Four Portraits, One Jesus: Audio Lectures: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels

Synopsis

To Christians worldwide, the man Jesus of Nazareth is the centerpiece of history, the object of faith, hope, and worship. Even those who do not follow him admit the vast influence of his life. For anyone interested in knowing more about Jesus, study of the four biblical Gospels is essential. Four Portraits, One Jesus is a thorough yet accessible introduction to these documents and their subject, the life and person of Jesus. Like different artists rendering the same subject using different styles and points of view, the Gospels paint four highly distinctive portraits of the same remarkable Jesus. With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books, first addressing their nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds. He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme. Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus’ ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels.

Session titles and run times:

1 - What Are the Gospels? (20 min.)

2 - Exploring the Origin and Nature of the Gospels: Historical-Critical Methods of Gospel Research (21 min.)

3 - Reading and Hearing the Gospel Stories: Literary-Critical Methods of Gospel Research (22 min.)

4 - The Historical Setting of the Gospels (22 min.)

5 - The Religious Setting: First-Century Judaism (21 min.)

6 - The Social and Cultural Setting of the Gospels (19 min.)

7 - Mark: The Gospel of the Suffering Son of God (22 min.)

8 - Matthew: The Gospel of the Messiah (24 min.)

9 - Luke: The Gospel of the Savior for All People (24 min.)

10 - John: The Gospel of the Son Who Reveals the Father (20 min.)

11 - Searching for the Real Jesus (15 min.)

12 - The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (18 min.)

13 - The Contours and Chronology of Jesus' Ministry (13 min.)

14 - Jesus' Birth and Childhood (18 min.)

15 - The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry (12 min.)

16 - The Message of Jesus (13 min.)

17 - The Miracles of Jesus (11 min.)

18 - The Messianic Words and Actions of Jesus (13 min.)

19 - The Death of Jesus (16 min.)

20 - The Resurrection of Jesus (15 min.)