Matthew 4:12-17, Luke 4:31-37 | Jesus settles in Capernaum and has the opportunity to speak at the synagogue, much like he did in Nazareth. The people notice something different about the way Jesus teaches. He teaches with “authority.” What does that mean? The authority of Jesus is so evident, even the demons have to point it out. “We know who you are!”

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John 5:25-39, Matthew 4:12 | Jesus isn’t mincing words when he speaks to the religious leaders after the healing at Bethesda. Not only is he making some astounding claims about himself, but he also casts their greatest hero, Moses, as their accuser. Add the fact that Jesus speaks of two resurrections and it’s a rip-roaring good time!

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John 5:8-24 | The Healing at Bethesda is a sign. That means it speaks to a bigger reality than just the event itself. What is Jesus telling us through this Sabbath healing? This one may hit close to home for many of us, and it’s important that we hear it loud and clear.

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Luke 4:23-29, John 5:1-13 | Jesus seems to be great at making people upset on the Sabbath day! Not only do we see the people of his own hometown assault him over his claims, but we also see Jesus get the man he just healed in trouble over carrying his mat on the Sabbath. What exactly is going on with the Sabbath here?

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Luke 4:20-22, Mark 6:1-6 | Jesus sat down in his hometown synagogue to deliver the message based on Isaiah 61 and dropped a truth bomb bigger than anyone could have possibly expected. “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The better we understand Isaiah 61, the better we can appreciate the size of that explosion. Brace yourself!

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Luke 4:14-16 | What was it like for Jesus to come home to Nazareth? In order for the events of Jesus’ return to make sense to us, it’s helpful for us to have a sense of the town and what Jesus’ history likely was there. Who lived in Nazareth? What did people think of Jesus there? What did it mean for Jesus to be asked to read from the prophet Isaiah? “…and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him…”

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John 4:27-54 | Imagine being Jesus’ disciples, having left your exhausted Rabbi at a Samaritan well, only to return and find him talking with a Samaritan woman. He really shouldn’t be doing that. What do you say? What Jesus says in response is deep and powerful, not only for the disciples, but also for us.

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John 4:1-26 | It doesn’t get too much more socially awkward than a Jewish man meeting alone with a Samaritan woman at a public well. Despite the awkwardness and the woman’s many attempts to shoo him away, Jesus sends a message to her and all non-Jews that this Jewish Messiah had come to transform their lives too.

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John 3:16-4:4 | It’s the most famous verse in the Bible. John 3:16. Who speaks these amazing words and what do they mean? What is “eternal life?” This episode explores these topics and more. We see John the Baptist referring to himself as the “friend of the bridegroom,” and we get our first look at the Samaritans, as Jesus takes the dramatic left turn toward Samaria.

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John 3:4-15 | In the last episode, we learned that Nicodemus is no lightweight. He and Jesus are having a deep conversation about entrance into God’s Kingdom. Regardless, Jesus is still disappointed. He’s connecting the Old Testament dots that reveal his own work of salvation and Nicodemus doesn’t get it. Even more when Jesus says that the bronze serpent on the pole points to him! Look in faith and be healed.

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