Today we come to one of the most fascinating times in the history of the kingdom of Judah, an amazing king who does amazing things by the power of an amazing God.

But first we take a look at King Ahaz who ruled from 731-715 BC. In 2 Kings 16:2-3 we read that Ahaz did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the ways of other kings, even sacrificing his son in the fire.

King Ahaz
    ⁃    Finds himself under attack by Pekah and Rezin
    ⁃    Discovers there is a price to pay when you turn your back on the Living God
    ⁃    Seeks help from the Assyrians – Assyria was a massive growing super power.
    ⁃    Then God brings a rebuke through the prophet Isaiah (a most effective and influential prophet) but Ahaz refuses to listen.
    ⁃    Ahaz continues to turn away from God and desecrated the Temple of God as he continues to rebel against God.
    ⁃    His rebellion brings sadness and tragedy and he continues to suffer military attacks.

During Ahaz’s reign in Judah, we read in 2 Kings 17:5-6 that Israel is defeated by the Assyrians after a 3 year siege.

At the end of Ahaz’s reign we see that in spite of the faithlessness of God’s people, God remains faithful.  The next king of Judah is one of the best. King Hezekiah is Ahaz’s son and Hezakiah rules 715-686 BC.

King Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Kings 18:3.  

King Hezekiah
    ⁃    In the first month of the first year of his reign he had the Temple cleansed. 2 Chronicles 29:3-5
    ⁃    Then Hezekiah holds a national Passover celebration inviting all of Israel and Judah. They had a 2 week Passover celebration. 2 Chronicles 30:1.
    ⁃    Hezekiah destroys the sacred stones, high places and Asherah poles and also brakes into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had used to God’s glory but that had become an idol of the Israelites who had been burning incense to it. 2 Kings 18:4 
    ⁃    Hezekiah is facing the enemy of Assyria as they are coming to conquer Jerusalem and so in 2 Kings 20:20 we read that he built a tunnel and a pool. In the 1880’s the Siloam Inscription was discovered. It tells the story of the building of the tunnel. Hezekiah built this tunnel to ensure there would be water when under siege by the Assyrian army by diverting the Gehon spring into Jerusalem leaving no fresh water available to the Assyrian army. 
    ⁃    Then the siege begins against Jerusalem. 2 Kings 18:28-29 the king’s commander, speaking in Hebrew, calls out that the king of Assyria says that Hezekiah has deceived you because he will not be able to deliver you from me and my army. The king of Assyria is trying to get the people in Jerusalem to just give up.
    ⁃    Then Hezekiah prays a beautiful prayer – 2 Kings 19:15-16 and God listens and the King of Assyria is defeated by God Himself. 2 Kings 19:35-36. The Assyrians withdraw and return to Nineveh and the siege is ended.
    ⁃    Then Hezekiah becomes very ill to the point of death. Isaiah comes to Hezekiah to tell him to put his house in order. Hezekiah weeps and prays and God sees Hezekiah’s tears and hears his prayer and God heals him. 2 Kings 20:1-5 
    ⁃    Hezekiah is visited by the Babylonians, a rising power that will ultimately defeat the Assyrians. 2 Kings 20:13 we read of Hezekiah being tempted by pride. The prophet Isaiah then brings a word to Hezekiah telling him that everything you just showed off to the Babylonians will be taken by Babylonians. Hezekiah repents.
    ⁃    The prophets Micah and Isaiah were very active during Hezekiah’s reign.
    ⁃    Hezekiah was one of the greatest kings the nation had ever known. 2 Kings 18:5-6 tells us that Hezekiah trusted the Lord, that there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, both before and after him, that Hezekiah held fast to the Lord and did not stop following God and that he kept the commands of the Lord.

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We begin by looking at John the Baptist. Matthew 3:1-2 and 5-6 tells us.  “In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”

Pastor shares a personal visit to the Jordan River with pics of the area.

As our story continues we see John calling out to the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to the Jordan River to see what he was doing. He tells them that they need to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. What John is saying is that when they truly turn to the Living God, it will change them, that their attitude, behavior and thought patterns will be radically transformed. 

John goes on in verse 11 of chapter 3 to say, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John’s message was repent. His message was that the Messiah they had been waiting for was coming. He says that the Messiah will baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire, the fire of judgement. 

People were drawn to John the Baptist because he spoke the truth in love. He wasn’t the only one that talked about repentance.

