This week we discuss the story of Jesus' escape to Egypt, the murder of the innocents, and the return from Egypt. It is not a story we commonly preach about, but we see how Matthew points toward the fulfillment of God’s saving purpose even in these events. This foreshadows the conflict that even the birth of Jesus provoked, and would ultimately lead to his death on the cross.

This week we talk about Luke’s story of Jesus’ birth, the announcement to the shepherds, and the significance for understanding Jesus. We also talk about Calvin and his approach to the Gospels in general, as well as his interpretation of our passage. Finally, we talk about some of the themes from the passage that could be used for preaching on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This week we discuss Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth as Messiah, Son of David, Savior, and Immanuel. We also talk about Calvin’s approach to the Genealogy of Matthew and the story of Jesus’ birth. Finally, we discuss the themes of Matthew’s story of Jesus’ birth.

This week we discuss the passage where Jesus responds to John’s question about his identity in terms of what he was teaching and doing as an indication that he was indeed the Messiah. We also talk about how John Calvin treats John the Baptist through his own interpretive lens. We conclude by talking about hermeneutical lenses and how we use them to understand Scripture.

This week we return to broadcasting a new episode, and we take a look at Matthew’s treatment of John the Baptist, who is portrayed in the First Gospel as a prophet of impending judgment. We discuss several themes that Calvin brought up in connection with John the Baptist, including his approach to the relationship between the Gospel and the Prophets, John’s demand for repentance, how his ministry relates to sacramental theology. and the “enemies of Christ.” We wrap up with a discussion of how this passage fits the theme of peace for the second Sunday of Advent.

This week we are re-broadcasting a final “best of Listen for the Word” episode as we gear up for Year C on Matthew. In our podcast we discuss the end of Jesus’ discourse on the coming of the Son of Man in Luke’s Gospel. We also discuss how this passage was interpreted during the Reformation and particularly a woodcut depicting the alignment of the planets in 1524 as a tumultuous event. Finally, we talk about how to approach this passage from the perspective of Advent.

This week we are re-broadcasting another “best of Listen for the Word” episode as we gear up for Year C on Matthew. In our podcast we discuss Luke’s account of Jesus trials, sentence, and crucifixion. What we find is that Luke’s account is unique in comparison with Mark’s version from last year. Luke consistently portrays Jesus as an innocent man wrongfully condemned to death, who remains faithful to God to the very end. We also discuss the Reformer’s views on the various details of the narrative, that came from their unique context. Finally, we discuss the question of whether the Gospel account is “anti-Semitic.”

This week we are re-broadcasting a “best of Listen for the Word” episode as we gear up for Year C on Matthew. In our podcast we discuss the beginning of what is known as the “Apocalyptic Discourse,” where Jesus speaks about the coming destruction of the Temple, as well as the signs of the coming of the “Son of Man.” We also discuss the various ways apocalyptic thinking affected the church through the middle ages and the reformation up to today, particularly in the form of dispensationalism.

This week we at Jesus' conflict with the Jewish religious leaders, especially the Sadducees' question about the resurrection. Jesus responds by affirming God's character as the God of the living. We discuss the ways the Reformers dealt with this passage, especially focusing on the law and the importance of resurrection. Finally, we discuss the difficulties with trying to understand this passage.

This week we take a look at the story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus, in which Luke provides a kind of final summary of Jesus’ mission to “seek out and to save the lost,” which as the story illustrates, includes even the most despised of the despised. We also discuss the Reformers’ views about God’s freedom to save anyone, as well as questions about Zacchaeus’ spiritual condition prior to this encounter. Finally, we talk about how to get away from the image of Zacchaeus as a character from a children’s story and finding a way to hear how important it is to Luke’s overall message that “salvation” comes even to him.