Episodes
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 186b: Joy Comes in the Morning!
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Mary Magdalene's blinding despair and confusion are turned to blessed joy unspeakable!
Think of this: Mary wept for the wrong reason; she wept because she found the tomb empty. The fact is, because the tomb WAS empty, she had every reason to be rejoicing! THE SAME IS TRUE FOR YOU AND ME!
THIS will be one of your favorite lessons! It will fill your cup to over-flowing with joy, love, hope, and true comfort!
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
NOTE: Correction to this message - replace Katherine's words about "Thursday evening" with "Wednesday evening". To understand this change, listen to podcast message entitled, "Passion Week Chronology".
There was so much activity taking place at the Lord's EMPTY tomb early Sunday morning, it is difficult to get the sequence all put together, but it is explained very clearly in this study - and in a very exciting manner! Bible critics who claim inconsistencies in the accounts of the four gospel authors are addressed and easily answered!
This is a fascinating lesson! It is informative in many ways; even humorous in the way the differences between women and men are demonstrated! Did you know it was a group of three women who first announced the full Gospel message - the death, burial, and resurrection! To whom did they make that announcement? The Apostles. What was their reaction? Disbelief. In fact, they thought the women were full of delirious wild talk! How ironic that when they publicly shared the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost, they were accused of being drunk! We should not be surprised when people to whom we share the Good News of salvation in Christ think we are narrow-minded, non-woke, backwoods, ignorant fools - should we? It has always been that way! Nonetheless, the Truth is the Truth and we sow the seed and leave the response of "the soil" to the Lord!
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 184c: Sunday Morning Wonder!
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
In this study "Sunday Morning Wonder!" we discuss: (1) the astonishment of the Roman guard at the tomb, (2) the amazing tombstone angel (you can't help but love this guy), (3) the arrival of the women and their conversation about how they would move the giant stone to the tomb when they got there, and (4) the incorrect assumption made by the extremely distraught Mary Magdalene, who figured someone had stolen the Lord's body. It is exciting to travel back in time with us and picture the reaction and responses of the various people just mentioned when faced with the supernatural! One thing is clear: nobody was expecting the third-day resurrection, despite how many times Jesus predicted it.
Interesting to know is that all four gospel accounts mention the condition of the morning sky ("yet dark," " began to dawn," "very early in the morning," and "rising of the sun"), and they together symbolically picture the salvation experience! Here's a question for you, "Who first heard the news that Christ had risen"? This lesson will help you get the Sunday morning chronology of events straightened out in your mind.
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 185a: The Resurrection Announced
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it, there would be no Christian faith: ". . . if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain . . . and ye are yet in your sins". Of all the major world religions, only four are based on personalities instead of philosophical propositions. Of the billions who are Jews, Buddhists, or Muslims, no one claims that their founder came out his grave in a resurrected, glorified body. Christianity alone makes that claim for Jesus Christ, and for a valid reason: because it is true.
In these messages on "The Resurrection of Christ," we give repeated reasons for its truth from Scripture, logical reasoning, post-resurrection historical circumstances, and absolutely changed lives. The women disciples of Christ were the first people in the world to hear and share the marvelous message of His resurrection, and that is a wonderful compensation for the mess Eve began!
Learn, too, about the appearances, messages, and various locations of what we call "the tomb stone angel," "the tomb shelf angel," and "the two standing angels". The angels gave confirmation of the reality of Christ's resurrection in two ways: He fulfilled His own predictions about a third-day resurrection, and the empty tomb ("Come, see the place where the Lord lay" (Matthew 28:6). The women were to compare what they SAW inside that tomb with what the had HEARD from the Lord's own lips - and when they put those two things together . . . BINGO! They believed, and their sorrow was turned to joy, just as the Lord promised (John 16:20)!
