The Extraordinary Story with Tom Hoopes

The Passion of Christ Meets the World | S4 E25

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 02:01:00 -0500

So Jesus came, Jesus died, Jesus rose, and Jesus conquered. After going through the Gospels, what else is left to say? “How to Buy Drugs From Desperate Panicked Criminals With Guns” is one of the essays I wrote at the University of Arizona before I dropped out and had to restart my life. I wrote it about the experiences I had leaving my home at age 16 and encountering some of the worst of what America in that time and place had to offer. I have been telling the Extraordinary Story of Jesus Christ and I have been sharing struggles I had in my faith life. This week I start to tell the tale of how the blood Jesus shed on Calvary got to my ancestors in El Salvador, and Mexico, and Kansas. Because while I get that Jesus Christ was alive 2,000 years ago, in the year 0-something AD, what difference does that make in the year 2000-something “C.E.”? That is what will come next in Jesus Christ’s Extraordinary Story.

Holy Week episodes to check out:

Why Did Jesus Have To Die? | S4 E1

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on a Donkey | S4 E2

The Agony in the Garden | S4 E12

Why Jesus Carries the Cross for Us | S4 E15

The Strangeness of the Ascension | S4 E24

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 02:00:00 -0500

The life of Jesus gets strange on this episode of The Extraordinary Story. According to some prominent religious art, this is the episode where he flies into the sky. And according to snake handlers, this is the episode where he gives us all sorts of crazy powers. But I want to show how it doesn't have to seem so strange after all, and then finish my evidence for the resurrection with the most powerful evidence of all.

Evidence for the Resurrection | S4 E23

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 02:00:00 -0500

In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, I want to share with you the story of a scholar who poked holes in the resurrection story — and then I want to let you know how I fill those holes in. If you've been following this podcast from the beginning, you know that there’s a long gap between season two and season three. That's because I went on a journey, an intellectual journey, as the work of one honest Christian scholar made me question a lot of what I had taken for granted about the resurrection. Today I present to you evidence for the resurrection.

Peter Faces Jesus By the Sea | S4 E22

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 02:01:00 -0500

Remember when you made that crazy promise to God where you said you'd do anything for him? Remember, you laughed it off later as too enthusiastic and figured he laughed it off too. Well, Peter finds out the hard way that no, he didn't laugh it off. We will look at the second to last resurrection appearance in the Gospels today, and see the apostles who are supposed to be fishers of men. Go back to just fishing and wind up catching God himself.

Frightened Apostles and Doubting Thomas | S4 E21

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 02:01:00 -0600

Jesus had a busy day after he rose from the dead. We are still right there with him on Easter evening as he visits the Twelve Apostles. Or 10 anyway: Judas was gone and Thomas couldn’t make it. Jesus gives surprising evidence of the Resurrection and helps the Apostles understood exactly why this all happened this way. Then Thomas shows up …

Our Emmaus Moment | S4 E20

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:01:00 -0600

It’s Easter afternoon and two disciples are leaving town in a hurry in the wake of Jesus’s death. There are some very strange features to this story. Why don’t they recognize Jesus? Why does he do such a strange miracle? This episode asks these questions and shares one hot take on a longstanding mystery: Who was the unnamed disciple headed out of town with Cleopas? It all adds up to a story tailor made for 21st century skeptics.

The Women at the Empty Tomb | S4 E19

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Today we will be looking at the first people to encounter the risen Jesus, which happened to be women. We will talk about how this was awkward for the first disciples, but kind of great for us today. We'll start to notice also how different the different people's encounters with Jesus after the resurrection were, and ask for the first time, but not the last, why? We will also note the surprising details of Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus. And I will give my personal theory on whether or not Jesus met his mother after the resurrection.

What They Saw in the Empty Tomb | S4 E18

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0600

Jesus died on Good Friday. He was in the ground on Holy Saturday, but now it's Sunday morning. Now we get to the good part, the triumph, the redemption. There are a number of resurrection experiences to talk about, but we'll start early on Easter morning at first light, when Mary Magdalene, then Peter, then John saw the inside of the tomb.

What they saw changed everything.

Holy Saturday and the New Eden | S4 E17

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:01:00 -0600

The Lord is dead. Jesus bowed his head and breathed his last in the previous episode of The Extraordinary Story. But now, even before he is sealed in his tomb, astonishing things begin to happen. The Gospel of John shares a surprising detail that echoes back to the Samaritan woman at the well and passed back through salvation history all the way to Eden. Then when Jesus is buried, his power that shook the earth pushes his children up and out of the depths of sin and into the streets of Jerusalem. What will it mean for us?