The Call to Repentance
    ⁃    John the Baptist – Matthew 3:2
    ⁃    Jesus Christ the Messiah – Matthew 4:17
    ⁃    Apostle Peter – Acts 2:38
    ⁃    Apostle Paul – Acts 17:30
    ⁃    Holy Bible – 2 Peter 3:9

Repent means to:
Change your mind
Change your attitude
Change your thoughts
Change your direction
Turn around – do a 180

Repentance IS important.

Who needs Repentance?
    ⁃    Isn’t this the punchline to a joke? – No. Jesus says in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, we will all perish. Jesus considers repentance to be absolutely essential.
    ⁃    Isn’t repentance just for bad people? – this depends on how you translate the word bad. The point of comparison is not against people, it is against a holy God. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Matthew 21:31 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”
    ⁃    This isn’t for religious people, is it?  Jesus continues in Matthew 21:32 “For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.” Repentance is for ALL people especially the religious. This teaching brings anger and bitterness from the religious because it exposes them for what they really are not and for what they show to others.
    ⁃    Isn’t this Old Testament teaching? Yes, but it is also New Testament teaching as seen earlier in this message. 
    ⁃    Surely Christians don’t need to repent? From Jesus we read a series of seven epistles in Revelation. In Revelation chapters 2 & 3 Jesus says the word “repent” 7 times.

Martin Luther said in Thesis 1: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ (Mt 4:17), he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance”.

If you find yourself rebelling against what you are hearing today – we encourage you to hear the rest of the story.

What is True Repentance
    1.    I am a Sinner – when I recognize this then I understand that
    2.    I need a Savior – turning to the only one who can save us. We are all sinners and we need a Savior. Without Him we are lost forever and it calls us to say
    3.    I trust in Christ alone – because the Living God stepped into this world, living a life of perfect obedience and willing went to the cross to pay for rebellion and sin and the one who rose victorious of death. Jesus is that Savior. We are called by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to trust in the redemption found only in Jesus and then to say
    4.    I will live for Him – repentance changes the way we think, the way we look at God and look others and the world, it changes the way we turn to the Living God and hang onto the Lord Jesus who is our Savior and Deliverer and seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit to live a life of faith, obedience, joy and peace, power in Him.
This true repentance.

Although the call to repent may sound scary, the gift of God through repentance is the greatest joy any one can know in this world and the life of the world to come.

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Join Pastor Dodge for Bible in Year 2026 Come join Pastor by video in the teaching classroom as together we journey through the Bible in a Year 2026! The Bible in a Year class takes a walk through the Bible from cover to cover. Maybe the Bible seems old and dry, and maybe yours has been sitting on the shelf collecting dust, but we will help you discover that your Bible is actually God’s Word and it is alive and active and has the power to impact lives.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn something new about old familiar stories and to see Jesus from Genesis to Revelation.  We will explore the history, timelines and geography of each book along with recent archeological discoveries. We will uncover truths and promises that change lives still today. Expect surprising insights and spiritual growth as we journey through each book of the Old and New Testaments and along the way we will discover that we have a very intentional God who desires personal relationship with each one of us. Make this the year you commit to read the Bible from beginning to end – we offer a weekly teaching video and podcast along with a one year reading plan and a study guide for each book of the Bible.

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The Gospel of John Week 23
Scripture: John 18.

Our story begins with Jesus in the Garden and soldiers, high priests, and Judas come to the garden carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus goes out to meet them asking, “Who is it you want?” Clearly showing who’s in charge. Something we will see Jesus repeat in the next hours.

Jesus is in charge and He’s always been in charge and that is a take home for us in our own lives as well. He’s in charge! He’s the Lord. Jesus knows all that is going to happen to Him. He’s shared that with His disciples, though they will not fully understand until Jesus’ resurrection. He is not blindsided by this group coming to the Garden. This is the reason He came, and this is the purpose for which He has come to carry out His work.

Then Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest, cutting off his right ear. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away – and Jesus says, Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” Jesus knows what’s coming and is willing to go through with it all because it is the Father’s desire and the Son always obeys the Father.

Pastor delves into the personality of Peter and how we will see him go from cutting off the ear of this man, to denying he knows Jesus, to going on to become a powerful evangelist. And yet Peter was flawed, we are all flawed individuals. The Lord still used Peter. He transformed Peter and He transforms us and this story is a reminder that Jesus uses us, too.

