
Hosted by Spoken Gospel · EN

The Gospel of John is structured around seven signs that build toward an eighth—the resurrection of Jesus. To understand what John means by a "sign," David and Christine walk through the biblical story, tracing where and how signs appear in Scripture. From the heavenly lights of creation to the plagues that fell on Egypt, John shows that Jesus' signs reveal that he is God in the flesh who has come to bring new creation and salvation to humanity.

John opens his Gospel not with a birth narrative or a genealogy, but with a stunning claim about who Jesus has always been. David and Christine walk through John's prologue and talk about how the Word of God appears as a visible divine person over 100 times in the Old Testament, how the logic of creation itself proves Jesus is uncreated and therefore God, and why the incarnation—God becoming flesh and dwelling among us—is not just something we celebrate at Christmas but the very means by which God saves and restores the world.

John's account of Jesus' life and Gospel has long been noted for its uniqueness compared to the synoptic accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In this episode, David and Christine begin the series on the Gospel of John, exploring who John is as a unique eyewitness, his purpose for writing, and the importance of reading John on his own terms to see Jesus as the God who incarnates and fulfills Scripture's images, themes, and patterns.

After nearly seven years of reading through the entire Bible together, Seth Stewart steps away from the Spoken Gospel Podcast to pursue eldership and family ministry full time. In this episode, Seth and David reflect on how seeing Jesus on every page of Scripture changed their understanding of who he is, what it really means to read the Bible faithfully, and why no podcast — including this one — can replace the local church.

As the gospel continues to spread among the Gentiles, a dispute arises as to whether non-Jewish converts need to follow Jewish customs like circumcision to be included in the kingdom of God. David and Christine explore the depths of the apostles' discussion in Jerusalem surrounding this issue, taking a closer look at how the apostles interpreted the Scriptures in light of Jesus' ascension to reach their conclusion.

As the gospel spreads from Jerusalem to distant lands, the church lives out Jesus' life on earth through patterns of growth, persecution, and deliverance. In fact, this has been the story of God's people since the very first Passover in Egypt. David and Christine trace the Passover themes in Peter's escape from prison, which showcase Jesus' ultimate Passover that all people are invited into.

What does it mean that Gentiles are made clean? How can the Holy Spirit fill Gentiles supposedly outside of God's Kingdom? David and Christine explore the events surrounding Peter's visit to Cornelius, the implications that Jesus' ascension and worldwide atonement have on the nations, and how the Gentile Pentecost connects to the stories of Ezekiel, Jonah, and even Noah's descendants.

Saul was breathing out threats and murder against the followers of Jesus—until Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. David and Christine explore how this story echoes both King Saul's pursuit of David and Elisha's surprising hospitality to enemy soldiers. Together, they uncover a stunning theme: God saves his people by showing kindness to his enemies.

Stephen was the first person to give his life for Jesus, and his death mirrors the death of Jesus in stunning ways. David and Christine walk through Stephen's brilliant sermon, his vision of the risen Christ, and how his martyrdom set the stage for the gospel to spread and for Saul's transformation into the Apostle Paul.

A wealthy Ethiopian official journeys to Jerusalem seeking the God of Israel, only to find himself excluded from the very temple he longed to enter. David and Christine talk about ancient riddles, the Queen of Sheba, and how Philip's encounter with this outsider shows that the Gospel breaks down every barrier to bring the nations into God's family.