The creators of BibleProject have in-depth conversations about the Bible and theology. A companion podcast to BibleProject videos found at bibleproject.com
The Exodus Way E9 — All four gospel accounts build anticipation for Jesus to accomplish a new kind of exodus when he arrives in Jerusalem. But later in the gospel narratives, Jesus begins telling his disciples that he will be arrested and killed in Jerusalem before rising on the third day. So Jesus journeys to Jerusalem and confronts the religious establishment—notably only days before Passover! And before his arrest, he shares a Passover meal with his disciples and shockingly reinterprets the b...
The Exodus Way E8 — Before the arrival of Jesus, Israelites already viewed their current circumstances and hopes for God’s salvation through the lens of the Exodus. This is why the gospel authors tell the story of Jesus with language that points back to the main beats of the Exodus story. In this first episode of two on the gospels, Jon and Tim explore the many Exodus hyperlinks found in the stories of Jesus’ birth, his baptism in the Jordan River, his testing in the wilderness, and his public m...
The Exodus Way E7 — In Mark 14, we’re told that Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover and sang a hymn before going out to the garden of Gethsemane. So what hymn did they sing? Rabbinic tradition going back to the time of Jesus records that during Passover, Jewish people sang Psalm 113-118, a collection of songs known as the Passover Hallel. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore these six psalms’ references to the Exodus story and what they might have meant to Jesus on the night of the last ...
The Exodus Way E6 — By the time of the prophet Isaiah, the Assyrian Empire had already exiled the northern kingdom of Israel. Isaiah prophesied that the southern kingdom of Judah would survive Assyrian attack but that a new empire, Babylon, would one day take Judah into exile because of their injustice and idolatry. Within this world of empires, oppressors, and exiles, Isaiah prophesied about a more cosmic, permanent Exodus to come for God’s people. In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the narra...
Jon and Tim delve into the books of Joshua and Judges, exploring how they mirror and invert the Exodus narrative. They discuss Canaanite kings as new pharaohs in Joshua and the Israelites becoming their own oppressors in Judges, highlighting themes of deliverance, covenant, and the need for a messianic leader. The episode reveals the complexities of these stories and their implications for understanding God's purposes.
The Exodus Way E4 — We’re tracing the narrative theme of Exodus in the Bible, and we’re finally ready to trace it in … Exodus! There are three main beats in this narrative theme: the road out of slavery, the road through the wilderness, and the road into inheritance. These three beats play out in Moses' life before Israel’s Exodus from Egypt even begins. There are also key moments of justice and deliverance in the Exodus story—the Passover and Israel’s crossing through the sea—which become the f...
The Exodus Way E3 — Before we get to the Exodus story, we must first ask a question: How and why did Israel end up enslaved in Egypt in the first place? Throughout the book of Genesis, the biblical authors seem to imply that Abraham’s descendants land in Egypt because of their patriarch’s failures to trust God and do right by others. In this episode, Jon and Tim highlight the Exodus beats in Abraham’s story, showing how they not only anticipate Israel’s exile in Egypt but also the larger Exodus ...
The Exodus Way E2 — The main beats of the Exodus Way are the road out of slavery, the road through the wilderness, and the road into inheritance. These moments become a narrative theme that plays out over and over in the story of the Bible. We even see them show up in Genesis before the events of the Exodus even happen! In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the significance of Exodus imagery in two early stories from Genesis, the creation and flood narratives. CHAPTERS Recapping Exodus as a Narra...
The Exodus Way E1 — Most followers of Jesus are familiar with three foundational biblical stories: the story of Jesus in the gospels, the creation story in Genesis, and the Exodus story. These narratives are referred to throughout the whole Bible, but the Exodus story is the most referenced story. Why is this narrative in Exodus so important? In this episode, Jon and Tim start a new series on the narrative theme of Exodus, what we’re calling the “Exodus Way,” showing how this story shapes the Bi...
The Mountain Q+R (E14) — Could the Tower of Babel be considered a man-made mountain? How does Yahweh asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the mountain fit with his gracious character? And after Elijah’s failure on Mount Sinai, why is he still regarded as a great prophet? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from our series on the theme of the mountain. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode! View all of our resources for The Mountain → Chapt...
