At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew includes two phrases to emphasize to his Jewish/Hebrew audience how important Jesus Christ’s message is that follows. His wording also tells us, as we discussed last time, that what follows…

In this sermon we cover a number of key questions about the sermon on the mount, including: • How many “disciples” did Jesus have? How should we understand that term when it’s used in the Gospels? • Who is the…

In this ongoing series of studies on the Gospels, we examine the incident of Jesus and His disciples being accused of Sabbath-breaking for taking handfuls of grain as they walked through the fields on the Sabbath. What were the Pharisees'…

In our continuing series of studies on the Gospels, we now look at John 5:24-47, a continuation of Jesus Christ’s confrontation over the healing of a lame man on a Sabbath. In arguments loaded with deep theological meaning, Jesus defends…

In our continuing study of the Gospels, we examine John 5:16-23, which describes what happened after Jesus healed the lame man at the Bethesda Pool in Jerusalem. Some of the Jerusalem religious establishment, learning that Jesus has healed a man…

In this ongoing studies of the Gospels, we examine the criticisms that Jesus’ disciples weren’t fasting as others thought they should, what the parables of the old and new garments and old and new wineskins tell us about what it…

In this ongoing study of the Gospels, we examine the background of the Gospel of Matthew, including who the author was, how he wrote to prove that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah, and how the internal evidence shows that his…

Do the statements of Bible critics who dismiss the Gospels as real history hold up under scrutiny? In this follow-up to the previous sermon on undesigned coincidences, we take a quick walk through some of voluminous evidence from history and…

Are the Gospels authentic first-century eyewitness accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus? Bible critics don't think so, believing them to be fabrications written much later by unknown forgers. Is there a way for us to know which is…

In today's study, we cover Luke's introductory comments as to how he researched and wrote his Gospel, then cover the differences in the genealogies given by Luke and Matthew, pointing out how Matthew emphasizes the individuals foretold in Bible prophecy…

In this in-depth study of the Gospels, we first look at the theme Luke is building in chapters 4 and 5 of Jesus establishing and expanding His divine authority. We then look at the Gospel accounts of the paralyzed man…

This sermon in the continuing study on the Gospels examines cultural, historical, textual and archaeological insights into Jesus Christ's healing of Peter's mother-in-law, His traveling and teaching throughout synagogues in Galilee, and His healing of a man with leprosy. We…

In this installment of our studies on the Gospels, we look at the miraculous catch of fish that led to Peter, Andrew, James, and John forsaking all to follow Jesus Christ—but what exactly was the miracle and why did it…

In our continuing series of studies on the Gospels, we see that Bible prophecy foretold that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would appear and conduct His ministry in Galilee. But after being rejected at Nazareth, why did Jesus choose to center…

Most of Jesus Christ's ministry was centered around the Sea of Galilee. Galilee had a fascinating culture and history involving Jews, Israelites, pagans, religious zealots, fervent nationalists, pagans, Greeks, Romans and Herodians, and understanding that background adds whole new layers…

When Jesus returns to Galilee, two of the first incidents of His ministry are the healing of a nobleman's son and His rejection at the Nazareth synagogue. Understanding who this nobleman was and the locations involved adds an entirely different…

Why did Jesus, who has attracted a considerable following, leave Judea early in His ministry to go to Galilee? Clues from the four Gospels and the Jewish historian Josephus provide the answer. Traveling through Samaria, He met a woman at…

Early in Christ's ministry, He was visited by Nicodemus, a Pharisee and likely a member of the Sanhedrin who by reputation appears to have been a great teacher. He was puzzled when Jesus told him he must be "born again"—something…

In this message, we look at what's behind the priests and Levites being sent to question John the Baptizer, and what's behind his response. But overshadowing these events is the remarkable history of the location where these events occurred and…

Here we look at the cultural and archaeological background of Jesus' first miracle when He turned water into wine at a wedding. We next address four key questions to help us get the most out of our study of the…