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The Modern Christ: A Contemporary Retelling of the Story of Jesus
What if Jesus Christ were alive today?
Mary is a young immigrant living in the United States during the 1980s. One evening, her mundane life is suddenly turned upside down when a mysterious stranger arrives with the unbelievable news that she’s pregnant.
There’s only one problem. Mary is a virgin.
Nine months later, she miraculously gives birth to a baby boy that would change the world forever. His name? Jesus Christ.
While most children are watching The Smurfs and roaming the aisles of Toys “R” Us, Jesus and his parents must evade a ruthless president that will stop at nothing to kill him.
As an adult, Jesus discovers his true calling and begins a ministry aimed at reaching millions of people around the globe. In a world distracted by iPhones, celebrity worship, and social media, how will he be able to get their attention?
The Modern Christ explores a world where Jesus is born in the modern-day United States rather than over 2,000 years ago in Israel. What would that world look like? How would it differ from our own? Prepare to be taken on an imaginative journey that will help you connect with the life of our Savior in a new and profound way.
Mary is a young immigrant living in the United States during the 1980s. One evening, her mundane life is suddenly turned upside down when a mysterious stranger arrives with the unbelievable news that she’s pregnant.
There’s only one problem. Mary is a virgin.
Nine months later, she miraculously gives birth to a baby boy that would change the world forever. His name? Jesus Christ.
While most children are watching The Smurfs and roaming the aisles of Toys “R” Us, Jesus and his parents must evade a ruthless president that will stop at nothing to kill him.
As an adult, Jesus discovers his true calling and begins a ministry aimed at reaching millions of people around the globe. In a world distracted by iPhones, celebrity worship, and social media, how will he be able to get their attention?
The Modern Christ explores a world where Jesus is born in the modern-day United States rather than over 2,000 years ago in Israel. What would that world look like? How would it differ from our own? Prepare to be taken on an imaginative journey that will help you connect with the life of our Savior in a new and profound way.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2021
38 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 29, 2021
I can't even begin to explain how much I loved reading this book. It was wonderfully written according to scripture but taking place in the present time. You know how the story is going to end but I found myself crying, feeling the pain of Mary as she lost her son. The story was so descriptive that I became completely immersed and felt like I was there. I look forward to the day that I can kneel at the feet of Jesus and thank him for all of the wonderful blessings in my life and for forgiving my sins as a person.
June 15, 2024
"The Modern Christ" is the ultimate "what if" story. What if Jesus were born in contemporary America?
Think Jewish immigrants working mundane jobs, a president named Herod, astronomers discovering a strange star. John the Baptist as a woodsman, becoming an internet sensation, Jesus praying before distributing five sandwiches and two protein bars. You get the idea.
This powerful story will resonate with those caught up in social media, helping make a fresh connect with the life of Christ.
Think Jewish immigrants working mundane jobs, a president named Herod, astronomers discovering a strange star. John the Baptist as a woodsman, becoming an internet sensation, Jesus praying before distributing five sandwiches and two protein bars. You get the idea.
This powerful story will resonate with those caught up in social media, helping make a fresh connect with the life of Christ.
April 19, 2022
I wasn't sure what to make of a story set in modern times about the birth of Christ, but the concept intrigued me, so I purchased this book and dove right in.
The author did a marvellous job of sussing out what it would look like in a modern world for someone like Jesus to come along and make the proclamations he did. Everything would be recorded and debated on social media. How is Jesus performing all these miracles? Are they real or fake? Sadly, in this modern world, it isn't hard to believe that Jesus would have a more challenging time convincing everyone of who he really was and why he came. To take a true story from the Bible and change the settings was brave. Some things worked in the author's favour, and some didn't.
