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Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week
Throughout Holy Week, two competing approaches to peacemaking collide. What if we’ve embraced the wrong one?
At the start of Holy Week, tears streamed down Jesus’ face as he cried out, “If only you knew the things that make for peace." From that moment, until a week later when he triumphantly declared, “Peace be with you,” Jesus spent each day confronting injustice, calling out oppressors and contending for peace.
But what if—despite all our familiarity with the events of Holy Week—we still don’t know how Jesus makes peace? And what if—despite clinging to the cross of Christ for our salvation—we’ve actually embraced a different approach to peacemaking? One that justifies killing enemies. One whose methods include nailing criminals to crosses.
We desperately need to recover the radical vision of peacemaking that Jesus embodied throughout Holy Week. And we urgently need to be trained in his way of making peace. So, come. Let’s journey together day-by-day through Jesus’ final week and discover anew why he is called the Prince of Peace.
At the start of Holy Week, tears streamed down Jesus’ face as he cried out, “If only you knew the things that make for peace." From that moment, until a week later when he triumphantly declared, “Peace be with you,” Jesus spent each day confronting injustice, calling out oppressors and contending for peace.
But what if—despite all our familiarity with the events of Holy Week—we still don’t know how Jesus makes peace? And what if—despite clinging to the cross of Christ for our salvation—we’ve actually embraced a different approach to peacemaking? One that justifies killing enemies. One whose methods include nailing criminals to crosses.
We desperately need to recover the radical vision of peacemaking that Jesus embodied throughout Holy Week. And we urgently need to be trained in his way of making peace. So, come. Let’s journey together day-by-day through Jesus’ final week and discover anew why he is called the Prince of Peace.
216 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2022
80 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Jason Porterfield
1 book44 followersJason Porterfield has made his home in places abandoned by society, from Canada's poorest neighborhood to the slums of Indonesia. His passion is to cultivate God's shalom wherever it is painfully absent and to help churches embrace their peacemaking vocation.
In 2007, Jason joined Servants (servantsasia.org), an international network of Christian communities living and ministering among the urban poor. He was a founding member of the Servants team in Vancouver, started a new team in Indonesia, and directed operations in North America through 2015. Jason holds a master in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and now lives in his riskiest location yet: next door to his in-laws.
In 2007, Jason joined Servants (servantsasia.org), an international network of Christian communities living and ministering among the urban poor. He was a founding member of the Servants team in Vancouver, started a new team in Indonesia, and directed operations in North America through 2015. Jason holds a master in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and now lives in his riskiest location yet: next door to his in-laws.
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January 12, 2022
I absolutely love all the research and commentary put into this book. I graduated with a degree in Youth Ministry and have spent 11 years in ministry. With all of that, I see myself as one who knows the scriptures well, and you would think I’d know Holy Week like the back of my hand.
In yet, Jason Porterfield still teaches so much to me through this book with culture and details I once thought were small but Porterfield has brought them to life. I’m experiencing Holy Week in a whole new way.
I definitely recommend this book to pastors and staff who are looking to teach something with lots of application for people this Lent season. However, if you’re looking for a study to do on your own, it’s just as easy to do by yourself.
In yet, Jason Porterfield still teaches so much to me through this book with culture and details I once thought were small but Porterfield has brought them to life. I’m experiencing Holy Week in a whole new way.
I definitely recommend this book to pastors and staff who are looking to teach something with lots of application for people this Lent season. However, if you’re looking for a study to do on your own, it’s just as easy to do by yourself.
May 9, 2022
I read Fight Like Jesus over the course of Holy Week this year. It’s eight chapters—an introduction, then daily chapters from Palm Sunday to a combined Holy Saturday/Easter Sunday—and I read one chapter from the Saturday before Palm Sunday up through the day before Easter. (Easter itself was saved for church services, food with friends, too much candy, and a Sabbath nap.) By the end of the week, I felt differently about the events of Holy Week than I ever had before. Some of it had to do with currently being out of a pastoral context. I led a children’s service on Saturday and attended a service on Sunday. That was all. There was more time to reflect on the first Easter because less time was devoted to planning the current one. But most of it had to do with taking a daily, reflective look back at how Jesus waged peace throughout Holy Week.
Jason Porterfield sets up his central thesis in the opening chapter: The interpretive key to Holy Week is Jesus’s lament for Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41-44). If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace…What that verse means, what that peace is, and how Jesus brings it about is something that is then worked out throughout the book. Fight Like Jesus takes a day-by-day, blow-by-blow look at the final week of Jesus—at the events that would bring peace—and encourages readers to follow in those footsteps, even though they lead to a cross.
Despite its devotional tone, Fight Like Jesus is also very theological and very practical. In the chapter covering the cleansing of the Temple, Porterfield spends time debunking the popular imagery of Jesus acting violently and using whips on people. It’s perhaps an excessive explanation for a book of that tone and length, but it highlights the need to be clear that this was not a violent action. That also sets up the book’s practicality. Porterfield gives readers three lessons based on the Temple cleansing: (1) peacemakers assess before they act, (2) peacemakers are not passive, and (3) peacemakers channel their zeal into acts that heal and restore. Every chapter weaves in these clear lessons, summarized in single-sentence headers amid a thorough yet concise overview of the historical and cultural background of the week. The end result is a book that is rich historically and theologically, with ample opportunity for application.
Perhaps to make the book feel less like a typical devotional, discussion questions for each chapter are not included in the main text, but are offered as an appendix to the book. There are five or six questions included per chapter and they are meant to be reflective questions, not tests of memory or knowledge. Whether you’re working through this book alone, as I was, or in a group—which I plan on doing next year—the questions help you go beyond the text to bring you into the lessons the book is teaching.
Fight Like Jesus is one of those books that I’m going to return to time and time again. I’d love to see an official small group video series made from this to get even more content from Jason. If not, I’ll have to be content to adapt it for a small group use myself because this isn’t a book that’s just going back on the shelf, it’s one to share with others and talk about.
Jason Porterfield sets up his central thesis in the opening chapter: The interpretive key to Holy Week is Jesus’s lament for Jerusalem (Lk. 19:41-44). If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace…What that verse means, what that peace is, and how Jesus brings it about is something that is then worked out throughout the book. Fight Like Jesus takes a day-by-day, blow-by-blow look at the final week of Jesus—at the events that would bring peace—and encourages readers to follow in those footsteps, even though they lead to a cross.
Despite its devotional tone, Fight Like Jesus is also very theological and very practical. In the chapter covering the cleansing of the Temple, Porterfield spends time debunking the popular imagery of Jesus acting violently and using whips on people. It’s perhaps an excessive explanation for a book of that tone and length, but it highlights the need to be clear that this was not a violent action. That also sets up the book’s practicality. Porterfield gives readers three lessons based on the Temple cleansing: (1) peacemakers assess before they act, (2) peacemakers are not passive, and (3) peacemakers channel their zeal into acts that heal and restore. Every chapter weaves in these clear lessons, summarized in single-sentence headers amid a thorough yet concise overview of the historical and cultural background of the week. The end result is a book that is rich historically and theologically, with ample opportunity for application.
Perhaps to make the book feel less like a typical devotional, discussion questions for each chapter are not included in the main text, but are offered as an appendix to the book. There are five or six questions included per chapter and they are meant to be reflective questions, not tests of memory or knowledge. Whether you’re working through this book alone, as I was, or in a group—which I plan on doing next year—the questions help you go beyond the text to bring you into the lessons the book is teaching.