As we return to our story we know Jesus is in control but He willingly allows His hands to be bound. Jesus is willing to go all the way to the cross for us. He is then taken to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 

Pastor shares some info on the recent discovery of an ossuary, bone box, belonging to Caiaphas and also some other archeological discoveries including a palatial mansion that may possibly be one of the locations where Jesus was tried. Pastor also reads some fascinating information from Eusebius’ History of the Church and puts together some interesting pieces of historical evidence to help bring light to all that John is telling us.

Now our story moves into Peter’s first denial of knowing Jesus. Followed by Peter’s second and third denial of knowing Jesus. And then we read that at that very moment the rooster crowed. And Peter suddenly remembers what he has done and what Jesus had said.

There is a contentious conversation, verses 19-24, “the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.”

From Caiaphas Jesus was taken to the palace of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. It is now early morning. Pastor shares the logistics of getting Jesus there and the possible location of the praetorium, the governor’s house. Pastor shares on the map the possible locations of this home.

Jesus is brought before Pilate in verse 29 and Pilate asks what charges are being brought against Jesus, thus opening a court proceeding.

Pastor shares interesting historical information about Jewish executions (stoning to death) and Roman executions (crucifixion), and what they were like. He shares the history of how the Romans, in the early first century, took away from the Jewish high priests and from the Sanhedrin, the right to convict and punish in capital cases and how the Romans demanded that they be the ones to carry that out. So this is why Jesus was crucified, and not stoned.

Pilate then begins his questioning of Jesus and they have an in-depth conversation during which Jesus says, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Pilate replies, “What is truth?” 

We live in a society where people are still asking that same question. And the answer is still the same. Jesus is Truth. The truth sets us free!

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

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Our story picks up with Joash (the hidden royal) being brought forth at the age of seven and hailed as the king of Judah followed by the death of Athaliah. Peace reigns in Judah as we see over 100 years of four fairly “good” kings reigning in Judah from 835-731 B.C. These kings started well but didn’t always finish well: Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah and Jotham.

King Joash
    ⁃    Takes the kingship at age 7
    ⁃    Jehoiada, the High Priest, is Joash’s mentor, advisor and instructor
    ⁃    Spiritual reformation was taking place across Judah as Joash starts out so well with Jehoiada as his advisor –  until Jehoiada’s death
    ⁃    Joash then gets new advisors (2 Chronicles 24:17-18) and they led him astray, worshiping idols and God’s anger came.
    ⁃    Zechariah is the High Priest after Jehoiada. Zechariah was Jehoiada’s son. He tells Joash and his new advisors of their sin against God, so they plot to kill him. 2 Chronicles 24:20. Zechariah is stoned to death.
    ⁃    Hazael is victorious in bottles over Judah
    ⁃    Then Joash’s assignation follows

Amaziah 
    ⁃    Amaziah is Joash’s son – Amaziah starts well but doesn’t finish well, following the pattern of his father.
    ⁃    Mercenaries come from Israel
    ⁃    Amaziah is given victory as he acts on the words of God through a prophet.  2 Chronicles 25:9 
    ⁃    But then Amaziah brings idols back from that victory. 2 Chronicles 25:15. Again a prophet comes to Amaziah to warn him, but this time Amaziah doesn’t listen. 
    ⁃    He is then defeated by Jehoash, king of Israel and he too is assassinated.

King Uzziah (also known as Azariah)
    ⁃    Uzziah is Amaziah’s son. 2 Chronicles 26:4-5 tells that he had godly counsel and as long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
    ⁃    He was an extremely capable king
    ⁃    Ruled for 52 years
    ⁃    In Israel, Jeroboam II was ruling. Uzziah and Jeroboam II expanded both nations to the original size of the kingdom at the time of David and Solomon.
    ⁃    New prophets arise during the reign of Jeroboam II and Uzziah: Jonah, Amos, Hosea and Isaiah
    ⁃    Their kingdoms experienced the glory days of David and Solomon
    ⁃    But then Uzziah does not finish well. His pride went to his head and he usurped the role of the priests in burning the incense and immediately gets leprosy.  2 Chronicles 26:16-17

King Jotham
    ⁃    Uziah’s son, Jotham becomes king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 27:2. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but the people, however, continued their corrupt practices.
    ⁃    Battle with the Ammonites – Godly king who is victorious over the Ammonites. 2 Chronicles 27:6
    ⁃    Prosperity & Spiritual decline begins. The renewal did not spread throughout all the people. 
    ⁃    We see the growing power of their enemy in Assyria

Next week our story continues with the rise of the power of the Assyrians.

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View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

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Check out this episode!