Resources for Passion Week

I've been on the road and am now working on an episode that connects the themes of Exodus to Jesus and his ultimate redemptive mission. In the meantime, here are some Passion Week related resources.

ARTICLES
Joanna: Luke’s Key Witness? Shane Rosenthal
Who was Joanna, and why does she play such a central role in Luke's concluding chapter on Jesus’ resurrection? Curiously, this in-depth investigation leads us to challenge our assumptions about Theophilus—and even Luke himself.

Passover, The Last Supper & The Day of Crucifixion, Shane Rosenthal
Was the Last Supper a Passover Seder? Do the Gospels agree on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion?

Where Was Jesus Crucified?, Shane Rosenthal
Do the Gospel narratives about Golgotha fit the geography and customs of first-century Judea? Yes they do—and reflecting on this question helps us to grasp the significance of Christ's death.

Considering Alternatives to the Resurrection, Shane Rosenthal
Since the heart of the Christian claim is that Jesus rose again from the dead (1Cor 15:1-17), perhaps we should take some time to think through other possible explanations.

Bart Ehrman on Jesus & The Claim of Resurrection, Shane Rosenthal
In his book, Did Jesus Exist?, atheist New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman writes, “The idea that Christians were telling stories of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection before [Paul’s conversion around 32 AD] is held by virtually all scholars of the New Testament, and for compelling reasons.”

Did Palm Trees Grow in Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus? Shane Rosenthal
John is the only Gospel writer who specifically mentions the use of "palm branches" during Jesus' triumphal entry, but is this botanical detail accurate for that time and place?

Simon of Cyrene: An Intriguing Archaeological Discovery, Shane Rosenthal
A first-century ossuary discovered in Jerusalem may provide external confirmation for the existence of the man who carried Jesus' cross to Golgotha

The Date of John’s Gospel: Are We Witnessing a Paradigm Shift? Shane Rosenthal
Many New Testament scholars are beginning to reassess the date of the Fourth Gospel, including Richard Bauckham, N.T. Wright, John Dickson, George van Kooten, James Charlesworth, and Peter J. Williams.

The Authenticity & Genuineness of the Fourth Gospel, J.B. Lightfoot
This essay originally formed a series of lectures delivered by Lightfoot in 1871. In it he argues that the Gospel of John “could only have been written by an eyewitness.” The “internal marks of authenticity and genuineness are so minute, so varied, so circumstantial, and so unsuspicious, as to create an overwhelming body of evidence in its favor.”

PODCAST EPISODES
The Messiah’s Redemptive Mission, Shane Rosenthal
Locating Golgotha, with David Rohl
Were Jews Expecting a Suffering Messiah?, Shane Rosenthal
Jewish Views of the Messiah, with Daniel Boyariin
Stories of Jesus: Can We Trust Them? with Peter J. Williams
Are The Gospels History or Fiction? with John Dickson
The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony, with Richard Bauckham
Is John’s Gospel Late & Unreliable?, with Daniel Wallace
What Did the Earliest Christians Believe?, with Dennis Johnson
Fake or Authentic? with Lydia McGrew
The Jesus of History & The Gospel Creed

VIDEO
The Tools & Rules of History, with Gary Habermas, David McIlroy & Shane Rosenthal
On November 8th, 2024, trial attorney Mark Lanier moderated this panel discussion at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston Texas. The forum was inspired by the release of two exhaustive volumes on the historicity of Jesus’ Resurrection by Dr. Habermas: On The Resurrection Vol. 1: Evidences, and On The Resurrection Vol. 2: Refutations.

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