During the time of Passover, a lamb was traditionally sacrificed in remembrance of God freeing His people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt. However, this Passover is unlike any other for a different lamb is now being led to the slaughter. In the previous episode, Jesus was sentenced to death by the Jewish authorities who needed Pilate to carry out the execution. Claudia, Pilate’s wife, has a dream and warns her husband against any involvement with the execution of Jesus. In order to elicit the desired response from Pilate, the temple authorities stir up the crowd, demanding that Jesus be crucified, knowing that fear of a rebellion will force Pilate’s hand. Pilate reluctantly agrees to the torture and crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus stumbles into the courtyard, hardly recognizable after being tortured, wearing a grotesque crown of thorns and blood drenched, tattered clothing. He willingly grabs hold of a roughly hewn cross, as if to embrace the pain and agony that is in store, and kisses the splintered wood. Rising to His feet, and hoisting the cross onto His shoulder, Jesus drags the heavy burden forward into the streets. People in the streets hurl insults and disgust at Jesus—the same people who welcomed Him into the city with cheers that very same week; “He was despised and rejected by mankind,” the prophet Isaiah foretells, “a man of suffering and familiar with pain, like one from whom men hide their faces.” Jesus is nailed to the cross and raised upright to hang from it. Hanging on crosses of their own, on each side of Jesus, are two criminals. The request made of Jesus by one comes as a surprise to the other. This one criminal has seen the true identity of Jesus in the face of their horrific fates. The sky grows dark. It is finished. Tune in now to experience Jesus’ journey to a fate not anticipated—interpreted by all as a failure of mission, yet beautifully exalted and redeemed by God. Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

The Bible: Son of God

Passion | 7

In episode 6 of the Bible Series Podcast, the sun rises over Jerusalem. The night before, Jesus shared his last meal with his disciples and tells them, to their shock and horror, that He will be killed. Their friend and fellow disciple, Judas, has betrayed Jesus to Jewish authorities that seek to appease the Roman government. With the sun heralding a new day, Passover begins. A time when the Jewish people celebrate deliverance from past oppressors, Passover has taken on a new significance with Jesus’ entrance into the Holy City. Due to the current oppression of the Jewish people by the Roman Empire and the whispers that Jesus could be the long-awaited Messiah, tensions are at an all-time high. A tradition that should accompany a time of reflection and thanksgiving to God has been marred by the long night before, with Jesus’ arrest and heated trial. Crowds gather outside in the temple courtyard, awaiting any news about Jesus following His arrest. Eventually, the door opens to reveal Jesus, weakened by a night of relentless abuse and covered in blood.  When the temple authorities announce Jesus’ sentence, the people are stunned. Judas, who is among the people in the crowd, becomes fully aware of the magnitude and implication of his actions. Peter, who is there as well, feels utter helplessness pervading his being: the story wasn’t supposed to end this way. Fear leads Peter to act in a way that causes shame to pour over him like liquid fire. Guilt pushes Judas to decide upon a final, resolute action in the face of his betrayal. Pontius Pilate, acting on behalf of the Roman government, makes a deal with the Jewish authorities and washes his hands of the conflict. In a flurry of chaos, Jesus’ fate is decided in an unlikely and horrifying manner. Tune in to episode 6 to encounter the political upheaval caused on this day, as well as the pain, confusion and sadness left in the wake of Jesus’ arrest and sentencing.  Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

Truth and Lies | 6

As Passover nears, the tension in Jerusalem continues to intensify. Fueled by Roman tyranny, violent mobs form. In response, Pontius Pilate summons the Jewish religious authorities for a meeting. Will the temple be closed and the Passover observation halted? Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Jesus gathers with his disciples for a meal. The tone of this meal undergoes an enormous shift when Jesus reveals to his disciples something that will cause them to question everything they have come to believe. Who is this Jesus, truly, and what has He come for? What will become of the disciples and everything Jesus has worked to achieve? Drawing parallels with the food and drink they share at the table, Jesus makes a prediction about His own fate shedding light on acts of secrecy and betrayal that are underway, perpetrated by one of their own—one of Jesus’ disciples and a fellow friend of the other disciples. Heartbroken and in disbelief, the disciples sit with Jesus and ponder what they have just learned. What Jesus is about to endure, none of them can begin to fathom. Listen now to enter into the mystery, fear, betrayal, pain and promise that characterized this unique Passover evening.  Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

