Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . "How Will This Be?" Mary asks the question of the angel,  “How will this be?”, when faced with a seemingly impossible and improbable situation. The answer was equally puzzling to this young woman! So she leaves Nazareth and heads for the hills to see Elizabeth, her older wiser relative (Luke 1). Why? She needs to talk and be heard. Fo...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction There are other servant girls in the Bible who play significant roles, like Naaman's (2 Kings 5:2-3) and Rhoda (Acts  12:13 ). Today we will look at the servant girl who exposed Simon Peter's cowardice--the time he was ashamed of Jesus. She is anonymous -- yet still important. The story is found in all four gospels. (Orde...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introductory For most people, this is far and away the best known reanimation in scripture. In the 7th reanimation podcast, Jesus raises a friend. I recorded an earlier podcast on Lazarus (NT Character Podcast 20). You might want to listen before or after today’s podcast. Hear also Christ Through the Ages, podcast 10 . As a result, in...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Text : John 8:2-11   Comments   Today's study is on a well-known passage, even though it is not in the original manuscripts of John's gospel. Still, it rings true, is of early origin, and is therefore is found in most Bibles. Few scholars doubt its authenticity, even if it was not originally in its present location in John. Sometimes...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Joseph of Arimathea in the N.T.:   Matt 27:57-60 Mark 15:43-46 Luke 23:50-53 John 19:38-42 What do we learn from Joseph? Take a stand: sometimes deeds speak more loudly than words. There may be times when our discipleship will be more public. Be invested emotionally and financially in your faith. Find strength in another believer (as...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Hebrews 11:35 The "Hall of Fame of Faith" of Hebrews 11 mentions a number of men and women by name, yet many persons are only alluded to (Hebrews 11:32-38). Some are known from Bible, others from extrabiblical sources. The courageous martyr who was sawn in two was Isaiah, who traditionally was executed by Manasseh (Martyrdom of Isaiah...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background information   This NT podcast but could just as easily be put into the OT category, since our character appears in both testaments. He lived under the tail end of the old covenant, as the kingdom of God was dawning. Family: married? father? how distant a cousin of Jesus? Levite (Exodus-Deuteronomy) - priestly class, charged...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction     The word magi Latin for Greek magos (plural magoi ) From it we get the word magician Persian, members of the priestly Zoroastrian religion, and almost certainly practitioners of astrology. Most scholars equate them with the sorcerers (Chaldeans) who served at the Babylonian court, as in Daniel 2. They are their spirit...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction Jesus chose twelve men from among his disciples to become apostles. The number twelve is symbolic and important; it signifies being chosen. God chose the twelve tribes of Israel to be His chosen people. So after Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, they needed to replace him in order for the number to be complete....

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction The word stephanos (crown) appears first in Homer--it's a good Greek name going back 8 centuries before Stephen's time. There seems to be no relation to the Stephanas of 1 Corinthians 1:16, 16:15,17. Stephen was the first martyr for Christ (after Jesus). Every week, a number of men and women are martyred for their faith i...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Leaders leave [[Campus minister secret sin atheist died alone Many leaders in my life it serving in other circles in which I moved involved in egregious sin or else gave up their faith altogether]] In scripture, we see that quite a few prominent leaders away from the path: OT: Korah, Saul, Ahab... (Numbers 16;1 Samuel 13; 1 Kings 16;...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The wife of Pilate Note: If you haven't yet listened to the podcast on Pontius Pilate, please do so now, as this will provide helpful background information so that you may better understand Claudia. What was it like to relocate because of your husband's career? What was it like to move to a distant land? What was it like to move wher...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The man A Roman, quite possibly Italian. Governor / prefect of Judea 26-36 AD. We can build a composite picture from the N.T., several extrabiblical references, and even archaeology: Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 3,13, 23; Acts 3, 4. 