Ben Wilson

No one comes to the Father except through me. And again, we're kind of used to this stuff, so much so that it might strike us as unremarkable. But imagine Caesar or Napoleon saying this. I am the way and the truth and the life. You have to hate everyone else in your life and come and follow me. I think you would recognize it.

for like the radical message that is i am the way come follow me and um and so yes it's radical i don't necessarily mean that as a bad thing though like he believes what he's saying so much that he's willing to ask this of people demand it of them and so i think if you want to start a movement that's going to be successful You know, don't try and be Jesus if you're not Jesus.

for like the radical message that is i am the way come follow me and um and so yes it's radical i don't necessarily mean that as a bad thing though like he believes what he's saying so much that he's willing to ask this of people demand it of them and so i think if you want to start a movement that's going to be successful You know, don't try and be Jesus if you're not Jesus.

That's not what I'm saying. But what I am saying is that maybe you don't have to demand that much of a sacrifice that Jesus did, but you have to be willing to believe in what you're telling people so much that you are willing to demand sacrifices of them. And what you offer has to be so compelling that people are willing to make those types of sacrifices.

That's not what I'm saying. But what I am saying is that maybe you don't have to demand that much of a sacrifice that Jesus did, but you have to be willing to believe in what you're telling people so much that you are willing to demand sacrifices of them. And what you offer has to be so compelling that people are willing to make those types of sacrifices.

Well, Jesus is getting big enough now that he begins to attract the attention and the jealousy and disapproval of the Pharisees. I think this is competitive jealousy more than anything. They are both concerned about his unorthodox teaching and threatened by his popularity. It's interesting that there are relatively few examples of him arguing with the Sadducees.

Well, Jesus is getting big enough now that he begins to attract the attention and the jealousy and disapproval of the Pharisees. I think this is competitive jealousy more than anything. They are both concerned about his unorthodox teaching and threatened by his popularity. It's interesting that there are relatively few examples of him arguing with the Sadducees.

Again, remember the Sadducees are kind of the upper and upper middle class. These are the people who want to justify the rule of Herod and his dynasty who want to say like, actually, things are going pretty good. We're getting wealthy. There's a lot of trade. We have a temple like stuff is good. But the Pharisees are more like Jesus. They say the Messiah is coming. We need to be better.

Again, remember the Sadducees are kind of the upper and upper middle class. These are the people who want to justify the rule of Herod and his dynasty who want to say like, actually, things are going pretty good. We're getting wealthy. There's a lot of trade. We have a temple like stuff is good. But the Pharisees are more like Jesus. They say the Messiah is coming. We need to be better.

We need to be strictly obedient to all these commandments that we've received through the Mosaic law. And there's actually a lot of evidence that. Jesus kind of came from the Pharisee community. Some people may have actually considered him a Pharisee.

We need to be strictly obedient to all these commandments that we've received through the Mosaic law. And there's actually a lot of evidence that. Jesus kind of came from the Pharisee community. Some people may have actually considered him a Pharisee.

So when he's arguing with them, it's like arguing with cousins, like people who could be persuaded, people who believe a lot of the same things that you do. And so a lot of the Pharisees who hate Jesus hate him not so much for what he teaches. Although, yes, they are mad because he's teaching people to be obedient in a different way.

So when he's arguing with them, it's like arguing with cousins, like people who could be persuaded, people who believe a lot of the same things that you do. And so a lot of the Pharisees who hate Jesus hate him not so much for what he teaches. Although, yes, they are mad because he's teaching people to be obedient in a different way.

But also jealous because he's doing things that are similar to them, but he's much more popular than they are. So both the Pharisees and the Sadducees are upset with him because he's getting so popular. He's teaching these things. And the Jesus movement has to go somewhat underground for a bit. It says, quote, Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

But also jealous because he's doing things that are similar to them, but he's much more popular than they are. So both the Pharisees and the Sadducees are upset with him because he's getting so popular. He's teaching these things. And the Jesus movement has to go somewhat underground for a bit. It says, quote, Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence and great multitudes followed him and he healed them all and charged them that they should not make him known. And that charge, by the way, that they should not make him known is something you see time and time again in the gospels. He is always requesting people keep secret the things that they have seen and heard.

But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence and great multitudes followed him and he healed them all and charged them that they should not make him known. And that charge, by the way, that they should not make him known is something you see time and time again in the gospels. He is always requesting people keep secret the things that they have seen and heard.

I think that's another lesson for those trying to start a movement. Certain things, your most radical teachings, you need to keep secret at least until the appropriate time. So from this time out, Jesus starts to teach a lot more in a style which he's very well known, which is parables. A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

I think that's another lesson for those trying to start a movement. Certain things, your most radical teachings, you need to keep secret at least until the appropriate time. So from this time out, Jesus starts to teach a lot more in a style which he's very well known, which is parables. A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

So, for example, probably his two most famous parables are the prodigal son and the Good Samaritan.