The Mountain Hyperlink Episode (E13) — If you’ve been following along in our series on the mountain, you may have had moments where you thought, “I feel like I’ve heard this before.” And that’s because you have—we’ve been on this mountain before! There are so many themes in the Bible, from mountains to tabernacles, to tests and cities. And while we try to isolate and study themes on their own, the Bible intentionally weaves them together. So whenever you encounter one theme in the Bible, it’s al...
The Mountain E12 — If Jesus’ role as the promised mountaintop intercessor was unclear from the mountain stories in the Gospels, the author of the letter to the Hebrews wants to make it explicit. Drawing together imagery of Moses on Mount Sinai, the levitical priesthood, and the Old Testament sacrificial system, Hebrews declares that Jesus is the eternal high priest who can ascend to the holy mountain for the people through the blood of his own sacrifice. In this episode, Jon and Tim wrap up our ...
The Mountain E11 — We’ve learned that mountains in the Hebrew Bible often become a space where Heaven and Earth overlap and human beings must choose between self-preservation or surrender and trust in God. The story builds our hope and expectation for a faithful intercessor on the mountain who can mediate God’s blessings to the people below. As we turn to the New Testament, gospel writer Matthew is ready to spotlight who that faithful mountaintop intercessor is. In this episode, Jon and Tim walk...
The Mountain E10 — The prophet Isaiah depicts Mount Zion as a cosmic mountain where Heaven and Earth overlap and God’s blessings flow down to all of creation. But Isaiah also lived in the real Jerusalem that had Mount Zion at its center, which was filled with corruption, injustice, and idolatry. So in his prophecies, he balances hope in this future new Eden with warnings of judgment on Jerusalem’s proud and corrupt elites. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the many iterations of the mountain ...
In our final episode of 2024, Tim, Jon, and BibleProject CEO, Steve Atkinson, reflect on ten years of the project, all the resources we got to make and share this year, and the patrons who made it possible. The guys then give a sneak peek of what’s coming up next for BibleProject in 2025. Timestamps Ten Year Anniversary and Our Patron Community (0:00-9:25) Strategic Relationships (9:25-19:49) 2024 Engagement With Our Resources (19:49-30:51) Looking Back at a Year in the Sermon on the Mount (30:5...
The Mountain E9 — The mountain theme shows up again and again in biblical narrative, but it’s also prominent in the Psalms. Particularly in Psalms 15-24, the biblical authors reflect on the traits of the one who can ascend and dwell on God’s holy mountain. At first, this question focuses on King David and his royal successors as they endure suffering, despair, and ultimately vindication, which leads to blessing for Israel and the nations. But eventually, it’s not just the Davidic king but a whol...
The Mountain E8 — On two different mountains, we witness mountain tests with two very different Elijahs. On Mount Carmel, he partners with God in challenging the false prophets of Baal, leading to the people’s repentance and renewal of trust in God. But then only a chapter later, Elijah is on Mount Sinai accusing the people and loathing his prophetic calling. Why the sudden shift? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the contrasting mountain test stories of 1 Kings 18-19, reflecting on the human...
The Mountain E7 — After King David's failures, we hope that his son Solomon will fare better on the cosmic mountain of Mount Zion. And initially, he does! In a cosmic mountain moment when God offers to give him anything he wants, he humbly asks only for wisdom to discern good from bad. In response, God gives him wisdom plus material blessing, leading to an era of unparalleled abundance and peace in the cosmic mountain city of Jerusalem. During this time, the king builds a splendorous temple on M...
The Mountain E6 — In 2 Samuel, David is crowned king of a unified Israel, and after choosing Jerusalem as his capital city, he brings the ark of the covenant to Mount Zion. It seems like things are going great—a priestly king has unified the tribes and all of Israel’s enemies are subdued! But it doesn’t last. After committing adultery and murder, David also foolishly calls for a census of his army (which according to the Law, no Israelite leader was supposed to do). And things just get worse. In...
The Mountain E5 — Moses has a complicated identity. He's an Israelite, but he was raised in the house of Pharaoh. He was born in Egypt, but he flees to live in the wilderness with the Midianites. And there in the wilderness, he meets God on two separate occasions on Mount Sinai. The first time, God commissions Moses to deliver the Israelites from slavery. And the second time, while Moses is up on the mountain with God, the recently freed people down below are already breaking the covenant by wor...
