The Gospel of Yeshua: A Fresh Look at the Life and Teaching of Jesus

Skip Johnson's book introduces us to a Jesus we can all sit down and talk with. It's refreshing and has the potential to reach across religions (and to those who practice no particular religion) with its open message that is so accessible and pertinent to today's world.

I read this book a couple of months ago and am still pondering many things in my heart. It's a story that warmed me, but set me thinking at the same time. I was so glad that I had read it before Easter and I plan to re-read it during Lent next year - if not before!

Happy Easter!Most people have learned the Christian beliefs about Jesus's life in bits and pieces, and shrouded with doctrinal interpretations. Religion journalist Skip Johnson has taken on the challenging task of combining what we know about Jesus into a story that can make Him come alive as a person today. Using a style reminiscent of Hemingway in relying on simplicity in story line and dialogue, Mr. Johnson has woven a rewarding fabric about Jesus (not unlike the cloak that Mary made) that will delight Christians of all faiths and doctrines, and non-Christians as well who wish to understand Jesus as a teacher. I found it a special treat to read this book on Easter morning, and hope you will have that pleasure as well in the future. One of the interesting features of this book was to describe Jesus as Yeshua (a different interpretation of Jesus's name). This literary device allows the reader to see the ancient story with fresher eyes than would otherwise be possible. I also enjoyed the honest discussion of the differences in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I found these books to be completely confusing as a youngster, and have always enjoyed hearing what people more familiar with these texts than I am make of them. If you are like me, Mr. Johnson's ideas will be enlightening. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the psychological development of Jesus in his role as teacher. If you are to serve God, how should one conduct one's life to do so? The book builds a psychological profile around Jesus's answers to that question. For those who do not know much about Jesus, the book provides a simple development of his teachings from their base in Jewish traditions and beliefs which will add to your understanding of how the two sets of ideas intermingle. I found that Mr. Johnson's material added new meaning for me to both sets of these teachings. I especially felt a fresh understanding of the joy inherent in loving God and all others. I also saw Judas differently, from the perspective of his likely motives in cooperating with the Temple's priests. Mr. Johnson's exploration of different questions and beliefs about the Resurrection were very interesting to me, as well. Having them all laid out side-by-side provided me with a new understanding of what that event means to us today. Mr. Johnson also helps connect the reader to spiritual experiences by providing indirect instruction into meditation sounds for times when Jesus sought quiet for thought and prayer. By pursuing these meditative practices, the reader can enter into a state closer to what Jesus might have been experiencing. Whether your purpose is to learn from Jesus's life as a teacher, to find a faith, to reaffirm your faith, or simply to satisfy your curiosity, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to you. After reading this book, you should dedicate yourself for a period of time you choose to follow the gospels about love as described here.

Being an unreligious person, I was skeptical of reading a book about Jesus. However, I was delighted that the book was not preachy or overbearing. It is an interesting account of Jesus the man, someone who, throughout my Sunday School years, was exposed to me as a mythical, magical non-human. It is refreshing to read a "religious" book that does not make you feel uncomfortable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

With great clarity, Johnson has written a stunning account of the life and teaching of Jesus that strips away myth and theological irrelevancies and centers on Jesus' misssion of love. It is refreshing and exciting to get caught up in a story that's been told so many times.