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[SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Hello and welcome to the True Seekers podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: A true secret is someone who wants to know the truth.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They search for what's true and they won't rest until they find it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I am a true secret and if you are to, then you've come to the right place where we will search for truth each week in the stories of the Bible.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We'll welcome back to the Truth Seekers podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If you've been following along the you know we have been learning about the final week before Jesus death.

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[SPEAKER_00]: In our last episode we learned how Peter denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Just as Jesus had told Peter he would.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We learned that in the middle of the night the Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus and brought him before the high priest Caiaphas.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Many people had come forward who had been paid to lie about Jesus, because the Jewish leaders wanted to find Jesus guilty.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They cut Jesus on trial all night, endlessly questioning Him and accusing Him and mocking Him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then early in the morning, all the cheap priests in the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They did not, would not believe that Jesus was God's son.

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[SPEAKER_00]: To them, Jesus was committing blasphemy.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He was committing the worst crime possible to say that He was God Himself.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They would not believe it, even though all of the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets pointed to Jesus, even though Jesus had come and performed signs and wonders in their midst, their eyes were closed and their hearts were hardened.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So they bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to pilot the governor.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They would bring their accusations to the Roman governor pilot and let him put Jesus to death.

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[SPEAKER_00]: When Judas, who had betrayed him saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And he returned the 30 pieces of silver to the cheap priest on the elders.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I have sinned, he said.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Brian betrayed innocent blood.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Judas knew what he had done was wrong, he knew Jesus was innocent, but it was too late the leaders did not care.

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[SPEAKER_00]: What is that to us they replied?

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[SPEAKER_00]: That's your responsibility.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So Judas threw the money into the temple and left, then he went away and sadly, Judas hanged himself.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The cheap priest picked up the coins and said it is against the law to put this money into the treasury since it is blood money So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners That is why it has been called the field of blood to this day

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[SPEAKER_00]: then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled when he said they took the 30 pieces of silver the price set on him by the people of Israel and they used them to buy the pottersfield as the Lord commanded me.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Meanwhile, Jesus stood before the Roman governor of Judea and his name was Pontius Pilate, and the governor asked him, are you the king of the Jews?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Pilate was trying to figure out what this Jesus could have possibly done wrong.

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[SPEAKER_00]: You have said so, Jesus replied.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But when he had been accused by the chief priest in the elders, he had given no answer.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Then Pilate asked him, don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?

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[SPEAKER_00]: But Jesus may no reply, not even to a single charge, to the great amazement of the governor.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Now, it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.

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[SPEAKER_00]: One prisoner could go free of the crowds choosing.

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[SPEAKER_00]: At that time, they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Barabas.

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[SPEAKER_00]: So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them,

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[SPEAKER_00]: Which one do you want me to release to you?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Barabas?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Or Jesus who has called the Messiah?

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[SPEAKER_00]: For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: While Pilate was sitting on the judges seat, his wife sent him a message.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The message said, Do not have anything to do with that innocent man, Jesus.

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[SPEAKER_00]: For I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabas and to have Jesus executed.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Again, Pilate asked, which of the two do you want me to release to you?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Barabas, they answered, what shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Messiah, Pilate asked?

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[SPEAKER_00]: They all answered, crucify him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Why?

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[SPEAKER_00]: What crime has he committed, asked pilot?

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[SPEAKER_00]: But they all shouted all the loud or crucify him!

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[SPEAKER_00]: When pilot saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I am innocent of this man's blood, he said, it is your responsibility, all the people answered, his blood is on us and on our children, then he released Barabas to them, but he had Jesus flawed and handed him over to be crucified.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Then the soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And then they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.

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[SPEAKER_00]: they put a staff in his right hand, then they knelt in front of him and mocked him and made fun of him by saying, hey, oh, hey, all king of the Jews, they said, they laughed, they spent on him and they took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.

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[SPEAKER_00]: After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him, then they led him away to crucify him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: dear true seekers.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I know this was a hard story to hear.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I know it's hard to hear about Jesus suffering and what he went through.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And you may be thinking what truth can we possibly find in this story?

