The Missing Messiah: The Jesus We Can No Longer Ignore

by Kyle Idleman, Mark E. Moore

What is missing? In our lives? In our relationships? In our prayers?

There’s no shortage of ways to fill the minutes of our days—from doomscrolling to binge-watching TV to playing video games. But will you find what you are really looking for on a screen? There’s something missing in our lives, and we all feel it.

In our instant world, Jesus has been ignored, forgotten, and reduced. He’s a life coach dedicated to our success, a therapist for our anxiety, a political ally for our causes, or a genie for our desires. In the process, we overlook the only one who can rescue us from ourselves.

If Jesus walked into the room right now, would you recognize him? Are we truly following Jesus?

In The Missing Messiah, pastors and bestselling authors Kyle Idleman, author of Not a Fan, and Mark Moore, author of Core 52, team together to help

discover what's missing in our lives and what's holding us back cut through the cultural chaos and live the life Jesus promised move from a transactional relationship with Jesus to a deep and intimate one trace the prophecies around the Messiah through Scripture, uncovering the authentic identity of Christ ground our lives on the truth that can empower and transform our lives and our discipleship The Missing Messiah is your breakthrough to fully experience Jesus not merely as savior but as King—penetrating every depth and breadth of your life.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Religion, Discipleship, Christianity

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2026

About the author

Kyle Idleman is the teaching pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, the fifth largest church in America. The bestselling author of the award-winning book Not a Fan and AHA is a frequent speaker at conferences and events around the world. Kyle and his wife, DesiRae, have four children.

Reviews

[Jersey Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

INCREDIBL!!! Probably one of the most impactful Christian books I have ever read. This book will COMPLETELY change the way you see your relationship with Jesus Christ, the way you see community (the body of Christ), how you see the church as a whole, and if you let it, it will show you how we are ACTUALLY suppose to live as REAL not FAKE followers of Christ and change you into doing so. This book will offend you I'm sure many times as you read it but don't let it. Listen, ponder, and then do better.
This book will reveal to you blind spots that you have had when it comes to the Bible and how you have been reading it. It will most likely convict you so get your highlighters ready! The Missing Messiah will make you respect God more as the king and not just a savior to bail you out. It will show you areas where maybe you have been being a lukewarm Christian as well as show you how culture/being raised in American has changed how you read the Bible and maybe even reveal things to you that we all tend to take for granted. This book will overwhelm you but in the best way possible, you will be ready to finish this book in a day because of how much wisdom is packed in there!

"Jesus has never been interested in fans. When he defines what kind of relationship he wants, "enthusiastic admirer" isnt an option. As I look at the trends in Christianity over the last few decades, my concern is that instead of being training centers for disciples, our churches are stadiums full of fans."

"Here's the reality: There's no way to follow Jesus without having him interfere with your life. Following Jesus always costs something."

"What has following Jesus really cost you? Would it be too strong of a statement to say that if following Jesus isn't costing you anything, you're doing it wrong?"

"Whoever loses their life for me will find it." Matthew 16:25

[Zayne Connatser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would give it 3.5 stars personally but rounding up to 4.

I agree on nearly every principle and point. It's a very easy to digest presentation for why Christ is, and always has been, deserving the title and recognition as King of our entire lives. We may not fully recognize what's lost if we relegate Christ to our mere "personal Jesus" who simply wants us to have a "decent" life before we die.

I don't connect with the cheesy anecdotes and stories, but I know that's what makes it readable and interesting for a mass audience. It's easily consumable and I appreciate that if for no other reason than, more people can and should read it.

[Nae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much @tyndalehouse for my free copy! It was worth me saying YES to!

I loved how the authors of this book really unpacked how easily Christianity can be reduced to a transaction: believe in Jesus + work on self-improvement = heaven. But faith is so much deeper than that, and this read pushes you to reflect on what it truly means to follow Him.

