In this introduction to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we explore the themes, tension, and grace that innundate this 2,000 year old masterpiece.

After the healing at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus makes radical claims as to his relationship with the Father. This draws the rage of many in the crowd. What is it about Jesus' words that create such tension? 

How does Jesus' interaction with the man at the pool of Bethesda continue the flow of John's narrative, while providing the groundwork for his discourse with the religious leaders in chapter 5? What can we learn about the nature of the relationship between the Father and the Son?

What do we make of Jesus' exchange with the royal official at the end of John 4? How does working from the definition of faith in Hebrews 11 help clarify our interpretation of this interchange? 

What does Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well tell us about our Lord? How do the stories of Nicodemus and the woman at the well fit into the larger framework of John's gospel, Scripture, and history as a whole? 

Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3 is one that launches perhaps the most well-known Bible verse in all of Scripture. But the story of Nicodemus doesn't end in John 3. What vital truths can we mine out about Jesus' interaction with this religious leader? How does it press us to examine our own lives in light of these truths? 

What does Jesus' calling of the 12 say about Him, them, and the importance of the task they were to carry out? 

What was the crux of the message that Jesus preached as he emerged from the wilderness temptations? How does that press us deeper into examining the message that we share today? 

Jesus passed the test of temptation in the wilderness. How? Why was it essential that do so? What does this mean for us in Christ?

Why was Jesus baptized? What can learn about the Trinity from this passage? How should we understand our baptism in light of His?