God in Context

A Faith of Messiah Podcast
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Most of us were handed a Bible without the world it came from. God in Context explores Scripture through the cultural, historical, and Jewish lens that shaped every word of it — so the text opens up in ways a surface reading never could. Each episode takes a concept, a passage, or a question Christians wrestle with and digs into what it actually meant before it meant what we think it means. For curious believers ready to read the Bible on its own terms. New episodes weekly. Subscribe to journey deeper into the ancient world of scripture. faithofmessiah.substack.com

Episodes

  1. Sep 24

    Jesus Didn't Just Die for Your Sins. He Led an Exodus.

    Why do the Gospels tell Jesus’ story with echoes of Israel’s Exodus? Matthew brings us from Egypt through water and wilderness, and Luke uses the word exodos for what Jesus would accomplish in Jerusalem. In this episode, I trace those connections and ask what rescue is for. Jesus’ death, resurrection, and the new life he leads us into are all part of the story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

    Jesus Didn't Just Die for Your Sins. He Led an Exodus.

  2. Sep 11

    Jesus Fed 5,000—Then His Followers Walked Away

    Why did Jesus’ followers walk away after he fed five thousand? Explore John 6, the new Exodus, and what “I am the bread of life” asks of us. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  3. Aug 25

    Why Didn’t Jesus Just Say He Was God?

    Jesus never once says the words "I am God" in plain terms — so how do we know he claimed to be? This video walks through a pattern hiding in plain sight across the Gospels: Jesus calming a storm (echoing Jonah), forgiving sins outright, touching an untouchable leper, and walking on water. Each story, written by different people for different audiences, shows Jesus stepping into a role the Hebrew Bible says belongs to God alone. The people who witnessed it didn't say "nice trick" — they asked "what sort of man is this?" We'll look at: * Why Jesus calming the storm is a direct echo (and reversal) of the Jonah story * Why forgiving sin outright was a bigger claim than the healing itself * What actually reverses when Jesus touches a leper * Why the Roman centurion's faith is the model, not Peter's doubt * What "my Father is still working, and I am working also" means as 1st-century apprenticeship language The claim isn't just in what Jesus says — it's in the pattern of what he does.Want to go deeper on this kind of study every week? Join the newsletter and get a free 5-day course on reading the Bible better: https://faithofmessiah.com I appreciate the time you took to listen to this podcast. If you were inspired by it, do me a favor and share it with just one person you know. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  4. Jul 24

    Jesus Told the Most Religious Man in Israel to Start Over

    Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman both meet Jesus in John 3–4 — but only one walks away changed. A Bible study on "born again" and God's "I AM." This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  5. Jul 10

    You Cannot Rest While You're Being Watched

    You can stop working and still not be resting. In Matthew 12, religious leaders turn a hungry disciple's handful of grain into evidence — and a suffering man's healed hand into a legal problem. This episode traces what that anxiety reveals about the voice that still grades your rest today, and what Jesus' "light yoke" offers instead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

    You Cannot Rest While You're Being Watched

  6. Jul 2

    Why Jesus' "I Am" Statements Start at the Burning Bush

    Seven men once tried to cast a demon out using Jesus's name, pronounced correctly, and it did nothing for them. This episode starts there, because that story exposes an assumption most of us carry without noticing: that knowing the right name, the right words, the right pronunciation gives us some kind of leverage with God. From there we trace that assumption back to Moses at the burning bush, where God answers a request for his name with a verb instead of a noun, and forward to a scene at Hanukkah where Jesus refuses to let a crowd pin a label on him before the cross. Episode 1 of a series through the Gospel of John: The God You Did Not Expect. If you've ever wondered whether saying it right, believing it right, or belonging to the right group earns you better standing with God, this one's for you. Get a free 5-day mini course on becoming a Confident Reader at faithofmessiah.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

    Why Jesus' "I Am" Statements Start at the Burning Bush

  7. Jun 25

    The Sabbath Was Not Given So You Could Fail at Rest

    Most people who try to rest feel guilty the moment they stop. Not peaceful. Not restored. Just guilty. This episode isn't about rules for the Sabbath. It's about why rules alone can never teach a slave how to rest — and why the voice that shows up when you sit down ("you should be doing more") isn't a discipline problem. It's a Pharaoh problem. We look at what God was actually doing before he ever gave Israel the Sabbath law — why manna came before commandments, what the prophet Amos says about people who stop with their hands but never stop in their hearts, and what it means to start practicing rest without turning it into another performance. If Sabbath has always felt like one more thing you're failing at, this one's for you. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

