Rating: 
Summary: LIFE CHANGING
Review: ONE OF THE MOST OVERWHELMING AND TRULY MOVING PARTS OF THIS BOOK,IS WHEN THE LORD JESUS IS BEING FLOGGED WITH THE "CAT OF NINE TAILS", A WHIP THAT CONSISTED OF LONG PIECES OF LEATHER WITH SMALL PIECES OF BONE ATTACHED AT THE END. TO READ "HIS" DESCRIPTION OF THE BURNING PAIN FROM THE SCOURGING AND BEATINGS FROM THE BIG FISTED SOLDIERS AND TO PONDER HOW BRUTAL THAT WAS MAKES ONE BREATHLESSLY STOP AND BE REALLY AMAZED AT HIS WONDERFUL LOVE AND GRACE. I HAVE BEEN SHOCKED TO NOT FIND THIS BOOK IN "CHRISTIAN" BOOK STORES. I SUPPOSE YOU COULD CALL THIS BOOK CONTROVERSIAL, BUT I AM CONVINCED BECAUSE OF HOW IT INCREASED MY APPRECIATION AND HONOR FOR WHAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE CREATOR OF ALL, DID FOR HUMANKIND, THIS BOOK WAS A DIVINELY INSPIRED WORK. THANK YOU,DOCTOR HODGES. I WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU AND BUY YOUR LUNCH. YOU ARE SPECIAL.
Rating:
Summary: Wrestling with humanity of Christ
Review: The conservative evangelical environment that I was brought up within leaned heavily upon the presentation of the divinity of Jesus, the second member of the Triune God. In that setting we doted upon his prophetic utterances and the tricks with fish and bread that he did. In that "us versus them" we thought it okay to hope for the day when Christ would return triumphantly as a judge to, well, vindicate "us" and polish off the various groups of "them" that we had so clearly defined.To twist the Apostle Paul's statement around, when I was a child I thought as one. Andrew Hodges book helps readers to wrestle with a very human Jesus, a flesh and blood person that is probably more important on a micro level than the sort of divine superman disguised by sandals and toga that we were used to hearing about. It is a misnomer to think that we are "saved" solely by what Jesus did on the cross. We are also saved by what he did in his life, his struggle to overcome, to wrestle with the forces of evil and to walk blameless and uprightly. If he did all these things with aid of divinity, then it really has no bearing on me as a fumbling morass of material existence. This book gets into that struggle, offering potential insights into the thought process that a human being wrestling with real issues would go through. Hodges helps me identify with the person Jesus so that he is much closer. I have more affinity with a Jesus in Gethsemane where he angsts over what is to come than I do the resurrected Lord. At least, at this point of the journey. When you're done with lapping up the milk, buy this book and chew on some meat.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This is one of my all time favorites - the insights reveal a Jesus that is warm, wise and personable and more. I had several "Light bulb" moments - things I had not considered or brought a new light to what I did know: Jesus, as a boy, being teased as illegitimate; some of the sublties of the devil's temptations; how the splinters irritated his raw back when carrying the cross to his crucifixion which was nothing compared with the real penalty he paid for us - separation from God.
The Q & A format is very readable, and Dr. Hodges has taken great care to be faithful to Scripture, lending tremendous credibility to his work. Only two people I know did not like this work - their reason: it made Jesus too real. That is an effective work. I can't recommend this work more highly.
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