Jesus I Never Knew, The

by Phillip Yancy

Except for a couple of pages at the back of the book, I thoroughly enjoyed Yancey’s book that seeks to bring Jesus “down to earth” -again. He does not attempt to reincarnate Christ. Rather, he deftly gives us a grounded perspective of Jesus without the frills of accumulated church history or 20th century evangelical hype.

Yancey brings considerable resources to supplement his work, probably from his vast range of contacts and readings as editor for Christianity Today magazine. He remains one of my favorite Christian authors. Few books can touch his Where is God When It Hurts? and Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (which he co-wrote with Dr. Henry Brand).

If you’re looking for a book that will help you get beyond assumptions and presumptions about Christ to simple observations based on what his life revealed from the pages of the New Testament, this book will do that. It will also begin to warm your heart if you’ve grown somewhat cold.

It’s a wonderful encouragement for those who have grown distant from Christianity because of Christians. It reminds us once again that we all fall short of the glory of God as revealed in Christ. No church and no group of Christians can claim exclusive control of Christ. He will not be boxed up and merchandised. He is God.

And finally, I like how Yancey reminds us how “other” Jesus really is/was:

In many respects I would find an unresurrected Jesus easier to accept. Easter makes Him dangerous. Because of Easter I have to listen to His extravagant claims and can no longer pick and choose from His sayings. Moreover, Easter means He must be loose out there somewhere.