What do you think?
Rate this book
Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels
Award-winning author Rebecca McLaughlin explores who Jesus really is in this follow-up to Confronting Christianity. Jesus is the most famous human being in all of history. But while many people have a basic sketch of Jesus in their minds, comparatively few have taken time to read the four biographies of his life in the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In Confronting Jesus, Rebecca McLaughlin shares important biblical context to help all readers see why the Gospels should be taken seriously as historical documents. Exploring eyewitness testimony about Jesus, McLaughlin points to him as a first-century Jewish man who is the Son of God, King of the Jews, mighty healer, greatest teacher, lover of sinners, suffering servant, perfect sacrifice, and universal Lord. This follow-up to her first book, Confronting Christianity, helps readers understand the message of the Gospels and explore who Jesus really is. Individuals and groups can work through the book together with the Confronting Jesus Study Guide and the Confronting Jesus Video Study.
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2022
83 people are currently reading
987 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca McLaughlin
43 books528 followersRebecca McLaughlin (PhD, Cambridge University) is the cofounder of Vocable Communications, a communications consulting and training firm. She is also a regular contributor to the Gospel Coalition and previously spent nine years working with top academics at the Veritas Forum, which hosts forums on college campuses with conversations that pursue answers to life's hardest questions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
September 6, 2022
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S CONFRONTING JESUS ABOUT?
Most people have a lot of preconceptions about Jesus, a lot of people have read and/or heard things about Him and the Scriptures that tell about him. But not as many have actually read those Scriptures, particularly the Gospels.
Rebecca McLaughlin tries to clear away some of the cultural debris that has piled up between non-Christians and the Gospels and the subject of the Gospels. For example, as she points out, given Christianity's impact in shaping Western Civilization, it's difficult to think of Jesus as non-Western.
The goal of the book is to help the reader (particularly those with little-to-know-exposure to Christianity) begin to see the Gospels for what they really are, not the readers' preconceptions of them. And the Jesus revealed in the Gospels as the Gospels want to portray him, not what the reader may already think.
It's a high and lofty goal—possibly too lofty for 200 pages. But this isn't intended as a definitive work, more like an invitation for the reader to do their own work.
A MENAGERIE OF REFERENCES
A lot of writers (and preachers, truth be told) will introduce a subject or thought by grounding their introduction in some sort of shared knowledge. Sometimes it'll be an experience (first day of school), a person everyone knows (George Washington), a current event, or some sort of cultural reference (literature, music, film/TV, etc.). McLaughlin almost always goes for the latter. And, for the overwhelming majority of the time, it's a very contemporary reference.
She starts off by invoking the musical Hamilton, and does so in-depth—it wasn't long at all before I made a note, "can we be done with Hamilton now?" The answer was no—she came back to Miranda's hit time and time again. Thankfully my worries about this being a book about Jesus, the gospels, and a hip-hop musical about a Founding Father quickly evaporated and she moved on to other cultural touchpoints—Harry Potter, Doctor Who, The Princess Bride, Gladiator, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lord of the Rings, Jane Austen, A Tale of Two Cities, and more. It's an interesting mix of pop-culture and more high-brow references.
I'm spending more time on this than I initially intended, but I kept bumping on this tendency of hers, and I ended up spending as much time thinking about it as I did her arguments. Now, I don't think most readers will do that—but most readers aren't considering the delivery of the content as they are the content. So I don't think most readers will be distracted by this as I am.
Still, the volume of pop culture references strikes me as a dangerous strategy (as comfortable and relatable as it might be). It can trivialize the subject matter. It can possibly cause offense (how many people really want to relate to J.K. Rowling right now? A different crowd than those who didn't want anything to do with her in the 90s, to be sure).
Lastly, it reduces the shelf-life of the book tremendously. Wilde, Dickens, and Austen are references that will stand (and have stood) the test of time—but will The Hunger Games and Ted Lasso? Maybe. But Maybe not. McLaughlin's arguments and insights may be worth reading in ten years, but will the book as a whole? Or will what makes it most approachable today make it stale and off-putting within a presidential election cycle or two.
(that took a lot more time to express and explain my concerns than I thought it would—this is not a significant detriment to the effectiveness of the book, but it is one)
THE TONE
McLaughlin has an approachable, almost breezy style. I started this book while taking a break from a more scholarly book, and the early chapters had some overlap with the other book I was reading. And I suffered a little mental whiplash. I got over it the more of the book that I read (especially as it diverted into different territory from the other), but it almost seemed too shallow. A lot of readers might think that, too. If you persevere, however you'll see that's not that case.
McLaughlin comes across as open, honest, and earnest—the kind of person you'd enjoy chatting with—and her grounding things in events with her life or a movie you've both seen (or that she's told you enough about that you want to see it), makes the material something you connect with.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CONFRONTING JESUS?
I enjoyed the book. I was charmed by McLaughlin's style and found her arguments compelling—not convincing. But, as I said, I'm not sure she was trying to convince her readers—I think she was set on moving them to do more research, more reading, and to deal with more convincing ideas and arguments. This was an introduction to Jesus, hopefully lowering perceived barriers to him—and a challenge to deal honestly with Him and His claims rather than preconceptions and reputations about Him (and His followers).
That said, I'm predisposed to agree with her. We're on the same team, and don't have the same barriers that the non-Christian will have. So I can't ultimately say how well the book works. Do I think that several of my friends would benefit from it? Sure. But that's just a guess/hope. The ultimate sign of the quality and effectiveness of this book is going to come from the non-Christian reader.
Also, this book does make me curious about McLaughlin's other work—and I anticipate grabbing at least one of her earlier books soon.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this opportunity.