Fight Like Jesus is one of those books that I’m going to return to time and time again. I’d love to see an official small group video series made from this to get even more content from Jason. If not, I’ll have to be content to adapt it for a small group use myself because this isn’t a book that’s just going back on the shelf, it’s one to share with others and talk about.
January 3, 2022
From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, what does Holy Week have to do with peacemaking? I’d never thought about that before reading Fight Like Jesus, but now I’m convinced the two are bound together as Jesus wages peace each day and teaches his followers to do the same. Read this book for new insight on Holy Week and on Jesus as Peacemaker. Read this book to be inspired and equipped for practical peacemaking today. Fight Like Jesus to be released by Herald Press in 2022.
February 3, 2023
After completing this text through Holy Week in 2022, I quickly realized I would need to pray, think, and read it again. Pacifism is a subject I have long found compelling, and Porterfield is an educated advocate. However, I got hung up on Porterfield’s Marxian interpretation of Jesus’ actions. In the interim, two other titles have helped me to process Porterfield’s work and motivate a return to its pages:
Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly (2020) devotes an entire chapter, Chapter 11 – The Emotional Life of Christ, to how the feelings Jesus experienced shaped His actions. Ortlund’s thesis of dealing with the heart of Christ toward Sinners and Sufferers overlaps with Porterfield’s exposition of the final week of Jesus’ life, although Ortlund is not focused on the Holy Week timeline like Porterfield. Additionally, I think throughout the course of Gentle and Lowly Ortlund wrestles with all the passages Porterfield examines.
Gentle and Lowly: God’s Heart for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund, 2021
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A good deal of Ortlund’s chapter specifically addressing Jesus’ emotional experience draws from the well of B.B. Warfield’s 1912 essay, The Emotional Life of Our Lord, which I decided to locate and study as a way to process Porterfield.
The Emotional Life of Our Lord, B.B. Warfield, 1912
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I hope to return to Porterfield during Lent of 2023….
Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly (2020) devotes an entire chapter, Chapter 11 – The Emotional Life of Christ, to how the feelings Jesus experienced shaped His actions. Ortlund’s thesis of dealing with the heart of Christ toward Sinners and Sufferers overlaps with Porterfield’s exposition of the final week of Jesus’ life, although Ortlund is not focused on the Holy Week timeline like Porterfield. Additionally, I think throughout the course of Gentle and Lowly Ortlund wrestles with all the passages Porterfield examines.
Gentle and Lowly: God’s Heart for Sinners and Sufferers, Dane Ortlund, 2021
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
A good deal of Ortlund’s chapter specifically addressing Jesus’ emotional experience draws from the well of B.B. Warfield’s 1912 essay, The Emotional Life of Our Lord, which I decided to locate and study as a way to process Porterfield.
The Emotional Life of Our Lord, B.B. Warfield, 1912
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I hope to return to Porterfield during Lent of 2023….
January 15, 2022
"If only you knew..." I am so grateful "Fight Like Jesus" was available to me at a time I was obviously ready to read and receive it. Being a Christian all my life, I would not have thought I would have learned so much. Jason Porterfield took me on an amazing journey with Christ through Holy Week. His writing unveiled so many things behind the events of each day. A new understanding of Peace was revealed. Well written, easy to follow, thought provoking and relevant. Whether you're a Christian or not, "Fight Like Jesus" is a must read anytime and especially during Lent.
January 21, 2022
Jason Porterfield has given us a gem of a book in Fight Like Jesus. It is informative, interesting, and ultimately convicting. Fight Like Jesus walks readers through Holy Week, showing over and over how Jesus’s teaching and actions rejected violence and embraced the ways of peace. By the time the reader reaches the end, he or she will have been confronted with powerful gospel interpretations that will cause him or her to at least seriously consider, the thesis Porterfield has put forward.
One of the unique characteristics of the book is how it pairs considerable scholarship with readability. Though the book is thoroughly researched and well documented, it is also highly accessible to people without divinity degrees. Both scholars and those without theological training will find the book will keep them engaged and motivated to keep reading. The peacemaking lessons that are a part of each chapter, and the study questions at the end of the book, will be useful both for individuals and groups. Pastors and professors will teach from this book for years to come.
Porterfield’s personal stories illustrate his points spot-on. In addition, they are interesting and sometimes funny. His experiences living in other parts of the world among the poor bring to life many of the issues he addresses, and his familiarity with parenthood gives him humorous insight into the scriptural texts themselves.
I find Porterfield to be a very fair writer. He acknowledges other interpretations to the texts which he exegetes, and often says they are legitimate or perhaps incomplete, rather than denigrating those who may disagree with him. He may at times take exegetical steps which others would criticize, but he almost always acknowledges that he is doing so.
I know Jason personally and am happy to report that he lives this stuff out. This isn’t just pie in the sky theology for him. The things he describes about Jesus’s teaching and actions are the very ways he attempts to live and the very issues to which he is committed. Perhaps that is not rare, but I am so glad to know that Jason practices the very things he believes and urges others to believe.
I recommend the book for everyone who wants to understand the peacemaking ways of Jesus, who himself urges his followers toward the way of peace. It is a book I will return to over and over again as I continue to discern how to follow Jesus.
One of the unique characteristics of the book is how it pairs considerable scholarship with readability. Though the book is thoroughly researched and well documented, it is also highly accessible to people without divinity degrees. Both scholars and those without theological training will find the book will keep them engaged and motivated to keep reading. The peacemaking lessons that are a part of each chapter, and the study questions at the end of the book, will be useful both for individuals and groups. Pastors and professors will teach from this book for years to come.
Porterfield’s personal stories illustrate his points spot-on. In addition, they are interesting and sometimes funny. His experiences living in other parts of the world among the poor bring to life many of the issues he addresses, and his familiarity with parenthood gives him humorous insight into the scriptural texts themselves.
I find Porterfield to be a very fair writer. He acknowledges other interpretations to the texts which he exegetes, and often says they are legitimate or perhaps incomplete, rather than denigrating those who may disagree with him. He may at times take exegetical steps which others would criticize, but he almost always acknowledges that he is doing so.
I know Jason personally and am happy to report that he lives this stuff out. This isn’t just pie in the sky theology for him. The things he describes about Jesus’s teaching and actions are the very ways he attempts to live and the very issues to which he is committed. Perhaps that is not rare, but I am so glad to know that Jason practices the very things he believes and urges others to believe.
I recommend the book for everyone who wants to understand the peacemaking ways of Jesus, who himself urges his followers toward the way of peace. It is a book I will return to over and over again as I continue to discern how to follow Jesus.
January 28, 2022
As Lent approaches, I highly recommend this new book: Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace throughout Holy Week.
Jason Porterfield has written an incredible book. I first met Jason and his wife Laura during my team-visit to Jakarta over eleven years ago. While I only got to be “team” with them for a short time, I am forever grateful that God brought our paths together for a time. And I am so grateful Jason and Laura helped launch the Servants team in Jakarta. Now, eleven years later, Jason is having his first book published by Herald Press.
Fight Like Jesus is a profound read. Jason journeys with us through Holy Week, helping us see that on each day of Holy Week Jesus is teaching us His way of peace. Beginning on Palm Sunday with Jesus crying out, “If only you knew the things that make for peace,” this book walks us through many difficult yet beautiful Biblical texts. In Fight Like Jesus, Jason masterfully mixes Bible exposition and careful text-study with modern-day stories and applications for peacemakers today.
