Jerusalem: A Tale of Two Cities – The City E9

Sermon on the Mount E10 – In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus reveals the divine wisdom of Israel’s Old Testament laws through six case studies. In the first case study, he expounds on one of the Ten Commandments, “Do not murder” (Exod. 20:13). After acknowledging this command, Jesus takes it further by saying that anyone who is angry with his brother or publicly shames someone is also guilty of murder. What does he mean? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss Matthew 5:21-32, exploring key concepts—such as murder, contempt, and divine justice—and what they tell us about the value of human beings.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: What Jesus Is Doing in These Case Studies (0:00-8:45)
• Chapter 2: Overview of Matthew 5:21-32 (8:45-18:09)
• Chapter 3: Insults, Contempt, and the Value of Human Beings (18:09-26:11)
• Chapter 4: The Paradox of the Crime and the Punishment (26:11-32:07)
• Chapter 5: The Meaning of the Word Gehenna (32:07-56:15)

Referenced Resources

• The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
• The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing by Jonathan T. Pennington
• The Gospel of Matthew (New International Commentary on the New Testament) by R.T. France
• The Geography of Hell in the Teaching of Jesus by Kim Papaioannou
• The Fate of the Dead by Richard Bauckham
• Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen 
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Jon Collins is the creative producer for today’s show, and Tim Mackie is the lead scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey is our audio engineer and editor, and he provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E9 – What did Jesus mean when he said he came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets? In Jesus’ day, the laws from the Torah were over a thousand years old. And the Jewish people under Roman occupation weren’t able to follow all of the laws perfectly, leading to countless interpretations of how the people could observe the Torah. So what made this rabbi from Nazareth’s approach to the law any different? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss Matthew 5:17-20, unpacking its historical context, most perplexing phrases, and the greater righteousness that Jesus is introducing to his listeners.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: Short Recap of the Sermon So Far (0:00-3:03)
• Chapter 2: Interpreting the Torah in Jesus’ Day (3:03-16:03)
• Chapter 3: The Sky and Land, the Least and the Greatest (16:03-28:14)
• Chapter 4: Jesus Differs from the Pharisees on Righteousness (28:14-34:27)
• Chapter 5:  Righteousness in Matthew’s Gospel Compared to Paul’s Letters (34:27-40:17)
• Chapter 6: Introducing Jesus’ Idea of the Greater Righteousness (40:17-47:18)

Referenced Resources

• Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen 
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show, and Tim Mackie is the lead scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E8 – Why does Jesus call his followers salt and light? In the Hebrew Bible, salt is a metaphor for God’s long-lasting covenant with Israel, connected to priestly sacrifices, ritual purity, and social bonds. And the Hebrew word for light, or, shares a wordplay with torah, meaning God’s wise instruction. God’s wisdom given in the Torah is a light for Israel that they are called to share with the nations. In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss the meanings of salt and light, showing how Jesus applies these covenant words to his new community of followers.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: The Meaning of Salt and Light in the Bible (0:00-9:29)
• Chapter 2: A Key Hebrew Wordplay Between “Light” and “Instruction” (9:29-11:49)
• Chapter 3: Light and God’s Torah in the Book of Isaiah (11:49-29:21)
• Chapter 4: Salt and Light as Metaphors for the Covenant (29:21-46:29)