---
WHAT'S CONFRONTING JESUS ABOUT?
Most people have a lot of preconceptions about Jesus, a lot of people have read and/or heard things about Him and the Scriptures that tell about him. But not as many have actually read those Scriptures, particularly the Gospels.
Rebecca McLaughlin tries to clear away some of the cultural debris that has piled up between non-Christians and the Gospels and the subject of the Gospels. For example, as she points out, given Christianity's impact in shaping Western Civilization, it's difficult to think of Jesus as non-Western.
The goal of the book is to help the reader (particularly those with little-to-know-exposure to Christianity) begin to see the Gospels for what they really are, not the readers' preconceptions of them. And the Jesus revealed in the Gospels as the Gospels want to portray him, not what the reader may already think.
It's a high and lofty goal—possibly too lofty for 200 pages. But this isn't intended as a definitive work, more like an invitation for the reader to do their own work.
A MENAGERIE OF REFERENCES
A lot of writers (and preachers, truth be told) will introduce a subject or thought by grounding their introduction in some sort of shared knowledge. Sometimes it'll be an experience (first day of school), a person everyone knows (George Washington), a current event, or some sort of cultural reference (literature, music, film/TV, etc.). McLaughlin almost always goes for the latter. And, for the overwhelming majority of the time, it's a very contemporary reference.
She starts off by invoking the musical Hamilton, and does so in-depth—it wasn't long at all before I made a note, "can we be done with Hamilton now?" The answer was no—she came back to Miranda's hit time and time again. Thankfully my worries about this being a book about Jesus, the gospels, and a hip-hop musical about a Founding Father quickly evaporated and she moved on to other cultural touchpoints—Harry Potter, Doctor Who, The Princess Bride, Gladiator, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Lord of the Rings, Jane Austen, A Tale of Two Cities, and more. It's an interesting mix of pop-culture and more high-brow references.
I'm spending more time on this than I initially intended, but I kept bumping on this tendency of hers, and I ended up spending as much time thinking about it as I did her arguments. Now, I don't think most readers will do that—but most readers aren't considering the delivery of the content as they are the content. So I don't think most readers will be distracted by this as I am.
Still, the volume of pop culture references strikes me as a dangerous strategy (as comfortable and relatable as it might be). It can trivialize the subject matter. It can possibly cause offense (how many people really want to relate to J.K. Rowling right now? A different crowd than those who didn't want anything to do with her in the 90s, to be sure).
Lastly, it reduces the shelf-life of the book tremendously. Wilde, Dickens, and Austen are references that will stand (and have stood) the test of time—but will The Hunger Games and Ted Lasso? Maybe. But Maybe not. McLaughlin's arguments and insights may be worth reading in ten years, but will the book as a whole? Or will what makes it most approachable today make it stale and off-putting within a presidential election cycle or two.
(that took a lot more time to express and explain my concerns than I thought it would—this is not a significant detriment to the effectiveness of the book, but it is one)
THE TONE
McLaughlin has an approachable, almost breezy style. I started this book while taking a break from a more scholarly book, and the early chapters had some overlap with the other book I was reading. And I suffered a little mental whiplash. I got over it the more of the book that I read (especially as it diverted into different territory from the other), but it almost seemed too shallow. A lot of readers might think that, too. If you persevere, however you'll see that's not that case.
McLaughlin comes across as open, honest, and earnest—the kind of person you'd enjoy chatting with—and her grounding things in events with her life or a movie you've both seen (or that she's told you enough about that you want to see it), makes the material something you connect with.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT CONFRONTING JESUS?
I enjoyed the book. I was charmed by McLaughlin's style and found her arguments compelling—not convincing. But, as I said, I'm not sure she was trying to convince her readers—I think she was set on moving them to do more research, more reading, and to deal with more convincing ideas and arguments. This was an introduction to Jesus, hopefully lowering perceived barriers to him—and a challenge to deal honestly with Him and His claims rather than preconceptions and reputations about Him (and His followers).
That said, I'm predisposed to agree with her. We're on the same team, and don't have the same barriers that the non-Christian will have. So I can't ultimately say how well the book works. Do I think that several of my friends would benefit from it? Sure. But that's just a guess/hope. The ultimate sign of the quality and effectiveness of this book is going to come from the non-Christian reader.
Also, this book does make me curious about McLaughlin's other work—and I anticipate grabbing at least one of her earlier books soon.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this opportunity.
Read
February 15, 2023This book is for anyone who wants to know more about who Jesus is, a man who lived 2000+ years ago but is still so relevant today. She explains things really well and there were a lot of big takeaways. My one critique is how many book/movie references she used, which sometimes took away from the real point she was trying to convey. But overall really good.
January 29, 2023
If you use the Kingston public library this is available as an audiobook on hoopla. I recommend it whether you already love Jesus or are mildly curious about him.
Read
February 3, 2023I really enjoyed this!! Very easy to follow. I recommend.
(she does spoil a few books & movies though 😐)
(she does spoil a few books & movies though 😐)
March 23, 2023
In “Confronting Jesus”, McLaughlin takes the reader through nine aspects of who Jesus is (Jew, Son, King, Healer, Teacher, Lover, Servant, Sacrifice, Lord).
It is a beautiful explanation of who the “Hero of the Gospels” is and a fantastic sequel to “Confronting Christianity”.
An encouraging and surprisingly easy read!
Fav quote: from Jesus the Sacrifice chapter
(In relation to soup dumplings)
“The thought of dumplings floating around in soup did not appeal… then Karolyn explained: the soup is actually inside the dumplings… Just as I had thought soup dumplings were in soup, Jesus’s hearers thought his body was contained in the temple. But actually, the temple was contained in Jesus’s body.”