    The Sabbath Was Not Given So You Could Fail at Rest

  8. 04/17/2025

    Unleavened Decisions: Why Waiting Can Cost You Everything

    Are you stuck in a cycle of indecision, waiting for the “perfect” time to change? In this podcast, we explore the Feast of Unleavened Bread as a powerful biblical reminder that transformation demands urgency. From the Israelites fleeing Egypt to Jesus’ harsh words to the lukewarm, Scripture doesn’t celebrate caution—it calls for commitment. I’ll share my personal “Passover moment,” why indecision is rebellion in disguise, and how the Passover Principle can ignite real change in your life starting today. ➡️ If you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  9. 04/07/2025

    The Lamb That Lives

    This episode challenges the common understanding of Jesus as the Passover lamb, revealing how the original Passover sacrifice was about covenant relationship rather than substitutionary punishment. We explore how Jesus revolutionized sacrifice by defeating death itself, transforming our understanding of atonement and our relationship with God. Key Points * The True Meaning of Passover: The blood on doorposts wasn't about avoidance but invitation—God entered homes marked with blood to protect those inside. * Covenant vs. Compensation: Biblical sacrifice was primarily about establishing relationship, not paying for sins. The Hebrew word "pasach" refers to protective hovering, not passing by. * Misunderstanding Sacrifice: Evidence from scripture shows that blood sacrifice wasn't the only way to receive forgiveness in ancient Judaism. * The Five Types of Offerings: Exploring the different sacrifices in Leviticus and their distinct purposes beyond sin atonement. * Jesus Transforms Death: Unlike animal sacrifices that stayed dead, Jesus rose again—proving His sacrifice wasn't just substitution but victory over death itself. * Sacrifice as Shared Experience: How ancient ritual engaged all five senses to transform participants, not just intellectually but psychologically. * Communion as Corporate Resurrection: Reframing the Lord's Supper as active participation in covenant rather than merely remembering a transaction. Notable Quotes "The blood wasn't a substitution. It was an invitation." "For the Israelites in Egypt, the lamb wasn't dying in their place—it was bringing them into God's family." "This wasn't a transaction. It was a triumph." "He didn't just die for you. He brought you into a story—where God doesn't just save from death, but walks with you through it, and raises you on the other side." Further Reading * Leviticus 1-7: The sacrificial system * Exodus 12: The Passover story * 1 Corinthians 15: Paul on the resurrection's centrality to atonement * Hebrews 2:14-15 & 10:1-4: Jesus' defeat of death and the limitations of animal sacrifice This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  10. 03/28/2025

    Did Early Christians Keep Passover?

    Did the Early Christians Keep Passover? | Rediscovering Pascha Most Christians today know about Easter. But what if I told you the earliest followers of Jesus didn’t celebrate Easter—they remembered Pascha, the biblical Passover? This podcast explores the roots of that practice and why it matters today: – Jesus’ Last Supper as a Passover meal – Paul’s call to “keep the feast” (1 Cor. 5:7–8) – The early church’s fight to preserve Nisan 14 – The Quartodeciman Controversy and Council of Nicaea – The gradual separation from Jewish roots – And how Constantine’s desire for political unity changed everything This isn’t about legalism. It’s about remembering the story Jesus chose to frame his death and resurrection: Exodus, freedom, covenant, identity. So here’s the question I want you to wrestle with: 👉 What if Jesus didn’t give us a new tradition… but a new identity? 👉 What if we’re meant to be Passover people? 👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear how reconnecting with Passover has impacted your faith. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  11. 03/20/2025

    Why Doesn’t God Heal Everyone?

    Why do some people get healed while others don't? As a nurse who's worked with the critically ill, I've witnessed both medical miracles and heartbreaking losses. In this video, I tackle the difficult question many believers struggle with: "Why doesn't God heal everyone?" I explore: • The reality of biblical healing (it wasn't as common as we think) • Why miracles are the exception, not the rule • The uncomfortable truth about Paul's unanswered prayers • How faith and medicine work together, not against each other • Finding purpose in suffering • What our responsibility is as believers Whether you're facing illness, supporting someone who is, or simply wrestling with tough questions about faith and healing, this honest conversation offers biblical perspective without easy answers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit faithofmessiah.substack.com

  • 11 Episodes

About

Most of us were handed a Bible without the world it came from. God in Context explores Scripture through the cultural, historical, and Jewish lens that shaped every word of it — so the text opens up in ways a surface reading never could. Each episode takes a concept, a passage, or a question Christians wrestle with and digs into what it actually meant before it meant what we think it means. For curious believers ready to read the Bible on its own terms. New episodes weekly. Subscribe to journey deeper into the ancient world of scripture. faithofmessiah.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    A Faith of Messiah Podcast
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ryan White
  • Show Website
    God in Context