Please consider reading this book and telling others about it. This is NOT just a book for Mennonites to read (although, yes, it is published by Herald Press). This is a book that all followers of Jesus should prayerfully read– especially during Lent and Holy Week. The book launches on February 1, so pre-order your copy now.
Jason Porterfield has written an incredible book. I first met Jason and his wife Laura during my team-visit to Jakarta over eleven years ago. While I only got to be “team” with them for a short time, I am forever grateful that God brought our paths together for a time. And I am so grateful Jason and Laura helped launch the Servants team in Jakarta. Now, eleven years later, Jason is having his first book published by Herald Press.
Fight Like Jesus is a profound read. Jason journeys with us through Holy Week, helping us see that on each day of Holy Week Jesus is teaching us His way of peace. Beginning on Palm Sunday with Jesus crying out, “If only you knew the things that make for peace,” this book walks us through many difficult yet beautiful Biblical texts. In Fight Like Jesus, Jason masterfully mixes Bible exposition and careful text-study with modern-day stories and applications for peacemakers today.
Please consider reading this book and telling others about it. This is NOT just a book for Mennonites to read (although, yes, it is published by Herald Press). This is a book that all followers of Jesus should prayerfully read– especially during Lent and Holy Week. The book launches on February 1, so pre-order your copy now.
April 24, 2022
This book was well put together and a good journey through Holy Week. It’s not your typical Easter devotional. It prompted a lot of thinking and conversations. While most of his views were well presented and supported, some arguments were weak and I felt grasped at straws. However, I journaled a lot with this book, had some good discussions, and am still praying through some of what was stirred in me as I read.
January 21, 2022
The remarkable thing about Fight Like Jesus is that it’s really well-researched and also well-written. So the result is a book that’s a pleasure to read, while also full of new insights from top Biblical, historical and cultural scholars. Moreover, the topic is crucially important for the conflict-ridden but peace-promoting church, and for how we engage in the strife and violence of our beautiful but broken world. The first peace-making lesson Porterfield takes from Jesus is to move towards the conflict rather than avoid it. The places most lacking peace, are the places we need to go. This book is excellent material for reflection and learning, so that we can enter peace-less places and “fight like Jesus” for a better world. I’ve previously dabbled a bit in Christian peacebuilding studies, so I’ve been surprised by how much was new to me – Porterfield has woven together an impressive array of ideas and information, revealing stunning perspectives on Jesus and his way of bringing peace, all right there in the Gospels’ texts of Holy Week.
January 23, 2022
This is a thoughtful, carefully researched, compelling book on the unwavering, non-violent, reconciling nature of Jesus. This is a must read for those who want to approach conflict the way Jesus did.
April 24, 2022
In Fight Light Jesus, the author takes us on a journey through Holy Week, sharing how Jesus promoted and encouraged peace. Although I found many nuggets of gold throughout, I feel the book is better suited for study time, rather than only reading it through, it due to the measure of information. It takes more time to examine his views, attentions, and interpretations than a quick sit-down read.
With that said, there was a lot that felt fresh and new to me. It is evident the author is passionate, and he researched the focus points carefully which in turn inspires me to do the same.
“Waging peace.” This statement made an impact.
There are a few diagrams throughout, which are so appealing to both my eye and my brain. (I need white space on a page to keep my mind from wandering.) Discussion questions are included, which is always a plus in my book, making it a useful tool for study groups or deeper individual digging. And the section in the back of the book revealing how to use the book as a Lenten Bible study is straightforward and accommodating.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
With that said, there was a lot that felt fresh and new to me. It is evident the author is passionate, and he researched the focus points carefully which in turn inspires me to do the same.
“Waging peace.” This statement made an impact.
There are a few diagrams throughout, which are so appealing to both my eye and my brain. (I need white space on a page to keep my mind from wandering.) Discussion questions are included, which is always a plus in my book, making it a useful tool for study groups or deeper individual digging. And the section in the back of the book revealing how to use the book as a Lenten Bible study is straightforward and accommodating.
Disclosure: #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book.
March 16, 2023
OK - so there are books that surprise you, and then there is this book. Top shelf.
Not only does Jason write from experience in my city... but his insights into the life of Christ in Holy Week or so well done. I will never preach in Holy week again without reference to both this book and many others that Jason refers to... superb stuff. There are nuggets on every page and.... the overall theme of the peace of Christ in the midst of the expectations of conflict... well... lots for me to apply.
Not only does Jason write from experience in my city... but his insights into the life of Christ in Holy Week or so well done. I will never preach in Holy week again without reference to both this book and many others that Jason refers to... superb stuff. There are nuggets on every page and.... the overall theme of the peace of Christ in the midst of the expectations of conflict... well... lots for me to apply.
August 17, 2025
This is a challenging book that opened up for me a much more coherent reading of the passion week. I wish it had a different title because while I understand what it means it does not do justice to the book. The ficus on peace, non- violence and justice is good. It is insightful in understanding what events I have known about mean. It is about the way of peace in a violent world.
April 24, 2025
Fantastic read for Holy Week. Strongly recommend for anyone looking to lean in to the significance of that week.
April 3, 2023
I delayed my review of this book until my second reading as I wanted to get a fuller picture of it's use.
You see, the book is a good read at any time of the year YET, I think it's gift is using it as a Lenten Study.
Whether for personal or community reading, the material here is greatly enriching to a person's Lenten experience and growth. There was great care taken with the research into the history, place, and time that Jesus was experiencing Holy Week and the impending death and resurrection. Background information such as the Jewish revolt of 4 B.C. helps the reader see the deeper picture and meaning of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem.
I highly recommend this book as a companion to your bible study during Lent and Holy Week.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received "Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week" from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
You see, the book is a good read at any time of the year YET, I think it's gift is using it as a Lenten Study.
Whether for personal or community reading, the material here is greatly enriching to a person's Lenten experience and growth. There was great care taken with the research into the history, place, and time that Jesus was experiencing Holy Week and the impending death and resurrection. Background information such as the Jewish revolt of 4 B.C. helps the reader see the deeper picture and meaning of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem.
I highly recommend this book as a companion to your bible study during Lent and Holy Week.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received "Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week" from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
January 23, 2023
WOW! Our book club read this and the first question we asked was "What surprised you in this text?" And all 10 of us had a unique answer! It's well and widely researched and yet it flows easily. A fun book to read about the events of Holy Week? It's the surprises, in which our universal response was "Why didn't I see that before?" I'm rereading it for Holy Week.
January 11, 2025
Porterfield makes a strong case for Jesus exemplifying nonviolence during this pivotal time in His mission. The author's case against PSA and God's judgment against sin is ancillary, weaker, and probably should have been treated in a separate book.
October 21, 2025
Excellent.
[Second time through]
This will be an annual read through holy week. Different things jumped out at me this time through it.
[Second time through]
This will be an annual read through holy week. Different things jumped out at me this time through it.
September 13, 2022
Summary: A study of the accounts of Holy Week through the lens of how Jesus chose peace amid his ultimate confrontation with power.
For someone who has been following Christ over fifty years, Jason Porterfield helped me look at the accounts of Holy Week with fresh eyes. He believes that a key to understanding the actions of Jesus throughout this week is found in Luke’s account of the “triumphal entry” at 19:41-42 where it is written:
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes” (NIV)
Porterfield sees the whole week as Jesus’ campaign of peace, that corrects our mistaken notions of making peace.
