White Horse Inn

On this edition of the White Horse Inn, the hosts discuss how Christ is the primary subject of the book of Psalms. With special guest Dr. Robert Godfrey, this program also features our college student surveys concerning the basic message of Scripture (originally aired 12-18-05).

Especially at this time of the year, many people tend to think that the ultimate mission of the little baby Jesus was to inspire warm and sentimental feelings, or some vague ideal of peace on earth and goodwill towards men. But is this really what Christmas is all about? On this program, Michael Horton and Mike Brown join the panel as we conclude our series on the Fourth Gospel by taking a look at the way in which the mission and work of Israel’s messiah are presented throughout John’s narrative.

Why did Jesus refer to himself as the Son of Man? Did he ever specifically make the claim that he was God? Why did the world need “God in human flesh” to rescue us in the first place, and was this idea of a divine descent ever mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament? The hosts will address these questions and more as they discuss The Incarnation (originally aired 11-06-16).

As we’ve seen this year throughout our study of the Gospel of John, Jesus did not claim to be merely a helpful teacher or some kind of spiritual guru. Instead, he actually made very specific claims that identified him as the Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures—the great “I Am.” On this program, we’ll be taking a look at the numerous “I Am” statements that Jesus makes throughout the Fourth Gospel, and we’ll also show how each of these statements appears to be rooted in the language of God’s own self-declaration recorded in the Old Testament.

What is the significance of Jesus’ incarnation? On this program, the hosts answer this by examining the key New Testament texts that announce the birth of Christ and walk through numerous Old Testament prophecies in which these promises are rooted. Joining the panel once again to discuss this important topic is Nancy Guthrie, author of the excellent five-book series, Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament (originally aired 12-20-15).

The opening of John’s Gospel declares to us that “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then later in verse 14, we’re told that this same Word “became flesh and dwelt among us.” So why did John refer to Jesus as “the Word,” and what Old Testament themes and concepts was he alluding to? Over the next few programs, we’ll be summarizing many of the important issues that we’ve addressed in our year-long series through the Gospel of John. On this program, we’ll be focusing on Jesus’ identity as the incarnate Word.

Do we have any evidence about the existence of Jesus or the rise of Christianity from sources outside the New Testament? Is it true that passages about Jesus in the writings of Josephus have been proven to be fabrications? Joining the panel is historian Paul L. Maier, author of In The Fullness of Time and editor of Josephus: The Essential Works (originally aired 06-27-10).

Though most people throughout church history have assumed that the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John, as we’ve seen throughout our year-long study of this amazing text, this is actually an open question even among conservative scholars. On this special edition of the program, we’ll hear from Richard Bauckham who makes a case that the Fourth Gospel was written by someone known as “John the Elder.” Then D.A. Carson, Andreas Köstenberger, Craig Blomberg, and Lydia McGrew will present their arguments in favor of the traditional view.

A recent study conducted by Willow Creek Community Church discovered that the most committed among their church members were the most vocal about the lack of theological depth, and were among the most dissatisfied with the worship. Yet the conclusion to the report was that Willow Creek needs to do a better job encouraging their members to become "self-feeders." The hosts will discuss this report and offer some conclusions of their own on this edition of the White Horse Inn (originally aired 08-03-08).

In the second half of John chapter 21, Jesus turns to Peter three times and asks him, “Do you love me?” What’s the point he’s making, and how does it relate to events that have already transpired? How has John’s theological emphasis shifted as we’ve made the transition from the body of this narrative to the epilogue? The hosts will discuss these issues and more as they conclude the “verse-by-verse” portion of their year-long study of the Gospel of John.