It is a beautiful explanation of who the “Hero of the Gospels” is and a fantastic sequel to “Confronting Christianity”.
An encouraging and surprisingly easy read!
Fav quote: from Jesus the Sacrifice chapter
(In relation to soup dumplings)
“The thought of dumplings floating around in soup did not appeal… then Karolyn explained: the soup is actually inside the dumplings… Just as I had thought soup dumplings were in soup, Jesus’s hearers thought his body was contained in the temple. But actually, the temple was contained in Jesus’s body.”
May 4, 2025
Great book! It took me a while to read, but not because the content wasn’t good. I’ll definitely carry this book around with me because it has great answers to questions like “How can we rely on the accounts in the Gospels?” Or “Did Jesus really rise again?” A great read for anyone wondering who this Jesus guy really is.
October 10, 2022
This was such a great read. The book is not long or cumbersome. I greatly appreciated Rebecca’s openness and care as she handled hard topics and interesting parts of scripture that people often have questions about. This was so much more than retelling and explaining Jesus in 9 ways, this was a beautiful apologetic for the Christian faith.
March 7, 2023
A very recommendable apologetics book - it is approachable, enjoyable in its contemporary references to literature and film, extensive in its many important arguments (quite amazing how much was packed in so few pages - there are chapters lovely to be revisited by long-practicing christians, too). It is also transparent and vulnerable (thus even more relatable).
Given the many topics covered in the book concerning Jesus and the Gospels, it follows, of course, that it cannot go very deep, but i think it goes deep enough to compel one to reconsider presuppositions, and stir curiosity to search for more - a noble aim for a book.
Given the many topics covered in the book concerning Jesus and the Gospels, it follows, of course, that it cannot go very deep, but i think it goes deep enough to compel one to reconsider presuppositions, and stir curiosity to search for more - a noble aim for a book.
December 25, 2025
For anyone who wants to learn more about the bible’s claim of Jesus, whilst simultaneously answering the why one should critically confront the person of Jesus presented by the gospels
April 13, 2025
“If Jesus wasn’t resurrected, he’s an egotistical fraud. But if he was resurrected, he is the universal, everlasting, death, defeating, sin, forgiving, Lord.”
Good book for someone exploring Christianity as well as the mature believer
Good book for someone exploring Christianity as well as the mature believer
February 1, 2024
Here books are phenomenal. In this book she clearly lays out who Jesus is and characteristics about Him that we as humans hopefully desire and long for. Jesus loves us, He is our sacrifice, He is our Lord who gives us purpose. She lays this out in a way that makes life with Jesus so utterly desirable. This book has encouraged me to live with Jesus, never doubt his love, and it has challenged me that when I do stray away, I must come back and seek Him with all of my heart. Jesus jumps through these pages, another excellent, Godly book from Ms. Rebecca McLaughlin.
If I had to be picky, some of the pop culture references at first don’t make much sense to me, but then they really start to get good and add to her writing all the more. Overall excellent book that has I would say genuinely pointed me to Christ and illuminated Him as well as a book that isn’t Scripture can!!!
If I had to be picky, some of the pop culture references at first don’t make much sense to me, but then they really start to get good and add to her writing all the more. Overall excellent book that has I would say genuinely pointed me to Christ and illuminated Him as well as a book that isn’t Scripture can!!!
October 12, 2023
2.5 stars. Had some good stuff but over did it with the movie references
October 21, 2022
Rebecca firmly holds three of the spots of my top ten favorite Christian books. As she writes more books, I am sure she will hold even more of those spots. Also I heard that her and Sam Allberry are siblings as I read this?! I am not sure if that is true, but if so WOW what a great family of writers!!
March 13, 2024
This was the book of the year as noted by Christianity Today.
Confronting Jesus looks as 9 aspects:
Jesus the Jew
Jesus the Son
Jesus the King
Jesus the Healer
Jesus the Teaher
Jesus the Lover
Jesus the Servant
Jesus the Sacrifice
Jesus the Lord
I wanted and expected this book to be better. I did not disagree with it, but it didn't move me, keep me turning pages, or make me want to share an idea with someone else. Mostly I just wanted to finish.
So...just 3 stars.
Confronting Jesus looks as 9 aspects:
Jesus the Jew
Jesus the Son
Jesus the King
Jesus the Healer
Jesus the Teaher
Jesus the Lover
Jesus the Servant
Jesus the Sacrifice
Jesus the Lord
I wanted and expected this book to be better. I did not disagree with it, but it didn't move me, keep me turning pages, or make me want to share an idea with someone else. Mostly I just wanted to finish.
So...just 3 stars.
February 10, 2023
“Every seeming roadblock to faith in Jesus becomes a signpost.”
Rebecca McLaughlin has written many books including Confronting Christianity and The Secular Creed, among others. The former was written, McLaughlin said, as a kind of love letter to her friends who had objections to her faith and this is the ‘sequel.’
Whereas Confronting Christianity spoke to 12 of the most common objections to Christianity, Confronting Jesus narrows in on the person of Jesus.
Who was he? Why was he important? How does Jesus set Christianity apart from all other religions?
Similarly to my feelings about Confronting Christianity, my recommendation would be, sure, read this book, but don’t ONLY read this book. At the end I’ll give a couple other books that I may even recommend to people instead of this one and I’ll explain why in this review.
I also read the study guide that goes along with this book. It’s only 62 pages- 10 reflection questions per chapter with space to write. It’s helpfulness depends on the type of reader you are. I didn’t find most of the questions particularly thought-provoking, but if you plan to read this book with a group, it would be good to have some conversation starters. Many of the questions are answered in the book and the questions provide the corresponding page numbers.