Each chapter takes one day of Holy Week (except for combining Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday) and looks at the peacemaking way of Jesus.
Palm Sunday; Confronting the religious and Roman power, people herald him as king but he rides in on a donkey, not a charger, entering the city through the gate where sacrificial lambs would enter. Peacemaking doesn’t evade conflict but moves toward it but extends peace to all. He bids us to follow the way of the Lamb.
Monday: The clearing of the temple seems a most “unpeaceful” action. Porterfield makes some interesting observations. The whip of “cords” may be understood as rushes braided together, primarily used to shoo animals. The te and kai language of John 2:15 (Porterfield conflates this with the synoptic accounts) indicates that “all” references the sheep and cattle, and not people. Jesus concern is the radical inclusion of the Gentiles, repulsed by turning their court into a marketplace. The lack of violence is evident in the lack of response of Roman authorities standing by to keep peace.
Tuesday: It’s the day of confrontations, of traps, and truth-telling, of giving Caesar his coin but calling on people to render their whole lives to God. He speaks truth to the hypocrisy of those plotting his death and in his “little apocalypse” warns his followers to flee rather than indulge in violent revolt, to feed the hungry rather than fighting in an insurrection.
Wednesday: We see the chosen road of the Sanhedrin in Caiaphas words that one should die for all; the beautiful act of the woman and Jesus’s defense of attempts to marginalize her; and finally the betrayal of Judas. Porterfield sees two diverging roads, toward and away from Jesus. Which will we choose?
Thursday: The focus here is on the new command to love one another, forming a new community where love is given and received. We call it Maundy Thursday because of Jesus “mandate.” He also deals with the “two swords” of the disciples and sees this not as a license for bearing weapons but to fulfill prophecy. He says two will be enough. Enough to fulfill prophecy about Jesus among the rebels; certainly not enough for any real defense!
Friday: The two forms of peacemaking–that of Jesus and the violent one of Barabbas stand side by side. Instead of the message of vengeance, Jesus speaks a word of forgiveness, and by refusing retaliation breaks the cycle of violence with forgiveness of all through his death.
Saturday/Sunday: Drawing on the illusions of scripture to the “harrowing of hell,” Porterfield points to the call to trust God in the darkest places. Then we have resurrection Sunday and the appearance of Jesus to the disciples bidding them “peace” even as he commissions to be his ambassadors of peace.
The book is designed to be read and discussed through the Sundays of Lent, taking one day each week. Of course, it may also be used for a series of Holy Week readings. Questions for personal reflection or group discussion are also included. The chapters include “peacemaking” applications drawn from the narrative.
I found that the lens of peacemaking takes disparate events and and weaves them together in a powerful and compelling narrative, one where we see the contrast between how God makes peace with the world’s attempts, often violent, to “make peace.” Porterfield combines exegesis that pays attention to often-overlooked details with pastoral applications that call us, not to passivity, but the active peacemaking of people following Jesus. This comes at a time where a robust peace witness of the church in a world fraught with violence has rarely been more needed.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program.
For someone who has been following Christ over fifty years, Jason Porterfield helped me look at the accounts of Holy Week with fresh eyes. He believes that a key to understanding the actions of Jesus throughout this week is found in Luke’s account of the “triumphal entry” at 19:41-42 where it is written:
“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes” (NIV)
Porterfield sees the whole week as Jesus’ campaign of peace, that corrects our mistaken notions of making peace.
Each chapter takes one day of Holy Week (except for combining Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday) and looks at the peacemaking way of Jesus.
Palm Sunday; Confronting the religious and Roman power, people herald him as king but he rides in on a donkey, not a charger, entering the city through the gate where sacrificial lambs would enter. Peacemaking doesn’t evade conflict but moves toward it but extends peace to all. He bids us to follow the way of the Lamb.
Monday: The clearing of the temple seems a most “unpeaceful” action. Porterfield makes some interesting observations. The whip of “cords” may be understood as rushes braided together, primarily used to shoo animals. The te and kai language of John 2:15 (Porterfield conflates this with the synoptic accounts) indicates that “all” references the sheep and cattle, and not people. Jesus concern is the radical inclusion of the Gentiles, repulsed by turning their court into a marketplace. The lack of violence is evident in the lack of response of Roman authorities standing by to keep peace.
Tuesday: It’s the day of confrontations, of traps, and truth-telling, of giving Caesar his coin but calling on people to render their whole lives to God. He speaks truth to the hypocrisy of those plotting his death and in his “little apocalypse” warns his followers to flee rather than indulge in violent revolt, to feed the hungry rather than fighting in an insurrection.
Wednesday: We see the chosen road of the Sanhedrin in Caiaphas words that one should die for all; the beautiful act of the woman and Jesus’s defense of attempts to marginalize her; and finally the betrayal of Judas. Porterfield sees two diverging roads, toward and away from Jesus. Which will we choose?
Thursday: The focus here is on the new command to love one another, forming a new community where love is given and received. We call it Maundy Thursday because of Jesus “mandate.” He also deals with the “two swords” of the disciples and sees this not as a license for bearing weapons but to fulfill prophecy. He says two will be enough. Enough to fulfill prophecy about Jesus among the rebels; certainly not enough for any real defense!
Friday: The two forms of peacemaking–that of Jesus and the violent one of Barabbas stand side by side. Instead of the message of vengeance, Jesus speaks a word of forgiveness, and by refusing retaliation breaks the cycle of violence with forgiveness of all through his death.
Saturday/Sunday: Drawing on the illusions of scripture to the “harrowing of hell,” Porterfield points to the call to trust God in the darkest places. Then we have resurrection Sunday and the appearance of Jesus to the disciples bidding them “peace” even as he commissions to be his ambassadors of peace.
The book is designed to be read and discussed through the Sundays of Lent, taking one day each week. Of course, it may also be used for a series of Holy Week readings. Questions for personal reflection or group discussion are also included. The chapters include “peacemaking” applications drawn from the narrative.
I found that the lens of peacemaking takes disparate events and and weaves them together in a powerful and compelling narrative, one where we see the contrast between how God makes peace with the world’s attempts, often violent, to “make peace.” Porterfield combines exegesis that pays attention to often-overlooked details with pastoral applications that call us, not to passivity, but the active peacemaking of people following Jesus. This comes at a time where a robust peace witness of the church in a world fraught with violence has rarely been more needed.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program.
April 12, 2022
I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Why was I drawn to this book? Simply because I was between books and hadn’t reviewed one in a while? Because it was Lent, almost Holy Week, and my Lenten practice had been praying for peace in the midst of a world of conflict? Because the author is passionate about peace, as evidenced by his life work, living and working among the marginalized people of our society? Likely, all of these factors played a role.
As Jason Porterfield’s first book, I found it well written, edited, and promoted. Books like this give me hope for the future of faith, Christianity, and life for coming generations. It reminded me of Borg and Crossan’s “The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem,” and indeed this book influenced Porterfield’s as evidenced by direct quotes and footnotes.
I have a strange fascination with footnotes, and appreciated Porterfield’s use of them—not too many, not too few, and drawing from a spectrum of theologians and scholars.
