In the last segment of the Nativity Story, Jesus is brought to Egypt. Why? To fulfil some prophecies and to avoid King Herod. This episode will explore a few theories on where in Egypt Jesus stayed and the timeline of Herod's death.

Who were the Magi? Where did they come from? What was special about their gifts? All of these questions and more will be explored in this study of the Magi.

Do you remember when Jesus cursed the fig trees on Easter week? Well, in this metaphor, Jerusalem was the fig tree and the fruit it bore? Well, when he was a baby, Jerusalem still had some righteous people living in it (Anna and Simeon) and also a few rotten apples (Caiaphus and Herod). Episode 10 will take a look at some of the locals during Mary and Joseph's visit to the Holy City. And when did they visit? I'll throw my hat into the ring and support the old-school tradition of...December 25th.

So Mary and Joseph left for Bethlehem... Episode nine explores the complexity of that Roman census and the names associatated with it. It also explores the ideas on WHEN and WHY Joseph would have been willing to make the trip to Bethlehem. As always, there are strange nuggets of legend and lore that amplify the Gospel account.

If Jesus shared no DNA with Joseph, then why did Matthew and Luke include him in the geneology lists? The answer: a promise had been made. In accepting Mary into his home, Joseph represented the sum of Biblical patriarchs who had also accepted the promise of the Christ. This episode examines the traditional marriage ceremony and looks closely at the choices Joseph made prior to leaving for Bethlehem.

Both Zecharias and Mary show that they have a "big picture" understanding of the role John and Jesus will play in the salvation of humanity.

Who's the other baby in the Nativity Scene? While most nativity scenes only show Jesus, John the Baptist would have been around during the same period.  Thirty years later, John connects with Jesus again at the Jordan River. Episode Six explores Gabriel's meaning when he tells Zacharias that the baby will connect to the Elijah prophecy.

Episode Five examines a few minor characters in the Christmas story--Zacharias, Elizabeth, Gabriel, and the strange baby, John.

Did Jesus have an aunt and uncle? How about cousins? Or did Mary and Joseph ever have more kids?  Episode Four jumps out of the Christmas story to explore some of the names that show up later in the narrative, especially "the other Mary" who is described as being the wife of Clopas. Never heard of Clopas before? Well, they knew who he was back in the 2nd century AD. 

In Episode Two, author Jason Willis compares the Gospel accounts of Mary with other accounts that have seeped into tradition. This episode will examine the location and implication of the "overshadowing" moment along with some insight into who Mary was and where she came from.