So Mary and Joseph left for Bethlehem...

Episode nine explores the complexity of that Roman census and the names associatated with it. It also explores the ideas on WHEN and WHY Joseph would have been willing to make the trip to Bethlehem. As always, there are strange nuggets of legend and lore that amplify the Gospel account.

If Jesus shared no DNA with Joseph, then why did Matthew and Luke include him in the geneology lists? The answer: a promise had been made. In accepting Mary into his home, Joseph represented the sum of Biblical patriarchs who had also accepted the promise of the Christ. This episode examines the traditional marriage ceremony and looks closely at the choices Joseph made prior to leaving for Bethlehem.

Both Zecharias and Mary show that they have a "big picture" understanding of the role John and Jesus will play in the salvation of humanity.

Who's the other baby in the Nativity Scene? While most nativity scenes only show Jesus, John the Baptist would have been around during the same period.  Thirty years later, John connects with Jesus again at the Jordan River. Episode Six explores Gabriel's meaning when he tells Zacharias that the baby will connect to the Elijah prophecy.

Episode Five examines a few minor characters in the Christmas story--Zacharias, Elizabeth, Gabriel, and the strange baby, John.

Did Jesus have an aunt and uncle? How about cousins? Or did Mary and Joseph ever have more kids?  Episode Four jumps out of the Christmas story to explore some of the names that show up later in the narrative, especially "the other Mary" who is described as being the wife of Clopas. Never heard of Clopas before? Well, they knew who he was back in the 2nd century AD. 

In Episode Two, author Jason Willis compares the Gospel accounts of Mary with other accounts that have seeped into tradition. This episode will examine the location and implication of the "overshadowing" moment along with some insight into who Mary was and where she came from.

So what did a first century Jew expect when mentioning the Christ?

From the Samaritan woman at the well to King Herod in Jerusalem, it seems most folks not know knew a Christ was coming but had some pretty defined expectations. 

Episode Two of the Examinging Christmas Series will look at the Old Testament texts that helped define the views of the Christ. We'll also jump into the "big picture" purpose of the Christ, with a large part of the episode dedicated to the theory that Revelation 12 is a flashback explaining the cosmic conflict between Jesus and Satan. 

The first episode of Jason Lee Willis's study of the Christmas story looks at the BORING geneology lists, which feature four scandalous women with a common symbol...the Scarlet Thread. Besides looking at the reasons the two lists are different, Willis will examine why the lists bring up the Scarlet Thread and what it means for us.

There are a few strange circumstances involving the death of Moses.  How did he look so good at 120? What happened to his body? We will also look at his relationship with the Christ, especially a focus on the Transfiguration and the deeper meaning of Psalm 91