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS HEARING THIS LESSON! Not only do we discuss some of the early Resurrection Sunday morning activities at the tomb, but then we get into a deep discussion about what the Lord's soul was doing while His body rested! What exactly did Peter refer to when he wrote that Christ "preached unto the spirits in prison" (I Peter 3:19)? Does this mean unsaved, dead people in Hades were given a second chance for salvation? Who exactly were "the spirits"? What is the Greek word for "preached" (it's not what you might think)? How is this passage connected to some horrific demonic activity that took place before the Flood (Genesis 6)? Did the Lord's body see corruption in the tomb? A LOT of INFORMATION you may never have heard explained before!
In this lesson, we discuss the astonishment of the guard over the tomb, the angel of the tomb, and the arrival of the women at the tomb (to further anoint the Lord's wrapped body with spices). There was a lot of activity at the tomb on that day, and it is only by putting together the accounts of all four gospels (which this study does) that we can learn the proper sequence of events (often not presented correctly).
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Friday Feb 09, 2024
Learn of the post-death actions of several women who remained at the crucifixion site of Christ until He gave up His spirit. Learn, too, of the tender post-death acts of two very prominent religious rulers (Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who boldly emerged from his secret discipleship).
In the early morning hours of the "high day" Sabbath, the chief priests joined with the Pharisees in a further attempt to discredit and destroy the name of Jesus. He was dead, but they still were not satisfied. They were so concerned about His continuing influence, they held an illegal Sabbath meeting and decided to again solicit the help of Pontius Pilate. They wanted to make sure the Lord's followers did not turn His death into something even greater than His life had been. Ha! That was an impossible venture on their part! Find out the extent they went to make sure the tomb was sealed tight (interesting how they did that) and well-guarded - and how all their foolish efforts only backfired on them to be used as further evidence of the reality of Christ's Resurrection!
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 182: Responses to Christ’s Death {It is Finished XII}
Monday Feb 05, 2024
Monday Feb 05, 2024
After the Lord Jesus commended His spirit into His Father's hands, there was immediately a series of four responses. There was God's response by way of three miraculous phenomena: (1) the Temple Veil Tore from top to bottom (SO MUCH SIGNIFICANCE), (2) the earth quaked (HEAVEN'S "AMEN" TO CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK), and (3) certain select graves were opened (FOR THOSE INSIDE TO COME FORTH, LIKE LAZARUS, ON RESURRECTION SUNDAY AFTER CHRIST AROSE). These were amazing miracles to testify of the magnitude of what had just been completed by Christ on the cross - redemption for sin!!!
Did you realize there were SEVEN CALVARY-related MIRACLES? Can you name them?
Also discussed in this lesson are three more reactions; human reactions: (1) a Roman centurion expresses belief in Jesus as "the Son of God" (the penitent thief, a Jew, and the centurion, a Gentile, were cross-work "fruit" and witnesses of Christ's saving power); (2) the watching multitude were full of fear over all they witnessed. In fact, they beat their breasts, which was a sign of fear and conviction of sin (good sign). (3) The third human response came from the group of faithful women disciples of Christ who had remained at the crucifixion site (although "afar off") throughout His Passion. They were confused and, needless to say, in deep grief. ALL WOULD CHANGE FOR THEM (and for US) in just a few more days! Halleluiah!
This study in written form is found in our "Caldwell Commentary" series - "Life of Christ Vol. 8" (available through www.scripturetruth.com).
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 181b: The Victor’s Death {It is Finished Part XI}
Friday Feb 02, 2024
Friday Feb 02, 2024
In the first part of this lesson (see Lesson #181a), we discussed "The Victor's Declaration" (John 19:30a); we conclude with this lesson on "The Victor's Death". Included in this great, great study is a look at Christ's final (of seven) cross saying, which, as the first saying, was a prayer. It was significant, not only because it was His last word before He died, but because His use of the term, "Father," tells us He was back in communion/fellowship with His heavenly Father! The "cup" He had been given to drink was fully drained; the storm of God's wrath upon the sins of the world was spent. All was calm. The darkness lifted. The Lord quoted one more verse of Scripture (Psalm 31:5) when He said in a loud voice, "Father, into Thine hand I commit My spirit". He had willingly delivered His body into the hands of His enemies; He now voluntarily delivered His spirit into the hands of His Father.