9
I found value in Porterfield’s creation of “lessons,” or real-life applications in each chapter, along with discussion questions at the end for group study. While I did not intentionally enact or practice the applications or questions, they added to the value of the book as it might be used by a book club or other community.
Moving on to Porterfield’s theology, he rightly refutes a violent God who satisfies God’s bloodlust on the cross , along with any notion of God forsaking Jesus while on the cross. Porterfield also emphasizes that Jesus in the truest revelation of the character and nature of God, and that Jesus’ life is critical in understanding his death.
I appreciated Porterfield’s repudiation of rapture/end times theology and the present time, real world consequences. And I loved Porterfield’s exposition of why Jesus’ command on Thursday of Holy Week of “love one another” was new vis-a-vis its communal nature. Porterfield expands this to his personal experiences on the streets of Eastside Vancouver, and draws a beautiful correlation between peacemaking and love.
A couple of critiques are more theological differences of opinion, in that I would have liked to have seen Porterfield acknowledge theological developments as the gospels went from oral traditions to written records with significant theological overlay that addressed the needs of the communities by whom and to whom the gospels were written. In other words, I found Porterfield’s approach somewhat more literal than necessary.
I say this in the context of the whip Jesus used in the Temple, only recorded in John, not mentioned in the earliest written gospel, Mark. Another example would be Porterfield’s establishment of fact that Jesus descended into hell. How do we know this? Just because “the Bible tells me so” in one oblique verse? Still Porterfield draws a beautiful lesson from it, namely “Christlike peacemakers endure the darkest of days, trusting that God is at work even when God appears absent.”
Overall, a beautiful book: timely, thought-provoking, and prophetic.
Why was I drawn to this book? Simply because I was between books and hadn’t reviewed one in a while? Because it was Lent, almost Holy Week, and my Lenten practice had been praying for peace in the midst of a world of conflict? Because the author is passionate about peace, as evidenced by his life work, living and working among the marginalized people of our society? Likely, all of these factors played a role.
As Jason Porterfield’s first book, I found it well written, edited, and promoted. Books like this give me hope for the future of faith, Christianity, and life for coming generations. It reminded me of Borg and Crossan’s “The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem,” and indeed this book influenced Porterfield’s as evidenced by direct quotes and footnotes.
I have a strange fascination with footnotes, and appreciated Porterfield’s use of them—not too many, not too few, and drawing from a spectrum of theologians and scholars.
9
I found value in Porterfield’s creation of “lessons,” or real-life applications in each chapter, along with discussion questions at the end for group study. While I did not intentionally enact or practice the applications or questions, they added to the value of the book as it might be used by a book club or other community.
Moving on to Porterfield’s theology, he rightly refutes a violent God who satisfies God’s bloodlust on the cross , along with any notion of God forsaking Jesus while on the cross. Porterfield also emphasizes that Jesus in the truest revelation of the character and nature of God, and that Jesus’ life is critical in understanding his death.
I appreciated Porterfield’s repudiation of rapture/end times theology and the present time, real world consequences. And I loved Porterfield’s exposition of why Jesus’ command on Thursday of Holy Week of “love one another” was new vis-a-vis its communal nature. Porterfield expands this to his personal experiences on the streets of Eastside Vancouver, and draws a beautiful correlation between peacemaking and love.
A couple of critiques are more theological differences of opinion, in that I would have liked to have seen Porterfield acknowledge theological developments as the gospels went from oral traditions to written records with significant theological overlay that addressed the needs of the communities by whom and to whom the gospels were written. In other words, I found Porterfield’s approach somewhat more literal than necessary.
I say this in the context of the whip Jesus used in the Temple, only recorded in John, not mentioned in the earliest written gospel, Mark. Another example would be Porterfield’s establishment of fact that Jesus descended into hell. How do we know this? Just because “the Bible tells me so” in one oblique verse? Still Porterfield draws a beautiful lesson from it, namely “Christlike peacemakers endure the darkest of days, trusting that God is at work even when God appears absent.”
Overall, a beautiful book: timely, thought-provoking, and prophetic.
February 11, 2022
You'd think that I'm pretty well-read when it comes to the Christian peace/nonviolence genre - browse my goodreads account and you'll see I've already reviewed Yoder, Wink, Swartley, Trocme, Stassen and Gushee, Hays, Kraybill, Volf, Weaver, Maynard-Reid, and others. (Not to mention the memoirs like Boyle, Greenfield, and many more.) So coming in with the expectation that there might not be too much more to learn, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jason Porterfield had new things to teach me. By narrowing his focus to the final week of Jesus's life, he is able to go into real depth, exploring the translation of key words and filling out the historical context in critical ways. I was also happy to see a great deal of integrity in the process, where rather than slanting every conclusion in the manner that favors his thesis, he is quick to dismiss unlikely interpretations even when they'd help his overall point and admits the most difficult passages. You can tell Porterfield not only researched the subject incredibly well, but also puts it before God and strives to write with the highest standard of honesty and commitment to truth that he can.
In terms of rating I would give the book a 5-star on content but it was only average stylistically. Something about the first chapter or two failed to fully grab me and commit me to the book, and at times the chapter openings didn't feel as strong as the chapter bodies. Using "Holy Week" as a structure for the book is inventive and something I hadn't yet seen in peace/nonviolence writing, yet it was entirely appropriate and provided a great lens through which to view the peace aspect of Jesus's mission. I just feel it could have been scaffolded better somehow.
In terms of audience, I feel in order the book would be most useful for:
1. Pastors, youth pastors, church speakers, and others who are giving talks or writing essays on the meaning of Holy Week and Jesus's larger mission
2. Church small groups and book clubs who are reading together to understand more of the purpose of Jesus's life in community
3. Individuals attempting to study the questions of violence/nonviolence for themselves, and try to understand what commitment to Jesus means in terms of how they live their own life
4. Historically-oriented individuals looking to understand Jesus's actions in the context of 1st-century Judea, the Roman Empire, and Jewish scripture, prophecy, and expectations.
Disclaimer, I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book as part of a launch team.
In terms of rating I would give the book a 5-star on content but it was only average stylistically. Something about the first chapter or two failed to fully grab me and commit me to the book, and at times the chapter openings didn't feel as strong as the chapter bodies. Using "Holy Week" as a structure for the book is inventive and something I hadn't yet seen in peace/nonviolence writing, yet it was entirely appropriate and provided a great lens through which to view the peace aspect of Jesus's mission. I just feel it could have been scaffolded better somehow.
In terms of audience, I feel in order the book would be most useful for:
1. Pastors, youth pastors, church speakers, and others who are giving talks or writing essays on the meaning of Holy Week and Jesus's larger mission
2. Church small groups and book clubs who are reading together to understand more of the purpose of Jesus's life in community
3. Individuals attempting to study the questions of violence/nonviolence for themselves, and try to understand what commitment to Jesus means in terms of how they live their own life
4. Historically-oriented individuals looking to understand Jesus's actions in the context of 1st-century Judea, the Roman Empire, and Jewish scripture, prophecy, and expectations.
Disclaimer, I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book as part of a launch team.
March 10, 2024
Jason Porterfield's takeaway of Holy Week, in Fight Like Jesus, is very interesting. His view challenged me. I'm not a pacifist. I think that's too naive. Although I'm glad we have people like that, but it just seems too gullible.
Porterfield made me think. I can see what he's saying, but I don't agree 100%.
