Relevant Jesus

After Jesus' birth, Torah required that his family take him to the Temple in Jerusalem. They get more than they bargained for, as they suddenly find themselves connecting deeply with Israel's prophetic past. How does Jesus fit within those ancient traditions? Tune in to find out.

Now we get to Jesus' birth, but there is more going on than meets the eye. Jesus is born in an insignificant part of the Roman Empire under the rule of Caesar Augustus, and as its turns out, Luke commits treason by writing about Jesus' birth. Listen in to see how Jesus is the reality of which Caesar Augustus is the parody.

Since the announcements of the births of John and Jesus are told in parallel, it makes sense that their birth narratives would do the same. We also get two songs, one from Mary and one from Zechariah, both foreshadowing things to come. At the end of this episode the stage is set for Jesus' birth, where all hell breaks loose. Except, it's the exact opposite: Heaven reinvades Earth.

In this episode, we explore the parallels between the announcements of Jesus' and John's births while also noticing the polarities. Mary is young, wise, and humble, while Elizabeth is old and Zechariah doubts. Between the two children-to-be, we begin to move toward the big event: the birth of the Savior. However, things are never quite as they seem.

Digging in to the Gospel of Luke. Who is Theophilus?

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.

Jesus tells us a parable about workers in a vineyard. Simple enough. But it turns out that we find almost the exact same parable told by a Rabbi…with the exact opposite meaning. What is Jesus doing here?

We occasionally talk about the “Mark of the Beast” as some kind of impending destruction for Christians today. The reality is that the mark meant some of the earliest Christians had some impossibly tough choices to make about who they were and how they were going to interact in a hostile environment. With that in mind, it is important to ask: Where do we fit into this complicated issue?

On the surface, this story seems to follow the typical “Jesus beats Satan” plot. But Mark gives us a very important detail which tells us that the story isn’t entirely about the story. Listen in to find out what that detail is, and what it meant for the early Christians.

On the surface, this story seems to follow the typical “Jesus beats Satan” plot. But Mark gives us a very important detail which tells us that the story isn’t entirely about the story. Listen in to find out what that detail is, and what it meant for the early Christians.

The people from Jesus’ home town miss out on so much because they couldn’t see past the ordinary. What do we miss for the same reason?

Explaining and expounding on the parables of Jesus for a post modern, post Christian culture.