Discover a number of evidences that NOBODY TOOK CHRIST'S LIFE; HE LAID IT DOWN HIS OWN WAY and ON HIS OWN TIME SCHEDULE (which was exactly the time of day when the Passover lambs were be slain - 3:00 p.m.). Much "meat" for the spiritually hungry in this two-part study!
This lesson is given in written form in "The Caldwell Commentary" book entitled "The Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 181a: The Victor’s Declaration {It is Finished X}
Monday Jan 29, 2024
Monday Jan 29, 2024
For a number of lessons prior to this one, we have been looking at the apparent "tragedy" of Calvary, but, with this lesson, we turn to the reality of the situation: it was a victorious triumph! To the unbelieving world, it seems as though Jesus of Nazareth was the victim of a cruel, but unplanned (by Him) crucifixion. The truth is so very different. Jesus (the Saviour promised the world since Genesis 3:15) was both the Designer and Orchestrater of the entire out-working of events and circumstances that led to Calvary! Everything that took place before, during, and after Calvary was accomplished in absolute accordance with and submission to His Father's will - for His glory and for mankind's good. It was also all prophesied by God, through multiple Old Testament prophets, and was fulfilled to every tiny detail. Calvary was anything but unplanned!
Learn all about the Victor's declaration, "It is Finished!" He did not say, "I am finished," for the fact is it was just the beginning of many new things for Him and for those who put their faith in Him! "Tetelestai" (the Greek word for "It is finished") was not the tragic cry of a victim at all. It was the triumphant shout of a Victor!!! It was the declarative statement of the Eternal Son of God to the entire universe that the redemptive work He came to do on earth for man was accomplished! This means there is not a thing you or I can DO to "help" Jesus "get us saved". The only thing needful is for a person to rest, by faith, in the completed, accomplished, totally performed and "done deal" work of Christ. IT IS FINISHED! Alleluiah; Amen!
The entire Gospel of Christ is essentially wrapped up in that one powerful Greek word, "Tetelestai," my favorite word in the Bible, other than the name above every name, Jesus!
This lesson (with Homework Questions) is found in written form in "The Caldwell Commentary" series "Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).
Sunday Jan 28, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 180: The Ninth Hour Thirst {It is Finished IX}
Sunday Jan 28, 2024
Sunday Jan 28, 2024
"The Ninth Hour Thirst" - Matthew 27:47-49; Mark 15:35, 36; John 19:28, 29. This lesson is divided into three parts: The Devious Deception, The Divine Desire, and The Davidic Drink. Learn of a centuries' long debate about the motive of those who said the Lord was crying out to Elijah when He said, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" ("My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?"). It is an interesting debate; likely the misunderstanding intentionally originated with Israel's religious rulers as a devious deception to maliciously mock Jesus.
There is a lengthy discussion in this lesson about the Lord's fifth saying from the cross, "I thirst". Find out why those words give evidence of His Humanity, but how the reason He spoke them gives evidence of His Deity!
Who was the last person to demonstrate a degree of compassion to the Lord Jesus? Find out! What are some of the obvious similarities between the Passover events concerning Christ's crucifixion and the original Passover of Moses' day? Again, find out (hint: darkness, hyssop, sacrificial Lamb).
This lesson in written form (with Homework Questions) is found in our "Caldwell Commentary" - "Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com). See also Amazon.com for other Caldwell Commentaries
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 179: The Sixth Hour Darkness {It is Finished VIII}
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
This lesson begins our discussion of the Lord's second three hours on the cross (from noon to 3:00 p.m., or was called the sixth to ninth hours). This time frame began with an eerie, mysterious darkness over the land, and an intense darkness over the Lord Himself as He was separated, for the first and only time ever, from fellowship with the Father.