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[SPEAKER_00]: You may be thinking this is the hardest part of the Bible to read.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Yes it is, but we are true seekers and truth can be found in every part of God's Word.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Let me share some truths that we can find

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[SPEAKER_00]: The first truth we find is that Jesus was innocent, pilot new Jesus had done nothing wrong, yet Jesus was still punished, sometimes people suffer even when they've done the right thing, but God still sees the truth and God is just.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Even though we may not see the punishment of the wicked in this life, God has promised that there will be justice.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God does not turn a blind eye when injustice occurs.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We have to trust that He is good and He is just, and He will not let the wicked go unpunished.

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[SPEAKER_00]: In this story, Jesus knew He must suffer, even though He was innocent.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He knew it was all part of God's plan for salvation.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The second truth we find is that Jesus chose obedience.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus did not fight back or run away to great strength and courage for Jesus to not defend himself.

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[SPEAKER_00]: He knew he must obey his father and obedience meant to stay and accept the suffering that was about to come.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus trusted God's plan, even when it was painful.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The third truth we find is that the crowd made the wrong choice.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The people chose Barabas instead of Jesus.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Following the crowd isn't always the right thing.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God wants us to choose what is right, not what is popular.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The people did not know what they were saying.

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[SPEAKER_00]: They all began to chant Barabas, Barabas, even though they did not see the big picture.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We must be careful to not get swept away by our emotions or by what everyone else is doing.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes it is best to stay silent and listen and learn before speaking or following the crowd.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Another truth we find is that Jesus showed great strength through gentleness.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The guards mocked Jesus and treated him truly, but he remained calm.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Being strong doesn't always mean fighting back.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes real strength is staying gentle and obeying or heavenly father in doing what he asks us to do.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus knew that he was about to die as part of God's plan, and he knew that even the men that were mocking him and making fun of him would have a chance to ask for forgiveness and to accept God's salvation.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Another truth we find is that Jesus understands our pain.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus was embarrassed, hurt, and treated unfairly.

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[SPEAKER_00]: When we are hurt, or treated unkindly, Jesus understands exactly how that feels.

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[SPEAKER_00]: The Bible says that Jesus can sympathize with our sufferings because He suffered.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Isn't it comforting to know that Jesus can come alongside of us when we are hurting and give us comfort because He knows what it's like to suffer?

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[SPEAKER_00]: Finally, we learned that God can use even wrong choices for good.

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[SPEAKER_00]: People made sinful choices, but God's plan to save the world was still happening.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing could change God's plan.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God is bigger than our mistakes and can bring good out of heart things.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God never wastes anything.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God sees the end from the beginning, and even when we think life is a mess or things are too far gone, God can turn it around for his good.

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[SPEAKER_00]: God uses everything for his plan and his purpose when we surrender our lives and our hearts fully to him.

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[SPEAKER_00]: If you'd like to read today's story in your Bible, you can find it in Matthew chapter 27, Mark chapter 15 verses 1 through 15, Luke chapter 23 verses 1 through 25, and John chapter 18 verses 28 through 40.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Let me pray with you before we go.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We thank you that you had a plan.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We thank you that your Son, Jesus, knows what it means to walk through hard times and so therefore he can come alongside of us and comfort us in hard times as well.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus, we thank you that you gave us an example of what it looks like to obey and surrender to our Heavenly Father.

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[SPEAKER_00]: help us to obey even when we do not understand because we know obedience brings blessing.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Father, we thank you that you are in control, that you are good, and that you are just, and that you see the end from the beginning, that you know all things, and we can trust, that you have everything in the palm of your hands, that you have us in the palm of your hands,

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[SPEAKER_00]: Alright, I just have a couple shout-outs today.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I want to give a shout-out to Dunlap Mommy.

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[SPEAKER_00]: She says, we really like your podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We have started listening to it at breakfast every morning since discovering it.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We have tried several, and this one is our favorite.

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[SPEAKER_00]: We can't wait to hear more about our favorite stories, and that was signed Joey and Jamie.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you, Joey and Jamie.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I'm so glad that you have found the podcast and I love that you are listening to it at breakfast time.

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[SPEAKER_00]: What a great way to start the day.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, and this next one says, I have been a listener from the start.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Such a great podcast.

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[SPEAKER_00]: My favorite episode is the candy maker.

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[SPEAKER_00]: I rate this podcast five stars.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you for those full five stars, Izzy.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And she's referring to the Christmas episode about the story of the candy maker.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And that is a popular one, and that's one of my favorites, too.

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[SPEAKER_00]: All right, everyone.

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[SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you so much for joining me.

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[SPEAKER_00]: And I look forward to our time together.

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