Why Jesus Carries the Cross for Us | S4 E15

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 11:52:27 -0600

Today on the extraordinary story, we will walk with Jesus up the hill of Calvary carrying a cross, and ask again, "Why did Jesus have to die?" Paul says he did it to save us from the wrath of God. How is that okay? And then we will see what happens when Jesus takes up the cross of our sin and it knocks him down. Why is it that the Son of God Himself has to walk such a terrible road? And why do we have to take up crosses to follow him?

The Death of the New Adam | S4 E16

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:31:00 -0600

We come at last to the big culmination of Jesus's earthly ministry. The goal of his life. The event he has set his face like flint toward. The event he has been marching forward to reach: the crucifixion. No one expected the Messiah to die on the cross. But we will look back and see that the signs were there in the Old Testament, left there like windows through the walls of the maze looking to the cross — the ladder, up and out.

Behold the Man; Behold Your King

Sun, 24 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Today we will hear the famous words of Pontius Pilate as he presented Jesus Christ for his accusers to see. "Ecce Homo," translated to, "Behold, the man." His words tap into the heart of who Jesus Christ is and who we are. As they reach back to the origins of the human race. But we will also hear him say words that reach forward to the very end of the human race. "Ecce Rex Vester," translated to, "Behold, your king." But frankly, it's hard to see a king for the ages in the small town carpenter, crowned with thorns and bleeding from a severe flogging, standing before people who are demanding that he die. Is it delusional to look at this suffering figure and think you are looking at the king of everything?

The Trials of Jesus, Judas and Peter

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0600

We will see Jesus Christ get arrested in this episode, and then we'll follow him as he's tried first by his own people, the Jewish leaders, and then by the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. We will ask and answer the question, why was Jesus silent before his accusers so often? And what was Pilate's wife's dream? And if Judas is in hell, what might be his greatest regret for all eternity? But most importantly, we will see Jesus reveal more about His kingdom that he came to establish.

The Agony in the Garden | S4 E12

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 00:01:00 -0600

Jesus continues his epic project of re-edenizing the world, this time in a literal garden, but not the garden of Eden - the Garden of Gethsemane. Gethsemane means "oil press." And we see Jesus here in the Mount of Olives, being crushed like a grape in the fingers of Satan for our sins. We will see what the greatest failure of the apostles was, and how we can make up for it a little, and we will see the remarkable things St. John Paul II and Saint John Henry Newman say about the sufferings of Jesus Christ in his agony in the garden.

The Eucharist and the Kingdom | S4 E11

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 06:21:32 -0500

Today we're going to look at the institution of the Eucharist and the institution of the priesthood and the foundation of the whole sacramental system. Here is where Jesus Christ brings the life of God in eternity and unites it with our lives here in the maze. Here is where God makes us his family, so that we can live in a new way, starting now and lasting forever. Everything that's happened in the story to this point has led up to this moment, and this is what he has spent the last days of Holy Week preparing us for.

Jesus Washes Feet and Gives a New Commandment | S4 E10

Sun, 27 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus has been saying, "My hour has not yet come." Today he'll say, "My hour has arrived." It is Holy Thursday, and on this great and ominous night filled with huge moments in salvation history. The first thing he chooses to do is wash the feet of his apostles. Now, why did he do that? And why is it significant that Judas left right after he did that? And what does it mean for us when washing feet is no longer quite the thing it apparently was back then? We'll find out this week on The Extraordinary Story.

Judas vs. Mary on Spy Wednesday | S4 E9

Sun, 20 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0500

It's Wednesday of Holy Week, the day before the big days. The chief priests hold a special meeting. They want to find a way to arrest Jesus without alarming the crowds of people in Jerusalem. It's hard because Jesus knows their plans and is steering clear. They're stuck and they can't find a way. And then there's a knock on the door and a man is ushered into the room. He asks, how much will you give me if I hand him over to you? We will review why Judas would want to betray his master, and it's important that we do, because it's the same reason you and I may want to betray him also.

The Sheep, the Goats, and David | S4 E8

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0500

The veil drops and we see the Kingdom of Christ for what it is. Angels and thrones and icons all around us. And we ourselves for what we are. Either sheep seeing the true worth of our neighbor or goats. We also get to see some sweet payback when Jesus, tired of the Pharisees trying to trap him, verbally traps them instead.

Woes of the Pharisees | S4 E7

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:01:00 -0500

This week on the extraordinary story. Jesus stages an intervention for the Pharisees. And for me, too. In a way, we will discuss the seven woes of the Pharisees and a surprising hero who is the opposite of what they are.

Caesar and the Greatest Commandment | S4 E6

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 00:48:03 -0500

In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, we are with Jesus during the last week before his death, where we learn how two challenges from his opponents provoked Jesus to share wisdom that has changed the course of history. We will discover who asked him to pay taxes, and why his answer addresses the fundamental problems of alienation in the world today. We will also address what it means to "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Marriage As the End Goal of History | S4 E5

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:01:00 -0500

As Jesus faces his imminent death in the final week of his earthly life, he reveals that the end goal of history is marriage. We'll learn in what way Jesus considers his relationship with us a marriage, why we wont be married to our spouses in heaven, and how to fight the darkness that threatens to swallow us whole while we wait for the wedding.

