into and discuss the complex political realities of the cross and its timing.
At the Cross, two distinct political worldviews come into conflict; 1. The Roman and 2. The Jewish. And what is the conflict they must face? Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Is he really the King of the Jews? They provide an answer by putting Him on the Cross. It is on the Cross that we see most clearly who Jesus is and to what length He will go to make sure that both Roman, and Jews, have every possible opportunity to come to terms with who he really is. And so it is for us too today; The Historical certainty of the Cross asks us all to decide who really was Jesus of Nazareth? Was he just a good moral teacher? Was he just a renegade teacher trying to cast doubt on the Jewish elite leadership of the time? Was he a zealot seeking to rally Judah to stir up an insurrection against Rome? Or is He the Savior of the world? Since the historicity of the Cross can not be doubted these questions are real questions all serious students of history must now ask. What do you say about the Cross?
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Related Images:
Gethsemane
Olive Press at
Kidron Valley in daylight
Tomb of the Prophets
Inside the Tomb or the prophets
Tomb or the Prophets
Holy Sepulchre
Kidron Valley looking backup to the Temple Mount
Kidron Valley
About Vinnie & Jon:
Pastor Vinnie
innie is a full-time Ordained Pastor at Vienna Seventh-day Adventist Church in Vienna VA located in the beautiful Northern Virginia / DC area. He is happily married to TinaLynn for over 30 years and they have an eight-year-old son, Jose. They live, work, and Jose goes to school, on the Vienna Campus as a part of an incarnational approach to ministry. They believe in an integrated ministry approach that is balanced with a full and abundant balanced life. Core to being balanced is being centered in Pastor Vinnie’s favorite Gospel; the Gospel of John, and his favorite Bible verse in that Gospel; John 10:10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness (abundantly)“. Living life “in all its fullness” means both being incarnational and at the same time authentically human and having fun! He describes himself as a “Child of God. Husband. Daddy. Work in progress. Follower. Leader. Sci-fi-junkie.” In addition to family life, pastoring, and working on a doctorate at Fuller Seminary, Vinnie shares the Gospel, and his passion to equip others with the power of Jesus in numerous interactive ways through www.SimplyVinnie.com
Jonathan Martin: Season 2 Co-host
Jonathan graciously agreed to join Vinnie as of Season 2 of Simply Devotion. Jonathan is a full-time follower of Jesus, committed to helping people discover a deep, passionate, and spirited relationship with the Savior. He is currently a Bible teacher at a private school in the Orlando area but has also served as an ordained minister for almost a decade in local churches. Jonathan completed his undergraduate degree at Southern Adventist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary on the campus of Andrews University. He is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in Ministry to Emerging Generations from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Jonathan is married to the love of his life, Raisel Martin, and has two elementary-aged children, Railyn and Josiah. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys reading, writing, painting, globetrotting, and instigating arguments on social media.