13; John 18, 19; [1 Tim 6]. The writings of Philo ( Embassy to Gaius ), Josephus ( Jewish War and History...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background Family of 10 or more: Parents: Yosef, Maria[m] Sons: Yeshua, Ya'akov, Yosef, Yehudah, Shim'on Daughters: 3 or more, all unnamed (see Genesis 5) Not a wealthy family (Luke 2:24; see Leviticus 5:7). Imagine what this family must have been like! The older sibling who always did what was right (!). The loss of the father early...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background There are at least 8 Simons in the Bible, not to mention several men named Simeon (a related name). Simon received the epithet Magus, which means magician / sorcerer. Technically speaking, a magus (pl. magi ) was a Zoroastrian astrologer. Whether or not this was Simon's religious background, he did make certain claims to es...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background The name derives from the name of the sun-god of the ancient Greeks (and Romans), Apollo. He was an Egyptian, and more specifically an Alexandrian. Alexandria was the intellectual capital of Egypt, Africa, and perhaps the entire Mediterranean world at the time. Founded in 331 BC by Alexander the Great, it became the capital...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background If you haven't listened to the podcast on Mary & Martha, it might be good to listen to that one before this lesson on Lazarus, as they're integrally related. He lives in Bethany (2 miles from Jerusalem), with his sisters; apparently there are no parents or children living in the home, but this surmise can never be proven. H...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background Martha (Aramaic) means something like "the lady." It comes from the masculine form for master, mar. Miriam, named after the sister of Moses, usually Mary in English, comes from the Hebrew for "bitter." Catholic tradition equates Mary with Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene), while in Orthodox and Protestant traditions these ar...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . The mystery of Barabbas' name Original pronunciation: Barabbás (accent on last syllable) Bar is Aramaic for son, and is found in names like Bartholomew, Bar-Jonah, Bartimaeus, Barsabbas, Barnabas Meaning of Barabbas Traditional view: this was the son of Abbas Another possibility: Bar-rabban (son of the rabbi) Either way, he must have...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Background Nicodemus is a Greek name, and means "people's victory." He was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Generally speaking, Israel's 6000 Pharisees were highly respected. Nicodemus should have been familiar with the concept of new birth and its connection with water (from the Torah, from the passages about the Messianic age...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Introduction: Women and Jesus He never belittles them. He interacts with them in all purity and respect. He notices them -- viewing them as subjects (persons) and not objects. They are neither sex objects nor servants nor "extras" on the set. They are precious to the Lord, and so should they be to us. He was willing to drink from the...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . This lesson covers the final 5 apostles -- previous podcasts covered the first 7 plus Paul. Note: While we covered Judas Iscariot, we did not discuss Matthias (Acts 1:13,26), who was Judas' replacement. Click here for more on this somewhat obscure addition to the apostolic band.   1. Matthew (Levi) Matthew is mentioned in Matthew 9:9...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Home, name, ministry Lived in Bethsaida (also the home town of Peter and Andrew). Likely a former disciple of John the Baptist. Listed fifth among the apostles. Named after father of Alexander the Great, Philip II of Macedon. His name means "horse-lover." Another piece of trivia: a philippic is any speech or discourse of bitter denunc...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Name Judas Thomas Transliteration of Aramaic te'oma' (Hebrew te'om ), Greek didymos These words mean "twin" The twin of Matthew (they are often mentioned together)? The twin of Jesus (Gnostic idea)? Highly doubtful. Apostleship Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:38; Luke 6:15; John 11:16, 14:5, 20:24-29, 21:2 ; Acts 1:13. Known for doubt, yet coura...

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website . Intro Judas is hardly the first traitor in the Bible. (For example, consider Joseph's brothers, Doeg, Absalom, and Ziba.) One of the closest parallels is Joab's betrayal (with a kiss) of Amasa (2 Samuel 20:1-13). Yet Judas is the most significant traitor in scripture. Name   Named after Judah, patriarch of the tribe of Jesus. Or he ma...