In this modern re-telling of Jesus, the story is set in the United States. Not in Israel. It was a bit of a stretch theologically, but the author made it work, especially regarding Mary and Joseph. While I was taken aback by an offensive word Joseph called Mary when he discovered she was pregnant, their story was very well done. The immigration aspect and how they were treated by people were spot on. The author's description of Herod and his persecution of immigrants seemed to be based on Donald Trump. How this modern Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem didn't seem like too much of a stretch based on the former President's antics. So Hambright had a lot to draw on. But, as I read on, it was clear the author had not done a lot of character development or biblical research into the people he was writing about.
I realize that sticking to the Scriptures could be problematic because of the setting, but changing the names of Jesus' family members and not including them all seemed odd. Having Jesus play violent video games and eating raw meat was out of character for him. He would never eat something with the blood still in it.
That said, the author included many updated Bible stories that might speak to someone today. He included Jesus' sermon on the mount and geared it for today's ears to hear and understand. I loved his portrayal of how Jesus interacted with people. This was the Jesus I knew.
Unfortunately, character development and scriptural consistency seemed lacking in this story. Lazarus was described as Jesus' best friend, and yet he nor his sisters are ever mentioned until he dies and Jesus comes to resurrect him. A character named Jordan has no backstory - he just suddenly appears. And John the Baptist is portrayed as wondering if everything was worth it.
I really wanted to like this book. But the author took, in my opinion, too many liberties. The disciples were often ready to come to blows, even after Jesus' death. While the violence of the crucifixion was portrayed accurately (so real it was hard to read). In the end, however, when Jesus is discovered alive, the joy and importance of that moment fell flat for me because of the disciples' constant bickering.
While this was an excellent attempt to make Jesus more accessible and relatable to the modern world, I feel the book should have had more character and story development.
The author did a marvellous job of sussing out what it would look like in a modern world for someone like Jesus to come along and make the proclamations he did. Everything would be recorded and debated on social media. How is Jesus performing all these miracles? Are they real or fake? Sadly, in this modern world, it isn't hard to believe that Jesus would have a more challenging time convincing everyone of who he really was and why he came. To take a true story from the Bible and change the settings was brave. Some things worked in the author's favour, and some didn't.
In this modern re-telling of Jesus, the story is set in the United States. Not in Israel. It was a bit of a stretch theologically, but the author made it work, especially regarding Mary and Joseph. While I was taken aback by an offensive word Joseph called Mary when he discovered she was pregnant, their story was very well done. The immigration aspect and how they were treated by people were spot on. The author's description of Herod and his persecution of immigrants seemed to be based on Donald Trump. How this modern Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem didn't seem like too much of a stretch based on the former President's antics. So Hambright had a lot to draw on. But, as I read on, it was clear the author had not done a lot of character development or biblical research into the people he was writing about.
I realize that sticking to the Scriptures could be problematic because of the setting, but changing the names of Jesus' family members and not including them all seemed odd. Having Jesus play violent video games and eating raw meat was out of character for him. He would never eat something with the blood still in it.
That said, the author included many updated Bible stories that might speak to someone today. He included Jesus' sermon on the mount and geared it for today's ears to hear and understand. I loved his portrayal of how Jesus interacted with people. This was the Jesus I knew.
Unfortunately, character development and scriptural consistency seemed lacking in this story. Lazarus was described as Jesus' best friend, and yet he nor his sisters are ever mentioned until he dies and Jesus comes to resurrect him. A character named Jordan has no backstory - he just suddenly appears. And John the Baptist is portrayed as wondering if everything was worth it.
I really wanted to like this book. But the author took, in my opinion, too many liberties. The disciples were often ready to come to blows, even after Jesus' death. While the violence of the crucifixion was portrayed accurately (so real it was hard to read). In the end, however, when Jesus is discovered alive, the joy and importance of that moment fell flat for me because of the disciples' constant bickering.
While this was an excellent attempt to make Jesus more accessible and relatable to the modern world, I feel the book should have had more character and story development.
May 5, 2022
This was an interesting read. I've often thought about what the reaction would have been if Jesus had been alive in modern times. And about what it will be like when he returns. What if he's already here and we don't know it yet? Will I be one of the believers when that time comes? Makes my head hurt!