This book is to be read during Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. The people are celebrating the arrival of their Messiah. They're shouting "Hosanna." The Greek translation tends to imply that "hosannah" is for a savior, a rescurer. This is what Jesus is, but not a conquering, violent, insurrection. That's what the people were excited about.
Holy Monday, Jesus goes to the temple and throws the money changers out. Porterfield claims that this was not a violent act. No people were hurt. He couldn't have used whips because there weren't any around. He must have used wicker and something within his grasp. The temple needed to be cleared of the people cheating and He did it.
Holy Tuesday, Jesus goes back to the temple and has verbal confrontational encounters with the temple authorities, which convinces them to get rid of Jesus. He has the crowd following Him, who think He's going to attack the Roman soldiers, like he cleared the temple.
Holy Wednesday, He gets annointed by the woman. Judas is disgusted by the waste of money and makes a deal with the temple authorities.
Holy Thursday is the Last Supper. Judas leaves early to make arrangements. Jesus is arrested without resisting.
Good Friday is the crucifixion. Porterfield explains why the crowd chose to release Barabbas. Remember that everybody was expecting Jesus to overthrow the Romans. Well, He didn't. But Barabbas tried and it resulted in his being arrested for insurrection. Also, Barabbas' name is Bar-Abba, IOW, Son of Abba (God).
Now, you are expecting Jesus to overthrow the Romans. Who would you choose to be released, the one arrested for insurrection, or the one preaching love your enemies?
Who would you choose: Jesus Bar Abba, or Jesus Bar Joseph of Nazareth. Barabbas' first name was Jesus (common name)?
On Holy Saturday, Jesus worked. He went down to release the dead.
Sunday, Jesus proves He's the messiah. He raises Himself from the dead.
Who can do that? Only the messiah can do that, Jesus the Christ.
Porterfield made me think. I can see what he's saying, but I don't agree 100%.
This book is to be read during Holy Week, starting with Palm Sunday. The people are celebrating the arrival of their Messiah. They're shouting "Hosanna." The Greek translation tends to imply that "hosannah" is for a savior, a rescurer. This is what Jesus is, but not a conquering, violent, insurrection. That's what the people were excited about.
Holy Monday, Jesus goes to the temple and throws the money changers out. Porterfield claims that this was not a violent act. No people were hurt. He couldn't have used whips because there weren't any around. He must have used wicker and something within his grasp. The temple needed to be cleared of the people cheating and He did it.
Holy Tuesday, Jesus goes back to the temple and has verbal confrontational encounters with the temple authorities, which convinces them to get rid of Jesus. He has the crowd following Him, who think He's going to attack the Roman soldiers, like he cleared the temple.
Holy Wednesday, He gets annointed by the woman. Judas is disgusted by the waste of money and makes a deal with the temple authorities.
Holy Thursday is the Last Supper. Judas leaves early to make arrangements. Jesus is arrested without resisting.
Good Friday is the crucifixion. Porterfield explains why the crowd chose to release Barabbas. Remember that everybody was expecting Jesus to overthrow the Romans. Well, He didn't. But Barabbas tried and it resulted in his being arrested for insurrection. Also, Barabbas' name is Bar-Abba, IOW, Son of Abba (God).
Now, you are expecting Jesus to overthrow the Romans. Who would you choose to be released, the one arrested for insurrection, or the one preaching love your enemies?
Who would you choose: Jesus Bar Abba, or Jesus Bar Joseph of Nazareth. Barabbas' first name was Jesus (common name)?
On Holy Saturday, Jesus worked. He went down to release the dead.
Sunday, Jesus proves He's the messiah. He raises Himself from the dead.
Who can do that? Only the messiah can do that, Jesus the Christ.
January 31, 2022
Disclaimer, I was privileged to read an advance copy of this book as part of a launch team.
"And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!..." (Luke 19:41-42).
With this lament Jesus enters Jerusalem to initiate the climactic events of Holy Week. And in "Fight Like Jesus" Jason Porterfield argues that this lament from Jesus offers the interpretive key for all of Holy Week.
In a book rich with interpretation and insight, yet not intimidating in length at all, Porterfield walks us through the drama of every day of Holy Week and makes a compelling case for Jesus' actions, teaching, and ultimately death and resurrection as a rebuke of violence (even as a means for justice or liberation) and for peacemaking that follows Jesus' model of love that lays down life for others.
The book is very very readable and I appreciated that. And yet it didn't shirk from wading into some of the sticky challenges of the text (I really appreciated the work he does interpreting the section in Luke on the two swords the disciples bring). That said, the book is disciplined not to wade into any one theory of atonement. There are other books for that! Rather he simply goes through each day of Holy Week and draws out the implications of the stories and teachings from that chapter.
I will be recommending this book to many people as Lent draws near as this will make for excellent reading for anyone from any Christian tradition to grapple with how Jesus models good news to us, his disciples in his final week before the cross.
"And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!..." (Luke 19:41-42).
With this lament Jesus enters Jerusalem to initiate the climactic events of Holy Week. And in "Fight Like Jesus" Jason Porterfield argues that this lament from Jesus offers the interpretive key for all of Holy Week.
"[Jesus'] lament suggests that the events of Holy Week are best understood when viewed through the lens of peacemaking. And it encourages us to see that central struggle of Holy Week as a struggle for peace." (21)
In a book rich with interpretation and insight, yet not intimidating in length at all, Porterfield walks us through the drama of every day of Holy Week and makes a compelling case for Jesus' actions, teaching, and ultimately death and resurrection as a rebuke of violence (even as a means for justice or liberation) and for peacemaking that follows Jesus' model of love that lays down life for others.
The book is very very readable and I appreciated that. And yet it didn't shirk from wading into some of the sticky challenges of the text (I really appreciated the work he does interpreting the section in Luke on the two swords the disciples bring). That said, the book is disciplined not to wade into any one theory of atonement. There are other books for that! Rather he simply goes through each day of Holy Week and draws out the implications of the stories and teachings from that chapter.
I will be recommending this book to many people as Lent draws near as this will make for excellent reading for anyone from any Christian tradition to grapple with how Jesus models good news to us, his disciples in his final week before the cross.
January 23, 2025
Can I give a book more than 5 stars?
In my quest to understand violence vs nonviolence, action vs passivity, affirming truth vs rejecting the way of the world, all while striving to be loving throughout, this book is what I needed. This book is what every Christian who wants to seriously take Jesus' words about loving enemies, loving each other, and not taking vengeance needs. Will you follow the way of the Hammer or the Way of the Lamb? The way of Jesus Barabbas, the violent political insurrectionist, or the way of Jesus Christ, the nonviolent revolutionary who demonstrated that true power comes from self-sacrificial peacemaking?
To quote Porterfield: "All Christians claim to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But the great tragedy in the church - ever since the time of Constantine - is that many of unknowingly embraced the wrong Jesus. They are clinging with all their might to Jesus Barabbas as they refuse to let go of his way of making peace. Said another way, if we approve of our country killing enemies and using force to advance its national interests, then we have in effect chosen Barabbas and rejected Jesus."
The throughline of the book starts with Jesus' words as he entered Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week: "If only you knew the things that made for peace." Porterfield does a masterful job of showing how each day of Holy Week, Jesus confronts injustice, refuses violence, affirms what is right, and subverts expectations of what real power looks like. He does all of this while also providing very valuable historical and cultural insights to really ground everything in reality.