What were God's reasons for the darkness that shrouded the suffering of His Son from human eyes for three hours?
If Jesus is Deity (and He is), then why would He ask why God had forsaken Him (His fourth saying from the cross)? Did He not know? Yes, He knew! In fact, His knowledge of that mandatory separation, when He literally became the curse of sin for us, was the whole reason for His agony in Gethsemane! Also, the preincarnate Christ answered His own question in the prophetic preview of His cross-work recorded in Psalm 22. Actually, by asking the question, He fulfilled yet one more Messianic prophecy!
One further point of interest: Jesus asked the question so the world would know He paid the FULL wages of death for our sin, which includes not only physical death, but also spiritual deathm (separation from God)!
Deep, theological lesson made easy to understand and to deepen faith and appreciation for "What Jesus Did for YOU" . . . and for me. Critical lesson for every believer; convicting lesson to use evangelistically with every non-believer.
This lesson in written form (with Homework Questions) is in our "Caldwell Commentary" series, "The Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
"Love: A Personal Concern" - John 19:25-27. John's gospel record of the crucifixion of Christ immediately ushers his readers from the Lord's foes to His friends! He is the only one of the four gospel authors to record Christ's third (of seven) saying from the cross, which was about His mother's care. To the end, the Lord Jesus obeyed the Law, for He honored His widowed mother by providing (as her eldest Son) for her future care. He not only obeyed the letter of the Law, He displayed the spirit of the Law, for He exhibited genuine love toward the woman who gave Him physical birth and an eternal home in her heart.
Ivor Powell (great Bible commentator) said if he were a woman, one of his favorite passages of Scripture would be John 19:25, 26. Why? Because, at the most critical time in Christ's life (as He hung on the cross to pay for the sins of the world), all but one Apostle had forsaken Him. Only young John was present at the cross However, there were four faithful women who had both the courage and love to stand with Jesus in the midst of widespread, open hostility and mockery. Find out who they were, as well as interesting information about each of them.
Was Mary, the mother of Jesus, still at the cross when He died? A lot of religious paintings would lead us to think so! Listen and hear what the Bible actually tells us!
This study is found in written form (with Homework Questions) in our "Caldwell Commentary" series, "Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com)
Find Katherine Caldwell Commentaries on Amazon.com
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
Tuesday Jan 23, 2024
The sub-title for this concluding lesson on our mini-series, "It is Finished" (What Jesus Did for You) is, "Faith: A Penitent Criminal". The conversion of one of the two thieves dying with the Lord is a wonderful demonstration of His triumphant victory over the wicked forces of Satan's principalities and powers even when He was seemingly at His weakest (He was really at His strongest). This is the true account of a sinner who experienced the transforming power of God's grace. There are some very significant doctrinal teachings that come to light in the Lord's promise to the penitent thief. What appears to be five short and simple verses (Luke 23:39-43) about a man's dying salvation are actually complex and packed full of deep, spiritual, and eternal truths regarding the Christian faith.
Did you know the thief's salvation was fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy? It was! Be surprised to learn where that prophecy was given.
Monday Jan 22, 2024
Monday Jan 22, 2024
The title of this fifth lesson of our "It is Finished" series concerning Christ's cross-work is "Hate: A Provoking Crowd". As Satan was in the very process of bruising the Saviour's heel (Genesis 3:15), he was also seeing to it that representatives of each First Century "people group" voiced hatred and scorn at his age-old enemy, God's Son (the One Who cast him like lightning from Heaven). The events of this lesson occurred during the Lord's first three hours on the cross, before it became eerily dark. The outline for this study is four-fold: (1) The Scoffer Passing By the Saviour, (2) The Sanhedrin Calling Down the Saviour, (3) The Soldiers Mocking Under the Saviour, and (4) The Sinners Hanging Next to the Saviour.