Learn More The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to transform it into a path to Him, today and always. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes. Click here to see all episodes of The Extraordinary Story Listen to “The Extraordinary Story with Tom Hoopes” wherever you listen to podcasts: click here for Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or Podbean.

The Work of the New Adam | S4 E4

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

As the incarnation of of Son of God approaches its most dramatic moment, Jesus urgently decides to... tell some stories. In this episode, we'll learn why the stories Jesus tells in the last week of his life actually are very urgent, and why Jesus focuses here on stories about work. Along the way, we'll learn what kind of "boss" God is, what kind of work he expects us to do, and what's at stake if we fail.

Cursed Fig Trees and Fruitful Soil: God's "Nature Logic" | S4 E3

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

We return to Jerusalem on the morning after Jesus's triumphal entry as he curses a fig tree. We'll learn why he did such a strange thing, why he insisted to Greeks that he himself was a grain of wheat, and what all of this reveals about the Garden of Eden - and ourselves. This episode is all about the “nature logic” of the Gospel, and the way the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is woven into the very fabric of the cosmos.

In this episode

You have to die before you can live. Jesus' paradoxical teaching about the "grain of wheat" may seem strange at first, but as St. Cyril of Alexandria, Pope Benedict XVI, and Larry Chapp point out, it's written all over the natural world for us to see plainly, foreshadowing the redemptive suffering of Jesus on the cross and echoing the eternal life and love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

00:00 Introduction
01:02 Reading of Matthew 18: Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
01:41 Why is Jesus hungry?
02:31 The importance of a fig tree in the Gospel
03:42 God is working to restore paradise for all creation
04:41 The Garden of Eden and gardens in the Gospels
07:12 God is the gardener of salvation history. Examples in the Old Testament
08:27 Jesus’ action is foreshadowed by the prophet Ezekiel
09:44 It was “not the season for figs” but God expects fruit anyway
10:11 Jesus teaches about the “dying seed”
12:19 St. Cyril of Alexandria and the “analogy of nature”
13:21 Cardinal Ratzinger explains the “mystery of the dying grain”
14:41 Larry Chap and the mystery of redemptive suffering
15:11 Reading of John 12 - “He who loses his life will save it”
16:43 Suffering on earth is an image of the inner life of the Trinity
17:17 Jesus “leaned obedience through what he suffered”
19:24 The Fathers of the Church took the Gospel’s “nature logic” seriously
20:43 St. Clement of Alexandria: The Word of God is the pruning knife of the soul
22:20 Reading of Luke 13: Jesus’ parable of the master’s vineyard
23:46 Application of the parable
24:19 Conclusion

Learn More

For more content from Benedictine College, visit media.benedictine.edu

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to transform it into a path to Him, today and always. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Jesus' Triumphal Entry on a Donkey | S4 E2

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This week, we follow Jesus in his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and discover the raw power of Jesus alone on a donkey. We'll learn why a donkey is a more kingly steed than a chariot. We'll learn what it means that God's kingdom is "already, but not yet." And we'll learn what the wrath of God looks like from God's perspective.

In this episode:

Today's episode begins the story of the single week that changed all of history. It is a story about a conqueror who commanded no army, had no weapons, and made no attempt at self-defense - a conqueror who did nothing but teach, and pray, and suffer, and die.

00:00 Introduction
00:57 Jesus is no ordinary worldly conqueror
02:50 John 12:12-19 - Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
03:58 Previous “triumphal entries” of Jerusalem’s conquerors
04:26 Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of the Temple of Solomon
05:41 Alexander the Great enters Jerusalem
06:52 Jesus enters the city on a donkey
07:14 What does the donkey mean in prophecy?
09:00 Other theories about the donkey
09:31 The Kumran Community theory
09:47 The donkey points us towards Jesus’ identity and mission
11:06 The Triumphal Entry is a fulfilment of Christmas prophecy
11:45 Jesus is ‘the prophet’ Moses foretold
12:17 The Kingdom of God is “already, but not yet”
12:47 Jesus’ entrance is like VE Day from World War II
13:53 Bishop Robert Barron: “God rules through his viceroys”
14:17 We are under the lordship of the True King in Christ
15:53 Jesus and the repentant thief
16:42 The Festival of Booths and its relevance to the triumphal entry
19:30 The Cleansing of the Temple
20:10 Jesus wants to restore the temple to its Edenic significance
21:11 God’s wrath and Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the temple
23:17 Jesus intends to restore all of our ‘temples’ as well
24:03 Conclusion

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? | S4 E1

Sun, 25 Aug 2024 00:01:00 -0500

Welcome back to The Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ. Season Four will guide us through the final week of Jesus’ life as he approaches the ‘hour’ for which he came: death on a cross. But Tom Hoopes has done some thinking during the break, and returns with a fresh perspective to share with us about why all of this even matters in the first place.