At only 179 pages (excluding the discussion questions at the end), this book is highly readable, so you have no excuse to not read it!
In my quest to understand violence vs nonviolence, action vs passivity, affirming truth vs rejecting the way of the world, all while striving to be loving throughout, this book is what I needed. This book is what every Christian who wants to seriously take Jesus' words about loving enemies, loving each other, and not taking vengeance needs. Will you follow the way of the Hammer or the Way of the Lamb? The way of Jesus Barabbas, the violent political insurrectionist, or the way of Jesus Christ, the nonviolent revolutionary who demonstrated that true power comes from self-sacrificial peacemaking?
To quote Porterfield: "All Christians claim to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But the great tragedy in the church - ever since the time of Constantine - is that many of unknowingly embraced the wrong Jesus. They are clinging with all their might to Jesus Barabbas as they refuse to let go of his way of making peace. Said another way, if we approve of our country killing enemies and using force to advance its national interests, then we have in effect chosen Barabbas and rejected Jesus."
The throughline of the book starts with Jesus' words as he entered Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week: "If only you knew the things that made for peace." Porterfield does a masterful job of showing how each day of Holy Week, Jesus confronts injustice, refuses violence, affirms what is right, and subverts expectations of what real power looks like. He does all of this while also providing very valuable historical and cultural insights to really ground everything in reality.
At only 179 pages (excluding the discussion questions at the end), this book is highly readable, so you have no excuse to not read it!
January 19, 2026
It has been such a long time since I found an incredible Christian theology book. This book hit me at its core so very deeply. I learned so many new things!
Jason Porterfield breaks down the entire Holy Week, the last week of Jesus' life and going into his Resurrection. He states how Christ did not come in a violent manner, but in a very peaceful manner that was so unlike what the people expected or wanted. What I loved the most was his explanation of Jesus' last words on the cross and explaining that Jesus was trying to quote Psalm 22 but was unable to have the breath to say it all, so the people watching him only caught him stating bits and pieces. I know I have heard many sermons about how God abandoned Jesus in that moment when He states, "Why have you forsaken me." His explanation of using Psalm 22 and how that was definitely not the case, just wowed me. There were other instances throughout that I, as a Mennonite/Anabaptist woman had known of or agreed with anyway, but he used those examples in a new light of how I hadn't heard it before, such as the image bearer of Caesar on the coin (that was quite powerful).
This entire book is weaved with tons and tons scriptures, barely any talk about himself, and only a few quotes from others (mainly from pastor Brian Zahnd, who I have always admired). He uses the Greek language to explain the intent for words (loved that so much). He explains the culture and history from around those times too.
I don't understand why I have never heard of anyone else reading this book at all. It was just amazing. It is one that I would love my own family and friends (the non-Mennonites) to read so they could understand Jesus in the way I have always read Him to be, and how this just explains it very fully!
Jason Porterfield breaks down the entire Holy Week, the last week of Jesus' life and going into his Resurrection. He states how Christ did not come in a violent manner, but in a very peaceful manner that was so unlike what the people expected or wanted. What I loved the most was his explanation of Jesus' last words on the cross and explaining that Jesus was trying to quote Psalm 22 but was unable to have the breath to say it all, so the people watching him only caught him stating bits and pieces. I know I have heard many sermons about how God abandoned Jesus in that moment when He states, "Why have you forsaken me." His explanation of using Psalm 22 and how that was definitely not the case, just wowed me. There were other instances throughout that I, as a Mennonite/Anabaptist woman had known of or agreed with anyway, but he used those examples in a new light of how I hadn't heard it before, such as the image bearer of Caesar on the coin (that was quite powerful).
This entire book is weaved with tons and tons scriptures, barely any talk about himself, and only a few quotes from others (mainly from pastor Brian Zahnd, who I have always admired). He uses the Greek language to explain the intent for words (loved that so much). He explains the culture and history from around those times too.
I don't understand why I have never heard of anyone else reading this book at all. It was just amazing. It is one that I would love my own family and friends (the non-Mennonites) to read so they could understand Jesus in the way I have always read Him to be, and how this just explains it very fully!
February 2, 2022
This is a beautiful book, with a vocabulary that’s accessible and style that’s delectable. It is also a brilliant book, with exquisite insightful reflections on every page that radically reframe our traditional perspectives of the Easter story, which we thought we already knew so well.
It is intentionally a subversive book, that takes the message Jesus embodied in the last week of his life, which hitherto we have felt so comfortable with, because we have thoroughly co-opted it, adapted it and adopted it to serve our vested interests, and unpacks it’s true meaning in a way that confronts us with the fact that many of us, who claim to follow Jesus, actually follow in the footsteps of Jesus Barabbas and practice his reflexive vengeance, rather than follow in the footsteps Jesus of Nazareth and practice his revolutionary nonviolence.
This book is not only subversive, it is also transformative. In this book Jason Porterfield gently takes us by the hand, leads us through the events in the last seven days of Jesus’ life, and helps us to understand what Jesus was doing in his final days to show us how we can 'Fight Like Jesus' and struggle proactively for love and justice peacefully in the context of imperial political economies characterised by provocation, oppression and aggression.
'Fight Like Jesus' could serve as an excellent primer for Christians who were perplexed by my call to join our Muslim brothers and sisters in what I called 'The Jihad Of Jesus'. This book is without doubt the best recent comprehensive and comprehensible scriptural exposition I have read of Jesus' challenge to seriously engage in his ‘sacred nonviolent struggle for justice’.
It is intentionally a subversive book, that takes the message Jesus embodied in the last week of his life, which hitherto we have felt so comfortable with, because we have thoroughly co-opted it, adapted it and adopted it to serve our vested interests, and unpacks it’s true meaning in a way that confronts us with the fact that many of us, who claim to follow Jesus, actually follow in the footsteps of Jesus Barabbas and practice his reflexive vengeance, rather than follow in the footsteps Jesus of Nazareth and practice his revolutionary nonviolence.
This book is not only subversive, it is also transformative. In this book Jason Porterfield gently takes us by the hand, leads us through the events in the last seven days of Jesus’ life, and helps us to understand what Jesus was doing in his final days to show us how we can 'Fight Like Jesus' and struggle proactively for love and justice peacefully in the context of imperial political economies characterised by provocation, oppression and aggression.
'Fight Like Jesus' could serve as an excellent primer for Christians who were perplexed by my call to join our Muslim brothers and sisters in what I called 'The Jihad Of Jesus'. This book is without doubt the best recent comprehensive and comprehensible scriptural exposition I have read of Jesus' challenge to seriously engage in his ‘sacred nonviolent struggle for justice’.
June 26, 2022
I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's Program which asks for (but does not require) an honest review in exchange.
This book did make me look at Holy Week (and think about it) in a way I hadn't before. I am not sure I would re-read it though which is why I didn't rate it 5 stars. Also, toward the end, there are a few quotes from N. T. Wright, whom I haven't read, but a friend has, and if I remember correctly, she had some questions about Wright's overall interpretations of the Bible.
I haven't had time to go through and research the items quoted/referenced in this book as of the time I'm writing this review.
I will say that the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday sections--I guess I'd never really tied those incidents to Holy Week. At one level, I guess I did know they happened during Holy Week. I think most churches skip from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday (and the Last Supper)--with maybe a few that have Wednesday night services focusing a bit on Wednesday--then Good Friday then Easter Sunday. So the Money Changers in the Temple, the Questioning of Jesus--I hadn't really thought much of how they fit into the Holy Week. The churches I've attended, when they do talk about those events, it's not usually during Holy Week.