[for pictures see original blog post]
The 9 Encounters
There are nine chapters, each one focusing on a characteristic of Jesus:
- Jesus the Jew
- Jesus the Son
- Jesus the King
- Jesus the Healer
- Jesus the Teacher
- Jesus the Lover
- Jesus the Servant
- Jesus the Sacrifice
- Jesus the Lord
She shares a story or two in each chapter from Scripture that depicts the person of Jesus and how he relates to his people. They showcase his humanity, his divinity, his love, grace, and power.
She also touches on some bigger questions within a few of the chapters like: Why can we trust the Gospel accounts about Jesus’s life? Did Jesus even claim to be God? What do we do with the evil in the world? Isn’t Christianity oppressive to women? Aren’t Jesus’s teachings on sexuality really restrictive? Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery? Is there diversity in the Bible? How can we believe the resurrection?
My Favorite Chapters
I think my two favorite chapters were Jesus the Lover and Jesus the Servant.
Jesus the Lover
The idea of ‘marriage’ these days has largely been hijacked. People have forgotten that marriage originated from God from the very first. Why? Because it is a picture of Christ and the Church.
Marriage is not just a piece of paper. It’s not just a tax benefit. It’s not just convenient or something you do when your feelings direct you to it. It’s not a cultural construct. It’s a God-designed covenant to image himself.
“The greatest human romance is at best an imitation of that love… if we treasure human marriage more than Jesus’s love, we’ll find it disappoints. But if we treasure Jesus’s love above all else, we’ll find it has the power to turn our weakness into death-defying strength.”
This chapter reminds us the power and wonder of marriage. The beauty and significance of its creation. For those who wonder why Christians are so uptight about the ‘redefinition of marriage,’ this chapter will shed some light on that.
It will explain that while marriage is important, it’s not ultimate. Yet it’s worth protecting as God designed it because otherwise we are distorting the image of God.
“The fundamental reason why Christians believe that sex belongs only in the permanent bond of male-female marriage is because of the metaphor of Jesus’s love for his church. It’s a love in which two become one flesh. It is a love that connects across sameness and radical difference: the sameness of our shared humanity and the radical difference of Jesus from us. It’s a love in which husbands are called not to exploit, abuse, or abandon their wives, but to love and sacrifice for them as Jesus did for us."
It will explain how the boundaries God puts on sex is good. How you protect something that’s precious. How his laws in Scripture don’t oppress women but when considered in the cultural context reflect his utmost love and protection for the widows, children, and marginalized.
“Whether we are single or married, widowed or divorced, romantically fulfilled or disappointed, we’ll all relate to human marriage best if we see it as a copy of the real thing— the love that truly burns for all eternity. And when we put this masterpiece in pride of place, we’ll start to understand the Bible’s boundaries around sex.”
[For further reading on this check out these books: Born Again This Way; What God Has to Say About Our Bodies; or Gay Girl, Good God. All of these were written by people who experience same-sex attraction. Or for a closer look at the specific Bible passages related to sex and marriage try What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality]
Jesus the Servant
“The question for God’s people was never whether they were servants, but whose servants they were. Would they live enslaved to people who oppressed and hated them? Or would they gladly serve the God who made and loved them?”
“Enslaved people were drawn to Jesus the servant, who throws down the powerful and lifts up the disempowered.”
“How much must Jesus value you and me to give his life up as our ransom? Jesus’s sacrifice for us can breed humility if we will only let it. We won’t need to be recognized by others if we know we are seen and known and deeply loved by the King of all the universe himself. We can unclench our grip on status if we know we’re held in Jesus’s hands. We can kneel down if we are sure that he will one day lift us.”
In her book Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Kobes-Du Mez critiqued the term ‘servant leader’ that has been used in many churches. It would seem she has forgotten that Jesus came to serve and not be served and that he is our example to follow. True leadership is serving in humility just as Jesus did. Of course, we cannot image Christ’s example perfectly and we need repentance and forgiveness for that.
But it’s a reminder that maybe if Christians spent more time serving then lifting themselves up, maybe people outside the church would recognize the godliness and freedom of submission.
This chapter connects a lot with the next one about Jesus the Sacrifice which is the ultimate form of serving.
It reminds me of the Downhere song- How Many Kings. The lyrics say,
‘How many kings step down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me.’
Isn’t that amazing?! There is no other religion hinged on the sacrificial death— and further- resurrection— of its god. There is no other. Jesus, and only Jesus is Lord.
This is where she spends time explaining how we can believe the resurrection.
[She also has a new book coming out this spring called ‘Is Easter Unbelievable?’ which I’m sure will go into even more detail about it if this is something that you struggle with.]
My Critique
I have one main critique. And this is why I may not always recommend this book for someone wanting to study the truth about Jesus.
McLaughlin spent a lot of page real estate on references to popular movies, shows, or books.
I understand the audience for this book are those who may not believe in Jesus at all. Perhaps she has used these references as a point of connection, an approachable way to help keep people’s attention and have something familiar to compare these new ideas with.
To some degree, I can respect that. I can appreciate a good illustration or parallel in secular places.
That audience doesn’t describe me so I don’t know how all of this comes across for other people.
But, for me, it felt like too much.
She references: the Hamilton musical, Dr. Who, Shang-Chi, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Gladiator, A Tale of Two Cities, Ted Lasso, The Good Place, The Midnight Library, and Collateral Beauty.
But in such a short book, to have one or two of these within each chapter felt like a lot. And it often felt disjointed. She would spend a few paragraphs describing a scene from a movie, then the next paragraph starts a completely different idea that she doesn’t connect to the scene until later.