In this episode:

Why does Jesus need to die at all? Is God just so angry at humanity that he needs to kill his Son to calm down? (Spoiler: He’s not.) We’ll learn about Tom Vander Woude’s heroic death and how it reveals a deep truth about Jesus’s sacrifice. In addition, we’ll get a glimpse at the big picture of salvation history, how Christianity changed (and changes) everything, and why the “Our Father” is God’s game plan to bring back Eden, forever.

0:00 - Introduction
2:55 - The death of Tom Vander Woude
6:32 - Tom Vander Woude’s life and death models Christ’s sacrifice
9:22 - What does Jesus’ death really accomplish?
10:14 - Is God the Father thirsty for blood?
11:30 - Jesus took our place in the sewage to push us out of it
13:49 - Christ experienced every type of suffering for us
15:49 - The “Our Father” prayer is a blueprint
18:35 - “Thy Kingdom Come” and the covenants in Scripture
18:58 - God plans to restore Eden
20:26 - The Gospel, revisited
21:54 - What is “The Sign of Jonah”?
24:05 - The explosive growth of early Christianity
25:27 - How Christianity radically reshaped the whole world
27:05 - The irony of the Charlie Hebdo tragedy
28:53 - Summary and conclusion

Learn More:

Tom Vander Woude’s Legacy: https://media.benedictine.edu/you-pull-ill-push-tom-vander-woudes-legacy

A Father’s Sacrifice (Focus on the Family): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im9_iAQhd5E

Waste It All on Jesus | Season Three Finale

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus is back at dinner again with Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus. There's a growing sense of doom in the air. It's the feeling we all know too well - that something is about to go terribly wrong, and we're not sure what. Mary takes out a jar of ointment, and everyone would have been impressed when they saw it, because it was worth a year's wages all on its own. They are even more astounded when she pours the whole thing out on Jesus's feet. Suddenly, the hidden menace they felt all along takes on a face and a voice as Judas Iscariot himself speaks up.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

The King Wants to See Your Talents | S3 E22

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus has been headed to Jerusalem: determined, relentless, and unstoppable. He has been telling anyone who would listen that he is going there to die, but no one is listening. Just before they reach the top of the Mount of Olives with a view of Jerusalem he stops to tell them a strange parable.

This week Tom Hoopes dives into the Parable of the Talents, which shows us God's attitude towards our spiritual efforts. If we let it, this parable can change our lives by teaching us faithfulness to the generous God who has given us all we have, and inspiring in us diligence to work hard for His Kingdom.

Two Surprises on the Jericho Road | S3 E21

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus is headed to Jerusalem and nothing is going to stop him- certainly not on the rough and dangerous Jericho Road. A multitude joins Jesus on the path, and as they proceed to Jericho a crazed voice calls out to him: "Son of David, have mercy on me!" In the city, a little man hangs out of a tall tree staring at him. And suddenly, Jesus isn't so unstoppable after all.

In this episode, Tom Hoopes focuses on the healing of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, and the conversion of Zacchaeus, the prominent tax collector. Through each story, Jesus reveals that his plan to save humanity includes the healing of each one of us whom he encounters on the road.

The Lowest Place | S3 E20

Sun, 15 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0500

"They are going to kill me," Jesus told his disciples. It was his third great prediction of how it was all going to end: "We are going to Jerusalem where they will condemn me to death." At this moment James, John, and their mother decided to approach Jesus and demand places of honor in the Kingdom. Jesus's response was not what they were expecting.

In this episode, Tom Hoopes unpacks Christ's instruction to his disciples to "take the lowest place" and explores its relevance to our Christian witness, our daily suffering, and our relationship to an all-powerful God who took the "lowest place" for us and calls us to join Him there.

Jesus Raises Lazarus (and His Sisters) | S3 E19

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus is devastated. His friend is dead. He is crying. He stands before Lazarus' tomb and cries out. Was his voice startlingly strong, or broken with the pain that had finally reached a fever pitch? We don't know how he said it, but we do know what he said: "Lazarus, come forth."

In this episode, Tom Hoopes explores Jesus' relationship with the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus' death and raising shows us what it means to be a friend of Jesus Christ, who is Himself the Resurrection and the Life.

