What Did Jesus Do?: A Crash Course in His Life and Times

A wonderful question about how to live a life of faith is summarized in the popular initials WWJD: "What Would Jesus Do?" We want to respond to life situations in ways that are congruent with the way Jesus would respond. Yet, it is hard to know what Jesus WOULD do if one does not know what Jesus DID do. We want to know before we act. Knowing what Jesus did is the premise behind this volume. This is a primer on the Christian faith by Michael Lindvall, who is the senior pastor of Brick Presbyterian Church in New York City and an author of depth and sensitivity. For those who are just beginning their Christian journey and want to have some signposts as to where they are headed, and for those who are a bit further along and seeking to center in on Christ, this book is invaluable. It brings together the record of the four Gospels in a succinct and lively style and offers much more than a biography of Jesus. You see, Lindvall has read further a field than the Gospels. From the record of the entire Bible as well as from the insights of great theological of the past, he presents an excellent portrait of the most important figure of history. Sergeant Friday wanted "Just the facts, Ma'am" and the facts are all here. But along with the facts are the central convictions about Jesus. So we find not only an account of His life and teachings, His miracles and message, but also a well-reasoned and theologically centrist view of the significance and meaning of each of these. Lindvall is especially good in helping people understand Jesus' death and resurrection. I could see this book serving in local congregations in many ways. It could be a text used for confirmation classes, for instance, or for new members who, having joined a church for the first time, want to know more about Jesus. It is also a good refresher course for long-time Christians who want to see a complete portrait of Jesus (as so often the lectionary readings jump about and have us focus on details, but not the whole picture). As for practical matters about the book: The cost is low; the quality is high. The print is large and clear. The format is small enough to be a bedside companion book; yet the margins are large enough that one can add notations easily. Simply put, every Christian should read this book (P.S. This book should not be confused with the children's book by Mary Manz Simon and Anne Kennedy nor with the books by New Zealander Ray Comfort, by F. Scott Spencer, and by W. A Poovey, all of which bear the same title.) If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.