Maybe because the content wasn’t new for me, the analogies were too distracting for me rather than complimentary.
I had no issue with the theological content of her book, but her writing style and delivery is what takes this book down a notch for me.
I wouldn’t discourage someone from reading this book, but I may give them a heads up about all the references so they can decide for themselves whether they feel like that will be helpful or hindering in their taking in what McLaughlin’s saying.
Recommendation
As described above, my main critique of this book was the overuse (to me) of pop culture references that felt disjointed and largely underwhelming for their purpose in this book.
I love the subject matter of this book. I think it’s very important.
Christianity is predicated on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. What you believe about Jesus is of utmost importance. If you don’t know who Jesus was or why we can believe he is who he said he was, you should definitely wrestle with that!
This may be the book for you.
Or it may not.
Here are a few other books that I would most likely recommend to people above this one for people questioning Jesus:
- Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity by Neil Shenvi
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi
- Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t: The Beauty of Christian Theism by Gavin Ortlund
If you want to read more of Rebecca McLaughlin’s books, she has written a lot of good ones. Other than the ones linked above:
- Is Christmas Unbelievable?: Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the World’s Most Famous Story (Is the virgin birth real?)
- Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord (Does the Bible oppress women?)
- The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims (What does the Bible say about marriage, women’s rights, race, immigrants, and diversity?)
Shelf Reflection Book Review Blog
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest
Rebecca McLaughlin has written many books including Confronting Christianity and The Secular Creed, among others. The former was written, McLaughlin said, as a kind of love letter to her friends who had objections to her faith and this is the ‘sequel.’
Whereas Confronting Christianity spoke to 12 of the most common objections to Christianity, Confronting Jesus narrows in on the person of Jesus.
Who was he? Why was he important? How does Jesus set Christianity apart from all other religions?
Similarly to my feelings about Confronting Christianity, my recommendation would be, sure, read this book, but don’t ONLY read this book. At the end I’ll give a couple other books that I may even recommend to people instead of this one and I’ll explain why in this review.
I also read the study guide that goes along with this book. It’s only 62 pages- 10 reflection questions per chapter with space to write. It’s helpfulness depends on the type of reader you are. I didn’t find most of the questions particularly thought-provoking, but if you plan to read this book with a group, it would be good to have some conversation starters. Many of the questions are answered in the book and the questions provide the corresponding page numbers.
[for pictures see original blog post]
The 9 Encounters
There are nine chapters, each one focusing on a characteristic of Jesus:
- Jesus the Jew
- Jesus the Son
- Jesus the King
- Jesus the Healer
- Jesus the Teacher
- Jesus the Lover
- Jesus the Servant
- Jesus the Sacrifice
- Jesus the Lord
She shares a story or two in each chapter from Scripture that depicts the person of Jesus and how he relates to his people. They showcase his humanity, his divinity, his love, grace, and power.
She also touches on some bigger questions within a few of the chapters like: Why can we trust the Gospel accounts about Jesus’s life? Did Jesus even claim to be God? What do we do with the evil in the world? Isn’t Christianity oppressive to women? Aren’t Jesus’s teachings on sexuality really restrictive? Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery? Is there diversity in the Bible? How can we believe the resurrection?
My Favorite Chapters
I think my two favorite chapters were Jesus the Lover and Jesus the Servant.
Jesus the Lover
The idea of ‘marriage’ these days has largely been hijacked. People have forgotten that marriage originated from God from the very first. Why? Because it is a picture of Christ and the Church.
Marriage is not just a piece of paper. It’s not just a tax benefit. It’s not just convenient or something you do when your feelings direct you to it. It’s not a cultural construct. It’s a God-designed covenant to image himself.
“The greatest human romance is at best an imitation of that love… if we treasure human marriage more than Jesus’s love, we’ll find it disappoints. But if we treasure Jesus’s love above all else, we’ll find it has the power to turn our weakness into death-defying strength.”
This chapter reminds us the power and wonder of marriage. The beauty and significance of its creation. For those who wonder why Christians are so uptight about the ‘redefinition of marriage,’ this chapter will shed some light on that.
It will explain that while marriage is important, it’s not ultimate. Yet it’s worth protecting as God designed it because otherwise we are distorting the image of God.
“The fundamental reason why Christians believe that sex belongs only in the permanent bond of male-female marriage is because of the metaphor of Jesus’s love for his church. It’s a love in which two become one flesh. It is a love that connects across sameness and radical difference: the sameness of our shared humanity and the radical difference of Jesus from us. It’s a love in which husbands are called not to exploit, abuse, or abandon their wives, but to love and sacrifice for them as Jesus did for us."
It will explain how the boundaries God puts on sex is good. How you protect something that’s precious. How his laws in Scripture don’t oppress women but when considered in the cultural context reflect his utmost love and protection for the widows, children, and marginalized.
“Whether we are single or married, widowed or divorced, romantically fulfilled or disappointed, we’ll all relate to human marriage best if we see it as a copy of the real thing— the love that truly burns for all eternity. And when we put this masterpiece in pride of place, we’ll start to understand the Bible’s boundaries around sex.”
[For further reading on this check out these books: Born Again This Way; What God Has to Say About Our Bodies; or Gay Girl, Good God. All of these were written by people who experience same-sex attraction. Or for a closer look at the specific Bible passages related to sex and marriage try What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality]
Jesus the Servant
“The question for God’s people was never whether they were servants, but whose servants they were. Would they live enslaved to people who oppressed and hated them? Or would they gladly serve the God who made and loved them?”
“Enslaved people were drawn to Jesus the servant, who throws down the powerful and lifts up the disempowered.”