What the Rich Young Man Lost | S3 E18

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Pope Benedict XVI said, "The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." We're going to explore just that in this episode as we read the story of the Rich young Man, which is a hinge story in the gospel. One of the big important turning points in the gospel. And we'll even touch base with Ted Turner before it's done. So stick around for that. We're reading from the Gospel of Mark. This particular gospel is one of the ones that shows up in all three Synoptic gospels. It's in Matthew. It's in Luke with slight variations, some of which will note. But we're going to go back to our old friend Mark to read the story of the rich man.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Is God Even Listening? Prayer Parables | S3 E17

Sun, 24 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus has told us all along how loving and caring our Father is and how terrible sin is. But in the parables of the Persistent Widow, and the Pharisee and the Publican, He casts God as uncaring and indifferent in the parable anyway. Then he shows us an unrighteous, righteous man and a righteous sinner. He wants to do is powerfully put across how sovereign, majestic and other God is. But that's not what I'm going to talk about. I'm actually going to talk about some very practical ideas about prayer that come out of these parables and then touch on narcissism and then, just for fun, share some common Catholic phrases that show that we have deeply imbibed these lessons.

Jesus’ Marriage Revolution | S3 E16

Sun, 17 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0500

The Pharisees try to trip Jesus up by asking him about divorce and marriage. Jesus answers in words that have caused a lot of trouble ever since. "Where God has joined together, let no man put asunder." So we're going to look at divorce and marriage today. I'll try to make the case that what Jesus did here was actually a very freeing thing. I'll even give the surprising words of a priest at my daughter's wedding. So stick around for that. Plus, the one thing that every couple must do.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Parables of Salvation | S3 E15

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0500

God is so unfair. Jesus tells three parables today, and each one shows God being unfair. What is up, for instance, with the shrewd steward who cheats his boss and then gets praised for it? What's up with a rich man who enjoys food and drink like you and I do? And Jesus doubles down and then quadruples down on the torment he deserves for eternity.

Then there are the laborers. Some slave all day in the hot sun. Some just barely do any work at all. And they all get exactly the same wage. Making Jesus. What? Some kind of socialist? We'll also look at a smart guy who says there is no hell for precisely the sorts of reasons we're outlining here. And then we'll get real for a bonus minute.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Listen to more great content from Benedictine College.

Painful Truths About the Prodigal Son | S3 E14

Sun, 03 Sep 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Today in three Parables of Divine Mercy, including the big one, The Prodigal Son. I always think I know about the prodigal son already. When I hear someone about to talk about the prodigal son. If that's what you're thinking, just wait. I always get more out of hearing the same thing again and I have a couple of things that I think amount to a new take on the prodigal son, including one that I thank God for giving me.

The Reality of Hell (and Mercy) | S3 E13

Sun, 27 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Today we will hear Jesus, the loving Savior, the Good Shepherd, the Lord who calls us friends, talk all about hell. "Will few be saved?" someone asks him. His answer raises issues that resound to our day. Why is there a hell at all? Why would guide make a world in which people He loves end up in hell? And what about non-Catholics? Where will they end up? If they aren't saved, why did God make them? And if they are saved, then what's the point of Jesus? We will get to all of these questions, plus the recommendation from Jesus, Mary and Pope Francis that you talk to your children about hell. But do not miss the end, where we talk about the great hope that Jesus offers! The great hope, greater than you may have imagined.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Discovering God in Nature | S3 E12

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Take a long look at the grass and birds and flowers, and relax. Jesus contrasts two worldviews. One is the worldview of Mammon, the false God of wealth. The worldview that traps us in a technological bubble as anonymous wage slaves worried about our bank accounts. The other worldview is the one where we are the billionaire children of the King of the universe who gives us everything for free, pouring beauty, truth and goodness on us from our waking moment until the middle of the night. But it all starts with taking a long look at grass and birds and flowers. And relaxing.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

The Road to Jerusalem | S3 E11

Sun, 13 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus is on his relentless road to Jerusalem. He uses the road as a school of discipleship. He warns that wealth and selfishness will dog us every step of the way.

Gospel: Luke, 12

Set Your Hand to the Plow | S3 E10

Sun, 06 Aug 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Christ tells us how to behave when we have set our hand to the plow and how to treat our families. In this episode we consider the paradoxes of Jesus. We learn that the only destruction Jesus commands is the destruction of your paradigm. That love and sentimentality are very different things. And the only fire Jesus wants to set is the fire of love.

The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Story is produced by Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

The Good Samaritan and the Laity | S3 E9

Sun, 30 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus sends out seventy disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and he tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan to answer a lawyer's trick question. The mission of the seventy and the story of a robbery victim both reveal the Church's "secret weapon" - laypeople who evangelize and minister to the world's lost and wounded.

The Good Shepherd | S3 E8

Sun, 23 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus publicly announces that he is the "Good Shepherd," but this does not mean that he is a friendly farmhand. The Pharisees know this, and they attempt to silence him. If Christ is the Shepherd, who are the sheep who "know his voice?"

