Scripture First

The Festival of Epiphany, the 12 days of Christmas, and the full power of God on display. That's what Luther House of Study's co-director, Sarah Stenson, discusses with Kiri Haugen and Mason Van Essen as they break down Luke chapter 3 verses 15 through 22.  In this week's conversation, Sarah teaches us the history of epiphany including the origins of the 12 days of Christmas . Then...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That's how the Gospel of John begins and that's the lectionary text Dr. Chris Croghan breaks down to Adam, Kiri and I.  In this week's conversation about this familiar passage, Dr. Croghan teaches us key definitions about who is the word, what is the light and what is the darkness, and what does it mean...

12-year-old Jesus and his parents go to Jerusalem for Passover only for Jesus to stay behind for three days listening and asking questions of the Rabbis of the temple.  In this week's conversation, Dr. Steven Paulson teaches Adam, Kiri and I what's the law and what's the gospel in this week's lectionary text. Specifically, he explains Jesus' relationship to the law and how...

Pregnant with Jesus, Mary hurries to the hill country to visit her aunt Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist. When John hears Mary's voice, he leaps in Elizabeth's womb.  As you'll hear in this week's lectionary text: Elizabeth says to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Luther House of Study's co-directors, Sar...

You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Sarah Stenson joins the podcast to talk about John the Baptist naming peoples' sin and taking away their claim to righteousness through their lineage to Abraham.  Naturally, when we're called sinners and it turns out that the thing we think we're doing that makes us worthy of salvation isn't enough, we respond...

Advent is not a preparation for Jesus to come, it's a remembrance that he already came.  This week, on Scripture First, Dr. Chris Croghan teaches us about why God gave His word to John in the wilderness.  Not the powerful political actors. Not the religious elite. But John.  Here are the questions Adam, Kiri and Mason ask: Who are all of the people Luke lists at the beginning of chapter 3? Do...

Why does the first text in a new lectionary year begin with the end times?  As you'll Dr. Paulson teach us, in order to understand the gospel, you have to start at the end.  In this week's text, we discuss the text at the end of the Gospel of Luke where Jesus is telling us about the end times. Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."  Here...

Pontius Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" In this week's podcast episode, Dr. Croghan and Sarah teach us what it means to call Jesus a king and the political and religious ramifications this has between Jesus, Pilate and the government, and the Jewish community.  Here are the questions Adam, Kiri and Mason ask: What truth is Jesus testifying to? Why do we call Jesus...

Jesus and the end times. God's wrath vs God's mercy. Wars and earthquakes.  Sarah Stenson joins Scripture First to discuss this week's lectionary text: Mark 13:1-8 where Jesus reviews the end times and his disciples ask for a sign of when they're coming.  Here are the questions Adam, Kiri and Mason ask: What are the birth pangs? Why does Jesus predict there will be people leadi...

All Saints Sunday. Jesus raises Lazarus. God's promise in death.  Dr. Chris Croghan is back on Scripture First to talk about John 11:32-44 and what it means that God's glory is going from death to life in an incredible promise.  Here are the questions Adam, Kiri and Mason ask: What is a saint and why do we celebrate them? What does it mean that Jesus was deeply moved? How is God's g...

Dr. Steven Paulson is back on Scripture First to talk about Jesus' sermon where he promises, "I will set you free," in John chapter 8 for this Reformation Sunday.  In this week's text, we hear Jesus say to Jews who no longer believed in him that listening to his word will let them know the truth and the truth will make you free. As you'll hear Dr. Paulson teach us: the Jew...

Right before Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, a blind man hears that Jesus is coming down the road and shouts, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" He throws off his cloak to meet Jesus and Jesus asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man says he wants to see again and Jesus replies,  "Go; your faith has made you well." This week, Lut...

"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." Jesus foretells his death and the disciples look to gain political power.  In this week's podcast episode, Sarah and Dr. Croghan break down Jesus' response in saying that it's not His to give. It's God who elects who is going to receive his promise.  And in that election comes the promise of freedom. The free...

A man asks Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" In this week's podcast episode, what Jesus teaches this man, and what Sarah teaches all of us in this conversation, is how we all have broken the commandments even when we don't think we have.  Then, we break down the famous verse and just what it means for those of us who haven't sold everything we...

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? That's the question the Pharisees ask Jesus in this week's lectionary text broken down on Scripture First.  Hear Dr. Croghan teach on Jesus not budging an inch on the hot button topics like creation, marriage and gender while leaving us with faith like a little child.  Here are the questions Kiri, Adam and Mason ask: How do children receive wor...

Dr. Paulson joins Scripture First to talk about a little pirate exorcist, salty and spicy Christians, and how it's better for people to cut off appendages than to go to hell.  Dr. Paulson explains how Jesus is teaching all of us to be preachers, where sin comes from, and what it means to be the salt of the earth.  Here are the questions Adam, Kiri and Mason ask: Why do the disciples try to st...

Jesus foretells his death and resurrection to his disciples only to be met with confusion and fear.  Why did they react that way to Jesus telling them that he was going to be betrayed, killed, and be raised again?  Then, we get a front row seat to Jesus' reaction to the disciples' argument of who is the greatest where Jesus says the famous line, "Whoever wants to be first must be la...

In this week's text, Jesus asks his disciples an indirect question, "Who do people say that I am?" and the disciples say people think he's Elijah, John the Baptist or another prophet.  Then, Jesus puts his disciples on the spot by turning the question on them, "Who do you say that I am?" In this direct question, Jesus is pulling a confession out of the hearts of his d...

A Syrophoenician woman throws herself at Jesus begging him to heal her daughter only to have Jesus turn to her and say, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." In some of his most critical language, Jesus calls this woman a dog.  But, as Luther House of Study's co-director, Sarah Stenson, teaches Adam and I this...

Why don't your disciples follow our hand washing tradition?  That's the seemingly straight-forward question the Pharisees and scribes ask Jesus in this week's lectionary text.  But as you'll hear Sarah Stenson and Dr. Chris Croghan teach in this week's podcast episode, their question is a loaded one.  We discuss how traditions become idols, how you can't change your h...

Dr. Steven Paulson is back this week in a one-on-one Scripture First episode about Jesus being both the Word while also being *in* the flesh.  In this week's lectionary text, Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Dr. Paulson teaches us that eating his flesh and drinking his blood is physical. Dr. Paulson gives us a history lesson about everything from Plato's dualism, to t...

How can this man give us his flesh to eat? This seems to be a logical question for the Jews to ask Jesus but He doesn't engage with their argument of the law. Instead, Jesus says, "But the one who eats this bread will live forever." Kiri and Mason asked our co-directors: Did they think Jesus was referring to cannibalism? What do you mean we eat the Word of God? What does it mean to...

What is your role in salvation?  In this week's lectionary podcast, Sarah discusses the text where Jesus says, "No one comes to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day." In the conversation, we learn about how we desperately want to have a role in our salvation, but God's will is actually to give us eternal life when we believe...

Why do you follow Jesus?  The crowds rushed to follow Jesus and ask him, "What are you going to do to make our lives better?" Jesus gives them something better than daily bread—eternal life in faith by saying, "I am the bread of life."  Dr. Chris Croghan—Luther House of Study's co-director—joins the Scripture First podcast to discuss the distinction between receiving a sig...

The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 is well-known for good reason.  But in this week's conversation, Luther House of Study's co-directors—Sarah Stenson and Dr. Chris Croghan—teach us the key details that make this miracle so impactful.  Where are we going to get enough food for this crowd? What is the art of preaching? Does the boy with the loaves and the fish willingly offer his lunch?...