Please understand this truth: Many people erroneously think the crucifixion manifested the Lord's weakness. The total opposite is true! Christ crucified is the power of God (II Corinthians 13:4)!
This lesson in written form (with Homework Questions) is found in "The Caldwell Commentaries" - Life of Christ Vol. 8 (available through www.scripturetruth.com).
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 175b: The Crucifixion - Part I {It is Finished IV}
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
Sunday Jan 21, 2024
This is the continuation of Lesson 175a on the Lord's crucifixion. Repeatedly, throughout His earthly ministry, Christ's enemies sought to destroy Him, but they could not. HIS predetermined "hour" had not come. But finally it did, and their desires were granted by the will of God Himself. The Lord Jesus, Prince of Life, willingly yielded Himself into their hands. At any minute - even hanging nailed to a cross - He could have used His power to escape, but He did not. He was fully surrendered to carry through to completion His divinely ordained mission to redeem mankind. Regardless what it meant for Him personally by way of spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental anguish, He would drink the full, bitter cup of His Father's wrath and holy judgment against sin - for you and for me.
As in the first part of this two-part look at Christ's horrific crucifixion, we will see how Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled. Learn, too, who wrote the first Gospel tract and what it said. Also, did you know the Holy Spirit did NOT inspire any of the four gospel writers to record details about the Lord's actual crucifixion! Why do you think that is?
Saturday Jan 20, 2024
Life of Christ Lesson 175a: The Crucifixion - Part I {It is Finished III}
Saturday Jan 20, 2024
Saturday Jan 20, 2024
In-depth commentary/study books to ACCOMPANY EVERY STUDY on our podcast are available through Amazon.comuand scripturetruth.com Search under Katherine Caldwell Commentaries)
In this lesson, we engage in the unpleasant task of describing the suffering of the cruelest, most disgraceful death instrument depraved mankind ever invented. We discuss a four-point outline in this two-part study of "The Crucifixion": the Pain of Crucifixion, the Prayer of Christ ("Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"), the Parting of Clothing (a fulfillment of Psalm 22:18), and the Placard of the Cross.
Similar to the lack of any details recorded in the four gospels about the Lord's scourging by the Romans, we also find that none of the four divinely inspired authors wrote anything more about His crucifixion than simply to say, "they crucified Him" along with "two robbers". From the human perspective, we can assume Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John saw little reason to describe the horrors of crucifixion to their contemporary readers, for everyone in that day knew more about crucifixion than they wanted to know.
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Life of Christ Lesson 132: Olivet Discourse - Part II {Destruction of Jerusalem}
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
This second lesson from the greatest prophetic sermon (and the longest) by the greatest Prophet Who ever lived (the Lord Jesus) is Christ's answer to His disciples' first of two questions asked as they rested on the Mount of Olives on their return trip from Jerusalem to Bethany (where they spent the night with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary). The question had to do with when the destruction of the Temple would take place, which Jesus shocked His men by predicting on their way up the Mount.
The disciples had no idea of the coming destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70 by the Romans, much less that it would be a "mini-picture" of an even worse, end-times' desolation of the rebuilt Temple by the Antichrist to occur shortly before the return of Christ at His Second Coming.
In this lesson, we present the four interpretation views of this sermon (and the Book of Revelation), with seven valid reasons why this discourse (and Revelation) must refer to yet-future "end-times' events" and cannot solely apply to either the A.D. 70 destruction of Jerusalem or to events that have already taken place during the Church Age. This view is referred to as pre-millennialism. If you have no earthly idea what the differences are between amillennialism, post-millennialism, and pre-millennialism, this study makes it very simple to understand. Remember: it is very important to know why you believe what you believe and not just trust others to tell you what to believe! Examine the Scripture itself, for it is its own Interpreter!