Opening Up the Gospels
A video series on the life of Jesus.
The life of Jesus as revealed by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is a precious treasure and testimony of God's faithfulness. For a large part of my life of faith, Jesus' story as told by the books we call the "Gospels" was not much more than a fairy tale to me. I realized my "relationship" with Jesus was sincere but had little substance to it beyond sentiment towards His work on the cross. I could spend hours telling you about my favorite TV shows, but I couldn't tell you much about the details of the life of the Promised One that humanity has longed for since the fall in Eden's garden.

Beginning in the summer of 2013 and finishing in the summer of 2017, I recorded short videos that chronologically walk through the Gospels to encourage others to "behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:29) and to "hear Him" (Matthew 17:5) - to look at the treasure of His life and to listen to His matchless words. I pray this contribution to the body of Messiah would help us to marvel at His "unsearchable riches" (Ephesians 3:8) and to help us "eagerly wait" (Hebrews 9:28) for His return to rule in Jerusalem.

This teaching series is called Opening Up the Gospels. There are 156 episodes, enough to watch one episode per week for three years straight. I hope these are edifying and strengthening to your faith in Jesus.
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Episodes

Episode 1 - Christianity and True Friendship

In this premiere episode of my weekly video series, Opening Up the Gospels, I talk about the first of four reasons why I'm doing a series on the life of Jesus as seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John instead of other hot topics like grace, prayer, or hell. I discuss what it means to… Read More »

Episode 2 - Distorted Versions of Jesus

In 2 Corinthians 11, the Apostle Paul warned of others who would come and preach "another Jesus" - a different version of Jesus than the glorious Jesus he had told them about. In this second episode of this series, I discuss the importance of the Gospels in knowing the Jesus of the Bible. If we… Read More »

Episode 3 - The Gospels and the End of the Age

All of human history is moving towards one ultimate end. Scripture tells us that a day is coming when every creature will acknowledge that Jesus is the LORD, the one true living God. The four Gospels give us more than just doctrine about the end of the age - they help us connect relationally with… Read More »

Episode 4 - The Gospels as God's Story

In the past 3 episodes of this series, I've discussed three reasons why I wanted to talk about the Gospels. However, the greatest reason why the four Gospels are important for us to know and treasure as Christians is because Jesus is the one true God. In this episode, I develop Paul's words in 2… Read More »

Episode 5 - Pondering the Life of Jesus, Part 1

When Jesus performed a miracle or taught with authority during His two-year ministry, the crowds were continually filled with awe and wonder. Our overfamiliarity with the stories often leaves us bored and disconnected instead of inciting similar feelings of awe and wonder. How does the life of Jesus move from being a fairy tale to… Read More »

Episode 6 - Pondering the Life of Jesus, Part 2

In episode 5 of Opening Up the Gospels, I introduced Biblical meditation and a prayerful pondering of Jesus' life as the way for His life and words to become more real to us. In this episode, I give some practical tips on meditation and how to dialogue with Him about His story. I also share… Read More »

Episode 7 - Introduction to Matthew's Gospel

Who wrote Matthew and when was it written? What are some of the key themes of Matthew's Gospel? In this episode of Opening Up the Gospels, I give a very brief overview of some of the important points we should understand as we seek to construct a chronological narrative of Jesus' life from the Gospels.… Read More »

Episode 8 - Introduction to Mark's Gospel

Mark is the shortest, most succinct, and most action-packed Gospel out of the four. In this episode, I cover Mark's author, the date it was written, and some of the major themes and literary style of the book. The most important point we should understand for the purpose of this series is that Mark is… Read More »

Episode 9 - Introduction to Luke's Gospel

Luke's Gospel is unique in so many ways - from the way he narrates Jesus' birth to the way he exclusively covers Jesus' ministry in Judea and Perea 6-8 months before the cross. In this episode, I cover Luke's author, the date it was written, and some of the major themes and literary style of… Read More »

Episode 10 - Introduction to John's Gospel

John's Gospel is perhaps the most unique one out of the four. In this episode, I cover John's author, the date it was written, and some of the major themes and literary style of the book. John narrates much of Jesus' activity in and around Jerusalem, focusing on several Jewish feasts (Passover, Tabernacles, Dedication). John… Read More »

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