Wednesday in the Word

This episode examines Matthew's account of Jesus' birth and tackles a question that puzzles many Bible readers: What did Matthew mean when he said Jesus "fulfilled" Isaiah's prophecy about a virgin bearing a son? We explore how Matthew uses Old Testament quotations, why Joseph's role was crucial to Jesus' identity as Messiah, and what "God with us" really meant to Isaiah's original audience. This is not your typical Christmas story retelling. We're going to wrestle with the interpretive challenges that make this passage both fascinating and sometimes confusing.

In this week's episode, we explore:

• Why Joseph almost divorced Mary and how his obedience secured Jesus' legal claim to David's throne
• What "fulfill" actually means in Matthew's Gospel (hint: it's not always predictive prophecy)
• The debate over Isaiah 7:14 and whether Isaiah was predicting the virgin birth or describing something in his own time
• How the name "Immanuel" connects to Isaiah's message about the coming Messiah in chapters 7 through 9
• Why Matthew quotes the Old Testament four times in his birth narrative and what he expects his Jewish audience to understand
• The role of dreams in Joseph's story and why Matthew emphasizes them
• Two different ways to interpret "fulfillment" and how this changes how we read Matthew's use of Scripture

After listening to this episode, you'll understand why Matthew's birth narrative is more theologically sophisticated than it first appears. You'll be able to explain how "fulfillment" can mean both predictive prophecy and thematic culmination. You'll see Joseph not as a background character but as a faithful man whose choices had eternal consequences. 

Most importantly, you'll gain tools for reading Old Testament prophecy more carefully and thoughtfully, avoiding both the mistake of dismissing Matthew's quotations as proof-texting and the mistake of forcing every Old Testament passage into a single predictive mold. Whether you're teaching this passage, defending it against critics, or simply trying to understand it better, this episode will equip you with clarity and confidence.

Series: Gospel of Matthew: Behold, the King!

Matthew opens his gospel not with a miracle or a parable, but with a long list of names—and in this episode, Krisan shows why that “boring” genealogy is actually a powerful proclamation about who Jesus is. By tracing Jesus as “son of Abraham, son of David,” Matthew is announcing that all of God’s ancient promises—to bless the nations and to establish an everlasting king—find their fulfillment in this one man.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy and what that signals to his original Jewish audience
• God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and how “all the families of the earth” are meant to be blessed through their descendants
• The covenant with David and the promise of an eternal throne that will one day bring justice, peace, and life to the whole world
• How Matthew’s three sets of fourteen generations (from Abraham to David, David to the exile, and the exile to Christ) tell a miniature story of redemptive history
• Why David is counted twice, why some names are omitted, and how that fits ancient genealogical practices rather than contradicting them
• How Matthew’s genealogy (through Joseph) and Luke’s genealogy (likely through Mary) work together to show Jesus as both legal heir and physical descendant of David
• The significance of the women in the genealogy—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and “the wife of Uriah”—and what their stories reveal about God’s grace and purposes
• How New Testament writers like Paul also connect Jesus to Abraham and David, confirming Matthew’s central claim about Jesus’ identity

After listening, you’ll see Matthew’s list of names with fresh eyes. You’ll understand how this genealogy is not a dry record but a theological announcement: Jesus is the long-awaited Christ, the promised son of Abraham and son of David, through whom God will bless the nations and restore His world.

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold, the King!

Matthew’s Gospel has shaped Western culture and Christian faith more than many realize—but Matthew didn’t write a slogan book; he wrote a carefully crafted story to show us who Jesus is, what He did, and why it matters. In this introductory episode, Krisan sets the stage for the whole series on Matthew by exploring the author, the structure of the gospel, and how we should approach studying it as modern readers who want to understand, not just quote, Scripture.

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Who Matthew was—his background as a tax collector, his likely audience, and what early church tradition says about his life
• Why the question of authorship and dating matters (and how scholars and early church fathers differ on which gospel came first)
• How Matthew’s Gospel compares to John’s, especially in how each one portrays Jesus’ relationship with Jerusalem
• The two-part structure of Matthew: ministry in Galilee and the journey to Jerusalem, climaxing in Jesus’ death and resurrection
• The five major teaching sections (discourses) in Matthew, including the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse
• What makes a gospel different from a modern biography and why it’s better understood as “historical theology”
• Practical principles for studying any gospel: paying attention to context, geography, literary forms, and the author’s purpose
• Why the gospels are first and foremost about Jesus—not about us—and how that changes the questions we bring to the text
• How familiar sayings from Matthew (“Love your enemies,” “Render to Caesar,” “Do unto others…”) point us back to the authority of the risen Christ (Matthew 28:18)

After listening, you’ll have a clearer sense of what Matthew is doing as an author and how his gospel is organized, so you can follow the story of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem with insight and expectation. You’ll be equipped with tools to read the gospel more thoughtfully and encouraged to approach Matthew not just as a collection of famous verses, but as a unified witness to the One who has “all authority in heaven and on earth.”

Series: Matthew’s Gospel 1-7: Behold the King!

As citizens of God's kingdom, we ought to reflect our holy king. This is what citizenship in the kingdom of God looks like.

The King redeems His people from Egypt. At Mt Sinai, He explains what it means to be His people. At end of Exodus, He is dwelling with them.