“How much must Jesus value you and me to give his life up as our ransom? Jesus’s sacrifice for us can breed humility if we will only let it. We won’t need to be recognized by others if we know we are seen and known and deeply loved by the King of all the universe himself. We can unclench our grip on status if we know we’re held in Jesus’s hands. We can kneel down if we are sure that he will one day lift us.”
In her book Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Kobes-Du Mez critiqued the term ‘servant leader’ that has been used in many churches. It would seem she has forgotten that Jesus came to serve and not be served and that he is our example to follow. True leadership is serving in humility just as Jesus did. Of course, we cannot image Christ’s example perfectly and we need repentance and forgiveness for that.
But it’s a reminder that maybe if Christians spent more time serving then lifting themselves up, maybe people outside the church would recognize the godliness and freedom of submission.
This chapter connects a lot with the next one about Jesus the Sacrifice which is the ultimate form of serving.
It reminds me of the Downhere song- How Many Kings. The lyrics say,
‘How many kings step down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me.’
Isn’t that amazing?! There is no other religion hinged on the sacrificial death— and further- resurrection— of its god. There is no other. Jesus, and only Jesus is Lord.
This is where she spends time explaining how we can believe the resurrection.
[She also has a new book coming out this spring called ‘Is Easter Unbelievable?’ which I’m sure will go into even more detail about it if this is something that you struggle with.]
My Critique
I have one main critique. And this is why I may not always recommend this book for someone wanting to study the truth about Jesus.
McLaughlin spent a lot of page real estate on references to popular movies, shows, or books.
I understand the audience for this book are those who may not believe in Jesus at all. Perhaps she has used these references as a point of connection, an approachable way to help keep people’s attention and have something familiar to compare these new ideas with.
To some degree, I can respect that. I can appreciate a good illustration or parallel in secular places.
That audience doesn’t describe me so I don’t know how all of this comes across for other people.
But, for me, it felt like too much.
She references: the Hamilton musical, Dr. Who, Shang-Chi, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Gladiator, A Tale of Two Cities, Ted Lasso, The Good Place, The Midnight Library, and Collateral Beauty.
But in such a short book, to have one or two of these within each chapter felt like a lot. And it often felt disjointed. She would spend a few paragraphs describing a scene from a movie, then the next paragraph starts a completely different idea that she doesn’t connect to the scene until later.
Maybe because the content wasn’t new for me, the analogies were too distracting for me rather than complimentary.
I had no issue with the theological content of her book, but her writing style and delivery is what takes this book down a notch for me.
I wouldn’t discourage someone from reading this book, but I may give them a heads up about all the references so they can decide for themselves whether they feel like that will be helpful or hindering in their taking in what McLaughlin’s saying.
Recommendation
As described above, my main critique of this book was the overuse (to me) of pop culture references that felt disjointed and largely underwhelming for their purpose in this book.
I love the subject matter of this book. I think it’s very important.
Christianity is predicated on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. What you believe about Jesus is of utmost importance. If you don’t know who Jesus was or why we can believe he is who he said he was, you should definitely wrestle with that!
This may be the book for you.
Or it may not.
Here are a few other books that I would most likely recommend to people above this one for people questioning Jesus:
- Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity by Neil Shenvi
- Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi
- Why God Makes Sense in a World that Doesn’t: The Beauty of Christian Theism by Gavin Ortlund
If you want to read more of Rebecca McLaughlin’s books, she has written a lot of good ones. Other than the ones linked above:
- Is Christmas Unbelievable?: Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the World’s Most Famous Story (Is the virgin birth real?)
- Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord (Does the Bible oppress women?)
- The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims (What does the Bible say about marriage, women’s rights, race, immigrants, and diversity?)
Shelf Reflection Book Review Blog
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest
January 8, 2023
This is NOT a deep theological treatise and it wasn’t intended to be. However, McLaughlin does paint a beautiful picture of who Jesus is, using the Gospels as her foundation. Similar to her other books, this is an easy and edifying read.
My only real critique is her use of analogies and illustrations. While most work, there are many that felt forced and seemed to be more distracting than helpful.
My only real critique is her use of analogies and illustrations. While most work, there are many that felt forced and seemed to be more distracting than helpful.
July 25, 2023
It was okay. I felt like analogies were overused and sometimes confused the point. Also, i guess this book is for people exploring Jesus but it didn’t feel super accessible for that audience
August 5, 2024
While there is a lot of great content in here, I found the countless pop culture references to be a bit distracting. I found myself forgetting what I was reading about at times.
September 27, 2024
Typically enjoy her work (podcast and online articles) but this book vastly disappointed. So many pop culture references, at times I felt like I wasn’t reading about Christ!
October 5, 2022
If you have enjoyed the author's first book, "Confronting Christianity," this is essentially the sequel. Her first book provides credible arguments to deal with 12 roadblocks. This sequel deals with 9 encounters with Jesus. Recognizing how so many people in society reject Jesus without even knowing the content of the gospels, McLaughlin does the heavy lifting to summarize the life of Jesus from nine angles. Taking inspiration from all four gospels, she tells the story of Jesus in a manner like a stage musical. The nine encounters are in seeing:
1) Jesus the Jew
2) Jesus the Son
3) Jesus the King
4) Jesus the Healer
5) Jesus the Teacher
6) Jesus the Lover
7) Jesus the Servant
8) Jesus the Sacrifice
9) Jesus the Lord
In "Jesus the Jew," McLaughlin defends the trustworthiness of the gospels and the reliability of the ancient manuscripts. She spends time comparing and contrasting the gospels with other extra-biblical texts before affirming the need to see Jesus as He is: That he was born a Jew. In "Jesus the Son," she explains the significance of Jesus becoming fully human. At the same time, Jesus is also "Jesus the King" which means there is a kingdom that has come and there is to come. For people who come to respect mere power, Jesus shows us that any power today is nothing compared to the Rule of Jesus. In "Jesus the Healer," McLaughlin reflects on the health crisis both personally as well as in general society. Only the sick need healing. Jesus heals us in ways that the world can never do. We then encounter "Jesus the Teacher," giving us a basis for moral truth. Just like the biblical injunction to speak the Truth in love, McLaughlin follows up with "Jesus the Lover" to show us the meaning of freedom and love. Jesus freely loves even when it means giving up his life. "Jesus the Servant" teaches us humility. "Jesus the Sacrifice" compels us to face the question of why would Jesus die for us. The final chapter summarizes Jesus as Lord. The author deals with the classic resurrection truth.
