If I were to title Yancey’s book, I would change it a bit: “The Jesus I Thought I Knew”. I’ve been introduced to Jesus since I was a young boy – in Sunday school, in sermons, in books, even in schools (though he was presented in varying ways by different religious groups). Being a predominantly Christian nation, as Filipinos, I’m pretty sure we all have an idea of who Jesus is because we have learned about Him in one way or another.
Yet reading through the life of Jesus will only open more doors of questions and discoveries. One can never exhaust information about Jesus. He is like an ocean to a gargantuan vessel, a mountain to a tiny pebble. I thought I knew Him.
His life has been portrayed in movies, yet no single movie can fully capture His grandiose. His birth is one full of ironies. Why would a powerful God subject himself to the vulnerabilities of a helpless, dependent baby? Why would the Creator of the world and all its riches choose a filthy, stinky manger to be his first bed? Why does a royalty choose for himself an audience of donkeys and mules as the first witness of his incarnation, then a group of shepherds who are considered “insignificant” to be his “messengers”? If God really wants to turn the world upside down, He could have chosen a more extravagant option, yet He chose to be humble and meek.
His background is fully Jewish, and He came in a time when people are arduously waiting for a Messiah to rival the political powers of the day. There were zealots and revolutionaries, Pharisees and Sadducees who are all influential in the political realm of Jerusalem that day. But instead of taking center stage, He often chose to withdraw from the crowd and remain behind the scenes. Instead of running after high-profile people, He chose to run after the widows, the adulterers, the tax collectors, and sinners.
His message is offensive to people of authority and comfort to those who are broken. He could have easily lead a revolution and overthrow the ruling government but He’d rather revolutionize how people look at a woman, how children treat their parents, and how neighbors should respect each other’s property. A lot can be said about his temptation, death, resurrection, and ascension too.
Why did Jesus choose to be counter-cultural? Yancey has this to say: “the more I studied Jesus, the more difficult it became to pigeonhole him… He urged obedience to the Mosaic Law while acquiring the reputation as a lawbreaker. He could be stabbed by sympathy for a stranger, yet turn on his best friend with the flinty rebuke, “get behind me, Satan!” He had uncompromising views on rich men and loose women, yet both types enjoyed his company.”
In all of these, I conclude that Jesus can never be understood in full. If there’s a word to describe Him, it would be indescribable. More fitting for a God who became man – for if He can be squeezed into human terms, He can never be a God worthy of adoration and respect.
I started reading the book about Jesus’ life anticipating that I can add up to my “Jesus list”. But the more I get to “know” Him, the more I realize I don’t know Him. He cannot be and can never be understood in full. I thought I knew Him, but I was wrong. He is beyond my comprehension.
Yet the best thing I love about Him is that He chose the path of Incarnation. I love how Yancey describes it like this: there are fishes in a tank who are being fed and loved by its owner. But no matter how loving the owner is, they always think that he will only do them harm, so they swim away and hide. The owner wants the fishes to understand him, but all efforts seem to no avail. The only way he can do it is for the fish to understand his language, and him to understand theirs. Obviously, this is an impossible feat, and yet this is what happened to Jesus: in His overwhelming affection towards us, He chose to be like us so we can understand how much He loves us. A very simple act, yet so profound in meaning and significance.
Hi, I am Marts! I am a writer, and aside from my stint here in read.cash, I also have my own blog - martsvalenzuela.com. I appreciate it if you pay me a visit! I plan on growing my readership as I learn to improve my craft and journey towards my passion to write and publish books that add value to people.
As a Christian, it is difficult to sit down and read a book written by someone who presents information that doesn't agree with what I believe. It can be disorienting when you realize the person you believe in wholeheartedly has his or her own beliefs that are quite different than what you've been taught. You need to check this https://us.calmerry.com/online-grief-counseling/ and get more new skills for business. The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey, is chock full of excellent material for dealing with the Christian life. One point in the book struck me deeply, and that is that we must not be afraid or ashamed to admit we are ignorant about Jesus. However, there are some ways to approach it as well.