Wednesday in the Word

In this episode, we examine one of the most misunderstood beatitudes: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Jesus is not talking about physical poverty or general spiritual desire. He's describing people who recognize their moral bankruptcy and desperately long for the holiness only God can provide. This hunger is not a weakness bu...

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, but most people misunderstand what it means. Jesus isn't calling us to be passive doormats. Instead, he's describing people who humbly trust God's timing rather than grabbing for what they want through disobedience or presumption. This beatitude promises that those who w...

Jesus makes a startling claim in the second beatitude: those who mourn are blessed. This sounds backward to us. Why would mourning be something to celebrate?  In this episode, we discover that Jesus is talking about a specific kind of mourning: grief over our own sin and spiritual poverty. This mourning is not weakness or depression. It is the appropriate emotional response to recognizing how far...

Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with a stunning paradox: the people who will inherit the kingdom of heaven are those who know they are spiritually bankrupt. In Matthew 5:3, Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This isn't about financial poverty. It's about recognizing a fundamental truth: nothing in this world can make us truly...

The Beatitudes are some of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Many people think Jesus is teaching us how to be happy or get along better with others. But that's not what this passage is about. In this episode, we'll discover what Jesus really means when he says "blessed are the poor in spirit" and why these qualities aren't optional extras for the Christian life....

The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most important passages in Scripture, yet it's also one of the most misunderstood. Many Christians struggle with this teaching because it sounds more like impossible law than good news.  In this episode, Krisan Marotta introduces a fresh approach to understanding what Jesus really meant when he sat down on that mountainside to teach. Rather than a set of...

Jesus begins his public ministry in the most unexpected place: Galilee, a region despised by the religious establishment and far from the centers of power. This choice was no accident. By starting in Galilee, Jesus fulfills ancient prophecy and reveals something essential about God's kingdom. It comes first to the marginalized, not the elite. It shines light in the darkest places, not where l...

Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for a single act of worship. This isn't about switching sides or abandoning God. It's about something far more subtle and dangerous: taking a shortcut to a God-given destiny. Jesus' response reveals what true worship means and why looking to anyone or anything besides God to meet our needs is idolatry, no matter how reason...

In Matthew 4:5-7, Satan takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and urges him to jump, promising that God's angels will rescue him. Jesus refuses, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."  This episode unpacks what it really means to test God and why Jesus saw this temptation as a subtle but deadly trap. We'll discover that the greatest act...

After Jesus' baptism, where God publicly confirmed him as the Messiah, we might expect a triumphant march to Jerusalem. Instead, the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to face starvation and Satan's first temptation.  In this episode, we examine why Satan tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, what makes this choice sinful, and how Jesus' response reveals the true source of lif...

Jesus' baptism marks the beginning of his public ministry, but it raises an important question: why would the sinless Messiah submit to a baptism of repentance?  This episode explores the profound significance of Jesus' first public act and reveals what the title "Son of God" really meant to the people of his time. Far from being a mere formality, Jesus' baptism demonstrat...

John the Baptist arrives on the scene with a bold, urgent message: the Messiah is coming, and it's time to choose. His call to repentance isn't just about feeling sorry for sin. It's about turning around completely, preparing to meet the King, and proving your commitment through a transformed life.  In this episode, we unpack John's confrontation with religious leaders, explore...

Matthew 2:23 presents one of the most puzzling statements in the New Testament: Jesus would be "called a Nazarene" to fulfill what the prophets said. The problem? No Old Testament verse says this. For two thousand years, scholars have debated what Matthew means.  This episode unravels the mystery by showing how Matthew summarizes multiple prophetic themes rather than quoting a single ver...

In this episode, we unpack one of the most challenging fulfillment quotes in the Gospel of Matthew and discover that "fulfilled" often means something richer and more profound than simple prediction. By exploring the history of Rachel, the geography of Ramah, and the promises in Jeremiah 31, we'll see how Matthew connects Israel's past tragedies to their ultimate hope in the Me...

Matthew 2:15 contains one of the most puzzling quotes in the entire Gospel. Matthew says Jesus' return from Egypt "fulfilled" Hosea 11:1, which reads, "Out of Egypt I called my son."  But here's the problem: Hosea wasn't predicting anything about Jesus. He was looking backward, remembering the Exodus when God rescued Israel from slavery. So why does Matthew claim...

Most of us picture the Christmas story with shepherds and wise men gathered together around baby Jesus in a manger. But Matthew's Gospel tells a different story. In this episode, we walk through Matthew chapter 2 and discover that the Magi arrived much later than we think, that Jesus was likely a toddler when they found him, and that the family's journey from Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazare...

This episode examines Matthew's account of Jesus' birth and tackles a question that puzzles many Bible readers: What did Matthew mean when he said Jesus "fulfilled" Isaiah's prophecy about a virgin bearing a son? We explore how Matthew uses Old Testament quotations, why Joseph's role was crucial to Jesus' identity as Messiah, and what "God with us" real...

Matthew opens his gospel not with a miracle or a parable, but with a long list of names—and in this episode, Krisan shows why that “boring” genealogy is actually a powerful proclamation about who Jesus is. By tracing Jesus as “son of Abraham, son of David,” Matthew is announcing that all of God’s ancient promises—to bless the nations and to establish an everlasting king—find their fulfillment in t...

Matthew’s Gospel has shaped Western culture and Christian faith more than many realize—but Matthew didn’t write a slogan book; he wrote a carefully crafted story to show us who Jesus is, what He did, and why it matters. In this introductory episode, Krisan sets the stage for the whole series on Matthew by exploring the author, the structure of the gospel, and how we should approach studying it as...

As citizens of God's kingdom, we ought to reflect our holy king. This is what citizenship in the kingdom of God looks like. Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life. Sign up for Bible Study Boot Camp

The King redeems His people from Egypt. At Mt Sinai, He explains what it means to be His people. At end of Exodus, He is dwelling with them. Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life. Sign up for Bible Study Boot Camp

Proper understanding of the Pentateuch can help us understand the Christian life and all of God's creation. We are part of the biblical narrative - God's plan to redeem a people for Himself. Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of yo...

Understanding Ezekiel's vision of the future in light of its fulfillment in Christ  How are we to interpret the numerous prophetic predictions of the glorious future restoration of Israel?  Series: Old Testament Insights Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any p...

In the year Ezekiel should have started his priestly duties, he was in exile in Babylon. Instead the Lord gave him a vision. What exactly did Ezekiel see? Series: Old Testament Insights Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life. Sign u...

3 reasons why we don't study the prophets: they're weird, confusing and they all sound alike. Here's why it is important to study the prophets. Series: Old Testament Insights Most people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life. Si...