Father Mike Schmitz hosts day 104 of The Bible in a Year podcast, reading from The Bible using The Great Adventure Bible timeline from Ascension Press. He covers John chapters 16-18 and Proverbs 6:12-15, focusing on Jesus' final discourse, high priestly prayer, arrest, and trial.

The episode explores Jesus' promise of tribulation alongside victory, his prayer for future believers, and the choice between truth and deception. Father Mike emphasizes how the crowd's preference for Barabbas over Jesus mirrors our tendency to choose false versions of God's love over the authentic relationship Christ offers.

Jesus Promises Tribulation But Victory Over the World

"In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world" - Jesus doesn't promise a pain-free life but ultimate victory

Jesus warns his followers will face the same treatment he received: "derision, humiliation, and the loss of everything except for his father"

The promise is clear: following Jesus brings what it brought him, including persecution and loss, but with the assurance of his triumph

The High Priestly Prayer Extends to Future Believers

Jesus prays not only for his immediate disciples but declares: "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word"

"You just heard today that Jesus himself praying for you because you are someone who has come to believe in him through the preaching of the apostles" - Father Mike

In his moment of greatest pain, Jesus was "thinking of you" and praying specifically for future believers who would hear the apostolic message

Pilate's Question Reveals the Age of Relativism

"What is truth?" - Pilate's question represents the relativistic mindset that claims "you have your truth and I have my truth"

Jesus counters relativism by declaring: "Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice" - claiming absolute truth rather than subjective interpretation

The contrast shows Jesus offering definitive truth while the world embraces relativistic uncertainty about fundamental questions

Choosing Barabbas Over Jesus: A Pattern We Repeat

The crowd chose Barabbas (meaning "son of the father") over Jesus, the true Son of the Father, representing a choice between authentic and counterfeit

"We reject the true Son of the Father for a distorted version of the Son of the Father" - this pattern continues today when we choose false substitutes

"Jesus, I know you love me, but I'm going to give my heart to something or someone that does not love me back" - Father Mike describes our tendency to choose Barabbas

Barabbas was "a robber" and "murderer" according to the Gospels, yet the people preferred him to the innocent Jesus

Peter's Denials and Human Weakness

Peter denied Jesus three times despite his earlier boldness, fulfilling Jesus' prediction and showing the weakness of even devoted disciples

The detail that "at once the cock crowed" emphasizes the precision of Jesus' foreknowledge and the reality of Peter's failure

Peter's sword attack on Malchus (cutting off his ear) showed misguided zeal, prompting Jesus to say: "Shall I not drink the chalice which the Father has given me?"