The Man Born Blind | S3 E7

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus gives sight to a man who has been blind from birth. This miracle brings Christ into further conflict with the Pharisees.

We were all like the man born blind - lost in the maze of the world until we meet Jesus. When the blind man encounters the Lord, everything changes for him. Will we be like him, or like the Pharisees who are so entangled in their own egos they cannot see the works of God?

The Woman Caught in Adultery | S3 E6

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Parental Advisory: This episode addresses contemporary sexual problems and behaviors. Listener discretion advised.

Religious leaders bring before Jesus a woman "caught in the act of adultery." They expect to trap Jesus in a moral dilemma with no solution. How does Christ respond the woman entangled in sexual sin? How does he react to the religious leaders? How does Jesus encounter us today, who are embroiled in a culture of sexual vice and addiction?

Join us for the Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ. The Extraordinary Story is brought to you by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Revelation in the Temple | S3 E5

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Christ travels from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, where the he declares that he himself is Living Water. What is the Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths) and why does Christ choose it as the occasion to make this announcement? What is it about calling himself "water" at this feast that makes the scribes and Pharisees want to kill him? What is the significance of this Revelation in the Temple for our own lives today?

Join us for The Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ. Jesus Christ, God Himself, entered the confusing maze that is our world to show us who we are and to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. Brought to you by Benedictine College in Atchison, KS; written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Man vs. God | S3 E4

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:01:00 -0500

What is sin, and why does Jesus make such a big deal about it? How should we respond to our own sin and the sin of others around us? In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, we dive into several teachings of Christ that focus on themes of sin and forgiveness.

From Peter's famous question, "How many times should I forgive my brother?" to the "Parable of the Unforgiving Steward," Tom Hoopes illustrates how these stories in Scripture are timely guides for us today as we navigate the maze of sin in the world and in our own lives.

Become Like A Child | S3 E3

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 00:01:00 -0500

What is it about children that Jesus wants us to imitate? Many of us remember our childhood selves and ask: "What happened to that person full of wonder? What happened to my childhood dreams?"

In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, we dive in to Matthew 18 and discuss how God, the source of endless surprise and joy, can help us to "become like a child" once again.

The Extraordinary Story is written and hosted by Tom Hoopes, and brought to you by Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

A Demon Who Requires Fasting | S3 E2

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 00:01:00 -0500

In this episode, Tom Hoopes examines the story of the boy with a demon in which Jesus puts on a master class in what it takes to cast out demons through faith, hope and love.

The Transfiguration | S3 E1

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 09:21:59 -0500

The Extraordinary Story returns. In our first episode of Season 3, Tom Hoopes discusses The Transfiguration.

One Year of the Extraordinary Story | Season Two Finale

Sun, 07 May 2023 06:20:33 -0500

In the season two finale, Tom Hoopes is joined by his editor and producer, Michael Coy, to reflect on a full year of The Extraordinary Story. Topics include the origins of the podcast, favorite episodes, and hopes for the future of the church.

First Prediction of the Passion | S2 E15

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Today we are going to talk about Mark’s Midpoint. It’s the turning point in the Extraordinary Story that Mark is telling about Jesus Christ. Before, Jesus was a mystery man, after this he says who he is plainly and that means he must suffer and die.

On This Rock | S2 E14

Sun, 23 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0500

In this episode, Peter correctly answers Jesus's question "Who do you say I am?" and in reply, Jesus gives St. Peter a role of shocking prominence in his Church. How can such supreme authority be given to Peter? And how could it apply to so many weak popes that followed? And does it really apply also to Pope Francis?

Sign of Jonah | S2 E13

Sun, 16 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Today we will hear Jesus promise to give one sign to his detractors: The sign of Jonah. Then he goes on to make references to another Old Testament figure: The Queen of Sheba. This language may be mystifying for us but it wasn’t for the Jewish leaders of his time. In fact, these verses show Jesus taking the gloves off in a new way – a new way that will lead directly to his downfall… and it’s also a clear lesson to us.

Crumbs from the Master’s Table | S2 E12

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0500

We often treat Jesus like a loyal dog at our heels. In truth, we are the dogs at the master's table. In this gospel passage, a Canaanite woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus' response is not only a test of her faith, but a promise of what faith and humility delivers.

Love Jesus, Hate Religion? | S2 E11

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 00:01:00 -0500

We often run into the trap of loving Jesus, but hating religion. In this Gospel passage, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees, the religious orthodoxy of His day, and shows us exactly how to critique religion without destroying it altogether.

It is the Spirit that Gives Life | S2 E10

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0500

A follow up to last week's episode, where Jesus proclaimed that He was the Bread of Life. This week, Tom Hoopes reflects on Christ's revelation from John 6:63. "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

I Am the Bread of Life | S2 E9

Sun, 19 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus has performed miracles. He has conquered demons, challenged civic and religious authority, and called His apostle, Peter, out into the storm. This week, on The Extraordinary Story, Jesus utters perhaps the most controversial and transformative statement in the Gospels.