Following Jesus costs us something. It means imitating HIM and not the broken patterns that we see in people or culture around us. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, we’ve lost sight of that truth. We can’t just believe in Jesus on Sunday mornings but our belief in Jesus and our relationship with Him should carry into our week, into how we love others, how we carry ourselves in the workplace, traffic (😮‍💨😵‍💫) and in our community. Our lives should in fact resemble that Christ has taken root in our hearts.

Often times, we want Jesus as something that feels good, or perhaps for the benefits we can receive from Him but we don’t want Him to have access in all areas of our lives. This book confronts that issue head on reminding us that Jesus wants access to all areas of our lives. How we view money, how we treat ppl, how to view entertainment, how we handle conflict, how we live in every single area of our lives. Nothing is off limits.

Christianity is always attacked saying that Christian’s are hypocrites but that critique misses something deeper: PPL ARE BROKEN. God never called us to be perfect, in fact He knows we will never be, and so He calls us to pursue Christ in our imperfection. Our brokenness reveals just how much we need Christ.

⭐️ 5/5

[Hunter Redmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. It breaks the 200page Christian book stereotype. A fair amount of 200 page Christian books could be a 50 page book. This takes you on an incredible journey with Jesus and who he is. It is perfect for all walks of life.

The best part, is every page is backed up with real (not cherry picked) scripture.

Grateful for these guys and their passion for the word.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not heavy-hitting for someone who is familiar with Christian theology, but it's a good set of reminders about who Jesus is. It's a good "sequel" (not really a sequel but this is a good enough word here) to Not a Fan.

[Ashley Mayhew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read! So convicting & powerful.

[Melissa Maldonado · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a good read. A lot of people have personalized Jesus to fit their needs and wants. It’s kind of sad. ☹️ This book is backed by scripture.

[Faby Gaviria · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ loooved the first 40%

[Scott McClure · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Messiah by Kyle Idleman is a timely and necessary correction for a Church that too often reshapes Jesus in its own image. As a pastor, I found it both sobering and deeply convicting to confront how easily we trade the true Christ for a version that fits our preferences or cultural narratives. Idleman reminds us that when we create a Jesus of our own making, we anchor our lives to a false hope, one that cannot hold under the weight of real life. This book calls us back to the unfiltered Jesus of Scripture, inviting us into a faith that is not comfortable, but true and enduring.

[Elizabeth Northern · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Missing Messiah over the weekend. It’s a thoughtful and very readable book that I worked through in only a couple of sittings. In many ways, it feels like a natural continuation of the challenge Kyle Idleman first issued in Not a Fan, moving beyond a comfortable faith to a deeper understanding of what it actually means to follow Jesus. Idleman and Mark Moore push readers to rethink the common reduction of Jesus to that of a life coach or a ticket to heaven, pointing instead to Jesus’ call to bring God’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.”

The book also offers actionable ways to reflect on what might be missing from our prayers, our relationships, and the kind of community we surround ourselves with, or sometimes fail to surround ourselves with. I hope Moore and Idleman team up again; they complement each other really well. Moore brings deep theological insight, while Idleman is a smooth, relatable storyteller who helps those ideas land in everyday life.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors of the book do a great job of challenging the reader to look at the our Messiah expectations in a clear and easy -to-follow way. It raises some very interesting questions that encourage the reader to reflect on what our true expectations are and how they could be different than what we are thinking. Some of the ideas seem kind of open-ended which is still great to challenge our minds about our relationship with Christ.

I recommend this book to all who may like thought provoking books not just firm answers. Also it offers different perspectives of the Messiah we may not have thought about. This would make a great book club option because it seems discussion-driven with the ideas mentioned.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

In our world, Jesus has been forgotten or ignored. We have our own idea of what/who Jesus is. We treat Jesus as our personal assistant to meet our needs.
There is a difference between studying Jesus and following Jesus. The author reminds us the church isn’t a building—it’s the people. He talks of community—not isolation. Includes indexes.
This book is a good reminder of why we meet together with other believers, and who Jesus is: Savior, Messiah, King of Israel, Son of God, and The Anointed One.
A negative is the author referring to Israel as Palestine on page 136.

