Jesus in His Jewish Context | Exploring the World of the Gospels, the Kingdom of God, and the Roots of Early Christianity with Dr. Jeff Colburn

What is the Grace of God? How would you answer? In this episode I discuss this incredible gift offered to us by God. In Ephesian 2, Paul tells us that we were all dead in our trespasses and that by the love and mercy of God, He saves us. There is nothing we did to deserve it. This is grace. We accept it by repenting from our rebellious ways and by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.     In thi...

What is the gospel? How would you answer? In this episode I discuss what Jesus and John the Baptist share about this good news. Both call us to repent since the kingdom of heaven is at hand. We are also told that John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. In this episode, we will explore the words of Jesus and John to better understand the gospel they preached....

Not sure what it means to follow Jesus? Is there a difference between being a Christian and becoming a disciple? In this episode we explore scripture to learn all that Jesus says about following Him and becoming His disciple. We discuss what it is, the cost, and how they are made. We look to how Jesus is the model and how His model was used by the early church.    In this episode, you will learn:...

Welcome Following Jesus: Teaching Them to Observe All He Commanded focuses on answering three fundamental questions: How does someone become a disciple of Jesus? How is someone to live as a disciple of Jesus? How do we teach others to become disciples of Jesus? Jesus gives us the answers are in Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Fath...

Before Peter ever called Jesus the Christ, generations of Jews had longed for a deliverer—an anointed one who would restore Israel’s kingdom, purify the Temple, and bring justice to the world. In this episode, Dr. Jeff Colburn uncovers the diverse messianic hopes of Second Temple Judaism—from royal sons of David to priestly reformers and prophetic figures like Moses and Elijah. Drawing on texts fr...

Before we can understand what Jesus said, we must understand the world in which He spoke. In this episode, Dr. Jeff Colburn takes you inside the world of first-century Judaism under Roman rule — a world of empires and expectation, prophets and priests, oppression and hope. Discover how political tension, Temple worship, and Jewish faith shaped the social landscape of the Gospels. Learn about the P...

What if understanding Jesus meant stepping into His world? In this special introduction episode, Dr. Jeff Colburn welcomes you to Jesus in His Jewish Context and shares the vision behind the podcast. You’ll discover why exploring the Jewish world of the first century—its history, Scripture, and everyday faith—opens up a richer understanding of Jesus’ message and the Gospels. Dr. Colburn explains h...

What if understanding Jesus meant stepping into His world? Jesus in His Jewish Context is a podcast that explores the Gospels through the lens of first-century Judaism — the world of the Temple, the prophets, and the Kingdom of God. Hosted by Dr. Jeff Colburn, a Bible scholar specializing in Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity, each episode bridges faith and history to help you see Jesus...

In this episode, Angela and Jeff finish their discussion about what happens during the end times. They address the original question, "what is the rapture?" Angela shares what she learned of the end times and the rapture growing up in the church. Jeff shares the various interpretations of the end times and how some believe in the rapture while others don't.  Illustrations of the various interpreta...

This is the conclusion of the discussion from last week's episode (E12 - Experiencing the Church). In this week's episode, Angela and Jeff discuss how powerful giving our personal testimony about God is in attracting others to Jesus. Jeff shares his own experience on how he came to Christ. They conclude with what it means to make the decision to give your life to Jesus. Have questions about God? W...

In this episode, Angela and Jeff discuss their experience visiting a new church for an Easter service.  They share what they believe were the strengths and weaknesses of the service and how first time visitors may perceive them.  Angela and Jeff walk through their entire experience. Next week's episode will share the second half of this conversation. Topics Include: The parking lot before the serv...

Angela and Jeff received a question this week that causes them to explore what the Bible says about the End Times. In this episode, they discuss the Kingdom of God. Jeff shares: What Jesus taught of the Kingdom of God The stages of the Kingdom's arrival What is Today's Age What is the Age to Come What is the Millennium What did Jesus mean by "already," and "not yet." How believers experience the K...

In this episode, Angela and Jeff discuss one of the two personal needs for our sense of self-worth. Our need for significance. People need their lives to have purpose, meaning, impact, and importance. They discuss how wrong beliefs influence our basic assumptions which lead to misguided goals that will not meet the need for significance. Failing to achieve these misguided goals have a negative imp...

We are excited to announce that we are changing the name of the podcast. We are now Finding the Narrow Way podcast where we learn to live and love like Jesus. In this episode, Angela and Jeff discuss: What is the narrow way and how to find it Jesus' invitation to follow Him on the narrow way Characteristics of a Jesus follower How we are to live as Christians What it means to be obedient to God Th...

Angela and Jeff try something different this episode. Rather than focusing on a single topic, they provide short answers to several quick questions that they received from their audience.  - Do we really have free will? - Is Jesus the only way to salvation? - Was there a Holy Trinity before Jesus was born? - What does it mean that God created man in "our" image? - Who was Cain wife? If you have qu...

In this episode, Angela and Jeff respond to the questions, if God is love, why do some people suffer eternal damnation, won't all people be saved in the end, and what about people who never heard of Jesus? They discuss how God is a God of Justice as much as He is a God of Love. How there has to be atonement for our sins. And how God sent His Son to pay the penalty that we cannot pay ourselves. Bas...

In this episode, Angela and Dr. Jeff discuss the problem of evil and suffering. If God is good and all-powerful, why does He permit evil and suffering? Dr. Jeff explains the consequences of the Fall and man's rebellion against God. Book - Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis Book - Evangelism through the Local Church by Michael Green Book - Christianity for People Who Aren’t Christians by James White If...

In this episode Angela and Dr. Jeff respond to the questions whether God has left this country and whether the church will return to being faith based and community focused and not some political tool. They discuss the state of Christianity and the church in America, what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and how the church should adopt the core values defined by the early church in Acts 2:41-47...

In Part 2 of this two part episode, Angela and Dr. Jeff discuss the seven "I Am" statements Jesus makes in the Gospel of John. Towards the end of the discussion, they respond to the question to whether Jesus' divinity is a historic fact or just a matter of faith. If you have questions about God, Jesus, or the Bible, please email us at questions@digitalsafeharbor.org or visit our website at http://...

In Part 1 of this two part episode, Angela and Dr. Jeff explore the messianic expectations from the Second Temple period. They discuss how Jesus met these expectations and what it meant to His early followers. If you have questions about God, Jesus, or the Bible, please email us at questions@digitalsafeharbor.org or visit our website at http://digitalsafeharbor.org

In this episode, Angela and Dr. Jeff discuss the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, what His disciples believed, and why it is important to the Christian faith. If you have questions about God, Jesus, or the Bible, please email us at questions@digitalsafeharbor.org or visit our website at http://digitalsafeharbor.org

In this episode, we respond to the question on how we can trust the historical accuracy of the Bible and the accounts of Jesus' life. If you have questions about God, Jesus, or the church, please email us at questions@digitalsafeharbor.org