Religious Leaders
025: A Friend of the Groom
As baptisms of Christ’s followers began to outpace those of John the Baptist, the religious leaders attempted to drive a wedge between the cousins by making John’s disciples envious. But John was overjoyed with Christ’s success and delighted in being a “friend of the groom.” Pastor Hollandsworth explains what John means and examines five humble statements made by John that should be the conviction of all believers.
023: Eaten Up with Zeal
Watching Jesus cast the money changers out of the temple must have been an astonishing sight, and it surely infuriated the religious leaders. Pastor Hollandsworth explains why Jesus takes this bold action immediately following His miracle of turning water to wine, describes the right response to anger, and makes application to disciples in the twenty-first century.
020: Behold the Lamb!
John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Pastor Hollandsworth details what the Jews of Jesus’ day were thinking when they heard this metaphor, and why it posed a problem in their psyche. He also explains why John is the quintessential example of what it means to confess Christ and how we can learn from His humble testimony.
018: The Man Who Needs No Baptism
Why did Jesus submit to John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, seeing that He never sinned? Pastor Hollandsworth answers this challenging question, explains why the Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism, and defines the three levels of Holy Spirit power.