Referenced Resources

• Matthew 1-7: Volume 1 (International Critical Commentary) by W.D Davies, Dale C. Allison Jr., and Christopher M. Tuckett 
• The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan T. Pennington
• Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the creative producer for today’s show, and Tim Mackie is the lead scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey is our audio editor and engineer, and he provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Jonathan Penngington. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E7 – What will it cost us to live like Jesus in our world? In the third and final triad of the Beatitudes, Jesus declares that the good life belongs to the peacemakers. But making peace Jesus-style will mean conflict, pain, difficulty, and even persecution. In this episode, Tim, Jon, and others explore the cultural tensions surrounding Jesus, his audience, and the four ancient groups who tried to make peace and how Jesus’ teachings created conflict with all of these groups.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: The Meaning of Peacemaking (0:00-7:18)
• Chapter 2: The Four Kinds of People in Jesus’ Audience (7:18-18:14)
• Chapter 3: Jesus Makes Peace Differently (18:14-21:12)
• Chapter 4: Why Peacemaking Leads to Persecution (21:12-24:27)
• Chapter 5: Investing in the New Creation (24:27-37:52)
• Chapter 6: A Musical Summary of the Beatitudes (37:52-44:10)

Referenced Resources

• Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey is our audio editor and engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Ben Tertin and Rose Mayer. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E6 – What does it look like to have our desires and actions completely aligned with God’s will? In the second triad of the Beatitudes, Jesus paints a picture of the kind of people God is forming in the Kingdom of the Skies. In this episode, Tim, Jon, and guests break down the biblical words for righteousness, justice, mercy, and purity throughout the Bible, leading up to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: Hungering and Thirsting for Righteousness (0:00-6:32)
• Chapter 2: Right Relationships, Justice, and Equity (6:32-13:18)
• Chapter 3: Righteousness and Trust in God (13:18-24:17)
• Chapter 4: What Jesus Means by Mercy (24:17-32:53)
• Chapter 5: The Challenge of a Pure Heart (32:53-42:18)
• Chapter 6: Portraying Purity of Heart in Art (42:18-46:47)

Referenced Resources

• Matthew 1-7: Volume 1 (International Critical Commentary), W.D Davies, Dale C. Allison Jr., and Christopher M. Tuckett
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Tim Mackie is our Lead Scholar. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey and Yanii Evans are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Ben Tertin. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon the Mount E5 – What does it mean to be poor in spirit, mourning, and meek? Jesus uses these words in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, and the guys examine them in biblical Greek and Hebrew, finding that a better translation may be “powerless,” “grieving,” and “unimportant.” These are the people that Jesus believes will have the “good life.” How can that be? In this episode, Jon, Tim, and guests explore the first triad of the Beatitudes, shedding light on how those at the bottom of society are actually better prepared to receive the kingdom of the skies.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: A Kingdom for the Powerless (01:25-13:50)
• Chapter 2: Comfort for the Grieving (13:50-21:07
• Chapter 3: Making Space for Grief (21:07-24:15)
• Chapter 4: An Inheritance for the Unimportant (24:15-35:19)
• Chapter 5: Portraying a Jesus-Style Revolution (35:19-40:40)

Referenced Resources

• A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew (The International Critical Commentary, Vol. 1) by Dale C. Allison Jr., Christopher M. Tuckett, Graham I. Davies
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS
• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen

Show Credits
Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey and Yanii Evans are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Ben Tertin, Josh Espasandin, Rose Mayer, and Nyssa Oru. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E4 – What does Jesus mean when he calls people “blessed” in the first section of the Sermon on the Mount? The Greek word translated as “blessed” is makarios, and its Hebrew equivalent is ashrey, which means “the good life.” But there’s another Hebrew word for blessing, barukh, which refers to blessings from God. In this episode, Tim, Jon, and guests unpack what it means to be blessed according to Jesus’ counterintuitive message as he ushers in the kingdom of the skies. 

