Jesus: A 21st Century Biography

Johnson is a prolific history writer, with significant titles to his name. This short biography of Christ is a great read. It is well-written and fresh for the believer and approachable for the non-believer alike. It is not jammed full of Scripture references, like apologetics books or Bible study materials. It is not intended to be either of those things. As a believer, I had to adjust my perspective while reading the first three chapters, mainly because I am accustomed to more analytical text with footnotes and cross-references when reading about Jesus or God's Word. The subtitle is true to the text - this is a biography, and it paints a visual image of its subject. Johnson summarizes the era of Jesus' birth and life on earth with fresh insights on cultural practices and gives you a sense for the man behind the red letter verses in the Bible. Johnson's economy of language hits the nail on the head. No fluff. No sense that the author has to jam one more thing in to prove his point. It reads like eloquent campfire storytelling, relating the author's recollections of his old friend, Jesus. "You should have seen the way Jesus addressed the leaders of his day...like nothing you can imagine. Calm, poised, one step ahead of the game. He was forever a paradox, loving the unlovable and turning conventional wisdom and rule-following on its ear." (my own paraphrase, not a direct quote from the text). This may be the most winsome, read-it-in-a-day portrait of Jesus you will find, and may be the book about Jesus that intrigues the skeptic to want to learn more.

extremely well written, gives a holist view of the life of Jesus, his remarkable accomplishments of just three years and the Gospel tellings and retelling of his miracles and demonstrations of God's love for mankind.

This was an interesting little book that attempted to synthesize a life of Christ using all four gospels and knowledge we have about life in 1st century Judea from archeology and other ancient sources. I was a little disappointed with the book, mainly because the History Book Club oversold it. The HBC blurb indicated that Johnson would bring ancient sources together an provide some insight into what Jesus was doing between the ages of 12 (when he hung out with the teachers in the Temple in Jerusalem scaring the hell out of his parents) and 30 (when he was baptized by John the Baptist). This book didn't do that. But that's hardly the fault of the author, since he's not the one that made the claim. Anyway, the book was well written and engaging; it is only about 250 pages so it's a nice quick read. It was also quite good at what it did, which is bringing together the main points of Jesus' ministry as related in the four gospels. Think of it as "key take-aways" for Christianity. So I recommend it, with the understanding that it won't provide the reader with any new information about the parts of Jesus' life not illuminated by the Gospels.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was an easy read and did a great job personifying Jesus. I was brought up Christian, and am practicing today. The first half of the book I'd say was 'nice', most of the stories recounted were those that you were taught in Sunday School. It was a pleasant read, but I didn't really learn anything. However I found the last two Chapters of Jesus' life very interesting, and is the reason I gave the book four stars. The last two chapters are about the Cruxification and the Resurrection. What I found most interesting wasn't exactly how Jesus was crucified, as we've all learned about that before, but the politics that were going on to allow for such an event and tragedy to happen. I always wondered why a crowd that was so excited to see Jesus on Palm Sunday could turn on him so in one week's time, and this book helped answer that. The last two chapters also help you understand the relationships Jesus had with his disciples and the women in his life. This book would also be great for non-Christians who want a basic understanding about a man who has a whole religion based on his teachings.

Mr. Johnson has brought his formidable talents to bear in this supremely satisfying life of Christ; a timely response to the latest publishing fad, being book-length diatribes by the supposedly learned and wise who denigrate religion and by not-so-subtle insinuation the Savior Jesus Christ. As religious education wanes, Jesus Christ has become to many not an object of veneration or daily study, but a caricature or figurehead--it is an unfortunate reality that too many believers fail to study their own beliefs and in this lack of appreciation they fall prey to those who mock religion. The triumph of Mr. Johnson's achievement is that he portrays the Christ of the Scriptures and is not interested in theological arguments so much as building faith and belief. In speaking of the Savior, believers of all types need more of this kind of approach; the Christ was worthy of emulation in every respect. Mr. Johnson argues that Christ lived a comfortable and educated life as a God with men and loved it--His was a real life. Jesus loved people, loved a good meal; He was supremely observant and compassionate, He missed nothing and saw everything. My favorite part of the book was Mr. Johnson's telling of the miracle at Cana; his portrayal of the relationship between Jesus and Jesus' mother was illuminating. The genius of the book is that it is not an explanation of why and how Jesus, at once the most intelligent and powerful being to ever walk the earth, allowed Himself to be made a sacrifice for mankind; rather, it is a biography, a description of what kind of Man He was according to the historical record. A deceptively difficult task that only a seasoned expert at the height of his powers could pull off as effortlessly as does Mr. Johnson. In summary, Jesus was and is the perfect friend; the epitome of unselfishness, the example of everything good, the author of the golden rule. The work is short and by no means exhaustive. It makes conclusions that may be controversial to some but throughout the work you sense that Mr. Johnson loves this man Jesus Christ and is in absolute awe and wonder of the divine intelligence exhibited in everything that Jesus said or did. This reviewer will admit to the same bias--I love the Christ and strive to live according to His example. While it is the earnest hope of every believer to someday know more of He whom we seek to emulate, Mr. Johnson's little volume should be a welcome gift for anyone who seeks to follow the Master. Highest Recommendation.