I remember hearing that one of the reasons the Jews didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah was that they expected an avenging/militant Messiah--something Jesus was not. That seems to play into the theme of this book which states that Jesus waged peace not war. (no, I don't think that's a spoiler--it's printed right on the front cover as well as discussed in the back cover blurb.)
This book did make me look at Holy Week (and think about it) in a way I hadn't before. I am not sure I would re-read it though which is why I didn't rate it 5 stars. Also, toward the end, there are a few quotes from N. T. Wright, whom I haven't read, but a friend has, and if I remember correctly, she had some questions about Wright's overall interpretations of the Bible.
I haven't had time to go through and research the items quoted/referenced in this book as of the time I'm writing this review.
I will say that the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday sections--I guess I'd never really tied those incidents to Holy Week. At one level, I guess I did know they happened during Holy Week. I think most churches skip from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday (and the Last Supper)--with maybe a few that have Wednesday night services focusing a bit on Wednesday--then Good Friday then Easter Sunday. So the Money Changers in the Temple, the Questioning of Jesus--I hadn't really thought much of how they fit into the Holy Week. The churches I've attended, when they do talk about those events, it's not usually during Holy Week.
I remember hearing that one of the reasons the Jews didn't accept Jesus as the Messiah was that they expected an avenging/militant Messiah--something Jesus was not. That seems to play into the theme of this book which states that Jesus waged peace not war. (no, I don't think that's a spoiler--it's printed right on the front cover as well as discussed in the back cover blurb.)
April 15, 2022
God's ways are foolishness to this world, yet how often we as Christians adopt worldly arguments and practices in the name of pragmatism! This is especially true now, when Christians are constantly bombarded with calls to fight against evil and injustice. We cannot and should not ignore such calls; indeed, we should be on the front lines speaking truth to power and making clear that God is for the weak and oppressed. But how to do so in a way that reflects the heart of Christ? Where else to look but Jesus?!
In "Fight Like Jesus", Jason Porterfield walks though each day of Holy Week and contrasts the way that Jesus fought for peace with the ways that we think are best. My understanding and appreciation for how Jesus's final words and deeds taught us to confront evil and cultivate peace has grown immensely through reading this book. Though we differ on some points of conviction, like pacifism and atonement theory, Jason's love for Jesus and passion for the reconciling work of Christ is clear through his careful exegesis of scripture, thorough research, and heartfelt calls to action. His personal illustrations of fighting for peace in hard places around the world demonstrate the authenticity and sincerity of his arguments. He does not shy away from passages that are often used to justify militant Christian theology, but instead lays out clear and sensible interpretations that illustrate how they instead support the early church's perspective on the essentiality of non-violence. "Fight Like Jesus" has both inspired and challenged me and I hope many will read and be similarly encouraged.
In "Fight Like Jesus", Jason Porterfield walks though each day of Holy Week and contrasts the way that Jesus fought for peace with the ways that we think are best. My understanding and appreciation for how Jesus's final words and deeds taught us to confront evil and cultivate peace has grown immensely through reading this book. Though we differ on some points of conviction, like pacifism and atonement theory, Jason's love for Jesus and passion for the reconciling work of Christ is clear through his careful exegesis of scripture, thorough research, and heartfelt calls to action. His personal illustrations of fighting for peace in hard places around the world demonstrate the authenticity and sincerity of his arguments. He does not shy away from passages that are often used to justify militant Christian theology, but instead lays out clear and sensible interpretations that illustrate how they instead support the early church's perspective on the essentiality of non-violence. "Fight Like Jesus" has both inspired and challenged me and I hope many will read and be similarly encouraged.
June 16, 2022
I’ve searched for many years trying to find a detailed book that would fully explain each day of Holy Week. Jason Porterfield introduces you to one of the most significant weeks in the life of Christendom. Throughout the book, Jason asks tough questions in regards to Jesus. Such questions might be… Why was Jesus crying?, or “What if Jesus’ lament is more than just an intriguing glimpse into his innermost thoughts and desires? ”
Porterfield swiftly answers the questions that many of us might have pondered during the week leading up to Resurrection. Gradually, Jason provides biblical hermeneutics for each day of the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday.
I specifically liked this book for various reasons; one is for the cover of the book. I love how the design represents the topic, it’s not too showy but it's simple and to the point. The cover design is detailed, which tells me that the author and the designer had a clear idea as to how this book ought to look in order to attract potential readers. A second reason for liking this book is how light the book is in terms of context. The book isn’t a thick read, but it’s a short easy-understandable book. There is no use for big huge words but the author provides a simple everyday language for its readers. Lastly, this book is inviting, though this book is very theological the book also provides space for personal & spiritual conversation.
I have enjoyed exploring this book and I’m looking forward to my using it during the Season of Lent.
Porterfield swiftly answers the questions that many of us might have pondered during the week leading up to Resurrection. Gradually, Jason provides biblical hermeneutics for each day of the week leading up to Resurrection Sunday.
I specifically liked this book for various reasons; one is for the cover of the book. I love how the design represents the topic, it’s not too showy but it's simple and to the point. The cover design is detailed, which tells me that the author and the designer had a clear idea as to how this book ought to look in order to attract potential readers. A second reason for liking this book is how light the book is in terms of context. The book isn’t a thick read, but it’s a short easy-understandable book. There is no use for big huge words but the author provides a simple everyday language for its readers. Lastly, this book is inviting, though this book is very theological the book also provides space for personal & spiritual conversation.
I have enjoyed exploring this book and I’m looking forward to my using it during the Season of Lent.
January 26, 2023
This book basically takes a look at Holy Week and uses the events that happen each day to make commentary about Jesus’s approach to peacemaking (and in turn how we should think and act as peacemakers). I did enjoy the structure of the book with each chapter focusing on a specific day of Holy Week, and selecting a few events from the Bible from each day and analyzing those events. I appreciated how Porterfield challenges us to rethink the way we view common stories (such as Jesus turning over tables in the temple) based on actual context instead of images or ideas we’ve been taught in the past. This book certainly made me think and I enjoyed reading it in a group (there are some discussion questions in the back which are okay).
However, my greatest critique of the book is that it seems to sometimes force the events of Holy Week into a certain theme the author is trying to highlight (Jesus was not coming to bring political change via force the way some American Christians are trying to do now). While I don’t disagree with what he is saying, some of his connections between the passage and peacemaking seemed a bit of a stretch. Further, on several instances where he was trying to have us rethink common interpretations of the passage (and understand a new, supposedly more accurate interpretation), I didn’t find myself fully convinced. Some interpretations he explained better than others, and due to the nature and length of the book, I think it’s too hard to go into deep Biblical analysis on so many passages.
However, my greatest critique of the book is that it seems to sometimes force the events of Holy Week into a certain theme the author is trying to highlight (Jesus was not coming to bring political change via force the way some American Christians are trying to do now). While I don’t disagree with what he is saying, some of his connections between the passage and peacemaking seemed a bit of a stretch. Further, on several instances where he was trying to have us rethink common interpretations of the passage (and understand a new, supposedly more accurate interpretation), I didn’t find myself fully convinced. Some interpretations he explained better than others, and due to the nature and length of the book, I think it’s too hard to go into deep Biblical analysis on so many passages.
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