Step Out Into the Storm | S2 E8

Sun, 12 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0600

What do you do when the wind is raging? When you're caught in a storm, and suddenly you see Christ walking on the water? What do you do when He calls out to you? Do you hunker down and go where the wind takes you? Do you grit your teeth and wait for the end? Or do you step out onto the waves and stride into the storm? That's the question we face this week on the Extraordinary Story.

Multiplying Fishes & Loaves | S2 E7

Sun, 05 Mar 2023 00:01:00 -0600

Today we're going to talk about the multiplication of the loaves, a story that is told in all four gospels because it made such a huge impression on the apostles. The story has enormous ramifications for the faith in general and for us in particular, in the drama of the gospel story. It's this watershed moment where the question of who Jesus is becomes even more urgent.

Jesus Sends the Apostles Two By Two | S2 E6

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 00:01:00 -0600

After a last visit home to Nazareth Jesus sends his apostles out two by two with very specific instructions those very specific instructions can help each of us break out of our own self obsession.

Jesus, Interrupted | S2 E5

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 00:01:00 -0600

A woman with a hemorrhage has faith that if she only touches Jesus' garment, she will be healed. We must grasp for the same level of faith.

The Gerasene Demoniac | S2 E4

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 00:01:00 -0600

Jesus casts the demonic Legion into a drove of swine. Your host, Tom Hoopes, shares some common myths about the devil, and then shares a personal story about the demonic world and the importance of forgiveness.

Jesus Brings the Storm | S2 E3

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 00:01:00 -0600

This week on The Extraordinary Story, we look at the story of Jesus Christ calming the storm. But you could see this story as Jesus Christ bringing the storm. We'll see how the story sheds light on divinity of Christ and how each of the last three popes applied its lessons to the church in our time.

The Parables of the Kingdom | S2 E2

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 00:01:00 -0600

This week on The Extraordinary Story, we will look at the parables of the kingdom and compare them to the church today. You may have noticed what I have noticed, and that weeds have choked the life of the kingdom in so many areas of the church. But let's also notice how great the results are. Whenever one of us sows a mustard seed of faith.

The Death of John the Baptist | S2 E1

Sun, 22 Jan 2023 00:01:00 -0600

Welcome back to The Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ. We pick up from last season with the beheading of John the Baptist. John was trapped in a dungeon. Both he and the ruler who killed him were asking, "Who is Jesus?" That's exactly the question we are asking today.

The Parable of the Sower | Season Finale

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

In the season finale of The Extraordinary Story, we discuss the Parable of the Sower. This parable is the perfect summing up of what we are meant to do in this Advent season. Sow the seeds of faith, and tell the world about Christ's Extraordinary Story.

Liar, Lunatic, Legend, or Lord? | S1 E25

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

Is Jesus Christ liar, lunatic, or Lord? This is the famous dilemma observed by C.S. Lewis. We explore this question, and more in this episode of The Extraordinary Story.

Women of the Gospels | S1 E24

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0600

This episode of The Extraordinary Story is all about the role of women. From the sinful woman who visits the Pharisee's house, to the band of sisters who walked with Jesus. Tom Hoopes discusses the way Jesus views women, how modern culture views women, and how the Church views women.

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The Centurion’s Slave and the Widow’s Son | S1 E23

Sun, 06 Nov 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Jesus loves an enemy and turns a mourner's tears to joy. This week on The Extraordinary Story, see how Christ puts the lessons of His Sermon on the Mount into action.

Plato’s Cave and The Light of Christ | S1 E22

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Plato's story of the Cave is the enduring allegory of our fallen ignorance. Discover how the light of Christ leads us out of the Cave.

Jesus Prays the ”Our Father” | S1 E21

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0500

How do we pray? How do we talk to God? Jesus gives His answer in the "Our Father" prayer. In his childhood, Tom Hoopes prayed in earnest, but in adulthood, the "Our Father" caused a crisis of faith. Hear how he worked through this crisis to a deeper understanding of The Lord's Prayer.

The Sermon on the Mount | Are We the Light of the World? | S1 E20

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 00:01:00 -0500

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that Christians are the, "salt of the earth," and, "the light of the world." So why is the world so tasteless and dark? In this episode, we examine how Jesus intuited the lessons of moral psychology, and how He guides us through His own extraordinary story.

The Beatitudes in The Gospel of Luke | S1 E19

Sun, 09 Oct 2022 00:01:00 -0500

Luke's Beatitudes rather than showing us a different set of Beatitudes, gives them a new depth. They are Jesus' guide to who we are and how to live like Him.

The Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew | S1 E18

Sun, 02 Oct 2022 00:01:00 -0500

The Beatitudes are the grand summing up of Jesus' message. Jesus goes up a mountain like a new Moses, and transforms the covenant with the Israelites. He broadens this promise to all nations, and gives them a new promised land: The Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus Conquers Sickness, Sin, and Opposition | S1 E17

Sun, 25 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0500

This week, The Extraordinary Story gets real. Tom Hoopes discusses the crisis of confession, and the dropping of many sacraments during the pandemic. He draws a parallel between our present moment in the Church, and the opposition to Christ's ministry; when Jesus made clear that he intended not only to heal the sick, but to forgive sinners.

Christ’s Ministry | A New King in Town | S1 E16

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus of Nazareth explodes onto the scene like an action hero, circumventing the assumptions of his day and capturing the imagination of the crowds. Jesus began his project of changing the world by serving the people next door. We can continue His project by serving the people next door to us.

The Samaritan Woman | S1 E15

Sun, 11 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus' longest conversation in the gospel is with a poor sinner. Discover how His meeting with the woman at the well shows us how Christ approaches us in our own lives, and how we should respond.

Nicodemus is Born Again | S1 E14

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 00:01:00 -0500

Nicodemus, comes to Jesus by night and discovers His powerful message. In this episode, Tom Hoopes pits the enlightenment against the light of Christ. He compares Descartes' famous axiom, "I think, therefore I am," against, "The Word became flesh," from The Gospel of John. And there's really no comparison.

The Wedding Feast at Cana | S1 E13

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0500

Jesus turns water into wine. By performing this miracle, He gives us a loving and joyous sign of His divinity. He signals the queenship of His mother, Mary, who in turn, shows us how we may perform our humble role in the laity.

Jesus Gathers His Band of Brothers | S1 E12

Sun, 21 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0500

In this episode of the Extraordinary Story, we meet St. Peter, and learn all about the importance of brotherhood and community.

The Three Temptations of Christ | S1 E11

Sun, 14 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0500

This week on The Extraordinary Story, we get a drum roll and a symbol clash as Jesus arrives on the scene. Then right away, he faces off alone with the devil. We all face the same moment when we have to face the wild beasts in our heart and decide who we will be.

John the Baptist | A Radical Holiness | S1 E10

Sun, 07 Aug 2022 00:01:00 -0500

John the Baptist lived a radical holiness. Rather than being quick to judge and slow to forgive, he was uncompromising with himself and generous with others. His example gives us a path forward in civilized discourse.

Find Your Family by Seeking Christ | S1 E9

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Mary and Joseph find Jesus in the temple. A moment where Christ first states His divinity, and at the same time, a moment everyone can relate to. We all encounter the moment when we need to pull away from our family. But this story shows us how we can always reconnect by seeking Christ in the church.

The Magi Follow a Star | S1 E8

Sun, 24 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Why did the Magi seek Jesus Christ? They were looking for something transcendent. But what convinced the Magi was what they saw with their own eyes. What they was the beauty of the Holy Family.

The Presentation | A Religious Impulse | S1 E7

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 08:02:03 -0500

In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, Mary and Joseph present Jesus at the temple, where they meet Simeon and Ann. Their story reveals a religious impulse that dates back to the dawn of humanity.

The Day They Named Jesus | S1 E6

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 05:00:00 -0500

"The naming of Jesus is a kind of summary of the whole incarnation... It shows that God doesn't look at us from afar, but delights in being right here with us."

The Nativity | God the Dramatist | S1 E5

Sun, 19 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0500

God is a dramatist, and the first rule of drama is to make a big entrance. Jesus Christ made the grandest entrance of all time in the Nativity story.

The Visitation | S1 E4

Sun, 12 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Who was Jesus in the womb? Tom Hoopes explores this question, and many others in this episode of The Extraordinary Story.

The Ordinary Greatness of Joseph | S1 E3

Sun, 05 Jun 2022 05:00:00 -0500

This week on The Extraordinary with Tom Hoopes, we will return to Nazareth and meet Joseph. We will discover how Joseph is greater than Abraham, greater than David, and why Mother Teresa thinks his decision to quietly divorce Mary was perhaps the crowning achievement of his life.

A Woman Clothed with the Sun | S1 E2

Sun, 29 May 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Christ's journey begins with the Annunciation of Our Lord to His mother, Mary, a young girl in a small town called Nazareth. Meanwhile, a war rages in Heaven.

Out of the Maze | S1 E1

Thu, 19 May 2022 14:51:29 -0500

Ex Corde is proud to present The Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ, written and hosted by Tom Hoopes.

Jesus Christ, God Himself, entered the confusing maze that is our world to show us who we are and to give us his cross as a ladder up and out. This is his story and ours.