In the Beginning Was the Word

On this program, Michael Horton talks with producer Shane Rosenthal about the plans they have in store for the coming year. In particular, they’ll introduce the new year-long series that they are planning for 2019 on The Gospel of John. This new series will focus on reading this gospel in its original first century Jewish […]

If you pay close attention to the details of the fourth Gospel, you’ll notice that words such as testimony, witness, judgment, and truth appear quite frequently throughout this text. And this has led various scholars to conclude that the basic underlying structure of this Gospel is actually that of trial narrative. Though Jesus was rejected […]

Scholars frequently claim that John is the latest and most idealized of all the Gospels. Its picture of Jesus, they say, represents the beliefs of late first century Christians, rather than actual historical events. But is this view consistent with the evidence? What if it could be demonstrated that the author of this text was […]

There was a time in which Judaism & Christianity had many more beliefs in common. As it turns out, many ancient Jews before the time of Christ actually expected the coming of a divine messiah who would appear in bodily form in order to atone for sin and accomplish redemption. In fact, some Jews even […]

On this edition of the program we’re continuing our discussion of John’s opening prologue and will unpack the significance of verse 14, as the Word becomes flesh and “pitches his tent” among us. Just as God’s glory resided in Israel’s ancient tabernacle, so too John witnesses the glory of the incarnate Word who dwells in […]

If the Gospel of John is seen as a kind of “trial narrative,” then John the Baptist is the first witness who is called to testify on Christ’s behalf. And John’s declaration is perhaps a little different from what many today might expect. For example, he doesn’t point to Jesus saying, “Behold your best friend […]

If you ask people today what they think the Bible is about, you’ll probably be told that it’s a collection of morality tales that encourages people to behave. Even many of those raised in Christian homes tend to think of Scripture primarily as a helpful guide that tries to steer us in the right direction. […]

On this episode in our series on the Gospel of John, we find ourselves at the wedding of Cana as Jesus turns water into wine. Though some have attempted to argue that Jesus actually turned water into grape juice, the implications of this passage are unmistakably clear. So what is the point being made here […]

Was the Fourth Gospel written by John the Apostle, or a mysterious figure known as John the Elder? And was this text penned before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., or some time later? Is there a conservative trend in the world of New Testament scholarship? On this edition of the program, Shane Rosenthal […]

In John chapter 2, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem during the festival of Passover and drives the money-changers out of the temple. But who were the money-changers, and why was their presence at this sacred site so offensive? In the other Gospels, the cleansing of the temple takes place during Jesus’ final week, so how are […]

Although we live in a busy society, God invites us to come away and rest. Throughout the Bible, we see Jesus withdraw from the crowd to spend time with his Father. Although he is fully God, Jesus was fully man, too, which means he had limits like ours.

Nobody really knows what to do with the Sabbath anymore. A frequent point of contention between Jesus and that group of ultra-religious elites was what was lawful or unlawful to do on the Sabbath. Even a quick perusal of the Gospels reveals how common this conflict was. From healing the man with a withered hand […]

Jesus is baptized, receives the Holy Spirit, and immediately crosses the Jordan and enters the wilderness outside of Israel to be tested for forty days. The story of Jesus’s temptation is an Israel-shaped story. By sojourning in the wilderness and embodying the story of Israel, Jesus shows us that he is the true and faithful Son of God.

This presentation analyzes the crisis of justification in today’s church, tracing its biblical foundations, reformational clarity, and modern challenges.