[Donna Church]

With the premise that we have lost sight of who Jesus is, Idleman and Moore seek to explore wh he really is and how we as disciples should follow him. The book is divided into 3 parts:
1. Searching for the Messiah. which explores how we see Him.
2 Discovering the Messiah examines how He is presented in the Bible including his own claims.
3. Following the Messiah challenges us to see our true calling to follow Jesus.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book enough that I would recommend it to others. It's a good book for taking a step back and reflecting personal perceptions of Jesus Christ. I now have a stronger Biblical framework on Jesus and am aware of my tendency to make Jesus fit my own personal view of who I want Him to be. I'm glad I read it.

[Madi Utz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has taught me that it’s time to get back to Jesus as Rabbi. To let my relationship with him completely and radically take over my life and how I operate. That it’s time for me to get back to the community that he calls us to and to be humble in that return and staying humble in the commitment to his Kingdom.

[Heather Voelz · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

In the same vein as Not a Fan, this book looks at how the American Christian often settles for a more comfortable version of Christianity than the radical life change Jesus is actually calling us to. Idleman and Moore look through what Christ and Messiah really meant to the contemporaries of Jesus and how that should shape our understanding today.

[Cherry Brandstater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very thought-provoking. It challenges one’s conception of what Messiah means and goes into the historical understandings when Jesus was on earth. There are many helpful tables in the back that have been helpful in writing a study on the gospel of John.

[Cindy Bellingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

the missing Messiah is a book that talks about Jesus, the son of Man, the Messiah who came that we may be saved, by His blood we were saved, by His bruise we were healed, that is the Jesus we can not ignore

[Taylor Nicole Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a testimate to what it looks like to be a true follower of Jesus and not a fan of Jesus. I learned so much from this book and the importance of a faith filled community. How we should make Jesus apart of our entire lives not just parts of our lives.

[Stacey Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did a really good job framing who Jesus actually is and what it means to follow Him. The last half of the book was really convicting and challenging.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kirk Weikart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are Christians really living the lives modeled by Jesus? Or has Western culture made Jesus into its own image? This book was more academic than other books by this author, however, in the end, the conclusions are pure Kyle Idleman. A thoughtful read for all Christians.

[Linda O'Dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read! Discover how culture and our own watered down perceptions of Jesus Christ has warped our view of who He really is.
Get this book!

[Maria Tamming · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We cannot truly encounter the King of Kings and remained unchanged.”

[Anthony Chitko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful and informative. But spiritual too for guidance.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I will need to buy for my own personal library. There is so much apologetics truth in these pages.

[Erin Donlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Fan of Idleman and gave some great scriptural references that can be helpful for small group discussion.

[Alison Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting take on how Jesus impacts our life and how we have changed who Jesus is to fit our lifestyles. Very thought provoking!

[Kacie Arrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!

[Alison (readinginazaleawoods) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and savored The Missing Messiah slowly, and it challenged me in all the right ways. Deeply convicting, insightful, and filled with biblical truth, this is a book that continually points readers back to the real Jesus—not the version we sometimes create in our own image, but the Messiah revealed in Scripture.

Kyle Idleman and Mark Moore invite readers to take a fresh look at who Jesus truly is. With honesty, humility, and even a bit of humor, they encourage readers to move beyond a cultural version of Jesus and pursue a deeper understanding of the Messiah revealed in Scripture.

If you’re looking for a book that will challenge your thinking, strengthen your faith, and leave you reflecting long after you’ve turned the final page, I highly recommend picking this one up.

Thank you @weareiconmedia for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jennifer Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it. It was read as an audiobook and was both encouraging and convicting, but not in as annoying way. It made me think of how much God has done and how much I can do to tell the world of His love.