2 Minute Disciple | Daily Faith Journey for Spiritual Growth - Episodes Tagged with “Encountering Jesus”

Episode 409: Truly Blind | John 9:28-41 | 2 Minute Disciple Podcast Ep. 205

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In Episode 205, we explore John 9:28-41 and the stunning conclusion to the story of the man born blind. The formerly blind man has been interrogated by the Pharisees, who are furious that he keeps defending Jesus. They curse him, claim their authority as disciples of Moses, and dismiss Jesus entirely: "We don't even know where this man comes from." But the formerly blind man responds with remarkable clarity and courage: "Why, that's very strange! He healed my eyes, and yet you don't know where he comes from? Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn't have done it." The Pharisees are enraged. "You were born a total sinner!" they say. And they throw him out of the synagogue—rejecting him, dismissing him, cutting him off from the religious community entirely. Through guided meditation, discover what happens next. Jesus hears what happened and seeks the man out. Not the other way around. Jesus finds him. And He asks a simple question: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man's answer is beautiful in its honesty: "Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him." He doesn't have all the theology yet. He doesn't have a complete understanding of who Jesus is. But he has the posture—open, willing, hungry. And that's enough for Jesus. "You have seen him," Jesus says. "And he is speaking to you." And the man worships. This episode traces the remarkable journey of this formerly blind man: blind beggar to healed man to rejected outcast to worshipper. His sight kept growing—from physical eyes to spiritual eyes to full recognition of who Jesus is. Each step of rejection and difficulty deepened his sight rather than diminishing it. Meanwhile, the Pharisees—certain they already see, confident in their knowledge and authority—are declared by Jesus to be completely blind. "You remain guilty because you claim you can see." Certainty has become their blindness. Their confidence in their own sight has closed their eyes to the truth standing right in front of them. Learn why certainty can be the enemy of sight and why the willingness to say "I want to believe—show me" is the beginning of truly seeing. Discover how Jesus seeks out the rejected and the outcast, finding those who have been thrown out by the religious establishment and offering them the fullest revelation of who He is. Find practical steps for tracing your own journey from blindness to sight to worship, and discover where you may be blind without knowing it. Experience how sight that doesn't lead to worship is incomplete, and let your open eyes lead you all the way to the feet of Jesus.

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Episode 401: Galilee, Really? | John 7:40-52 | 2 Minute Disciple Podcast Ep. 196

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In Episode 196, we explore John 7:40-52 and the tension between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him. The crowd in this passage knows about Jesus. They know the Scriptures. They know what the Messiah is supposed to be like. They know the prophecies. They can quote the law. They understand the theology perfectly. But knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus are two very different things. The crowd uses their knowledge to dismiss Jesus: "He's from Galilee. The Messiah comes from Bethlehem. This can't be Him." They're technically right about the Scriptures. But they're completely wrong about Jesus. They have information, but they don't have intimacy. They have facts, but they don't have faith. Through guided meditation, discover how the religious leaders are the perfect example of this danger. They know the Scriptures inside and out. They can cite chapter and verse. They understand the law perfectly. But Jesus looks at them and says they don't know the Father. They don't know God. All their knowledge has become a barrier to relationship. Their theological accuracy has become a substitute for intimate encounter. And then there's Nicodemus—a leader, educated, knowledgeable. But there's something different about him. He's willing to ask questions. He's willing to listen. He's willing to consider that maybe there's more to Jesus than what he already knows. He's not defending his knowledge; he's seeking to know. He's willing to be surprised and transformed. This episode explores the profound danger of substituting knowledge for relationship. You can know everything about Jesus and still not know Jesus. You can read the Bible, attend church, understand theology, quote Scripture, and still miss the whole point. Knowledge can become a substitute for relationship. Information can become a barrier to intimacy. Jesus isn't looking for people who know about Him. He's looking for people who know Him. He's not impressed by your theological accuracy. He's moved by your openness to Him. He's not looking for people who have all the answers. He's looking for people who are willing to encounter Him and be transformed by Him. The crowd thought they knew who Jesus was. They had their categories, their expectations, their understanding. And that knowledge kept them from truly meeting Him. Learn why the question isn't "Do you know about Jesus?" but rather "Do you know Jesus? Have you encountered Him? Have you let Him change you? Are you in relationship with Him, or just in agreement with information about Him?" Discover practical steps for moving from comfortable, familiar knowledge to fresh encounter. Find the freedom that comes from being willing to let Jesus surprise you, challenge you, and transform you—even if it means surrendering what you thought you already knew.

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Episode 398: What Do You Expect? | John 7:25-31 | 2 Minute Disciple Podcast Ep. 193

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

In Episode 193, we explore John 7:25-31 and how expectations shape what we're able to see. The crowd in Jerusalem is divided in their response to Jesus. Some people are confused and dismissive: "Isn't this the man they're trying to kill? How could he be the Messiah?" They have a specific expectation of what the Messiah will look like, and Jesus doesn't fit it. Why? Because they expect the Messiah to "simply appear" with no known origin—to come from nowhere, fully formed, obviously divine. But Jesus comes from Nazareth. He has a family. He has a hometown. He's too ordinary to be the Messiah—at least, that's what their expectations tell them. So they dismiss Him. But then there's another group looking at the same Jesus and seeing something completely different. They see the miracles. They see the teaching. They see the signs. And they say: "Would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?" Their expectations are shaped by what they're actually witnessing, not by what they think they should see. Through guided meditation, discover what Jesus says to the first group: "Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I'm not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don't know him." He's saying: You're right that you know my earthly origin. But you're missing the deeper truth. I come from God. I'm sent by God. Your expectations are too small. This episode explores how this principle applies to your life. We all come to Jesus with expectations. Some are shaped by Scripture. Some are shaped by our desires, our culture, our fears, our circumstances. And when Jesus doesn't match our expectations, we have a choice: we can dismiss Him, or we can expand our expectations. Maybe you expected Jesus to solve all your problems immediately. Maybe you expected Him to make you rich, famous, or comfortable. Maybe you expected Him to punish your enemies or validate your judgments. And when He doesn't, you're disappointed. But what if Jesus is better than what you expected? What if His way is wiser than your way? What if His timing is more perfect than your timing? What if His love is deeper than what you imagined? Learn how to examine your expectations of Jesus—where they come from and whether they're based on Scripture or on your own desires. Discover where Jesus has already surprised you by being better than you expected. Find the freedom that comes from releasing expectations that are too small and opening yourself to be surprised by who Jesus truly is and what He's actually doing in your life.

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