In this sermon we examine several key aspects of the political and religious background of the Gospels: How conditions in the Roman Empire established a climate in which the Messiah could come to start and build His Church and spread…

In this Bible class we examine the author, intended audience, purpose, structure and key elements of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

In today's study, we cover a number of key questions about the backgrounds to the Gospels, including: What exactly are "the Gospels" Why didn't Jesus Christ write His own Gospel? When were the Gospels written, and why is this important…

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…

Have you ever been misunderstood and had people talk about you behind your back? Have you ever waited for years to have your prayers answered? If so, welcome to the world of the faithful priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth…

The birth of Jesus Christ didn't happen at a random time in human history. Certain conditions had to be in place to allow this part of God's plan to be carried out. And when those conditions were met, God sent…

We continue into our study of the circumstances of the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, discussing Zechariah's praise and prophecy when John is named and Joseph's reaction on learning that his bride-to-be is expecting a child, and…

There's much more to the account in Luke 2:1-20 than meets the eye. What's the background behind the Roman census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem? Why were they living in Nazareth, far from their ancestral hometown? What are…

Today's class covers Luke 2:21-38—the circumcision of Jesus on the eighth day after birth and His presentation at the temple in Jerusalem when Simeon and Anna give some remarkable messages. There's much more to the stories when we dig into…

In this class we cover Matthew 2:1-23, the story of the visit of the wise men, Herod's murder of the infant boys of Bethlehem, and Joseph and Mary's sojourn to Egypt and return to settle in Galilee. We'll address who…

In this class on Luke 2:40-52, we cover Jesus' later childhood, including some of the myths of later spurious writings; the circumstances of Jesus' discussions with teachers at the temple at age 12; the educational system of Galilee and what…

In this class, we discuss one of the Bible's more intriguing personalities, John the Baptizer. Many have misconceptions about him, viewing him as some sort of wild man in the desert doing strange things, wearing strange clothing and eating strange…

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all describe John's prophecy that One would come who was much greater than he, following that with a description of the Messiah's coming judgment in a vivid picture of separating the wheat from…

In this study, we take an in-depth look at Satan's temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness. We look at the setting, the stakes involved, Jesus' actions that point us to Moses, Elijah and the Israelites' 40 years in the…

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…

What was the relationship of rabbis and disciples like in the first century? What did those terms mean? If we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to understand these things—or else we fail to understand what He's…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

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…

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…

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…

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 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 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 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 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…

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…