This is the second of five sessions on this DVD. This next session focuses on Jesus leading the disciples and showing them how to live. It begins by showing us the Northern Temple to Caesar. King Herod (the one from the Christmas story) built 3 temples to Caesar. The Northern Temple cast a shadow on the road to Damascus (the road Paul was blinded on). This temple brings up a topic in the fore front of many disciples’ minds. Do we pay taxes to Caesar or at the time of Jesus, Tiberius son of Caesar? This is because Caesar was seen as a god. And in the Greek the term taxes was more like tribute. They were asking Jesus: do we pay tribute/respect to Tiberius?
Jesus first asked, “Who has a coin?” and then with the coin in hand he asked, “Whose image is on the coin?” The coin had a picture of Tiberius and the inscription on the coin read: “A worshiped son of a worshiped God.” Jesus said to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. Caesar is not God, but his coin says he is. This might not mean much to us today, but this is what got a lot of the disciples killed. Because they will accept all things about Caesar except that he is God.
Jesus takes the disciples to Eremos Topos which in the Greek means “a solitary or uninhabited place.” He went here to pray and worship God. Jesus told the disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee and go to Bethsaida. As they did this Jesus went to the hillside to pray. The disciples eventually hit a storm and Jesus watched them all night. At the fourth night which probably means 4 am He went out on the water. Jesus walked by and they thought it was a ghost. But then someone says no it is Jesus and Peter asks to walk on the water towards Jesus. Peter got out of the boat so he could be like his rabbi.
If you want to follow a rabbi you have to get out of the boat. Jesus began to sink. Jesus pulls him up and says, “Oh ye of little faith why do you doubt?” Peter not only loses confidence in Jesus, but primarily Peter lost confidence in who he is as a disciple. If we are going to be disciples it is not only the passion and the confidence to be what he called us to be. It is also a belief that we can be who Jesus wants us to be. I have had enough of staying in the boat. Whoever is in Jesus must walk as Jesus walked.
Discipleship is:
-knowing the text
-knowing the Rabbi
-being in community
-having the passion
-it is wanting to be like Jesus more than anything else in the world and knowing that he believes in you.
The disciples were then sent to cities like Scythopolis like I mentioned earlier: a place with running water, a university, and theatres. The disciples went from their small village on the sea of Galilee to this great city because the great city was missing something. It was missing something very important and that is what the disciples had to offer. They had Jesus to give this big city and He is better than running water or a theatre.
Tell me that doesn’t impress you. We are often impressed by what people can do i.e. the pyramids, the Eifel tower, and the Dragster at Cedar Pointe. But we walk right past the beautiful mountain God made to see the pyramids or some building made by man. We live in Scythopolis a place with running water, sewage system, and entertainment everywhere. And the world view in a place like Scythopolis is that it is all about fame, being successful, big houses, riches, and there is no room for God. Do not get caught in that world view. Do not let it drive you.
Let God be your drive and show the Scythopolises of the world what they are missing!!
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