The Mountain E4 — After the exile from the first cosmic mountain of Eden, humanity spirals into depravity and violence. God chooses to expedite their inevitable destruction through a catastrophic flood, but he preserves the family of Noah. Coming out of the ark on Mount Ararat, Noah offers the life of a precious animal—an act that deeply pleases God. And then Abraham, one of Noah’s descendants, offers an even more precious sacrifice on Mount Moriah. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss Noah as t...
Sermon on the Mount Q+R 5 (E39) – Should we judge abusive behavior in others? Do we need faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit to be righteous? And how can we discern who is a true or false prophet? In this episode, Tim and Jon respond to your questions from episodes 30-38 in the Sermon on the Mount series, where we explored Matthew 7:1-27. Plus, we share more of the Lord’s Prayer song submissions. Thank you to our audience for your thoughtful contributions to this episode! View more resources on o...
The Mountain E3 — The biblical authors portray Eden as a cosmic mountain—an overlapping Heaven and Earth space in God’s presence. Humans are placed on the Eden mountain and given a choice: Will they trust God’s voice and wisdom, or will they seize the knowledge of good and bad on their own terms? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the drama that plays out on the first cosmic mountain and how it becomes the pattern for every future mountaintop story in the Bible. View more resources on our webs...
The Mountain E2 — Ancient Israel’s neighbors believed that the world originated as a mountain rising up out of the chaos waters. The gods ruled from this great cosmic mountain, fighting battles with nature and issuing decrees that kept the world in order. So how did this surrounding culture impact the cosmology of the Bible? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss what the cosmic mountain meant in the Ancient Near Eastern context and how the biblical authors adapted and subverted this symbol in sur...
The Mountain E1 — What comes to mind when you think of mountains? Is it a strenuous climb or a feeling of smallness as you gaze on the majesty of nature? The biblical authors had similar connotations with mountains, presenting them as sublime, in-between spaces—that are also treacherous! This tension between majesty and danger led ancient Israel and their surrounding neighbors to connect real mountains to “The Mountain,” a cosmic place where Heaven and Earth overlap and the divine and human real...
How is God’s generosity meant to change us? In the Bible, God’s gifts are intended to bring about transformation in our lives. This generosity challenges our natural tendencies toward selfishness, calling us to live in a community that freely shares and truly loves one another. In this re-released episode from 2019, Tim and Jon explore the teachings of Jesus and the apostles on generosity and ponder the centrality of generosity to the Gospel itself. View more resources on our website → Timestamp...
What happens when humans misuse the gifts God gives them? From Eve’s attitude toward the births of Cain and Seth, to the Tower of Babel, to Abraham’s response to the promised land, the stories in Genesis reveal a tension between God’s abundant generosity and humanity’s selfish responses. This tension continues when the people of Israel reside in the promised land—a gift they repeatedly misuse. In this re-released episode from 2019, Tim and Jon trace the theme of generosity and scarcity from Gene...
The Bible begins with a portrait of God as an amazing and generous host to humanity, an image that is on full display in the Genesis creation narrative. But the humans ruin the party in Eden by believing the lies that God is stingy and withholding. In this re-released episode from 2019, Jon and Tim start at the beginning of the Bible, where God seeks to be generous and gracious, and where humans respond with suspicion, greed, jealousy, and murder. View more resources on our website → Timestamps ...
What comes to mind when you think of generosity? Is it sharing your money, resources, or even time with others? For the biblical authors, generosity is much more than an act of kindness—it’s a reality woven into the universe, starting with the generous Creator. In this re-released of our 2019 series on generosity, Jon and Tim start by exploring Jesus’ perspective on resources and the Hebrew Bible’s portrayal of God’s gracious abundance. View more resources on our website → Timestamps Chapter 1: ...
Sermon on the Mount E38 – When Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount, his first audience responds with astonishment. What will our response be? And where will that response lead us? In this episode, Tim, Jon, Michelle, and members of our audience reflect on their journeys through the sermon. Listen to how meditating on Matthew 5-7 has changed them and how these words of Jesus are guiding them to seek God’s wisdom moving forward. Timestamps Chapter 1: How Jesus' First Listeners Responded to the ...