My Thoughts
Compared to her first book "Confronting Christianity," this book focuses more on the Person of Jesus Christ, and how we need to re-examine any doubts, questions, or skepticism about the Truth of the historical Jesus. Every chapter looks at a specific aspect of Jesus whose very character contrasts against the expectations of the world. Though himself a Jew, he did not limit his ministry only to Jews. He demonstrates inclusiveness. As a healer, he seeks out those who need healing and shows them something more eternal. Though he is king, he presents himself as a servant. At the end of the day, what readers will get is that no matter which way we look, the Person of Christ is already quite compelling. We can argue all the ideas or concepts our minds can think of. How do we argue against a person who came, who lived, who ministered, who died, and who rose from the dead? Unless we try to avoid Jesus altogether, the simple answer is we cannot. With multiple examples drawn from modern musicals, plays, movies, and the arts, McLaughlin skillfully guides the reader to face up to the reality of Jesus. I appreciate the "So What?" features in each chapter which crystallize the author's key points.
The author deals with specific objections to the truth of Jesus throughout the book. From textual variants to the reliability of the Bible, the truth of the historical Jesus to teaching to love even our enemies, the truth of the gospel itself should challenge the world at large. The key point is this. Anyone serious about life must face up to the reality of Jesus Christ. This applies to both Christians as well as non-Christians. For the latter, it is an invitation to encounter Jesus as the gospels have recorded. For the former, it is a challenge to learn more and to increase our obedience to his teachings. The gospels tell the story of Jesus in a way that is impactful for daily living. Having given us nine routes to encounter Jesus, perhaps, the creative reader might find out more ways to learn of Jesus and to love him for who he is.
Rebecca McLaughlin (PhD, Cambridge University) is the author of Confronting Christianity, named Christianity Today’s 2020 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year. Her subsequent works include 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity; The Secular Creed; and Jesus through the Eyes of Women.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
1) Jesus the Jew
2) Jesus the Son
3) Jesus the King
4) Jesus the Healer
5) Jesus the Teacher
6) Jesus the Lover
7) Jesus the Servant
8) Jesus the Sacrifice
9) Jesus the Lord
In "Jesus the Jew," McLaughlin defends the trustworthiness of the gospels and the reliability of the ancient manuscripts. She spends time comparing and contrasting the gospels with other extra-biblical texts before affirming the need to see Jesus as He is: That he was born a Jew. In "Jesus the Son," she explains the significance of Jesus becoming fully human. At the same time, Jesus is also "Jesus the King" which means there is a kingdom that has come and there is to come. For people who come to respect mere power, Jesus shows us that any power today is nothing compared to the Rule of Jesus. In "Jesus the Healer," McLaughlin reflects on the health crisis both personally as well as in general society. Only the sick need healing. Jesus heals us in ways that the world can never do. We then encounter "Jesus the Teacher," giving us a basis for moral truth. Just like the biblical injunction to speak the Truth in love, McLaughlin follows up with "Jesus the Lover" to show us the meaning of freedom and love. Jesus freely loves even when it means giving up his life. "Jesus the Servant" teaches us humility. "Jesus the Sacrifice" compels us to face the question of why would Jesus die for us. The final chapter summarizes Jesus as Lord. The author deals with the classic resurrection truth.
My Thoughts
Compared to her first book "Confronting Christianity," this book focuses more on the Person of Jesus Christ, and how we need to re-examine any doubts, questions, or skepticism about the Truth of the historical Jesus. Every chapter looks at a specific aspect of Jesus whose very character contrasts against the expectations of the world. Though himself a Jew, he did not limit his ministry only to Jews. He demonstrates inclusiveness. As a healer, he seeks out those who need healing and shows them something more eternal. Though he is king, he presents himself as a servant. At the end of the day, what readers will get is that no matter which way we look, the Person of Christ is already quite compelling. We can argue all the ideas or concepts our minds can think of. How do we argue against a person who came, who lived, who ministered, who died, and who rose from the dead? Unless we try to avoid Jesus altogether, the simple answer is we cannot. With multiple examples drawn from modern musicals, plays, movies, and the arts, McLaughlin skillfully guides the reader to face up to the reality of Jesus. I appreciate the "So What?" features in each chapter which crystallize the author's key points.
The author deals with specific objections to the truth of Jesus throughout the book. From textual variants to the reliability of the Bible, the truth of the historical Jesus to teaching to love even our enemies, the truth of the gospel itself should challenge the world at large. The key point is this. Anyone serious about life must face up to the reality of Jesus Christ. This applies to both Christians as well as non-Christians. For the latter, it is an invitation to encounter Jesus as the gospels have recorded. For the former, it is a challenge to learn more and to increase our obedience to his teachings. The gospels tell the story of Jesus in a way that is impactful for daily living. Having given us nine routes to encounter Jesus, perhaps, the creative reader might find out more ways to learn of Jesus and to love him for who he is.