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: What Jesus Means by “Blessed” (00:00-13:24)
• Chapter 2: The Meaning of Ashrey in Other Hebrew Literature (13:24-17:55)
• Chapter 3: What Is the Good Life? (17:55-21:06)
• Chapter 4: Jesus Reframes the Good Life (21:06-33:33)

Referenced Resources

• The Wisdom of Ben-Sira (Ecclesiasticus) by Yeshua Ben Sirach
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Tyler Bailey and Yanii Evans are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Ben Tertin, Breon Gummel, and Rick McKinley. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E3 – The Sermon on the Mount is one of five major speeches Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew, and there are many similarities between these speeches. What is Matthew doing in his gospel that is unique from the other gospels? And how does this shape his portrayal of Jesus? In this episode, Jon and Tim discuss how the Sermon on the Mount fits into the larger context of the Gospel of Matthew.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: Jesus’ Five Speeches in Matthew (00:00-14:55)
• Chapter 2: How Matthew 5-7 and 23-25 Work Together (14:55-18:09)
• Chapter 3: The Structure of the Sermon on the Mount and Conclusion (18:09-22:55)
• Chapter 4: A Reading of the Sermon on the Mount (22:55-40:33)

Referenced Resources

• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Yanii Evans and Tyler Bailey are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer, and he provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Jonathan Pennington. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Sermon on the Mount E2 – As a Jewish rabbi, Jesus was immersed in the Hebrew Bible, or what Christians often call the Old Testament. The Hebrew Bible tells the story of God working with ancient Israel to bring about his Kingdom. And in the New Testament, Jesus claimed that God’s Kingdom was at long last arriving in him. In this episode, Tim and Jon walk through the three parts of the Hebrew Bible, showing how they connect to what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount. Plus, Michelle, Dan, and Aaron go on a field trip to look at a Torah scroll to better understand how the Hebrew Bible is designed.

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Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: Repentance in the Sermon on the Mount (00:00-12:35)
• Chapter 2: Exploring a Hebrew Bible Scroll (12:35-17:57)
• Chapter 3: How Jesus Interprets the Torah (17:57-25:00)
• Chapter 4: The Hebrew Bible’s Differing Book Order—Including the Prophets (25:00-27:38)
• Chapter 5: The Sermon on the Mount as the Fulfillment of Prophetic Hope (27:38-35:21)
• Chapter 6: The Last Book of the Hebrew Bible and the Writings (Ketuvim) (35:21-37:22)
• Chapter 7: The Sermon on the Mount as Wisdom Literature (37:22-40:43)
• Chapter 8: How the Hebrew Bible’s Structure Provides Context for the Sermon on the Mount (40:43-43:54)

Referenced Resources

• Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner's Guide to the Kingdom by Amy Jill Levine
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Dan Gummel is the Creative Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; Colin Wilson, producer; and Stephanie Tam, consultant and editor. Yanii Evans and Tyler Bailey are our audio editors. Tyler Bailey is also our audio engineer and provided our sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Special thanks to Aaron Shaw. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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Most of us have probably heard sayings from Jesus’ famous teaching, commonly called the Sermon on the Mount. It's only 100 verses, but the sermon has created an enduring legacy that has shaped countless lives throughout history. In this first episode of a yearlong series on the Sermon on the Mount, Tim and Jon introduce some new voices and share stories of influential people who were inspired by Jesus’ words. Then the team lays out the basic facts of the Sermon on the Mount and the different ways it’s been interpreted over 2,000 years.

View more resources on our website →

Timestamps 

• Chapter 1: Meet the Team and Hear Stories (00:00-18:08)
• Chapter 2: The Basics of the Sermon (18:08-32:22)
• Chapter 3: Interview with The Chosen Creator, Dallas Jenkins (32:22-44:15)
• Chapter 4: Domestication Strategies for the Sermon Throughout History (44:15-56:21)

Referenced Resources

• “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• The Sermon on the Mount, Utopia or Program for Action? by Pinchas E. Lapide
• Interested in more? Check out Tim’s library here.
• You can experience our entire library of resources in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.

Show Music 

• Original Sermon on the Mount music by Richie Kohen
• BibleProject theme song by TENTS

Show Credits

Stephanie Tam is the Lead Producer for today’s show. Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer; Cooper Peltz, managing producer; and Colin Wilson, producer. Tyler Bailey is our audio engineer and editor, and he also provided our sound design and mix. Brad Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Today’s hosts are Jon Collins and Michelle Jones.

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