February 20, 2022
Life of Jesus
A wonderful story of the life of Jesus. Depicted as if it happened in today's America. Much of the same as it did in Biblical times.
A wonderful story of the life of Jesus. Depicted as if it happened in today's America. Much of the same as it did in Biblical times.
February 18, 2022
Great
Everyone should read and absorb this. modern day telling of the greatest truth there is. Thank you to all responsible for this book
Everyone should read and absorb this. modern day telling of the greatest truth there is. Thank you to all responsible for this book
December 12, 2021
Great read. Stuck close to scripture. Author drew me I into the story. Could not put it down until I finished it. Highly recommend it
May 10, 2022
Besides faith, we need love, lots of love.
The author took on himself a challenging premise and plotline; assuming Jesus was born in the modern US to immigrant parents. He makes the story authentic to these days through dialogues, some involving humor and even comic. After all, anyone who says that God’s messenger appears, should not be taken seriously, or as he was repeatedly told in the story by the skeptical: “You’re a false prophet, Jesus!” Overall, I sensed that the author has done a great job making the story likable and accessible to ordinary people, perhaps mainly for young adults, and for that, it deserves 5 stars.
The author noted that God called him to write this book. In general, almost every writer can say that an inner call drives the writing regardless of faith. And more specifically to this book topic; In modern times, almost every person on earth can write a story the way one understands the scripts. That's the beauty of living in modern times.
I am not a Christian. My interest is to read this book from a literary perspective and the social messages that are interlinked with religious aspects. Having said that, the plotline is definitely dynamic and moving fast, thus keeping the reader engaged. The author created a fictional world in which illegal immigrants are considered inferior in New America to the level that the leader thinks they endanger the country. This was bluntly described through the acts of the President, Herod, to eliminate all children less than two years old, in the town of Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph raising Jesus as God's chosen man.
The idea behind the book could have great potential for a successful read, yet it has multiple reservations. For instance, the focus on what the Jews think and ignoring other religions in modern era raises an eyebrow. Not paying attention to small details such as using personal names such as Chris, or the term Hell before the story of Jesus became evident. Another sort of limitation is the having the story restricted to the USA, though many intelligent readers may take New America as a ‘representative’ premise and Herod as a representative evil, allowing the author to focus on the characters and specific thriller scenes within the plotline - I can understand that.
The authors delivers Jesus messages to the world through healing individual people. Here is one beautiful dialogue explaining his motive:
‘Elaine smiled and kissed his cheek. “God sent you to save the world, and here you are healing an old woman past her prime. Why?”
“Your problems are just as important to God as everyone else’s,” Jesus said.’
There were a few messages from the modern Jesus that may raise eyebrows by some:
“God made man and woman to become one, and you should not separate what God has joined together. Anyone who divorces their spouse and remarries, except for unfaithfulness, is committing adultery.” Modern Jesus remains faithful to his principles.
A crucial, important point that has been emphasized by the author: Jesus told his followers what exactly was about to happen to him, and that he had intentionally planned every step of his final days, ahead of time, thus, not blaming anyone but himself for his death.
And finally, here is a dialogue with elementary messages, which basically came from the Old Testament and were cited by Jesus in this book:
“What’s the greatest commandment?” one man asked after raising his hand. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,” Jesus said. “What’s the second greatest?” a little girl said, giggling. Jesus smiled down at her. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
This book is about interlinking between the fundamental fabrics that tie humanity, including inner faith, family, friendship, and love, lots of love.
The author took on himself a challenging premise and plotline; assuming Jesus was born in the modern US to immigrant parents. He makes the story authentic to these days through dialogues, some involving humor and even comic. After all, anyone who says that God’s messenger appears, should not be taken seriously, or as he was repeatedly told in the story by the skeptical: “You’re a false prophet, Jesus!” Overall, I sensed that the author has done a great job making the story likable and accessible to ordinary people, perhaps mainly for young adults, and for that, it deserves 5 stars.
