Explore with us one of the most bizarre Bible characters in the New Testament. John the Baptist was born into privilege but threw it all away to be an ascetic hermit. What would make him do this and how is it connected to the Historical Jesus? John the Baptist was born to status, rose to fame, fought with kings, spoke truth to power, and won the hearts of the people. Aside from Jesus, John may well be the most impactful person in the whole New Testament. In this episode, we are going to take a good long look at how John was a key figure in establishing the success of Jesus.  About Vinnie & Jon: Vinnie is a full-time Ordained Pastor at Solid Rock Church in Arlington. He is happily married to TinaLynn with an eight-year-old son, Jose. In addition to family life, pastoring, and working on a decorate at Fuller Seminary, Vinnie shares the Gospel, and his passion to equip others with the power of Jesus in numerous interactive ways through www.SimplyVinnie.com Jonathan graciously agreed to join Vinnie as of Season 2 of Simply Devotion. Jonathan is a full-time follower of Jesus, committed to helping people discover a deep, passionate, and spirited relationship with the Savior. He is currently a Bible teacher at a private school in the Orlando area but has also served as an ordained minister for almost a decade in local churches. Jonathan completed his undergraduate degree at Southern Adventist University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary on the campus of Andrews University. He is currently completing a Doctor of Ministry degree with an emphasis in Ministry to Emerging Generations from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Jonathan is married to the love of his life, Raisel Martin, and has two elementary-aged children, Railyn and Josiah. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys reading, writing, painting, globetrotting, and instigating arguments on social media.Twitter: pastor_jmartinTik Tok @DoctorProfessorPJ  About Seasons Two: While season 1 is still in the archives, for those who want to review it, each season of this podcast is a little be different than the last. Last season I (Pastor Vinnie) focused on mostly stand-alone topics. I had occasional guests yet, I was the main presenter. This season we are changing things up. Our focus for this full season is the historical Jesus; including his culture, people, political situation, and geographical footprint. I am joined by Jonathan Martin who is my new co-host for the season! It is all about seeking Jesus on deeper theological levels.  Social Media Connections: Find us @  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blogs | TikTok Check out my blogs, articles, and spiritual growth material @ www.SimplyVinnie.com  All background music is used with permission from the following sources:  purple-planet.com  soundstripe.com Additional featuring music used by permission of Solidrocksda.com and Pastor Vinnie.  (c) 2020 – 2025