Rebecca McLaughlin (PhD, Cambridge University) is the author of Confronting Christianity, named Christianity Today’s 2020 Beautiful Orthodoxy Book of the Year. Her subsequent works include 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity; The Secular Creed; and Jesus through the Eyes of Women.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
September 22, 2022
“If you feel curious about Jesus, this book is for you.”
The above quote reveals that this book is not primarily written for Christians, but for those who are curious enough about Jesus to take a closer look. This book is a sequel of sorts to the author’s previous work, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. While the first addressed objections to Christianity in general, the latest invites readers to look closely at who Jesus is.
Some early criticisms have mentioned that McLaughlin includes too many pop culture references that take away from the scriptural truths she presents. I, however, found them to be fitting for the audience that this book was written for. She models for believers what it looks like to contend for the faith by weaving in sources that even skeptics can agree with. That doesn’t mean we leave the Bible out of the conversation, but that we find common ground on which to begin the conversation. I really appreciated that aspect of the book…even if some spoilers were included 🙃
Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. Confronting Jesus is available now wherever books are sold.
The above quote reveals that this book is not primarily written for Christians, but for those who are curious enough about Jesus to take a closer look. This book is a sequel of sorts to the author’s previous work, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion. While the first addressed objections to Christianity in general, the latest invites readers to look closely at who Jesus is.
Some early criticisms have mentioned that McLaughlin includes too many pop culture references that take away from the scriptural truths she presents. I, however, found them to be fitting for the audience that this book was written for. She models for believers what it looks like to contend for the faith by weaving in sources that even skeptics can agree with. That doesn’t mean we leave the Bible out of the conversation, but that we find common ground on which to begin the conversation. I really appreciated that aspect of the book…even if some spoilers were included 🙃
Thank you to Netgalley and Crossway for the advanced review copy. Confronting Jesus is available now wherever books are sold.
April 10, 2023
This is a very quick and accessible read, with some great information at a higher level. I enjoyed how the author incorporated personal anecdotes to help ground some of her points. Unfortunately, I thought the flow left something to be desired. Although some of the pop culture references were quite effective, others were silly, and their constant intrusion was distracting; often discussions ended abruptly and jarringly because it was time for the next reference. And I know this is a fairly petty complaint, but... come on, spoilers! I'm sure most people already know the full plot of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and The Princess Bride, but The Midnight Library?
Great content and some poignant insights from the author, but not the best presentation in my opinion.
Great content and some poignant insights from the author, but not the best presentation in my opinion.
January 25, 2023
such a fantastic read. this is my third book by Rebecca McLaughlin, and I’ve rated each of them 5 stars. The goal of this book is to be a resource for nonbelievers who are interested in Christianity or who question the faith. It was refreshing and made me re-fall in love with the simple truths of the Gospel. Wherever you are in your walk with the Lord (or if you haven’t taken a step yet), you will gain a lot from this book. (I was going to put a quote in here but there were too many good ones to choose from.)
April 23, 2024
I believe that Rebecca M has a great ability to display complex apologetics in a way that seems approachable and enjoyable. I loved her spirit of humility, and kindness as she navigated difficult concepts. I happened to use this book as a bible study with a group of girls which also made this book more engaging to me. I found her use of pop culture references a bit redundant the longer I read the book, but I appreciated that she was trying to convey complex topics in a way that seemed easy to consume.
Overall, I was challenged, encouraged and thankful I read this book.
Overall, I was challenged, encouraged and thankful I read this book.
October 14, 2022
This book is simple and great. Whether you’re a believer or you’ve never contemplated Jesus, this is a great read! She does a great job of Biblically breaking down who Jesus is based on His words, based on His life.
“Like a cross-shaped peg that won’t fit in a round hole, the Jesus of the Gospels fails to fit into our categories. But His message is clear: sin of every kind will pave our way to hell. But He will throw His arms around us if we come to Him for help.”
“Like a cross-shaped peg that won’t fit in a round hole, the Jesus of the Gospels fails to fit into our categories. But His message is clear: sin of every kind will pave our way to hell. But He will throw His arms around us if we come to Him for help.”
April 27, 2023
A little bit illustration heavy, but when you consider this was written for both Christians and Non-Christians, that makes sense. I think (as a Christian) I was just looking for a little bit deeper of content.
Still super well written though. I love Rebecca McLaughlin. She’s a really great mind and apologist for the cultural moment we’re in.
Still super well written though. I love Rebecca McLaughlin. She’s a really great mind and apologist for the cultural moment we’re in.
January 25, 2024
The author takes us on a journey beholding Jesus as the Jew, the Son, the King, the Healer, the Teacher, the Lover, the Servant, the Sacrifice, and the Lord while drawing connections from classical literature and movies and bringing us back to the gospels showing us the greatest Hero to ever walk the earth. Reading it with my children made it more engaging and enjoyable.
January 2, 2024
I would say this is an incredible read for a new believer or skeptic of Christianity/Jesus. It was full of beautiful reminders for me, and McLaughlin’s metaphors utilizing other works were a game-changer to this text. They help the reader to truly understand some of her points. Great read!
August 15, 2024
I read this on the recommendation of my pastor and it was excellent. Rebecca McLaughlin breaks down the different aspects of Jesus’ identity really clearly and challenged my faith anew.
A really good, accessible apologetics read.
A really good, accessible apologetics read.
October 19, 2022
So good, but I feel I should point out, if there's any books you've been meaning to read it shows you've been meaning to watch, this book contains a lot of spoilers. The spoilers make the book relatable and helpful and are probably worth it, but just be aware....
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews