Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The Word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

Speaker 2: 0:20

Alright, guys. So this week we are using John Eldridge's book Beautiful Outlaw to help us get to know the real Jesus better. So before preparing the episodes for this week, I actually called John and I asked him hey, what are five chapters? If you could like truly encapsulate what you're trying to get across with this book, what would those five chapters be? He told me chapters two, three, four, five which we went over yesterday and seven. So that's where we're going to put our focus for this week. Yesterday we talked about chapter five and how Jesus was truly a man and how we have to understand that. And he wasn't cheating the process by only pretending to go through what other men have had to go through. But today we're going to be looking at a couple of chapters chapters two and three. Chapter two is called the Missing Essential, his Personality, and chapter three is called Is is Jesus really playful? So let me read a few quotes from chapter two to get us going.

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Reading the gospels without the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off. Another quote here, because when we lose his personality, we lose Jesus. And then another quote here if you gathered the many books on Jesus and combed them for the words used most often to describe him. You can guess beforehand what you would get Loving and compassionate. Beautiful qualities and certainly true of Jesus, but two-dimensional. Especially when we color these virtues with religious tones, love turns sickly sweet and compassion soft and limp. How is it possible to genuinely and consistently love anything so two-dimensional? Loving and compassionate? It's like trying to love and get well card. And I remember reading this, guys, in chapter two, and I was like yeah, yeah, that actually makes sense to me. And this is before I got to chapter five where it hit me all at once oh my gosh, this Jesus guy was like an actual man and I kind of forget that part. But now, guys, we need to dig into chapter three again. It's called Is Jesus Really Playful? And just like with the personality and the subtitle of the book, I'd never really considered the playfulness of Jesus. Certainly not, as I was digging through and reading through scripture.

Speaker 2: 2:15

So Eldridge takes us to Luke 24 to help us see this. So I'll start reading from Beautiful Outlaw, and if you have the hard copy it's on page 26. Recalling Jesus's playfulness with the guys when he did a take two of the miraculous catch. Have another look at the classic Emmaus road story. So we're going to be looking at Luke 24, starting in verse 13.

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Now, that same day, resurrection Sunday, two of them were going to the village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked, and discussed these things with each other. Sorry, here we go. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them what are you discussing together? As you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days? What things he asked? Pause, you have to be kidding me.

Speaker 2: 3:10

Here are two of Jesus' disciples as grief-stricken as human hearts can be. They think he's dead. They think it's all over. If any moment cried out for good news from Jesus, this was the one. Yet again, how casually he enters the scene, this time as a traveler with a flight to catch. He just sort of huffs along again, hiding himself as he later does on the beach to let this play out. He asks what they're so upset about. Can you believe it? Cleopas can't. How is it possible that this stranger could have missed the things rocking Jerusalem these past few days? What things Jesus inquires? If anyone knows what things it is Jesus, these are his things, for heaven's sake, his most important things ever. He feigns ignorance.

Speaker 2: 3:53

The story continues in verse 19. About Jesus of Nazareth, they replied he was a prophet powerful in word and deed. Before God and all people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And, what is more, it is the third day since it all took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said, but him they did not see.

Speaker 2: 4:28

Remember now what is Jesus' overall mood? This particular Sunday morning, just a few hours ago, he walked out of the grave and the keys of hell swing on his belt and the redemption of mankind in his pocket. Would it be safe to say that he is cheerful, maybe even excited? Jubilant Christ is about as happy as anyone has ever been in the history of the world, but so far he's only appeared to Mary Magdalene. Isn't the moment crying out for him to reveal himself to these shell-shocked followers? Look, it's me, I'm alive, everything is going okay. Rejoice, tell the world. He doesn't.

Speaker 2: 4:58

He carries on with the disguise, apparently for some time, holding forth on highlights from the Old Testament as the three tramp along. Then comes this unbelievable moment as they approached the village to which they were going, jesus acted as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. He acted as if he were going further. Well, nice to know. You, chaps, so sorry for your loss. Hope things turn out, but I've got to get going. What in the world? You, chaps? So sorry for your loss. Hope things turn out, but I've got to get going. What in the world? Christ takes up the role of a thespian, pretending to have to move on so that they must beg him to stay. Oh, all right, if you insist. When he was at the table with them, he took bread and gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were open and they recognized him and he disappeared from their sight. So that's the verses 31 and 32. Poof, see ya.

Speaker 2: 5:55

What do you make of this story? Jesus' behavior is either A bizarre, b meant to drive home some obscure spiritual lesson which, taking in the timing, the first thing he does after resurrecting and his play acting is even more bizarre. Or C playful, given that this is the God of a playful creation on his resurrection mourn, he who has been so playful with his followers in their years together, whom we see playing the inside joke on his closest friends. A week from now I'm putting my money on playful Again, guys, up to this point I had never really, because I'd read that story before, but I had never really considered the playfulness that we see from Christ, our Lord.

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And again, if you don't see him as playful, you're going to miss that aspect of his personality. So I hope that this is kind of opening you guys up to when you're reading the gospels, to not just read it like Jesus, is this random, like spiritual, you know, theistic robot or something like that? Okay, so guys, come back here tomorrow because we're going to be doing the first of two days as we delve into one of my favorite parts of the entire Bible and we're going to be delving into beautiful outlaw, where we talk about Jesus's fierce intention. Don't miss the next two days.

Speaker 1: 7:02

Thank you for listening to today's episode Before you go. If you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp.