Hindsight and political expedience shaped the author of Matthew’s view of the Roman Empire.
Yeshua’s Immersion
The words of the heavenly voice that spoke at Jesus’ immersion foreshadowed the trajectory of Jesus’ career.
Yohanan the Immerser’s Execution
The story of John the Baptist’s martyrdom was rich with allusions to stories from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Yohanan the Immerser’s Eschatological Discourse
John the Baptist anticipated the coming of an Elijah-like priestly messiah who would purify the Temple on an eschatological Day of Atonement.
LOY Excursus: The Dates of the Synoptic Gospels
Reassessing the dates of the Synoptic Gospels in light of Lindsey’s hypothesis.
Yohanan the Immerser Demands Repentance
In Yohanan the Immerser Demands Repentance John the Baptist challenges his audience, which had gone through all the trouble of going out to the Jordan River to receive his baptism, to accept his even more important advice: to repent of their evil deeds and imitate the faithfulness of Abraham their father.
A Voice Crying
An examination of the Jewish setting of John the Baptist’s proclamation of an immersion of repentance for the release of Israel’s sin indebtedness.
Darnel Among the Wheat Parable
Is the Darnel Among the Wheat parable an allegory about eschatological events, or a lesson about God’s character?
Yeshua, His Mother and Brothers
Did Jesus reject his natural family in favor of a spiritual kinship, or did he pay Mary and his brothers the highest possible compliment?
Four Soils Interpretation
In the Four Soils interpretation Jesus explained the meaning of the imagery in the Four Soils parable.
Four Soils Parable
By not revealing what the Four Soils parable was about until its dramatic conclusion Jesus drew in his audience and held their attention, making them the very thing the parable urged them to be: good listeners.
Mustard Seed and Starter Dough Parables
Jesus used the Mustard Seed and Starter Dough parables to demonstrate that the Kingdom of Heaven is a living and active presence that is increasing within the realm of human experience.
Is Yeshua Superior to the Law? Reappraising the Antitheses in Matthew 5
The complete 2006 lecture is now accessible to JP users. View now!
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Increasing
An investigation of the possible Hebrew background of one of Jesus’ most difficult sayings.
Yohanan the Immerser’s Question
When John the Baptist asked Jesus, “Are you the Coming One?” did Jesus reply, “Yes, I am” or “No, I’m not”?
Friend In Need Simile
Is God asleep, oblivious to our prayers? Is he a grouch, unwilling to respond to our pleas? In the Friend in Need simile Jesus instructed his disciples that the grounds for confident prayer is the character of their good and trustworthy God.
Yeshua’s Discourse on Worry
In Yeshua’s Discourse on Worry Jesus confronted one of the most serious concerns of the disciples: how would their basic needs be met now that they had given up their possessions and livelihoods in order to itinerate full-time with Jesus?
Praying Like Gentiles
What can Jesus’ warnings against praying like Gentiles teach us about Jesus’ relationship to Second Temple Judaism and his attitude toward non-Jews?