Betrayal | 5

Travel along with Jesus and his disciples to Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, and the home of Lazarus, Jesus’ dear friend. As we arrive, we find Martha, Lazarus’ sister, waiting tearfully at the entrance of the village, where she delivers news that deeply moves Jesus: Lazarus has died. Angered, Martha and Mary—Lazarus’ other sister—believe that Jesus is too late; if he had come sooner, Lazarus would still be alive. Jesus’ response leaves those around him puzzled and skeptical, yet draws them into an opportunity to trust him for the miraculous. Watching anxiously, the two sisters reflect on their brother’s death four days ago. Where do the limits of Jesus’ supernatural power lie? Is there anything He can’t do? As the family of Lazarus and Jesus’ disciples watch in wonder and astonishment, Jesus does something that will, once again, reach the ears of Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, as well as Jesus’ plan to spend the quickly approaching Passover in the Holy City. Knowing that Jesus’ presence will gather great crowds during a time of outright political tension, posing a threat to the already precarious stability of Jerusalem, the Jewish High Priest concocts a plan to prevent any such occurrence. Yet, the Sunday before Passover, Jesus and his disciples ride into the city and receive a magnificent greeting from the people: surely Jesus will be their king, the disciples and the gathering people believe. Jewish authorities become increasingly nervous about Jesus and his popularity with the people.  To what lengths will religious and political forces go to prevent an uprising? Is there anyone who will recognize the greater significance of Jesus’ message? Listen now to experience Jesus’ proclamation of hope and the threat it poses to the different systems vying for control.   Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

The Chosen One | 4

Jesus’ popularity continues to spread around the region of Galilee, making it increasingly difficult to travel on foot. As a result, Jesus and his disciples often sail along the coast teaching and ministering. Upon reaching one particular shore they make their way up a hill to find an overwhelmingly large crowd gathered in the valley below. Upon seeing Jesus, the crowd stirs, desperate for a touch from God—desperate to see what this rabbi they have heard so much about will do next. But how long has this mass of people been waiting? They have come with hungry hearts, but what of their empty stomachs? With what will Jesus and His disciples feed this massive crowd when they only have the bare minimum at their disposal? What happens next is enough to rally the crowd, shifting their interpretation of Jesus’ ministry from traveling miracle-worker to the possibility of something entirely different: a king, liberator from the oppressive Roman rule. Tune into this episode to find out who Jesus truly is, and why simply being king in this specific moment of history falls so severely short of the good news He came to bring.  Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

Faith and Doubt | 3

Picking up where episode one left off, episode two brings the listener directly into the radical ministry of Jesus. For generations, the Pharisees—guardians of the Jewish faith—have guided the people of Israel. Deeply respected by the people, the Pharisees believe the wellbeing of the nation depends strictly on observing and upholding the laws given to Moses by God. What will happen when opposing opinions arise? What of the teachings of this young, wise rabbi who teaches of God’s love, forgiveness and power, not just His laws? Are the rumors about miracles of physical healings and deliverance true? And even more controversial, does Jesus have within Him the power to forgive sins? Join in the awe, wonder and scandal of the crowd as they behold a kind of revolution vastly different than what they have always anticipated, and check back for episode 3 coming soon! Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

Forgiveness | 2

We enter into the perilous and tangible religious and political tension of ancient Jerusalem. Now occupied by the Roman Empire, Jewish authorities struggle to navigate the balance between appeasing the cruel and brutal government, and squelching the Jewish people’s growing rebellion. As unrest simmers, faithful Jews cry out for the long-promised Messiah to free them from oppression. But it has been 400 years of silence from God—no word of hope, no message of freedom. Has God forgotten His people? Is John the Baptist—the fiery preacher in the wilderness—the prophet they have been waiting for? Or simply another agitator soon to be silenced by Roman rule? And what of the strange traveler from Nazareth asking for John to baptize him? Support us by supporting our sponsors: Audible - Get a 30-day free trial and your first audio book free when you visit them at Audible.com/Bible Ring - Get up to $150 off your ring pf security kit when you visit them at Ring.com/Bible Zip Recruiter - Try Zip Recruiter for free and learn howe to hire smarter when you visit ZipRecruiter.com/Bible

Change the World | 1

This compelling and powerful 7-episode podcast event will take you on the journey of Jesus’ life from his baptism, to his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. The Bible: Son of God premieres on March 13th.

Introducing The Bible Series: Son of God

Award winning producers, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, bring you the story of Jesus on audio! Experience his journey like never before through the voice of a master storyteller. Narrated by Roma Downey and scored by Hans Zimmer, this compelling and powerful 7-episode podcast event will take you on the journey of Jesus’ life from his baptism, to his teachings, crucifixion and ultimate resurrection.

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The Bible: Son of God

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