The author noted that God called him to write this book. In general, almost every writer can say that an inner call drives the writing regardless of faith. And more specifically to this book topic; In modern times, almost every person on earth can write a story the way one understands the scripts. That's the beauty of living in modern times.
I am not a Christian. My interest is to read this book from a literary perspective and the social messages that are interlinked with religious aspects. Having said that, the plotline is definitely dynamic and moving fast, thus keeping the reader engaged. The author created a fictional world in which illegal immigrants are considered inferior in New America to the level that the leader thinks they endanger the country. This was bluntly described through the acts of the President, Herod, to eliminate all children less than two years old, in the town of Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph raising Jesus as God's chosen man.
The idea behind the book could have great potential for a successful read, yet it has multiple reservations. For instance, the focus on what the Jews think and ignoring other religions in modern era raises an eyebrow. Not paying attention to small details such as using personal names such as Chris, or the term Hell before the story of Jesus became evident. Another sort of limitation is the having the story restricted to the USA, though many intelligent readers may take New America as a ‘representative’ premise and Herod as a representative evil, allowing the author to focus on the characters and specific thriller scenes within the plotline - I can understand that.
The authors delivers Jesus messages to the world through healing individual people. Here is one beautiful dialogue explaining his motive:
‘Elaine smiled and kissed his cheek. “God sent you to save the world, and here you are healing an old woman past her prime. Why?”
“Your problems are just as important to God as everyone else’s,” Jesus said.’
There were a few messages from the modern Jesus that may raise eyebrows by some:
“God made man and woman to become one, and you should not separate what God has joined together. Anyone who divorces their spouse and remarries, except for unfaithfulness, is committing adultery.” Modern Jesus remains faithful to his principles.
A crucial, important point that has been emphasized by the author: Jesus told his followers what exactly was about to happen to him, and that he had intentionally planned every step of his final days, ahead of time, thus, not blaming anyone but himself for his death.
And finally, here is a dialogue with elementary messages, which basically came from the Old Testament and were cited by Jesus in this book:
“What’s the greatest commandment?” one man asked after raising his hand. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,” Jesus said. “What’s the second greatest?” a little girl said, giggling. Jesus smiled down at her. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
This book is about interlinking between the fundamental fabrics that tie humanity, including inner faith, family, friendship, and love, lots of love.
March 12, 2022
The Modern Christ is the story of Jesus, but set in modern times. Imagine if Jesus was born to Mary in our time, and then imagine it’s set in America. In this retelling of the story of Christ, Jesus is born to Mary in the 1980s in a car dealership in Bethlehem, PA. It is the exact story of Jesus with a modern twist, but contains the same message of a virgin birth, the Son of God, and His sacrifice.
One thing that was important to me about this book was that the basic story of Christ was not changed. The people around him didn’t change either. Mary, Joseph, the apostles, John the Baptist, and even a couple of presidents with the last name of Herod are all in the book. It’s wild to see Jesus with a cell phone and riding in cars, but the heart of the story is still there. It’s proof you can put Jesus in any time and the result will be the same. He will serve as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I think it’s a unique perspective that could make Him seem more relatable to the people of today. After all in His day, He was modern. This is a thought-provoking take on the story of Jesus. The story of Christ is always going to get five stars from me. Highly recommend.
One thing that was important to me about this book was that the basic story of Christ was not changed. The people around him didn’t change either. Mary, Joseph, the apostles, John the Baptist, and even a couple of presidents with the last name of Herod are all in the book. It’s wild to see Jesus with a cell phone and riding in cars, but the heart of the story is still there. It’s proof you can put Jesus in any time and the result will be the same. He will serve as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I think it’s a unique perspective that could make Him seem more relatable to the people of today. After all in His day, He was modern. This is a thought-provoking take on the story of Jesus. The story of Christ is always going to get five stars from me. Highly recommend.
January 2, 2025
Great read
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews